hardware of computer system

Introduction to computer system hardware:

The three related terms that require introduction are:

• computer architecture, 
• computer organization
•  and computer design
•  Computer architecture refers to the structure and behavior of the computer.
•  It includes the specifications of the components, for example, instruction format, instruction set and techniques for addressing memory, and how they connect to the other components. 
• Given the components,computer organization focuses on the organizational structure. 
• It deals with how the hardware components operate and the way they are connected to form the computer. 
• Given the system specifications, computer design focuses on the hardware to be used and the interconnection of parts.
•  Different kinds of computer, such as a PC or a mainframe computer may have different organization; however, basic organization of the computer remains the same.

A computer consists of three main components:

(1) Input/Output (I/O) Unit,

 (2) Central Processing Unit (CPU), and 

(3) Memory Unit.

•  The computer user interacts with the computer via the I/O unit. 
• The purpose of I/O unit is to provide data and instructions as input to the computer and to present relevant information as output from the computer. 
• CPU controls the operations of the computer and processes the received input to generate the relevant output.
•  The memory unit stores the instructions and the data during the input activity, to make instructions readily available to CPU during processing. It also stores the processed output.
•  This chapter discusses the hardware components of the computer and the interaction between them