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Introducing Hardware

I ike nrillions.rf other ct,rlputer uscrs, r-ou lrave probabl;' usecl ,vour
L d.rku,1, or n.tebook .,,n,1,.r,". t() plar gimlcs, update vour blog,
. That a computer write plpers, or build spreaclsheets. You can use all these applications
r€quircs both without understanding exactlv what goes on inside your computer
hardware and case or notebook. But if vou are curious to learn more about personal
software to work computers, and if r.ou want to graduilte from simpll'being the end
. About the many user of lolrr computer to becoming the master of your machine, then
different hard- tl.ris book is for vou. lt is rvritten ior anyone r.vho u'ants to under'-
ware conlPonents
insidc of and stand rvlrilt is happening inside the machine, in order to install nerv
connected to a hardware and softr,vare, cliag:rose ancl solve both hardware and soft-
computcr rvare problems, and make purchasing decisions and then install nerv
hardr,vare and operating systems. The onlv assumption made hele is
that you afe a cornputer usel-that is, you can turn on your machine,
load a softrvare package, and use that software to accomplish !1 task.
No experience in elecrronics is assurred.
In addition, this book prepares yotl to p:rss the A+ Essentials
220-701 exam and the A+ Practical Application 220-702 exam
requirecl bv CompTIA \tututu.contptid.or g) for A+ Certification.
I cnnrrrn r Introducing Hardware

i ..1 jl i j) ij.i= j:rf] #i:l,i i; r-. .!."1,i: ". j,l,',jl,iixr..,i*.+ I nf .*:i

In the world of computers, the term hardware refers to the computert physical components,
such as the monitor, keyboard, motherboard, and hard drive. The term software refers to
the set of instructions that directs the hardware to accomplish a task. To perform a comput-
ing task, software uses hardware for four basic functions: input, processing, storage, and
output (see Figure 1-1). Also, hardware components must communicate both data and
instructions among thenselves, which requires an electrical system to provide power,
In this chapter, we introduce the hardware compo-
because these components are electrical.
nents of a computer system and how they work. In Chapter 2, we introduce operating
systems and how they work.

Processing

Floppy disk
r<*--
\gts-
,-r@l
Permanent storage

Figure 1-1 Computer activity consists of input, processing, storage. and output
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A computer user must interact with a computer in a way that both the user and the software
understand, such as with entries made by way of a keyboard or a mouse (see Figure 1-2).
Horvever, software must convefi that instruction into a form that hardware can "understand."
As incredible as it might sound, every communication between hardware and sofrware, or
berween sohware and other software, is reduced to a simple yes or no, which is represented
inside the computer by two simple states: on and off.
lt was not alrvays so. For almost half a century, people attempted to invent an elec-
tronic computational device that could store all 10 digits in our decimal number system
and even some of our alphabet. Scientists were attempting to store a charge in a vacuum
tube, which is similar to a light bulb. The charge would later be "read" to determine what
had been stored there. Each digit in our number system, zero through nine, was s(ored
with increasing degrees of charge, similar to a light bulb varying in power from off to dim
all the way up to bright. However, the degree of "dirnness" or "brightness" was difficult
to measure, and it would change because the voltage in the equipment could not be accu-
rately regulated. For example, an eight would be stored with a partially bright charge, but
later it would be read as a seven or nine as the voltage on the vacuum tube fluctuated
I
Hardware Needs Software to Work I

@ Arl orocessing and storage . @Transmission to


OU""|. are done in binary'orm I
lypes "LISA
o\\O llo O llO O/

il '"S (aKeyboard converts ..i&l


.#,ix
W
characte's to a Hffi
binary code; bils ffi
. are transmirted to ffiffi (o) Pnnler convens
I -- to . ffi
memory and binary code to
CPU lor processrng - F characters before printing

Figure 1-2 At[ communjcation, storage, and processing of data inside a computer are in binary form untiL
presented as output to the user
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Then, in the 1940s, John Atanasoff came r.rp widr the brilliant idea to store and rerrcl only
two vxlues, on and off. Either there wirs a chargc or tl'rere \,vas not a chargc, and this wrrs e:rsy
to rvrite and read, just as it's easy to deternrine if a light bulb is on or off. This technologl' of
storing arnd rcading only two stiltes is crlled binary, and the numtrer system that t])trly uses two
digirs, 0 anci l, is called the binary nurubcr systcm. A 1 or 0 in this system is called a trit, or
bir.rary digit. Because of the wiry the number system is organized, grouping is often donc in
groups of eight bits, each of rvlrich is callcd a bvte. (Guess rvhat {our bits are called? A nibblcl)

To learn more about binary and computer terminology related to the binary and hexadecimal
number system. look on the CD that accompanies this book for the content "The Hexadecimal Number
System and Memory Addressing."

