Digital Data Representation and Computer Components

Digital data representation

The process of representing data in a digital form.

Coding systems

Systems used to represent data and programs in a format that can be understood by a computer.

Bit

The smallest unit of data that a binary computer can recognize, represented by either a 0 or a 1.

Byte

A unit of digital information that is equivalent to 8 bits.

Kilobyte (KB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,024 bytes.

Megabyte (MB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,048,576 bytes.

Gigabyte (GB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Terabyte (TB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.

Petabyte (PB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes.

Exabyte (EB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes.

Zettabyte (ZB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 bytes.

Yottabyte (YB)

A prefix used to express larger quantities of bytes, equal to 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 bytes.

Binary numbering system

A numbering system that uses only two symbols, 0 and 1, to represent all possible numbers.

Decimal numbering system

A numbering system that uses 10 symbols, 0-9, to represent numbers.

ASCII

A coding system traditionally used with personal computers.

EBCDIC

A coding system developed by IBM, primarily for mainframe computers.

Unicode

A universal coding standard designed to represent text-based data written in any language.

Graphics data

Data that consists of bitmapped images made up of pixels.

Monochrome graphic

A graphic that can only be one of two colors.

JPEG

An image format commonly used by digital cameras.

Audio data

Data that must be in digital form to be stored or processed by a computer.

Video data

Data that is displayed using a collection of frames.

Machine language

A binary-based language used for representing computer programs.

System unit

The main case of a computer or mobile device that houses the essential components.

Motherboard

A circuit board consisting of computer chips that connects and allows communication between various hardware components.

Power supply

A component that delivers electricity to the computer, providing power to all other components.

Drive bays

Rectangular metal racks inside the system unit that house storage devices such as hard drives or optical drives.

Processors

Components consisting of circuitry and integrated circuits connected to the motherboard, responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations.

CPU

The central processing unit, which performs the majority of processing for a computer.

CPU cores

The processing components of multiple independent processors within a single CPU.

GPU

The graphics processing unit, responsible for processing and rendering images for display.

Processing speed

The speed at which a CPU can execute instructions, measured by its clock speed.

Word size

The amount of data that a CPU can manipulate at one time, typically measured in bits or bytes.

Cache memory

A special group of very fast circuitry built into the CPU, used to store frequently accessed data for faster retrieval.

Bus width

The number of wires in a bus over which data can travel simultaneously.

Bus speed

The speed at which data can be transferred on a bus, determining the bus's bandwidth.

Memory

Chip-based storage used to temporarily store data that the CPU needs to access quickly.

RAM

Random Access Memory, the computer's main memory or system memory that allows data to be read from or written to by the CPU.

Registers

High-speed memory locations built into the CPU, used to store and manipulate data during processing.

ROM

Read-only memory, non-volatile chips located on the motherboard that store permanent instructions and data.

Flash memory

Non-volatile memory chips used for storage, commonly found in USB drives, memory cards, and solid-state drives.

Fans

Components used to cool the CPU and system unit, preventing overheating.

Expansion slots

Locations on the motherboard into which expansion cards, such as graphics cards or sound cards, can be inserted to enhance the computer's capabilities.

Buses

Electronic paths within a computer over which data travels between various hardware components.

PCI

Peripheral Component Interconnect, a common type of expansion bus used for connecting peripheral devices to the motherboard.

PCIe

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, a newer and faster type of expansion bus used for connecting peripheral devices to the motherboard.

USB

Universal Serial Bus, a widely used standard for connecting various devices, such as keyboards, mice, and external storage, to a computer.

Ports

Connectors on the exterior of a computer's system unit that allow peripheral devices to be connected.

USB hubs

Devices that allow multiple USB devices to be connected to a single USB port on a computer.

CPU architecture

The components and design of a CPU, including its instruction set and organization.

Moore's Law

A prediction that the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years, leading to exponential growth in computing power.

Optical computing

A field of computing that uses light instead of electricity to perform digital computations.

Nanotechnology

The science of creating and manipulating materials and devices at the nanometer scale, used in the development of smaller and more efficient computers and components.

Terascale computing

The ability of a computer to process one trillion floating-point operations per second (TFLOPS), enabling high-performance computing applications.

Quantum computing

A field of computing that applies principles of quantum physics to perform computations, potentially offering significant advancements in processing power and solving complex problems.

Improved materials

Advancements in materials used in computer components, resulting in smaller components, faster memory, and improved chip performance.

3D chips

Chips that pack multiple components layered onto small chips, enabling higher performance and efficiency in a compact form factor.