Computer and Mobile Device Components

• Computers and mobile devices have different electronic components inside

Objectives

• Describe computer and mobile device cases and what they do
• Describe multi-core processors
• Explain processor components
• Explain steps in a machine cycle
• Identify features of processors today
• Explain processor cooling

Inside the Case

• Cases protect the internal components of computers/mobile devices from damage

• Made of metal or plastic in various shapes and sizes

• System unit (or chassis) refers to desktop case which has motherboard, hard drive, memory

• Tower system unit - a separate device from the monitor

• All-in-one - house the display and system unit in the same case

• Peripheral devices occupy space outside system unit, communicate with it via wired/wireless tech

• Laptops, including ultrathin laptops, have keyboard and pointing device on top and display using hinges

• Slate tablet cases are behind the display

• Slate keyboard options are an on-screen keyboard, a wireless keyboard, or a keyboard attached by clip/magnets

• Convertible tablets have the case below the keyboard, similar to a laptop

• Displays attach using a swivel-type hinge

• Game consoles have input/output outside the case (controllers, television)

• Smartphone cases, like slate tablets, are behind the display

• Wearable devices, portable media players, digital cameras, and handheld game devices typically use the entire device

• Computer cases may need to be opened to install/replace electronic components or fans to prevent overheating

Motherboard

• Motherboard (aka system board) is the computer's main circuit board
• The processor and memory attach to it, but some components are built in
• Personal computers have circuitry for processor, memory, built into a computer chip
• Computer chip - small semiconducting material piece, usually silicon with etched circuits
• Integrated circuit - microscopic pathways capable of carrying electrical current
• Integrated circuits could have millions of elements like resistors, capacitors, transistors
• Transistors act as electric switches to open/close electrical charge circuits
• Today's computer chips contain millions/billions of transistors
• Computer chips are small (no bigger than ½ inch square) and connect to circuit board (motherboard)

Secure IT 6-1: Securing Computers and Mobile Devices

• Clamps, cables, locks: Use mounting plates, glue, cables, and padlocks to protect desktops, monitors, laptops, and peripheral devices
• Ultrasonic sensors: Installing an alarm in the case to prevent tampering that alerts a security company
• Tracking software: Remote commands can make the device play sound, lock the screen, display message or erase information
• Asset tags: Plates affixed to hardware with unique bar codes registered to owner and in a security database
• Personal safes: Can store a smartphone, keys, tablet with an attached cable

Processors

• Processor (aka CPU/central processing unit) interprets/carries out instructions to operate computer
• Impacts computing power & manages most operations
• On mainframes/supercomputers, functions performed extend over separate chips/circuit boards
• Personal computers usually have all processor functions on one chip (called microprocessor)
• Most chip manufacturers offer multi-core processors
• A processor core (core) contains circuitry needed to execute instructions; OS views each core as separate
• Multi-core processor - a single chip with multiple processor cores; used in all computer sizes
• Multi-core processors generally increase overall performance despite running at slower speeds than single-core

Secure IT 6-2: Chip Implants Secure Animal's Identity

• Using vet microchips is useful for identifying & reuniting lost pets with owners
• Each chip has a unique number linked to the owner in vet database
• Shelters/animal control centers routinely scan pets for microchips
• Most use microchips before pets are adopted/returned
• Some pet owners worry about chip health problems if the chip moves; vets say no long-term issues
• Chips deter thieves, monitor animal's temperature

Processor Components

• Processors has a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that performs operations
• Running an app involves instructions transferring from storage to memory device
• Control unit interprets/executes in memory & ALU does calculations on data in memory
• The result becomes information stored in memory and sent to output device/storage for access later
• Control unit directs & coordinates the processors operations, which interprets instructions and starts action to carry them out
• Arithmetic logic unit, or the ALU conducts arithmetic, comparison, and other operations
• Arithmetic operations: basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Comparison operations: comparing one data items with another by determining whether the first item is greater than, equal to, or less than the other item
• Depending on results, actions occur. For example, determining if an employee needs overtime pay involves comparing how long they worked weekly versus regular hours allowed

Machine Cycle

• For every instruction, a processor has four basic operations in a machine cycle: fetching, decoding, executing, and storing
• Fetching is getting a program/app instruction/data item from memory
• Decoding turns the instruction into a computer-readable signal
• Executing is doing the commands
• Storing is writing the result to memory, not to storage medium
• Superscalar processors executes multiple instructions per clock cycle
• Clock speed: pace of system clock, measured by ticks per second
• Current personal computers have gigahertz clock speeds (GHz)
• Gigahertz = 1 billion ticks per second
• 3 GHz computer operates 3 billion (giga) clock cycles in 1 second (hertz)
• Faster the clock speed the more instructions can be done per second
• System clock speed is only 1 factor in computer performance. Other factors include processor chip type, cache amount, memory access time, bus width/clock speed

Personal Computer and Mobile Device Processors

• Leading manufacturers of personal computer processor chips are Intel & AMD
• AMD makes Intel-compatible processors performing the same functions and may be less expensive
• Manufacturers identify chips via model name/number
• Clock speed isn't always accurate for impacting processing speeds, manufacturers now use a numbering system
• When picking processor chip, consider needs, current processor, processor models