TS+How+Computers+Work




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**MrsPurves** · ·  · [|My Account] · Help · [|Sign Out] · Tech Support - How Computers Work =How Computers Work= Assignment #1
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MS-DOS
[|Chap Assign 1] [|Publish at Scribd] or [|explore] others: Assignment #1 Open the following slideshow. [|computer hardware ex1.ppt] Print the following assignment and use the slideshow above to find your answers. Please write in pencil. [|chap3assign1.doc]

Basic Operations
There are 4 basic computer operations that can be performed:
 * 1) Input (keyboard, mic, mouse, touch screen)
 * 2) Processing (edit, render, formulas, transitions, etc.)
 * 3) Output (monitor, printer, speakers, etc.)
 * 4) Storage (hard drive, flash drive, CDr, DVDr, floppy drive, etc.)

=Hardware Components=

**Computer Cases**

 * The case can determine the type of mother board used, which then detemines the type of processor (cpu)
 * Frame is made of metal covered with a plastic or metal
 * Protects from dust and damage
 * Also reduces noise levels
 * Comprised of bays for placing drives
 * 5 ¼ “ bays are for cd roms, hard drives,etc.
 * 3 ½ “ bays are for floppy drives


 * Types of Cases**

Desktop
 * Sits horizontally on the desk|| [[image:http://whateveruwant.com.au/LImage.aspx?i=1601&t=1 caption="Desktop"]] ||
 * Desktop ||

Tower
 * Sits upright (or vertical) on the desk
 * [[image:http://www.ryanscomputers.com/images/desktop_computer.jpg caption="Tower"]] ||
 * Tower ||

Power Supplies

 * Provides power for various electronic circuits within the computer
 * A transformer inside converts the voltage supplied from standard outlets to voltages the computer can use
 * Contains a cooling fan (easy way to find the power supply)
 * Rated in watts, typical sizes range from 250-400 watts but can go higher
 * Most common type of power supply is an ATX
 * Uses color coded wires and uses industry standard connectors




 * [[image:http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/477815736_d436d0d2d3.jpg caption="open power supply"]] ||
 * open power supply ||

See [] for video

Cooling Systems

 * Why is Cooling Important?**
 * A computer system's components produce large amounts of heat during operation.
 * Components such as CPUs, graphics cards and hard drives produce a lot of heat.
 * This heat must be dissipated in order to keep these components within their safe operating temperatures
 * This is done mainly using heat sinks to increase the surface area which dissipates heat and fans to speed up the exchange of air heated by the computer parts for cooler ambient air
 * Overheated parts generally exhibit a shorter maximum life-span and may give sporadic problems resulting in system freezes or crashes.
 * Power supply fan is important in order to prevent overheating
 * CPU (processor) and RAM are close to the power suppply so they can get the cooling from the fan
 * [[image:http://www.thetechzone.com/reviews/case/ps_fan.jpg caption="Power Supply Fan"]] ||
 * Power Supply Fan ||


 * Extra fans can also be added to help cool your computer
 * [[image:http://www.steady-stream.com/Computer%20fan%20Mold.jpg caption="Computer Fans"]] ||
 * Computer Fans ||


 * Heat sink absorbs and disperses heat away from computer components
 * [[image:http://www.mss.net/Links/DellDocs/OptiGX240/SvcManual/mprcss18.jpg caption="Heat Sink on a Processor"]] ||
 * Heat Sink on a Processor ||


 * Sometimes, heat sink and fans can be used together
 * Liquid cool systems are also available
 * [[image:http://umfacts.um.edu.my/Gallery/8700003209.jpg caption="Liquid Cooling System"]] ||
 * Liquid Cooling System ||

Click here to watch a video on computer cooling: []

[|chap3assign2.doc]

Motherboard

 * Also called system board or mainboard
 * Houses the following components
 * CPU (central processing unit)
 * Controller circuitry
 * Buses
 * RAM
 * Expansion slots
 * Ports for external devices
 * CMOS chip
 * ROM
 * BIOS chips


