Question 1 QUESTION 1 1. A Manufacturing company is computerizing its operations.

You are required to train show floor people about the Basics of Computers. You are planning to teach the components of a computer system initially. Discuss the functionality of the various components of a computer systems 20 Marks -2009 Q.7. Describe the required configuration of a standard desktop PC. Justify the selection of components described in the configuration maintaining the balance between cost and performance. 20 -2007 Q.5. How does one specify a typical configuration for a desktop computer system, keeping cost and performance in mind, when it is required to be purchased for personal use? For use at office? Give details. 20 Marks 2005 Ans) Components of a computer The internal components and peripherals which make a computer are: 1. Cabinet/computer case 2. Mother board 3. CPU 4. Power supply 5. RAM- Random Access Memory 6. ROM- Read Only Memory 7. Hard or Fixed Drive 8. Compact Disk/ DVD 9. On board Sound card, Display card , Blue Tooth, Wire less. 10. Keyboard- Input devise 11. Speakers- Output devise 12. Monitors- Output devise 13. Printer-Output devise 14. Camera or web cam 1. Cabinet/ Computer Case A computer case is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer. Cases are usually constructed from steel or aluminium, although other materials such as wood and plastic have been used. Cases can come in many different sizes, or form factors. The size and shape of a computer case is usually determined by the form factor of the motherboard. A form factors is the physical shape and size of the mother board. 2. Mother board The motherboard, also referred to as systemboard or mainboard, is the primary circuit board within a personal computer. Many other components connect directly or indirectly to the motherboard. Motherboards usually contain one or more CPUs, supporting circuitry - usually integrated circuits (ICs) - providing the interface between the CPU , memory and input/output peripheral circuits, main memory.

Question 1 3. CPU The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which executes software program instructions. In older computers this circuitry was formerly on several printed circuit boards, but in PCs is a single integrated circuit. Nearly all PCs contain a type of CPU known as a microprocessor. Modern CPUs are equipped with a fan attached via heat sink. 4. Power supply A power supply unit (PSU) is the component that supplies power to the other components in a computer. More specifically, a power supply unit is typically designed to convert general-purpose alternating current (AC) electric power from the mains (100-127V to usable low-voltage direct current (DC) power for the internal components of the computer. Some power supplies have a switch to change between 230 V and 115 V. Other models have automatic sensors that switch input voltage automatically, or are able to accept any voltage between those limits. 5. Primary Memory RAM / ROM / Main memory A PC's main memory is fast storage that is directly accessible by the CPU, and is used to store the currently executing program and immediately needed data. PCs use semiconductor random access memory (RAM) of various kinds such as DRAM, SDRAM or SRAM as their primary storage. Main memory is much faster than mass storage devices like hard disks or optical discs, but is usually volatile, meaning it does not retain its contents (instructions or data).Main memory is generally not suitable for long-term or archival data storage. Read-only memory (ROM) is a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. Different types of ROM chips available are Programmable Read only Memory (PROM), Erasable Programmable Read only Memory ( EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM). 6. Hard Drive / Fixed Drive A hard disk drive is a non-volatile storage device for digital data. It features one or more rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a metal case. Data is encoded magnetically by read/write heads that float on a cushion of air above the platters. 7. Compact Drive A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data. Types of CD are , CD-ROM, write-once audio and data storage CD-R, rewritable media CD-RW, Video Compact Discs (VCD), Super Video Compact Discs (SVCD), PhotoCD, PictureCD, CD-i, and Enhanced CD.

Question 1 DVD, also known as Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, is an optical disc storage media format, and was invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Time Warner in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage. DVDs are of the same dimensions as compact discs (CDs), but are capable of storing just under seven times as much data. 8. On board Sound card, Display card , Blue Tooth, Wire less. Usually the above devises are on board with the mother board. No separate card has to be attached in the latest computers. 9. Keyboard Keyboard are most common and popular online input device used to feed data directly into computer by pressing various keys available on the keyboard. The keys are arranged in groups like the Alpha numeric keys, Function Keys, Special Keys, Numeric Keypad, Arrows Keys etc. 10. Speakers Speakers are of different shape and sizes. Basically used to hear music and view vedios. 11. Monitor Monitors are common output device. Two types of monitors available are the CRT monitors and the LCD display monitors. 12. Printers Printers are common output device. There are two categories impact printers like the dot matrix and the non impact printers like the laser/. 13. Camera or web cam A webcam is a video capture device that is connected to a computer or computer network, often using a USB port or, if connected to a network, ethernet or Wi-Fi. Their most popular use are for video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconferencing stations. Webcams can also be used with various computer video telecommunication programs such as Windows Live Messenger, Skype and Yahoo! Messenger. Other popular uses, which include the security surveillance and the recording of video files or even still-images, are accessible via numerous other software programs, applications and devices. NOTE: This part is for the technical sound people to include in the paragraph of mother board or it can also be separately included to increase the length of the answer.

Question 1 PCI The Peripheral Component Interconnect, or PCI Standard (commonly PCI), specifies a computer bus for attaching peripheral devices to a computer motherboard. These devices can take any one of the following forms:

An integrated circuit fitted onto the motherboard itself, called a planar device in the PCI specification. An expansion card that fits into a socket.

USB-In information technology, Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard to interface devices to a host computer. USB was designed to allow many peripherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket and to improve the plug-and-play capabilities by allowing hot swapping, that is, by allowing devices to be connected and disconnected without rebooting the computer or turning off the device. Other convenient features include providing power to low-consumption devices without the need for an external power supply and allowing many devices to be used without requiring manufacturer specific, individual device drivers to be installed. External Bus Controllers - used to connect to external peripherals, such as printers and input devices. These ports may also be based upon expansion cards, attached to the internal buses. Parallel Port: A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting various peripherals. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port. The IEEE 1284 standard defines the bi-directional version of the port.

Serial Port: In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time (contrast parallel port). Throughout most of the history of personal computers, data transfer through serial ports connected the computer to devices such as terminals and various peripherals.