What Makes a Computer a Computer
Near Field Communication (NFC)
2-way communication between devices at low speed; often used in chip card reader
transistors
A semiconductor material used to change electrical signals
Von Neumann Model
Developed by Von Neumann in 1945; a design model that data and instructions are stored and fetched in memory
DVI
Digital Visual Interface; similar to HDMI but only displays images
Troubleshoot
Find and fix problems
HDMI
High-definition Multimedia Interface; displays images and listening to audio; best for computers and TVs
RISC
Reduced Instruction Set Computer; simplifies algorithms to complete tasks
Hard Drive
The main storage of the computer; can be internal and/or external
hardware
The physical, tangible parts of a computer
Advanced RISK Machine (ARM)
Using fewer transistors, processes smaller batches of information very quickly
VGI
Video Graphics Array; very old technology that provides lower quality connection and grainy images
Peripheral Device
a computer device that is not part of the essential computer; these devices are intended to be connected to the computer and used.
Processor
a machine that processes information
Firewire
a more recent cable technology that allows faster speeds
Thunderbolt
a newer, faster type of cable than Firewire
Device Driver
a program that must be installed on the computer in order for the device to be able to work
algorithm
a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to complete
programs
a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to complete
BIOS
a specific type of firmware in personal computers; Basic Input/Output System
Microchip
a tiny wafer of semiconducting material used to make an integrated circuit.
Radio Frequency (RF)
a transmitter that sends a signal to a receiver that is plugged into the main device
Ethernet
a type of cable used to connect physical networks, identifiable by its clip-in plug
Network Interface Card (NIC)
allows a computer to connect (wired/wireless) to a network to communicate with other devices
Port
number assigned to uniquely identify a connection endpoint and to direct data to a specific service
Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)
processes the graphics freeing up the CPU to process other data
storage
saving information to use in the future
The Cloud
servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers
Random Access Memory (RAM)
short term memory used for specific programs that are currently open; measured in giga-bytes (GB)
Firmware
the "booting up" memory instructions
Motherboard
the component that houses all the other internal parts
Fetch-decode-Execute Cycle
the cycle that the central processing unit (CPU) follows from boot-up until the computer has shut down in order to process instructions.
input
the information computers get from users, devices, or other computers
output
the information computers give to uses, devices or other computers
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
the standard cable and port connection with a flat, rectangular plug
processing
the thinking work computers do to turn input into output
Bluetooth
the transmission of signals from the peripheral to the main device, but the receiver is inside the computer with no need to be plugged in
Read Only Memory (ROM)
used when the computer starts; permanent memory of the computer
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
where all the data is processed; the brain
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
where the mathematical calculations and logic operations are carried out