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| Computers - Stage #1 - Components of a computer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stage One of Computers discusses basic components that are important to a computer system. Describe the functions of these components and how they interact with a personal computer. Remember that you should have a notepad or printout of your worksheet. The worksheet is located at the lower part of your Computer Screen. If you do not have a printout then take notes so you can put the information needed in the boxes. Had to break this Video into two parts, watch Part A then Part B Computers ( Examples ). Please refer to my Computer Links on the Computer Honor Page. **** Personal Computer **** CPU CPU is an acronym that stands for "Central Processing Unit." This is the "brain" behind a computer, and is where all the arithmetic, logic, and program flow is performed. The CPU is a hardware component found in the circuit board of your computer or smart device. It looks like a tiny silicon chip, but it has enormous computing power thanks to its built-in transistors. Transistors hold sequences of binary numbers that allow us to communicate with a computer.
Memory (RAM) The full form of RAM is Random Access Memory. The information stored in this type of memory is lost when the power supply to the PC or laptop is switched off. The information stored in RAM can be checked with the help of BIOS. It is generally known as the main memory or temporary memory or cache memory or volatile memory of the computer system. "Random access" means that the contents of the memory can be accessed in any random order. The term was originally coined to differentiate it from serial memory (such as data stored on a magnetic tape). The contents of a serial memory could only be accessed sequentially. RAM is a volatile memory, which means that when the power is turned off, the information stored there is lost. RAM can be accessed very quickly by the computer. Its contents can be both read and written. Most programs on a computer are loaded into and executed from RAM. RAM is also used as "scratch space" where the computer stores the results of calculations.
Motherboard
Typical Computer Motherboard The mother board is located inside the main unit and contains the core circuitry of the computer, including the CPU. It also contains "slots" that other circuit cards such can be plugged into to add extra functions to the computer, such as a modem, networking, video acceleration, or a television tuner. The functions provided by these add-on cards (or daughter cards) are often absorbed into the motherboard as new technology is introduced. Modems, networking, sound, graphics, hard drive controllers, and USB adapters are examples of technology introduced as add-on cards, but now commonly found on the motherboard. Common motherboard parts While you don’t need to peek inside your computer to look at the motherboard on a regular basis, it’s smart to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of this essential tool. The motherboard will look like a piece of flat cardboard or plastic with lots of metal designs and wires on and around it. Parts of a motherboard include power and data connectors, capacitors, heat sinks, and fans. You may also see screw holes for adding new parts or for anchoring it into a device. Look for expansion slots that may be present for adding on other components later as well. The pieces that plug into it, either with wires or directly, are often called motherboard components. These include:
In short, if a computer uses it to function, it’s probably connected to the motherboard so that it can coordinate tasks with other computer parts. Without the motherboard, nothing happens as it should. Hard Drive A hard drive is a nonvolatile data storage device. It works by the same principals as a floppy disc, except that it is much faster, has much greater storage capacity, and is usually not removable from the computer. Most hard drives consist of several aluminum platters stacked on a spindle. The platters (or disks) are coated with a material whose magnetic properties are easily detected (for reading) and changed (for writing). The computer's operating system is usually stored on the hard drive as are most of the other programs the computer runs. Data stored on a hard drive will not be destroyed if the computer is turned off. An internal drive is a storage device that is installed inside the computer. The advantage of an internal drive is that it takes up less space and is generally more reliable than an external drive.
Internal Drive An internal drive is a storage device that is installed inside the computer. The advantage of an internal drive is that it takes up less space and is generally more reliable than an external drive. External Drive An external drive is a storage device that is connected to a computer via a USB (or other) port. The drive itself remains outside the computer. The advantage of an external drive is that it is easier to install and it can be moved from one computer to another. This feature can be used for physically transporting large amounts of data between computers, or securing the data in an off-site location. USB
Optical Drive An optical drive is a device which reads and optionally writes data to optical storage media such as CD-ROMS and DVDs. Input Device An input device is any device through which data can be provided to a computer. Input devices include, the mouse, keyboard, network card, storage devices, cameras, microphones. bar code reader (like at grocery store), iris scanner, thumb print reader, video camera, touch screen, pin pad, card readers, near field communication (bluetooth), security sensors, RFID reader, tap and go for credit cards, motion sensors, light sensors. Monitor A computer display, monitor or screen is a computer peripheral device capable of showing still or moving images generated by a computer.
Keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral modelled after the typewriter keyboard. Keyboards are designed for the input of text and characters, and also to control the operation of the computer. Physically, computer keyboards are an arrangement of rectangular or near-rectangular buttons, or "keys". Keyboards typically have characters engraved or printed on the keys; in most cases, each press of a key corresponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously, or in sequence; other keys do not produce any symbol, but instead affect the operation of the computer, or the keyboard itself. 
Printer A printer is a device for capturing the output of a computer on paper.
Modem / NIC Card Modem stands for Modulator/Demodulator, and it a hardware device which allows computers to communicate with one another over a telephone line (or some other audio channel). A network card serves the same function except that it connects to a computer network (such as ethernet) and is much, much faster than a modem. Modems are used for "dial-up" internet connections, and network cards are used for "broadband" internet connections.
Techopedia Explains Modem CardMost modern computers connect to a home network, a local area network or the Internet using an external modem or through an Ethernet port or a wireless device such as a USB dongle. However, during the early days of the Internet and before the advent of cable Internet and DSL connection, it was more common to use a modem card, which had to be added to a desktop computer manually, like a video card or sound card. This modem card used a landline telephone to connect to an Internet service provider, a technology known as a "dial-up connection." The main problem with modem cards was speed, which was limited to 56 Kbps. Older modems used before the advent of the Internet were even slower and were measured in “baud” rate rather than in bits or bytes per second. Early 1400-baud modems were a standard for sending text to such destinations as online bulletin boards. The use of baud rate had since become obsolete, and the transmission speed of current modems is now measured in megabytes per second. What Does Modem Card Mean?A modem card is an internal type of modem that is plugged into the PCI slot of a PC motherboard. A modem is a communications device that allows a computer to send and receive data through telephone or cable lines. Network interface controller Computer hardware component Digital Camera A digital camera is a device which digitally captures and stores an image in the form of a photograph. The photograph can then be transferred to a computer where it can be stored, transmitted to other computers, or digitally manipulated.
The History of the Camera
Scanner A scanner is a device which is used to digitize a two-dimensional image, such as a printed photograph, a page from a book, or a store receipt. 3D scanners are now becoming common. In general, a scanner is an input device used for the transmission of images (or, often, text) through a machine with a digital image transformation of the signal. You can view the digital image on an edited, recorded, emailed, monitored screen, or printed.
[ Disection of a Personal Computer / Video ]
Do you understand what all the components I have listed about a Personal Computer System. Please listen to the Video for the needed information for step 1 on worksheet.
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