Components of the System Unit (Ch 2)

what it is

consists of electronic components

what it does

store instructions waiting to be
executed by the processor

data needy by those instructions and

the results of processing the data

3 basic categories of items

the operating system (OS) & other system software

application programs

data being processed & the resulting information

size of memory measure

in Kilobytes (KB or K)

in Megabyte (MB)

in Gigabyte (GB)

in Terabyte (TB)

Expansion slot

is a socket on the motherboard that can
hold an adapter card

Adapter card

enhances functioms of a component of the system
unit and/or provides connections to peripherals

CableCard

Disk COntroller

FireWire

Modem

Network

USB

HDTV Tuner

MIDI

is an opening inside the system unit in
which you can install additional equipment

basically a hold disk drivers

Port

is the point at which a peripheral
attaches to or communicates with
a system unit (also reffered as jack)

the port may be on the back,
front and/ or sides of a notebook

Firewire port

Bluetooth port

SCSI port

IrDA port

Serial port

Connector

joins a cable to port

The System Unit

a case that contains electronic components
of the computer

used to process data

Drive Bay(s)

Power Supply

Sound card

Video card

Processor

Memory

Definition

Interprets and carries out the basic instructions

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Control Unit

The component of the processor that directs
and coordinates most of the operations in the computer

ALU

performs arithmetic, comparison and other operation

Most computers are digital

Binary system are in of two
unique digits; Bits and Bytes

Analog signals

Continuous and vary in strength and quality

Digital signals

are in one of two states: on or off
(or discrete, ie. 1 or 0)