Ss2 E-Note First Term Computer
Ss2 E-Note First Term Computer
7 Mid term
COMPUTER DATA • Definition – Register, Address,
8 CONVERSION Bus
• Types of register
• Function of each register
• Differences between register and
main memory
COMPUTER DATA • Outlines steps in ‘data-fetch-
CONVERSION execute’ cycle in a simple form.
9 CONTENTS II • Factors affecting speed of data
transfer.
11 Revision
12 Examination
13
PRIMARY MEMORY
Primary storage is called ‘primary’ because it is the main memory that is accessible to the CPU. It
represents the core or internal storage areas of the computer system. It is used to store data that are
currently being used; for this reason, the main memory is also called Immediate Access Storage
(IAS).
The two types of primary storage are:
• Read Only Memory (ROM)
• Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the internal memory of the CPU for storing data, program, and
program result. It is a read/write memory which stores data until the machine is working. As soon as
the machine is switched off, data is erased.
RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer or if there is a power
failure. Hence, a backup Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) is often used with computers. RAM
is small, both in terms of its physical size and in the amount of data it can hold.
RAM is of two types −
• Static RAM (SRAM)
• Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
• Static RAM (SRAM)
The word static indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power is being supplied.
However, data is lost when the power gets down due to volatile nature. SRAM chips use a matrix of
6-transistors and no capacitors. Transistors do not require power to prevent leakage, so SRAM need
not be refreshed on a regular basis.
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
There is extra space in the matrix, hence SRAM uses more chips than DRAM for the same amount
of storage space, making the manufacturing costs higher. SRAM is thus used as cache memory and
has very fast access.
Characteristic of Static RAM
• Long life
• No need to refresh
• Faster
• Used as cache memory
• Large size
• Expensive
• High power consumption
Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be continually refreshed in order to maintain the data. This is done by
placing the memory on a refresh circuit that rewrites the data several hundred times per second.
DRAM is used for most system memory as it is cheap and small. All DRAMs are made up of memory
cells, which are composed of one capacitor and one transistor.
Characteristics of Dynamic RAM
• Short data lifetime
• Needs to be refreshed continuously
• Slower as compared to SRAM
• Used as RAM
• Smaller in size
• Less expensive
• Less power consumption
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. The smallest unit of memory in a computer is called a ________.
2. RAM stands for Random Access ________.
3. The primary purpose of a cache memory is to ________ data access times.
4. The binary digit 0 or 1 is commonly referred to as a ________.
5. The process of transferring data from memory to the CPU for processing is known as ________.
SUB-TOPIC 2: SECONDARY MEMORY
CONTENT:
The secondary storage or auxiliary storage is any storage device that is used to store data, information
and programs permanently outside the computer memory. They are non-volatile and have higher
1. Fixed storage
In secondary memory, a fixed storage is an internal media device that is used to store data in a
computer system. Fixed storage is generally known as fixed disk drives or hard drives. Generally, the
data of the computer system is stored in a built-in fixed storage device. Fixed storage does not mean
that you can not remove them from the computer system, you can remove the fixed storage device
for repairing, for the upgrade, or for maintenance, etc. with the help of an expert or engineer.
In secondary memory, removable storage is an external media device that is used to store data in a
computer system. Removable storage is generally known as disks drives or external drives. It is a
storage device that can be inserted or removed from the computer according to our requirements. We
can easily remove them from the computer system while the computer system is running. Removable
storage devices are portable so we can easily transfer data from one computer to another. Also,
removable storage devices provide the fast data transfer rates associated with storage area networks
(SANs).
Types of Removable Storage:
• Optical discs (like CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.)
• Memory cards
• Floppy disks
• Magnetic tapes
• Disk packs
• Paper storage (like punched tapes, punched cards, etc.)
Secondary memory devices
Following are the commonly used secondary memory devices are:
1. Floppy Disk:
A floppy disk consists of a magnetic disc in a square plastic case. It is used to store data and to transfer
data from one device to another device. Floppy disks are available in two sizes (a) Size: 3.5 inches,
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
the Storage capacity of 1.44 MB (b) Size: 5.25 inches, the Storage capacity of 1.2 MB. To use a
floppy disk, our computer needs to have a floppy disk drive. This storage device becomes obsolete
now and has been replaced by CDs, DVDs, and flash drives.
