DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

SUBMITTED TO:
MISS ARZO AKHTER
SUBMITTED BY:
ANSAR ABBAS
ROLL NO:
685211[211]
SUBJECT:
ADVANCED ELECTRONICS

Concept of Digital Computers

Digital Computer: is a machine or a device that helps to process any kind of
information.

These are the devices through which we provide some input and get the output
within a fraction of seconds.

The operations that are conducted internally in the device happens using the binary
number system since the computer understands only digits i.e, O's and 1's.

All the content that is written in English will be converted to binary language and
thus computers and humans communicate with each other.

Some of the basic examples of digital devices are Personal computers, Desktops,
Laptops, Smartphones, and Mobiles.

There are mainly three parts in a digital computer and it consists of:

• Input: The user normally provides the data to the device that is known as input.

• Processing: The input that is provided by the user is processed internally using
some defined sequence.

• Output: Once the processing is completed, based on the input, the output is
displayed to the user.

Different types of Digital Computer

Digital computers are a device that needs to be programmed in order to receive the
desired output.

It uses electronic technology to generate, store and process different types of data.

Based on the size and type of the device, these digital computers are classified into
four categories.

Microcomputer

A Microcomputer is not really expensive and it comes with a microprocessor as its

Central processing unit and input/output devices.

These computers are generally called personal computers and few of the examples
are IBM pc, Apple, Dell.
Minicomputers

Minicomputers are known as mid-range computers that contain one or more

processors.

They support multiprocessing which means these multiple processors share the
same computer memory and other required peripheral devices to perform the given
task.

Minicomputers are generally used for processing transactions, file handling,

managing database.

Mainframe computers

Mainframe computers are generally large size computers mainly used for storing
large amounts of data and processing. It is known for a high level of reliability.

These machines are used by an organization which requires crucial application

such as census, customer statistics for large calculation which requires a high
volume of data processing.

Super Computers

Supercomputers are very expensive and the world's fastest computers available.

These computers have thousands of processors that perform trillions of

calculations per second and hence the fastest known ever.

Supercomputers are used extensively in enterprises and organizations that require

massive calculations.

Classification of computers

Computers can be categorized into Analog, Digital and Hybrid Computers. Each
category is used for its own purpose and has its own significance.

Features of Digital computer

• Good Memory - Digital computers can store a large number of data and can
retrieve data in a fraction of second. The data can be stored for any duration and
retrieved anytime.
• Very Flexible - These computers can perform multi-tasking without any human
interference and hence they are very flexible and versatile.

• Automatic- These devices once started are automatic. They do not need any
intervention until required by the task specifically.

• Good Speed - Digital computers are high in speed and carry out all the
operations with very fast speed.

Accurate - These devices help in storing all the information which helps in
retrieving accurate data at any point in a given time.

Components of Digital Computer

A digital computer has the following basic components:

• Input device

• CPU

• Output device

Input Device

The Input device is basically the devices that are attached to the system such as a
mouse, keyboard, and scanner.

These input devices take the input from the user and convert it to binary language
which is understandable by the computer making it easy to understand.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU is the Central Processing Unit which is known as the brain of the computer as
it controls the entire computer system.

Once the user provides input through the input device such as a keyboard or
mouse, the same is processed in the Central processing unit.

This first get the instructions from the memory and then decides what needs to be
done.
Hence CPU performs all the computation parts and sends it to the output device.

CPU has different components within, which has different responsibilities.

• Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - The main function of ALU is that it

performs all the arithmetic and mathematical calculations which include addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division.

• Control Unit - The task of the Control unit is that it mainly allows the data to
move from and to CPU and manages the operations performed by ALU. All the
instructions that are sent are picked, decoded, and analyzed. It then sends the
instruction to input/output devices accordingly.

• Memory - This part is mainly used to store the data and is named as "Internal
memory". The internal memory has been divided into multiple locations which
store the instructions. Each of these locations has a unique address and has the
same size. With this unique address, the computer will read the data stored in the
memory without having to search the entire memory location. Whenever a
program is run, the data will be stored in the internal memory and it would remain
till the end of the execution. This internal memory is named RAM ie. Random
Access Memory.

Output Devices
Output Devices are the devices that are attached to the computer which converts
the binary data from the computer to language which humans understand.

Some of the common output devices are Monitor, plotter, and printer.

a)Keyboard

It is a text base input device that allows the user to input alphabets, numbers and
other characters. It consists of a set of keys mounted on a board.

