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Definition
| A small circuit board inserted in an expansion slot and used to communicate between the system bus and a peripheral device. |
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Definition
| The number system used by computers; it has only two numbers, 0 and 1 |
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Term
| BIOS (basic input/output system) |
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Definition
| Firmware that can control much of a computer’s input/output functions, such as communication with the floppy drive and the monitor. |
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| The program in system BIOS that can change the values in CMOS RAM. Also called CMOS setup. |
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| A 0 or 1 used by the binary number system. |
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Definition
| The paths, or lines, on the motherboard on which data, instructions, and electrical power move from component to component. |
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| A collection of eight bits that can represent a single character. |
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Definition
| Adapter boards or interface cards placed into expansion slots to expand the functions of a computer, allowing it to communicate with external devices such as monitors or speakers. |
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Term
| central processing unit (CPU) (processor) |
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Definition
| The heart and brain of the computer, which receives data input, processes information, and executes instructions. |
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Definition
| A group of chips on the motherboard that controls the timing and flow of data and instructions to and from the CPU. |
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Definition
| The speed, or frequency, expressed in MHz, that controls activity on the motherboard and is generated by a crystal or oscillator located somewhere on the motherboard. |
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| CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
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Definition
| The technology used to manufacture microchips. Require less electricity, hold data longer after the electricity is turned off, and produce less heat than earlier technologies. |
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Definition
| Small amount of memory contained on the CMOS configuration chip. |
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Definition
| The program in system BIOS that can change the values in CMOS RAM. Also called BIOS setup. |
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Definition
| The lines on the system bus that the CPU uses to send and receive data. |
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Definition
| The number of lines on a bus that can hold data, for example, 8, 16, 32, and 64 lines, which can accommodate 8, 16, 32, and 64 bits at a time. |
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Term
| DIMM (dual inline memory module) |
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Definition
| A miniature circuit board installed on a motherboard to hold memory. Can hold up to 4 GB of RAM |
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Term
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Definition
| A circuit board inserted into a slot on the motherboard to enhance the capability of the computer. |
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Term
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Definition
| A narrow slot on the motherboard where an expansion card can be inserted. |
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Definition
| Software that is permanently stored in a chip. |
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Definition
| ROM that can be reprogrammed or changed without replacing chips. |
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Definition
| A drive that can hold either a 5 1/2 inch or 3 1/4 inch floppy disk. |
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Term
system bus
Also called the memory bus, front-side bus, local bus, or host bus. |
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Definition
| The bus between the CPU and memory on the motherboard. The bus frequency in documentation is called the system speed, such as 400 MHz. |
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Term
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Definition
| One thousand MHz, or one billion cycles per second. |
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Term
| video card or graphics card |
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Definition
| An interface card installed in the computer to control visual output on a monitor. |
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Definition
| Output from a printer to paper. |
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Definition
| The main secondary storage device of a PC. Two technologies are currently used are magnetic and solid state. |
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Term
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Definition
| The physical components that constitute the computer system, such as the monitor, the keyboard, the motherboard, and the printer. |
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Definition
| Unit of measurement for frequency, calculated in terms of vibrations, or cycles per second. |
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Definition
| A common input device through which data and instructions may be typed into computer memory. |
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Term
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Definition
| drives where data is stored as magnetic spots on disks that rotate at a high speed. |
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Term
| motherboard (system board) |
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Definition
| The main board in the computer where the CPU, ROM chips, DIMMs, RIMMs, and interface cards are plugged into. |
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Definition
| One million Hz, or one million cycles per second. |
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Term
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Definition
| Physical microchips that can hold data and programming, located on the motherboard or expansion cards. |
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Term
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Definition
| The most commonly used output device for displaying text and graphics on a computer. |
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Term
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Definition
| A pointing and input device that allows the user to move a cursor around a screen and select items with the click of a button. |
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Term
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Definition
| Refers to a kind of RAM that is stable and can hold data as long as electricity is powering the memory. |
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Definition
| An older IDE cabling method that uses a 40-pin flat or round data cable or an 80- conductor cable and a 40-pin IDE connector. |
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Term
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Definition
| A female 25-pin port on a computer that can transmit data in parallel, 8 bits at a time, and is usually used with a printer. |
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Term
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Definition
| Devices that communicate with the CPU but are not located directly on the motherboard, such as the monitor, floppy drive, printer, and mouse. |
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Term
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Definition
| A physical connector, usually at the back of a computer, that allows a cable from a peripheral device, such as a printer, mouse, or modem, to be attached. |
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Term
power supply
Also called a power supply unit (PSU) |
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Definition
