Computer Systems

Topic 4:
Peripherals, Systems Building
Scope and Coverage - 1
This topic will cover:
• Printers & plotters; cameras & scanners; keyboard;
mouse; touch screen/pad; monitors; display
adapters; multimedia devices; storage media;
networking; portable drives; plug and play
components; performance factors
Scope and Coverage - 2
This topic will cover (cont.):
• Disassembling and assembling a computer system
(lab session)
– Installing motherboard, processor, heat-sink and
fan, memory, power supply unit
– Installing hard disc drive, optical drive
– Installing specialised cards
– Installing peripheral devices
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
• Explain the hardware, software and peripheral
components of a computer system
• Build and configure a computer system to meet a
design specification
Peripherals - 1
• A peripheral is a device that is attached to a
computer system.
• Physically separate from the computer
– i.e. it is not built into the main systems unit
• Is partially or wholly dependant on the computer
– i.e. it probably will not function at all without the
attached computer
– But not always, e.g. some printers may allow
printing of photographs from memory cards
without a PC attached
Peripherals - 2
• Provides additional facilities to the computer
• Does not form part of the CPU
• Mostly provide input and output functions
Von Neumann Architecture –
Showing Peripherals
Memory
Backing
Storage
(not always
Control Unit Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) included at
this level)
Accumulator
Sometimes
regarded
as peripherals
Input Output

Peripherals
Key Functions
• Broadly, peripherals provide one or more functions
– Input
– Output
– Storage
– Communications
Input Devices
• Take data from the real world and put it into the
computer
• Many types depending on use
• A few are generic; many are specialised.
Keyboard - 1
• Update of typewriter
• Good for small quantities of written data
• Not good for large quantities of data
– E.g. Census
– Too slow
• Not good for graphics or sound
• Usual layout is called QWERTY
– Some slight variations between countries
• Compare a French keyboard with a British one for
example
• Compare your country’s standard layout with British
(or French if you use British)
Keyboard - 2
• QWERTY (cont.)
– Designed to slow down typists when mechanical
typewriters got jammed
– NOT ergonomic!
• Hands are at the wrong angle
• Keys are grouped to slow you down
– Still used because of retraining costs
– Alternatives: Dvorak or alphabetical
– What do they do in China or Japan?
Alternative Keyboards
• Brightly coloured with lower case letters printed on
– For use in lower schools
– http://tinyurl.com/6elobqr
– Curved or split
– http://tinyurl.com/69tecgb
– Concept or overlay keyboard
– Programmable areas with overlay sheet
– Used on tills (Fast food)
– Used for disabled
– Used where there may be language problems
Mouse - 1
• Pointing device
• Invented by Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart in 1963
– American working at Stanford
– Never got any money from his invention
– Patent ran out before mice became used
Mouse - 2
• Now many different designs
– Some ergonomic
– Mechanical or optical
– Tracker ball is upside down mouse
– Also trackpads etc on laptops
– Also joysticks
– Try to find the most expensive mouse you can on
the Internet.
• Does it actually do any more than a standard
mouse?
Digital Camera
• Incorporates a sensor that detects light levels and
translates into digital values
• Varies from low cost and low quality cameras built into
mobile phones to high end professional devices
• Video cameras use the same basic technology.
• Usually, the camera is not directly attached to the
computer
– Offline
– Photos stored on flash memory cards
– Transfer to computer either by connecting camera
(USB or Firewire) or using a separate memory card
reader (which is itself a peripheral)
Scanner - 1
• Effectively a variation on a digital camera
• Uses reflected light to translate documents into
computer data
– Bar code reader
• Almost any packaged product you buy
– Optical mark reader
• Multiple choice exams
– Flatbed scanner
• Pages and photos
Scanner - 2
• Some use magnetic information rather than light.
– Magnetic card reader
• Credit cards (now using chip & pin more)
– Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)
• On cheques
Graphics Tablet
• Flat working area with stylus connected to
computer
• Use like pen & paper
• Good for freehand drawing and picture editing
• E.g. http://tinyurl.com/6jsxnlw

• Interactive whiteboard is a variation on this

Touch Screen
• Effectively a monitor (see later) and a graphics tablet
combined
• Displays images from the computer (usually your
desktop)
• Has a touch sensor that works with a stylus or your
finger
• Used on some smartphones (e.g. iPhone), tablet PCs
and iPad, some public interactive systems etc.
• E.g. http://tinyurl.com/62qxhxe
Digitiser - 1
• Generic term for anything that converts analogue
data to digital form

• Modern cars have many sensors converting data

about the engine etc. and feeding it to the control
unit
Digitiser - 2
• Analogue: continuously variable
– Sound
– Light (photos, video)
– Temperature
– Almost all “natural” data
• Digital: varies in steps
– Computerised data
– “Digital” TV
Output Devices
• Convert computer data into something useful for
people
• Many different types
• A few general purpose
• Mostly specialised
Monitor - 1
• Visual Display Unit (VDU)
• Screen
• Used to be Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) like old TVs
• Now flat screen like modern TVs
– Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
– Plasma
– Lower weight and size
– Use less power
– Do not flicker (good ergonomic feature)
Monitor - 2
• Sizes vary from 7” (17cm) to over 50” (125cm) for
computer or TV use
– Even smaller for phones etc.

