Many times, we used computer system without minding what is going on within the system itself. In fact, investigation revealed that more than 50% of computer system users have not opened a computer system before let alone investigating how those devices (computer components) send and receive signals from in order to execute various tasks.
How is it that each time we connect our devices such as flash drive, printer, USB charger, modulator demodulator (modem) on our computer systems, it makes a beep sound effect to reflect the connection from the connected devices to the computer system unless if the connected device is not working right.
Discussing briefly about the interaction and communication of computer components is the aim of this post, so feel relaxed while I drive into the computer system components.
In my last post on Microprocessor, I asserted that:
The fundamental basic building blocks of any general purpose computer are: The Processor, The memory, and The input and output (I/O) devices. While the processor consists of the control unit and basic arithmetic and logic unit (A.L.U).
@noble-noah
The only board which houses all the major electronic computer components mentioned above and more is called 'Motherboard', alternatively, it could be called 'System Board', 'Logic Board', 'Printed Circuit Board (PCB)', 'Baseboard' or 'Planar Bard' as illustrated in the diagram below
Many times, people discuss advancement in computer system with respect to the advancement in microprocessor and less attention is given to the board which houses all the components that made up computer system, let alone discussing the advancement in their mode of communication within these electronics components. Or has motherboard system remain the same since its inception?
Just like human beings do communicate with one and others, thorough investigation has also revealed that plants also communicate, in the same realm electronic components of computer system also communicate with one and others and that is possible through the help of motherboard. For instance, communication starts at the point of connection, each time you connect your flash drive on a computer system through an interface wired directly to the motherboard, likewise your printer, network cards, modulator the modulator (modem), video cards, USB charger, hard drives, sound cards, e.t.c. they all communicate with one and others through an active motherboard.
It is the duty of the motherboard to ensure smooth communication exist between the electronic components of a computer system, be it internal devices or their connection with external device. Some of the examples of internal device component of computer system includes main memory, central processing unit, e.t.c. while some of the external device that communicate with electronic components of a computer system includes, printer, flash drive, external hard drive e.t.c.
The electrical circuits printed on the motherboard aids in allowing the electronic components within to receive power and communicate with one and others. To fully understand data communication within computer system, topic like data bus, data communication interface must be visited.
The Computer Bus
This is the system of pathways used for communication and the protocols and methods used for transmission. It is the one that actually responsible for the transfer of data between electronics components of computer and transfer of data from from one computer to other computers. To carry out this activities, it may employ the use any of the types of computer bus such as; data bus, address bus and control bus. Unlike those old days when bus used to be parallel only, nowadays bus can exist both as parallel and serial.
However, there are several means of transmission aside using data bus, some of them include wireless communication channels, optical fibers, copper wires, storage media among others.
There exist an international body called 'Standard Organization' with authority to decide on what ought to be the standard after careful deliberation and investigation, such standard will then become official and then impose on both the industry and the government, especially when coming up with a new devices and applications.
Some of the popularly known standard organizations are: AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE (ASCII), Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC): an eight bit character encoding used mostly on IBM's mainframe computer and IBM's midrange computer operating systems, Morse, e.t.c
Data Communication Interface
[Source. Wikimedia]The main function of data communication interface is to provide a pathway for data flow by acting as an intermediary between the two connected devices. It is through the help of data communication interface that computer buses discussed above are able to carry data to a input and output (I/0) devices.
In today's digital world, serial port are mostly and widely used data communication interface, it involves the use of electronic cable. An attempt to render support for serial communication in the absence of cable as the only means of data communication interface led to the invention of Bluetooth.
Some of the popularly know data communication interface include RS-232/V, it mostly uses a 9-/25-pos, among its Variants Include RS232D, RS232C, V10, V24 and V28, others are Universal Serial Bus (USB), Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet communications, e.t.c.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) was designed with the aim to be the most widely accepted data communication interface to be adopted by large percentage of peripheral devices, especially the newest devices. It is mostly incorporated in most of the devices being used nowadays, from computer system to the keyboard, mouse, phone charger, camera, printers among other nowadays devices.
Conclusion
Unlike microprocessors, the development in data communication interface is not a rapid one, this is due to the compatibility issue, especially between the old devices and the new devices with new data communication interface.
To ensure smooth communication between the electronic components of a computer system, motherboard must be in good working condition likewise the interface for connection must be compatible between the host computers and the terminals.
Thanks for reading through, I have been a way for a while due to unforeseen circumstances. I hope you are all doing fine.
References
- The Microprocessor: A turning point for modern computing
- Computer Bus
- On the Motherboard
- DATA INTERFACES AND TRANSMISSION
- INTERFACING: INTERFACES FOR SIMPLE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND TERMINAL TO TERMINAL
- Data communication...
- Industrial Data Communications –
RS-232/RS-485 - Examples of communication interfaces