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Introduction to Hardware & Software


Introduction to Hardware & Software




Hardware & Software

A system is a group of multiple units, designed to achieve one or more goals. Similarly, computers are also a system, which goals to perform a variety of tasks and whose units are hardware and software.

Introduction

A system is a group of multiple units, designed to achieve one or more goals. Similarly, computers are also a system, which aims to perform a variety of tasks and whose units are hardware and software.

Hardware

All the mechanical, electronic, and electrical parts used in computers which we can see with eyes and touch with hands are called hardware. Such as - monitors, keyboards, hard-disks, circuits, memory chips, etc. Computer hardware has two types depending on its function and structure -

CPU (CPU-Central Processing Unit) - The task of CPU is to process the given data and extract the information from it in the output form. Peacock is also called the brain of the computer. Deccan is mainly divided into three parts -

· Control Unit - The Control Unit works to control or control the data and instructions given to the computer. The control unit controls the computer's internal operations, controlling them. These actions are then exchanged between ALU and memory.

· Arithmetic logic unit - Arithmetic logic unit is used to perform arithmetic functions and logical actions on data and instructions given on the computer. ALU sends data and instructions from the control unit to memory as information.

· Memory - This is the part of the computer in which all data and instructions are stored. If it is not part, then the data and instructions given to the computer will be immediately destroyed.

There are mainly two types of memory:

  • Main Memory
  • Auxiliary Memory

Types of main memory and auxiliary memory

These are mainly of two types -

Random Access Memory - This memory is like a chip, which is made of a metal oxide semiconductor (Ruhr). All the information present in the RAM is temporary and all the information is destroyed as soon as the power supply of the computer is turned off. RAM is used to store and read data in it. Each location in RAM has its own address; it is through this address that we tell the CPU in which location of memory to store information or from which location to get information.

Read-Only memory - The data and instructions present in this memory are permanent, due to which they can only be read, but it is not possible to change their data and instructions. Due to the permanent handling of data and instructions, the information stored in the ROM chip is preserved even when the power supply of the computer is turned off. While making the ROM chip, some necessary data and programs are inserted into it, which are permanent. ROM is used in all types of electronic devices such as calculators, video games, digital cameras, etc.

Peripheral –

Input devices, output devices, and secondary storage devices are collectively called peripherals. It is of three types -
  • Input Unit
  • Output Unit
  • Collection Unit

Software:

All the mechanical, electronic, and electrical parts used in the computer, which we can see with eyes but cannot touch, are called software. Computers contain hundreds of programs, which are written or created for different purposes. All these programs are grouped together as software.

Type of Software:

The software is divided into four parts based on its function and structure -

  •  System Software
  •  Utility Software
  •  Application Software
  •  General Purpose Software