INTRODUCTION
TO ICT
BY PETER NORTON 7TH EDITION
CHAPTER 4A
T R A N S F O R M I N G D ATA I N T O I N F O R M AT I O N
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HOW COMPUTERS PROCESS DATA
• Memory
– Stores open programs and data
– Small chips on the motherboard
– More memory makes a computer faster
– Two types of Memory
• Nonvolatile Memory: ROM
• Volatile Memory: RAM
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HOW COMPUTERS PROCESS DATA
• Nonvolatile memory
– Holds data when power is off, (the computer is unplugged).
– Read Only Memory (ROM)
– Holds instructions necessary for computers startup known as BIOS instructions.
– Basic Input Output System (BIOS).
– BIOS instructions contain another set of instructions to ensure that the computer system is
working properly and has all the expected hardware devices attached, known as POST
instructions.
– Power On Self Test (POST)
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HOW COMPUTERS PROCESS DATA
• Flash memory
– A special type of nonvolatile memory is the Flash memory.
– Used in portable devices.
– Data is stored using physical switches
– Special form of nonvolatile memory
– Camera cards, USB key chains
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HOW COMPUTERS PROCESS DATA
• Volatile memory
– Requires power to hold data
– Random Access Memory (RAM)
– Data in RAM has an address
– RAM Memory is randomly accessible.
– CPU reads data using the address
– CPU can read any address
– RAM consists of chips on a small circuit board:
• SIMM and DIMM chips are found in Desktop computers.
• SIMMs: Single in line memory module
• DIMM: Dual in line Memory Module
• SO DIMM (Small Outline DIMM) are found in Laptop computers
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COMPONENTS AFFECTING SPEED
There are several factors that
affect Computer’s Speed:
1. Registers
2. RAM
3. Cache Memory
4. Internal Clock
5. Bus
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AFFECTING PROCESSING SPEED
• Registers
– The smallest computer memory is the Registers.
– Registers are present inside the CPU.
– The size of the register is also known as Word size.
– Normal CPU’s consists of 32 bit register size.
– Larger size indicates more powerful computer
– Increase by purchasing new CPU
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AFFECTING PROCESSING SPEED
• RAM
– More RAM makes the Computer run fast.
– When RAM memory becomes small for cpu, a space on the hard disk is kept as RAM known as
virtual RAM.
– CPU then swaps data to virtual RAM
• Least recently used data is moved
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AFFECTING PROCESSING SPEED
• The computer’s internal clock
– There exists an internal Clock in the Computer made up of Quartz crystal. [This clock doesnot give
us time]
– When electricity is applied to the Quartz crystal, its molecules begun to vibrate millions of time per
second, (this rate never change).
– Every vibration (tick) causes a cycle (machine cycle).
– Speeds measured in Hertz (Hz)
• Modern machines use Giga Hertz (GHz)
– A processor can execute an instruction in a given number of clock cycles.
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AFFECTING PROCESSING SPEED
• Bus
– Electronic pathway between components, like pathway between RAM and CPU.
– There are two types of Buses, Internal or System Bus and External or Expansion Bus.
– Expansion bus connects to peripherals devices like Mouse, keyboard, Printer etc.
– System bus connects CPU and RAM
– There are two types of System Bus: Data Bus and Address Bus
– Bus width is measured in bits
– Speed is tied to the clock
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SYSTEM BUS
• Data Bus:
– The Data Bus carries Data from RAM to CPU and vice versa.
– The amount of data depends upon the size of Data Bus
– A 16-bit Bus carries 16 Bit of data
– The bigger the data bus, the more amount of data it transfers.
• Address Bus:
– The Address Bus is used to carry only memory address to and from RAM , CPU
AFFECTING PROCESSING SPEED
• Cache memory
– Very fast memory
– 2nd most fastest memory of Computer after Registers.
– Located on the CPU or very near to the CPU chip.
– Holds common or recently used data
– Speeds up computer processing
– Most computers have several caches
– L1 holds recently used data
– L2 holds upcoming data
– L3 holds possible upcoming data
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe how virtual memory works
2. Describe the role of computers internal clock
3. Write types of Cache Memory.
CHAPTER 4A
END OF CHAPTER
