deck 1 Flashcards
Programs
Programs are instructions that tell the computer what to do. They are stored in durable media like hard drive and CPU process them.
Instructions are also stored in RAM so the CPU can access it faster.
CPU is taking instructions written in binary and executing them.
Registers
Registers are components inside the CPU that store the data that CPU works with.
EDB
EDB (External Data Bus) is a row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer. Wire that has voltage is represented with 1, no voltage is 0. –> that’s how bits physically travel around the computer. EDB comes in different sizes (a bit, 16-bit, 32, 64)
MCC
MCC (Memory Controller Chip) finds instructions in RAM, grabs them and sends through EDB.
Address bus
Address bus connects the CPU with the MCC and sends over the location of the data, but not the data itself. MCC looks for the data which is then sent over the EDB.
Clock speed
CPU is connected to the clock wire that keeps its operations in sync. When a voltage is sent to that clock wire CPU does one cycle of operations.
Clock speed of the CPU in GHz is the maximum number of clock cycles in certain period of time. GHz is billions per second. (There are ways to over clock your CPU, though, but it has its cons.)
CPU cashe
CPU cashe is smaller but faster way for getting data for our CPU to process. It has three levels: L1 (the smallest and fastest), L2 and L3.
It speeds up the process by holding a local copy of the most recently accessed data in temporary storage. It is normally stored inside each core of the CPU.
Motherboard
Motherboard is the foundation that holds our computer together. It routes power from the power supply, and it allows the different parts of the computer to communicate with each other.
It lets us expand our computers functionality by adding expansion cards.
Level 2 cache
L2 cache holds less data than L3 cache, but it has faster access speeds. L2 holds a copy of the most recently accessed data that is not currently in use by the CPU. Each CPU core normally has its own L2 cache.
Level 1 cache
L1 cache is the fastest and smallest of the three CPU cache levels. L1 holds the data currently in use by the CPU. Each CPU core usually has its own L1 cache.
Overclocking a CPU’s frequency involves three variables:
The base CPU clock frequency, often measured in GHz.
The core frequency, which is calculated by multiplying the base frequency by the CPU core multipliers.
The core voltage, which needs to be increased in small increments to meet the increasing power demand of the CPU during the overclocking process.
How to overclock a CPU safely
1) Check if overclocking is supported
2) Clean the inside of the computer
3) Ensure an appropriate CPU cooler is installed (critical)
4) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for overclocking the CPU
Types of
CPU sockets
LGA (Land Grid Array) - there are pins
that stick out of the motherboard
PGA (Pin Grid Array) - the pins are located on the processor itself
Heat sink
Heat sink takes the heat from our CPU and dissipates it through a fan or another medium.
RAM
To run a program, we need to make a copy of it in RAM so our CPU can process it. RAM can hold billions of rows of data and is randomly accessed.
Almost all RAM is volatile, which means that once we power off our machines, the data stored in RAM is cleared.
DRAM
DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) is the most common type of RAM that has chips to store data which have semiconductors.
Each of those semiconductors or microscopic capacitors store a bit, either 1 or 0.
There are also different types of memory sticks that DRAM chips can be put on.
DIMM sticks
DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module) is a memory stick where DRAM chips can be put on.
It has different sizes of pins on it.
SDRAM
SDRAM (synchronous dram) is synchronized to the system’s clock speed, allowing quicker processing of data.
Chipset
The chipset is a key component of the motherboard that allows us to manage data between the CPU, RAM, and peripherals.
It is made up of two chips.
One is called the Northbridge that interconnects stuff like RAM and video cards.
(In some modern CPUs, the Northbridge has been directly integrated into the CPU so there isn’t a separate Northbridge chip set.)
The other chip is the Southbridge, which maintains our IO or input-output controllers, like hard drives and USB devices, that input and output data.
Motherboard expansion slots
Expansion slots also give us the ability to
increase the functionality of our computer.
The standard for an expansion bus today is
the PCI Express or Peripheral Component Interconnect express.
A PCIe bus looks like a slot on the motherboard and a PCIe base expansion card looks like a smallest circuit board.
Components of motherboard
Chipset, expansion slots and form factor
Form factor
Sizes of form factors determine the amount of stuff we can put in it and the amount of space we’ll have.
The most common form factor for motherboards is ATX, which stands for Advanced Technology Extended. Intel NUC uses ATX board that comes in three board sizes: mini ITX, nano ITX, and pico ITX.
IT or information technology extended form factor is much smaller form factor.
