The computer name is derived from the Latin “calculi” who were the rows of stones in a schedule, the ancient instrument of the Romans to be reckoned with. But we have to get up at 1600 for an early form of automatic calculation for the work of Blaise Pascal. It subsequently passed through many projects up to the IAS, a computer built under the direction of von Neumann that for the first time separated the various stages of control: performance, storage and communication. The basis of this concept have come down to our PC and we’re going to analyze the architecture of which is still called: von Neumann architecture. In practice, a computer must be given to the human being that where sin: memory and calculation speed, it should be an extension of our brain and this will perhaps in the future, even if it is making giant steps of evolution.
To understand the structure of the system is necessary to understand its purpose: to acquire data, process it and provide a response outside. The data exchanged within are in digital form, so all the information coming from the outside must be properly scanned, processed, and then returned to the outside party in a comprehensible form. The modules involved in transforming information of various kinds are called transducers (devices Input / Output). Each transducer has its own characteristics, so it must be standardized for use on certain computers. Once the data are within the computer are processed by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) in an indefinite; instructions can be divided into operational and control. The data that must be processed by the CPU are inserted within a volatile memory that is erased when the power goes out, the RAM, for being reloaded must be inserted in a non-volatile memory, the hard disk or magnetic other support.
In practice all the data that are needed for the proper functioning of the computer are loaded from the hard disk to the RAM to be able to be then processed by the CPU, the computer turns off the reverse process is carried out. You need to imagine a table (RAM) that takes data from a storage (Hard Disk) and inserts them into the calculator.
Knowing at least in broad outline the operation of a computer is extremely important for its user, so you understand why sometimes the information processing can be stopped or it can crash. To get a driver’s license is necessary to know also the means we’re going to drive and so the use of the computer must have the knowledge base architecture of this machine.