In l computer. all counting and cirlculirtions use the binary number systen. Colrrtting in
birrary goes like this: 0, 1, 10, I l, 100, l0 t, and so forth. For example, in binarry coc{e the
number 25 is 0001 1001 (sec l-igure 1--i). When text is stored in a computer, every lctter or
other character is first converted to ir cocle using only zcros and ones. The mosa common cttcl-
ing r.netirod for text is ASCII (Anerican Strruclatcl Code for Information Interchange). For
exirmple, the upperc:lse letter A in ASCII codc is 0100 0001 (see Figure 1 3).

lhe number 25 slored as I bits using the binary number systern:

0001 1001

The letter A stored as B bils usinq ASCII code:

0100 0001

figure 1-3 Att tetters and numbers are stored in a computer as a serjes of bits, each represented
ir the computer as on or ott
Courtesv: Course Technoloqy/Cengage Learnr'nq

I A* Exa- Tip th. l* 220-701 Essentiats exam expects vou to know atL the key terms in this chapter,
Pay careful attentior] to a[[ these terms. In later chapters, notice the mappr'ng lines jn the margins of the
chapters that mark the in-depth content for each A+ exam objective. As you read this chaptet consider jt
your introduction to the hardware content on the A+ 220-701 Essential-s exam.
CHAPTER

ln this section, \\'e covet the major hardrvare conponents <lf a microcomputer
system used
for input, o'tpur, processing, srorage, elecrricirl supph., and communication. Most input
and
orrtput dc'ices are outside the computer case. Most processing and storage anrnp,r,ran,,
nra
contained inside the case. The nrost irnp'rrlnr cornponenr in rhe casc is the ccnt.al process-
ing unit (cPU), also called rhe pr.cesso. or micropr'cessor. As its name implies,
this der,,ice
is central to all processing done bv the computer. I)ata received by input devices
is read bv
the CPU, and ourpur fi om rhe CPU is u'rirten ro ourpur de'ices. The CpU rvrires dara and
insfructions in storage devices and perforrns calculafions and other data processing. I/fierher
inside or outside the c,rse, and reg;ardless of the function the device perfornrs, each hilrdrv:rre
irrput, output, or storage device requires these elenrents to operatej

z A ntethod for the CPU tc.t ccttrntunicate uith tbe dct,ice. The device must send data to
and/or receive dirta from rhe CPU. The CPU might need to control the device by pass-
ing instructions to it, or the clevice miglrt need to request service fron the CPU.
z Software to ilstrLtct dnd control the deuice. A device is use]ess without software to
control it. The softrvare nrust know how to cornmunicate with the device at the
detailed level of thilt specific clevice, and the CPU rnust hrve access ro this software in
order to interaci with the delice. Each device responds to a specific set of instructions
based on the devicet functions. The sofnvare urust have an instruction for each possi-
ble action,voLr expect the delice to accomplish.
z Electricitl'to pouer tlrc det'ice. F-lectronic devices require electricitl t() operilte,
Devices can receive pou'er from rhe power supply inside the computer case, or thev
can have their o\\'n po\rer supplied by a power cable connected to an electrical outlet.

ln the next ferv pages, rle take ,r sightseeing tour of computel hardware, iirst lookir.rg out-
side and then inside tlre case. I'r'e tried to keep tJre terminologv and concepts to a minimum
in rhese sections, because in future chapters, evervthing is covered in much nrore detail,

HARDWARE USED FOR INPUT AND OUTPUT


Most input/output devices are outside rhe computer case. These devices communicate with
components inside the compurer case through a wireless connection or through cables attached
to the case at a connectiol.l called a port. ivlost computer ports are located on the back of the
case (see Figure 1-4), but some cases have ports on the front for easy access, The most popular
input devices are a keyboard and a mouse, and the most popular output devices are a monitor
and a prinrer.
The kcyboard is the primirry input device of a computer (see Figure 1-5). The keyboards that
are standard today are called enhanced keyboards and hold 104 ke1's. Ergonomic keyboards are
curved to nake them more comfortable for the hands and r,vrists. In addition, some ke1'boards
come equipped rvilh a mouse port used to aitach a mouse to the keyboard, although it is more
common for the mouse port to be on the computer case. Electricity to lun the keyboard comes
from inside the computer case and is provided b1'wires in the keyboard cable.
A mouse is a pointing device used to move a pointer on the
screen and to make selections. The bottom of a mouse has a

