Technology Guide 1: Computer Hardware

Question One: What is computer hardware and what are the major hardware components?

Hardware refers to the physical equipment used for the input, processing, output, and storage activities of a computer system. It consists of the following:

· Central Processing Unit (CPU): manipulates the data and controls the task performed by the other components

· Primary Storage: temporarily stores data and programs instructions during processing

· Secondary Storage: is external to the CPU; stores data and programs for future use

· Input Technologies: Accept data and instructions and convert them to a form that the computer can understand

· Output Technologies: Present data and information in a form people can understand

· Communication Technologies: Provides for the flow of data form external computer networks to the CPU and from the CPU to computer networks

Question Two: What is Moore's Law/what does it mean in relation to computers?

Moore’s Law is that the microprocessor complexity would double every two years as a result of the following changes:

· Increasing miniaturization of transistors.

· Making the physical layout of the chip’s components as compact and efficient as possible.

· Using materials for the chip that improve the conductivity (flow) of electricity.

· Targeting the amount of basic instructions programmed into the chip.

Question Three: In basic terms, describe how a microprocessor functions.

A microprocessor is made up of millions of microscopic transistors embedded in a circuit on a silicon chip. It consists of:

· Control unit: sequentially accesses program instructions, decodes them and controls the flow of data to and from the ALU, the registers, the caches, primary storage, secondary storage and various output devices.

· Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU): performs the mathematic calculations and makes logical comparisons.

· Registers: are high-speed storage areas that store very small amounts of data and instructions for short periods.

Below is a diagram showing the processing cycle of how a microprocessor functions:

The information processing cycle is as follows:

The input is the information entered into the system (keyboard, mouse, bar code) is processed (converts data to knowledge) and the output is the data exiting the computer system (monitor, print, web page). This data stored by a computer in storage and communicated over internet, through the air or cables.

Question Four: What factors determine the speed of the microprocessor?

The speed of the microprocessor is determined by:

· Binary Form: form in which the CPU – only 0s and 1s, can read data and instructions.

· Machine Instruction Cycle: cycle of computer processing, whose speed is measured in terms of the number of instructions a chip processes per second.

· Clock Speed: preset speed of the computer clock that times all chip activities, measured in megahertz and gigahertz.

· Word length: number of bits (0s and 1s) that can be processed by the CPU at any one time.

· Bus Width: size of the physical paths down which the data and instructions travel as electrical impulses on a computer chip.

· Line Width: distance between transistors; the smaller the line width, the faster the chip.

Question Five: What are the four main types of primary storage?

Primary storage stores three types of information for very brief periods. There are four types of primary storage, these are:

1. Registers: registers are part of the CPU with the least capacity, storing extremely limited amounts of instructions and data only immediately before and after processing.
2. Random Access Memory (RAM): holds a software program and small amounts of data when they are brought from secondary storage.
3. Cache Memory: where the computer can temporarily store blocks of data used more often.
4. Read-only Memory (ROM): where certain critical instructions are safeguarded; the storage is nonvolatile and retains the instructions when the power to the computer is turned off.

Question Six: What are the main types of secondary storage?

Secondary storage is designed to store very large amounts of data for extended periods of time. The main types of secondary storage can be categorised as magnetic media and optical media.

Magnetic media includes the following: tapes, hard drives and thumb, or flash devices

Optical media includes the following: CD-ROM, DVD and optical jukeboxes

Question Seven: How does primary storage differ from secondary storage in terms of speed cost and capacity?

Primary storage has much less capacity than secondary storage, and it is faster and more expensive per byte stored. IT is located much closer to the CPU than is secondary storage. Sequential-access secondary storage media such as magnetic tape are much slower and less expensive than direct access media, for example hard drives and optical media.

Question Eight: What are enterprise storage systems?

Enterprise storage systems are an independent, external system with intelligence that includes two or more storage devices. There are three major types of enterprise storage subsystems: redundant arrays of independent disks (RAIDs), storage area networks (SANs) and network- attached storage (NAS).

Question Nine: Distinguish between human data input devices and source data automation.

Human data entry devices require a certain amount of human effort to input data. Examples include: keyboard, mouse, pointing stick, trackball, joystick, touchscreen, stylus and voice- recognition

Source data automation devices input data with minimal human intervention. These technologies speed up data collection, reduce errors, and gather data at the source of a transaction or other events. Barcode readers are an example of source data automation.

Question Ten: What is one new technology that will change how we do things?

New technologies are being created continuously affecting all areas of our lives, changing how we do things. One new technology is holographic storage.

- Holography has meant that we our now able to record through full depth mediums.

- Holography records and reads over data with a single flash of light

- Holography is efficient, reliable, a low cost media and is flexible

For further information about holographic storage visit this website:

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/default.asp?tnn=1

Here are some resources regarding holographic storage:

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/technology/tour/index.html

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/downloads/pdf/technology/techTour.pdf

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/downloads/pdf/technology/holoBasics.pdf

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/downloads/pdf/technology/whatIsHoloStorage.pdf