2. Compact Disc:
A Compact Disc (CD) is a commonly used secondary storage device. It contains tracks and sectors
on its surface. Its shape is circular and is made up of polycarbonate plastic. The storage capacity of
CD is up to 700 MB of data. A CD may also be called a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only
Memory), in this computers can read the data present in a CD-ROM, but cannot write new data onto
it. For a CD-ROM, we require a CD-ROM. CD is of two types:
CD-R (compact disc recordable): Once the data has been written onto it cannot be erased, it can
only be read.
CD-RW (compact disc rewritable): It is a special type of CD in which data can be erased and rewritten
as many times as we want. It is also called an erasable CD.
3. Digital Versatile Disc:
A Digital Versatile Disc also known as DVD it is looks just like a CD, but the storage capacity is
greater compared to CD, it stores up to 4.7 GB of data. DVD-ROM drive is needed to use DVD on
a computer. The video files, like movies or video recordings, etc., are generally stored on DVD and
you can run DVD using the DVD player. DVD is of three types:
DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read-only): In DVD-ROM the manufacturer writes the data in it
and the user can only read that data, cannot write new data in it. For example movie DVD, movie
DVD is already written by the manufacturer we can only watch the movie but we cannot write new
data into it.
DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc Recordable): In DVD-R you can write the data but only one time.
Once the data has been written onto it cannot be erased, it can only be read.
DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable and Erasable): It is a special type of DVD in which data
can be erased and rewritten as many times as we want. It is also called an erasable DVD.
4. Blu-ray Disc:
A Blu-ray disc looks just like a CD or a DVD but it can store data or information up to 25 GB data.
If you want to use a Blu-ray disc, you need a Blu-ray reader. The name Blu-ray is derived from the
technology that is used to read the disc ‘Blu’ from the blue-violet laser and ‘ray’ from an optical ray.
5. Hard Disk:
A hard disk is a part of a unit called a hard disk drive. It is used to storing a large amount of data.
Hard disks or hard disk drives come in different storage capacities.(like 256 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, and
2 TB, etc.). It is created using the collection of discs known as platters. The platters are placed one
below the other. They are coated with magnetic material. Each platter consists of a number of
invisible circles and each circle having the same centre called tracks. Hard disk is of two types (i)
Internal hard disk (ii) External hard disk.
6. Flash Drive:
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
A flash drive or pen drive comes in various storage capacities, such as 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16
GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, up to 1 TB. A flash drive is used to transfer and store data. To use a flash drive,
we need to plug it into a USB port on a computer. As a flash drive is easy to use and compact in size,
Nowadays it is very popular.
7. Solid-state disk:
It is also known as SDD. It is a non-volatile storage device that is used to store and access data. It is
faster, does noiseless operations(because it does not contain any moving parts like the hard disk),
consumes less power, etc. It is a great replacement for standard hard drives in computers and laptops
if the price is low and it is also suitable for tablets, notebooks, etc because they do not require large
storage.
8. SD Card:
It is known as a Secure Digital Card. It is generally used in portable devices like mobile phones,
cameras, etc., to store data. It is available in different sizes like 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32
GB, 64 GB, etc. To view the data stored in the SD card you can remove them from the device and
insert them into a computer with help of a card reader. The data stores in the SD card is stored in
memory chips(present in the SD Card) and it does not contain any moving parts like the hard disk
Students Activities
1. Identify the following parts
1.
2.
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. Secondary memory is also known as ________ memory, which provides long-term storage for
data even when the computer is powered off.
2. Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) are common examples of ________
storage devices.
3. Optical storage devices use lasers to read and write data on ________.
4. The process of copying data from secondary memory to primary memory for faster access is
called ________.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
—Malcolm X
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR: The students can define memory unit and are also familiar with the
types of memory unit
SUB-TOPIC 1: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MEMORY
CONTENT:
NIBBLE:
In computing, a nibble is a four-bit aggregation, or half a byte. The nibble is used to describe the
amount of memory used to store a digit of a number stored in packed decimal within an IBM
mainframe. This technique is used to make computations faster and debugging faster.
BYTE:
A byte is a unit of measurement of information storage that equals 8bits. It can be used to represent
letters and numbers, for example, the number 01000001 is 8bits long and represents the letter A in
ASCII. It is equivalent to 2nibbles. The size of computer memory is determined by bytes.
