INFOTECH

Fundamentals of Information Technology

• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

 an innovation that merges computing with high-speed communications links carrying

data, sound and video

• TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE

 the technological merger of several fields through various devices that exchange
information in the format used by computers

• Technological Convergence is derived from a combination of two recent technologies:

 Computers

 Communications

• Computer

 an electronic device capable of accepting data (input), manipulating data arithmetically

and logically (process), producing results (output) and storing output for future use
under the control of instructions stored in its own memory

• Communications (or telecommunications) technology

 consists of electromagnetic devices and systems communicating over long distances.

• The four aspects of computing:

 Input

 Process

 Output

 Store

• Input Phase

 data is entered or otherwise captured electronically and is converted to a form that can
be processed by the computer.

 Data is the raw material (facts and figures) to be processed by the computer.

 Input is the data that you put into the computer for processing.
• Process Phase

 data is manipulated or transformed into information

• Output Phase

 the information is produced in a form usable by people.

 Information is the processed, summarized data

 Output is the information which is the result of processing

• Store Phase

 data, information, or programs are stored in computer-processable form

• The elements of computer and communication system:

 Hardware

 Software

 Data and Information

 People

 Procedure

 Communication

• Hardware

 components or physical pieces that make up the computer

• Hardware Categories

 Input hardware

 Processing and memory hardware

 Output hardware

 Secondary storage hardware

 Communications hardware

 INPUT Hardware

 consists of all devices that allow people to enter data and program into the computer
  accepts data and converts it into computer-readable form ready for processing or
storage

 can be categorized as keyboard entry device and source data entry device

• Keyboard entry device

 a device used to encode data by key depression

• Source data entry device

 a special equipment that collects data at its origin and sends it directly to the computer

• Keyboard entry devices

 Computer keyboards

 Terminals - ex.: ATM(automated teller machine), POS (Point Of Sale Terminals)

 Touch devices - ex.: express banking

 Set-top boxes - ex.: TV cable box, TV/pc smart box

• Source data entry devices

 Pointing devices – mouse, trackball, joystick, light pen

 Scanning devices - Ex.: bar code reader, MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition),
OMR (Optical Mark Recognition), OCR (Optical Character Recognition), Fax machines,
image scanner or graphics scanner.

 Voice recognition devices – convert human speech into digital form.

 Audio input devices - record music and other sound signals and transform them into
digital format to be used as input for multimedia PC’s.

 Video input devices - transform video or films into digital format

 Electronic cameras

 Sensors - collect specific kinds of data from the environment and convert it into
computer-readable data. Examples are temperature, humidity, smoke, gas and
light sensors.

• Input devices

• Mouse

 used to control the movement of a pointer on the screen

• Mouse

• Advantages

• Ideal for use with desktop computers

• Usually supplied with a computer so no additional cost

• All computer users tend to be familiar with using them

• Disadvantages

• They need a flat space close to the computer

• The mouse cannot be easily used with palmtop computers

• Tracker ball

 used in the same way as a mouse but it is useful where desk space is limited. It is like an
upside down mouse because the user rotates the ball and the main body part stays still.
It has buttons like a standard mouse.

• Tracker Ball

• Advantages

• Ideal for use where flat space close to the computer is limited

•
Disadvantages

• Not supplied as standard so an additional cost

• Standard Keyboard

 the most common way to enter text and numerical data into a computer. Each
individual key is a switch, which when pressed, sends a digital code to the computer.

 pressing the 'A' key produces the binary code 01100001 representing the lower
case letter 'a'.

• Standard Keyboard

• Advantages

• Reliable for data input of text and numbers

• Usually supplied with a computer so no additional cost

• Specialized keyboards are available

• Disadvantages

• Users may be slow or not very accurate typists

• Slow for accessing menus and difficult to use if you want to move objects around the screen

• Digital Camera

 used to take photographs like a normal camera but produce digital images instead of
using film. The light passing through the lens is digitized by special light sensitive
sensors. The image is stored on memory chips in the camera and can then be
transferred to a computer.

• Digital Camera

• Advantages

• No film is needed

• Unwanted images can be easily deleted

• Images can be easily transferred to a computer and edited or transferred over the Internet

• Disadvantages

• Resolution is still not as good as film but is improving steadily

• Images often have to be compressed to avoid using up too much expensive memory

• Scanner

 used to digitize images of pages or objects. A light moves slowly over the surface of the
picture or object to be scanned. The colors of the reflected light are detected and
digitized to build up a digital image. The digital data can then be saved by a computer as
an image file.

