1. Computer Merit Badge September 2002 Tom Foss tomfoss@usa.net 322-1434

2. Requirements Give a short history of computers. Describe the major parts of a computer system. Give four different uses of computers. Tell what a program is and how it is developed. Give three examples of programming languages and what types of programming they are used for. Describe a source program and an object program. Show how the following may be stored in computer memory: text, numbers, pictures, and sound. Do THREE of the following: Use a database manager to create a troop roster, providing name, rank, patrol, and telephone number of each Scout. Sort the register by rank, by patrol, and alphabetically by name. Use a spreadsheet program to develop a weekend campout food budget for your patrol. Use a word processor to write a letter to parents of your troop's Scouts, inviting them to a court of honor. Use the mail merge feature to make a personalized copy of the letter for each family. Use a computer graphics program to design and draw a campsite plan for your troop. Be prepared to discuss various jobs in the computer field.

3. Requirements Do TWO of the following: Visit a business or industry that uses computers. Study what the computer accomplishes and be prepared to discuss what you observed. Use a computer attached to a local area network or equipped with a modem to connect to a computer network or bulletin-board service such as Prodigy, CompuServe, or America Online. Send a message to someone on the network or download a program or file from the network. Use a general-purpose programming language to write a program application of your choice, subject to approval by your counselor. Be prepared to discuss several terms used in each of the following categories: Input/output devices Storage media Memory Processors and coprocessors Modems Networks Electronic mail Robotics Is it permissible to accept a free copy of a computer game or program from a friend? Why or why not? Describe several ways in which you and your family could use a personal computer other than for games and recreation.

4. History Analog vs. Digital Abacus - Early Pascaline - 1612 Difference Engine - 1888

5. Early Digital Computers- ABC Atanasoff-Berry Computer - 1939

6. Early Digital Computers – ENIAC - 1945

7. Harvard Mark 1 – IBM ASCC - 1944

8. IBM 1401 – 1968 +/-

9. Apple 1 – 1975/Apple ][ - 1977 Macintosh - 1984

10. IBM PC - 1981

11. Parts of a Digital Computer Input Output Processor Memory ROM RAM Storage Hard Drive Floppy Disk CD-ROM

12. 8080 – 1975 - 4500 Transistors

13. 8086 – 1978 – 29,000 Transistors

14. 80286 – 1982 – 90,000 Transistors

15. 80386 – 1985 – 229,000 Transistors

16. 80486 – 1989 – 1.2 Million

17. Pentium – 1993 – 3.1 Million

18. Pentium Pro – 1995 – 5.5 Million

19. Pentium 2 – 1997 – 7.5 Million

20. Pentium 3 – 1999 – 9.5 Million

21. Pentium 4 – 2001 – 42 Million

22. Core Memory

23. Use of Computers Calculation Word Processing Communications Mapping Analysis ?

24. Computer Merit Badge September 2002 Tom Foss tomfoss@usa.net 322-1434 Additional Material/Images from: Alter – Information Systems 4th ed. © 2002 Prentice Hall

25. Requirements Give a short history of computers. Describe the major parts of a computer system. Give four different uses of computers. Tell what a program is and how it is developed. Give three examples of programming languages and what types of programming they are used for. Describe a source program and an object program. Show how the following may be stored in computer memory: text, numbers, pictures, and sound. Do THREE of the following: Use a database manager to create a troop roster, providing name, rank, patrol, and telephone number of each Scout. Sort the register by rank, by patrol, and alphabetically by name. Use a spreadsheet program to develop a weekend campout food budget for your patrol. Use a word processor to write a letter to parents of your troop's Scouts, inviting them to a court of honor. Use the mail merge feature to make a personalized copy of the letter for each family. Use a computer graphics program to design and draw a campsite plan for your troop. Be prepared to discuss various jobs in the computer field.

26. Requirements Do TWO of the following: Visit a business or industry that uses computers. Study what the computer accomplishes and be prepared to discuss what you observed. Use a computer attached to a local area network or equipped with a modem to connect to a computer network or bulletin-board service such as Prodigy, CompuServe, or America Online. Send a message to someone on the network or download a program or file from the network. Use a general-purpose programming language to write a program application of your choice, subject to approval by your counselor. Be prepared to discuss several terms used in each of the following categories: Input/output devices Storage media Memory Processors and coprocessors Modems Networks Electronic mail Robotics Is it permissible to accept a free copy of a computer game or program from a friend? Why or why not? Describe several ways in which you and your family could use a personal computer other than for games and recreation.

27. Networking Protocol Ethernet TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) Topology Bus Star Wireless (802.11/WiFi) IP Addresses 254.12.123.16 Private Subnets (10.10/192.168) Routers

28. Accessing the Internet Dial Up Modem (Modulator/Demodulator) 56K (realistically 45K) Broadband Always on High Speed DSL – 500K/128K + dedicated Cable – 784K/128K + shared Satellite – 500K/128K

29. Security Virus Checkers Must be Updated! Attachments -.exe, Javascripts Firewall Port blocking Filtering Logging Virtual Private Networks

30. Software Operating Systems Windows DOS OS X Linux/Unix Applications Word Processing (Word) Spreadsheet (Excel) Browser (Internet Explorer) Data Base (Access) Presentation (PowerPoint) Specialized (Accounting, Ordering,….)

31. 31 Programming As a Translation Process

32. 32 Algorithm

33. 33 Machine Languages/Object Code The internal programming language for a particular chip The only language the processor can understand Very difficult for humans to use

34. 34 Assembly Languages Are automatically translated into machine language by assembler programs Makes programs easier to write because it avoids the problem of physical references Still very laborious and error-prone

35. 35 High Level Languages Also known as third generation languages (3GLs) source code object code The source code is translated into the object code (machine language) by a COMPILER The translation can also be accomplished by an INTERPRETER, which translates and executes each line of code (no object code is created)

36. Programming Languages COBOL Common Business Oriented Language Fortran Formula Translator BASIC Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code Visual Basic

37. 37 Fourth Generation Languages (4GLs) A loosely defined group of programming languages that permit nonprogrammers to do programming work Main categories: Query languages Report generators

38. 38 The Changing Nature of Programming Greater nonprocedurality Procedural program – a program that specifies how something should be done Nonprocedural program – a program that specifies what should be accomplished Nonprocedural programs are easier to develop

39. 39 Greater modularity and reusability Reusability – using preexisting modules when developing new programs Greater machine and data independence Machine independence – programs can be executed under different operating system and on machines from different vendors Data independence – possible to change the way the data are physically stored without changing the program The Changing Nature of Programming

40. 40 Tighter links between analysis and programming Eliminating steps between the expression of what people want (analysis) and the instructions for the computer (programming) Computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools The Changing Nature of Programming

41. Binary coding schemes Binary coding schemes ASCII : Uses 8 bits (= one byte) for each character Enough for 256 different combinations UNICODE : A superset of ASCII Uses 2 bytes for each character Enough for 65,536 different combinations Binary representation of text

42. Digitizing – the process of creating a digital representation of an image or sound Pixel = picture element Representations of this type are always approximations Representation of sounds and pictures

43. Data Storage

44. Jobs in Computers Hardware Engineer Systems Analyst Programmer Operator Web Site Designer

45. Copyright/Ethics Copyright US & International Law Licensing Types Commercial Freeware Shareware Copying & Sharing Commercial SW is Wrong!

46. Home Uses of Computers Email Family Web Pages Accounting Bill Paying Research …