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