• Monitors for computer use are gradually getting

larger
– More space on screen
– Cost per screen cm coming down
Printers - 1
• Device for getting computer based information onto
paper
• Dot matrix
– Impact printer, hitting an inked ribbon on to the
paper
– Obsolete?
• Ink jet
– Squirts jets of ink onto paper
– Very fine control available
Printers - 2
• Ink jet (Cont.)
– Multiple ink colours available
– Cheap to buy
– Can be expensive to run (ink cartridges)
– Good for home use (photo printers) & small office
• Laser
– High resolution (fine detail)
– Non-impact
– Similar to photocopiers
– Rotating mirror directs laser on light sensitive drum
Printers - 3
• Laser (cont.)
– Drum gets electrostatic charge where laser hits
– Drum picks up toner on electrostatic charge
– Charged paper rolled against drum picks up toner
– Paper heated to melt toner
– Reliable
– Fast
– Mono or colour
– Getting cheaper all the time
Plotter
• Uses vector or co-ordinate graphics to drive pens
over paper
• Or use inkjet technology over much larger than
standard paper
• Excellent for detailed drawings and plans
• Good for very large sheets
Other Output Devices - 1
• Sound card/speakers (see previous topic) and
graphics card (see previous topic)
– Debatable whether these are peripherals as they
are usually built into the systems unit
• Indicator lights
• Car fuel injectors
Other Output Devices - 2
• Entire aeroplanes
– On autopilot
– Fly by wire (e.g. Eurofighter and most modern
airliners)
• Digital TV
• Etc. etc.
Storage Devices - 1
• Secondary storage or backing store (see previous
topic)
• Non-volatile
• Capacity measured in bytes (B) and multiples of
– Note that b means bit
– A byte is (strictly) a convenient sized collection of
bits
– Because 8 bits is almost always the most
convenient sized collection, a byte is usually 8 bits
– kilobyte (kB) is 1024 bytes (=210)
Storage Devices - 2
– Megabyte (MB) 1024kB (=220)
• Remember, not m!
– Gigabyte (GB) 1024 MB (=230)
– Terabyte (TB) 1024 MB (=240)
– Most storage manufacturers cheat and use 1000
rather than 1024 at every step!
Floppy Disks
• Very small capacity (1.44MB)
• Very slow
• Obsolete
– Most new computers do not have floppy drives.
Hard Disks - 1
• One or (usually) multiple platters (disks) made of
aluminium or glass
• Coated in a magnetic material
– Variations of iron oxide (=rust!)
• A read/write head per side of disk
• Heads move together to tracks on the disk and
read in succession giving “cylinders”
Hard Disks - 2
• All sealed to keep dust out
• Delicate
• Very fast
• Very high capacity
– Terabytes
• Low cost per byte
External Disks - 1
• Can get external optical and hard disk drives that
connect via USB
– Use standard optical or hard disk drives
• Can buy external enclosures to fit standard hard
disks
– A good use of a hard drive that has been removed
during an upgrade
External Disks - 2
• May be powered off USB or require separate
power
• Very good for transporting large quantities of data
• Very good for first level backing up
• Too slow for use as the only hard disk
– The interface (USB) is usually the restricting factor
Tape Drives
• Used for large capacity backup
• Expensive
• Complex to manage
• Large companies only
Memory Stick - 1
• USB pen/stick, flash drive
• Use solid state (electronic – no moving parts) flash
memory
• Non-volatile
• Quick
• Capacity increasing
– Can get 64GB
Memory Stick - 2
• Great for moving data between machines
– Work/college and home
– Passing files/photos to friends
• Do NOT use as only place to store data
– Get corrupted by leaking coke cans in student
bags!
Communications Peripherals
• A number of communications devices are
available as peripherals or built in components.
• Most peripheral communications devices based
on plug in USB packaging
– USB Wired Ethernet
– USB Wireless Ethernet
– USB ADSL modem
– USB Bluetooth
– Etc. etc.
• Can also regard the combined home
switch/router/firewall/ADSL modem as a
peripheral
Devices for Disabled People - 1
• Visually impaired
– Braille keyboard
• Microphone & voice recognition software
– Can drive the computer
– Can dictate text
• Loudspeaker & text reading software
• Braille printer
Devices for Disabled People - 2
• Mouth stick
• Puff-suck switch
• Tongue activated joystick
• Eye-typer
• Foot mouse
Connecting Peripherals
• Modern systems almost always use Universal
Serial Bus (USB) or Firewire
– See previous topic
• For wireless connections, Bluetooth is common
Bluetooth - 1
• A wireless technology standard for exchanging
data over short distances
• Proprietary
– Created by telecoms vendor Ericsson in 1994
• Open
– Specification is publicly available and anyone can
make Bluetooth devices
– 14,000 companies in the Bluetooth special interest
group
– Devices must match the patents to call a device
Bluetooth
Bluetooth - 2
• Originally a wireless alternative to RS-232 data
cables
• Can connect several devices
• Uses radio in the 2.4GHz band
– Same band as most 802.11 Wi-Fi, some mobile
phones etc.
• Now at version 4
• Most commonly used for connecting hands free
headsets to mobile phones
Peripheral Performance - 1
• In most cases, the physical performance of the
device is the limiting factor
– Print heads have to move
– Paper has to move through printers
– People cannot type very fast
– Scan heads have to move
– Light sensors have to gather enough light
Peripheral Performance - 2
• Buffers in the device will hold data on its way in or
out of the computer
– Allows the computer to get on with something else
whilst it waits for input
– Allows computer to send a large amount of data to
the device and then get on with something else
whilst the device works
• E.g. sending a whole page (or even multiple
pages) to a printer at a time
Sources
• The best place for more information is
manufacturers’ websites.
• Detailed specifications and pictures available
• Also visit your local computer store
Topic 4 – Peripherals

Any Questions?