1 KB
10^3 (1,024 bytes)
HDD
HDD uses a spinning platter and a mechanical arm to read and write information.
The speed that the platter rotate allows you to read and write data faster. This is commonly referred to as RPM or revolution per minute.
HDDs are prone to a lot more damage because there are a lot of moving parts.
SSD
The information on SSD (Solid State Drive) is stored on microchips and data travels a lot faster than HDDs.
SSD has no moving parts and the form factor for SSD is slimmer than for HDD.
ATA interfaces
ATA interfaces are the most common for connecting hard drives to our systems.
The most popular ATA drive is a Serial ATA or SATA, which uses one cable for data transfers.
SATA drives are hot swappable, which means you don’t have to turn off your machine to plug in a SATA drive. SATA has been the de facto interface for HDDs today.
NVMe interface
NVM express interface allows for greater throughput of data and increased efficiency as instead of using a cable to connect your SSD drive to your machine, the drive was added as an expansion slot.
1 MB
10^6
1 GB
10^9
1 TB
10^12
1 PB (petabyte)
10^15
1 EB (exabyte)
10^18
1 ZB (zettabyte)
10^21
1 YB (yottabyte)
10^24
1 KiB
2^10
1 MiB
2^20
1 GiB
2^30
1 TiB
2^40
1 PiB
2^50
1 EiB
2^60
1 ZiB
2^70
1 YiB
2^80
Power suply
Our power suply converts the AC we get from the wall into low voltage DC power that we can use and transmit throughout our computer.
Amperage
Amperage or current is measured in amps and reffers to an amount of electricity coming out.
Amps will pull as much electricity needed, but voltage will just give you everything.
Wattage
The amount of volts and amps that the device needs.
You can power most basic desktops with a 500 watt power supply, but you will need a bigger one if you’re doing something more demanding.
The most common voltage inputs
The most common voltage inputs are 110-120 VAC and 220-240 VAC. VAC stands for volts of alternating current.
Examples of components that use each voltage level
3.3 V –> DIMMs, chipsets, and some PCI/AGP cards
5 V –> SIMMS, disk drive logic, ISA, and some voltage regulators
12 V –> Motors and voltage regulators with high outputs
Motherboard power adaptor
The computer’s power supply plugs into an adapter on the computer’s motherboard. The wiring for this connection uses color coded wires. Each wire color carries a different voltage of electricity to the motherboard or serves as a grounding wire.
A standard ATX motherboard power adaptor has either 20-pins or 24-pins (today’s standard) to connect these wires.
Connections from a PC power supply (ATX 2)
1 Floppy disk drive (obsolete)
2 “Molex” universal (e.g. IDE hard drives, optical drives)
3 SATA drives
4 Graphics cards 8-pin, separable for 6-pin
5 Graphics cards 6-pin
6 Motherboard 8-pin
7 Motherboard P4 connector, can be combined to 8-pin mainboard connector 12V
8 ATX2 24-pin, divisible 20+4, and can therefore also be used for old 20-pin connections
When selecting a power supply for a computer, the following items should be taken into consideration:
Wall socket input voltage standard for the country where the computer will be used;
The number and power consumption needs of the computer’s internal components; The motherboard model and form factor engineering specifications and requirements.
SOC
SOC (system on a chip) packs the CPU,
RAM and sometimes even the storage onto a single chip.
Not only a SOC is small, it uses less battery power than if those components were separated.
For small mobile devices
Some of the standard power data and
display connector types in mobile phones
USB-C
micro USB
mini USB
lightening adapter
micro HDMI
mini HDMI
mini display port
A charge cycle
A charge cycle is one full charge and discharge of a battery.
Mb/s
Mb/s is a megabit per second,
which is a unit of data transfer rate.
Cables with ports that output audio and video
HDMI, display port, USB type C
(in addition to audio and video, it also can do data transfer and power)
DVI outputs just video.
POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) refers to cables transmitting voice through twisted copper pair wires.
Landline telephones, dial-up internet, and alarm systems use POTS.
The RJ-11 (Register Jack 11) connector is used for POTS.
DSL
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) provides access to high-speed networks or the internet through telephone lines and a modem.
The RJ-45 connects a computer to network elements and is mostly used with ethernet cables.
Cable Internet
Cable Internet uses a cable TV infrastructure and a modem to provide high-speed internet access to users.
An F type connector is commonly used with cable modems.
Fiber-optic cables
Fiber-optic cables contain strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing that send data long-distance and allow for higher-bandwidth communication.
The major internet providers use fiber-optic cables for high-speed internet service.
