Evolution of Computer Technology

several(prenominal) centuries take a crap been taken toward the development of inventions make by different volume into advance(a) forms. Single inventors r atomic number 18ly bring out modern invention. What we have now as electronic devices (the electronic computing devices) be inventions of several scientists, mathematicians and engineers from different centuries. For the solve of this mini research key terms like evolution, technology and computer shall be considered, not forgetting to take a c areful look at the evolution of these inventions from different centuries/years to our present generation starting from the untimely cognize device.The characteristics of these devices from generation to generation and their classification according to sizes, functions and uses shall also be dish antennaussed. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Evolution Evolution is a plot of groundmeal development that occurs in a fare outicular place or thing. applied science This is the use of mec hanical arts and applied science. Technology here refers to dodges, methods of boldness and techniques. ComputerA computer is a prog grind awaymable mechanical device that accepts training or inputs, stores and manipulates entropy and brings out the result or produce in numerical format.COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM A general determination computer has four major components secernately arithmetic and logic building block (ALU), assure whole, remembrance and input/ takings devices. These voxs are link by buses often made of groups of wires. ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC UNIT (ALU) This unit carries out arithmetic and logic deeds. According to Stokes (2007), the set of arithmetic operations that a particular arithmetic and logic unit supports whitethorn be limited to adding and subtracting or might include reckoning or dividing functions ( sine, cosine, etc) and square roots.While others even off real metrical composition with the use of floating point, some contribute t otally operate on whole number ( integers) albeit, with limited precision. Arithmetic operation could be carried out by any programmed computer. Logic operation commode be useful both for creating complicated conditional statements and processing Boolean logic. THE CONTROL UNIT The sustain unit which is often called a control system or central controller, manages the computers various components. It reads and interprets (decodes) the program studys, transforming them into a series of control signals which activate other part of the computer.In format to improve behaveance, the control system in advanced computer may change the order of some instructions. FUNCTION OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM It reads the codes for the following instruction from the cell indicated by the program counters. It decodes the numerical code for the instruction into a set of commands or signals for each of the other systems. Whatever info the instruction requires from cells in retention are read by the c ontrol system. Necessary data to an arithmetic and logic unit or show is also provided by the control system.If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized ironware to complete, it instructs the hardware to perform the requested operation. It writes the results from the ALU back to a stock muddle or to a register or perhaps an payoff device. It could be observed that the sequence of operations gone through by the control unit to process an instruction is in itself like a small computer program. MEMORY The memory of a computer is seen as a list of cells into which numbers can be placed or read. all(prenominal) cell has a numbered address and can store a genius number.Anything such as numbers, letters can be represented by the information stored into the memory with equal ease. Software gives significance to what the memory sees as series of numbers. In almost all modern computers, each memory cell is set up to store binary numbers in gaps of 8bits or bytes. Each byte repre senting 256 different numbers (Stokes 2007). Several consecutive numbers may be utilize to store larger numbers. Computer memory is of two types or principal varieties The Random Access Memory ( bone) and fill Only Memory ( fixed storage).Random Access Memory according to Inyang and Umoh (2003), is a part of primary memory that holds the programs being executed and the data to be worked upon. ride also stores the result of a processed data, waiting to be transferred to output device or secondary storage device. It is a temporary memory and the content of RAM is erased when a computer is turned off and data stored in it can instantly be gatewayed. The storage of RAM is verbalized in megabytes and its capacity or size limited. An area of RAM set aside for storage of most frequently accessed information is the CACHE memory.It is a temporary high speed data holding area mingled with the memory and the central processing unit. RAM has four parts the customary memory which consist of the first 640KB of RAM, used by operating system and device drivers Upper Memory Bound (UMB) located between 640KB and 1MB of RAM, used by device drivers extended memory (XMS) which include direct access memory above 1MB and Expended memory a special part of ram that is up to 32MB and exists outside the conventional memory. Read only memory (ROM) is preloaded with data and software package that never changes, so the central processing unit (CPU) can only read it.ROM is typically used to store the computers initial start up instructions. It retains its data indefinitely. In a face-to-face computer (PC), ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the computers operating system from the hard disc drive into RAM whenever the computer is turn on or reset. All of the required software may be stored in ROM in embedded computers which frequently do not have disc drives. Software stored in ROM is referred to as firmware because it is more like hardware than software. INPUT/ payoff DEVICEMeans by which information between the computer and outside world is transfer is known as input/output. Peripheral includes input devices like keyboard and mouse, and output devices such as the display and printer. Hard disc drives, floppy disc drives and optical disc drives serve as both input and output devices. HISTORY OF COMPUTER Computer technology has changed today world to a global village. Since the field of computer is a vast sea, there are many options and benefits one can get from it. Internet is constant and quick growing source of information.People can get information or piece of required knowledge from any part of the world by unsloped a few clicks on the websites. There is a rise in the need of more websites and knowledgeable sources as information is much easier to access. The early men counted by means of matching one set of prey with another set. The history of modern computer begins with two separate technologies automatiz e calculation and programmability. The earliest known computing device was called ABACUS. It is the first run device that was highly-developed about 500BC (Umoh and Inyang, 2003).It is made up of wood and form. It has a role of any number of parallel wires, rods or grooves on or in slide of small beads or blocks. Strung beads which have different values were manually used to operate abacus. forbid were used in dividing the Abacus into two parts perpendicular to the rods. Bits moved in active position towards the bans and the ones towards the frame are ignored. Each bar signifies digits and least significant digits were on the right. Abacus was used in calculating (i. e. adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing) numbers by moving the bit complex.In the 9th century, the Persian Mathematician Abu, Abdullah Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizni developed the concept of a written process followed to achieve some goals, and print a book on the subject that gave us its modern name Algor ithm. In 1623, Wilhelm Schikard, a German Scientist invented a cable car that used football team complete and six incomplete sprocketed wheels that could add and with the aid of logarithm tables, multiply and divide. Many inventions have taken several centuries to develop into the modern forms and modern inventions are rarely the product of a single inventors effort.Many people each added a small contribution towards the development of the bits and pieces of a computer (including the software). Each person in this work contributed a part towards the development of computers. In 1642, a 19year old French boy, a philosopher and mathematician Blaise dada invented a mechanical adding machine called a Mechanical Calculator. It is like a modern desk calculator and contains numbers of wheel and uses gear system to perform arithmetic operations. Computations are carried out by a process of integer counting.In 1801, hit cards were invented by a French Weaver called Joseph Marie Jacquard. These Punch Cards allowed his loom to autoloading(prenominal)ally weave intricate patterns. Different parts were used in storing different patterns of holes that produced different designs. Punch Cards are used in processing information in computers. The fusion of automatic calculation with programmability produced the first recognized computers. Charles Babbage, British Mathematician and inventor, invented mechanical computing machine Babbages Analytical Engine.In 1820, it carried out complex arithmetic operations and made decisions based on its own computations. It was self-controlled and had two important parts which are the storage unit with memory device and arithmetic unit known as the Mill. It was the worlds first digital computer. Babbages contributed the base of conditional transfer which gave way to comparison of quantities and modification of programs. The idea of a sequence of punch cards to produce a more flexile design was borrowed from the Jacquards pattern weavin g loom. It performed functions like additions, subtraction, division and multiplication.