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
KILOBYTE (KB):
A kilobyte (KB) is a unit of data that equals 1024bytes. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the
term kilobyte and symbol been used to refer to either 1024 (2 10) bytes in the fields of computer
science and information technology.
MEGABYTE (MB):
A megabyte is 1024KB, that is, the kilobyte squared or 1024 2 bytes. The Megabyte is a multiple of
the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission. It is commonly abbreviated as MB.
GIGABYTE (GB):
A Gigabyte is a unit of data storage worth a billion bytes. It is equal to 1024 megabytes (1024 3). The
unit symbol for gigabyte is GB.
TERABYTE (TB):
A terabyte is equivalent to 1024 gigabytes (1024 4) and is defined as about one trillion bytes. The
prefix tera means 1012 in the International System of Units, which equals 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
WORD:
A word represents 2bytes, which is equivalent to 16bits and 4nibbles.
EVALUATION
(i) State and write short notes on FIVE basic computer memory units
(ii) State the relationship between;
• Bit and byte
• Kilobyte and Megabyte
Floppy Disk Portable Small storage Slow speed Magnetic tape technology
space
Hard Disk Not as Enormous Slow as compared Magnetic tape technology
Portable storage space to main memory
as others
Flash Drive Portable Large Very high speed Flash memory
PRACTICE EXERCISE:
EVALUATION
(i) Convert 1440000bytes to Megabyte
(ii) Convert 0.1MB to Kilobyte
iii) Highlight FIVE units of storage and their values (in bytes)
(vi) Convert 0.5MB to KB
(v) State two auxiliary that uses optical technology
TOPICAL TEST: (10 multiple Choice Questions,)
Of course, here are 10 multiple-choice questions related to units of storage:
1. What is the smallest unit of storage in a computer?
a) Megabyte
b) Kilobyte
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
c) Byte
d) Gigabit
2. How many bits are in a byte?
a) 4
b) 8
c) 16
d) 32
3. Which of the following is a larger unit of storage than a terabyte?
a) Kilobyte
b) Megabyte
c) Gigabyte
d) Petabyte
4. What is the abbreviation for a thousand gigabytes?
a) GB
b) TB
c) KB
d) MB
5. Which of the following is the largest unit of storage?
a) Exabyte
b) Petabyte
c) Zettabyte
d) Terabyte
6. How many bytes are in a kilobyte?
a) 100
b) 1000
c) 1024
d) 500
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
7. What is the equivalent of 1 megabit in bits a) 1000 bits (b) 10,000 bits
c) 100,000 bits
d) 1,000,000 bits
8. Which unit of storage is commonly used to measure the capacity of optical discs like DVDs?
a) Kilobyte
b) Megabyte
c) Gigabyte
d) Terabyte
9. A standard CD can typically store around how many megabytes of data?
a) 700 MB
b) 1 GB
c) 10 MB
d) 2.5 GB
10. What is the relationship between a kilobyte (KB) and a megabyte (MB)?
a) 1 MB = 1000 KB
b) 1 MB = 1024 KB
c) 1 MB = 10 KB
d) 1 MB = 500 KB
PUZZLES / BRAIN TEASER:
Brain Teaser: The Storage Conundrum
You find yourself in a futuristic data storage facility where there are three doors, each leading to
a different room. On each door, there's a sign indicating the storage capacity of that room:
Door 1: "1 Petabyte"
Door 2: "1024 Terabytes"
Door 3: "1048576 Gigabytes"
However, upon entering each room, you notice that they all contain the same amount of data
storage. How is this possible?
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. In a logic circuit, the basic building blocks are known as ________.
2. A logic gate that produces an output only when all of its inputs are high is called a ________
gate.
3. The Boolean operation NOT is also known as ________.
4. The logical operation that returns true (1) if at least one of the inputs is true is called ________.
5. The process of simplifying a complex logic expression into a minimal form is called ________.
SUB-TOPIC 2: TYPES OF LOGIC GATES
CONTENT:
There are three basic logic gates from which others can be constructed. These are;
(a) AND gate
(b) ‘OR’ gate
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
(c) ‘NOT’ gate
AND Gate
An AND gate has a single output and two or more inputs.