DB89
DB89 connectors are used for older peripherals like keyboards, mice, and joysticks.
Molex
Molex connectors provide power to drives or devices inside the computer. Molex connectors are used for connecting a hard drive, disc drive (CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray), or a video card.
Punch down block
A punch down block is a terminal strip used to connect telephone or data lines. Punch down blocks are a quick and easy way to connect wiring.
IT professionals use punch down blocks to change a wire or make a new connection for a telephone system or Local Area Network (LAN).
Projector defaulting to a very low-resolution
If your computer does not correctly recognize the display resolution of the projector it may default to a very low-resolution VGA mode like 640x480 or 1024x768.
If this happens, your computer may need a device driver for your projector.
Take a look at the support website for your projector’s manufacturer!
Lightning on projectors
Incandescent bulbs, or lamps - if a projector gets too hot for the lamp to safely operate, the projector will shut down. If the lamp burns out, the projector will either not work or will shut itself down.
LED lights - have far fewer issues with overheating, and have much longer lifespans
Drivers
The drivers contain the instructions
our CPU needs to understand
external devices like keyboards, webcams, printers.
BIOS
The BIOS is software that helps initialize
the hardware in our computer and
gets our operating system up and running.
The bios isn’t stored on a hard drive.
Our motherboard stores the bios in the read only memory chip or ROM chip.
(non-volatile, meaning it won’t erase
the data if the computer is turned off)
UEFI
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) performs the same function of starting your computer as a traditional BIOS, but it’s newer and has better compatibility and support for new hardware.
POST
POST (power-on self-test) - BIOS runs it when when you boot on your computer before it initializes any hardware or loads up essential drivers.
POST figures out what hardware is on the computer all the hardware is working correctly.
If there’s an issue, and drivers are still not loaded to show up an error on the screen, the computer will use beep codes.
CMOS chip
It stores basic data about boosting your computer, like the date, time, and how you want it to start up.
You can change these settings by booting
into CMOS or BIOS settings menu.
BIOS settings control which devices to boot to.
Disk image
A disk image is a copy of an operating system.
The process of reimaging involves
wiping and installing an operating system.
This procedure is typically performed using
a program that stored on some external device, like a USB memory stick or a CD ROM, or even a server accessible through the network.
To access these programs and perform the re-image,you will need to use the bios to tell the computer to boot up from that external device.
Standoffs
Standoffs are used to raise and
attach your motherboard to the case.
Computer cases can have
built-in standoffs.
Thermal paste
Thermal paste is used to better
connect our CPU and heat sink,
so the heat transfers from one to the other better.
SATA power plug
SATA power plug needs to be connected with the SSD in the computer case.
Factory reset warning
A factory reset will remove all data,
apps, and customizations from the device.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display have crystals can be aligned in a variety of patterns and manipulated with electricity which affects refresh rates, image quality, and display performance.
LCDs require backlighting, often provided by LEDs. The backlighting unit (BLU) requires extra space, which makes LCD panels thicker and less flexible than other displays.
Polarizers on either side of the liquid crystal layer control the path of the backlight to ensure the light is aimed toward the user.
Non-emissive displays
Displays that need backlighting are called non-emissive or passive displays.
IPS
In-Plane Switching (IPS) displays hav the liquid crystals that are aligned horizontally to the screen. Electricity is passed between the ends of the crystals to control their behavior.
Common LCD display types used for mobile devices
In-Plane Switching (IPS)
Twisted Nematic (TN)
VA-Vertical Alignment
Pluses and minuses of IPS displays
Positives:
- high quality graphics
- wide viewing areas
- provide vibrant colors
- excellent color reproduction, accuracy, and contrast
Negatives:
- expensive
- can be affected by “IPS Glow”, where the backlight is visible from side viewing angles
- low refresh rates and slow response times
However, response times have been improving as the IPS technology evolves.
IPS display use
IPS technology is used in touch screen displays and high-end monitors.
They are often used for design, photography, video/film editing, animation, movies, and other media.
They can also be used for games that rely on color accuracy and wide viewing angles, as opposed to speed.
TN display
Twisted Nematic (TN) is the earliest LCD technology that is still in use today.
The term nematic, which means “threadlike,” is used to describe the appearance of the molecules inside the liquid.
In TN displays, the liquid crystals are twisted. When voltage is applied, the crystals will untwist to change the angle of the light they transmit.
TN display use
TN displays are appropriate for basic business use (e.g., email, document, and spreadsheet applications).
They are also used for games that need rapid display response times.
