fundamentals of computer hardware and software

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most computers come with

512 Mb to 2Gb of RAM

a magnetic strip can hold a maximum of

60 characters of magnetically stored information; it is usually encoded and never changed

examples of hybrid memory

EEPROM flash

sensors

MII

barcode readers

a barcode is a group of vertical bars of different widths found on a lot of products with numbers printed above or below the barcode. they are read into a computer using a fixed scanner.

turnaround document

a document which has some unique info printed on it by a computer but other information needs to be added to it by a human being

touch pad

a flat rectangular surface which also senses movement of a finger on its surface.

what does a monitor contain

a matrix of luminescent dots of RGB

scanner

a scanner allows you to transfer pictures, graphics and text to your computer.

touch screen

a specially mounted screen that is sensitive to touch so that you do not need a keyboard or mouse

without software, the computer hardware would do _____________ as there would be ____ _______________

absolutely nothing no instructions

what info is located on a cheque

acc number cheque number branch code

swiping of a card transfers...

account information the cost of the goods

hard copy

aka permanent output; it is printed for you to review away from the computer

a computer is

an electronic device operating under the control of instructions stored in it's memory

mouse

as you move it along a flat surface, the pointer on the screen moves in the same direction; the left is used to select text and the right is used to access menus

CRT

cathode ray tube

hybrid memory

combines the features of both RAM and ROM in the sense that they can be read and written as desired but maintain their contents without electrical power

digitizer

convert drawings and photographs into data for architects and makers of maps.

when sending data, a modem

converts digital data to analogue signals by varying the frequency of a carrier wave

microphone

data can be entered into a computer through a microphone and the computer responds to this data by carrying out instructions

address

data stored at a specific memory location

resolution

determines how clear and detailed the output on the screen is

printers

devices which produce an output of your work

non impact printers

do not involve actually striking the paper; instead ink spray or toner powder is used and characters are fixed onto the paper by heating

how do we erase information from EEPROMS

electrically

this is known as

electronic funds transfer at point of sale

electronic point of sale

enable large amounts of data to be input very quickly and accurately

modem

enables a computer to send data to and receive data from another computer over a telephone line

memory

enables a computer to temporarily store instructions and data

types of plotters

flatbed drum pinch rollers

output devices

get processed information out of a computer

keyboard

has a set of alphabet keys, a set of digit keys and various function keys so the data entered is in the form of individual letters, words or numbers; when you press a key on the keyboard, a code is sent to the computer to tell it which key you have pressed

programmable ROM

if the code or data stored here must be changed, the device must be discarded

computer programs

instructions produced by programmers to create system and application software

a telephone system is analog device that

is designed to transmit the human voice

light pen

is similar to a mouse but you can move it over the screen and point at items on the screen to input data

major disadvantage of RAM

it is volatile; data held in RAM is lost when a computer is turned off or malfunctions

LED

light emitting diode

LCD

liquid crystal display

main memory

located directly on the computer's main circuit board so that data can travel quickly to and from the CPU

peripheral devices

located outside the CPU but are controlled by it; they can be added to computer system

central processing unit

made up of the control unit (carries out instructions in the software and directs the flow of data through the computer) and the arithmetic logic unit (performs the calculations and logic operations)

what is a bitmap

mapping the location and colour information of each bit of data

RGB can be blended to produce

millions of colours

disadvantages of impact printers

noisy do not usually print acceptable graphics

soft copy

not a permanent copy; includes output from a computer monitor, audio from speakers and electric signals from modems, and output from one computer to another.

PROMs are also known as

one time programmable devices

the optical mouse uses an ___________________________ to track its movements

optical

bitmaps are made of

pixels

magnetic ink character reader

reads the information on cheques along with the amount on the cheque, into the banks info systems so they can be cashed

optical mark recognition

relies on precisely positioned marks on a form being read by a special scanner

the features of a computer screen

size resolution colour cursor scrolling

application software

software that instructs a computer to carry out a specific task

a computer is a digital device that...

switches on and off millions of signals

advantage of RAM

the computer can access data held in RAM almost immediately

size

the dimension of the screen which shows the output

to gather information from a card, it is swiped through a machine which quickly and accurately reads the magnetic pattern. if the magnetic area on the card is scratched or soiled then....

the information stored on the card can be destroyed

word

the largest amount of data which can be accessed together

software

the name given to computer programs that tell the hardware how to work.

word size

the number of bits which can be transferred in a word

microfilm

the output is printed on a roll of film or microfiche rather than paper; its faster and condenses large stacks of paper into small amounts with no special programming

hardware

the physical parts of a computer

what information does a barcode not give

the price

optical character recognition

the scanned text is turned into a file that can be edited, reformatted and reprinted by a word processor

bit

the smallest chunk of information or piece of data that a computer can work with

kilobits per secon

the speed at which a modem transfers data

everything that the computer does results from ...

the turning on and off of different combinations of microelectronic switches knon as bistable devices or transistors

erasable programmable ROM

these can be erased and reprogrammed repeatedly

random access memory

these hold the temporary operating instructions for the computer, its programs and the data; this is where the CPU receives the instructions and data it needs to do its job

ROM

these instructions can be read but not changed (non-volatile) and are available every time the computer is switched on

biometric systems

these systems used some part of a person's body to uniquely identify them example- fingerprints and voice or signature

impact printer

this printer strikes through a carbon or inked ribbon

input means...

to enter data, programs, commands and user responses into the memory of a computer

input devices

transfer data into a computer

direct data entry devices

transfers info automatically and are used when large amounts of data must be entered quickly.

advantage of impact printers

useful for printing multiple copies using carbon paper and printing payroll or financial reports

plotter

uses coloured pens or toner to draw an image on paper

system software

usually called an operating system since it controls the hardware and how all other software works

VDT

video display terminal

VDU

visual display unit

The most common opp system is

windows by microsoft

manual input devices

you must transfer data into the computer by hand

how do you erase an EPROM

you simply expose the device to a strong source of UV light. By doing this you reset the entire chip to its initial un-programmed state.


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