Rugged Computer (Military)

By Kai , Lucy , Deanna & TaylorGroup 10

What is itO A rugged computer is a computer

specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh usage environments and conditions, such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions.

Approximate price to upgrade:

O The most important aspect of the rugged computer is its case because this keeps the computer from breaking in bad conditions and if the computer is thrown or dropped it will not break.

• To upgrade to a semi – rugged

computer would cost £1656

• The best computer to upgrade to a

fully rugged computer but would

cost up to £3655.

Essential Components:

Optional Peripherals :

You can add a keyboard or mouse to a rugged computer but it would be expensive as they would also have to be rugged so that they are protected from the environment like the computer.

Key upgrades:

• Key upgrades to make a rugged computer

better is to make sure you upgrade to a

computer with no USB slots or DVD drives in the computer so that no dust or water get

inside. • Also making sure there

is a protective case covering the whole

computer so its protected from the

environment .

Are they future proof?

O Rugged computer's are future proof because they have a protective cases so they will only break when the parts of the computer inside stop working but otherwise they last for ages.

O When you build them they should be the fastest they can be , for example , with 16 GB of RAM because you want it to last for as long as possible . Especially if they are using them in the military then they need them to be fast for bombs , etc.

O Rugged casing is also very expensive and once its on the computer you cant get it off so you want the computer to last as long as it can so you don’t have to dismantle the case to fix it.

The CPUCPU stands for Central Processing Unit.This is the brain of the computer which does all the processing and calculations on data inputs and provides output on screen or printer.The CPU consists of several functional units , such as:O The control unit - The control unit provides the timing and control signal to all operations of the computer. It controls the flow of databetween the microprocessor and memory.O The arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) Performs arithmetic operations (addition , subtraction , multiplication

and division)and logic operations. Logic operations test various conditions to encounter during processing and allow for different actions to be taken based on the results..

O It also uses the Fetch-execute cycle to help different pieces of data be stored and carried out:O Fetch - The CPU uses the virtual hardware path called the Address Bus , The CPU places the next

item into the Address Bus to be fetched. The data from this address then moves to the main memory into the CPU by travelling along the hardware bus called the data bus. The Program counter copies the address to the next instruction into the Memory Address Register (MAR).

O Decode - The CPU then needs to make sense of the instruction its just fetched. The CPU is designed to understand a different set of commands which are called the 'Instruction set'. Each make of CPU has a different instruction set. The CPU decodes the instruction and prepares various areas for the next step.

O Execute - This is when data processing takes place , the instruction is carried out on the data and the result is stored in a register. The Program Counter is reset and the CPU sets itself for another cycle.

Hard DriveO An internal hard drive is built into the

computer and without this your computer wouldn’t be able to operate.

O They are designed to store all data , files and media within the computer.

O As your computer runs, its processor is constantly performing calculations on the data stored on the computer. The faster the processor is, the faster your computer will run.

Heat SinkO A heat sink is a device that

allows the transfer of heat away from the heat source and is attached to the source to reduce the heat within their safe running temperature limits

O Nearly all microprocessors in computers use a heat sink to transfer the heat of the CPU to the aluminium which lets the heat into the air.

The Mother BoardO A motherboard is also

known as a main board, system board and logic board.

O The function of the computer motherboard is to act as the main circuit board that connects and communicates to all the devices and components attached.

O The motherboard also facilitates the communication of devices with each other.

RAMO RAM stands for Random

Access Memory.O It is computer's main

memory where programs, application software, and data are stored. The size of the RAM (measured by kilobytes) is an important indicator of the capacity of the computer