Hardware CIS
gigabyte
1 billion bytes
megabyte
1 million bytes
kilobyte
1 thousand bytes
terabyte
1 trillion bytes
arithmetic/logic unit
ALU (acronym)
compact disc-recordable
CD-R (acronym)
compact disc read-only memory
CD-ROM (acronym)
compact disc-rewritable
CD-RW
central processing unit
CPU (acronym)
control unit, ALU, registers, cache, clock speed
CPU components
cathode ray tube
CRT (acronym)
Digital Video
DV (acronym)
input/output
I/O (acronym)
liquid crystal display
LCD (acronym)
musical instrument digital interface
MIDI (acronym)
Random access memory
RAM (acronym)
Read only memory
ROM (acronym)
solid state drive
SSD (acronym)
processor, memory, adapter cards, drive bays, power supply, SSD
What are common components inside the system unit?
when electricity is flowing
When does a transistor represent 1?
CPU
a group of circuits that perform the processing in a computer, typically in one integrated circuit called a microprocessor
video capture card
adapter card that converts analog video signal into digital signal that computer can use
output device
allows a user to observe the results of computer processing with one or more senses
smart card
also called biometric data; stores personal data on microprocessor embedded in card
Transistor
an electronics component typically composed of silicon that opens or closes a circuit to alter the flow of electricity to store and manipulate bits
midi
an external device, such as electronic piano keyboard, to input music and sound effects
printer
an output device dedicated to providing computer output on paper or three-dimensional output in plastic
input device
assists in capturing and entering data into a computer system
biometrics
authenticates person's identity by verifying personal characteristic
volatile vs non-volatile, local vs network, primary vs secondary, sequential vs direct access
basic categories of storage
CD-ROM
cannot erase or modify contents, typically holds 700 MB, commonly used to distribute multimedia and software
fingerprint scanner
captures curves and indentations of fingerprint
processing
carries out the instructions provided by software using specially designed circuitry and a well-defined routine to transform data into useful outputs
system unit
case that contains electronic components of the computer used to process data
multicore processor
combines multiple CPUs on one chip to share the workload and speed up processing
video card
combines video processing and storage onto an expansion card, or integrated onto the motherboard to manage video images for display
audio output device
computer component that produces music, speech, or other sounds
integrated circuit
connects tiny transistors and other electronics components on a thin piece of semi conductive material such as silicon
general-purpose input device
designed to be used for a wide variety of computing activities
Special-Purpose input device
designed to provide input for one specific type of activity
solid state storage
device stores data using electronics such as transistors, and does not require any moving mechanical parts
audio and special media output
devices designed to provide output to all of the senses
control unit
directs and coordinates operations in computer
CD-R
disc you can only write on once; cannot erase disc's contents
dots per inch
dpi (acronym)
CD-RW
erasable disc you can write on multiple times
voice verification system, signature verification system, iris recognition system
examples of biometric technology
nonimpact printer
forms characters without striking paper
laser printer
high speed, high quality nonimpact printer; prints text and graphics in high quality
voice recognition
is the computer's capability of distinguishing spoken words
motherboard
is the primary circuit of a computer to which all core components are connected, including the CPU. Enables all computer components to communicate.
quad-core
latest generations of smartphones are equipped with what type of processor?
scanner
light-sensing device that reads printed text and graphics
memory slot
located on the motherboard; holds memory modules
tape
magnetically coated plastic ribbon capable of storing large amounts of data at low cost
track
narrow recording band that forms full circle on disk; found on magnetic storage
capacity
number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold
resolution
number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device
multiprocessing
occurs using more than one processing unit to increase productivity and performance
head crash
occurs when read/write head touches platter surface; spinning creates cushion of air that floats read/write head above platter
haptic output
output that you can feel (i.e vibration)
Arithmetic logic unit
performs arithmetic, comparison, and logical operations
disk cache
portion of memory that processor uses to store frequently accessed items
formatting
prepares disk for use
video input
process of entering full-motion images into computer
voice input
process of entering input by speaking into a microphone
firmware
programs and data from the computer manufacturer, including the boot process used to start the computer
machine cycle
provides an orderly method of processing software instructions
ROM
provides permanent storage for data and instructions that do not change; stores data using circuits with states that are fixed
display
provides visual computer output for observation on monitor or screen
sequential access
reads and writes data consecutively, like music tape; used on hard disks, CDs, and DVDs
DV camera
records video as digital signals
storage
refers to the ability to maintain data within the system temporarily or permanently
pit in a specified location
represents a zero in optical storage
hard drive
single movement of read/write head arms accesses all platters in cylinder
ink-jet printer
sprays tiny drops of liquid ink onto paper
moore's law
states that the number of transistors on a chip will double about every two years
circuit board controls movement of head actuator and a small motor
step 1 of how hard disks work
small motor spins platters while computer is running
step 2 of how hard disks work
software requests a disk access
step 3 of how hard disks work
head actuator arms over correct location to read or write data
step 4 of how hard disks work
fetch, decode, execute, store
steps in a machine cycle
miniature mobile storage media
storage for small mobile devices using flash memory
magnetic storage
storage technology that uses the magnetic properties of iron oxide particles rather than electric charges to store bits and bytes more permanently than RAM
optical storage
store bits by using an optical laser to burn pits into the surface of a highly reflective disc
sector
stores up to 512 bytes; found on magnetic storage
RAM
temporary, or volatile, memory that stores bytes of data and program instructions for the processor to access
I/O
the manner in which data is received into a computer system, and the manner in which information and the results of processing are provided to the user from a computer system
hardware
the tangible parts of a computer or digital device, and typically includes support for processing, storage, input, and output
PC video camera
used to capture video and still images, and to make video telephone calls on the Internet
video memory
used to store image data for a computer display in order to speed the processing and display of video and graphic images
Web cam
video camera whose output displays on a web page
Resolution, response time, pixel pitch, contrast ratio
what does quality of LCD depend on?
adapter cards, processor chips, memory chips
what does the motherboard contain?