Introduction to Computing (CS 101)

[January-April 2025]

Sushanta Karmakar, Arijit Sur, S Ranbir Singh & Pinaki Mitra

Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
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Outline
• CS101 - Introduction to Computing [L-T-P-C: 3-0-0-6]

• Instructors for Pre-Mid Sem Part

• Sushanta Karmakar (Div. 2, 4) & Arijit Sur (Div. 1, 3)

• Two exams: Mid semester (50%), End semester(50%)

• Biometric attendance policy (As per academic section)

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Instructors and TAs (Pre MID Semester)
Divisions Branches
I ME, CE, ENERGY
II BT, ECE, EEE
III CSE, MC, EPH
IV CL, CST, DSAI, DD

Instructor Section/Slot Room Lead TA

Arijit Sur Sec. 1 (FN)- D Slot L2 Alik Pramanik ([email protected])
Sushanta Karmakar Sec. 2 (FN)- D Slot L4 Sonal Kumar ([email protected])
Arijit Sur Sec. 3 (AN)- D1 Slot L2 Alik Pramanik ([email protected])
Sushanta Karmakar Sec. 4 (AN)- D1 Slot L4 Sonal Kumar ([email protected])

Section 1 &2:
D Slots: Monday (11 AM-11.55 AM) Thursday (9 AM-9.55 AM) Friday (10 AM- 10.55 AM)

Section 3 & 4:
D1 Slots: Monday (2 PM-2.55 PM) Thursday (4 PM-4.55 PM) Friday (3 PM- 3.55 PM)
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Syllabus
• Pre-MID Semester
– Introduction: The von Neumann architecture, machine language,
assembly language, high level programming languages, compiler,
interpreter, loader, linker, text editors, operating systems, flowchart;

– Basic features of programming (Using C):data types, variables, operators,

expressions, statements, control structures, functions; Advanced
programming features: arrays and pointers (introduction)

• Post MID Semester

– Pointers, recursion, records (structures), memory management, files,
input/output, standard library functions, programming tools, testing and
debugging; Fundamental operations on data: insert, delete, search,
traverse and modify;

– Fundamental data structures: arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists;

Searching and sorting: linear search, binary search, insertion-sort,
bubble-sort, selection-sort, radix-sort, counting-sort; Introduction to
object-oriented programming
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Text/Reference Books

• Fundamentals of Computers, E Balaguruswamy, TMH

• Fundamentals of Computers, V. Rajaraman, PHI

• B Kernighan and D Ritchie, The C Programming Language,

2/e, Prentice Hall of India

• Let Us C, Yashavant Kanetkar, BPB Publication

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What is a Computer

• A computer is an electronic machine that takes

input from the user, processes the given input
and generates output in the form of useful
information.

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Introduction to Computing (CS components
101) of computer 6
Devices in a typical computer
• Central Processing Unit (CPU): It is the processor of the computer that is
responsible for controlling and executing instructions in the computer. It is
considered as the most significant component of the computer. It is the
“brain” of the computer.

• Video Display Unit (VDU): It is a screen, which displays information in

visual form, after receiving the video signals from the computer.

• Keyboard and Mouse: These are the input devices, which are used by the
computer, for receiving input from the user.

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Input to a computer

• Data: the raw details that need to be processed to

generate some useful information.

• Programs: the set of instructions that can be executed

by the computer in sequential or non-sequential
manner.

• User reply: the input provided by the user in response

to a question asked by the computer.

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Task of Computer

• The computer takes programs (what and how to do) and data
(on what to process) from users and generates output (some
useful information) as per user’s requirements.

• A hypothetical example: Add 2, 2

– Program (instruction): Add; data: 2, 2
– Intended Output: 4

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Program (Multiple Instructions)

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int number1, number2, sum;
printf("Enter two integers: ");
scanf("%d %d", &number1, &number2);
// calculate the sum
sum = number1 + number2;
printf("%d + %d = %d", number1, number2, sum);
return 0;
}

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Basic Blocks of Computing System

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Program Execution: Layered Architecture
temp = v[k];
High Level Language v[k] = v[k+1];
Program
v[k+1] = temp;
Compiler
lw $15, 0($2)
Assembly Language
Program lw $16, 4($2)
sw $16, 0($2)
Assembler + sw $15, 4($2)
Linker + Loader
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
Machine Language 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
Program 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111

Machine Interpretation

Control Signal Specification

ALUOP[0:3] <= InstReg[9:11] & MASK
°
°
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A Computer System

User
• Hardware
• Software Application Software

– System software System Software

– Application Software
• User Hardware

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Software
• Software is set of programs (which are step by
step instructions) telling the computer how to
process data.

• Software needs to be installed on a computer,

usually from a CD.

• Softwares can be divided into two groups:

- System SW
- Application SW

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Software (Contd.)
System Software
• It controls the overall operation of the system.

• It is stored in the computer's memory and

instructs the computer to load, store, and execute
an application.

• Examples: Operating System (OS), Assemblers,

loaders, linkers etc.

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Software (Contd.)
Application Software
• They are Software written to perform specific
tasks.

