Computers are machines that operate on electricity. It is widely used in various operations like storing data, computing data, processing, etc. All the operations on computers are done by their Input and output unit. However, the memory and control unit performs the maintenance of data in computers. On the other hand, all the logical operations on provided Input are performed by the Arithmetical and Logical Unit. So, in this way, different units of computers perform different tasks. Due to this, it can perform various tasks simultaneously, at high speed. The CPU of the computer regulates all these functions.
Five basic components of a computer
A computer consists of five basic components, which are:
- Input devices
- Output devices
- Memory unit
- Control unit
- Arithmetic and Logical Unit
Input and output unit
Let’s learn about the Input and output unit.
Computers consist of two main units. These are input and output units. These units help take information from the user in the form of Input. After that, they provided the proceed information to the user in the form of output. Different devices are involved in the input and output unit, which performs all these basic functions. Let’s learn about both input and output units separately.
Input units
Input units are also called input devices. Input devices are used to Provide Input to the computer. It provides the information to the computer to perform all other operations on it. The user can only send the data to the computer in input devices. These devices neither process nor transfer data to the user. These devices take Input in user-friendly language. After that, the computer’s Compiler converts the input data into binary language for further processing. Following are some input devices:
Mouse and keyboard
The mouse and keyboard take Input from the user. The keyboard takes Input in the form of alphabets, numbers, and symbols. The mouse is also used to Provide Input to the computer by clicking on the icons displayed on the screen.
Microphone
The microphone takes Input in the form of sounds. It is based on advanced technology, which converts human language into computer language.
Webcam
It takes Input in the form of images. It scans the pixels of the images and then sends them to the computer for further processing.
Output unit
The output unit is also called an output device. These devices are used to transfer the proceed data to the user. They take data from the computer and transfer it to the user. The data transferred by the output devices are written in the user-friendly language, which delivers by the Compiler. The Compiler first takes the proceed data from the computer and then converts it from binary language to user-friendly language. Following are some output devices:
Monitor
The monitor displays the output on the screen of the computer. The output data displayed on the monitor is in the form of images, an alphabet, and symbols.
Projector
It displays data in the form of images on the big screen.
Speakers
Speakers give output in the form of sounds at very high volumes.
Memory and control unit
The memory and control unit is the important computer unit responsible for the overall maintenance of the computer.
Memory unit
The memory unit is used to store the data of the computer. There are two types of memory units on a computer. These are primary memory and secondary memory. Primary memory saves the whole data of the computer, even after turning it off. Example: Hardisk
Secondary memory keeps the data only for the time when the computer is operating. The data is removed from the secondary memory after turning off the computer. Example: RAM
Control unit
The control unit is responsible for maintaining the linkage between all the computer devices. It provides instructions to the other computer devices and maintains the balance between their functioning. For instance, when the computer needs output, it instructs the monitor to display output.
Arithmetical and Logical Unit
Arithmetical and Logical Units are responsible for all types of logical computation in the computer. They can perform subtractions, addition, division, and multiplication. They can also perform other logical and bitwise operators like less than, equal to. The arithmetic and logical unit is the most important part of the CPU, where the actual processing of Input devices occurs. It mainly works on the operators.
Conclusion
Computers play a major role in our daily lives. The Input and output unit is responsible for delivering information from the user to the computer and the computer to the user. The memory and control unit or Arithmetic and Logical Unit plays a middle part between the output and input unit. The memory unit saves the information, the control unit regulates the flow of information, and the Arithmetic and Logical Unit performs all the operations on the Input. Firstly, the computer takes Input, which is proceeded by the control unit and Arithmetic unit, and then gives output to the user.