Computer chapter 2

Expansion card

A small circuit board that plugs directly into an expansion slot in the motherboard that enables you to connect additional peripheral devices to a computer

Dvorak keyboard

Alternate keyboard designed to put the most commonly used letters where they are more easily accessed to increase efficiency

Compact system camera

An advanced point and shoot camera that has interchangeable lenses, some manual controls

Central processing unit

Brain of computer hosed inside he system unit on the motherboard

Display adapter

Card that provides the data signal and connection for a monitor or projector

CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor)

Chip on the motherboard where the BIOS settings are stored. It is volatile memory that uses a small battery to provide it with power to keep the data in memory even when the computer is off

Drive controller

Component located in the motherboard that provides a drive interface that connects dick drives to the processor

Ergonomic keyboard

Curved shape that positions the wrist in a more natural position to reduce strain

Digital video camera

Designed to record digital video that is easily uploaded to your computer where it can be edited stored and shared

Analog input device

Device that converts data signals into continuous electronic waves or pulses

Digital device

Device that represents audio or video data as a series of 0s and 1s

Card reader

Devise that provides a slot to insert a memory card into a computer so that the data on the card can be read. Used to transfer data such as photos and music, between a card and a computer or printer

Cache memory

Fast memory that stores frequently accessed info close to the processor

Burst mode

Feature found on digital cameras that enables you to take several pictures in a burst by holding down the shutter button

DIMM (duel in line memory module

Form of ram found non most desktop computers

Biometric scanner

Input device that measures human characteristics such as fingerprints

Barcode scanner

Input device that scans barcodes such as those found on merchandise and library books

Digital single lens reflex

Most expensive and versatile type of digital camera, enables you to changer the lens, attach a hot shoe flash, and manually adjust focus and exposure

All in one printer

Multifunction device that has a built in printer and scanner and that may also have fax capabilities

E-waste

Old computers, cell phones and other devices that are discarded

EIDE (enhanced integrated drive electronics)

Older-legacy-drive interface that may still be found on old computers

Cd

Oldest type of optical disc in use today, storage capacity of 700 mb

DVD

Optical disk that can hold about 4.7 gb of info in a single layer disk

Blue ray disc

Optical disk with 5 times the capacity of a dvd

Analog output device

Output device such as a telephone, television, or CRT monitor that translates the digital electronic pulses back into audio and video signals

Control unit

Part of the CPU that manages the movement of data trough the cpu

Arithmetic logic unit

Part of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logic calculations

Drive bay

Part of the system unit that holds the storage devices

Dye-sublimation printer

Printer that uses heat to turn solid dye into gas that is transferred to special paper

BIOS (basic input output system)

Program stored on a chip on the motherboard that starts the computer

DLP (digital light processing projector)

Projector that has hundreds of thousands of tiny swiveling mirrors that create an image

Ecycling

Recycling electronics

Amoled

Screen type found in mobile devices, has sharper display with wider viewing angle than an LCD

Communication device

Serves as both input and output device and enables you to connect to other devices on a network or to internet

Bluetooth

Short range wireless technology that connects many types of peripheral devices

Adapter card

Small circut board that plugs directly into an expansion slot on the motherboard and enables you to connect additional peripheral devices to a computer

Braille embosser

Special printer that translates text into braille

Cable modem

Special type of digital modem that connects to the cable system instead of a telephone line to provide fast internet access

Clock speed

Speed at which the processor executes the machine cycle measured in gigahertz

DVI (digital visual interface)

Standard digital video port found on video cards

Capacitive screen

Touchscreen that sense the conductive properties of an object such as a finger or a specially designed conductive stylus

Ethernet cord

Wired network adapter with a port that resembles a telephone jack

Data bus

Wires on the motherboard over which data flows between the components of the computer

modifier key

a key you press in conjunction with other keys

OLED

a monitor composed of extremely thin panels of organic molecules sandwiched between to electrodes

noise cancelling headphones

an audio output device that reduces the effect of ambient noise

network adapter

communication device that establishes a connection with a network

modem

communication device that modulates digital data into an analog signal that can be transmitted over a phone line

fax device

communication device that scans a document and converts it into a digital format that can be transmitted over telephone lines to a receiving fax device

Expansion slot

component located on the motherboard that enables you to connect an adapter card to a computer

peripheral devices

components that serve the input, output, and storage functions of a computer

port

connection point that is used to attach peripheral devices to the motherboard

multi core processor

cpu that consists of two or more processors that are integrated on single chip

output device

device that returns processed info to the user

input device

device to enter data into the computer system so that it can be processed

HDMI

digital port that can transport both audio and video signals. standard connection for high definition tvs and video game consoles

Lcd projector

digital projector that passes light through a prism, divides the light into 3 beams then passes through lcd screen

internal drive

drive located inside the system unit in an internal drive bay that is not accessible from the outside

External drive

drive that may be attached as a peripheral device using a usb

point and shoot

easiest least expensive type of digital camera

LED

electronic component that emits light when an electrical current passed through it

image stabalization

feature found on some digital cameras that accounts for camera shake and results in sharper images

optical disk

form of removable storage that stores digital data by using a laser

instruction cycle

four part process used by the cpu to process each instruction: fetch, decode, execute, store

machine cycle

four part process used by the cpu to process each instruction: fetch, decode, execute, store

headset

headphones that include a microphone

magnetic strip reader

input device that can read info encoded in the magnetic strip on plastic cards such as drivers licenses, gift cards, etc

optical scanner

input device that converts photos or documents into digital files

microphone

input device that converts sound into digital signals

optical mouse

input device that detects motion by bouncing light from a red LED off the surface below it

pointing device

input device that enables you to interact with objects by moving a pointer on your screen

joystick

input device that is mounted on a base and consists of a stick, buttons and trigger

mouse

input device that may include one or more buttons and a scroll wheel

keyboard

input device that uses switches and circuits to translate keystrokes into a signal a computer understands

game controller

input device used to interact with a video game

plasma screen monitor

large display type that works by passing an electric current through gas sealed in thousands of cells in the screen

interactive whiteboard

large interactive display with touch sensitive surface commonly used in classrooms

motherboard

main circuit board of a computer that houses the processor and contains drive controllers, interfaces, expansion slots, data buses, ports, and connections

nonvolatile memory

memory chip that needs no power to retain info

near field communication

method that enables devices to share date with each other by touching them together or bringing them close to each other

flash memory

nonvolatile storage used in solid state storage devices such as solid state drives and flash drives

headphones

output devices that convert digital signals into sound

heat sink

part of the cooling system of a computer, mounted above the cpu

hardware

physical components of a computer

hard drive

principal mass storage device in a computer that stores data magnetically on metal platters

photo printer

printer that prints high quality photos on special printer paper

inkjet printer

printer that sprays droplets on paper

laser printer

printer that uses laser beam to draw an image on a drum.

parallel processing

process of using multiple processors to divide processing tasks

pipelining

process used by a single processor to process multiple instructions simultaneously

graphics processing unit

processor or a video card that contain multiple cores

pixel

single point on a display screen

keypad

small alternative keyboard that does not contain all the alphabet keys

memory board

small circuit board that contains memory chips

flash drive

small portable solid state drive that can hold up to 128 gb of info

IEEE 1394

standard port type that is hot-swappable and can connect up to 63 devices per port

firewire

standard port type that is hot-swappable and can connect up to 63 devices per port

memory card

storage medium that use flash memory to store data in a small, flat design

memory

temporary storage that is used by a computer to hold instructions and data

Lcd

two layers of glass glued together with a layer of liquid crystals between them