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CompTIA A+ 1001 > Peripherals, Mass Storage, & PC Builds > Flashcards

Peripherals, Mass Storage, & PC Builds Flashcards

1
Q

RS-232

A

Recommended Standard 232
9-pin
Serial port

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2
Q

DB-9

A

D-shell male socket

9-pin

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3
Q

USB

A

Universal Serial Bus

Connects almost all modern peripherals

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4
Q

USB Host Controller

A

An integrated circuit built into chipset
Acts as interface between system & USB devices
Up to 127 USB devices
Sends commands & provides power to USB devices

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5
Q

USB Root Hub

A

Host Controller part that makes physical connection to ports.
Also a bus, similar to an expansion bus
Upstream = Host controller
Downstream = USB device

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6
Q

Low-Speed USB

A

USB 1.1
1.5Mbps
Keyboards/mice

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7
Q

Full-Speed USB

A

USB 1.1
12Mbps
Headphones, bluetooth devices

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8
Q

Hi-Speed USB

A

USB 2.0
480Mbps
Webcams, card scanners, older wireless adapters, older flash drives

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9
Q

SuperSpeed USB

A

USB 3.0
5Gbps
Flash drives, external storage, cameras, wireless adapters

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10
Q

Superspeed USB (10Gbps)

A

USB 3.1
10Gbps
Flash drives, external storage, networking

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11
Q

USB 1.1 Connectors

A

USB-A (Upstream)

USB-B (Downstream)

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12
Q

USB 3.0 Connectors

A

Upgraded USB-A

New Micro-B

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13
Q

USB 1.1 & 2.0 Pins

A

4-pin connectors

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14
Q

USB 3.0 & 3.1 Pins

A

9-pin connectors

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15
Q

USB Connector Colors

A

1.1 = White
2.0 = Black
3.0 = Blue
3.1 = Teal
Always On = Red, Orange, or Yellow USB-A

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16
Q

USB-C

A

Symmetrical to avoid issues with older connections
24-pins
Supports USB 3.1 & Thunderbolt
Replaced Micro-USB mostly today

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17
Q

USB Cable Length

A

1.1 & 2.0 = 5 meter max
3.x = No defined max
As cable grows longer, cable suffers from interference
To avoid, stick with 2 meter max

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18
Q

USB Configuration: Too many devices

A

Too many devices can pull too much power.
Results in non-functioning USB ports
Disconnect devices until problem goes away

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19
Q

USB Configuration: Sleep & Doesn’t Wake Up

A

System will put the device to sleep automatically

Device manager: Uncheck “allow computer to turn of this device to save power”

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20
Q 
FireWire Ports (IEEE 1394)
\+ Speeds (2 Versions)
A 
Looks & acts much like USB (has all features)
Apple devices; replaced by Thunderbolt
Older than USB, different connectors
IEEE 1394a = 400Mbps
IEEE 1394b = 800Mbps
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21
Q 
Thunderbolt Ports (General)
\+ Cabling (2 Types & Max Length)
A 
Taps the PCIe bus for up to 6 external peripherals
Supports video (up to one 4k monitor)
Supports audio
Copper or fiber cabling
Copper = up to 3m
Fiber = up to 60m
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22
Q

Thunderbolt 1

A 
10Gbps
mDP connector (mini DisplayPort)
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23
Q

Thunderbolt 2

A 
20Gbps
mDP connector (mini DisplayPort)
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24
Q

