Intro to Computer Hardware
Transformer
Converts the incoming electricity into the proper voltage for each part of the machine that needs electricity.
Wireless Card
Radio transceivers that can send and receive data through a specific frequency of radio waves.
clock rate
Speed of the CPU is determined by what?
Read only (ROM)- stores the "A" you type in the keyboard and remembers it until it appears on the screen Random Access (RAM)- primary storage or main memory. This is temporary storage for data and instructions
What are the 2 types of memory
input data store data process data output data
What are the 4 main tasks computers are responsible for?
binary file
What do people sometimes call a file that contains bytes that can potentially hold any bit pattern? A. text file B. data file C. binary file D. ASCII file
Hexadecimal
base 16 number system. The digits are 0 - 9, A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15
base 2 number system
binary
binary digit
bit
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
brains of the computer that controls the flow of information and executes the instructions
group of 8 bits
byte
input data
computer accept data through input devices. . All of this is called?
Hard drive
either a series of thin platters that store information using magnetic recordings or a solid state flash drive with no moving parts. Allows you to store information and applications directly on your computer.
Low-level languages
first and second generation languages that are written in a language the computer can understand
Koan
is a paradox like the Zen verbal puzzles that provoke meditation and enlightenment
Bit
is either a 1 or 0. 1's represent true and 0's represent false for the computer. They indicate whether a circuit is open or closed. We will learn more about bits later in this unit.
octal
A base 8 system that has the digits 0 - 7.
Basic Input/ Output System (BIOS)
A chip that works closely with the CPU. It is a specific kind of ROM. It handles interactions between the software running on a computer and the machine's hardware components.
word file
A file containing a sequence of bytes holding bit patterns created by the MS Word program, which are understood only by that program and a few others.
Executable file
A file containing a sequence of bytes.
Text File
A file containing a sequence of bytes. Each byte holds a bit pattern which represents a printable character or one of several control characters.
Binary File
A file in which a byte might contain any of the possible 256 patterns.
Byte
A group of 8 bits
Monitor
An output device that displays information on the screen.
Binary Number System
A base 2 number system consisting of 0's and 1's. It is the number system of the computer
Decimal Number System
A Base 10 number system consisting of the digits from 0 - 9. This is our number system
binary
A base 2 number system with digits 0, 1.
Decimal Number System
A Base 10 number system consisting of the digits from 0-9. This is our number system
Hexadecimal
A base 16 number system that uses the digits 0 -9 plus A - 10, B - 11, C - 12, D - 13, E - 14, F - 15.
Octal
A base 8 number system that uses the digits 0 - 7
Central Processing Unit
A microprocessor chip containing millions of tiny transistors. performs the calculations necessary to make the computer work.
Bit
A single binary digit
Bit Binary
A single binary digit
ASCII
A standard agreement on what pattern represents what character
A. One character.
About how much data does one byte correspond to? A. One character. B. One floating point number. C. One machine instruction. D. One signal.
Circuit
An electrical connection that is either open or closed
on / off or open / closed for circuits
Computers are electronic and run on circuits; circuits are either open or closed, the 1's and 0's represent what
1011 1011 = 1*128 + 0*64 + 1*32 + 1*16 + 1*8 + 0*4 + 1*2 + 1*1 = 191
Convert 1011 1011 into decimal
1101 0010
Convert 250 to binary
10
Convert A from Hexadecimal to Decimal
Drivers
Devices that let you store and recall data and applications.
Java, Python, C++
Examples of High-level languages
Some examples of input devices are keyboards, mice, scanner, microphones
Examples of input devices
Machine language is a first generation low-level language that consists of 0's and 1's Assembly language is a second generation language that has the same instructions and structures as machine language, but it evolved to use meaningful names or abbreviations instead of numbers.
Examples of low level language
monitors, printers, and speakers
Examples of output devices
Graphics Card
Give the computer the ability to display graphics.
Sound Card
Give the computer the ability to play sounds and music.
five five, 0,1,2,3,4 five, 0 five
Here are the rules for positional notation. Fill in the blanks to work with base five: The base is ______ There are ____ "digits" _______ . Positions correspond to integer powers of ____ , starting with power ____ at the rightmost digit, and increasing right to left. The digit placed at a position shows how many times that power ____ of included in the number.
It requires a compiler and an interpreter
How does a computer translate high level language into machine language for the computer to understand?
8
How many bits are in a byte on most computers? A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8
256
How many patterns can be made out of eight bits? A. 8 B. 128 C. 256 D. 1024
space
If characters are arranged in numeric order, what is the first printable character? A. A B. 0 C. @ D. space
8
If we have the number 10 in decimal, what is the largest binary place value that we would use?
