Computers Chapters 4-7

OCR Devices

Optical Character Recognition Devices that include small optical scanners for reading characters and sophisticated software to analyze what is red

Firmware

ROM chips that contain permanently written data, instructions, recorded on the chips when they were manufactured

RAID

Redundant Array of Independent Discs; group of two or more integrated hard discs

Mircofilm

a roll of film, usually 100 to 215 feet long, on which microscopic images of documents are stored

Storage Medium

aka secondary storage; physical material on which a computer keeps data, instructions, and information

Input

any data and instructions entered into the memory of a computer

Input Device

any hardware component that allows users to enter data and instructions into a computer

Output Device

any hardware component that conveys information to one or more people

Cache

area of memory that stores the contents of frequently used data or instructions

Arithmetic Logic Unit

basic calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

System Bus

bus that is part of the motherboard and connects the processor to main memory

System Unit

case that contains the electronic components of a computer that are used to process data

Quad-Core Processor

chip with 4 separate processor cores

Control Unit

component of a processor that directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer

Storage Device

computer hardware that records and/or retrieves items to and from storage media

Speech Recognition

computer's capability of distinguishing spoken words

Analog

continuous (wave form) signals

Output

data that has been processed into a useful form

Aspect Ratio

defines a display's width relative to its height

LCD Monitor

desktop monitor that uses a liquid crystal display instead of a cathode- ray tube to produce images on a screen, resulting in a sharp, flicker free display.

Peripheral

device that connects to a system unit and is controlled by the processor in the commuter

Terminal

device that consists of a keyboard, a monitor, a video card, and memory, which often all are housed in a single unit

Biometric Device

device that translates a personal characteristic into a digital code that is compared with a digital code stored in a computer

Monitor

display device that is packaged as a separate peripheral

Plasma Monitor

display device that uses gas plasma technology, which sandwiches a layer of gas between two glass plates.

Backup

duplicate of a file, program, or disk placed on a separate storage medium that can be used if the original is lost, damaged, or destroyed

Byte

eight bits that are grouped together as a unit. Provides enough different combinations of 0s and 1s to represent individual characters

Bus

electrical channel that transfers electronic bites internally within the circuitry of a computer, allowing the devices both inside and attached to the system unit to communicate with each other

Memory

electronic components in a computer that store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor, the data needed by those instructions, and the results of professing the data

Transmittor

element of an integrated circuit that can act as an electronic switch that opens or closes the circuit for electrical charges

Removable Hard Disk

hard disc that can be inserted and removed from a drive

Cloud Storage

internet service that provides storage to computer users

Cathode- Ray Tube (CRT)

large, sealed glass tube whose front, the screen, is coated with dots of red, green, and blue phosphor material

Scanner

light-sending input device that reads printed text and graphics and then translates the results into a form the computer can process

Motherboard

main circuit board of the system unit, which has some electronic components attached to it and other built into it

Access Time

measurement of the amount of time it takes the process to read data, instructions, and information from memory

Bluetooth

network standard, specifically a protocol, that defines how two of these devices use short- range radio waves to transmit data

Word Size

number of bites a computer can interpret and execute at a given time

Capacity

number of bytes a storage medium can hold

Binary System

number system used by computers that has just two unique digits, 0 and 1, called bits

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

optical reader technology that involves reading typewritten, computer- printed, or hand-printed characters from ordinary documents and translating the images to a form that a computer can process

Optical Mark Recognition(OMR)

optical reader technology that reads hand-drawn marks such as small circles or rectangles

Multifunctional Peripheral

output device that looks like a printer or copy machine but provides the functionality of a printer, scanner, copy machine, and perhaps a fax machine

Printer

output device that produces text and graphics on a physical medium such as paper

Clock Speed

pace of the system clock, measured by the number of ticks per second

Large- Format Printer

printer that creates photorealistic quality color prints, used mainly by graphic artists

Parallel Processing

processing method that uses multiple processors simultaneously to execute a single program or task in order to speed processing times

RFID Reader

reading device that reads information on an RFID tag via radio waves

Memory Card

removable flash memory device, usually no bigger than 1.5 inches in height and width, that you insert and remove from a slot in a personal computer, game console, mobile device, or card reader/ writer

Digital

representation of data using only two discrete states: on 1 and off 0

Pipelining

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External Hard Disk

separate freestanding hard disk that connects to access openings in the bay from outside the system unit

Network Attached Storage

server connected to a network with the sole purpose of providing storage

RFID

short for Radio Frequency Identification; standard, specifically a protocol, that defines how a network uses radio signals to communicate with a tag placed in or attached to an object, an animal, or a person

Mutli- Core Processor

single chip with two or more separate processor cores

Memory Slots

slots on the motherboard that hold memory modules

System Clock

small quartz crystal circuit that is used by the professor to control the timing of all computer operations

MIDI Port

special type of serial port that connects the system unit to a musical instrument, such as an electronic keyboard

Voice Recognition

speed; computer's capability of distinguishing spoken words

Studio Camera

stationary camera used for professional studio work

Biometrics

technology of authenticating a person's identity by verifying a personal characteristic

Plug and Play

technology that extends the capability to configure adapter cards and other peripherals automatically as a user installs them

MICR

technology that reads text printed with magnetized ink

Soft Copy

temporary output presented on a display device

POS Terminal

terminal used by retail stores to record purchases, process credit or debit cards, and update inventory

Dot Pitch

the distance in millimeters between pixels on display device

Machine Cycle

the four basic operations (fetching, decoding, executing, and storing) performed by a processor Step 1: The control unit fetches the math problems instructions and data from memory Step 2: The control unit decodes the math problems instructions and sends the instructions and data to ALU. Step 3: The ALU preforms calculations on data Step 4: The results of the math problem are stored in the memory

Resolution

the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device

Ergonomics

the science of incorporating comfort, efficiency, and safety into the design of the workplace

Bus Width

the size of a bus, which determines the number of bits that a computer can transmit at on time

Pixel

the smallest element in an electronic image. short for picture element.

Binary Digit

the smallest unit of data a computer can process

Bit

the smallest unit of data a computer can process. Short for binary digit.

Response Time

the time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes to turn a pixel on or off

Streaming Cam

type of Web cam that has illusion of moving images because it sends a continual stream of still images

CRT Monitor

type of desktop monitor that contains a cathode- ray tube

Laser Printer

type of high- speed, high-quality nonimpact printer that creates images using a laser beam and powdered ink called toner

Serial Port

type of interference that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data one bit at a time

RAM

type of memory that can be read from and written to by the processor and other devices. Programs and data are loaded into this from storage devices such as a hard disk and remain in RAM as long as the computer has continuous power

Ink- Jet Printer

type of non-impact printer that forms characters and graphics by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink on a piece of paper

Flash Memory

type of non-volatile memory that can be erased electronically and rewritten

Read- Only Memory (ROM)

type of nonvolatile memory that is used to store permanent data and instructions

Impact Printer

type of printer that forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper by striking a mechanism against an inked ribbon that physically contacts the paper

Nonimpact Printer

type of printer that forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper without actually striking the paper

Hard Disk

type of storage device that contains one or more inflexible, circular platters that use magnetic particles to store data, instructions, and information

Central Processing Units

(CPU) electronic component on a component on a computers motherboard that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate the computer