Understanding the Functions of Computer Systems

Unit 2 Computer systems

Assignment 1 Understanding the functions of computer systems

Task 2

Hardware

Central processing unit-

(Small Business - Chron.com, 2015) The central processing unit is the main component in a computer. It is essentially the brain of the computer which processes huge amounts of data going in and out of the computer. New processors allow the CPU to become faster and powerful which overall increases the systems speed. It is made up of millions of transistorized circuits which dozens of metal pins stick out which carries electronic signals in and out which goes out to the hard drives, display screen and any other external devices connected to the CPU.

In the beginning-

Since the early 1900’s and late 1800’s computers have been around but they weren’t the complex machines they are today.

(LiveScience.com, 2015) In 1890 a man named Herman Hollerith designs a punch card system to calculate the 1880 census doing so in just three years in which he establishes a company that would later be IBM. 40 years later a man called Alan Turing presents a notion of a universal machine which the modern computer was based on that would be capable of computing anything that is computable.

(Stone, 2015) Vacuum tubes were used to act as switches. Unlike the computers today, entire buildings were filled with tubes and point -to-point wiring. This all changed when the transistor was invented in 1947 and integrated circuits in 1958 allowing computers to become much faster and reliable.

Intel’s first microprocessor was introduced in 1971 which combined all of the processors components into one single chip which has allowed smaller computers possible. In 1972 Intel introduced a4-bit 4004 processors for $200 which clocked 108 KHz which today would sell for almost $1,130.

How does it work-?

(Wise GEEK, 2015) The CPU is located inside the computer which sits on the motherboard. All hardware components and programs installed pass data through the CPU before carrying out their functions. The CPUs jobs is to extract data or a program from the RAM (Random access memory). The CPU reads the set of instructions and then sends it back to the RAM. The instructions contain data to do calculations and data transportation. The system bus is the trail that the data travels before it is executed.

A CPU performs three basic functions. It inputs, possesses and outputs data which is important to operate the computer system.

Input is the process by which external data, from common devices such as a mouse, keyboard, scanner or modem, which it then analyses the data and then processes it and converts it into output.

Output is the process at the end when the data has been processed which was inputted into the computer system. The CPU then sends data to installed devices such as a monitor or even a computer program. The data can be stored temporarily or permanently.

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