• The basic types of application software are:

word processing, database, spreadsheet,
desktop publishing, and communication.
Examples: MSOffice, Oracle, Visual Studio etc

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Computer Hardware

• Microprocessor
• Memory (RAM)
• Storage Devices
• Input Devices
• Output Devices

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A Look Inside in CPU

power
supply CD-ROM
drive

floppy
drive
cards
hard
drive

motherboard
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A Look Inside ..

• Identify all the major components:

– Power Supply
– Motherboard
– Memory
– Card Slots
– Cards (sound, video, network)
– CPU, heatsink and fan
– Drives (floppy, hard and CD-ROM)

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A Look Inside ..

RAM
BANK

Card Slots (ISA & PCI) CPU, Fan, Heatsink

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What these components do?
• Power Supply – supplies power to all the circuitry
and devices.

• Motherboard – acts as a manager for everything

on the computer – connects all the other
components together.

• Processor – Central Processing Unit – this does all

the work of computing.
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What these components do?
• RAM – Random Access Memory – holds data
and program instructions that the computer is
currently using.

• Hard Drive – holds all of the information that

needs to be stored between uses of the
computer.

• Floppy and CD-ROM drives – allow you to give

data to the computer and take data away from
the computer.
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What these components do?
• Card Slots –Allows other components to be added to the
computer.

• Video card –Does all of the processing necessary to get

stuff looking nice on screen, quickly.

• Sound card –Allows sounds from HD or CD-ROM to

be played.

• Network Card –allows computer to talk to other

computers over a wire.

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Power Supply

SMPS – Switch Mode Power Supply

Switching Transistors

Outputs + 5V, -5V, +12 V, -12 V

Usually, SMPS comes with the CPU Cabinet.

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Motherboard

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 Microprocessor
CU
• A Single Chip
ALU

Memory
Registers

Examples: Intel Family – Intel Core (i3, i5, i7, i9)

AMD -- AMD Ryzen 3, 5, 7, 1000
IBM -- Power Series, RAD Series, IBM Telum

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 RAM

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Hard Drive

We won’t remove this.

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Ribbon Cables

polarized

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Video Card

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Sound Card

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Architecture of Computing System

Application

Operating
System

Compiler Firmware
Instruction Set
Architecture
Instr. Set Proc. I/O system

Datapath & Control

Digital Design
Circuit Design
Layout

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Advantages of Using Computers
• Speed: Computers can carry out instructions in less than a
millionth of a second.

• Accuracy : Computers can do the calculations without errors

and very accurately.

• Diligence : Computers are capable of performing any task

given to them repetitively.

• Storage Capacity : Computers can store large volume of

data and information on magnetic media.

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Generations of Computers

Charles Babbage: Father of Computer

He invented mechanical computer in 19th Century

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FIRST GENERATION,
1951 – 1958: The Vacuum Tube

The first generation of computers, characterized by vacuum tubes,

started in 1951 with the creation of - UNIVAC (Universal Automatic
Computer) – a tabulating machine which won the contest for the
fastest machine which could count the US 1890 census.

VACUUM TUBES – electronic tubes about the size of light bulbs.

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Disadvantages:

• They generate more heat causing many

problems in temperature regulation and climate
control.

• Tubes were subject to frequent burn-out.

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SECOND GENERATION,
1959 – 1964: The Transistor
• The year 1959 marked the invention of transistors, which characterized the
second generation of computers.

• TRANSISTOR – was a three-legged component which shrunk the size of the

first generation computers. Occupied only 1/100th of the space occupied by a
vacuum tube.

• More reliable, had greater computational speed, required no warm-up time

and consumed far less electricity.

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THIRD GENERATION,
1965 – 1970: The Integrated Circuit
• Third generation computers arose in 1965 with the invention of
smaller electronic circuits called integrated circuits (IC’S)

• INTEGRATED CIRCUITS – are square silicon chips

containing circuitry that can perform the functions of hundreds
of transistors.

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Advantages:

• RELIABILITY – Unlike vacuum tubes, silicon will

not break down easily. It is very seldom that you will
have to replace it.

• LOW COST – Silicon chips are relatively cheap

because of their small size and availability in the
market. It also consumes less electricity.

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FOURTH GENERATION,
1971 – present: The Microprocessor
• Marked by the use of microprocessor

• MICROPROCESSOR – is a silicon chip that contains the CPU –

part of the computer where all processing takes place.

• 4004 chip – was the first microprocessor introduced by Intel

Corporation.

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 Classification of Computers

• Supercomputers
• Mainframe computers
• Minicomputers
• Microcomputers

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 Supercomputers
Generally have multi-processors
Huge capacity and speed
Used for
Weather Forecasting
Railway reservation
System etc.

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 Mainframe Computers

• Very power full, large general purpose computers ,

capable of great processing speeds and data storage.

• Used for complex calculation on a large dataset

mostly in Banking sector, solving complex research
problems etc.

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 Minicomputers

• Scaled Down version of Mainframes

• Used by medium-size companies
• Eg. PDP ii, VAX 7500 etc.

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 Microcomputers

• Small Sizes and improved cost-effectiveness

• Least powerful
• Widely used in Home, Educational Institution
etc.

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 Types of Microcomputers

• Desktop
• Notebook or laptop
• Tablet PC
• Handheld Devices etc

Desktop Notebook Handheld Tablet PC

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