What is a computer ?
What are the 4 basic blocks that make up any modern computer ?
- Memory - Input/Output - Central Processing Unit - Digital Logic
How a computer operates ?
1) A person usually communicates with an Application Soft ware (for this ex. lets say a student is using Microsoft as an application to write a report). You click on the report file you saved and that click gets sent to the operating system 2) The Operating System turns that click into much simpler instructions 3) They are compiled (meaning the logic is checked), goes through the Assembler process where it's converted into digital commands (ones and zeros) 4) The CPU then processes that information grabs it then brings it back to the system making the it more complex until the application software translates the instructions into a display on your screen
What is Digital Logic of a digital computer ?
A set of fixed instructions on how to operate
What is the basic definition of a computer ?
A thing that adds and subtracts and Process Data
What is the Central Processing Unit of a digital computer ?
AKA as the CPU which is the brains of the computer that does all the adding and subtracting
Software tell the computer when to ?
Add or subtract and what to do with the answer
Which two mathematical functions allow computers to manipulate all data?
Addition and Subtraction
What logic system is used to describe and analyze the functions of digital systems?
Bolean Logic
What is read-only memory (ROM)?
Data that can be accessed from any part of the memory but cannot be changed or erased once recoded Ex DVD, Blue ray disk
Sequential Memory
Data that has to be accessed in the order it was put in Ex.VCR (in order to get to the part of the movie you wanted you had to start from the beginning then look for the part
What is Input/Output in a Digital Computer ?
Input- This is the part of the computer that allows your computer to get information Ex: Keyboard, Mouse Output- How your computer gives you information back that you can understand Ex: Screen, Speakers, Printer
What is Bolean Logic ?
Is used to design the CPU logic and test its functioning
What happens if a Ram Chips loses electrical power ?
It loses the data it was storing
What does Memory do in a computer ?
It stores data and instructions (software)
Tablets
Just smaller laptops
Desktops/ PC's
Much smaller computers that do the same thing as mainframes
What are Hand calculators ?
Not very smart but it is a computer
What type of memory would you use to store basic programming logic ?
ROM Memory because it will never change it stays the same
The memory type which supports the operation of a computer processing chip and allows data to be freely entered and erased at any point is called
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Supercomputers
Really fast computers Ex: pacemakers, ipods, smart fridges
What is the most common means of RAM storage ?
The magnetic hard drive
Why do computers need memory to function ?
They must remember the software and the data it acts on
What is RAM "Random Access Memory" ?
This is any data any memory system that can be erased freely from any part of the memory
Laptops
are smaller versions of desktop PCs.
Smart phones
real small
Mainframes
relatively large computers used in large enterprises for extensive computing applications that are accessed by thousands of users