1. When all of the inputs are 1, the output of this gate is 1.
2. The AND gate’s Boolean logic is Y=A.B if there are two inputs A and B.
An AND gate’s symbol and truth table are as follows:
Input Output
A B A.B
0 0 0
0 1 0
1 0 0
1 1 1
OR Gate
Two or more inputs and one output can be used in an OR gate.
1. The logic of this gate is that if at least one of the inputs is 1, the output will be 1.
2. The OR gate’s output will be given by the following mathematical procedure if there are two
inputs A and B: Y=A+B
Input Output
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
A B A+B
0 0 0
0 1 1
1 0 1
1 1 1
Symbol of OR gate
NOT Gate
The NOT gate is a basic one-input, one-output gate.
1. When the input is 1, the output is 0, and vice versa. A NOT gate is sometimes called an inverter
because of its feature.
2. If there is only one input A, the output may be calculated using the Boolean equation Y=A’.
Input Output
A Not A
0 1
1 0
2. A(n) ___________ gate produces an output of 1 only when all inputs are 1.
a) OR
b) XOR
c) NAND
6. A(n) ___________ gate produces an output of 0 only when all inputs are 1.
a) OR
b) XOR
c) NAND
d) NOR
8. A logic gate that implements the Boolean operation A AND B is a(n) ___________ gate.
a) OR
b) AND
c) NOT
d) XOR
9. Which logic gate has an output that is the complement of the output of an AND gate?
a) NAND gate
b) NOR gate
c) XOR gate
d) XNOR gate
10. The output of a XOR gate is 1 when ___________.
a) all inputs are 0
b) all inputs are 1
c) one input is 0 and the other is 1
d) both inputs are the same
PUZZLES / BRAIN TEASER:
Brain Teaser: The Mysterious Combination
You've discovered a locked door with a digital lock that seems to require a specific combination of
logic gate inputs to open. The door is labeled with the following instructions:
"Enter a combination of logic gate inputs (A, B, C) that produces an output of 1. The combination
should satisfy the following conditions:
At least one input must be 1.
The number of inputs set to 1 must be odd."
“Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself.” —Chinese proverb
NAND Gate
A NAND gate, sometimes known as a ‘NOT-AND’ gate, is essentially a Not gate followed by an
AND gate. NAND is an abbreviation for “NOT AND.” A two-input NAND gate is a digital
combination logic circuit that performs the logical inverse of an AND gate.
While an AND gate outputs a logical “1” only if both inputs are logical “1,” a NAND gate outputs a
logical “0” for this same combination of inputs. The symbol and truth table for a NAND gate is
shown in Figure 1. The Boolean expression for a NAND gate with two inputs (A, B) and output X
is:
1. This gate’s output is 0 only if none of the inputs is 0. Alternatively, when all of the inputs are
not high and at least one is low, the output is high.
2. If there are two inputs A and B, the Boolean expression for the NAND gate is Y=(A.B)’
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
Input Output
A B A NAND B
0 0 1
0 1 1
1 0 1
1 1 0
By comparing their truth tables, we can observe that their outputs are the polar opposite of an AND
gate. The NAND gate is known as a universal gate because it may be used to implement the AND,
OR, and NOT gates.
Truth table construction for NAND
INPUT INPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT
(AND) (NAND)
X Y X.Y X.Y
1 1 1 0
1 0 0 1
0 1 0 1
0 0 0 1
Two inputs NAND gate.
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
The Boolean expression is A.B=Q
NOR Gate
A NOR gate, sometimes known as a “NOT-OR” gate, consists of an OR gate followed by a NOT
gate A NOR gate, short for "NOT-OR" it performs the negation (inversion) of the output of an OR
gate. In simpler terms, a NOR gate takes in two or more input signals and produces an output signal
based on the logic of the inputs..
1. This gate’s output is 1 only when all of its inputs are 0. Alternatively, when all of the inputs are
low, the output is high.
2. The Boolean statement for the NOR gate is Y=(A+B)’ if there are two inputs A and B.
Input Output
A B A NOR B
0 0 1
0 1 0
1 0 0
1 1 0
By comparing the truth tables, we can observe that the outputs of the NOR gate are the polar
opposite of those of an OR gate. The NOR gate is sometimes known as a universal gate since it
may be used to implement the OR, AND, and NOT gates.
Truth table construction for NOR
INPUT INPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT
(OR) (NOR)
X Y X+Y X+Y
1 1 1 0
1 0 1 0
A.
