This article was written by JMJG, to help in the study of the hardware classes taught by our company. Here you will find only some teaching materials from the classes, more information and questions with the instructor of the class. Call (11) 2308-4673 and sign up for our in-person course.
Bit and Byte Concept
Before we talk about Bit and Byte, the student needs to understand what the digital world is! Any and all digital equipment, especially computers, operates by electrical signals. There are times when there is no signal, and other times when there is one!
In the digital world there is no middle ground. It is either on or off. Unlike analog, which allows intermediate values, digital only represents the maximum and minimum.
Imagine a light switch. It acts as a key for the electric current that goes to the light bulb. It is either on (the light bulb is on), or it is off (the light bulb is off)!
It is with this analogy that we will enter the digital world. Check it out:
0= No signal or no power (off)
1= with signal or energized (on)
All and any information (video, sound, data, etc.) is converted to the language of 0's and 1's. We call this the process of "digitization".
Although the computer can work with fully digital signals, humans cannot, so some information such as (sound) must be converted to analog, so that we can hear it. But this process is done only at the end, when the data has already been processed digitally!
Each 0 and each 1 is called a BIT. So the BIT is the smallest unit of digital information!
Just as the collective of wolves is pack, and of fish is school, the collective of BIT is BYTE!
The BYTE is a set of 8 BITS
0= No signal or no power (off)
1= with signal or energized (on)
All and any information (video, sound, data, etc.) is converted to the language of 0's and 1's. We call this the process of "digitization".
Although the computer can work with fully digital signals, humans cannot, so some information such as (sound) must be converted to analog, so that we can hear it. But this process is done only at the end, when the data has already been processed digitally!
Each 0 and each 1 is called a BIT. So the BIT is the smallest unit of digital information!
Just as the collective of wolves is pack, and of fish is school, the collective of BIT is BYTE!
The BYTE is a set of 8 BITS
In the example above we have the sequence 11001000 which represents 1 Byte! It doesn't matter now, if this is a piece of video, sound, or a photo.
Calculating Digitally
The computer processor can only perform digital operations. As we saw in the last lesson, computers are nothing more than super-powerful calculators!
So to do a simple + calculation, the decimal numbers must be converted to digital (binary).
See table:
Let's do a simple account of +(Sum).
What is 2+1?
Looking at the table: 2 (0010) and 1 (0001)
Adding: 0010 + 0001 = 0011
Result 0011 = 3 (decimal) RIGHT!
In this way, all signals are processed in the computer by bits and bytes, giving rise to hundreds of applications that we love so much (video, sound, internet, etc, etc)
Multiple of Byte
Byte also has its multiples. Just as 1 kg = 1000 grams, we have Kilobyte (Kb)!
However 1Kb IS NOT 1000 Bytes!
1KB IS 1024 Bytes!
After the Kb we have the Mb (Megabyte) in the same relationship:
1 Mb = 1024 Kb
Currently we express the size of memories in the greatness of Gigabyte! But until we got here, many years passed in Kb and Mb!
Concept of RAM and ROM Memory.
Imagine RAM as a blank sheet of paper, used fornotes and drafts. Without it, the computer's processor will not be able to make its "drafts" to present us with the data results!
In addition, RAM stores part of the operating system, which is necessary for the equipment to function correctly. Without it, the computer won't turn on!
However, when it is turned off (turning off the computer) ALL internal data in the RAM is lost! It is a temporary memory, it only keeps the data while it is energized!
In RAM, the data is accessed freely, that is, in any order and position, unlike the old magnetic memories (K7) used in old computers, which is why it is faster and used in 100% of modern digital equipment.
Read Only Memory (ROM)is a memory used only for reading its internal data, that is, we cannot use it freely like RAM. Generally, ROM is used for the initial loading of the machine's processes. For example, the Boot process!
Before the operating system can be loaded, there must be an initial "routine" process for the machine. This is recorded in ROM memory!
Generally, the BIOS is recorded in ROM, so that even with the computer turned off, the information is not lost! Some BIOS chips are made of EEPROM, a special type of ROM that can be written under special conditions (such as updating the BIOS, for example). But they require special equipment!
More modern motherboard models use FLASH-ROM chips, which can be more easily recorded by the user in the case of updates.
We use ROM in all digital equipment! Without the ROM chip, many initial machine processes (BIOS, P.O.S.T) cannot be pre-executed!
The term ROM can also be used to designate other types of memory, such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, which cannot be written, only read!
Hardware and Software? What's the difference?
Here we have a huge difference! The term "Hardware" is used to designate any and all physical means, everything we can handle with our hands, everything that exists in our real world.
Printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, hard drive, memories, etc. all of this is called hardware.
The term "Software" is related to the programs and applications used by digital machines, specifically their code. This code is a language, something that we cannot hold with our hands, it does not exist in our real world, only in the digital world.
Operating system, games, text editors, etc., all of this is software!
With this, we conclude our Class for Today, until next time.
JMJG (Electronic Engineer/IT Instructor)
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