Examining the Back of a PC


rorating ball or an oprical sensor that tracks n.rovement and
controls the location of tlre pointer. The one, two, or three but-
tons on the top of tl.re mouse serve different purposes for difter-
ent software. For example, V(indows Vista uses tlle left nouse button to execute a commancl
and the right mouse buiton to displal'a shortcut menu of comnands related to the item.
Keyboard
po rt l\/louse port

S/PDIF out Parallel


port
Serial port
FireWire
port
Four USB
ports Network
port

Digital video
Sou nd port
Ports

Analog
video porl

S-Video
port Two phone llne
poris for modem

Figure 1-4 Input/output devjces connect to the computer case bv ports usuaLlv found on the back of the case
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Figure 1-5 The keyboard and the mouse are the two most poputar input devices
Coutesy: Course TechnoLogy/Cengage Learning
I crnrrrn r Introducing Hardware

The monitor and the printer are the two most popular output devices (see Figure 1-6). The
monitor is the visual device that displays the primary output of the computer. Hardware manufac-
turers typically rate a monitor according to the diagonal sizc of its screen (in inches) ar.rd by the
monitor's resolution, which is a function of the number of dots on the screer.r used for display.
A verv irnportant output device is the printer, which produces output on paper, often
called hard copy. The most popular printers available today are ink-jet, laser, therrrral, and
impact printers. The monitor and the printer need separate power supplies. Their electrical
porver cords connect to electrical outlets.
Figure l-6 showed the most common connectors used for a monitor and a printer: a
15-pin analog video connector and a universal serial bus (USB) connector. In addition,
a digital monitor can use a digital video connector and an older printer can use a 25-pin
parallel connector (see Figure 1-7).

USB connector

Figure 1-6 The two most poputar output devices are the monitor and the printer
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Digilal Visual
lnterface (DVl)
connector

Parallelport
conneclor

USB
connector

Figure 1-7 Two video connectors and two connectors used by a printer
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
PC Hardware Components I

HARDWARE INSIDE THE COMPUTER CASE


Most storage and all processir.rg of data and instructions are done inside the computer case, so
beiore rve look at components used for storage and processing, let\ look at what you see when you
first open the computer case. Most computers contain these devices inside the case (see Figure 1-8):

,t A mothcr board containing the CPU, mentory', and oaher collrponents


z A hard drive and optical drive (CD or DVD) used for permanent storage
,a A power supply rvith power cords supplying eiectricity to all devices inside the case
^t Adapter cards used by the CI']U to conununicate with devices inside and outside the case
^t Cables connecting dcvices to adapter cards and the motherboard

Power supply
DVD drive

Power,cords

Pentium 4 CPU
is underneath
this fan

Floppy drive

Two hard drives


lvlotherboard
Front of case
Video card
SATA data cables

Four memory
modules

tigure 1-8 Insjde the computer case


Couftesy: Course Technotogy/Cengage Learning

Son.re of the first things ,vou'll notice ,,,,'l.ren you look inside a conputer case are adapter
cards. An adaptcr card is a circuit board thirt holds n.ricrochips, or integrated circuits (lCs),
and the circuitry that ccxrnects these chips. Adapter cards,
also called expansion cards or sin.rplv cards, are installed in
long narrou' expirnsion slots on the motherboard. All adapter Looking Inside a PC
cards contain microchips, I'hich are nost often manufactured
using CMOS (complemcntary metal-oxjde semiconductor)
technology, The other lnajor components insidc the case look likc small boxes and include
the po\.ver suppll, hard drive, CD drivc, and possiblv a floppy drive.
There are rwo types of cables insidc the case: data cables, rvhich connect devices ro one
another, .rnd power cablcs er power cords, rvhich suppl,v porver. 11 the cable is flat, it most
likely is a data cable. However, to knorv for sure whar type of cable you're dealing with,
trace the cable fron its source to irs destination.
j cnnrrrn r Introducing Hardware

THE MOTHERBOARD
The largest and most important circuit board in the computer is the mothcrboard, also called the
main board, the system board, or the techie jargon term, the mobo (see Figure 1-9). The morher-
board contajns a socl<et to hold the CPU; the CPU is the component in which most processing
takes place. The motherboard is the most complicated piece of equipnrent inside the case, and
Chapter 5 covers it in detail. Because all devices n.rust communicate y'ith the CPU installed on the
mother:board, all devices in a computer are either installed directly on the motherboard, directly
linked to it by a cable connected to a port on the motherboard, or: indirectly linked to ir by expan
sion cards. A device that is not installed directl_v on the motherboard is called a peripheral dcvice.
Some ports on the motherboard stick outside the case to accom-
r.nodate external devices such as a keyboard, and some pons pro-
Looking at Motherboards
vide a connection for a device, such as a CD drive, inside the case.

