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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Input devices
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Accept input from the outside world (e.g keyboards and mice)
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Output devices
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Send information to the outside world (e.g. the monitor)
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A microprocessor also called the CPU (central processing unit)
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In essence is like the computer's brain. It processes information, performs arithmetic calculations, and makes basic decisions by comparing information values.
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Memory and storage devices
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Both store information, but they serve different purposes. The computers memory called RAM (random access memory is used to store programs or data
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In the world of computers, information is what?
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Digital: it is made up of discrete countable units or digits. This means it can be subdivided.
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Bit
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a binary unit that is the smallest amount of information a computer can process.
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ASC11
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American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Represents each character as a unique 8 bit code. Out of a string of 8 bits 256 unique ordered patterns can be made
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Unicode
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ASC11's unique characteristics aren't enough to accommodate Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Arabic, and other languages. Thus, to facilitate multilingual computing the computer industry is embracing unicode (a code scheme that supports mor than 100,000 unique characteristics) --more than enough for all major world languages.
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Byte
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A logical group of 8 bits, also referred to as an octet. If you work with words you can think of a bit as one charter of ASC11-encoded text.
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File
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An organized collection of information, such as a term paper or a set of names and addresses, stored in a computer-readable form
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Motherboard
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The circuit board that contains a computer's CPU
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Microprocessing internal clock
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The speed of this in part determines the computer's overall performance
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CPU word size
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The number of bits a CPU can process at one time. Typically 32 or 64
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Multicore processors
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Putting multiple CPUs, which run simultaneously, on a single chip.
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Parallel processing
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has been used in high energy servers and worksations for some time. The advent of low-cost multicore processors means parallel processing is going mainstream.
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Dual core CPUs
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Such as intel Core 2 Duo are common on today's PCs and game consoles and quadcore processors are increasing in popularity.
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ALU
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Arithmetic logic unit. It performs the actual execution of instructions for the CPU. It typically contains registers, each usually 32 or 64 bits in size
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Prefetch unit
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Instructs the bus unit to read the instructions stored at a particular memory address
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Decode unit
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Takes the instructions read by the prefertcher and translates it into a form suitable for the CPU's internal processing
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Bus interface
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writes the results of the instructions back to memory or to some other device
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Level 2 cache (L2 cache)
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CPU pre-reads the next likely data to be used in a cache
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ROM
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read only memory
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CMOS
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complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS); a special low energy kind of RAM that can store small amounts of data for long periods of time on battery power
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Flash memory
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chips like RAM can be written and erased rapidly and repeatedly.
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Dual in-line memory modules (DIMM)
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Ram chips that are usually grouped into small circuit boards
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Buses
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Wires used so that information can travel between components of the motherboard. Buses typically have 32 or 64 wires.
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Bays
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Buses connect to storage devices in Bays--open areas in the system box for disk drives and other devices.
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Ports
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Buses connect to ports, which are sockets outside the computer
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Optical computer
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transmits information in lightwaves vs. electric pulses.
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