Thunderbolt 3

A

40Gbps
USB-C connector
Half power consumption of Thunderbolt 2

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25
General Port Issues: Bad Port
Make sure port is turned on Check I/O options in system setup Check device manager: Enabled? Disabled?
26
General Port Issues: Do I have a port problem?
Discern port problem from device problem. | Use a "known good" device in same port
27
Digitizer
Converts analog object/image/signal into digital format. | Pen tablet/signature pad
28
Sound: Sampling
Computers capturing sound waves electronically | Sampling rate range: 11KHz - 192KHz
29
Sound: Bit Depth
Higher bit depth = more sound characteristics stored 8-bit sample = 28 characteristics of sound 16-bit sample = 216 characteristics of sound
30
CD Quality + Bit Depth + Audio Type
44.1KHz 16-bit depth Stereo
31
Sound: Formats
``` PCM (Pulse Code Modulation): WAV format (uncompressed) ``` Compression formats: MP3 (MPEG-1 layer 3) AAC (Advanced Audio Encoding)
32
Audio Jacks
Main speaker out = standard speaker Line out = external audio device Line in = import sounds from external device Rear out = connects to rear sound (surround) Analog/digital out = special digital connection Microphone = external microphone
33
S/PDIF | 2 Cable Types
Sony/Philips Digital Interface Optical: square w/small door Coaxial: standard RCA connector
34
DAC
Digital-to-Analog Converter | Ex: Focusrite Scarlet
35
Wrapper
Video Container File MOV: Apple QuickTime AVI: Windows (not as common anymore) MP4: (Common, h.264 & h.265 video)
36
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program which encodes or decodes a digital data stream or signal. Video files use codecs for video & audio tracks WAV or MP3 MPEG-2: DVDs, broadcast TV H.264: Smartphone; streaming; Blu-ray movies H.265: Half size of 264; same quality (for 4k) VP9: Google's competitor to H.265 (Android/YouTube)
37
CompactFlash
``` Oldest, most complex, & largest of all flash cards CF I (3.3mm) CF II (5mm) ```
38
SD (Name & Capacities)
``` Secure Digital (flash memory card): Also: miniSD & microSD Standard: 4MB to 4GB SDHC (High Capacity): 4GB to 32GB SDXC (Extended Capacity): 32GB to 2TB ```
39
SD (Speed)
1st Gen: Speed Class (2, 4, 6, & 10) 2nd Gen: UHS (Ultra High Speed) U1: 10MB/s U3: 30MB/s 3rd Gen: Video Speed Class (V + MB/s) For 4k & 8k video V6: 6MB/s V90: 90MB/s
40
SD Application Performance Class
(min 10MB/s) IOPS: Input/Output Operations per Second A1: 1500 IOPS read | 500 IOPS write A2: 4000 IOPS read | 2000 IOPS write
41
xD Picture Card | 3 Types
Extreme Digital Picture Card Used in old Olympus & Fujifilm digital cameras Original | Standard (Type M) | Hi-Speed (Type H)
42
CDDA/CD-DA
Compact Disc Digital Audio AKA: Audio CD Standard format for audio compact discs (12cm) Non-proprietary
43
CD-ROM | + Speed ( x = )
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory Divides CD into fixed sectors (2353 bytes each) ``` 1x = 150KBps 4x = 600KBps 16x = 2400KBps ```
44
CD-R (Two Capacities) + Speed Reading
Compact Disc Recordable 74-min (650MB) 80-min (700MB) Second burn laser (10x more powerful than read) Ex: 8x24x = Burn at 8x | Read at 24x
45
CD-RW
Compact Disc Re-Writable Functional equivalent of a flash drive Laser heats amorphous (noncrystalline) substance that, when cooled, slowly becomes crystalline R Write Speed | RW Write Speed | Read Speed 8x4x32cx | 12x10x32x | 48x24x48x
46
DVD (All Types)
``` Digital Versatile Disc (originally Digital Video Disc) DVD-Video = Movie format SS & DS = Single-Sided & Double-Sided SL & DL = Single-Layer & Dual-Layer DVD-ROM | DVD-R | DVD-RW | DVD-RW DL ```
47
DVD Versions & Capacities
DVD-5 (12cm, SS/SL) = 4.37GB, 2+ hrs video DVD-9 (12cm, SS/DL) = 7.95GB, ~4 hrs video DVD-10 (12cm, DS/SL) = 8.74GB, ~4.5 hrs video DVD-18 (12cm, DS/DL) = 15.90GB, 8+ hrs video
48
BD (Name & Capacities)
``` Blu-Ray Disc Near-perfect audio/video quality SL = 25GB DL = 50GB BDXL = 100GB BD-ROM | BD-R | BD-RE (RW) ```
49
Mini BD Capacities
``` SL = 7.8GB DL = 15.6GB ```
50
Magnetic Hard Drives
Composed of individual disks (platters) with read/write heads on the actuator arms controlled by a servo motor. Platters: Coated with magnetic medium 2 Read/Write Heads (platter top & bottom) AKA: Magnetic hard drives, rotational drives, platter-based hard drives
51
Transducer
Bit-sized | For reading/writing to each spot on drive
52
Spindle Speed (Rotational)
Measured in RPM Older Drives: 3600 RPM Most Common: 5400 & 7200 RPM High-Performance: 10,000 & 15,000 RPM Max = 15,000 RPM
53
Drive Bay Fans
Used for high-performance hard drives to maintain life
54
SSDs