Pluses and minuses of TN displays
Positives:
- low cost and easy to produce
- excellent refresh rates, response times, and resolutions
- versatile and can be manufactured for any size and/or shape.
Negatives:
- narrow viewing angles
- low image quality, color distortion, and poor color accuracy and contrast
VA displays
In VA (Vertical Alignment) displays, the liquid crystal molecules are vertically aligned.
They tilt when electricity passes through them.
VA display use
VA displays are intended for general purpose. Provides mid-range performance for graphic work, movies, and TV.
Pluses and minuses of VA displays
Positives:
- offer great contras and deep black shades
- fast response times
- mid-range quality for refresh rates, image quality, viewing angle, and color reproduction
Negatives:
- motion blur and ghosting occurs with fast-motion visuals
OLED
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) are diodes that emit light using organic (carbon-based) materials when electricity is passed through the diodes.
The basic structure of an OLED display consists of an emissive layer placed between a cathode (which injects electrons) and an anode (which removes electrons).
Electricity enters through the cathode layer, passes into the emissive layer and conductive layer to create light, then out through the anode layer.
Emissive displays
Displays that are able to convert electricity into light are called emissive or active displays
OLED use
OLED display technology can be used in foldable smartphones, rollable TVs, as backlighting in LCD TVs, for gaming, and inside VR headsets.
Pluses and minuses of OLED displays
Positives:
- deliver excellent picture quality
- wide viewing angles
- fast response rate
- infinite contrast
- brilliant colors with true blacks
- energy efficient, simpler to make, and much thinner than LCDs
- can be built to be flexible and even rollable
Negatives:
- sensitive to light and moisture
- blue LEDs degrade faster than other LED colors causing color distortion over time
- prone to image retention and burn-in
AMOLED
Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) and Super AMOLED are recent technologies used in smartphone displays.
AMOLED displays are a type of OLED panel that uses active matrix technology. Active-matrix displays have active capacitors arranged in a matrix with thin film transistors (TFTs).
This technology enables the control of each individual pixel for rapid state changes, including changing brightness and color.
AMOLEDs have touchscreen functions integrated into the screen.
AMOLED use
AMOLED and Super AMOLED panels are used in high-end mobile devices, flat screen monitors, curved screens, and touchscreens.
Pluses and minuses of AMOLED displays
Positives:
- offer a high picture quality and fast response time
- color and brightness are consistent across the screen
- fast-moving images and motion are displayed clearly without blurring or ghosting
- Super AMOLED panels can display a wider range of colors with enhanced contrast, which makes them easy to view in a wider variety of lighting conditions.
Negatives:
- have the same problems as OLED displays (listed above) plus AMOLED panels can be difficult and expensive to manufacture.
mLEDs
Inorganic mini-LEDs (mLEDs) are a next-generation, emissive display technology.
Mini-LED displays work the same way that OLED displays work, but the individual LED size is much smaller at approximately 50-60 micrometers.
mLED uses
Mini-LED displays are used for LCD backlighting in smartphones, public information displays, signage, electronics, vehicle displays, and more. Mini-LEDs are also the tech behind “Liquid Retina XDR” screens.
Pluses and minuses of mLEDs
Positives:
- offer ultra high luminance, superior HDR fineness, long lifetimes, thin panels, and are readable in sunlight.
- less expensive than micro-LED displays.
Negatives:
Mini-LED displays, when used as LCD backlighting, are limited by the properties of LCD technology. Mini-LED displays for mobile devices are more expensive than OLED displays.
μLEDs
Micro-LEDs (μLEDs) are emissive, next-generation displays.
Micro-LED displays work the same way that OLED displays work, but the individual LED size is extremely small at 15 micrometers.
μLED use
Micro-LED displays can be used in smartphones, AR/VR headsets, wearables, public information displays, wall-sized TVs, vehicle displays, and more.
Pluses and minuses of μLED
Positives: Micro-LED displaysoffer superior performances across virtually all common display features, such as brightness, reaction speeds, power consumption, durability, color gamut, stability, viewing angles, HDR, contrast, refresh rates, transparency, seamless connectivity, and more. Micro-LED displays are readable in sunlight and have sensor integration capability.
Negatives: Micro-LED displays are expensive to manufacture and are not yet ready for mass production.
ATA
ATA is the most common interface that hard drives use to connect to our system
Backward compatible
It means older hardware works with newer hardware
BYOD
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Refers to the practice of allowing people to use their own personal devices for work
Charge cycle
One full charge and discharge of a battery