INPUTS OUTPUT
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. XOR: The result of an ___ operation is true (or 1) when the number of true inputs is ___.
Otherwise, the result is false (or 0).
2. XNOR: The output of an ___ gate is false (or 0) if the number of true inputs is ___. Conversely,
if the number of true inputs is ___, the output is true (or 1).
3. XOR: In binary arithmetic, XOR is often used for ___ addition, where each bit is added along
with a ___ bit from the previous step.
4. XNOR: An XNOR gate's output is true when ___ inputs are either all true or all false. It yields
false when the inputs are ___.
5. XOR vs. XNOR: XOR and XNOR are considered ___ operations, as they produce true outputs
for specific combinations of input values.
Answers:
1. XOR, odd
2. XNOR, odd, even
3. half, carry
4. all, mixed
5. complementary
EVALUATION
1. Mention the two main types of alternative logic gate.
2. Show the arithmetic operations of NAND and NOR gate.
XNOR Gate
The XNOR gate (also known as a XORN’T, ENOR, EXNOR or NXOR) – and pronounced as
Exclusive NOR – is a digital logic gate whose function is the logical complement of the exclusive
OR gate (XOR gate). Logically, an XNOR gate is a NOT gate followed by an XOR gate. Sometimes,
the XNOR gate is also called the Equivalence gate.
CONCLUSION
TOPICAL TEST: (10 multiple Choice Questions,)
1. Which logic gate has an output of 1 only when all inputs are 1?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
c) XOR gate
d) NOT gate
2. What is the output of an OR gate if both inputs are 0?
a) 0
b) 1
c) Depends on the specific gate
d) Cannot be determined
3. Which logic gate is often referred to as the "inverter"?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
c) XOR gate
d) NOT gate
4. Which logic gate produces an output of 1 if and only if exactly one input is 1?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
c) XOR gate
d) NOT gate
5. What is the output of a NAND gate if both inputs are 1?
a) 0
b) 1
c) Depends on the specific gate
d) Cannot be determined
6. Which logic gate has an output of 0 only when all inputs are 1?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
c) XOR gate
d) NOR gate
7. What is the output of a NOR gate if both inputs are 0?
a) 0
b) 1
c) Depends on the specific gate
d) Cannot be determined
8. Which logic gate is used to perform addition in binary arithmetic?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
c) XOR gate
d) Half Adder
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
9. A logic gate that implements the Boolean operation A OR B is a(n) ___________ gate.
a) OR
b) AND
c) NOT
d) XOR
10. Which logic gate returns an output of 0 if and only if both inputs are 1?
a) AND gate
b) OR gate
c) XOR gate
d) NOT gate
PUZZLES / BRAIN TEASER:
The Mysterious Gate Combinations:
You have three logic gates: AND gate, OR gate, and XOR gate. You also have three inputs: A, B,
and C. Your task is to create a logic circuit using these gates and inputs that produces an output D.
Here are the conditions for the output D:
D should be true (1) if and only if at least two of the inputs A, B, and C are true.
D should be false (0) if only one or none of the inputs A, B, and C are true.
Can you design a logic circuit using these gates and inputs to satisfy these conditions and generate
the output D?
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES:
“Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself.” —Chinese proverb
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR: The students have been taught the components of the CPU
SUB-TOPIC 1: DATA CONVERSION AND REGISTER
CONTENT:
Data conversion is the conversion of computer data from one format to another. Throughout a
computer environment, data is encoded in a variety of ways. For example, computer hardware is built
on the basis of certain standards, which requires that data contains, for example, parity bit checks.
Similarly, the operating system is predicated on certain standards for data and file handling. Data
conversions may as simple as the conversion of a text file from one character encoding system to
another; or more complex, such as the conversion of office file formats, or the conversion of image
and audio file formats.
There are many ways in which data is converted within the computer environment. This may be
seamless, as in the case of upgrading to a newer version of a computer program.
REGISTER
These are temporary storage areas for instructions or data. They are not part of memory; rather they
are special additional storage locations that offer the advantage of speed. Register work under the
direction of the control unit to accept, hold and transfer instruction or data and perform arithmetic or
logical comparisons at high speed.