 * [[image:http://catalyst.washington.edu/help/computing_fundamentals/troubleshootingxp/img/motherboard.gif caption="Back of Motherboard"]] ||
 * Back of Motherboard ||




 * All components are connected to the motherboard in some way (mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc.)
 * Some can now support more than one processor (like a car with two engines)
 * Made of fiberglass and covered with many silicon chips (small circuit boards) that are often the size of a postage stamp
 * Classified by size (and therefore, screw holes)
 * ATX are most common (must use with ATX case)


 * Motherboard Chipset**
 * In computing, the term //chipset// is commonly used to refer to a set of specialized chips on a computer's motherboard or an expansion card.
 * Based on Intel Pentium-class microprocessors, the term //chipset// often refers to a specific pair of chips on the motherboard: the //northbridge// and the //southbridge//.
 * The northbridge links the CPU to very high-speed devices, especially main memory and graphics controllers, and the southbridge connects to lower-speed peripheral buses (such as PCI or ISA).
 * [[image:http://media.obsessable.com/media/2008/12/22/motherboard-parts.jpg caption="Northbridge & Southbridge"]] ||
 * Northbridge & Southbridge ||


 * A chipset is usually designed to work with a specific family of microprocessors.
 * Because it controls communications between the processor and external devices, the chipset plays a crucial role in determining system performance.
 * Determines compatibility of the mother board with other components
 * The chipset determines:
 * How much RAM can be used (how many megabytes)
 * The type of RAM (SD, DDR, DDR2, etc.)
 * Types and speeds of processor (CPU)
 * Types of expansion slots (AGP, PCI, PCI Express)

Assignment 3
[|chap3assign3.doc]


 * BIOS ROM**
 * BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System while ROM stands for Read Only Memory.
 * The primary function of the BIOS is to identify and initiate component hardware (such as hard disk, floppy and optical disk drives).
 * This is to prepare the machine so other software programs stored on various media can load, execute, and assume control of the PC.[3]
 * Chip located on the motherboard, usually marked “BIOS”
 * Easy to locate because its normally the largest chip on the board
 * Normally labeled with a manufacturer’s name and serial number
 * Contains instructions for the boot process
 * Also called firmware for your motherboard
 * Tells your computer the following info
 * What hard drives are installed
 * Is there a floppy connected?
 * What input/output devices are installed
 * Which components to boot from (you probably changed your bios setting when using your boot disk to load windows)
 * [[image:http://catalyst.washington.edu/help/computing_fundamentals/troubleshootingxp/img/bios.gif caption="BIOS"]] ||
 * BIOS ||


 * [[image:http://www.computerhope.com/help/bios4.gif caption="BIOS finding computer components"]] ||
 * BIOS finding computer components ||


 * [[image:http://www.poy.net/proxy/bios2.jpg caption="BIOS Boot Order"]] ||
 * BIOS Boot Order ||

Assignment 4
[|chap3assign4.doc]

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

 * The processor or the “brain” of the computer
 * Processes instructions, sends signals to other components
 * Serves as a messenger to RAM, the monitor, disk drives, etc.
 * Sometimes people mistakenly believe the case or chassis of a computer is the CPU. However, a CPU is an internal component of the computer.
 * [[image:http://images.tigerdirect.com/skuimages/large/MBM-MCP6P-5000-main-la.jpg caption="CPU"]] ||
 * CPU ||


 * [[image:http://www.global-b2b-network.com/direct/dbimage/50086366/CPU_Cooler.jpg caption="CPU + Fan "]] ||
 * CPU + Fan ||


 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Intel_80486DX2_bottom.jpg caption="CPU bottom"]] ||
 * CPU bottom ||


 * You can’t see it from the outside of the system; you’d have to peek inside and remove both the CPU heatsink and fan to get a good look.
 * Connected to the computer system by three buses:
 * 1) Data bus – bidirectional pathway from memory (RAM) to the CPU that cannot be used both ways simultaneously
 * 2) Address bus – unidirectional pathway for carrying addresses from CPU to other components
 * 3) Control bus carries the control and timing signals to coordinate the computer activities


