Processors
A processor or CPU (Computer Processing Unit) is responsible for executing and interpreting most of the computer’s hardware and software. A processor can be considered as the ‘brains’ of a computer, whereas a motherboard can be considered as the ‘back bone’ of a computer.
There are and have been many processors on the market, running at many different speeds. The speed is measured in Megahertz or MHz. So if you, for example, have a processor running at 2000 MHz, then your computer is running at 2000,000,000 cycles per second - which in more basic terms is the amount of instructions your computer can carry out. Another important abbreviation is Gigahertz or GHz. A single GHz or 1 GHz is the same as 1000 MHz.
Processors now come as dual core, triple core and quad core. These processors are the equivalent of running two CPU's (Dual core), three CPU's (Triple core) or four (Quad core).
There are and have been many processors on the market, running at many different speeds. The speed is measured in Megahertz or MHz. So if you, for example, have a processor running at 2000 MHz, then your computer is running at 2000,000,000 cycles per second - which in more basic terms is the amount of instructions your computer can carry out. Another important abbreviation is Gigahertz or GHz. A single GHz or 1 GHz is the same as 1000 MHz.
Processors now come as dual core, triple core and quad core. These processors are the equivalent of running two CPU's (Dual core), three CPU's (Triple core) or four (Quad core).
Motherboards
The motherboard, also known as a mainboard, system board or logic board, connects all other parts of a computer together. The processor, memory, hard drives, optical drives and other ports and expansion drives all connect to the motherboard either directly or via cables. Motherboards, cases and power supplies come in various sizes which are referred to as form factors and all of these components must be compatible in order to work properly together.
Motherboards vary greatly in respect to the types of components they support. For example, each motherboard supports a single type of CPU and a short list of memory types. Additionally, some video cards, hard drives and other peripherals may not be compatible.
Motherboards vary greatly in respect to the types of components they support. For example, each motherboard supports a single type of CPU and a short list of memory types. Additionally, some video cards, hard drives and other peripherals may not be compatible.
PCB
PCB stands for printed circuit board. A PCB is a thin board made of fibreglass or a similar material. Electrical wires are ‘printed’ onto the board, connecting the microprocessor to other components on the board. Some examples of PCB’s include motherboards, RAM chips, and network interface cards. Printed circuit boards are sometimes abbreviated as ‘PC boards', which is fitting, since the boards are commonly used in personal computers. However, PCBs are also found in other types of electronic devices, such as radios, televisions, and electric razors. Because PCB’s are relatively flat, they can also be used in thin devices such as laptops and portable music players.
bios
BIOS is an abbreviation for the Basic Input/Output System. On virtually every computer available, the BIOS makes sure all the other chips, hard drives, ports and CPU function together. The BIOS software has a number of different roles, but its most important role is to load the operating system. When you turn on your computer and the microprocessor tries to execute its first instruction, it has to get that instruction from somewhere. It cannot get it from the operating system because the operating system is located on a hard disk, and the microprocessor cannot get to it without some instructions that tell it how. The BIOS provides those instructions.
power supply
PSU is short for power supply unit. A power supply unit converts the power provided from the outlet into usable power for various parts inside the computer case. A power supply is also known as a power pack or power converter. Power supplies, as well as motherboards and cases, come in different form factors and have to be compatible in order to work properly together.
fan and heatsink
A processor is the main component that generates heat when switched on. The purpose of the heat sink is to help cool down the processor. It does this by drawing away the heat and then dispersing that heat into the air. The fan basically gets rid of hot air and generates cool air, keeping all components at a safe operating temperature. If the components did not have a fan and heat sink, they would overheat and malfunction.
hard drive configuration & controllers
sata
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, often abbreviated SATA or S-ATA, is a serial link - a single cable with a minimum of four wires creating a point-to-point connection between devices. As an evolution of the older Parallel ATA physical storage interface, SATA host-adapters and devices communicate via a high-speed serial cable.
According to Wikipedia, SATA computer bus, a storage-interface for connecting host bus adapters (most commonly integrated into laptop computers and desktop motherboards) to mass storage devices (such as hard disk drives and optical drives), offers several compelling advantages over the older parallel ATA/"EIDE" interface: reduced cable-bulk and cost, faster and more efficient data transfer, and the ability to remove or add devices while operating.
Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150MBps. One of the main design advantages of Serial ATA is that the thinner serial cables facilitate more efficient airflow inside a form factor and also allow for smaller chassis designs. In contrast, IDE cables used in parallel ATA systems are bulkier than Serial ATA cables and can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one metre.
According to Wikipedia, SATA computer bus, a storage-interface for connecting host bus adapters (most commonly integrated into laptop computers and desktop motherboards) to mass storage devices (such as hard disk drives and optical drives), offers several compelling advantages over the older parallel ATA/"EIDE" interface: reduced cable-bulk and cost, faster and more efficient data transfer, and the ability to remove or add devices while operating.
Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150MBps. One of the main design advantages of Serial ATA is that the thinner serial cables facilitate more efficient airflow inside a form factor and also allow for smaller chassis designs. In contrast, IDE cables used in parallel ATA systems are bulkier than Serial ATA cables and can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one metre.
ide
A single IDE interface can support two devices. Most motherboards come with dual IDE interfaces (primary and secondary) for up to four IDE devices. Because the controller is integrated with the drive, there is no overall controller to decide which device is currently communicating with the computer. This is not a problem as long as each device is on a separate interface, but adding support for a second drive on the same cable took some ingenuity.
To allow for two drives on the same cable, IDE uses a special configuration called master and slave. This configuration allows one drive's controller to tell the other drive when it can transfer data to or from the computer. What happens is the slave drive makes a request to the master drive, which checks to see if it is currently communicating with the computer. If the master drive is idle, it tells the slave drive to go ahead. If the master drive is communicating with the computer, it tells the slave drive to wait and then informs it when it can go ahead.
The computer determines if there is a second (slave) drive attached through the use of Pin 39 on the connector. Pin 39 carries a special signal, called Drive Active/Slave Present(DASP), which checks to see if a slave drive is present.
To allow for two drives on the same cable, IDE uses a special configuration called master and slave. This configuration allows one drive's controller to tell the other drive when it can transfer data to or from the computer. What happens is the slave drive makes a request to the master drive, which checks to see if it is currently communicating with the computer. If the master drive is idle, it tells the slave drive to go ahead. If the master drive is communicating with the computer, it tells the slave drive to wait and then informs it when it can go ahead.
The computer determines if there is a second (slave) drive attached through the use of Pin 39 on the connector. Pin 39 carries a special signal, called Drive Active/Slave Present(DASP), which checks to see if a slave drive is present.
eide
EIDE stands for Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics, more commonly referred to as the AT Attachment (ATA) drive. This was the first version put out by Western Digital in 1986 and used first in Compaq computers. The term IED meant that the electronic controller was integrated into the hard drive itself. This meant that drives could be more standardised and flexible. Before, they had to be matched to the corresponding controller on the motherboard. Now, the motherboard could use a more universal controller called the ATA, because the cable was designed to attach to the PC/AT motherboard.
The original ATA specifications allowed for a 18-bit addressing mode, which equated to a maximum limit on the hard drive storage of 137 gigabytes. Early Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) versions weren’t able to see this size, and imposed smaller limitations in the eight-gigabyte range, but this was not a function of the ATA interface.
The term EIDE and ATA are interchangeable for the most part, but ATA is the actual descriptive that refers to the type of connection and controller used. The EIDE refers to the physical construction of the drive. These have been matched for so long that both terms are used to refer to the same thing.
Originally all hard drives were ATA drives or Small ComputerSystems Interface (SCSI) drives, which is a more expensive bus-oriented interface. Optical drives changed the needs of the interface. Before, there was never a need for extra commands like Media Eject. That is the point at which the IDE / ATA protocols needed to be upgraded to the EIDE and AT Attachment Packet Interface(ATAPI). The ATA/ATAPI interface is the most common interface today.
The original ATA specifications allowed for a 18-bit addressing mode, which equated to a maximum limit on the hard drive storage of 137 gigabytes. Early Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) versions weren’t able to see this size, and imposed smaller limitations in the eight-gigabyte range, but this was not a function of the ATA interface.
The term EIDE and ATA are interchangeable for the most part, but ATA is the actual descriptive that refers to the type of connection and controller used. The EIDE refers to the physical construction of the drive. These have been matched for so long that both terms are used to refer to the same thing.
Originally all hard drives were ATA drives or Small ComputerSystems Interface (SCSI) drives, which is a more expensive bus-oriented interface. Optical drives changed the needs of the interface. Before, there was never a need for extra commands like Media Eject. That is the point at which the IDE / ATA protocols needed to be upgraded to the EIDE and AT Attachment Packet Interface(ATAPI). The ATA/ATAPI interface is the most common interface today.
master and slave
Configuring an EIDE drive requires very little skill; there are only a few things to know. The controller will allow two devices on the cable. The devices have to be set to master and slave, designations that organize the attached drives into a C: drive and a D: drive seen by the computer. This can be done manually or it can be done with the use of what is called Cable Select (CS). On each drive there is a jumper that can be set to master, slave or CS. If you manually set the drives to master and slave, you can put them on either connection on the ribbon cable. If you use CS, the cable has a ground on pin 28 that the drive will see and know which position it is in.
ports
In computer hardware, a port serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices, such as a mouse and keyboard. Physically, a port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment, to which a plug or cable connects. Electronically, the several conductors making up the outlet provide a signal transfer between devices. Port connectors may be male or female but female connectors are much more common for the fixed side on an interface, as bent pins are easier to replace on a cable than on a connector attached to a computer.
In computer networking, the term ‘port’ can refer to either physical or virtual connection points. Physical network ports allow connecting cables to computers, routers, modems and other peripheral devices. There are several different types of physical ports available on computer network hardware, such as Ethernet ports, USB ports and serial ports. However, virtual ports are a part of TCP/IP networking. They allow software applications to share hardware resources without interfering with each other. Computers and routers automatically manage network traffic travelling via their virtual ports. Network firewalls additionally provide some control over the flow of traffic on each virtual port for security purposes.
In computer networking, the term ‘port’ can refer to either physical or virtual connection points. Physical network ports allow connecting cables to computers, routers, modems and other peripheral devices. There are several different types of physical ports available on computer network hardware, such as Ethernet ports, USB ports and serial ports. However, virtual ports are a part of TCP/IP networking. They allow software applications to share hardware resources without interfering with each other. Computers and routers automatically manage network traffic travelling via their virtual ports. Network firewalls additionally provide some control over the flow of traffic on each virtual port for security purposes.
usb
A USB is a Universal Serial Bus, which is a standard type of connection for many different kinds of devices. Generally, it refers to the types of cables, ports and connectors used to connect these many types of external devices to computers. USB ports and cables are used to connect devices such as printers, scanners, flash drives, external hard drives and more to a computer. USB’s have become so popular that they’re now being used in non-traditional computer-like devices, such as video game consoles, wireless phones and more.
parallel
A parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port. Today, the parallel port is seeing decreasing use because of the rise of Universal Serial Bus and FireWire devices, along with network printing using Ethernet.
serial
A serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time (in contrast to a parallel port). While such interfaces as Ethernet, FireWire and USB all send data as a serial stream, the term 'serial port' usually identifies hardware more or less compliant to the RS-232 standard, intended to interface with a modem or with a similar communication device. Modern computers without serial ports may require serial-to-USB converters in order to allow compatibility with RS 232 serial devices.
Serial ports are still used in applications such as industrial automation systems, scientific instruments, shop till systems and some industrial and consumer products. Server computers may use a serial port as a control console for diagnostics. Network equipment (such as routers and switches) often use serial console for configuration. Serial ports are still used in these areas as they are simple, cheap and their console functions are highly standardised and widespread. A serial port requires very little supporting software from the host system.
Serial ports are still used in applications such as industrial automation systems, scientific instruments, shop till systems and some industrial and consumer products. Server computers may use a serial port as a control console for diagnostics. Network equipment (such as routers and switches) often use serial console for configuration. Serial ports are still used in these areas as they are simple, cheap and their console functions are highly standardised and widespread. A serial port requires very little supporting software from the host system.
internal memory
ram
RAM is short for Random Access Memory, and is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is considered ‘random access’ because you can access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell. RAM can be accessed in any order, whereas SAM (serial access memory) stores data as a series of memory cells that can only be accessed sequentially. The capacitor in a dynamic RAM memory cell needs to be refreshed periodically or it will discharge to 0, and it will forget what it is holding. The downside of all this refreshing is that it takes up time and slows down the memory.
Static RAM uses a completely different technology which makes it significantly faster than dynamic RAM. However, because it has more parts, a static memory cell takes up a lot more space on a chip than a dynamic memory cell. Therefore, you get less memory per chip, and that makes static RAM a lot more expensive. Static RAM is fast and expensive, and dynamic RAM is less expensive and slower. Static RAM is used to create the CPU's speed-sensitive cache, while dynamic RAM forms the larger system RAM space.
Static RAM uses a completely different technology which makes it significantly faster than dynamic RAM. However, because it has more parts, a static memory cell takes up a lot more space on a chip than a dynamic memory cell. Therefore, you get less memory per chip, and that makes static RAM a lot more expensive. Static RAM is fast and expensive, and dynamic RAM is less expensive and slower. Static RAM is used to create the CPU's speed-sensitive cache, while dynamic RAM forms the larger system RAM space.
rom
ROM stands for Read-only Memory, and is also known as firmware. ROM is an integrated circuit which is programmed with specific data when it is manufactured. ROM chips are used in other electrical devices as well as in a computer. There are five basic ROM types: ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM and Flash Memory. Each type has unique characteristics but they are all types of memory. These types are non-volatile and either unchangeable or require a special operation in order to be changed. This means that removing the power source from the chip will not cause it to lose any data.
cache
Cache reduces latency time and therefore accelerates the computer whilst keeping the price of it low. With cache, it takes longer for data to get from the memory card to the CPU than it does for the CPU to process the data. Cache alleviates this by making data used most often by the CPU available instantly, by building small amounts of memory (primary – level one) into the CPU.
Level one cache only ranges between 2KB and 64KB. Level two cache has a direct connection to the CPU and resides on a memory card. The level 2 controller on the motherboard uses the CPU to regulate the level 2 cache. The size of level 2 cache ranges from 256KB to 2MB, depending on the CPU. CPU’s access necessary data from the cache approximately 95% of the time, which reduces the overhead when the CPU has to wait for data from the main memory. Computers can now have level 3 cache as well.
Level one cache only ranges between 2KB and 64KB. Level two cache has a direct connection to the CPU and resides on a memory card. The level 2 controller on the motherboard uses the CPU to regulate the level 2 cache. The size of level 2 cache ranges from 256KB to 2MB, depending on the CPU. CPU’s access necessary data from the cache approximately 95% of the time, which reduces the overhead when the CPU has to wait for data from the main memory. Computers can now have level 3 cache as well.