Alphanumeric Keypad: It consists of keys for English alphabets, 0 to 9 numbers,

and special characters like +-/*() etc.
Function Keys: There are twelve function keys labeled F1, F2, F3... F12. The
functions assigned to these keys differ from one software package to another.
These keys are also user programmable keys.

Special-function Keys These keys have special functions assigned to them and can
be used only for those specific purposes. Functions of some of the important keys
are defined below.

Enter: It is similar to the 'return' key of the typewriter and is used to execute a
command or program.

Spacebar: It is used to enter a space at the current cursor location.

Backspace: This key is used to move the cursor one position to the left and also
delete the character in that position.

Delete: It is used to delete the character at the cursor position.

Insert: key is used to toggle between insert and overwrite mode during data entry.

Shift This: key is used to type capital letters when pressed along with an alphabet
key.

Caps Lock: Cap Lock is used to toggle between the capital lock features. When
'on', it locks the alphanumeric keypad for capital letters input only.

Tab: is used to move the cursor to the next tab position defined in the document.
Also, it is used to insert indentation into a document.

Ctrl: Control key is used in conjunction with other keys to provide additional
functionality on the keyboard.

Alt: Also like the control key, Alt key is always used in combination with other
keys to perform specific tasks.

Esc: This key is usually used to negate a command. Also used to cancel or abort
executing programs.

Numeric Keypad: Numeric keypad is located on the right side of the keyboard
and consists of keys having numbers (0 to 9) and mathematical operators (+-*/)
defined on them. This keypad is provided to support quick entry for numeric data.
 Figure: The Keyboard

(b) Mouse: The mouse is a small device used to point to a particular place on the
screen and select in order to perform one or more actions. It can be used to select
menu commands, size windows, start programs etc.

The most conventional kind of mouse has two buttons on top: the left one being
used most frequently.

Figure: Mouse

Mouse Actions Left Click, Used to select an item. Double Click, Used to start a
program or open a file. Right Click, Usually used to display a set of commands.
Drag and Drop: It allows you to select and move an item from one location to
another. To achieve this place the cursor over an item on the screen, click the left
mouse button and while holding the button down move the cursor to where you
want to place the item, and then release it.

(c)Scanner
Scanner is an input device used for direct data entry from the source document into
the computer system. It converts the document image into digital form so that it
can be fed into the computer. Capturing information like this reduces the
possibility of errors typically experienced during large data entry.

Hand-held scanners are commonly seen in big stores to scan codes and price
information for each of the items. They are also termed the bar code readers.

Figure: Scanner

(d) Pen

It is a pen shaped device used to select objects on a display screen. It is quite like
the mouse (in its functionality) but uses a light pen to move the pointer and select
any object on the screen by pointing to the object.

Figure: Pen
 Output Devices
(a) Monitor:

Monitor is an output device that resembles the television screen and uses a Cathode
Ray Tube (CRT) to display information. The monitor is associated with a keyboard
for manual input of characters and displays the information as it is keyed in. It also
displays the program or application output. Like the television, monitors are also
available in different sizes

Figure: Monitor

(b) Printer

Printers are used to produce paper (commonly known as hardcopy) output. Based
on the technology used, they can be classified as Impact or Non-impact printers.

Impact printers use the typewriting printing mechanism wherein a hammer

strikes the paper through a ribbon in order to produce output. Dot-matrix and
Character printers fall under this category.
Non-impact printers do not touch the paper while printing. They use chemical,
heat or electrical signals to etch the symbols on paper. Inkjet, Deskjet, Laser,
Thermal printers fall under this category of printers.

Figure: Printer

When we talk about printers we refer to two basic qualities associated with
printers: resolution, and speed. Print resolution is measured in terms of number of
dots per inch (dpi). Print speed is measured in terms of number of characters
printed in a unit of time and is represented as characters-per-second (cps), lines-
per-minute (Ipm), or pages-per-minute (ppm).

(c) Plotter

Plotters are used to print graphical output on paper. It interprets computer

commands and makes line drawings on paper using multicolored automated pens.
It is capable of producing graphs, drawings, charts, maps etc.

Figure: Plotter

(d) Audio Output: Sound Cards and Speakers:

The Audio output is the ability of the computer to output sound. Two components
are needed: Sound card - Plays contents of digitized recordings, Speakers Attached
to sound card.

Figure: Speakers

The computer will be of no use unless it is able to communicate with the outside
world. Input and Output devices are required for users to communicate with the
computer. In simple terms input devices bring information into the computer and
output devices bring information out of a computer system. These input/output
devices are also known as peripherals since they enclose the CPU and memory of a
computer system.