Computer Architecture Notes

Input Devices
Graphics Tablets
Cameras
Video Capture Hardware
Trackballs
Barcode Reader
Digital Camera
Gamepad
Joystick
Keyboard
Microphone
MIDI keyboard
Mouse (pointing device)
Scanner
Webcam
Touchpads
Pen Input
Electronic Whiteboard
Magnetic Key Cards

Output Devices
Monitor
Printers (all types)
Plotters
Projector
LCD Projection Panels
Computer Output Microfilm (COM)
Speaker(s)
Radio

Both Input-Output Devices:
Modems
Network cards
Touch Screen
Headsets (consisting of speakers and microphone)
facsimile (FAX) - has scanner to scan document and also printer to print the document)
audio cards/sound card
USB

Volatile Programming: stored in RAM
- the data used from the programs is stored in RAM

CPU - central processing unit
   -2 components
      - Control Unit  (executes the program line-by-line and works as an interface between input/output devices, ALU, and RAM)
      - Arithmetic Logic Unit (performs arithmetical calculations and evaluates logical statements)

Computer Architecture Diagram

Fundamentals of Computer Architecture

Computers do not react to anything except for being either on or off - everything else is programmed by a human.
   0 - OFF
   1 - ON
(states => binary)
0 bit
1 bit

EVERY SYMBOL on your keyboard is called a character - including the space bar, A-Z, a-z, 0-9, special symbols (!@#$%, etc.)

8 bits = 1 byte (ex. 01010010 = A)
   Every character on the keyboard is represented by a byte.

The operating system does resource management - already stored in machine - helps computer wake up, shut down, connect to printers, keyboard, mouse, etc.

When a person types out any character on the keyboard, electrical pulses are either sent in or NOT sent in based on the combination of bits used for the character.

A compiler takes in the high level language from the user (ex. java program), checks it for any errors, displays them to the user to correct them, and then converts the ENTIRE program into object code/binary code/machine code once everything is corrected.

A interpreter is a program that takes in the high level language and coverts it instantly LINE BY LINE into machine language. It shows errors in the input as soon as it is typed.

Source Code --> Compiler/Interpreter --> Object Code 1010011...

(Object Code: Binary Code/Lang, Machine Code/Lang executable)

High Level Lang: Java, C++, Python, etc.

Application Software & System Software

application software: software that applies only to that application (ex. banking system, hospital management system, etc.)

system software: (ex. operating system, compiler, drivers, etc.) designed to run a computer's hardware and application programs

Operating System:

booting: system checks whether everything is working