Solid-State Drives Based on the combination of semiconductors & transistors used to create electrical components with no moving parts. Use flash memory chips to store data. Non-volatile flash memory (NAND) More costly than HDD
55
SSD Form Factors | Hint: There IS a third one
2.5 in (SATA) mSATA (smaller; on its way out) M.2
56
M.2 | Different Keys
SSD Form Factor (Flat, long) Different keys for different kinds of storage: Key B, Key M, Key B & M = Mass storage Key A, Key E = Wireless networking
57
Nonvolatile
Retains data when powered off.
58
MLC vs. SLC vs. 3D NAND (SSD)
MLC = Multi-Level Cell: Cheaper SLC = Single-Level Cell Better, more expensive 3D NAND = Memory cells are stacked vertically in multiple layers
59
Sequential Read/Write Performance (SSD) | SATA vs. NVMe
Throughput (read/write rate) = MBps SATA = up to 600MBps NVMe = 2500 + MBps
60
Random Read/Write Performance | HDD vs. NVMe Hint: Massive Difference
Times per second a device can read/write small, fixed-sized chunks of data at random locations on the drive. 4k Read | 4k Random Write | 4k Mixed (4KB) HDD = Fewer than 150 IOPS (input/output operations per sec) NVMe SSD = hundreds of thousands of IOPS
61
Latency (Mass Storage) HDD vs. SSD
Response time/access time. Measures how quickly the (SSD/HDD) responds to a request. Usually in ms or µs ``` HDD = Under 20ms SSD = Well under 1ms ```
62
HHDs/SSHDs + Apple Version
Hybrid Hard Drives: Combine flash memory & spinning platters Apple Version: Fusion Drive Separates HD & SSD; macOS decides where to store
63
Storage Connections (5 Types)
``` ST-506: Late 1980s - Early 1990s PATA: Early 1990s - Early 2010s SATA: Late 1990s - Today M.2: Late 2010s - Today SAS: 2005 - Today ```
64
ATA
Advanced Technology Attachment: Mass Storage Common Language PATA (Parallel ATA) = IDE SATA (Serial ATA)
65
PATA
Parallel ATA (AKA: IDE) Unique 40-pin ribbon cables (IDE cables) Standard Molex power connectors Last PATA standard supported massive drives 144PB (petabytes) = 144 Million GB Up to 133MBps Max Cable Length: 18 in
66
S.M.A.R.T.
Self-Monitoring, Analysis, & Reporting Technology: Internal drive program that tracks errors & error conditions within the drive. Stored in nonvolatile memory on drive and can be examined externally with SMART reader software
67
SATA
Serial ATA: Addressed issues with PATA Creates point-to-point serial connection between SATA device & controller. Needs fewer physical wires (due to serial connection) 7-pin connectors (as opposed to 40 in PATA) = Thinner cabling Hot-swappable Max Cable Length: 1 meter
68
PATA Problems
Limited Length: 18 in Not hot-swappable Reached throughput limits Ribbon cable was obnoxious
69
SATA Speeds (Throughput)
``` Up to 30x faster than PATA throughput SATA 1.0 = 1.5Gbps/150MBps SATA 2.0 = 3Gbps/300MBps SATA 3.0 = 6Gbps/600MBps SATA 3.2 (SATAe) = up to 16Gbps/2000MBps ```
70
SATAe
AKA: SATA 3.2 Ties capable drives into PCIe Bus on motherboards Takes advantage of PCIe lane speeds (8Gbps per lane) 2 lanes = 2000MBps
71
eSATA | Cable Type & Length
``` External SATA: Extended SATA bus to external devices at full speed. Shielded Cable Up to 2 meters Withered when USB 3.0 hit the market ```
72
External Enclosures/Drives (Connections)
External HDDs & SSDs: USB 3.0, 3.1, or C-type Thunderbolt
73
AHCI
Advanced Host Controller Interface: Enabled at CMOS before OS installation When enabled, drive appears automatically
74
NCQ
Native Command Queuing (feature of AHCI): | A disk optimization feature for SATA drives to attain faster read/write speeds.
75
NVMe
Non-Volatile Memory Express: | Supports communication between OS & SSD through PCIe bus lane, reducing latency
76
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface: A set of standards for physically connecting/transferring data between computers & peripheral devices. Popular in server market. Evolved from parallel, to wider parallel, to serial
77
SAS
Serial Attached SCSI: Faster version of SCSI Robots use for servers & storage arrays. SAS-3: 12Gbps | support for SATA drives
78
RAID
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks: A disk drive subsystem that increases performance or provides fault tolerance or both. Uses two or more physical drives and a RAID controller. Many motherboards today have built-in RAID circuits.
79
Array
Two or more drives working as a unit.
80
Disk Duplexing
A variation of disk mirroring in which each of multiple storage disks has its own SCSI controller.
81
Disk Mirroring
The practice of duplicating data in separate volumes on two hard disks to make storage more fault-tolerant.
82
Disk Striping
