CSC134 Chapter 2

COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION
PROCESSING (CSC134)
Chapter 2
The System Unit

TOPICS
Definition and types
Electronic Data and Instructions
System Board
Microprocessor
Memory
Expansion Slot and Cards
Bus Lines
Ports and Cables
Power Supply
Learning Objectives
1. Differentiate between the five basic types of system units.
2. Explain how a computer can represent numbers and encode characters
electronically.
3. Describe system boards, including sockets, slots, and bus lines.
4. Recognize different microprocessors, including microprocessor chips and
specialty processors.
5. Compare different types of computer memory including RAM, ROM, and
flash memory.
6. Explain expansion slots and cards.
7. Describe bus lines, bus widths, and expansion buses.
8. Describe ports, including standard and specialized ports.
9. Identify power supplies for desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices.
3
Introduction
• Speed, capacity, and flexibility determine the power of
personal computers.
• Knowledge of a computer’s power allows you to make
good buying decisions and to determine if your current
system will run new applications.
• Competent end users need to understand the
functionality of the basic components of the system
unit
System Unit
System Chassis
• Container that houses most of the electronic components that
make up a computer system
System Unit
• Contains system’s electronic components and selected
secondary storage devices
5
System Unit Types
1. Desktops
System unit is in a separate case
Tower Units
All-in-Ones
All components including monitor
2. Laptops
Portable and much smaller
Ultrabooks – laptop and tablet in one
Gaming – high end graphics
System Unit Types cont.
3. Tablets
Mini tablet
4. Smartphone
Most popular device – handheld computer
Extend the capabilities of cell phones
5. Wearables
Contain embedded computers
Components
• Although all devices
come in many shapes
and sizes they have
similarities such as
• System boards
• Microprocessors
• Memory
• How to Assemble and
Disassemble a System Unit?
Electronic Data and Instructions
• Digital electronic signals
• in one of two states: on or off
• Recognized by computers
• Analog signals
• Continuous signalvary in strength and quality
• Created by voices
• Conversion must take place from analog to
digital before processing can occur
Numeric Representation
• Two-state binary system consists of only two
digits called bits
• On = 1; negative charge
• Off = 0; no charge
• Byte = 8 bits grouped together as a unit. A byte
represents a single character in the computer
• Hexadecimal system
• Uses 16 digits to represent binary numbers
(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F)
Character Encoding
Character encoding standards – a unique sequence of binary representation of a particular letter,
number or special character. It is used to facilitate communication among computers by using a
common language code .
Types of Character Encoding:
• ASCII
• American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)
• the most widely used coding scheme to represent data
• Used by personal computers
• EBCDIC
• Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC)
• Used by mainframe computers
• Unicode
• New encoding due to explosion of the Internet
• Uses 16 bits
• Recognized by virtually all computer systems
System Board
System board or main board or motherboard
controls communication for the entire
computer system
• All components and devices connect to the
system board
• Data path and traffic monitor
• Allows various components to communication
efficiently with one another
Tips: Find Mobo Model ?

“wmic baseboard get product, manufacturer”
Sockets and Chips
The system board contains a variety
of electronic components
• Sockets – the connection
point for chips
• Chips
• Tiny circuit boards etched onto squares
of silicon
• Also called silicon chip, semiconductor,
or integrated circuit
• Mounted on chip carriers
Slots and Bus Lines
Additional system board components:
• Slots
• Provide a connection point for specialized cards or circuit boards
• Provide expansion capabilities for the computer
• Bus lines
• Connecting lines that provide pathways to support communication among
electronic components
Microprocessor
• Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor
• Contained on a single chip call a Microprocessor
• Brains of the computer
• Two Basic Components of the CPU
• Control unit
• Tells the computer system how to carry out a program’s instruction
• Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU)
• Performs arithmetic and logical operations
15
Relationship between Memory, Processor, Storage, Input and
Output Devices
⚫ When user starts a program, its

instruction transfer from a storage
device to memory.
⚫ Data needed by programs enters
memory from either an input device
or a storage device.
⚫ The control unit interprets and
executes instructions in memory,
and the ALU performs calculations
on the data in memory.
⚫ Resulting information is stored in
memory, from which it can be sent
to an output device or a storage
device for future access, as needed.
Processor Machine Cycle
For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of four basic operations,
which comprise a machine cycle.
FETCH
DECODE
EXECUTE
STORE
Microprocessor Chips
• Chip capacities are expressed in word size
• Word is the number of bits that can be processed at one time: 16, 32
or 64
• Clock Speed
• Processing speed or the number of times the CPU fetches and
processes data or instructions in a second
• Also called clock rate.
• It is measured in gigahertz(GHz),
or billions of beats per second.
• The faster the clock speed,
the faster the computer can
process information and execute
instructions
Multicore Chips
• Multicore Processors
• Two or more separate and independent CPUs within a system unit
• Quad-core supports 4 core processes
• Parallel Processing
• Computer’s ability to divided tasks into parts that can be distributed across each
core
• Windows 8 and Mac OS X support parallel processing
Specialty Processors
• Coprocessors
• Designed to improve specific computing operations
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) / Graphics coprocessors
• Designed to handle a variety of specialized tasks
• 3D images
• Encrypting data
• Standard features in gaming computers
Memory
• Holding area for data, instructions, and information
• Contained on chips connected to the system board
• Stores three basic categories of items:
Data being
The operating
Application processed and the
system and other
programs resulting
system software
information
• Three well-known types of memory chips:

• RAM
• Random Access Memory
• ROM
• Read Only Memory
• Flash Memory
Memory
• The system unit contains two types of memory:
Volatile memory Non volatile memory

Does not lose contents when
Loses its contents when power is removed
power is turned off
Example includes RAM, Examples include ROM

cache memory and and flash memory
virtual
RAM
• Random Access Memory (RAM) chips
hold programs and data that the CPU is
presently processing
• Volatile or temporary – contents are
lost when computer is powered off
• Cache memory – temporary,
high-speed holding area between the
memory and CPU
• Additional RAM can be added
using an expansion module
called a DIMM (Dual in-line
memory module)
RAM continued
• Virtual Memory
• a memory management capability that uses hardware and software to allow a
computer to compensate for physical memory shortages by temporarily transferring
data from random access memory (RAM) to disk storage.
RAM continued
• Each location in memory has an address
• Memory is expressed in bytes - memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB
or K), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB)
ROM
• Read-only memory (ROM)
• Information stored by the manufacturer
• Non-volatile and cannot be changed
• CPU can read, or retrieve data and programs in ROM but the
computer cannot change ROM
• Contain special instructions
• Start the computer
• Access memory
• Handle keyboard input
Flash Memory
• Flash memory combines of the features of:
• RAM, it can be updated
• ROM, it is non-volatile
• Contains startup information(BIOS -basic input/output system)
• Amount of RAM
• Type of keyboard, mouse, and secondary storage devices connected
Many ROM chips are being replaced by flash memory

Expansion Slots and Cards
Expands your system’s capabilities:
• Graphics cards - for high quality 3D graphics

• Network interface cards (NIC) - connect
devices to networks via cables
• Wireless network cards - connect devices to
networks without cables
• SD cards - Expansion cards for mobile devices
Bus Lines / Bus
Connect parts of the CPU to each other and various
other components on the system board
• Pathway for bits representing data and instructions
• Bus width
• Number of bits that can travel simultaneously down a bus
• Architecture and design are tied to the speed and
power for the computer
• Two basic categories of buses
• System bus – connects CPU to memory
• Expansion bus – connects CPU to other components
Expansion Buses
Principle types:
• Universal Serial Bus (USB)
• Connects external USB devices onto the USB bus
• FireWire
• Primarily used to connect audio and video equipment to the system board
• PCI Express (PCIe)
• Single dedicated path for each connected device
Ports
Socket for connecting external devices to
the system unit
• Ports connect directly
• To the system board
• To cards inserted into slots on the system
board
• Two Types
• Standard Ports
• Specialized Ports
Ports (PC)
Ports (Laptop)
Standard Ports
• USB
• Keyboards, mice, printers,
storage devices
• Ethernet
• High speed networking
• HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface
• High definition video and audio
• Thunderbolt
• Provides high-speed connections
• Can connect up to 7 separate devices through 1 port
Specialized Ports
• External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA)
• High-speed connection for external secondary storage
• Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
• Connect musical instruments
• Mini DisplayPort (MiniDP or mDP)
• Connection to large monitors
• VGA & DVI
• Connections to analog and digital monitors
• FireWire
• High-speed connections to FireWire devices
Cables
• Used to connect external devices to the system unit via the
ports
• One end of the cable is attached to the device and the other
end has a connector that is attached to a matching connector
on the port
Making IT Work for You ~ TV Tuners
• Using Windows Media Center as a DVR

• Install TV Tuner to connect your computer or cable to your
computer
Power Supply
• Computers require direct current (DC)
power converting alternating current (AC)
from wall outlets or batteries
• Desktop computers have a power supply unit in
the system unit
• Laptops use AC adapters in the system unit
• Tablets and mobile devices use internal AC
adapters
• Smartphones can use wireless charging platforms
A Look to the Future
• Wearable computers
• Send and receive email while jogging
• Maintain your personal schedule book
• Remember the names of people at a
party

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COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION

The System Unit

Electronic Data and Instructions

Expansion Slot and Cards

Ports and Cables

Types of Character Encoding:

Tips: Find Mobo Model ?

⚫ When user starts a program, its

• Three well-known types of memory chips:

Volatile memory Non volatile memory

Example includes RAM, Examples include ROM

Many ROM chips are being replaced by flash memory

• Graphics cards - for high quality 3D graphics

• Using Windows Media Center as a DVR

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