Two PCle x1 slots

PCle x16 slot for video card

Fan with CPI.J be ow

Three standard PCI slots

Chipset

Four Dll\,4M slols

Figure 1-9 Al[ hardware componefts are ejther located on the motherboard or directly or indirectly connected to
r't because they must all communjcate with the CPU
Courtesy: Course Techirotogy/Cengage Learnjng

L,isted next are the major components found on all motherboards (some of them are
labeled in Figure 1-9). In the sections that follor,v, we discuss these components in detail.
Here are the components used primarill. for processing:

.a Processor or CPU (central processing unit), the computer's most impoftant chip
^t Cl.ripset that supports the processor by cor.ttrolling man,v motherboard activities
Thc componenr u'ed lor remp,-rrary srorage i.:

z RAM (random access memory), which holds data and instructions as they ar.e processed

Components that allow the processor to communicate with other devices are as follows,

,J Traces, or rvires, or.r the motherboard used for comn.runication


.l Expansion slots to connect expansion cards to the morherboard
/ The \\stem clocL rhat keep. commrrnrrorion in syrrc
,/ Connections for data cables to devices inside the case
-z Ports for devices outside the case
,,,rtliiiuiiil{

PC Hardware Components I

The electrical systen consists of:

,l Power supply connections that provide electricity to thc motherboard and expansion c;rrds

l-ver,v motherboard has programming and setup data stored on it:

^t Flash ROM, a memoq/ chip used to permanently store instructions tlrat cor.ttrol basic
hardwale functions (explained in mole detail latel in the chapter)
,a CMOS RAM and CIvIOS setup cl.rip tl.rat holds configuration data

Figure 1-10 shorvs the ports coming directly off a motherboard to the outside oi the casc: a
kel,board port, :'l rllouse port, a parallel port, nvo S/PDIF sound ports (for optical or coaxial
cable), a FireWire pofi, a nenvork port, four USB ports, six sound pons, and a rvireless
network antenna port. A parallel port transnits data in pLrrallel and is most often used by an
older printer. An S/PDIF (Sony-Philips l)igital Interface) sound port connccts to ar'r ex.ernal
home theater audio svstem, providing digit.rl oLrtput and the best signal qualitv. A FireWire port
(also calLed an IEEE 1394 port, pronounced "l-triple-E 1394 port") is used for high-speed
multimedia der,iccs srrch as digital camcorders. A universal serial bus {USB) port can be used bv
rrany different input/output der.ices, such as kelboarcls, printers, scanners, and cligital cameras.
ln addition to tlresc po!'ts, some older r'rlotherboards provide a serial port that transmits data
serially {one bit following tl.re next); it is often used for an external modem or scirnner A seri:rl
port looks like a parallel port, but is rrot ns wide. You will le:rm more about ports in Chaptcr 9.

Firew re port
Network port

Parallel pod Six sound ports

S FDIF port (tor Wireless LAN


coaxial cable) antenna port

Keyboard port
lvlouse port Four LJSB
ports
S/PDIF po( (for
optical cable)

Figure 1-10 A motherboard provides ports for common I/0 devices


Courtesy: Course Technotogy/Cengage Learning

THE PROCESSOR AND THE CHIPSET


The processor or CPU is the chip inside the computer thit performs most of the:rctual data
processing (see Figure 1 11). The processor could not <{o irs job rvithout the irssistance ol the
chipsct, a group of microchips on the lnotherboard that control the flos'of d:rtir and
instructions to and from the processor. The chipset is responsible for the careful riming and
coordination of activities. The chipset is an inregrated coDlponent of the motherboard and is
contained in two packages embedded on.he motherboard, which you saw in Figure 1-9.
In rhis book, we discuss various types of computers, but rve focus on the most common
personal computers (PCs); PCs often are referred to as IBM-compatible. These are built
around microprocessors rnlnufhctured bl Intel Corporation and AivID. Thc Macintosh famill
of conrpurers, manufactured bv Apple Conpute4 Inc., n,as formerlv bui]t around a tanilv of
nticroprocessols, the PorverPC microprocessors, Lruilt by iVlotorola and lBM. Currentlv, Apple
computers are built usir.rg lntel processors. You u'ill learn rloLe about processols in Chapter 6.
10 I cHnprrn r Introducing Hardware

CPU fan

Motherboard

Heat sink

Figure 1-11 The processor is hidden underneath the fan and the heat sink, which keep it cool
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