 * Bus**
 * Carries info from one component to the other
 * Comprised of metallic paths on a circuit board (often gold in color)


 * CPU** **cont'd**
 * Intel, AMD, and Cyrix are popular CPU producers
 * Processors connect to mother boards through sockets (the type of motherboard you have, or the socket, determines what processors you can install)
 * Various types of sockets exist


 * Socket 7 fits Pentium 75-233 MHz
 * Socket 478 fits Intel Pentium 4 from 1-2.3 GHz
 * etc.


 * Some companies tried using slots instead of sockets but eventually went back to sockets
 * CPU packaged in a slot to fit your motherboard like a sound or video card
 * Speed (called clock speed)of a CPU is measured by maximum recommend operating speed but many can be overclocked (suped up)
 * The speed units are hurts so, a 333 MHz processor runs at 333,000,000 Hertz, or cycles per second.
 * Processors are now measured in GHz or Gigahertz.

CPUs contain two basic components
 * 1) Control Unit
 * 2) Arithmetic Logic Unit

Control Unit Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
 * Instructs the computer system on how to follow program (software) instructions
 * Directs the movement of data to and from the processor memory
 * Controls signals between the CPU and other devices like hard drives, I/O, etc.
 * Performs arithmetic functions like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing
 * Performs logical functions like AND, OR questions

Expansion Slots
[|chap3assign5.doc]
 * An expansion slot is a long, thin, socket connection, located on a motherboard or riser board, which allows various cards to be added to a computer.
 * These cards may include devices such as modems, sound cards, video cards, and network interface cards (NICs).
 * Expansion slots allow the life of a computer to be extended, since new technology can be added as it becomes available.
 * There are several types of Expansion slots:
 * ISA – stands for Industry Standard Architecture and transfers data to the motherboard at 8 MHz (speed)
 * PCI – stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect and transfer data at 33 MHz
 * AGP – Accelerated Graphics Port that can transfer data at a speed of up to 66 MHz
 * PCI express - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express and delivers data at 133 MHz

Memory

 * Cache**
 * A computer chip (or sometimes firmware) designed to enhance memory performance
 * Stores frequently used information and transfers it to the CPU even faster than from RAM
 * Usually 2 types
 * L1
 * L2


 * Types of Cache**
 * L1
 * Faster than L2 cache because it is located on the CPU itself and doesn’t have to access RAM
 * First place the CPU looks for instructions
 * If it can’t find what it needs in L1, it looks in L2, if not there, it looks in the RAM
 * L2
 * Located between the CPU and RAM on the motherboard


 * RAM**
 * Stands for Random Access Memory
 * Stores copies impaortant OS files, application programs, and data currently being used (quicker than running them from your harddrive or a cd)

RAM is volatile, meaning that any information stored in it is lost when the system is powered-down.
 * Different types include
 * SD RAM
 * DDR
 * DDR 2
 * DDR 3
 * [[image:http://www.novopc.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/ram.jpg caption="Different Types of RAM"]] ||
 * Different Types of RAM ||


 * There are different speeds as well
 * 100 Mhz
 * 400 Mhz, etc.
 * Different capacities
 * 256 MB
 * 512 MB
 * 1024 MB (or 1 Gig)
 * 2048 MB (2 Gigs)


 * [[image:mrsturgeon/cache2.png caption="Memory Order"]] ||
 * Memory Order ||

[|chap3assign6.doc]

Display Components

 * Monitors / Display Devices**
 * Works in conjunction with a video card or video adapter in order to present output from a computer
 * Monitors are measured diagonally, from corner to corner so, a 15" monitor is from one corner to its diagonal corner.
 * Sometimes, the actual screen is covered on the edges by plastic so, if you removed the plastic, you would have the full measurement.

