Functional Units Of Computer: Decoded And Explained

We all know that a computer is a combination of hardware and software resources. These two together integrate and allows users to undertake several complex tasks. It is crucial that there is a harmonious relationship between the hardware and software resources of a computer for it to function properly. We have brought this article so that so are familiar with the basic elements of a computer and how they interact. It will enhance your learning and strengthen your foundation of computer science topics.

Functional Units of Computer: An Introduction

The computer architecture of the digital devices you use in your everyday life follows a set of instructions. These instructions are given by the functional units of a computer to the different hardware components. The hardware devices implement the instructions given by the functional units of computer.

You are already familiar with the hardware devices. They consist of the common keyboard, mouse, and the display of a computer. Moreover, even electronic circuits make up an important part of the hardware.

However, a computer system cannot work properly work without its functional units. They are more essential parts of a computer system. So, let’s learn more about the functional units of a computer system in the succeeding sections of the article.

What are the 5 functional units of computer?

The functional infrastructure of a computer system is made up of five important components. The functional units are part of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The five main functional units of computer are:

1. Input Unit
2. Memory Unit
3. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
4. Output Unit
5. Control Unit

What do the functional units do?

All five functional units are responsible for particular tasks. Below we will discuss how these functional units of computer contribute to processing and solving complex problems.

The Input Unit

The input unit is responsible for reading data. When users give a command or when data is fed into the computer, the input unit comes into play. The input unit allows the system to understand what kind of operations are to be performed. Along with this, an input unit also determines the movement of data between the I/O devices and the computer.

The input unit uses various peripheral devices to complete its tasks. Some of the input devices include a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, trackball, etc. These devices are also known as graphic input devices as the display screen shows the actions undertaken using these input devices. For in, you can see the pointer moving on the screen when you move the mouse.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) is used for performing arithmetic operations. These arithmetic operations include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and comparing numbers. Additionally, it also performs logical operations, such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’, and ‘NOT’.

The ALU functions by presenting the instruction to the system and storing the result in the memory. Along with this, ALU also stores the results of the operations in the registers.

Another feature of the ALU is that it has various operands. The operands are placed into the registers. The function of these operands is to store one word at a time. They help in faster retrieval of data.

Output Unit

The purpose of the output unit is to process results. Here, the data in the binary code is converted into human language. Output devices are used for displaying results, such as monitors, printers, plotters, etc.

Control Unit

The control unit is an essential part of the computer as it controls data flow which is sent and received by the CPU. The control unit acts as a coordinator. In this way, the control unit is responsible for accepting the input of the data, placing it in memory, processing the stored input, and generating the output. In this way, it can be seen that the control unit is also an interpreter which decodes the information, converts it into executable data, and instructs the other components of the computer system to undertake the required action.

Memory Unit

Memory is another component of a computer system. The main function of memory is to store data and instructions. The memory unit stores two types of data. One, it stores data associated with operations to be performed. Two, it also stores data that are related to the program.

Memory in the memory unit is of three types:

1. Primary memory
2. Secondary memory
3. Cache memory

Let’s learn about these different types of memory one by one.

Primary memory

Primary memory is popularly known as Random Access Memory (RAM), the main memory, or primary storage. In primary memory, one word is can be stored or retrieved in one basic operation. A word can be between 16-64 bits.

It is important for the execution of programs that are placed in the primary memory. It is from here that instructions of the program are retrieved one by one by the processor for execution.

Some of the features of primary memory are:

• It is the fastest accessible memory.
• It is expensive.
• It is also called "volatile memory".
• It stores a large number of semiconductor cells.

Secondary memory

The hard disk is the secondary memory of your computer. They are detachable. Hence, even if the power supply to the computer is turned off, you will not lose data stored in secondary memory.

Did you know?

SSD cards, pen drives, and flash drives are some modern examples of secondary memory. Other examples of memory devices in this category include optical disks and magnetic disks.

Some of the features of secondary memory are:

• It is slower.
• It stores a large volume of data.
• It is less expensive.

Cache memory

Also known as supplementary memory, cache memory is used for retrieving faster than primary memory. It is used for storing data that is required frequently by the processor. In this way, it reduces the average time to access data from the main memory.

Some of the features of cache memory are:

• It stores data temporarily.
• It is smaller in size than the primary memory.

So, these were the functional units of computer system. Hope, the article was useful to you. For more such articles, stay tuned to Unstop!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the main functional units of a computer?

The main functional units include the Input Unit, Output Unit, Control Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), and Memory Unit.

Q2. What does the Control Unit do?

The Control Unit directs operations within the computer by interpreting instructions from the memory and coordinating activities of other units.

Q3. How does the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) function?

The ALU performs all arithmetic operations (like addition, subtraction) and logical operations (like comparison) required by the computer.

Q4. What is the role of the Memory Unit?

The Memory Unit stores data and instructions that the computer needs for processing, and it includes both RAM (temporary storage) and ROM (permanent storage).

Q5. How do Input and Output Units interact with a computer?

Input Units receive data from external sources (like a keyboard or mouse) and convert it into a form the computer can process. Output Units convert processed data from the computer into a human-readable form (like a monitor or printer).

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