Understanding Computer Fundamentals: Hardware, Software
Computers: The Science of Information Processing
Computers represent the science of information processing through machines. It’s a body of scientific knowledge and techniques that enable automatic processing of information through computers. This field of knowledge encompasses the design and use of computers.
What is a Computer?
A computer is a machine capable of accepting input data, performing logical and arithmetic operations on them, and providing the resulting data through an output medium. All of this is done without the intervention of a human operator and under the control of a program of instructions previously stored in the computer.
A calculator is a machine capable of performing arithmetic operations under direct user control, but it does not automatically link operations or perform logical operations.
Hardware
Hardware refers to the set of electronic circuits, cables, electromechanical components, and other physical elements that make up computers.
Software
Software is a set of programs executable by the computer. Software is not just about computer programs, but also all matters relating to the construction and use of programs (organization and structuring of data, analysis of applications, etc.).
Firmware
Firmware is a program that is recorded in a memory ROM. It provides the logic of the lowest -level electronic circuit that controls a device. It is considered part of the hardware and is integrated into the electronic device. However, it is also software, as it provides the logic and is programmed using a type of programming language. The firmware receives external commands and responds by operating the device.
Bits
The most basic unit of information within a computer is a binary value (0 or 1). This basic unit of information is called a bit. Any event with more than two possibilities may be represented with a single bit, as it would lack values to encode the information. For correct coding, each element of a set must be assigned a different element of another set.
Bytes
Usually, information is represented by characters. Each character carries a certain number of bits. A byte is the number of bits needed to store one character. One byte equals 8 bits.
Computer Architecture
Computers are composed of both input and output units:
- Input units: Devices through which data and instructions are entered into the computer. Examples include keyboards, mice, digital cameras, scanners, and barcode readers.
- Output devices: Devices through which results are obtained from programs implemented by the computer. Examples include monitors, printers, plotters, and voice synthesizers.
Machine Language
Machine language is the only language that the computer understands directly. It uses the binary alphabet consisting of only two symbols, 0 and 1, called bits (short for binary digits). It was the first language of computer programming but fell out of use because of its difficulty and complexity. It has been replaced by other languages that are easier to learn and use, reducing the possibility of errors.
Assembly Language
Assembly language is a type of low-level language used to write computer programs. It is the most direct representation of machine code specific to each computer architecture readable by a programmer. It was used mainly in the early development of software, when powerful high-level languages were not yet available.
High-Level Language
A high-level language is one that is closer to human natural language than the binary language of computers, known as low-level language. Its main function is that, from its development, the possibility exists that you can use the same program on different machines, i.e., independent of specific hardware. The only condition is that the PC has a program called a translator or compiler, which translates to the specific language of each machine.