(1) basic technology
Information technology is at the bottom of the information technology system, which mainly refers to new materials and new energy technologies. The improvement of information technology in performance and level depends on the progress of these two technologies. For example, the development of electronic information technology from electron tube to transistor, integrated circuit and VLSI era is ultimately due to the development and utilization of new materials such as germanium, silicon, gallium arsenide and metal oxide semiconductor, while the development of laser information technology depends on the development of various laser materials and the utilization of laser energy.
Supporting technology
The second layer of information technology system is supporting technology, which mainly refers to mechanical technology, electronic technology, laser technology, space technology and biotechnology. Information technology can always be realized by various supporting technologies, because the information representing the state of motion and the changing way of the state of motion can be expressed by physical parameters such as mechanical, electrical and optical signals, and it is easy to be recognized, controlled, processed and utilized by people. Therefore, people refer to the information technology realized by mechanical technology as mechanical information technology, such as abacus, slide rule, hand-cranked computer and electronic computer. Information technology realized by electronic technology is called electronic information technology, such as radio and television, telephone and telegraph, computer, etc. The information technology realized by laser technology is called laser information technology, such as laser optical fiber communication, laser control, laser computer and so on. The information technology realized by space technology is called space information technology, such as communication satellites and planetary detectors. The information technology realized by biotechnology is called bioinformatics technology, such as biosensor and biological computer.
(3) Main technologies
The above supporting technology is the main technology. The main technologies refer to sensing technology, communication technology, computer technology and control technology. Because the initials of acquisition (the basic function of sensing), communication, computer and control (contr0 1) are all "c", for the sake of simplicity, some people call information technology "1C" technology, "2C" technology and "3C" technology.
"1C" simply boils down to computer technology, which is obviously very one-sided. Because there is no source and circulation of information, the role of isolated computers is very limited.
2C "refers to computers and communications. Because people realize that computer and communication technology will be closely combined in the future society, they think that information technology is computer technology and communication technology. Anthony Hodinger of Harvard University created another new word Compunication, which means computer communication technology. It is used to indicate that computers, telephones and televisions are combined together through digital electronic technology to form a system with different functions. But the statement of "2C" is also incomplete, because if there is no sensing technology, the information obtained by relying on people's own sensory organs will be limited.
"3C" refers to computer, communication and control, but some people think that control should not be listed separately because it is only a function of computer. But we think, considering the diversity of control itself. You can also make a separate list. In fact, control is the basic prerequisite for information to play its role and complete human activities to transform the world. Of course, the disadvantage of this statement is obvious because it ignores the sensing technology.
★ "4C" refers to acquisition (sensing technology), communication, computer and control. Judging from the functional system of our own information organs, the statement of "4C" should be more comprehensive.
applied technology
Information technology application technology refers to various application technology groups produced by discipline technology for various practical purposes. Specifically, it is information technology that is differentiated according to the application fields of disciplines and technologies, such as agriculture, industry, transportation, finance, library and information, science and culture, education and health, literature and sports, administration, social services, family life, military and national defense, etc. They constitute a complete application technology system. The wide application of information technology in all walks of life shows that it has strong penetration and is closely related to all fields of human beings. Essentially. The popularization and application of information technology in various fields is actually to enhance the information attribute of labor materials and make labor tools automatic and intelligent, that is to say, to combine information technology with other technologies and maximize the potential of these technologies, which is the basic premise of informatization in all walks of life.
People usually only refer to the main technology and applied technology in the information technology system as information technology, because they can directly extend and expand the functions of human information organs, which is information technology in a narrow sense. Although basic technology and supporting technology are also very important, they are generally not called information technology, but under certain conditions, the information technology referred to at this time is generalized.