• Scanner

• Advantages

• Flat-bed scanners are very accurate and can produce images with a far higher resolution than a
digital camera

• Disadvantages

• Can produce very large image files which need a lot of computer memory to view and edit
• Magnetic Stripe Reader

 Magnetic stripes are thin strips of magnetic tape which are usually found on the back of
plastic credit and debit cards. When the card is inserted into a reader the tapes slides
past a playback head similar to that used in a tape recorder. This reads the data from
the stripe and passes it to a computer.

• Magnetic Stripe Reader

• Advantages

• Simple to use and cheap to produce. The data can be altered if necessary.

• Disadvantages

• Very limited storage capacity. Data easily destroyed by strong magnetic fields. Not very secure
as thieves can obtain the readers and alter the data.

• Joystick

 usually used for playing computer games. They input directional data like a mouse but
work by switches being closed as the joystick is moved left or right and up or down.
Further switches are controlled by buttons such as the 'fire' button and.

• Microphone

 used for the input of sound which is then digitized by the computer. Voice recognition
software can be used to convert your voice into text or to control menu options.

• Video Digitizer

 used to convert analog signals from a video camera or video cassette recorder into a
digital format. The digitized video data can then be saved as a file or played on the
screen.

• MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

 used to produce music and are normal musical instruments which have a midi port for
input into a midi interface in the computer. They often have a wide range of special
effects or stored sound data from real instruments.

• Sensor

 detects changes in the physical or chemical environment and convert them into
electrical signals. These signals can then be digitized and used by the computer.

• Remote Control
  emits a beam of infra-red light which carries digital data signals. They are often used to
control TV's and VCR's.

• PROCESSING and MEMORY hardware

• CPU or Central Processing Unit

 is the processor. It controls and manipulates data to produce information. In a

microcomputer the CPU is usually contained on a single integrated circuit or chip. The
single chip is called a microprocessor

• Memory

 is the working storage or the computer’s “work space”, where data and programs for
immediate processing are held. It is also known as main memory or primary storage or
RAM (Random Access Memory). The size of the memory is important.

• Output hardware

• There are three principal forms of output: screen display, printed and sound.

• Computer professionals distinguish between softcopy output and hardcopy output.

• Monitors:

 The computer monitor, screen or VDU (Visual Display Unit) is the most common output
device.

• Monitor

• Advantages

• relatively cheap and reliable, can display text and graphics in a wide range of colors

• Disadvantages

• no permanent copy to keep and unsuitable for users with visual problems

• Monitor

• CRT

• similar in many ways to a television. They use cathode ray tubes (CRTs) containing an electron
gun at the back of the tube which fires electrons at groups of phosphor dots coating the inside
of the screen

• LCD (Liquid Crystal Display )

• use tiny crystals which, when a charge is applied across them, polarize the light passing through
them.

• Monitor

• TFT (Thin Film Transistors )

• a more advanced type of display, giving full color and high quality output. Each pixel on the
screen is controlled by its own transistor and this provides a higher resolution and more
contrast.

• (FED) Field Emission Display

• use two thin sheets of glass a millimeter apart, separated by a vacuum. The back glass is made
up of millions of tiny tips that can be switched on and off and fire electrons at the front screen
across the vacuum.

• Dot-Matrix Printer

 This has a print head that travels across the paper.

 The head has a set of pins which are pushed out to form the shape of each character

 The pins hit an ink ribbon against the paper as the print head moves along.

• Ink-jet Printer

 A popular choice for home and school use where small amounts of printing are done
and color printing is only occasionally needed.

• Laser Printer

 These print in the same way as photocopiers. The powdered ink (toner), is transferred
to the paper and then fixed by heat and pressure. A school or business printer would
have a typical speed of 10 to 20 pages per minute (ppm).

• Graphics Plotter

 The flat-bed plotter uses high precision motors to draw on paper with colored ink pens.
The motors move an arm across the paper in the ‘x’ direction and a pen unit up and
down the arm in the ‘y’ direction.

• Braille Printer

 By converting text into the Braille code, this printer produces patterns of raised dots on
paper for use by the blind.

• Speakers
  These can play music by the computer from programs or from CD-ROMs as well as
spoken output.

• Light-Emitting Diode (LED)

 small low power devices which emit light. Used to indicate various events such as
'power on' or 'hard disk in operation' and to monitor other control applications.

• Relay Switches & Motors:

 A computer can be programmed to turn relay switches on and off at the required times.
For example to control traffic lights or electric motors in a robot arm.

