Although you do not need to understand how hardware and software interact to use your computer, it is certainly interesting for computer enthusiasts. It is a well-known fact that there are many differences between hardware and software, but these differences play a role in establishing the communication between hardware and software.
All computer applications can be classified into three types: device drivers, operating systems, and application programs. You can refer to these types to encompass all the programs on your PC. Usually, each program has its own specific task to perform. The entire application is actually a set of instructions that are written to change the condition of the hardware. Before delving into how these instructions affect the hardware, it’s important to understand a few things about computer hardware.
The monitor, printer, hard drive, RAM, graphics card, and all the other physical components connected to the computer are computer hardware. Without hardware, the software has no place to run. Therefore, hardware and software work together to execute whatever the user wants.
There are many differences between hardware and software, including their nature, function, and ability to be modified. However, ultimately, they are useless without each other.
When programming in a high-level language (e.g., C, C#), the entire code you write is converted into 1s and 0s. This is handled by the compiler, which converts written code into binary (1s and 0s) after the program follows a specified set of rules or syntax. These 1s and 0s are simply the voltage levels that control all the electrical circuits.
For example, consider a simple LED bulb connected to a battery source and a small switch. When the switch is closed, the LED turns on, and when the switch is open, the LED turns off. The bulb turns on and off because of the variation in ion levels in these cases. When the switch is closed, the entire source voltage is applied to the LED bulb, causing it to shine. When the switch is open, the bulb is not provided with the necessary voltage, and it doesn’t work. This is how voltage levels control the LED bulb. The physical action of turning the LED bulb on and off by opening and closing the switch can be replaced by another mechanism. This works fine as long as this mechanism can function according to your needs.