STORAGE DEVICES
In Figure 1-1, you saw two kinds o{ storage: temporary and permanent. The processor uses
temporary storage, called prinary storage or memory! to temporaril,v hold both data and
instructions while it is processing them. However, when data and instructions are not being
used, they must be kept in permanent storage, sometimes called secondary storagc, such as a
hard drive, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Primary storage is much faster to access than perma-
nent storage. Figure 1-12 shows an analogy to help you understand the concept of primary
and secondary storage.
In our analogy, suppose you must do some lesearch at the library. You go to the stacks,
pull out several books, carry them over to a study table, and sit down with your notepad

Secondary storage

Data

lnstructions

figure 1-12 l4emory js a temporary ptace to hold instructions and data while the CPU processes both
Courtesy: course Technology/Cengage Learning
PC Hardware Components I
11

and pencil to take notes and do some calculations. 1X/hen you're done, you leave with your
notepad full of information and calculations, but you don't take the books with you. In this
example, the stacks are permanent storage, and the books (data and instructions) are perma-
nently kept there. Tl.re table is temporary storage, a place for you to keep data and instruc
tions as you work r,r,ith them. The notepad is your output fron all that work, and you are
the CPU, doing the work of reading the books and writing down information.
You kept a book on the table until you knew you were finished with it. As you worked, it
would not nake sense to go back and forth with a book, returning and retrieving it to and
from the stacks. Similarly, the CPU uses primary storage, or memoryr to temporarily hold
data and instructjons as long as it needs them for processing. Memory (your table) gives fast
but temporary access, while secondary storage (the stacks) gives slow but permanent access.

PRIMARY STORAGE
Primary storage is provided by devices called memory or RAM (randon access memory)
located on the motherboard and on some adapter car:ds. RAM chips are embedded on a
small board that plugs into the motherboard (see Figure 1-13). These small RAM boards are
called menory modules, and the most common type of module is the DIMM (dual inline
memory module ). There :rre several variations of DIMMs, and generally you must match the
module size and type to that which the motherboard supports. Also, video cards contain their
own memory chips embedded on the card; these chips are called vidco mcmoly.

Figure 1-13 A DI[4M hotds RAlt4 and js mounted directly on a motherboard


Coudesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learnjf g

Whatever information is stored in RAM is lost when the computer is turned off, because
RAM chips need a continuous supply of electrical power to ho[d data or softwirre stored in
them. This kind of men.rory is called volatile because it is temporary in nature, By contrast,
another kind of memory called non-volatile memory, holds its data pernanentlS even lvhen
72
lcnrerrn r Introducing Hardware

the power is turned off. Non-volatile memory is used in flash drives, memory cards, and
some types of hard drives.

Using Windows Vista, you can see what type of CPU you
APPLYING CONCEPTS have and how much memory vou have installed. CLick
Start, dght-ctick Computer. and then select Properties on the shodcut menu. The System windov,r
appears (see Figure 1-14). You can also see which version of Windows you are using, Using Windows
XP, ctick Start, right-ctick My Computer, select Properties on the shodcut menu. and click the
General tab.

( Synen lnd Maintc..nc! | syn.m

View basic information about your cornputer

Window, Vkt3" Ultim.!e

Copt qhte 200? Mi<oroft Corporation, Allrghtr rer../rd,

!'rindo*r r\pe,,€... i,,dr. !^,at€.


?l
Inter(R) P.ntium(R) { (PUr.!06Hr 1.016H!
t.50 GB
12-bit Op.r.tin9 syrten

Comput.. n.m., dom.i4 .nd woikgo!p i.ttii93

Complt.r.amer VntaFiles. .r
Fullcodput.r..h.r Viit.Fil.5eto.r
Complter d.5ciptionl
lvorkgroup: GOLDIN

Figure 1-14 The System window gives useful information about your computer and 0S
Courtesy: Course Technotogy/Cengage Learninq

SECONDARY STORAGE
As you remember, RAM installed on the motherboard is called primary storage. Primary
storage temporarily holds both data and instructions as the CPU processes them. These data
and instructions are also permanently stored on devices, such as DVDs, CDs, hard drives,
and USB drives, in locations that are remore from the CPU. Data and instructions cannor be
processed by the CPU from this remote storage (called secondary storage), but musr first be
copied into primary storage (RAM) for processing. The most important difference between
primary and secondary storage is that secondary storage is permanent. \(/hen you turn off
your computer, the information in secondary storage remains intact. Secondary storage
devices are often grouped in these three categories: hard drives, optical drives, and
removable storage.
PC Hardware Components 13

d
I

Don't forget that primary storage, or RA!l, is temporary; as soon as you turn off the
computer, any informatjon there js tost. That's why you should atways save your work frequentty into
I
secondary storage.

