Chapter 3: Peripherals and Expansion Flashcards
What is an expansion card?
A circuit board you install into a computer to increase the capabilities of the PC.
Expansion cards are also known as
Adapter cards
When installing an expansion card, the bus type must match what?
The bus type of the expansion slot.
Example: PCI network card can only plug into a PCI expansion slot.
I’d suggest that this is a fairly obvious statement.
What are the four most common categories of expansion cards installed today?
Video
Multimedia
I/O
Communications
What are two alternative names for a video expansion card?
Graphics Adapter
Video Card
Name this device:
Video expansion card.
Note the interface – PCIe
What does a video card do?
Allows the computer to display information on a monitor / display device.
How does a video card operate?
Converts data sent to it by the CPU into pixels, addresses, and other items required for display.
Why might video card / video adapter manufacturers prefer not to use a PCI interface?
Alternatives like PCIe and AGP offer additional resources to the expansion card.
Given that AGP is a disappearing interface, this information applies more to PCIe
What types of expansion cards are classified as “multimedia” adapters?
Sound Cards
TV Tuners & Video Capture
I/O Cards
Name this device:
Sound card.
Note the DA15 game port. This card is considered legacy because it offers the DA15 game port, which is used for joysticks and other gaming devices.
DA15 Port:
Though you can purchase sound expansion cards, why might you not need to?
Of all the different types of expansion cards, the sound card is the most likely to already be integreted into the motherboard.
Additional component that may be found on modern sound cards.
RCA jack for digital audio (specification known as Sony/Philips Digital Interface, S/PDIF)
Name this device:
TV Tuner card / Video capture card.
What does a TV Tuner do?
Connect to a broadcast signal, like cable or an antenna.
Can be internal or external.
Most TV Tuner cards also act as video cpature cards.
What varieties do TV tuner cards come in?
Analog
Digital
Hybrid
What do video capture cards do?
Stand-alone device (or part of a TV Tuner) that is used to save a video stream to the computer for later manipulation or sharing.
(Example: Connection from a VCR)
What is an I/O card?
This is a catchall phrase for any expansion card that expans the system to interface with devices that offer additional input or output not already covered by categories like “TV Tuner”, “Video Capture”, “Sound Card”
Examples:
Parallel ports
Serial ports
What types of expansion cards are classified as communications adapters / expansion cards?
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Modem (Heh….)
Riser Cards
Name this expansion card:
NIC
Network Interface Card
What does a NIC do?
Expansion card that connects a computer to a network so that it can communicate with other computers on that network.
NIC stands for
Network Interface Card
OR
Network Interface Controller
Three types of NICs
Wireless
Wired
Cellular
Wired NICs can create a connection to a network simply by being connected to ____
A hub, switch, or another PC
Unlike wired NICs, wireless NICs require that you _____ before it will start working
Configure the connecting device (the wireless router, or another PC’s wireless NIC, for example)
What is the purpose of a cellular card?
Provided by a cellular service. Allows connection to a cellular network.
What is Modem short for?
Modulator / demodulator
Name this device:
Modem
What is the purpose of a riser card?
This allows low profile form factor PCs to conserve space.
NLX (new Low-Profile Extended) motherboard form factors use riser cards to allow expansion cards to be plugged into parallel to the motherboard.
Examples:
Expansion cards tend to be recognized via Plug and Play support from the operating system. This means _____
Little to no hardware configuration is required (as opposed to jumper settings on legacy hard drives, for example).
You may need to install a driver, but even that might not be required.
What is a Port
Generic term for any connector on a computer or peripheral onto which a cable can be plugged.
D-subminiature connectors
Ports that form a D shape, which ensures that the device can only be plugged in one way.
Examples:
How are D-subminiature connectors designated / named?
DXn
D is the letter D
X is a letter A-E. This refers to the size of the connector.
n is a number that refers to the number of pins or sockets in the connector.
Example:
DE9 - Serial Port (note the 9 pins / sockets)
DE9 D-subminiature connector
Male & Female end uses are
Male: Serial Port
Female: Connector on a serial cable
DB25 D-subminiature connector
Male & Female end uses are
Male:
Serial Port
OR
Connector on a parallel cable
Female:
Parallel Port
OR
connector on a serial cable
DA15 D-subminiature connector
Male & Female end uses are
Male: Conector on a game peripheral cable or MIDI cable
Female: Game port or MIDI port
DE15 D-subminiature connector
Male & Female end uses are
Male:
Connector on a monitor cable
Female:
Video port
What’s the most obvious difference between a DE15 and a DA15 port or connector?
While both have 15 pins, the DE15 (Video) has three rows of 15 pins/ports while the DA15 (Game or MIDI) has two rows of 15 pins/ports.
Name this D-subminiature connector:
DE9 Serial Port
Name this D-subminiature connector:
DE9 Connector on a serial cable.
What series of connectors are used in telecommunications?
RJ-series.
Most common RJ-series ports
RJ-11 (Voice/Phone/Modem)
RJ-45 (Network)