Keyboard
Input device
Mouse
Input device
T
It is nearly impossible for you to delete information once it has been put out onto the internet. T/F
Modem
Machines that let computers communicate with other compute systems. They are closely related to wireless cards.
Also called the central processing unit (CPU).
Microprocessor
software programs that are considered applications software.
Microsoft Word, browser software such as Google Chrome, and games that you might install on your computer are examples of what?
Random Access Memory (RAM)
One of the two most important kinds of memory. Computers can read and write to this memory.
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
One of the two most important kinds of memory. Computers can read this data, but cannot write new data.
unprintable characters
Only a limited range of byte patterns correspond to characters. This refers to the remaining characters
Heat sinks
Part of the cooling system. They absorb heat and move it away from critical components.
Fans
Part of the cooling system. They provide the computer with a way to exhaust heat externally.
abstraction
The Koan illustrates ______
Motherboard
The base of operations for the brains of the computer. Serves as a literal foundation for many of the other elements inside your computer.
Microprocessor
The computer brain.
0000 1010
The number 10 in decimal is equivalent to what in binary
Control Characters
The patterns 0x00 through 0x1F. They are used to control input and output devices.
T
The reason it is so important what you choose to put out onto the internet is because the computer will make millions of perfect copies of this information T/F
Positional Notation
The representation consists of a string of digits. The position of each digit in the string is significant.
T
USA Patriot Act gives government agencies sweeping authority to sift through mostly innocent data looking for signs of "suspicious activity" by potential terrorists. T/F
comparisons that can be judged as true or false, such as greater than, less than or equal to. Combines these together with and, or and not operators
What are logic operations
Windows, Mac OS, Unix, and Linux
What are some examples of Operating System Software
GHz= billion cycles per second MHz= million cycles per second
which is bigger megahertz or gigahertz
Operating Systems Software (OS) which runs automatically when the computer is turned on and is used to control processing and peripherals, run application software and control input and output.
What is (OS)
either a 1 or 0
What is a bit?
C. A byte pattern that originally was intended to ask for a mechanical action of an output device.
What is a control character? A. A byte pattern that corresponds to any non-alphabetic and non-digit character. B. The signal that shifts the carriage from lower case to upper case. C. A byte pattern that originally was intended to ask for a mechanical action of an output device. D. Any character that takes up more than one byte.
C. A mechanical device used to send and receive printed text across telegraph lines.
What is a teletype machine? A. An early model of personal computer. B. An early type of printer that punched holes instead of using ink. C. A mechanical device used to send and receive printed text across telegraph lines. D. An early adding machine that used mechnical parts rather than electronics.
megahertz and gigahertz
What is clock rate measured in
A. a byte that contains all zeros.
What is the NUL byte? A. a byte that contains all zeros. B. a byte that contains all ones. C. a byte that contains no bits. D. a byte that contains any illegal pattern.
255. Because there are 256 combinations in 1 byte, that means we can represent the numbers 0 - 255.
What is the largest number that can be represented by 1 byte of information?
ASCII
What is the name of the convention that says how bit patterns are used to represent characters.? A. DOS B. ASCII C. HTML D. AIISC
Since each bit has 2 states, 1 or 0 and there are 8 bits, we would take 8 to the 2nd power and get 256 combinations
What is the number of combinations that can be created with 1 byte?
1's = true 0's= false
What number represents true and what number represents false for the computer
text file
What type of file that contains only bytes that correspond to printable characters and a small number of control characters? A. text file B. type file C. control file D. word file
you can use the mouse to scroll through pages, but you can also use the keyboard's arrow keys to scroll through the pages.
What's an example of abstraction
it can perform arithmetic and logic operations.
Why is the CPU considered an arithmetic logic unit?
Byte
a group of 8 bits
4
a hexadecimal number to represent a group of __ bits
Koan
a paradox like the Zen verbal puzzles that provoke meditation and enlightenment.
file compressor
a program that inputs a file and outputs a smaller file that uses bit patterns more efficiently that in the original fle.
base 8 number system
octal
stored
once data is input into the computer it will need to be________
abstraction
process of separating ideas from specific instances of those ideas at work. Helps to simplify complex processes by hiding away details of how they work
programming language
set of word, codes, and symbols that allow a programmer to give instructions to a computer
ARPANET
the internet was first started around 1970, then called
High-level languages
third generation languages that were developed in the late 1950's. They give the computer English-like instructions and are easier to use than low-level languages