Hard Drives
The main secondary storage device of a con.rputer is the hard drive, irlso called a hard disk
drive (HDD). Most hard drives consist of a sealed case containing pl.ltters or disks that
rotate at a high speed (see Figure 1-15). As the platters rotate, an arm rvith ir sensitive
read/write heard reaches across the platters, both r,vriting nerv data to them and reading
existing data from them, Tl.re data is written as nragnetjc sp(,ts on the surface of each
platter, These magnctic hirrd drivcs use an internal technologv called Integrated Drive
Electronics (lDE).

Figur€ 1-15 Hard drive with seated cover removed


C0urtesy: Seagate Techno[ogjes LLC

A newer technology for hard drives uses non-volatile flash memorv chips, r:rther than
using moving mechanical disks, to hold the data. These flash metrrory clrips:rre similar
to those used in USB flasli drives. Any device that has no nroving parts is called solid
state (solid parts versus moving parts). Therefore, ar drive made rvith flash n.renory is
called a solid state drivc (SSD), solid state disk (SSD), or solid state device (SSD).
(Unforrunately, the acronym can have either definition.). Figure 1-16 shorvs four SSD
drives. The trvo larger dlives are used in desktop computers, and the two smaller drives
are used in laptops, Because SSD drives have no moving parts, they are much faster,
more rugged, consume less power, last longet, and are considerably more expeusive than
magneric drives. SSD drives are used in industries that require extreme durabilitl', such
as the military, and are making their way into the retail markets as the prices go lower.
Regardless of the internal technologv used, the interface betrveen an internal hard
drive and the motherboard is likel,v ro conform to an ATA (AT Attachment) standard, as
published by the Americarr National Standalds lnstitute (ANSI, see uuw.ansi.org). The two
major ATA standards for a drive interface are scrial ATA (SATA), the newer and faster
r+ | cnnprrn r tntroducing Hardware

Figure 1-16 Four SSD drjves


Courtesyi Course Technology/Cengage Learning

standard, and parallel AIA (PATA), the older;rnd slower standard. Hard drives, CD drives,
DVD drives, Zip drives, and tape drives, among other devices, can use these interfaces.
Figure 1-17 shows an internal SATA drive interface. SAIA cables are flat and thin; one
end connects to the device:rnd the other end to the motherboard connector. The external
SATA (eSATA) standard allows for a port on the computer case ro connect an external
eSATA hard drive or orher device. Motherboards usually offer from two to eight SATA and
eSATA connectors. A motherboald that uses SATA might also have a parallel ATA connec-
tor for older devices. External drives, including harrd drives, oprical drives, and other
drives, might use a USB connectior.r! a FireWire connecrion (which is faster than USB), or
an eSAIA connection (which is faster than FireWire).

Serial ATA cable

Power cord

Figure 1-17 A hard drive subsystem usjng the serial ATA data cabte
Courtesy: Course Technology/Ceitgaqe Learnjnq
r tiitiiiliil]llilfrt

PC Hardware Components I tU

I A* Exam Tip fh" n* 220-701 Essentiats exam expects you to know about PATA, IDE. EIDE, SATA,
and eSATA.

Parallel ATA, sometimes called the EIDE (Enlianced IDE) standard or the IDE st:rndard,
is slower than SATA and allows for only two connectors on a notherboard for two data
.l
cables (see Figure 18). L,ach IDE ribbon cable has a connecion at the other end for an
IDE device and a connection in the middle of the cable for a second IDE device. Using
this interface, a motherboard can accommodate up to four IDE devices in one system, A
typical system has one hard drive connected to one IDE conltector and a CD drive con-
nected to the other (see Figurc 1-19). Figure 1-20 sl.rows the inside of a computer case
with three PATA devices. The CD-ROM drive and the Zip drive share an IDE cable, and
the hard drive uses the other cable. Both cables connecr to the mother:board at the tr,vo
lDE connectior.rs.

Secondary IDE conneclor

Prlmary IDE connector

Figure 1-18 usinq a parattel ATA ]fterface, a motherboard has two IDE connectors, each of which can
accornr.odate two devjces; a hard drive usually connects to the motherboard usjng the
primary IDE cornector
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Confusion with industry standards can resutt when different manufacturers cai.[ one
standard by different names. This inconsistency happens at[ too often with computer parts. The
industry uses the terms ATA, IDE. and EIDE atmost interchangeabty even though technicalLy they have
different meanings. Used correctty, "ATA" refers to drive interface standards as pubtished by ANSI.
Used correctty, "IDE" refers to the technology used internally by a hard drive, and "EIDE" is
commonty used by manufacturers to refer to the paratlel ATA jnterface that CD drives, DVD drives, Zip
dnves, tape drives, and IDE hard drives use to connect to a motherboard. The term "IDE" is more
commonty used, when in fact "EIDE" js actuatty the more accurate name for the interface standards.
in this book, to be consistent with manufacturer documentation, we loosely use the term "IDE" to
jndicate IDE. EIDE, and parattet ATA. For instance, look ctosety at Figure 1-18 where the motherboard
connectors are labeled Primary IDE and Secondary IDE; technicalty they rea[[y shoutd be tabeled
Primary EIDE and Secondary EIDE.
Two 40-pin IDE cab es

