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Learn about the different components of a computer system, including monitors, keyboards, mice, and the system unit. Explore the motherboard, expansion slots, and various types of memory. Discover how to connect peripheral devices to your computer.
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Chapter One Chapter One Computer Basics Part 1
Computers systems come in many different sizes and shapes, according to the user’s wants and the manufacture’s style.
A notebook computer, sometimes called a “laptop” is gaining popularity due to low power processor chips.
They all have monitors, as an output device, this one is a CRT (cathode ray tube).
Flat screen LCD (liquid crystal display) type monitor. The same type is used in laptops
Some keyboards have a trackball (an upside-down mouse) built into them.
Laptops have a type of mouse built in. Touchpoint Touchpad
The system unit houses an array of storage and file transfer devices, located in the front panel for easy access.
A computer’s system unit typically contains circuit boards, a power supply, and storage devices. • A few wires and cables connect storage devices to the power supply and circuit boards. • Ports and sockets to connect to input and output devices (called peripheral devices). • Fans to cool the components and indicator lights.
The Main component of a System Unit is the motherboard, or system board.
Most of the electronic components inside a computer are integrated circuits (ICs).
A DIP (dual in-line pins) is the most common. DIPs contain specialized support circuitry.
Other ICs are DIMM (dual in-line Memory Modules), Used in RAM (Random Access Memory).
RAM (Random Access Memory) • volatile memory • holds ops for more than one cycle • allows CPU to become a tool
Some are used for ROM (read-only memory) BIOS (basic input/output system).
ROM (read-only memory) is nonvolatile memory • Holds program instructions after power off • Instruction set for startup • BIOS (basic input/output system)
CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) • permanent as long as battery voltage is applied • Holds PC setup • User intervention
Still other ICs are PGA (pin-grid array) a square chip package used for the main processing circuitry.
The largest processor package is the SEC (single edge contact) cartridge of the Pentium III.
The largest feature of an IC is the lead frame package. The chip of the biggest IC is the size of your fingernail.
Contained in this chip can be millions of transistors, resistors, and other electronic components.
Another feature of the motherboard is the expansion slots which allows the installation of input and output expansion cards for video, sound, and etc.
ISA (industry standard architecture). • ISA slots are an older technology, used today for some modems and other relatively slow devices. Many new computers have few or no ISA slots
PCI (peripheral component interconnect). • PCI slots offer fast transfer speeds and a 64-bit data bus. These slots typically house a graphics card, sound card, video capture card, modem, or network interface card (NIC).
AGP (accelerated graphics port). • Primarily used for graphics cards, and faster than a PCI slot, an AGP slot provides a high-speed data pathway that is particularly handy for 3-D graphics.
Expansion cards simply slide into an expansion slot. Video card
Expansion cards are added to a laptop by means of a PCMCIA ( Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) slot.
An external NIC (network interface card), a hard disk, or a modem (modulation-demodulation) card can be added to a laptop.
To connect a peripheral device to an expansion card, you plug a cable from that peripheral device into an expansion port.
CONNECTORS Connects to the Video port 15 pins Monitor
CONNECTORS LPT 25 pins Printer, external CD-ROM drive, external Zip, external hard drive. Connects to parallel port, which sends data simultaneously over eight data lines at speeds of 12,000 Kbps (kilobits per seconds)
CONNECTORS Connects to serial port, which sends data over a single data line one bit at a time at speeds of 56 Kbps. Mouse or Modem COM 9 pins