Types of Display Devices


 * Cathode Ray Tube or CRT**
 * Traditionally used in most computer systems until the mid 2000s
 * The CRT monitor creates a picture out of many rows or lines of tiny colored dots.
 * [[image:http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50284903/CRT_Monitor.jpg caption="CRT Monitor"]] ||
 * CRT Monitor ||


 * Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)**
 * A thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector.
 * It uses very small amounts of electric power, and is therefore suitable for use in battery-powered electronic devices (like laptops).
 * [[image:http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/benq-e2200hda-full-hd-lcd-monitor.jpg caption="LCD Monitor"]] ||
 * LCD Monitor ||


 * Plasma Display**
 * A flat panel display where light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass.
 * The gas discharge is entirely harmless (a mixture of neon and xenon is used instead)
 * [[image:http://www.ultimateavmag.com/images/archivesart/206maxant.1.jpg caption="Plasma Monitor"]] ||
 * Plasma Monitor ||


 * Digital Light Processing (DLP)**
 * A technology used in projectors and video projectors.
 * In DLP projectors, the image is created by microscopically small mirrors laid out in a matrix on a semiconductor chip, known as a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD).
 * Each mirror represents one pixel in the projected image.
 * The number of mirrors corresponds to the resolution of the projected image: 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, and 1920x1080 (HDTV) matrices are some common DMD sizes.

Pixel
 * Display Terms**
 * Tiny dots that are arranged in rows and columns in order to make up images
 * [[image:http://www.functionx.com/win32/images/pixel1.gif caption="Pixels"]] ||
 * Pixels ||

Dot pitch Refresh rate Video RAM (VRAM) Resolution
 * A measurement of how close pixels are together. The smaller the pitch, better the image
 * Rate at which the screen refreshes images. The higher the rate, the more steady the image is (less flicker)
 * Memory size on a video card, the higher the VRAM, the more colors it can display
 * Prevents the video device from "stealing" from the regular ram in your computer system, and therefore, increasing performance.
 * A measurement of the amount of pixels on a screen.
 * 640x480 is normally the lowest resolution on today’s computers.
 * 800x600 and 1024x768 are common
 * The more lines of [|dots per inch], the higher and clearer the resolution.
 * Therefore 1024 x 768 resolution will be sharper than 800 x 600 resolution because the former uses more lines creating a denser, more detailed picture.
 * Higher resolutions are important for displaying the subtle detail of graphics.
 * For text, resolution isn't as critical.

Video Cards

 * Also referred to as a graphics accelerator card, display adapter, graphics card, and numerous other terms
 * Its function is to generate and output images to a [|display], such as a monitor or data projector.
 * It operates on similar principles as a [|sound card] or other expansion cards.
 * Many high-end cards come with GPUs (Graphics processing unit) which is basically, a processor solely for graphics so it doesn't "steal" resources from your main processor
 * occasionally called visual processing unit or VPU
 * [[image:mrsturgeon/video_card_1_001.png caption="Video Card"]] ||
 * Video Card ||
 * Video Card ||


 * [[image:mrsturgeon/video_card.png caption="Video Card"]] ||
 * Video Card ||


 * Some video cards offer added functions, such as [|video][|capture] and TV/radio tuner capabilities
 * This mean you can input video and through the card (from a video camera or TV for example) and the capture, or record it, on your computer.
 * [[image:http://videophoto21.googlepages.com/video_capture_card.jpg caption="Video Capture Card (notice the composite inputs (yellow, white, and red)"]] ||
 * Video Capture Card (notice the composite inputs (yellow, white, and red) ||


 * Video cards will normally have their own video memory which is called Video RAM or [|VRAM]
 * Video cards are often referred to by the amount of VRAM they have (512 meg video card means it has 512MB of VRAM).
 * Video cards also have their own firmware chips
 * The firmware is a chip that contains the basic program that governs the video card's operations and provides the instructions that allow the computer and software to interface with the card
 * [[image:mrsturgeon/VRAM.png caption="VRAM"]] ||
 * VRAM ||