Conneclion for a second


device on this cable
Hard drive

CD-RONI drive

Figure 1-19 Two IDE devjces confected to a motherboard using both IDE connectjons and two cables
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CD-RON,4 drive

Secondary IDE cable


Zip drive

Hard drive

Primary IDE cable

Unused connection for


fourth IDE device

Both cables connected


to motherboard

Figure 1-20 This system has a CD-R0|4 afd a Zip drjve sharing the secondary IDE cabte and a hard dnve
using the primary IDE cabte
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A hard drive receives its power from the power supply by way
ldentitiing Drives of a power cord (see Figure 1-21). Looking back at Figure 1-20,
you can see the power coDnecaions to the right of the cable connec-
tions on each drive (the power cords are disconnected to make it
easier to see the data cable connections). Chapter 8 covers how a hard drive works and how to
install one.

lpticaL Drives
An optical drive is considered standard equipment on most computer systems today because
most software is distributed on CDs or DVDs. Popula:: choices for optical drives are CD

effi
Hard drive

Power suppiy

Power connected

Figure 1-21 A hard drive receives power from the power suppty by way of a power cord connected to the drive
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drives, DVD drives, and Blu rirl' Disc (BD) drivc's. If the dlive cin bLrrn (r.vrite ro) a tlisc as
well as read a disc, RrV is inclucled in its name. For example, a CD-RV drive crrn both reacl
and write to CDs. lf the clrive c:rr onlv read a disc, it might have ROM (r'ead onlr mcmorl )
in its narne, such as a DVD-ROM drive. (Don't let the usc of the rvord mcn'rory culflrse
you; optical drives don't hold memor,r.) Figure 1-22 shorvs the rear of a (lD drive r,r'ith thc
IDE data carble and power cord conncctecl. Chapter l0 discusscs different CD, DVD, and
Blu-ray Disc technologies irnd clrives and the cliscs thel c:rn use.

CD-ROM drive

IDE cable

Figwe 7-22 This CD drive is an EIDE device and connects to the motherboard by way of an IDE data cabte
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USB Flash Drives ond Menory Cords


Two popular removable storage devices are USB flash drives (rrlso called thumb drives) and
memory cards commonly used with digital cameras. Both tl pes of devices use non-volatile
flash memorl'chips. USB flash drives (see Figurc i-2.1) are conrpact, easy'to usc, ancl cur-
rently hold up to 64 GB of data. Several types of menory carcls are on tlre markei. One
example is the SD card shorvn in Figure l-24, parti.rllf inserted into an SD card slot on a
laptop. Notice the open and err.rpty SD card slot in the digital camera sitting ncillby. SD
cards that follow the first SD card standard crn hold up to 4 (iB of data, but litter SD citrd
stirndards can accorr-rmodate much more data.
CHAPTER

*;@,
tigure 1-23 This ftash drive, called the JumpDrive by Lexar, snaps into a USB port
Courtesy: Course Techno[ogy/Cengage Learning

SD slot in camera

SD card

Figure 1-24 lvlost laptops have a memory card slot that can accommodate an sD card
Couaresy: Course Techno[ogy/Cengage Learning

FIoppy Disk Drives


An older secondar,v storage device sonetimes found inside the case is a floppy drive, also
called a floppy disk drivc {FDD), that can hold 3.5-inch disks contair.ring up to 1.44 MB of
data. lvlosr motherboards provide a connection for a floppy dlive cable (see Figure 1-2-5).
The floppy drive cable can accommodate one or two dtives (see Figure 1-26) The drive at
the end of the cable is drive A. If another drive were contrected to the middle of the cable, it
would be drive B in a computet svstem. Electricity to a floppy drive is provided by a power
cord from the power supply that connects to it power Port at tl.re back o{ the drive.

I l* Exam Tip th" A* 220-701 Essentiats exam expects you to know these terms: HDD, FDD, cD,
DVD, RW. and Btu-ray.

