Chapter 2 - Laptops Part 2

Inverter

A device that converts DC to AC.

WiFi antenna connector and placement. Inside vs outside.

If the antenna is inside the laptop, it will usually be some type of module: - Either an M.2 card or - PCI Express Mini Card

CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp)

Light technology used in LCDs and flatbed scanners.

LED display

Light-emitting-diode (LED). Utilize two-terminal electronic components known as diodes to display images. These diodes are red, green, and blue (RGB); the "primary" colors when it comes to computer monitors. They use less power than traditional LCDs and are therefore more efficient. LED monitors use a different backlight than traditional LCD monitors. Whereas the older LCD monitors use a CCFL as the illumination source, LED monitors use light-emitting diodes, which release photons; this process is known as electroluminescence. It is so much more energy efficient that you will find many hybrid designs known as LED-backlit LCDs. In that case, we are not using a CCFL, and instead utilize diodes but with an LCD screen.

PCIe Wifi Card vs. M.2 Wifi Card

M.2 ---- - 1 screw - Up to 67 pins - 2230 standard (22 x 30 mm) || OR || the 1216 standard (12 x 16 mm) PCIe ---- - 2 screws - 52-pin edge connector - they are bigger than M.2... I don't feel like remembering this spec. cards barely in use anyway.

Digitizer

The touchscreen overlay technology that converts finger and stylus contact into input data for the device to use.

CCFL

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp

OLED (organic light-emitting diode)

Display technology where an organic compound provides the light for the screen, thus eliminating the need for a backlight or inverter.

LCD (liquid crystal display)

Type of display commonly used on portable computers. LCDs have also replaced CRTs as the display of choice for desktop computer users. LCDs use liquid crystals and electricity to produce images on the screen. The liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display that consists of two sheets of polarizing material surrounding a layer of liquid-crystal solution. It connects to the motherboard by way of a flex ribbon cable, or an all-in-one power/signal cable, and gets its power from an inverter board. Most of today's LCD screens are thin-film transistor (TFT) active-matrix displays, meaning they have multiple transistors for each pixel. These transistors are contained within a flexible material and are located directly behind the liquid-crystal material. In general, LCDs generate a small amount of heat, and cause little in the way of interference and emissions. However, they use more electricity than newer types of displays because they utilize a high-powered bulb, quite often a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

What is an inverters job on laptop displays that use CCFL bulbs as the backlight?

a screen inverter's job is to convert DC voltage from the motherboard into AC voltage to be sent to the backlight.

Aside from a damaged screen, LCD display failures can be broken down into a couple categories: a ______ ______ or a _________ ________.

damaged inverter worn-out backlight