Can someone here explain to me, like I'm a complete idiot who knows nothing about computers, (though I'm really not and have rebuilt my own computer) how a computer really works. I mean in terms of how say a computer takes input from a user, and then acts opon it. Or how a computer can load and execute a program. Most importantly, how is a computer able to function. By that I mean MECHANICALLY, because I know that computers run electricity though circuits, but I'm no electrical engineer so I have no idea how this can run a computer. All I know about circuits is from learning about extreamely simple circuits like a battery and a lightbulb, or a series circuit, ect. I'm sorry for seeming demanding, but all the results off of google gave me all this just history of computers stuff, which wasn't what I was looking for. And where they did try to explain it, they were far to vague.
Curious....
- Thread starter bbbzzz234
- Start date
Matthew1990
New Member
Computer systems only use binary, 1 and 0 is all computer can read. The brain of a computer is Central Processing Unit (CPU). It takes care of everything that is going on, from fetching data from memory to calculating stuff. There several different registers on the CPU, which store data or memory addresses of an instruction. The CPU is connected to memory via Data Bus and Address Bus. Data Bus carries data to and from memory and address bus carries memory address. The memory is divided into small blocks, memory locations, each holds data or an instruction. For instance, if you open an application the CPU loads it from hard drive to memory. It does so because memory is much faster to access then a hard drive.
To put it at the most basic level a computer is made up of billions of what are essentially switches that have either a state of 0 (0 volts), or 1 (+ve volts). They however are made up of silicone and act instantaneously due to the lack of mechanical components. It uses the Von Neumann "Stored Program Concept" (Google that) and the fetch execute cycle to operate. The input varies by type but it's still binary at the end of the day.