CMP212

Question 1A.
Computer memory is generally classified as either internal or external memory.

Internal memory, also called "main or primary memory" refers to memory that stores small
amounts of data that can be accessed quickly while the computer is running.

External memory, also called "secondary memory" refers to a storage device that can retain
or store data persistently. They could be embedded or removable storage devices. Examples
include hard disk or solid state drives, USB flash drives, and compact discs.

There are basically two kinds of internal memory: ROM and RAM

ROM stands for read-only memory. It is non-volatile, which means it can retain data even
without power. It is used mainly to start or boot up a computer.

Once the operating system is loaded, the computer uses RAM, which stands for random-
access memory, which temporarily stores data while the central processing unit (CPU) is
executing other tasks. With more RAM on the computer, the less the CPU has to read data
from the external or secondary memory (storage device), allowing the computer to run faster.

QUESTION1 b

[Link] : A computer keyboard, often known as a laptop keyboard, is a piece of

hardware that allows you to input data into a computer. It is often a plug-and-play gadget.
The alphabets (A-Z), numerals (0-9), symbols, and function keys are all found on a
computer keyboard

[Link] :The most widely used pointing device is the mouse. It is a well-known cursor-
control gadget made out of a tiny palm-sized box with a spherical ball at its base that detects
mouse movement and sends suitable signals to the CPU when mouse buttons are pressed.

3 JOYSTICK :joystick is a pointing device for computers that allows you to move the
pointer around the screen. Both the bottom and top ends of the stick are connected to a
spherical ball, and the bottom spherical ball slips in a socket. You may move the joystick in
all four directions.

[Link] :scanner, like a photocopier, is an input device that is used when paper data
has to be transferred to a computer's hard disc and subsequently modified.

The scanner gathers images from the source and transforms them into a digital version stored
on a disc. Before they're printed, you can alter these pictures.
[Link] PEN:The light pen's tip has a light-sensitive detector that allows users to pick
items on the display screen by pointing to them. The item's position is detected by its light-
sensitive tip, which transmits the appropriate signals to the CPU

[Link]: digitizer is a device that transforms analog data into digital data. A
digitizer can transform a television or camera feed into a series of numbers stored in a
computer. They can be used to create an image of the object at which the camera is pointed
by the computer.

6 MICROPHONE : microphone is a type of sound input device used by computers. It

absorbs sound vibrations and transforms them into audio signals or records them on media.

[Link] Ink Card Reader (MICR) :Because banks handle a significant number of
cheques every day, MICR input devices are commonly used at banks. The check number and
the bank's code number are written using a special ink containing machine-readable magnetic
particles.

[Link] Camera: It is a digital device since it captures photographs and records videos
digitally before saving them on a memory card. Instead of the film that traditional cameras
use to capture images, it uses an image sensor chip. This camera is connected to your
computer

QUESTION1c :
Optical storage is any storage type in which data is written and read with a laser. Typically,
data is written to optical media such as compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs
(DVDs). At one time, optical discs were considered a potential replacement for hard disk
drives (HDDs) in computing systems, but their lack of growth in capacity compared to both
HDDs and later flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) has relegated optical storage use mostly
to long-term archiving and data backup.

Although optical media is more durable and less vulnerable to environmental conditions than
tape, HDDs and SSDs, optical discs are slower than the typical HDD and significantly slower
than the SSD and offer lower storage capacities than either. Blu-ray disks are currently the
fastest optical media on the market and provide much more capacity than CDs and DVDs, but
they still lag behind HDDs and SSDs.

