Digital Computers

Digital computer is a device that can process and store data using electronic circuits. They are found in a wide variety of devices for example phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers. Digital computers use an integrated circuit called a “processor” to perform calculations based on instructions stored in the memory. This allows the computer to process data and carry out commands without human interaction.

Since the computer only understands digits, or 0s and 1s, internal operations are carried out using the binary number system. As a result it translates English-language text into binary form, enabling machine and human communication.

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Examples Of Digital Computers

Some of the common and basic examples of digital devices such as :

Digital clock
ATM – Automated Teller Machine
Digital Weighing Machine
Calculator
Digital camera

Digital Computer Parts

Digital computers have four major components and i have described them in detail

Input: helps users to give data and instructions to a computer to perform certain tasks.
Processor: the processor is a set of integrated circuits that perform calculations given through input device.
Memory: memory stores instructions and data to be carried out by the processor.
Output: once the task is completed it is displayed through various output devices.

Types Of Digital Computers

Digital computers are a technology that require programming to produce the desired results. Electronic technology is used to create, store, and process various kinds of data. I divided digital computers into four groups based on their size and type such as.

Micro Computer
Super Computer
Mainframe Computer
Mini Computer

Micro Computer

A microcomputer is a class of small computers which use small amounts of memory to perform a limited set of tasks. The term is commonly use to describe personal computers such as desktops and laptops. However, microcomputers can be use to refer to any computer system that is small enough to fit on a desk.

Examples : HP, DELL, Apple, IBM pc etc.

Super Computer

Supercomputers are usually very large and expensive computers used for scientific research or data processing. The largest supercomputer in the world is the Tianhe-2 in China. It uses 33,328 Intel Xeon processors and can perform more than 55 quadrillion calculations per second! In comparison, the most powerful personal computer in the world today can perform less than one million calculations per second.

Examples : Cray Titan, NUDT Tianhe-2, Sunway TaihuLight, IBM Sierra etc.

Mainframe Computer

Mainframe computers are typically large-sized machines used mostly for processing and storing vast amounts of data. An organisation that needs to perform important calculations requiring a lot of data processing, such as censuses and consumer statistics, uses these devices.

Examples : ENIAC (Electric Numerical Integrator and Calculator), UNIVAC series, Zseries from IBM, ASCC (Automatic Sequence Control Computer) etc.

Mini Computer

Mid-range computers with one or more processors are referred to as minicomputers. Because they offer multiprocessing, the several processors can share the same computer memory and other peripherals needed to complete the assigned work. Minicomputers are typically used for database management, file handling, and transaction processing.

Examples : IBM’s AS/400e, Honeywell200, TI-990 etc.

Digital Computer Features

Good Memory – Digital computers are capable of storing a great amount of information and retrieving it in a nanosecond. Therefore the information can be kept for any amount of time and accessed at any moment.
Incredibly Adaptable – These computers are very flexible and versatile since they can multitask without any human intervention.
Automatic – Once turned on, these gadgets operate automatically. They do not require involvement unless particularly required by the job.
Good Speed – Digital computers operate at a high speed and complete all tasks quickly.
Accurate – These gadgets aid in keeping all the information which helps in accessing accurate data at any point in a particular period.