. Components of a Computer The computer is the combination of hardware and software. Hardware is the physical component of a computer like motherboard, memory devices, monitor, keyboard etc., while software is the set of programs or instructions. Both hardware and software together make the computer system to function.
Figure . : Computer Let us first have a look at the functional components of a computer. Every task given to a computer follows an Input- Process- Output Cycle (IPO cycle). It needs certain input, processes that input and produces the desired output.
The input unit takes the input, the central processing unit does the processing of data and the output unit produces the output. The memory unit holds the data and instructions during the processing. ALU Internal Memory Main Memory Secondary Storage Output Unit Input Unit Control Unit Data Path Control Path Figure . components of a computer .
. Input Unit Input unit is used to feed any form of data to the computer, which can be stored in the memory unit for further processing. Example: Keyboard, mouse, etc. Chapter Page - - .
. Central Processing Unit CPU is the major component which interprets and executes software instructions. It also control the operation of all other components such as memory, input and output units. It accepts binary data as input, process the data according to the instructions and provide the result as output.
The CPU has three components which are Control unit, Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) and Memory unit. . . .
Arithmetic and Logic Unit The ALU is a part of the CPU where various computing functions are performed on data. The ALU performs arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and logical operations. The result of an operation is stored in internal memory of CPU. The logical operations of ALU promote the decision-making ability of a computer.
. . . Control Unit The control unit controls the flow of data between the CPU, memory and I/O devices.
It also controls the entire operation of a computer. . . .
Output Unit An Output Unit is any hardware component that