B1-05.06.1 BASIC COMPUTER STRUCTURE

• Computers manipulate 1s and 0s, or binary data, taking input from devices and translating it into output for other devices.
• Computers consist of similar components to desktop computers or flight control computers.
• Computers are built around a motherboard, containing a CPU, RAM slots, and ICs for connecting peripherals.
• The output of a computer depends on software.

Binary Digits

• Integrated circuits consist of transistors that switch between ON and OFF states by applying voltage.
• Computers use two logic levels: ON and OFF, represented by 1 and 0.
• A "1" (ON, HIGH) is around 5-V DC, while a "0" (OFF, LOW) is around 0-V DC in electronic components.

Bits

• A bit is a binary digit (1 or 0) applied to transistors, gates, or ICs.
• Computer processes are performed by processing bits of information.
• A transistorised light circuit can operate as an AND gate, requiring a high, or 5-V DC, input to both transistors for the light to switch ON.
• Logic requires both inputs to be high for the light to switch ON.
• Circuits logically represented by the AND gate

Bits Nibbles, and Bytes

• Bits represent a binary digit which are not large enough to carry information
• 2 bits have four possible values (00, 01, 10, 11).
• 3 bits have eight possible values (000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111).
• 4 bits has 16 possible values
• 8 bits has 256 possible values
• A nibble is 4 bits of data (1111).
• A byte is 8 bits of data (1111 1111).
• A byte can output 256 combinations of bits
• Single keyboard characters are internally represented as a byte, or 8 bits.
• Computers store and manipulate bytes.
• American Standard Code for Information Interchange or ASCII codes each use 8 bits to represent a character
• The computer stores and manipulates individual bytes or groups as the basic memory unit
• Modern computing memory is referred to in Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes and Terabytes.

Integrated Circuits

• An integrated circuit (IC), or microchip, is an assembly of electronic components fabricated as a single unit.
• ICs allow for miniaturised active/passive devices to be preconstructed, used when logic complexity grows.
• Miniaturised circuitry is used in integrated circuits.
• Resistors, capacitors, and inductors have shrunk in the form of silicon wafers or chips due to development
• Printed circuit boards house and stack miniaturised components into circuits
• The combination of circuits result in a monolithic "chip".
• The evolution of ICs and components has enabled modern computing in Aviation and other industries.

Advantages and Disadvantages of ICs

• Advantages include reduced size/weight, increased reliability, lower cost, and improved performance.
• The packaging of ICs creates distinct inputs and outputs to provide circuit and heat dissipation.
• Repairing ICs is difficult, so they are typically replaced.

Computer Hardware

• Computer hardware includes the case, motherboard, CPU, memory (RAM, ROM), graphics/sound cards, input, and output devices.
• Includes all physical components of the computer, including transistors, resistors and capacitors.

Computer Software

• Computer data processing relies heavily on software.
• Software translates instructions from a human to the computer.
• Hardware exists to run software.
• A computer is instructed via computer software to perform a task through input devices.
• The operating system receives the instruction and processes the job information
• Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is used in the aircraft industry to identify avionics parts and circuits.
• Aircraft systems (such as Flight Management System Computers, Flight Control Computers and navigation systems) run on software.

Motherboard

• CPU's connect directly to the motherboard
• Motherboards contain interconnecting circuits and plug-in points for internal electronic parts.
• Examples include RAM, ROM, solid state drives, graphics/sound/memory cards, and disc drives.
• Power supply module, cooling fans, liquid cooling, exists within modules to keep components cool.

Microcomputers

• A microcomputer is an electronic device with a microprocessor as its CPU.
• Modern desktop PCs, video game consoles, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, pocket calculators and industrial embedded systems are all microcomputers.
• These computers have the same technology

Computer Architecture

• Computer architecture consists of input, processes, and output.
• The motherboard contains a bus system (internal/external) and supports all components.
• The bus system serves as a communication path to link the computer to the CPU and memory.
• CPUs perform basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and I/O instructions.
• Main memory (RAM) stores programs and data while the processor is actively using them.
• I/O Circuitry enables input and output devices to communicate.
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a type of external system that supports computers.
• Modern microcomputers feature a flowchart for components.

Computer Processors and Operating Systems

• A computer processor is a circuit collection designed to produce specific outputs.
• A calculator can be a very simple processor
• Modern computer processors include logic circuits configured to produce an output.

Operating Systems

• Operating systems contain programs that is used by the computer to manage operations.
• An operating system schedules, assign resources, monitor's a computers overall work output
• All computer processors are equal, not all have operating systems

Memory Technologies

• Memory must locate each instruction and data for coordination to control CPU
• Storage represents a collection of letterboxes which has it's own unique address which represents memory
• Storage technologies examples
• Magnetic core storage, semiconductor dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND solid state drives (SSDs), and magnetic disc hard drives (HDDs)

Magnetic Core Storage

• Magnetic core storage are not as popular as it once was, the concepts are understood across semiconductor storage. Magnetic core storage is a donut shaped ring which is strung on a grid with thin wires.
• Two- state are used to represent 2 binary digits.
• The cores are magnetised direction that that determmines each core

Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)

• Semiconductor memory that stores data in a memory cell (tiny capacitor / transistor circuit) based on metal-oxide-transistor technology.
• Electric charge slowly discharges on capacitors which would lose data information.
• To prevent chip data from being loss, DRAM requires external refreshing circuit.
• Volatile memory loses data once power source is loss.

NAND Solid State Drive

• NAND SSD performance relays on number of parallel NAND flash ICs used.
• Ability's to retain data without power source.
• SSDs are not suitable for long term use due to the slow.

Magnetic Tape Storage

• Magnetic tapes are used with recorders for secondary storage.
• Tapes come in various lengths (600 to 3000ft).

Memory Device Storage: Magnetic Disk Storage.

• Disks come in 3 in to 4 ft diameters for a wide variety of storage capacities.
• Disks are coated with magnetic material
• Disks are either permanently mounted (hard drives) or portable
• Data is made up of tiny magnetic bits that are written on the disc surface as 8 Bit codes which represents letters, numbers and special chars
• When writing to to the disc, it will replace any data stored.

Semiconductor Storage

• Electronic circuits can represent if current is either flowing or not.
• High density
• High reliability
• Low electricity
• Low cost
• Memory is volatile
• Silicon memory are lost when power is removed

Storage Device Classification

• Memory is classified as either short-term or long-term storage.
• Memory refers to short term data while storage refers to long-term data.
• Speed depends system performance which depends on installed memory quantity.
• Short Term Data can be written and read more easily than Long Term
• Short term can't hold as much.

Primary Storage Components

• Random access memory (RAM), Read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory
• EPROM, erasable programmable read- only memory

Random-Access Memory

• RAM is important in determining performance
• RAM stores applications used on a short-term basis
• Similar Blackboard, write and remove
• Data either stored or ready
• Retrieving occurs from giving address
• RAM allows reuse

Read-Only Memory

• Silicon memory are lost when power is lost
• Term ROM associated with solid stated devices
• Manufacture gives these programs in ROM, once it can't be changed
• Cannot put own program or data in ROM
• Enables to have specialized often programs stored
• Memory that allows data to be not loss are only.

Test your knowledge of computer fundamentals. This quiz covers topics such as data manipulation, transistors, motherboard components, binary system, and logic states. It also touches on error resolution and quantum computing concepts in advanced systems.