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Because computers are important building
blocks in a network, it is important to be able to recognize and name
the major components of a PC. Many networking devices are themselves
special purpose computers, with many of the same components as normal
PCs.
In order to use a computer as a
reliable means of obtaining information, such as accessing Web-based
curriculum, it must be in good working order. To keep a PC in good
working order will require
occasional troubleshooting of simple problems with the computer
hardware and software. Therefore it is necessary to be able to
recognize the names and purposes of the following PC components:
Small, Discrete Components
- Transistor – Device that
amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit.
- Integrated circuit (IC) –
Device made of semiconductor material that contains many transistors
and performs a specific task.
- Resistor – Device made of
material that opposes the flow of electric current.
- Capacitor – Electronic
component that stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field
that consists of two conducting metal plates separated by an
insulating material.
- Connector – The part of a
cable that plugs into a port or interface.
- Light emitting diode (LED) –
Semiconductor device that emits light when a current passes through
it.
Personal Computer Subsystems
- Printed circuit board (PCB) –
A thin plate on which chips or integrated circuits and other
electronic components are placed.
- CD-ROM drive – Compact disk
read-only memory drive, which is a device that can read information
from a CD-ROM.
- Central processing unit (CPU)
– The brains of the computer where most calculations take place.
- Floppy disk drive – A disk
drive that can read and write to floppy disks.
- Hard disk drive – The device
that reads and writes data on a hard disk.
- Microprocessor – A silicon
chip that contains a CPU.
- Motherboard – The main
circuit board of a microcomputer
- Bus – A collection of wires
through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to
another.
- Random-access memory (RAM) –
Also known as Read-Write memory, new data can be written to it and stored data
can be read from it. RAM requires electrical power to maintain data storage. If the computer
is turned off or loses power, all data stored in RAM is lost.
- Read-only memory (ROM) –
Computer memory on which data has been prerecorded. Once data has
been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be
read.
- System unit – The main part
of a PC, which includes the chassis, microprocessor, main memory,
bus, and ports. The system unit does not include the keyboard,
monitor, or any external devices connected to the computer.
- Expansion slot – A socket on
the motherboard where a circuit board can be inserted to add new
capabilities to the computer.
- Power supply – The component
that supplies power to a computer.
Backplane Components
- Backplane – The large circuit
board that contains sockets for expansion cards.
- Network interface card (NIC) –
An expansion
board inserted into a computer so that the computer can be connected
to a network.
- Video card – A board that
plugs into a PC to give it display capabilities.
- Audio card – An expansion
board that enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds.
- Parallel port – An interface
capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneously that is
used to connect external devices such as printers.
- Serial port – An interface
that can be used for serial communication, in which only 1 bit is
transmitted at a time.
- Mouse port – A port designed
for connecting a mouse to a PC.
- Power cord – A cord used to
connect an electrical device to an electrical outlet that provides power to the device.
Think of the internal components of a
PC as a network of devices, which are all attached to the system bus.
In a sense, a PC is a small computer network.
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Lab Activity
Lab Exercise: PC Hardware
This lab introduces
the basic peripheral components of a PC computer system and PC
connections including network attachment. |
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