Anatomy of Digital Computer

It is otherwise called parts of a Computer System Block Diagram of a Computer or Basic Functional Units of a Computer or Component of a Computer System or Basic Functional Units of a Computer. A computer as shown in the figure performs basically five major operations or functions, irrespective of their size and make. These are:

1) it accepts data or instructions by way of input.
2) it stores data.
3) it can process data as required by the user.
4) it gives results in the form of output.
5) it controls all operations inside a computer.

We discuss below each of these operations:

1. Input:

This is the process of entering data and programs into the computer system. You should know that a computer is an electronic machine like any other machine which takes as inputs raw data and performs some processing, giving out processed data. Therefore, the input unit takes data from us to the computer in an organized manner for processing.

2. Storage:

The storage unit performs the following major functions:

1) All data and instructions are stored here before and after processing.

2) Intermediate results of processing are also stored here.

3. Processing:

The task of performing operations like arithmetic and logical operations is called processing. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) takes data and instructions from the storage unit and makes all sorts of calculations based on the instructions given and the type of data provided. It is then sent back to the storage unit.

4. Output:

This is the process of producing results from the data for getting useful information. Similarly, the output produced by the computer after processing must also be kept somewhere inside the computer before being given to you in a human-readable form. Again, the output is also stored inside the computer for further processing.

5. Control:

How instructions are executed, and the above operations are performed. Controlling of all operations like input, processing, and output are performed by the control unit. It takes care of the step-by-step processing of all operations inside the computer.