BASIC COMPUTER ORGANIZATION

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BASIC ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER

Basically a computer system consists of 3 types of components. These are
[i] Input Device, [ii] Central Processing Unit (CPU) and [iii] Output Device.

CPU comprises of 3 parts:

[a] Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), [b] Control Unit, and [c] Memory.
The above three components of the CPU along with the input and output devices form the five
important components of any computer system.

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF A TYPICAL COMPUTER/ BASIC ORGANIZATION OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

There are several types of computer systems, but each can be broken down into the same functional
units. Each unit performs specific functions and all units function together to carry out the
instructions given in the program.
Figure shows the functional block diagram of a digital computer. The solid lines with arrows
represent the flow of information and the dashed lines with arrows represent the flow of timing
and control signals.

ALU
(Arithmetic & Logic Unit)
From Operator
Input Device

Memory

Output Device

Control Unit

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Figure: Functional block diagram of a computer/ basic

organization of a computer system

PREPARED BY: KHAN MOHAMMAD AKKAS ALI, B.SC. (HONORS) M.SC IN CSE, JU

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BASIC FUNCTIONS OF EACH UNIT OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

The three components of the CPU (ALU, memory and control unit) along with the input and output
devices form the five important components of any computer system. Functions of these
components are described here briefly.
(I) INPUT DEVICE
Through this unit, a complete set of instructions and data is fed into the computer system and into
the memory unit, to be stored until needed. In short, the following functions are performed by an
input device:
(i) It accepts data and instructions in a form understandable to human beings form the
outside world.
(ii) It converts these data and instructions into a computer acceptable form.
(iii) It supplies the converted instructions and data to the memory unit of the computer or
register unit of CPU for further processing.
Example of some input devices
Keyboard, mouse, trackball, trackpad, joystick, light-pen, microphone, modem, scanner, digital
camera, punch card, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, Optical Mark Reader (OMR), Optical Character
Recognition (OCR) etc.
(II) CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)
This unit is like the brain of a computer. It accepts data and instructions from the input device (or
from the software stored in its memory), processes the data according to the given instructions, and
finally stores the results of the operations in its memory or displays it in a suitable output media
such as monitor, printer etc. The CPU also controls the flow of data and information throughout the
system.
(a) Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
All arithmetic calculations and logical decisions are performed in this unit. Data and
instructions, stored in the primary memory before processing, are transferred to the
ALU as and when needed for processing. Intermediate results generated in the ALU are
temporarily transferred back to the primary memory, until needed later. After the
processing is over, the ALU then sends result to the memory unit to be stored either
permanently or temporarily. Hence, data may move from primary memory to ALU, and
back again to main memory, many times, before the processing is over.
(b) Memory
The memory stores the instructions and data received from the input device.
Information from the memory can be transferred to the ALU where comparisons or
calculations are done and the results are sent back to the memory unit. Memory also
supplies information to the output unit. In short, the specific functions of the memory
unit are:
(i) It holds (or stores) data and instructions received from the input device for
processing.
(ii) It holds (stores) intermediate results of processing.
(iii) It supplies final results to the output device
PREPARED BY: KHAN MOHAMMAD AKKAS ALI, B.SC. (HONORS) M.SC IN CSE, JU

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Examples of memory devices

Two types of memory devices are used in a computer system: Primary memory and
Secondary memory. RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory)
are called primary memory. Hard disk (HD), floppy disk (FD), compact disk (CD),
digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic tape, flash disk (pen drive) etc are referred to as
secondary memory.
(c) Control Unit
Although, control unit does not perform any actual processing on the data, it acts as a
central nervous system. It controls and coordinates the activities of all other units of a
computer system. It takes instructions from the memory unit one at a time and interprets
them. It then sends appropriate signals to all other units to cause the specific instruction
to be executed. The control unit ensures that, according to the stored instructions, the
right operation is done on the right data at the right time. The results that are stored in
the memory can be transferred into human readable form by means of an output device.
(III) OUTPUT DEVICE
After the processing of data and instructions, the result must be made available in a human readable
form. The functions of an output device are:
(i) It accepts the results produced by the computer (which are in coded form, and hence, can
not be easily understood by human)
(ii) It converts these coded results to human acceptable form.
(iii) Finally it supplies the converted results to the user.
Example of some output devices
Monitor, printer, speaker, plotter etc.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

PREPARED BY: KHAN MOHAMMAD AKKAS ALI, B.SC. (HONORS) M.SC IN CSE, JU

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HARDWARE VS. SOFTWARE

Hardware
All physical components of a computer system is called its hardware. It refers to any part of the
computer you can touch i.e. hardware is tangible and visible. Various types of hardware are used in
a computer system: some for providing input and others for providing output. Some devices
process data according to instructions, some are used for communication purposes and others for
multimedia purposes. Keyboard, mouse, CPU, RAM, hard Disk, CD, motherboard, monitor, mouse
etc are the examples of hardware.
Categories of Computer Hardware:
In general, computer hardware can be divided into five categories. These are:
[i] input hardware:
The function of this type of hardware is to collect data and/or instructions and to convert it
into a form suitable for computer processing. Some common input hardware are- keyboard,
mouse, microphone, trackball, trackpad, scanner, OMR etc.
[ii] output hardware
The function of the output hardware is to translate the processed information from a machine
coded form to a human readable form. The most common output hardware are monitor,
printer, plotter, speaker etc.
[iii] processing hardware
The function of the processing hardware is to retrieve and execute instructions provided to the
computer. The most essential components of processing hardware are CPU (central
processing unit) and main memory (e.g. RAM).
[iv] storage hardware
The function of storage hardware is to provide a means of storing data and software in a form
that is relatively permanent. Information stored in the storage hardware can be transferred to
the main memory for processing if necessary. Examples of storage hardware are: hard disk,
floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) etc.
[v] communication hardware
The function of communication hardware is to facilitate the connections between computers
so that they can exchange information. Common communication hardware are modem
(modulator-demodulator), fax modem, cable (twisted pair cable, co-axial cable, optical fiber
cable), communication satellite etc.
Software
The term software refers to the organized sets of instructions that tell the hardware what to do. The
finite set of instructions that the computer follows to solve a particular problem is called a computer
program. The group of programs that a computer needs to function is known as software. Software
can be classified into two broad categories: System software and Application software. System
software directs the internal operations of the computer, such as managing the input and output
devices. Operating system is one kind of system software. While the application software directs
the computer to solve specific user-oriented problems such as preparing payroll, preparing
PREPARED BY: KHAN MOHAMMAD AKKAS ALI, B.SC. (HONORS) M.SC IN CSE, JU

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electricity bills, creating your curriculum vitae etc. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe
PhotoShop, Internet Explorer etc are the example of application software.

PREPARED

BY:

KHAN MOHAMMAD AKKAS ALI, B.SC. (HONORS) M.SC IN CSE, JU

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