Most operations are done on registers; the processor can’t directly perform arithmetic in memory for
example. If you want to add 1 to a memory location, the processor will normally do this by loading
the initial value from memory into a register, adding 1 to the register, and then saving the value back
to memory.
MEMORY ADDRESS
This is an identifier for a memory location, at which a computer program or a hardware device can
store data and later retrieve it. Each memory location, in both ROM and RAM, holds a binary number
and only depends on the context of the instructions which retrieve and manipulate it.
MDR is a two-way register. MDR is half of a minimal interface between a micro-program and
computer storage, the other half is a memory address register.
Others are:
i. User-accessible Register
ii. Data Register
iii. Address Register
iv. Conditional Register
v. General Purpose Register (GPRs)
vi. Floating Point Register (FPRs)
vii. Constant Register
viii. Vector Register
ix. Special Purpose Registers
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. The Program Counter (PC) register holds the memory address of the ____________
instruction.
2. The Instruction Register (IR) contains the ____________ fetched from memory.
3. The Memory Address Register (MAR) stores the ____________ to be accessed in memory.
4. The Cache Register stores frequently used ____________ to speed up data retrieval.
5. The Status Register holds flags that indicate the outcome of ____________ operations.
WEEK: 9
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
TOPIC: COMPUTER DATA CONVERSION
LESSON OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson the students will be able to
• outlines steps in ‘data-fetch-execute’ cycle in a simple form
• state the Factors affecting speed of data transfer
ENTRY BEHAVIOUR: The students have been taught how to the CPU execute daily task
SUB-TOPIC 1: OUTLINES STEPS IN ‘DATA-FETCH-EXECUTE’ CYCLE IN A SIMPLE
FORM
CONTENT:
Micro-computer can perform the data read and write operations with the memory. When the memory
is receiving data from microcomputer, it is called a WRITE operation, and data is stored into a
selected memory location. When the memory is sending data to microcomputer element it is called
a READ operation.
As soon as a computer is powered on, it begins the process of the fetch-execute cycle. This cycle is
however, from the beginning of the PC startup, the computer is run. The cycle contains 3 main
parts.
1. Fetch next instruction
2. Decode instruction
3. Run instruction
PRACTICE EXERCISE: (5 fill in the gap question per subtopic, 3 short answer questions)
1. Converting analog signals to digital signals is known as ____________.
2. The process of converting digital signals back to analog signals is called ____________.
3. A byte consists of ____________ bits.
4. The hexadecimal number system uses ____________ as its base.
5. ASCII is a character encoding standard that represents characters using ____________-bit
binary numbers.
www.deeperlifehighschool.org …leadership with distinction
SUB-TOPIC 2: Factors Affecting Speed of Data Transfer
CONTENT:
The bus refers to the paths between the components of a computer. The data bus and the address bus
are two main buses in a computer which are located on the motherboard.
The performance of computer buses was measured by the number of bits they could transfer at one
time. Hence, the newest 64-bit buses are typically considered the fastest available. This type of
performance is usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or megabytes per second (MBps).
BUS WIDTH
A bus is a channel over which information flows. The wider the bus, the more information can flow
over the channel, much as a wider highway can carry more cars than a narrow one.
The original ISA bus on the IBM PC was 8 bit wide; the universal ISA bus used now is 16 bits. The
other I/O buses including VL-Bus (VLB) and peripheral component interconnect (PCI) are 32 bits
wide. The memory and processor buses on Pentium and higher PCs are 64 bits wide.
TOPICAL TEST: (10 multiple Choice Questions, 10 fill in the gap questions and 5 essay
question)
1. The bus width refers to:
a) The physical size of the bus
b) The number of parallel lines in the bus
c) The length of the bus
d) The speed of data transfer
2. A wider bus width typically results in:
a) Slower data transfer
b) Faster data transfer
c) No impact on data transfer speed
d) More efficient power usage
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES:
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
----Xunzi
WEEK 10
TOPIC: DATA REPRESENTATION
Data Representation refers to the process of using physical properties of a medium to symbolically
express data using binary digits within a computer. This allows us to store, manipulate, and
communicate information effectively in a digital format. It's crucial in the world of computing as it
forms the foundation for how computers process and manage data.
PRACTICE EXERCISE:
2. BCD stands for ____________ Coded Decimal, a method to represent decimal digits using
binary sequences.
