Basic concepts of hardware Flashcards
What is a special case for a computer case called?
Mods
What is the function of the motherboard?
To connect peripherals and allow parts of the computer to communicate with each other
What is a CPU and what does it do and where does it plug into
The Central Processing unit does all the processing, plugged into ZIF socket on motherboard
Why does a CPU need a fan?
It gets hot when a computer is on and heat damages the CPU
What brands manufacture CPU’s in computers?
Intel and AMD
What brands manufacture CPU’s in tablets/smartphones?
Qualcomm, Apple and Arm
What are the characteristics of RAM?
Volatile (loses info when no power), its where the CPU keeps instructions its working on, data transfer is quick as its electronic, expensive
What is a DIMM?
Dual inline memory module
How does a magnetic HDD work?
The drives are solid disks coated with a magnetic substance. They have a read-write head that can write patterns in the form of 0’s and 1’s or can read patterns from the the disk
How are HDD’s becoming more efficient?
By improving the density of data on the surface of the disk
What is optical storage?
Optical drives use discs that hold data by reflecting laser light in different ways to represent 0’s and 1’s
What are the qualities of a ODD
Slower than HDD, limited storage capacity (700mb CD, 4,7-9gb DVD, 50gb Blu-ray)
How does a SSD work?
By using electronic memory that retains its data when the power is off.
What are the qualities of a SSD?
Expensive, small capacity
What is the function of a peripheral?
Gives computer equipment needed to get input and output
How can peripherals be connected?
USB, Firewire, VGA, RJ 45 (wired network)
What is Firewire?
Created when USB wasn’t fast enough to transfer data from camera onto computer. Mostly found on Apple computers
What is a modular design?
Assembled from variety of parts making maintenance and upgrades easier
Why is the average keyboard called a QWERTY keyboard?
After the order of the keys in the first row of letters
How does a trackpad work?
Responds to the electric conductivity of finger and moves pointer
How does a scanner work?
Light and sensors move from one end to the other capturing the image of item which is converted into a picture by the computer
What does OCR (optical character recognition software) do?
Takes a picture of a document and converts it into editable text
How does a barcode scanner work?
By converting barcode image into ID codes
What does a biometric scanner do?
Reads characteristics of people (fingerprints or iris)
What are the types of input data?
Text, Images, sound and sensor data
List two other methods of capturing text other than with a keyboard
Voice recognition and automated batch scanners
List two ways data from sensory is used
Laptop screen brightness, shutting down devices when temperature becomes too high
What are the types of output devices?
Monitor, data projectors, printers, speakers/headphones
Why are there less varieties of output?
The limitations of the human senses
List three VDU technologies
LED (light emitting diode), LCD (liquid crystal display) and CRT (cathode ray tube)
How are monitors classified?
Size, resolution, response time, connection, contrast ratio and technology used
Why are wide screen monitors useful?
Easy to view documents side by side
Why is response time important?
It is the time it takes to change a pixels colour/value. Therefore a low response time is needed so graphics don’t blur of lag (ghost)
What is a contrast ratio?
The measurement or ratio of the darkest black to the brightest white. Larger the ratio the better
How does a laser printer work?
By melting toner onto the paper
How does an inkjet printer work?
By spraying dots of ink onto paper
How do dot-matrix printers work?
By striking pins onto paper through inked ribbons