• Secondary storage hardware

• Magnetic Disk storage - stores data as magnetized spots

 Floppy disk or diskette – removable disk made out of tape-like material

 Hard disk – non removable disk made out of metal

 Optical disk – written and read by lasers

• Magnetic Tape storage

 Magnetic tape - used in mainframes and minicomputers

 Cartridge tape – used in microcomputers for backing up data from the hard disk

 DAT (Digital Audio Tape) – highest capacity tape

• Hard Disk

 Data is stored by magnetizing the surface of flat, circular plates called platters which
have a surface that can be magnetized. They constantly rotate at very high speed. A
read/write head floats on a cushion of air a fraction of a millimeter above the surface of
the disk.

• Floppy Disk Drives

 These can be found on most microcomputers and accept the usual 3.5 inch floppy disks.
High density disks for a PC hold 1.44 MB of data (enough to store about 350 pages of A4
text). A floppy disk needs to be formatted before it can be used but most disks are now
sold already formatted for PC's.

• Magnetic Tape
  Just like the tape in a tape-recorder, the data is written to or read from the tape as it
passes the magnetic heads.

• CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory)

 You can only read from the disc, not write or store data onto it. They are also known as
optical disks because the data is read by a laser beam reflecting or not reflecting from
the disk surface.

• Communications hardware

• Modem (modulator/demodulator)

 an electronic device that allows computers to communicate with each other over
telephone lines.

• Cable

 used in local area networks

• Fax modem

 a modem with fax capability that enables to send signals directly from computer to
someone else’s fax machine or computer fax modem.

• True or False

• The monitor is an input device.

• The main memory is external storage.

• The cable is a communications device.

• The programs and data may be stored permanently in a secondary storage hardware.

• True or False

• The speaker is a hardcopy output device.

• The hard disk is a removable disk.

• The plotter is a hardcopy output device.

• The data stored in the computer memory are stored permanently.

• True or False

• The printer is a softcopy output hardware.

 • Outputs may be in the form of audio and video

Fundamentals of Information Technology

• Software

 refers to the programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of
the hardware and direct its operation

• Application Software

 is a program that can be used to solve a particular problem or to perform a particular

task

• System Software

 is a program designed to manage the functions of the computer. It enables the

application software to interact with the computer

Types of Application Software

• Customized (or User-developed) Software

 are programs designed for a particular customer or tailored to fit a specific organization

 Payroll System

 Student Registration System

• General-purpose or Productivity or Packaged Software

 are productivity tools developed for sale to the general public (ready-made application
programs). These are programs that can perform useful work on general-purpose tasks

• Word Processing

 creates several kinds of documents

 Microsoft Word, MacWrite, Word Perfect, Writer

• Spreadsheet

 uses rows, columns, and formulas to display, analyze, and summarize data

 Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, Calc

 • Database Management System (DBMS)

 is a program used to manage multiple data files. It enables users to create and maintain
a database (collection of data) and to extract information from the database

 Microsoft Access, Paradox, dBase, SQL, Oracle

• Desktop Publishing

 used to design and produce publications

 Adobe Pagemaker, Microsoft Publisher

• Presentation

 allows users to use the computer for presentation purposes

 Microsoft PowerPoint, Impress, Storyboard, Flash

• Graphics

 enables users to present information in the form of charts and graphs or to create
complex freehand artwork.

 Hollywood, Harvard Graphics, Adobe Illustrator, Fireworks, Cold Fusion, Flash

• Communications

 manages the transmission of data between computers over wired or wireless channels

 ProComm, SmartCom, Crosstalk

SYSTEM SOFTWARE

• Operating System

 acts as the master control program that runs the computer and as an interface between
the user and the computer. It oversees the flow of program and data through the
computer system.

 DOS, WINDOWS, UNIX, LINUX, OS/2, Macintosh Operating System

• Language Processors or Translators

 programs that convert human readable programming languages into machine level
instruction and vice versa. There are three types of language processors: the
ASSEMBLER, COMPILER, and INTERPRETER

• Utility Software
  programs developed for frequently used task. These are service routines commonly
used in computer operations such as copying, merging and sorting.

• Performance-Monitoring Software

 program used to monitor, analyze and report the performance of the overall computer
system and the computer components

• Data and Information

• BIT

 Computers deal with “on” and “off” electrical states, which are represented as 0’s and
1’s. Each 0 or 1 is called a bit – short for binary digit. The bit is the smallest unit of
information inside the computer memory.

• BYTE or CHARACTER

 A group of 8 bits is called a byte. A byte holds the equivalent of a character. A character
is a single letter, number, or special symbol (such as a comma or dollar sign).

