INFORMATION PROCESSING

Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (GENERAL PROFICIENCY)

 

Grade: 11                                                             Teacher:  Mrs. McCallum-Rodney

 

 

Definition of Information Processing

Information processing is the change (processing) of information in any manner detectable by an observer. As such, it is a process which describes everything which happens (changes) in the universe, from the falling of a rock (a change in position) to the printing of a text file from a digital computer system. In the latter case, an information processor is changing the form of presentation of that text file.

Information processing may more specifically be defined as the conversion of latent information into manifest information.

Practical Information Processing can be described as a cycle, where data (which may have no inherent meaning to the observer) is converted into information (which does have meaning to the observer).

FUNCTIONS OF INFORMATION PROCESSING

 

Automation

Automation refers to the use of computers and other automated machinery for the execution of tasks that a human labourer would otherwise perform. Companies automate for many reasons. Increased productivity is normally the primary reason for many companies desiring a competitive advantage. Automation can also reduce human error and thus improve quality. Other reasons to automate include the presence of a hazardous working environment and the high cost of human labour. The decision regarding automation is often associated with some economic and social considerations.

Virtually every industry sector has benefited from automation, including manufacturing, services, and retailing, and some have been greatly transformed by it. Automation technology falls into two main categories:

All businesses of any significant size automate their information handling in some way. Because the use of desktop computers is now so common, many simple forms of office automation may be overlooked. Word processing software automates daily tasks such as memo writing and identifying spelling errors. But information management is automated in more powerful ways, as well, such as in

• electronic identification and tracking of inventory
• automated record keeping and transaction processing
• information sharing across the organization
• data analysis and manipulation

These functions, and many others, can extend to all parts of the business, including finance departments, sales and marketing departments, and even corporate boardrooms. As with physical process automation, information management automation can markedly improve productivity and give corporate management greater strategic control over the enterprise.

Process Control

 

Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms, and algorithms for controlling the output of a specific process.

For example, heating up the temperature in a room is a process that has the specific, desired outcome to reach and maintain a defined temperature (e.g. 20°C), kept constant over time. Here, the temperature is the controlled variable. At the same time, it is the input variable since it is measured by a thermometer and used to decide whether to heat or not to heat. The desired temperature (20°C) is the setpoint. The state of the heater (e.g. the setting of the valve allowing hot water to flow through it) is called the manipulated variable since it is subject to control actions.

A commonly used control device called a programmable logic controller, or a PLC, is used to read a set of digital and analog inputs, apply a set of logic statements, and generate a set of analog and digital outputs. Using the example in the previous paragraph, the room temperature would be an input to the PLC. The logical statements would compare the setpoint to the input temperature and determine whether more or less heating was necessary to keep the temperature constant. A PLC output would then either open or close the hot water valve, an incremental amount, depending on whether more or less hot water was needed. Larger more complex systems can be controlled by a Distributed Control System (DCS) or SCADA system.

In practice, process control systems can be characterized as one or more of the following forms:

• Discrete – Found in many manufacturing, motion and packaging applications. Robotic assembly, such as that found in automotive production, can be characterized as discrete process control. Most discrete manufacturing involves the production of discrete pieces of product, such as metal stamping.

• Batch – Some applications require that specific quantities of raw materials be combined in specific ways for particular durations to produce an intermediate or end result. One example is the production of adhesives and glues, which normally require the mixing of raw materials in a heated vessel for a period of time to form a quantity of end product. Other important examples are the production of food, beverages and medicine. Batch processes are generally used to produce a relatively low to intermediate quantity of product per year (a few pounds to millions of pounds).

• Continuous – Often, a physical system is represented though variables that are smooth and uninterrupted in time. The control of the water temperature in a heating jacket, for example, is an example of continuous process control. Some important continuous processes are the production of fuels, chemicals and plastics. Continuous processes, in manufacturing, are used to produce very large quantities of product per year (millions to billions of pounds).