What is System?
A system is an arrangement of a predefined set of rules in which all units assemble and work together to organize one or many tasks. It can also be defined as a system that is a way of working, systematizing, or doing one or many tasks, according to a prefixed plan or program. Let us examine a system with real-time examples as follows:
Real-Time examples of System
Consider a wrist watch either analog or digital. It is a time-displaying system. As per the analog wristwatch, parts include the watch’s outer hardware, needles, battery, chassis, strap, and designer dial. These all components are organized with a set of rules to show the real-time every second and continuously update the time every second. This organized system updates the display using three needles after each second.
The set of rules followed by the watch are as follows;
- All needles move in a clockwise direction only.
- A thin and long needle rotates every second such that it returns to the same position after a minute.
- A long needle rotates every minute such that it returns to the same position after an hour.
- The short needle rotates every hour such that it returns to the same position after twelve hours.
- All three needles return to the same inclinations after twelve hours each day.
If any of its parts fail or start working out of the rules, then the watch will stop working or display the wrong time. So we can say, in a system, all its subcomponents depend on each other to perform the correct job.
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Example 2 – Washing Machine
Consider another example of a system i.e. washing machine. It is an automatic clothes-washing system. The essential hardware parts of a washing machine include a motor to rotate or spin, a status display panel, the switches, and dials for user-defined programming, its power supply, and control unit, an inner water-level sensor, a solenoid valve for letting water in, and another valve for letting water drain out. These parts are put in order to wash clothes automatically according to a preinstalled program that is preset by a user according to the cloth quality and dirt level.
The system program is to wash the dirty clothes placed in a tank, which rotates or spins in pre-programmed steps and covers all stages to clear the dirt off the clothes. It follows a set of rules.
Some of these sets of rules are as follows:
- Follow the steps strictly in the following sequence.
I: Wash by spinning the motor according to a programmed period.
II: Rinse in fresh water after draining out the dirty water, and rinse a second time if the system is not programmed in water-saving mode.
III: After draining out the water completely, spin fast the motor for a programmed period for drying by centrifuging out water from the clothes.
IV: Show the wash-over status by a blinking display. Sound the alarm for a minute to signal that the wash cycle is complete.
- At each step, display the progress status of the system on displaying panel.
- In case of an interruption, execute only the remaining part of the program, starting from the position when the process was interrupted.
There can be no repetition from Step I unless the user resets the system by inserting another set of clothes and resets the program.