QUESTION 1d:port is a virtual point where network connections start and end. Ports are
software-based and managed by a computer's operating system. Each port is associated with a
specific process or service. Ports allow computers to easily differentiate between different
kinds of traffic: emails go to a different port than webpages, for instance, even though both
reach a computer over the same Internet connection.
QUESTION 2a:

1. LAN (Local Area Network) A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of connected
devices that are in a limited area such as a school, office, building, or home. It is a
network mostly used for sharing hardware resources such as printers, files, scanners,
etc. If we talk about the simplest LAN network then we will consider a computer and
a printer connected in a home as the simplest network. The data transmission speed of
the LAN is up to 10 Mbps

2. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): A Metropolitan Area Network or MAN is a

network connecting devices across an entire town, entire city, or any other small
region. This is a network larger than LAN but smaller than the WAN

[Link](Wide Area Network):WAN stands for Wide Area Network is a type of

computer network which can cover a large geographical area such as a continent, or a
country. The size of the WAN network is larger than the LAN and MAN network.
When the size of the network grows more than the MAN then it is considered a
WAN.

1. QUESTION 2b

Computer software :Computer software refers to programming code that is executed on the
computer hardware that facilitates the completion of tasks by a [Link] is a specific
sequence of instructions written in programming code that is carried out by a computer
processor to complete a specific task. Thus, a computer program is a piece of software
designed for a certain use or task. Computer software examples include operating systems,
which allow for easy use of a computer's processing power, as well as applications like
Notepad and Firefox.

QUESTION 2c:

1. The system software is those programs that are used to manage the hardware or
computer itself like Operating systems, File management, Disk operating systems.
The system Softwares gives a platform for application software.
 2. The Application system is those programs that are used to perform a specific task or
having any information. We are using directly the application software to ease the
[Link]: Tally, MS Powerpoint, calculator, etc.

QUESTION 3a

Motherboard : motherboard is a circuit board inside computers that stores electrical

components and helps them communicate. The components are as follows :Mouse and
keyboard connectors, Universal serial bus (USB), central processing unit (CPU), RAM
memory, Basic input/output (BIOS) system, Chipsets, Cooling fans, Adapter cards and
expansion slots, CMOS battery, Storage devices, Front panel connectors, Power connector
etc

QUESTION 3b:

1. Standard ATX – This motherboard comes in 305*244mm (length*breadth)

dimensions, these dimensions can vary with different manufacturer. This motherboard
offers more expansion slots, up to four slots for RAM, Two or sometimes more than
two PCIe slots for dual graphics cards and more USB and other ports for connectivity,
also its size gives space in between components for airflow to keep heat in control.

2. eXtended ATX – This motherboard is 344*330 mm dimensions (these dimensions

can vary with different manufacturer). This motherboard is designed for both dual
CPU and single configuration and has up to 8 ram slots and has more PCIe and PCI
slots for adding PCI cards for different purposes. It is used for workstations and
servers.

QUESTION 3c:

The two major types of computer chips are Primary memory chip and Microprocessor
chip.

1. Primary storage, also known as main storage or memory, is the area in a computer in
which data is stored for quick access by the computer's processor. The terms random
access memory (RAM) and memory are often as synonyms for primary or main
storage.

2. A microprocessor, sometimes called a logic chip, is a computer processor on a

microchip. The microprocessor contains all, or most of, the central processing unit
 (CPU) functions and is the "engine" that goes into motion when you turn your
computer on

QUESTION 4a:

A microprocessor is basically the brain of the computer. We can also call it simply a
processor or CPU. Furthermore, a microprocessor is basically a computer processor that is
mounted on a single IC (Integrated Circuit). It means that all the functions of the processor
are included on a single chip.

QUESTION 4b:

Embedded software is software that is not directly visible or invokable by a human user but
is part of a system. For example, the software is embedded in television sets, airplanes, and
videogames. Embedded software is used to control the functions of hardware devices. For
example, a train control system reads various signals produced by sensors along tracks to
control the speed of the train. The characteristic of embedded software is that it is developed
hand in hand with the hardware.

QUESTION 4C:

Hard drive : The definition of a hard drive is a piece of hardware in a computer that stores
information on the computer. The hard drive in a computer is important because it stores the
necessary information a computer needs to work efficiently. It stores the operating system
that tells a computer how to run, the most common operating systems are Windows and
Macintosh. It also stores applications and data files.