 * Also called video controller
 * Graphics controllers are integrated into the motherboard chipset (built-in to the motehrboard and do not sue expansion slots)
 * If the video card is integrated in the motherboard, it will use the computer’s RAM memory or sometimes have VRAM built into the motherboard
 * [[image:mrsturgeon/Video_Controller.png caption="Video Controller"]] ||
 * Video Controller ||

Video Connections


[|chap3assign7.doc]

Sound Cards
**See video here:** []
 * Also known as an audio card
 * A sound card is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signal to/from a computer
 * Many computers have sound capabilities built in to their motherbaord (audio controller) while others require expansion cards to provide for audio capability.
 * Sound cards usually feature a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), that converts recorded or generated digital data into an analog format so it can be played through your speakers, and vice versa
 * The output signal is connected to an amplifier, headphones, or external device
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recording voice or sounds works backwards from this, where an analog signal is converted to digital.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many audio connections use basic colour coding,
 * Generally, the microphone will be pink, the standard single channel line-out (to speakers) or headphones will be green, and line-in will be blue.
 * [[image:http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windowsxp/images/using/mce/expert/sound_sound_card.jpg caption="Sound Card Inputs"]] ||
 * Sound Card Inputs ||


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many sound cards also contain game controller inputs

Sound Card Connections Onboard Sound
 * [[image:mrsturgeon/onboard_sound.jpg caption="Onboard Sound"]] ||
 * Onboard Sound ||

Typical sound card
 * [[image:http://www.winrag.com/season2issue1pics/soundcard1.jpg caption="Older Sound Card"]] ||
 * Older Sound Card ||


 * [[image:http://www.tigerdirectnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/sound-card.jpg caption="New Sound Card"]] ||
 * New Sound Card ||

External Sound Card
 * doesn't require an expansion slot
 * works through USB or firewire

[|chap3assign8.doc]

Input/Output Ports

 * [[image:http://images.pcworld.com/howto/graphics/116585-2208p158b.jpg caption="I/O Options"]] ||
 * I/O Options ||


 * Serial Ports**
 * Connects devices that use a serial interface
 * Can include modems, scanners, mice, etc.
 * Most computers have no more than 2 ports, called COM 1 and COM 2
 * Transmits 1 bit after another over a single line (slow this way)
 * Can be 9 or 25 pins
 * Serial ports are "male"
 * [[image:http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/serial-port-connector.jpg caption="Serial Ports"]] ||
 * Serial Ports ||


 * Parallel Ports**
 * Used on some printers as well as scanners and external cd-roms and hard drives
 * Contains 8 lines for transmitting 8 bits at simultaneously (or parallel)
 * This means it can transmit a byte at a time (faster than serial)
 * Can be 9, 25 or 36 pins
 * Parallel ports are "female"
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Parallel_computer_printer_port.jpg caption="25-pin Parrallel Port"]] ||
 * 25-pin Parrallel Port ||


 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Centronics-36F.jpg caption="36-pin Parallel Port"]] ||
 * 36-pin Parallel Port ||

PS/2 Ports
 * Stands for "Personal System 2" because the were first found on home computers
 * Can be used for keyboards and mice
 * Usually color coded with the end of a keyboard (purple) or a mouse (green) cord
 * They look identical but, are not interchangeable

USB and USB 2.0 ports
 * Stands for Universal Serial Bus
 * Can be used to connect almost any external device (video cameras, harddrives, flash drive, printer, etc.)
 * Original USB can transfer at speeds of up to 12 Mbps (megabits per second)
 * USB 2.0 can transfer up to 480 Mbps
 * By using hubs, you can daisychain many devices from one USB port
 * [[image:http://www.logopremiums.com/computer-usb-hub-3317BT.jpg caption="USB hub"]] ||
 * USB hub ||


 * Is also hot-swappable (can insert or remove while computer is turned on)
 * The end of the cable that connects to the computer are all the same but, the ohter ends can be different


