Hardware: Input, Processing, and Output Devices

Principles of Information Systems Eighth Edition

Learning Objectives
1. Describe how to select and organize computer hardware components to support information system (IS) objectives and business needs 2. Describe the power, speed, and capacity of central processing and memory devices 3. Describe the access methods, capacity, and portability of secondary storage devices 4. Discuss the speed, functionality, and importance of input and output devices 5. Identify popular classes of computer systems and discuss the role of each
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Why Learn About Hardware?

Can improve productivity, increase revenue, reduce costs, and provide better service Managers are expected to know about hardware
To help define business needs To ask questions and evaluate options when buying equipment

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Introduction
Hardware: any machinery (most of which use digital circuits) that assists in the input, processing, storage, and output activities of an information system When making hardware decisions, businesses must consider how the hardware can support:
Objectives of the information system Goals of the organization

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Hardware Devices Analogy: A Paper-Based Office

Register Storage Output

Primary Storage Secondary Storage Input

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Hardware Components

Figure 3.1: Hardware Components

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Hardware Components in Action

Execution of machine-level instruction
 Phase 1 : Instruction Phase Fetch and Decode  Phase 2 : Execution Phase Execute and Store

I-time: the time taken to perform phase 1 E-time: the time taken to perform phase 2

Principles of Information Systems, Eighth Edition

Hardware Components in Action

Figure 3.2: Execution of an Instruction

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Processing and Memory Devices: Power, Speed, and Capacity

System unit
Houses the components responsible for processing (the CPU and memory)

All other computer system devices are linked either directly or indirectly into the system unit housing

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Processing Characteristics and Functions

Computer execute an instruction during a machine cycle Completing the instruction and execution phase make up one machine cycle Machine cycle time is measured in:
Nanoseconds (1 billionth of a second) Picoseconds (1 trillionth of a second) MIPS (millions of instructions per second)

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Processing Characteristics and Functions (continued)

Clock speed: series of electronic pulses produced at a predetermined rate that affects machine cycle time
Often measured in:
Megahertz (MHz): millions of cycles per second Gigahertz (GHz): billions of cycles per second

Microcode: predefined, elementary circuits and logical operations that the processor performs when it executes an instruction
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Physical Characteristics of the CPU

Collection of digital circuits on chips Electrical current flows through silicon to turn the digital circuit on or off Gordon Moore former Intels chairman hypothesised that progress in chip manufacturing: transistor density of chips will double every 18 months (Moores Law)

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Physical Characteristics of the CPU (continued)

Figure 3.3: Moores Law

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Memory Characteristics and Functions

Main memory
Located physically close to the CPU, but not on the CPU chip itself Rapidly provides data and instructions to the CPU

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Storage Capacity

Table 3.1: Computer Storage Units

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Types of Memory

Figure 3.4: Basic Types of Memory Chips

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Types of Memory (Cash Memory)

Figure 3.5: Cache Memory

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Multiprocessing
Multiprocessing: simultaneous execution of two or more instructions at the same time Multiprocessing using coprocessors
Coprocessor: speeds processing by executing specific types of instructions while the CPU works on another processing activity

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Parallel Computing
Parallel computing: simultaneous execution of the same task on multiple processors to obtain results faster Massively parallel processing:
Speeds processing by linking hundreds or thousands of processors to operate at the same time, or in parallel Each processor has its own bus, memory, disks, copy of the operating system, and applications

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Parallel Computing (continued)

2 different approaches to achieving parallel computing
Single instruction/multiple data (SIMD) parallel processors Multiple instruction/multiple data (MIMD) parallel processors

Grid computing: use of a collection of computers, often owned by multiple individuals or organizations, to work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem
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Secondary Storage
Permanent storage Compared with memory, offers the advantages of nonvolatility, greater capacity, and greater economy Selection of secondary storage : access methods, storage capacities, and portability required determined by the information systems objectives Example: credit card company

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Access Methods
Two types of access methods Sequential access: records must be retrieved in order in which its stored
Devices used are called sequential access storage devices (SASDs)

Direct access: records can be retrieved in any order

Devices used are called direct access storage devices (DASDs)

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Devices
Magnetic tapes Magnetic disks Optical disks Digital video disk (DVD) Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) Memory cards Flash memory RAID Virtual tape

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Magnetic Tapes
Sequential secondary storage medium Primarily for storing backups Tapes similar to audio and videocassettes Portion of tapes are magnetized to represent bits
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Magnetic Disks
Direct access storage medium e.g. diskette, hard disks Allows fast data retrieval

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Optical Disc
Data is recorded by special lasers that physically burn pits in the disk. Data accessed optical disc device (compact disk player) e.g. CD-ROM 740MB, CD-RW