 A 5 *

• FIELD

 is a unit of data consisting of one or more characters

 name of a student, address of a student, age of a student

• RECORD

 is collection of related fields

 name, address, and age of a student

• FILE

 is a collection of related records

 collection of all student records

• DATABASE

 a collection of interrelated files

 A collection of students register file, students grades file, and students personal
data file

Units of Measurement of Storage Capacity

  Kilobyte (K or KB) - equivalent to 1,024 bytes

 Megabyte (M or MB) - about 1 million bytes

 Gigabyte (G or GB) - about 1 billion bytes

 Terabyte ( T or TB) - about 1 trillion bytes

• people

• People or Peopleware

 refers to IT Professionals who provide computer-and-communications systems, and the

users, who are the beneficiaries of the systems. People are the most important part of,
and the beneficiaries of, a computer and communications system

• IT Professionals

 trained workers in the Information Technology field

 Data Encoder or Data Entry Operator - prepares/enters data for processing

 Computer Operator - monitors and run the computer equipment.

 Computer Programmer - designs, writes, tests, implements and maintains

computer programs

 Systems Analyst - plans and designs the entire systems of programs

 IT Manager - coordinates the IT organization

• procedure

• Procedures

 descriptions of how things are done, steps for accomplishing a result. Some procedures
may be expressed in manuals. Manuals, called Documentation, contain instructions,
rules, or guidelines to follow when you use hardware or software.

• communications

• Communications

 the electronic transfer of data or information from one place to another.

 Digital or Data communication consists of digital transmission – 0’s and 1’s

 Analog communication consists of non-digital forms of transmission, including

voice and video
 • Components of Data Communication System

 Transmitter - any circuit or electronic device designed to send electronically encoded

data to another location. This can also be called the source.

 Transmission path or channel is the path or link through which information passes. This
is also known as a line or circuit.

 Receiver is any device designed to receive any conveyed message from the transmitter
or the source. This is also known as the sink.

• Developments in Computer Technology

• The Three Directions in Computer Technology

 Smaller size

 Integrated circuits (IC’s) - entire collections of electrical circuits or pathways

etched on tiny squares of silicon half the size of your thumbnail. Silicon is a
natural element found in sand that is purified to form the base materials for
making computer processing devices.

 More power: Miniaturization of hardware components made more power into the
computer machines, providing faster processing speed and more data storage capacity.

 Less expensive: The miniaturized processor in a personal desktop computer performs

the same sort of calculations once performed by a computer that filled an entire room.

Kinds of Computers According To Capacity

• Supercomputers

 the mightiest and the most expensive computers

 are high-capacity machines that require special air-conditioned rooms and are the
fastest calculating devices ever invented

• Mainframes

 large computers capable of processing data at a very high speed

 processing vast amounts of data quickly, like in banks, insurance companies, and
manufacturers

• Mini-computers or midrange computers

 machines midway in cost and capability between microcomputers and mainframes

  slower and have less storage capacity than mainframes. They are widely used by retail
businesses, colleges, and state and city agencies.

 Microcomputers

 small computers that can fit on a desk and are portable

 Personal Computer (PC) desktop, tower, or portable computers that can run
easy-to-use programs such as word processing or spreadsheets

 Workstations look like desktop PCs but are far more powerful

• Microcontrollers or embedded computers

 tiny, specialized microprocessors installed in “smart” appliances and automobiles

 Robotic arm, Automatic Washing Machine , Digital Camera, Central Heating

Control, Burglar/Car Alarm, Microwave Oven, Digital Watch, Pocket Calculator,
DVD Player, Electronic Toys

 The benefits of using computers for control are as follows:

 Although the purchase cost is high for computerized machines in factories, the
operating costs are low compared to the wages for people doing the job.

 Computers work without the need for a break.

 The quality of output from the machine is consistent.

 Machines can handle both very heavy and very precise tasks.

 Machines can work in places that are uncomfortable or dangerous for humans.

 Computers process data very quickly so the machines can operate faster than humans.

 Computers can operate the machines with data from a range of sources and sensors.