| A box inside the computer case that supplies power to the motherboard and other installed devices. Power supplies provide 3.3, 5, and 12 volts DC. |
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Definition
| Temporary storage on the motherboard used by the CPU to process data and instructions. |
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Term
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Definition
| A peripheral output device that produces printed output to paper. |
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Term
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Definition
| A set of step-by-step instructions to a computer. Some are burned directly into chips, while others are stored as files. |
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Term
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Definition
| A set of rules and standards that two entities use for communication. |
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Term
| RAM (random access memory) |
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Definition
| Memory modules on the motherboard containing microchips used to temporarily hold data and programs while the CPU processes both. |
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Term
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Definition
| Chips that contain programming code and cannot be erased. |
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Term
| S/PDIF (Sony-Philips Digital Interface) sound port |
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Definition
| A sound port that connects to an external home theater audio system, providing digital output and the best signal quality. |
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Term
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Definition
| Storage that is remote to the CPU and permanently holds data, even when the PC is turned off, such as a hard drive. |
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Term
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Definition
| An ATAPI cabling method that uses a narrower and more reliable cable than the 80-conductor cable. |
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Term
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Definition
| A male 9-pin or 25-pin port on a computer system used by slower I/O devices such as a mouse or modem. Data travels serially, one bit at a time, through the port. |
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Term
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Definition
| Computer programs, or instructions to perform a specific task. |
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Term
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Definition
| A hard drive that has no moving parts. |
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Definition
| Part of system BIOS that is responsible for controlling the PC when it is first turned on. |
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Term
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Definition
| BIOS located on the motherboard. |
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Term
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Definition
| A line on a bus that is dedicated to timing the activities of components connected to it. |
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Term
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Definition
| A wire on a circuit board that connects two components or devices. |
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Term
| USB (universal serial bus) port |
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Definition
| A type of port designed to make installation and configuration of I/O devices easy, providing room for as many as 127 devices daisy-chained together. |
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Term
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Definition
| Memory used by the video controller. The memory might be contained on a video card or be part of system memory. When part of system memory, the memory is dedicated by Windows to video. |
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Term
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Definition
| Refers to a kind of RAM that is temporary, cannot hold data very long, and must be frequently refreshed. |
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Term
| input, processing, storage, and output |
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Definition
| The four basic functions that software uses to perform a computing task |
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Term
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Definition
| Sealed case containing platters or disks that rotate at a high speed. |
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Term
| USB Flash Drive or Thumb Drive |
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Definition
| Drives that are compact, easy to use, and currently hold up to 64 GB of data |
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Term
| System Clock (System Timer) |
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Definition
| dedicated to timing the activities of the chips on the motherboard. |
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Term
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Definition
| provides a port for a network cable to connect the PC to a network. |
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Term
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Definition
| The most important component of the computer’s electrical system, which is usually near the rear of the case. |
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Definition
| Data and instructions are stored on special ROM (read-only memory) chips on the board |
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Definition
| Name the two main CPU manufacturers. |
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Term
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Definition
File transfer data.
Protocol = FTP
Service = FTP |
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Term
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Definition
File transfer control information.
Protocol = FTP
Service = FTP |
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Term
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Definition
Remote control to a networked computer that includes encrypting transmitted login information and data.
Protocol = SSH
Service = Secure Shell |
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Term
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Definition
Remote control to a networked computer from a command prompt that does not use encryption.
Protocol = Telnet
Service = Telnet |
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Term
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Definition
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; used by a client to send e-mail.
Protocol = SMTP
Service = Email |
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Term
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Definition
Domain Name Service; used to find an IP address when a computer’s character-based name is known.
Protocol = DNS
Service = DNS server |
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Term
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Definition
World Wide Web protocol.
Protocol = HTTP
Service = Web server |
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Term
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Definition
Post Office Protocol, version 3; used by a clientto receive e-mail.
Protocol = POP3
Service = Email |
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Term
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Definition
Internet Message Access Protocol, a newer protocol
used by clients to receive e-mail.
Protocol = IMAP
Service = Email |
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Term
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Definition
HTTP with added security that includes authentication and encryption.
Protocol = HTTPS
Service = Web server |
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Term
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Definition
Remote Desktop Protocol used to connect to a computer. Transmissions are encrypted. Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance both use RDP.
Protocol = RDP
Service = Remote Desktop |
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