S & C Chapter 4

Front 1

Many of today's CPUs can execute more than one instruction per clock cycle.

Back 1

superscalar

Front 2

This cycle is comprised of four basic operations - fetching, decoding, executing, and storing.

Back 2

machine cycle or instruction cycle

Front 3

Programmers use these instructions to program a PROM chip.

Back 3

microcode

Front 4

A small piece of semi-conducting material, usually no bigger than one-half-inch square, on which integrated circuits are etched.

Back 4

chip

Front 5

Another component of the CPU. It performs arithmetic, comparison, and logical operations.

Back 5

arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)

Front 6

A microscopic pathway capable of carrying electrical current.

Back 6

integrated circuit

Front 7

A small lever or screw that facilitates the installation and removal of processor chips.

Back 7

zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket

Front 8

Interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer.

Back 8

central processing unit or processor

Front 9

The time it takes the control unit to execute and store an instruction.

Back 9

execution time (e-time)

Front 10

One component of the CPU that directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer.

Back 10

control unit

Front 11

An open area inside the system unit in which additional equipment can be installed.

Back 11

bay

Front 12

Each integrated circuit can contain millions of these elements, which act as electronic switches that open or close the circuit for electronic signals.

Back 12

transistors

Front 13

This brand of Intel processor is ideal for workstations and low-end servers.

Back 13

Xeon or Itanium

Front 14

A box-like case that houses the electronic components of the computer used to process data.

Back 14

system unit or chassis

Front 15

The smallest unit of data a computer can represent.

Back 15

bit or binary digit

Front 16

The main circuit board in the system unit.

Back 16

motherboard or system board

Front 17

Less expensive, basic PCs use this brand of Intel processor.

Back 17

Celeron

Front 18

Each channel along which bits are transferred, called a(n) __________, allows the various devices inside and attached to the system unit to communicate with each other.

Back 18

bus

Front 19

Most high-performance PCs use this processor.

Back 19

Pentium

Front 20

These chips are much faster than DRAM chips because they are synchronized to the system clock.

Back 20

Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)

Front 21

The CPU contains high-speed storage locations that temporarily hold data and instructions.

Back 21

registers

Front 22

The number of bits the CPU can interpret and execute at a given time.

Back 22

word size

Front 23

Each tick of the system clock is called a(an)...

Back 23

clock cycle

Front 24

The process of copying items from RAM to a storage device such as a hard disk.

Back 24

Saving

Front 25

The CPU begins executing a second instruction before it completes the first instruction.

Back 25

pipelining

Front 26

Unlike a serial port, this port is an interface that connects devices by transferring more than one bit at a time.

Back 26

parallel port

Front 27

The CPU relies on a small chip to synchronize, or control the timing of, all computer operations.

Back 27

system clock

Front 28

Helps speed the processes of a computer because it stores frequently used instructions and data.

Back 28

memory cache or Cache store or RAM cache

Front 29

The speed at which a processor executes instructions.

Back 29

clock speed or clock rate

Front 30

A blank ROM chip on which items can be placed permanently.

Back 30

programmable read-only memory (PROM)

Front 31

On a personal computer, all functions of the processor usually are on a single chip called...

Back 31

microprocessor

Front 32

A coding scheme capable of representing all the world's current languages.

Back 32

Unicode

Front 33

The time it takes the control unit to fetch and decode an instruction.

Back 33

intruction time (I-time)

Front 34

One type of expansion card, which is a communications device, that enables computers to communicate via telephone lines or other means.

Back 34

modem card or internal card

Front 35

These chips are a type of RAM that must be re-energized constantly or they lose their contents.

Back 35

Dynamic RAM or DRAM

Front 36

A thin credit card-sized device that adds memory, disk drives, sound, fax/modem, communications, and other capabilities to a mobile computer such as a notebook computer.

Back 36

PC Card

Front 37

A small circuit board that plugs into the motherboard, often to add additional capabilities to the motherboard.

Back 37

daughterboard

Front 38

The component in the system unit that converts the wall outlet AC power into DC power.

Back 38

power supply

Front 39

When eight bits are grouped together as a unit.

Back 39

byte

Front 40

A feature of PC Cards and flash memory cards which allows devices to be added and removed while a computer is running.

Back 40

hot plugging or hot swapping

Front 41

A method known as __________ uses multiple processors simultaneously to execute a program, speeding processor times.

Back 41

parallel processing

Front 42

The interface, or point of attachment, of an external device to the system unit.

Back 42

port

Front 43

A number system that has just two unique digits, 0 and 1.

Back 43

binary system

Front 44

One type of interface that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data one bit at a time.

Back 44

serial port

Front 45

A temporary storage place for data, instructions, and information.

Back 45

Memory

Front 46

An opening, or socket, where a circuit board can be inserted into the motherboard.

Back 46

expansion slot

Front 47

Memory chips that can be read from and written to by the processor and other devices.

Back 47

RAM (random access memory)

Front 48

Because bays most often hold disk drives, these spaces commonly are called __________.

Back 48

drive bays

Front 49

The role of memory to store both data and programs.

Back 49

stored program concept

Front 50

A(n) __________, which can be a peripheral or a chip, creates sound from digital instructions.

Back 50

synethesizer

Front 51

Because a heat sink consumes a lot of room, a smaller device cools processors in notebook computers.

Back 51

heat pipe

Front 52

Joins a cable to a device.

Back 52

connector

Front 53

A small ceramic or metal component with fins on its surface that absorbs and ventilates heat produced by electrical components.

Back 53

heat sink

Front 54

The size of a bus, called the __________, determines the number of bits that the computer can transmit at one time.

Back 54

bus width

Front 55

Users running engineering, scientific, or graphics applications will notice a dramatic increase in speed in applications that take advantage of this.

Back 55

floating-point coprocessor

Front 56

A type of bus that allows the processor to communicate with peripheral devices.

Back 56

expansion bus

Front 57

Today's processors use this technology, which is a set of instructions built into the processor that allows it to manipulate and process multimedia data more efficiently.

Back 57

MMX (multimedia extensions)

Front 58

An expansion card that converts computer output into a video signal sent through a cable to the monitor, which displays an image on the screen.

Back 58

video card or video adapter or graphic card

Front 59

Human speech is __________, because it uses continuous signals that vary in strength and quality.

Back 59

analog

Front 60

ROM chips, called __________, contain permanently written data, instructions, or information.

Back 60

firmware

Front 61

A special processor chip or circuit board that assists the processor in performing specific tasks. It also increases the performance of a computer.

Back 61

coprocessor

Front 62

Stores configuration information about the computer, such as the type of disk drives, keyboard, and monitor; the current date and time; and other startup information needed when the computer is turned on.

Back 62

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor memory or CMOS

Front 63

These chips are faster and more reliable than any variation of DRAM chips.

Back 63

Static RAM or SCRAM

Front 64

The computer automatically can configure cards and other devices as they are installed.

Back 64

Plug and Play

Front 65

Most computers are __________, meaning that they recognize only two discrete states: on and off.

Back 65

digital

Front 66

A device used to join two connectors that are either both female or both male.

Back 66

gender changer

Front 67

The amount of time it takes a processor to read data, instructions, and information from memory.

Back 67

Access time

Front 68

An expansion card that enhances the sound-generating capabilities of a personal computer by allowing sound to be input through a microphone and output through speakers.

Back 68

sound card

Front 69

Some external peripheral devices such as an external modem or tape drive have a(n) __________, which is an external power supply.

Back 69

AC adapter

Front 70

__________ refers to memory chips storing data that only can be read.

Back 70

Read-only memory (ROM)