• Communications Network

• Communications Network

 A communications network may be large or small, public or private, wired or wireless or

both. Smaller networks may be connected to larger ones. A local area network (LAN)
may be used to connect users located near one another, as in the same building.

 broadcast networks transmit messages in only one direction, while communications

networks transmit in both directions

 Cellular Phones, Fax Machines

• Data Communication

• Data Communication

 refers to the movement of computer information from one point to another by means
of electrical or optical transmission systems

• Data Communication

• Data communication networks

 collect data from microcomputers and other devices and transmit that data to a central
server

 facilitate more efficient use of computers and improve the day-to-day control of a
business by providing faster information flow

• Data Communication

 provide message transfer services to allow computer users to talk to one another via
electronic mail, chat and video streaming

• Data Communication

• Network

 a set of technologies (including hardware, software, and cabling or some other means)
that can be used to connect computers together, enabling them to communicate,
exchange information and share resources in real time

• Data Communication

• Uses of a Network

 Data Sharing

 Personal Communication

 Easier Backup

• Data Communication

• Data Sharing

 network permits many users to access data and programs at the same time
  Read Only - allows users only to read data stored on a shared device. Users are
not allowed to makes changes to the files.

 Read/Write - allows users to view and make changes of the shared files.

• Data Communication

• Personal Communication

 networking makes personal communication easier. Because data sharing permits data
to pass around among users, it can improve personal communication substantially.

 electronic mail (e-mail), videoconferencing

• Data Communication

• Components of a Network

 Server - a computer that shares its resources across the network

 Client - a computer that accesses shared resources

 Circuit - the pathway through which the messages travel

• Data Communication

• Network Structure

 LAN

 CAN

 MAN

 WAN

• Data Communication

• Local Area Network (LAN)

 a collection of computers and other networked devices that fit within the scope of a
single physical network. Computers on LAN are relatively near each other.

 Each LAN is governed by a protocol. Protocol is a set of rules about how computers
could send and receive data.

• Data Communication

 Hub - a simple connection point for different types of devices on a network.

  Bridge - a device that looks at the information in each packet header and forwards data
that is traveling from one LAN to another. It filters traffic according to the packet’s
hardware destination address

 Data Communication

 Router - is a networking device that connects networks with different physical media
and also translates between different network architectures. It is a more complicated
device that connects separate networks to form an internetwork.

• Data Communication

• Campus Area Network (CAN)

 follows the same principles as a local area network, only on a larger and more
diversified scale. With CAN different campus offices and organizations can be linked
together

• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 a large-scale network that connects multiple corporate LANs together. MANs usually are
not owned by a single organization.

• Types of Network

 Peer-to-Peer (P2P)

 Client/Server (C/S)

• P2P Network

 Computers on peer-to-peer network can take both a client and a server role. All nodes
on the network have equal relationship to all others. These networks require no
centralized control over shared resources such as files or printers.

• P2P Network

• Advantages

• Easy to install and configure

• Dedicated server is not required

• Individual users control their own shared resources

• Cheaper to operate and purchase

• Disadvantages
• Network security applies to a single resource at a time

• Requires several passwords

• Back up of data are done individually to each machine to protect shared resources

• User at the machine where the resource reside suffers reduced performance whenever a user
accesses a shared resource

• No centralized scheme to control access to data

• Does not actually work well with more than 10 users

• Client/Server Network

 Server-based network provides centralized control over the network resources,

primarily by instituting network security and control through the server’s own
configuration and setup.

• C/S Network

• Advantages

• Provide simple network administration because of centralized user accounts, security and access
control

• Provide more efficient access to network resources

• Access to all network resources is because of having a single password.

• Ten or more computers or any number of computers where resources are used heavily may be
connected.

• Disadvantages

• Networks become unusable when the server computer fails

• Special-purpose server software requires allocation of expert staff, which means that the
company will incur additional expenses.

• Require dedicated hardware and specialized software.

• Network Topology

 Star

 Bus

 Ring
  Tree

 Mesh

• Data Communication

• Star

 multiple terminals are connected to a concentrator (hub or

PBX, etc.) in a star-shaped configuration

• Bus

 the most basic topology with all terminals connected to one

trunk cable (bus)

• Ring

 terminals are connected in a closed loop

• Tree type

 several child nodes are connected to a parent node

• Mesh type

 two or more paths lead to each node so that the overall

structure becomes that of a mesh

• Transmission Media

 refers to the cables linking workstations together

 Twisted Pair Cable

 Coaxial Cable

 Optical Fiber Cable

• Twisted pair cable

 widely used for telephone lines. It consists of two insulated

copper wires arranged in a regular spiral pattern. A wire acts as
a single communication link.
• Coaxial cable

 consists of two conductors constructed differently to

permit operation over a wider range of frequencies

• Optical fiber cable

 constructed from materials of which quarts glass is the

principal constituent that allow high-speed
transmission

• Wireless Communication

 wiring is not necessary as they use radio waves or infrared rays

 ease in movement of equipment and LAN systems can be designed more freely

 vulnerable to noise compared with cable-based systems