 * [[image:http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/CDE/USB.GIF caption="Types of USB connections"]] ||
 * Types of USB connections ||

Firewire Ports
 * High speed connection in the same speed range as USB 2.0 and can connect the same type of devices
 * Developed by Apple initially
 * Also know as IEEE 1394 connection
 * Transfers data at 400 Mbps
 * Comes in 4 and 6 pin configurations
 * [[image:http://fasteasycomputerrepair.com/images/firewire.jpg caption="Firewire ports"]] ||
 * Firewire ports ||

[|chap3assign9.doc]

IDE Controllers
 * Integrated Drive Electronics
 * A hardware interface that connects hard disks, CD-ROM drives, and tape drives to computers
 * Also referred to as ribbon cables
 * recently, IDE cables have slowly been replaces with S-ATA cables
 * They handle more data and take less space inside your case

Floppy Disk Drive
 * Developed in 1987, magnetically reads and writes information from floppy disks
 * Current sizes are 3 ½” but there are also some older 5 ¼” available
 * Capable of storing up to 1.44 MB of data
 * [[image:http://www.watware.com/esale/FloppyDrive_5_25.jpg caption="5 1/4" Floppy Drive"]] ||
 * 5 1/4" Floppy Drive ||


 * [[image:http://www.cowden-herrick.k12.il.us/staff/burruscasey/elearning/comp/hardware/images/hdwr03.jpg caption="3 1/2" Floppy Drive"]] ||
 * 3 1/2" Floppy Drive ||



Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
 * Main storage device in a computer
 * Typical hard disks spin at 5,400 RPM (quieter) and 7,200 RPM (faster)
 * Similar to a floppy drive in nature but with the following advantages:
 * Has a more complex design
 * Provides greater data access speed
 * Larger storage capacity (currently up to one terabyte or 1000 Gigs for consumer use)
 * Contains glass, aluminum or plastic platters that are inflexible (that’s where hard disk comes from)
 * Normally, they're not quickly removable (sometimes called fixed disks)
 * Platters are double sided and magnetically sensitive
 * Each platter requires a read/write head for each side

CD Drives
 * The basic design of compact disks (not the drives) have remained unchanged since 1978
 * Data is not stored magnetically like a hard drive or a floppy disk
 * Data is actually etched onto a disk with a laser, burning pits onto the smooth surface of the CD-ROM
 * The pattern of pits and smooth areas actually represent data
 * Measured by speed in which they transfer data.
 * 48x and 52x are common
 * CD-ROM drives can only read media from prepared cds
 * CD-R drives can read CD-ROMs as well as write to CD-R media (blank discs)
 * Also called CD Recordable or CD Burners
 * CD-RW drive can read, write, and even re-write but re-writing requires a special CD-RW disc

Types of CD Drives and Media
 * CD-ROMs typically hold 650 or 700 MB of data
 * Types of Media
 * CD-ROM – cd can be read but not written to
 * CD-R – cd can be written to
 * CD-RW – cd can be used, erased, and use again

DVD Drives and Media [|chap3assign10.doc]
 * Originally stood for Digital Video Disc but currently stands for Digital Versatile Disks
 * Some DVDs can be written on both sides
 * Some can also write in double layer, which means you can almost fit twice as much on one side
 * Capacities
 * Standard DVD R – 4.7 gigs
 * Double Layer DVD-R – 8.5 gigs
 * 2 Sided Double Layer DVD-R – 17 gigs

Network Components
Modems
 * Modem comes from the combination of the terms MOdulate and DEModulate
 * MOdulate
 * Converts digital computer data to analog signals that can be transmitted over a phone line.
 * DEModulate
 * In order to receive data, modems must also convert the analog signal from the phone line back into digital so the computer can use it

Network Interface Cards (NIC)
 * Also known as a network card or a network adapter
 * Connects a local computer to a group of other computers
 * Allows computers to share data and resources

[|tschap3review.doc]

**Blog #5 - Hard Drive Storage vs Flash Drive Storage**
[]



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