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DVD and HVD

DVD (Digital Video Disc) Looks like a CD but more storage capacity ~ 135min of digital video. Software, video games, movies HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc) Advanced optical disk ongoing research Hold 200GB of data Write data 10 times faster than DVD
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Memory cards
Functions as a hard disk drive Portable, relatively easy to use Need to use memory card reader/writer

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Flash Memory
A silicon computer chip Keeps its memory when the power is shut off Flash the memory cell is erased or reprogrammed in a single action or flash e.g. Migo keychain device, comes with software that captures files and settings from e-mail, word processing, web browser, presentation programs.
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RAID and Virtual Tape

Storage technologies RAID
Redundant array of independent /inexpensive disks duplicate existing data on drives, provides exact copy, store on different physical disk drives

Virtual Tape
manages less frequently needed data Move data to less costly storage media Software virtual tape server Vendor IBM and Storage Technology
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Enterprise Storage Options

Needs to store massive amount of data 3 forms:
1. Attached storage
 tape, hard disks, optical devices  Simple, cost effective - single users and small groups  Not allowed share storage

2. Network-attached storage (NAS)

 Storage devices attach to a network  Users can share and access same information

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Enterprise Storage Options (continued)

3. Storage area network (SAN)
 Special purpose, high speed network  Provides direct connections between data-storage devices and computer  Integrates different types of storage subsystems
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Figure 3.9: Storage Area Network (SAN)

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Input and Output Devices: The Gateway to Computer Systems

Through input and output devices, people provide data and instructions to the computer and receive results from it Selection of input and output devices depends on organizational goals and IS objectives

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Characteristics and Functionality

Nature of data- data can be human-readable or machine-readable Data entry: converts human-readable data into machine-readable form Data input: transfers machine-readable data into system Source data automation: capturing and editing data where the data is initially created and in a form that can be directly input to a computer

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Input Devices
Personal computer input devices
Keyboard Mouse

Speech-recognition technology
Input devices that recognize human speech e.g. automate account identification process

Digital cameras Terminals

Input and display devices that perform data entry and input at same time Office, warehouse, factory
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Input Devices (continued)

Scanning devices Optical data readers
 Special scanner  OMR standardized tests  OCR convert handwritten to typed doc into digital data

Magnetic stripe card

Swipe card

Point-of-sale (POS) devices

Used in retail operations to enter sales information
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 Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) devices

 A system for reading banking data quickly  Use special ink readable by people and computers  e.g. bank check

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Input Devices (continued)

Automated teller machine (ATM) devices Pen input devices Touch-sensitive screens Bar-code scanners Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

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Output Devices
Display monitors Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) Printers and plotters Digital audio player

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Special-Purpose Input and Output Devices

Computer-based navigation systems
GPSs (Global positioning system), satellite based radio navigating system Guide to specific destination

Multiple function printers

Print, copy, fax,scan

Eyebud screens
Portable media devices Display video in front of one eye

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Computer System Types, Selection, and Upgrading

Computer classification: Special-purpose computers: used for limited applications by military and scientific research groups General-purpose computers:
used for a wide variety of applications Single user at a time, multiple concurrent users

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Computer System Types

Handheld computers single user, small size, portable

Portable computers laptops, notebooks, tablet Thin client

Low-cost, no extra drives, limited capabilities

Desktop computers
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Computer System Types (continued)

Workstations more powerful than personal computer, similar size to desktop, heavy mathematical computing, CAD. Servers to perform special tasks, e.g. running network or Internet application.

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Computer System Types (continued)

Mainframe computers large, powerful computer, shared by hundreds of concurrent users, connected via terminals

Supercomputers
most powerful computers, fastest processing speed, highest performance. Special purpose machines weather forecast, military application, simulation of golf club designs.
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Selecting and Upgrading Computer Systems

Dispose of old equipment properly Consider factors such as speed, cost, and performance when upgrading
Hard drive Main memory Printer DVD burners

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Summary
Hardware: machinery that assists in the input, processing, storage, and output activities of an information system Hardware components: central processing unit (CPU), input and output devices, communications devices, primary storage devices, and secondary storage devices Random access memory (RAM): temporary and volatile ROM (read-only memory): nonvolatile
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Summary (continued)
Multiprocessing: simultaneous execution of two or more instructions at the same time Sequential access: records must be retrieved in order Direct access: records can be retrieved in any order Examples of secondary storage devices: magnetic tapes and disks, DVDs, memory cards, etc. Enterprise storage options: attached storage, network-attached storage (NAS), and storage area network (SAN)
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Summary (continued)
Examples of input devices: keyboards, mice, voicerecognition devices, terminals, scanning devices, and touch-sensitive screens Examples of output devices: display monitors, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), printers, and plotters Computers can be classified as either specialpurpose or general-purpose Computer system types: handheld computers, portable computers, desktop computers, workstations, servers, etc.
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