Module 1.1 - Hardware (Pg 2– 19) Flashcards
What do we call the very large circuit board that has many slots and connectors inside the computer casing?
The motherboard.
Give the three main functions of a motherboard.
The motherboard provides connectors to allow other circuits (CPU, RAM, etc.) to connect to it.
It ensures that all components of the computer can communicate with one another.
It distributes power to the parts that connect to it.
What do mean by the term modular design?
The term modular design refers to the fact that the computer is made up of many parts or
‘modules’ that can be added together.
What are the three main advantages of modular design?
~The slots and connectors on the motherboard allow you to plug different components in and therefore you can change how your computer is configured.
~It is therefore it easy to repair the computer by replacing a broken or faulty part.
~It makes it easier to upgrade the computer by adding new parts or replacing existing ones with more powerful versions.
What is a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket used for?
It is where you connect the CPU to the motherboard.
DIMMs.
Dual Inline Memory Modules
Thin rectangular electronic boards which contain banks of RAM chips, inserted to DIMM slots on the motherboard, and the means by which memory of a computer is upgraded.
What are the advantages of DIMM slots?
DIMM slots allow you to add or upgrade the memory of your computer easily.
With which hardware device would you associate a SATA connector?
A storage device like a hard drive.
SATA Connectors
Connectors on the motherboard for attaching cables for storage devices.
With which hardware device would you associate a VGA connector?
monitor.
Expansion slots are seldom used these days. Name the two ways that are currently used to connect most devices to a computer.
USB or wireless.
What would be virtually the only reason to add an expansion card to a computer these days?
Expansion cards are usually only used for devices that need very fast and high bandwidth data transfer, such as video cards.
Expansion Slots
Slots on the motherboard for attcahing additional circuit boards in order to ‘expand’ capabillities of the computer.
What do the numbers on PCI-Express expansion cards and slots refer to?
They refer to their relative speed ratings or bandwidth capacity. As usual, higher numbers imply better performance and higher cost.
The CPU does (almost) all the work in the computer. List the four steps (of the machine cycle) it
typically goes through to carry out an instruction.
It fetches an instruction and data from the memory (RAM).
It decodes the instruction.
It then executes the instruction.
Finally, it transfers data back to memory.
CPU
Central Processing Unit- a chip that can contain more than one ‘core’(complete processor) and which connects to the motherboard using the ZIF socket. Responsoble for all processing
Is the CPU the only processor in a computer? Briefly motivate your answer.
No, it is not the only processor in a computer, for example some powerful video cards have a
processor on the video card to do some of the work.
What is the main difference between RAM and ROM?
ROM holds whatever is stored in it even when the power is switched off, whereas RAM does
not.
What does the ‘readonly’ part of ROM refer to?
The contents of ROM are not meant to be written to – that’s why it is called ‘Read-Only’ – you can read the instructions on it, but you can’t write to it.
Firmware
Software that is permantly installe, or Hard-Code on a ROM chip, and used to control the basic operation of a device e’g printer
Which ROM chip on the motherboard contains the lowest level of firmware?
The BIOS chip (Basic Input Output System).
BIOS
The essential startup instructions of a computer, in ROM chips on the motherboard, and representing the lowest level of programming in firmware
Give the four functions that the firmware of the BIOS chip performs.
It controls hardware at a ‘low’ level.
It provides the user with a menu or set of options to configure the computer at the lowest level
(you can change the settings stored in the CMOS).
It checks that all the important hardware (RAM, hard drive etc.) is present and working, which is called the POST (Power On SelfTest).
It locates and loads the operating system.
Briefly explain why other devices such as printers also have firmware on a ROM chip.
The actual instructions that a printer understands are stored in the firmware on the ROM of the printer. The printer driver will receive a print command from the operating system and will then translate it into the commands understood by the printer that are stored in the firmware.