Spreading data among multiple drives (no redundancy). Fast way to read/write on hard drives. If either fails, all data is lost.
83
Disk Striping with Parity
AKA RAID 5 Parity Data: can be used to rebuild data if a drive fails Requires at least 3 drives Combines disk striping with mirroring
84
RAID 0
AKA: Disk Striping Does not provide redundancy. Requires at least 2 drives. One drive fails = all data lost
85
RAID 1
AKA: Disk Mirroring/Duplexing Requires at least 2 drives. Great for safety (more fault-tolerant) Loss of storage space (duplicated data)
86
RAID 5
AKA: Disk Striping with Distributed Parity Requires at least 3 drives. Fastest way to provide data redundancy. Uses one drive's worth of space for parity Out of favor today.
87
RAID 6
AKA: Disk Striping with Extra Parity Requires at least 4 drives. RAID 5 with extra parity info. Can lose up to 2 drives at the same time.
88
RAID 10 (1+0)
AKA: Nested Striped Mirrors Requires at least 4 drives. Can lose up to 2 drives. Pair of RAID 1 arrays | Arrays look like single drives Block stripe across the two mirrored pairs (RAID 0)
89
RAID 0+1
``` AKA: Nested Mirrored Stripes Requires at least 4 drives. Can lose up to 2 drives. Opposite configuration to RAID 10. 2 Striped Arrays (RAID 0) The striped arrays mirror each other. ```
90
Software RAID
OS is in charge of all RAID functions. Windows Disk Management (and other third party software) Used when price takes priority over performance. Does not require special controllers (can use SATA controllers) Best for small solutions (can overwork OS)
91
Hardware RAID
Used when you need speed with data redundancy. Intelligent Controller: handles all of the RAID functions Have chips with their own processor & memory Card handles RAID implementation (faster/more efficient) Most traditional setups are hardware RAIDs. Hot-swapping provided Invisible to OS; special config utility in CMOS
92
Dedicated RAID Boxes
AKA: RAID Enclosure Take two or more drives and connect via a port on computer USB/Thunderbolt (FireWire or eSATA on older systems)
93
Installing PATA Drives (and Connectors) + 1 Drive vs. 2 Drives
1 Drive: Set drive's jumpers to standalone/master 2 Drives: Set 1 drive to master, 1 drive to slave PATA Motherboard Port: IDE Connector Pin 1: Colored stripe that corresponds to number 1 pin (must line up with drive) Molex power connector
94
Partitioning
Subdividing a physical drive into one or more units
95
Format | Storage: Verb Definition
Installing a file system onto the drive that organizes each partition so that the OS can store files/folders on the drive.
96
Sector
A subdivision of a track on a magnetic disk or optical disk. Each sector stores a fixed amount of user-accessible data. Older Drives: 512-byte sectors Modern Drives: 4096-byte sectors (AF - Advanced Format Sectors)
97
Page (Storage)
A storage area on an SSD (similar to sector concept).
98
Block (Storage)
A group of pages.
99
LBA
Logical Block Addressing: A common scheme used for specifying the location of blocks of data stored on computer storage devices. Makes addressing any form of mass storage easy.
100
RMA
Return Material/Merchandise Authorization: Some drives have during warranty period. A part of the process of returning a product for a refund/replacement/repair.
101
Standard Thick Clients (PC Build)
Runs a modern OS and general productivity applications (common tasks for home/office) Has everything needed to run without a network connection. Should meet or exceed recommended hardware specs for OS.
102
Thin Clients (PC Build)
A system designed to outsource most of its work. Relies on resources from powerful servers (may not have hard drives) Single-purpose system (POS | Office using servers | Basic applications) Depends on network connectivity Meets minimum hardware requirements for OS
103
Virtualization Workstation (PC Build)
Most often used to run a second OS within the OS installed on the hard drive. MAX RAM MAX Cores/Speed CPU
104
Gaming PC (PC Build)
``` High-end GPU High-end sound card Fast, multicore CPU High-end cooling (liquid preferably) At least 16GB RAM ```
105
Graphic/CAD/CAM Design Workstation (PC Build)
Multicore CPU High-end GPU MAX RAM Robust storage
106
Audio/Video Workstation (PC Build)
``` High-end GPU High-end sound card Large & fast storage MAX RAM Dual monitors (or more) ```
107
NAS (PC Build)
``` Network Attached Storage Build: Media streaming File sharing Print sharing Gigabit NIC (high-speed network connection) RAID Array ```
108
CDFS (+ Other name)
CD File System = Data & Audio Non-proprietary file system for CDs! AKA: ISO-9660 Format

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