COMPUTER HARDWARE FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS

Computer hardware as it pertains to civil engineering is explained, and the fundamentals of the binary system and both numerical and character encoding schemes are presented. Computer configurations, including primary and secondary storage, are examined; a general classification hierarchy is established. An extensive overview of computer peripherals is provided, encompassing the following: communications and interfacing; terminals; lineprinters; magnetic tape, disk and drum storage; plotters; cardreaders; and analog-to-digital interfaces. Computer reliability is considered with an emphasis on error detection and recovery. Numerous terms and measurement quantities are defined.