Languages of Computing
Alan Blackwell
CU Computer Laboratory
Part 1
Languages for storing data
Binary digits (bits)
= 1
= 0
Bytes
0100000101101100 01100001 0110111000100000 01000010
Encoding text
01000001 = “A”01101100 = “l”01100001 = “a”01101110 = “n”00100000 = “ ”01000010 = “B”etc …
RAM chip(kilobytes (kb) = 1000’s of bytes)
RAM circuit board (c.a. 1980)
Magnetic drum storage
Magnetic drum storage
Magnetic tape storage
5.25 inch floppy disk (200 kb)
3.5 inch floppy disk
Floppy disk drive
1.4 megabytes = 1.4 million bytes= 1,400,000 bytes= 1,400 kilobytes
Hard disk drive (gigabytes)
Hard disk drive (gigabytes)
400 gigabytes = 400 billion bytes= 400,000,000,000 bytes= 400,000,000 kilobytes= 400,000 megabytes
External hard drive (terabytes)
External hard drive (terabytes)
1 terabyte = 1 trillion bytes= 1,000,000,000,000 bytes= 1,000,000,000 kilobytes= 1,000,000 megabytes= 1,000 gigabytes
CD-ROM (megabytes)
DVD-ROM (4 gigabytes)
SIM card (kilobytes)
USB flash drive (8 gigabytes)
Geek speak checklist
bit, byte, RAM kilobyte (kB) = 1,000 bytes megabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 bytes gigabyte (GB) = 1,000,000,000 bytes terabyte (TB) = 1,000,000,000,000
bytes ASCII
Part 2
Types of data language
Numbers
0 = 00000000
1 = 00000001
2 = 00000010
3 = 00000010
…
254 = 11111110
255 = 11111111
Encoding colour
11001000(= 200 Red)
01100100(= 100 Green)
11001000(= 200 Blue)
110010000110010011001000
Picture elements (pixels)
900 pixels(30 x 30)
Compression
36,000 pixels (180 x 200)JPEG level 12 (high quality)
File size: 40 kB
36,000 pixels (180 x 200)JPEG level 0 (low quality)
File size: 14 kB
Resolution
A 10 kPixel camera(100 x 100 greyscale)
Encoding sound
0 | 0 | 237 | 10 | 56 | 235 | 12 | 3 | 45 | …
.WAV[e] file or (compressed) MP3
Encoding programs
10100000 00000000 01000010 11101001 01001000
= MOV AX,0x0082E984H
or, “get the data at memory address 4385096”
(in the particular language of Intel microprocessors)
Central Processor Unit
Once millionsof instructionsper second(MIPS)
Now, billionsof clock ticks per second(GigaHertz, GHz)
Geek speak checklist
plain text resolution compression GIF, JPEG, MP3, WAV, MPEG ARM GigaHertz
Part 3
Collecting and presenting data
Input: Sound card
Input: Flatbed scanner
1000 dpi (dots per inch)
Input: Digital camera
4000 x 3000 = 12 Megapixels
Input: Digital video camera
640 x 480 pixels (VGA)
Input: Webcam
352 x 288 pixels (VGA)
Output: Monitor
1024 x 768 pixels (XGA)
Output: Printer
800 dpi (dots per inch)
Output: Powered speakers
Output: Data projector (“beamer”)
800 x 600 pixels (SVGA)
Geek speak checklist
VGA, SVGA, XGA DPI
Part 4
Internal communication
Expansion RAM (SIMM)
Part 5
External communication
VGA/DVI Adapter (“Dongle”)
RJ-11 connectors
Don’t confuse Ethernet and Phone!
USB connector
No confusion possible – all peripherals are interchangeable!
Practical exercises
HomeworkResearch into file sizesMarket research (Currys, Staples)Specify your own computer