Computer Architecture Notes

• Input Devices
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Track Pad
• Touch Screen
• Camera
• Microphone
• Scanner
• Barcode Reader
• Joystick
• Gamepad
• Trackballs
• Pen input
• Magnetic Keycards
• Output Devices
• Monitor
• Speaker
• Printer
• Projector
• Radio
• Both Input and Output
• Modems
• Network Cards
• Touch Screen
• Headsets
• Fax
• Audio Cards
• USB
• RAM (Random Access Memory)
• Volatile Memory - erases everything when power is switched off
• Stores current programs and data
• CPU (Central Processing Unit)
• ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
• Performs arithmetic operations and evaluates logical statements to true or false
• CU (Control Unit)
• Oversees execution of the program statement after statement

Computer Architecture Diagram

Fundamentals of Computer Architecture

• What gives to life to a computer
• Electricity
• 0 is for off; 1 is for on - power button - binary system because there are two states
• 0 & 1 are called bits
• Combination of 8 bits = 1 byte
• Unit of computer memory = byte
• Every symbol on the keyboard is called a character
• Each character is made up of a sequence of 8 bits - 1 byte
• High Level Languages
• Ex: Java, C, C++
• Kind of like English
• Has grammatical rules
• Gives out error messages
• Complier
• A systems program that goes through source code and points out any errors and when source code is correct, it will convert the entire source code into binary code
• Interpreter
• A systems program that goes through source code and points out any errors and when source code is correct, it will convert the source code statement after statement into binary code
• Source Code --> Compiler/Interpreter --> Object Code
• Source Code = HLL (High Level Languages)
• Object Code = binary code/language, machine code/language - 01010011
• Systems program
• Cannot be changed by user
• Ex: driver
• Application Program
• Made for specific application
• Ex: hospital management, banking system