Types of hard drive

1. Hard disk DRIVES (HDD) : HDDs are installed in most PCs and laptops. There are
several aluminium plates inside the drive. Reading and writing operations are
performed due to rotation of the plates and the sensing head located at a few
nanometers. The speed of the plates can be as high as 15,000 revolutions per minute
which results in the common noise during operation. These drives have become
popular because they provide a lot of space (up to 4 TB on a single HDD), high
reliability and stability during reading and writing operations.

2. Solid state drive (SSD) :SSDs use memory chips and since they do not have any
rotating elements, they are completely silent, consume less power and are smaller than
HDDs.
QUESTION 5a

The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital
optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on
November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind of digital data and has been
widely used to store video programs (watched using DVD players), software and other
computer files. DVDs offer significantly higher storage capacity than compact discs (CD)
while having the same dimensions. A standard single-layer DVD can store up to 4.7 GB of
data, a dual-layer DVD up to 8.5 GB. Variants can store up to a maximum of 17.08 GB

QUESTION 5b

RAM: Random access memory, commonly known as RAM, is a temporary storage location
where data can be retrieved or rewritten in any order to support the real-time working of
computer and mobile [Link] the ability to store and retrieve data fast, none of
the applications or other functions would work properly. This is where RAM comes into play.
RAM, or random access memory, is among the essential components of a computer system.
It is a short-term memory bank wherein data that must be retrieved quickly is housed. RAM
maintains data readily available so that the central processor unit (CPU) may locate it without
requiring it to access long-term storage to perform urgent processing duties.

RAM is included in all computing devices, including desktop computers (operating on

Windows, MacOS, and Linux), tablets and smartphones (running on Android or iOS), and
even internet of things (IoT) devices (like a smart TV).

QUESTION 5C

1. Static RAM (SRAM) : One of the two basic memory types is SRAM requires a
constant power flow in order to function. Because of the continuous power, SRAM
doesn’t need to be ‘refreshed’ to remember the data being stored. This is why SRAM
is called ‘static’ – no change or action (e.g. refreshing) is needed to keep data intact.
However, SRAM is a volatile memory, which means that all the data that had been
stored becomes lost once the power is cut off.
2. Dynamic RAM: DRAM requires a periodic ‘refresh’ of power in order to function.
The capacitors that store data in DRAM gradually discharge energy; no energy means
the data becomes lost. This is why DRAM is called ‘dynamic’ — constant change or
action (e.g. refreshing) is needed to keep data intact. DRAM is also a volatile
memory, which means that all the stored data becomes lost once the power is cut off.
 3. Sychronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) is a classification of DRAM that operates in
sync with the CPU clock, which means that it waits for the clock signal before
responding to data input (e.g. user interface). By contrast, DRAM is asynchronous,
which means it responds immediately to data input. But the benefit of synchronous
operation is that a CPU can process overlapping instructions in parallel, also known as
‘pipelining’—the ability to receive (read) a new instruction before the previous
instruction has been fully resolved (write).

4. Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM):DDR SDRAM

operates like SDR SDRAM, only twice as fast. DDR SDRAM is capable of
processing two read and two write instructions per clock cycle (hence the ‘double’).
Although similar in function, DDR SDRAM has physical differences (184 pins and a
single notch on the connector) versus SDR SDRAM (168 pins and two notches on the
connector).

QUESTION 6a

Components required are as follows :

● Processor (CPU)
● Computer Case.
● Optical Drive (DVD RW and SATA capable)
● Memory (RAM)
● Power Supply.
● SATA Cables.
● Motherboard (SATA Capable)
● Processor Fan.

QUESTION 6b

Heat sink : heat sink is a device used to transfer heat from a heat source to the surrounding
environment. Heat transfer is achieved through a combination of conduction, convection, and
to a lesser extent, radiation.

QUESTION 6c

[Link] compatibility

[Link] tools and materials

[Link] the old CPU and cooler.

[Link] the socket and cooler

[Link] the new CPU and cooler

6. Test the new CPU