Microcomputer Components and Functions

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Table of Contents

Definition of a Microcomputer
History of Microcomputers
Components of a Microcomputer
Microcomputers Function
Ethical Use of Information Technology
Reference

Definition of a Microcomputer

A microcomputer is a complete computer on a small scale designed for personal use and is based on a single-chip microprocessor. Common microcomputers include laptops and desktops. Beyond standard personal computers, microcomputers also include some calculators, mobile phones, notebooks, workstations, and embedded systems. A microcomputer uses a single integrated semiconductor chip for its central processing unit (CPU). They also contain memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM), input/output (I/O) ports, and a bus or system of interconnecting wires, all housed in a single unit, usually referred to as a motherboard.

History of Microcomputers

The development of microcomputers began in the 1970s with the conception of the Intel 4004 microprocessor in 1971. It advanced to developing Intel 8008 and Intel 8080 microprocessors in 1972 and 1974, respectively. In 1973 Réalisation d’Études Électroniques (R2E) developed the first microcomputer called Micral based on the Intel 8008. In 1974 Micro Computer Machines Inc. developed MCM/70 microcomputer based on Intel 8008. In 1974 MITS developed Altair 8800, considered the first successful commercial microcomputer based on the Intel 8080. Microcomputers’ processing capacity evolved with the microprocessor chip design advancement in the 1980s and 1990s.

Components of a Microcomputer

The processor is the brain of the microcomputer, which includes millions of transistors that define performance. The memory is where the processor keeps frequently used data while the computer is running. Input devices are used to insert data or signals into the microcomputer, while the system uses output devices to show or give output. Storage devices are memory devices where data is stored and remains even without electricity.

Processor

The processor is the brain of the microcomputer. It includes millions of transistors, with the performance of microcomputers increasing with the number of transistors. Processors run microcomputers’ programs, including reading and writing information in the computer’s memory. It maintains all the operations of a computer, including the coordination of its I/O devices.

Memory

The memory is where the processor keeps frequently used data while the computer is running (volatile memory such as RAM). Along with the processor, the I/O devices can also use memory. Besides volatile memory, non-volatile memory also exists, such as ROM. A non-volatile memory such as ROM is used to store instructions required for the system boot. The read/Write speed of memory devices is higher than storage devices.

Input Devices

Input devices are used to insert data or signals into the microcomputer. They let the user interact with and add new information to a computer. Common examples are the keyboard and mouse. The keyboard is a basic input device that is used to enter data into a computer or any other electronic device by pressing keys. It has different sets of keys for letters, numbers, characters, and functions. Keyboards are connected to a computer through USB or a Bluetooth device for wireless communication. The mouse is a hand-held input device that is used to move the cursor or pointer across the screen. It is designed to be used on a flat surface and generally has a left and right button and a scroll wheel between them. Laptop computers come with a touchpad that works as a mouse. It lets you control the movement of the cursor or pointer by moving your finger over the touchpad.

Output Devices

The devices used by the system to show or give output are called the output devices, such as monitors, printers, and speakers, among others. The monitor provides output from a computer on a screen so that users can interact with or view data digitally. The monitor typically provides output in symbolic and graphical form, generated using several small dots known as pixels. These pixels are usually arranged in a rectangular form. The printer receives electronic data from the computer and produces a hard copy of the processed data. Computer speakers usually receive signals from the sound card and then convert them to audio. These speakers use internal amplifiers that vibrate at different frequencies to increase/decrease the volume or amplitude of the sound as per the choice of the user.

Storage Devices

Storage devices are memory devices where data is stored and remains even without electricity. Along with various programs and system software, the user can keep, delete, move, and update the data in storage devices, while the user cannot do this in memory devices. Optical storage devices are flat, round disks that spin around their center. The difference with magnetic storage devices is that in optical storage devices, LASER light is used to read and write data in disks. Examples are CDs, DVDs, etc. There are two types of optical disks; one can be written for one time only, and another can be used to write data more than one time. These are called re-writable disks. Some optical disks can store data on both sides of the disk. In magnetic storage devices, data is stored on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses different patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable medium to store data. There are primarily three types of Magnetic Storage Devices: Disk Drives, Diskette Drives, and Magnetic Tapes.

Microcomputers Function

Microcomputers work primarily through the central processing unit (CPU), which executes instructions. The CPU is made up of billions of transistors ( billions in a modern Intel chip.) Some of those transistors are arranged into logical “gates.” For example, an AND gate. By connecting gates in specific ways, a circuit can be built to add two numbers. Instructions are often simple instructions like adding two numbers. The CPU is driven by a clock that has a certain number of cycles per second. Each time the clock “ticks,” it processes a new cycle. Some instructions take more than one cycle to complete. A program is simply a set of instructions. The computer has an operating system, a special program that lets the user run other programs, provides support for the computer’s hardware, and provides a file system to make use of your storage devices and a lot of other important capabilities.

Ethical Use of Information Technology

Ethical issues arising out of the use and development of electronic technologies. Its goal is to identify and formulate answers to questions about the moral basis of individual responsibilities and actions, as well as the moral underpinnings of public policy. For instance, the moral responsibilities of computer professionals effect computer hacking. Information technology ethics raises new and unique moral problems because information technology itself has brought about dramatic social, political, and conceptual change. Because information technology affects not only how we do things but how we think about them, it challenges some of the basic organizing concepts of moral and political philosophy such as property, privacy, the distribution of power, basic liberties, and moral responsibility.

Reference

Campbell, J. T., Ciampa, M., Clemens, B., Freund, S. M., Frydenberg, M., Hooper, R. E., & Ruffolo, L. (2020). Technology for success : computer concepts. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.

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