4. ASCII is based on the ordering of the ____________ alphabet and is widely used for text
representation.
2. Explain the concept of BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) and how it represents decimal digits.
3.Differentiate between ASCII and EBCDIC character encodings in terms of usage and history.
Data can be represented through various methods, each serving a specific purpose
Bits: A bit is the smallest unit of data and can represent either a 1 or a 0. It forms the basis of all
digital data in computers and is often referred to as machine language.
BCD (Binary Coded Decimal): BCD is a method of representing decimal digits using binary
sequences. Each decimal digit is represented by a 4-bit binary code. For example:
BCD Decimal
0100 4
0011 3
1000 8
EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code): EBCDIC is an 8-bit character
encoding mainly used on IBM systems. It predates ASCII and provides a unique binary
representation for characters.
PRACTICE EXERCISE:
FILL IN THE GAP QUESTIONS:
2. BCD stands for Binary Coded Decimal, and it represents decimal digits using __________
sequences.
5.The Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code, or __________, is used mainly on
__________ systems.
2. Explain the concept of BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) and provide an example of how it
represents decimal digits.
3.How does EBCDIC differ from ASCII, and in what context is each character encoding commonly
used?
Characters in computers are stored as bytes, which consist of 8 bits, offering 256 possible bit
combinations (ranging from 0 to 255). Two prevalent character sets determine how characters are
represented:
ASCII: Used in most minicomputers and PCs, ASCII maps characters to specific bit patterns,
facilitating consistent communication and text representation.
EBCDIC: Employed on IBM mainframes, EBCDIC predates ASCII. It's also an 8-bit character set
but uses different bit patterns to represent characters compared to ASCII.
PRACTICE EXERCISE:
FILL IN THE GAP QUESTIONS:
3. EBCDIC, commonly used on IBM mainframes, employs distinct __________ patterns for
character representation compared to ASCII.
1. How many possible bit combinations are there in a byte, and why does this number
matter in data representation?
2. Describe the role of ASCII in character encoding and its significance in facilitating
communication and text representation.
CONCLUSION
TOPICAL TEST: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:
1. Which method represents decimal digits using binary sequences? (a) Bits (b) BCD (c)
EBCDIC.
3. EBCDIC is commonly used on: (a) PCs (b) Minicomputers (c) IBM mainframes.
4. ASCII maps characters to specific: (a) Words (b) Bit patterns (c) Colors.
5. How many possible combinations of bits are there within a byte? (a) 4 (b) 16 (c) 256.
6. The foundation of digital data in computers is based on: (a) Bytes (b) Bits (c)
Kilobytes.
7. Which character encoding scheme is widely used for text and control characters? (a)
BCD (b) ASCII
(c) EBCDIC.
8. EBCDIC predates which character encoding scheme? (a) Binary (b) ASCII (c)
Unicode.
9. ASCII is based on the order of which alphabet? (a) Greek alphabet (b) Latin alphabet
(c) Cyrillic alphabet.
10. Which method of data representation forms the basis of all digital data in computers?
3. The Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code, or __________, is used mainly on
IBM systems.
7. Compare and contrast BCD and ASCII data representation methods: BCD uses __________-
bit binary codes, while ASCII is based on the __________ alphabet.
9. The character set __________ is commonly used on most minicomputers and PCs.
10.The significance of character sets like ASCII and EBCDIC lies in determining how __________
are stored and communicated in computers.
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. Explain the concept of data representation and discuss its importance in the context of
computing.
2. Compare and contrast the methods of data representation known as BCD and ASCII. How
do they differ in their approaches and applications?
3. Elaborate on the role of character sets in computer systems. Discuss the significance of both
ASCII and EBCDIC character encoding schemes and their respective usage scenarios.
4. Define a byte and its composition in terms of bits. How does the number of possible
combinations of bits within a byte impact data representation?
5.Imagine a scenario where ASCII and EBCDIC character encoding schemes were interchanged in
their common usage contexts. Discuss the potential implications and challenges that might arise
due to this switch.
Character Set
Decode the following ASCII values to characters: 65, 98, 115, 116, 121
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES:
"In the world of computers, data representation is the key that unlocks the door of understanding." -
Anonymous
"Just as different languages enable communication between people, character sets enable
communication between computers." - Tech Sage
TOPIC:
LESSON OBJECTIVES: