CSE1100 Lecture - Computer Hardware 2

Computer Hardware Overview

  • PC Components:

    • Motherboard

    • CPU

    • Memory

    • Expansion Slots & Cards

    • Ports & Connector Cables

    • Booting Process

    • Peripheral Devices: Input and Output

    • Storage Devices

Heat Management

  • Heat Sinks:

    • Component with fins that cools the processor.

    • Heat sink fan.

    • Heat pipe: smaller device for notebooks.

Expansion Technology

  • Expansion Slots:

    • Socket on motherboard for adapter cards.

    • Plug and Play technology configures devices automatically upon installation.

  • Types of Expansion Cards:

    • Graphics cards (monitor connection).

    • Network cards (data transmission).

    • Sound cards (audio input/output).

    • 4-8 expansion slots common in PCs.

Port and Connector Types

  • Ports:

    • Connect external devices to the system unit.

    • Types:

      • DB-15, DB-9, DB-25 connectors for serial, parallel, and video connections.

      • USB, FireWire for peripheral connections.

  • Connector Functionality:

    • Serial: single data line.

    • Parallel: simultaneous data over multiple lines.

    • USB: supports up to 127 devices on a single connection.

Booting Process

  • Sequence from power-up to system readiness:

    • Hardware testing and loading OS.

    • BIOS conditions loaded from CMOS.

    • Configuration settings from Config.sys or Windows Registry.

  • Power-On Self-Test (POST):

    • Checks essential hardware components and drives for errors before loading OS.

Peripheral Devices

  • Input Devices:

    • Keyboard, Mouse, Trackball, Joystick, Digitizers, Image Scanners, Touch Panels, Light Pens, Voice Systems.

  • Output Devices:

    • Printers (Impact and Non-Impact), Monitors, 3D Printers.

Printing Technology

  • Impact Printers:

    • Use a striking mechanism (e.g., dot matrix).

  • Non-Impact Printers:

    • Include inkjet: sprays ink; high quality and affordable.

    • Laser: fast, high quality; initial cost high but economical in the long run.

  • Advantages of 3D Printers:

    • Produce three-dimensional objects from digital files.

Storage Solutions

  • Types of Storage Devices:

    • Magnetic Storage: Hard disks, tape drives.

    • Optical Storage: CDs, DVDs.

    • Solid State Drives (SSD):

      • Advantages: Faster access, quieter, more reliable.

      • Disadvantages: Costlier, shorter lifespan.