Floppy drive connector

Secondary IDE connector

Primary IDE connector

Figure 1-25 A motherboard usualty provides a connection for a floppy drive cable
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Pc Hardware components I tn

C
Floppy drive data cable

Two possib e connections


lor another floppy drive

Connection for power cord

Figure 1-26 One floppy drjve connection on a motherboard can support one or two ftoppy drives
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Floppy drives are not as necess.uy as they once were because the industly is moving tou,ard
storage nedia, such as CDs, DVDs, and USB deviccs that can hold more dara. For years, every
PC and notebook computer had a floppy drive, but many newer notebook computers don't,
ar.rd manufacturers often offer floppy drives on desktop systens as add-on options only.

When you look carefully at a motherboar-d, you see nany fine lines on both the top and the
bottom of the bo:rrd's surface (see Figure 1-27). These lines, son.retimes called traccs, are cir-
cuits or paths that enable data, instructions, and porver to move from component to comPo
nent on the board. This system of pathways used for coD.rmunicafion and the protocol and
n.rethods used for transmission are collectively called the bus. (A protocol is a set of rules

One bus line

tigll'e 7-27 0n the bottom of the motherboard, you caf see bus lines terminating at the CPl.l socket
Courtesy: Course Technotogy/Cengage Learning
I
20 ICHAPTER 1 Introducing Hardware

and standards that any two er'rtities use for communication.) The parts of the bus that we
are nost familiar with are the lines of the bus that are used for data; these lines are called
the data bus.
Binary dara is put on a line of a bus by placing voltage on that line. \Ve can visualize rhat
bits are "traveling" dorvn tl.re bus in parallel, but in reality, the voltage placecl on each line is
not "traveling"; rather, it is arll over the line. When one cornponent at one end of the line
wants to write data to another co[lponent, the two components get in sync for the r'vrite
operation. Tiren, the first component places voltage on several lines ot the bus, and the other
component immediatelv reads the voltage on these lines.
The CPU or other devices interpret the voltage, or iack of voltage, on each line on the bus
as binarv digits (0s or 1s). Some buses have data paths that are 8, 16,32,64, or 128 bits
rvide. For example, a bus tl.rat has eight wires, or lines, to transmit data is called an 8-bit
bus. Figure 1-28 shorvs an 8-bit bus between the CPU and memorl that is transmitting the
letter A (binar.v 0100 0001). All bits of a byte are placed on their: lines of the bus at the
same time. Remember there are only two states inside a computer: off ;rnd on, which repre
sent zelo and one. On a bus, these two states are no voltage for a zero and voltage for a
one. So, the bus in Figure 1 28 has voltage on two lines and no loltrrge on the other six
lines in order to pass the letter A on the bus. This bus is only 8 bits l ide, but most truses
today are much wider: 16,32,64,728, or 256 bits wide. Also, r bus miehr use a ninth bit
for error checking. Adding a check bit for each byte allows the componenr reading the data
to velify that it is the same data written to the bus.

0 = No voltage
1 = Voltage

The letter "A'on the 8-lne data bus


between the CPI.J and memory

Figure 1-28 A data bus has traces or lines that carry voltage interpreted by the CPU and other devices as bits
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The rvidrh of a dara bus is called the data path sizc. A motherboard can have more than
one bus, each using a different protocol, speed, data path size, and so on. The main bus on
the motherboard that communicates rvith the CPU, memorl', and the chipset goes by sever:rl
lames: system bus, front side bus (FSB), memory bus, host bus, local bus, or external bus.
In our discussions, we'll use the ternl system bus or menory bus because they are more
descriptive, but know that motherboard ads typically use the term front side bus. The data
portion of nrost svstem buses on today's motherboards is 128 bits lvide with or without
additional lines for error checking.
One of the most inter-esting lines, or circuits, on a bus is the systcm clock or system timerJ
rvhich is dedicated to timjng the activities of the chips on the motherboard. A quartz crystal on
the motherboard (see Figure 1 29), sin.rilar to that found in watches, generates the oscillation
that produces the continuous puJses of the sl'stem clock. Traces carry these pulses over the
notherboard to chips ar.rd exp:rnsion slots to ensure that all activities are s1'nchronized.
PC Hardware Components I
27

II
Motherboard
crysial generales
the system clock

tigure 1-29 The system clock is a pulsatinq eLectricaI siqnal sent out bV this component that works much
like a crystal in a wristwatch (one [ine, or circujt, on the motherboard bus is dedicated to
carrying this pulse)
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l{entcntber that cvervthing in ir con'tputet is binrrn; rrncl this inch.rcles thc irctilities ,h"nra"l. .r.
Instead of contilruousll, u'orking to perfornr corlmancls or movc clata, tl-rc CIPLI. [rtrs, ancl other
clevices rvotk in a binarv frrshion-ckr sornerhing, srop, rlo sonething, stop, rrrrd so tirrth. E;rch
device rvorks on a clock cycle or bcr'rt of thc clocl<. Sorlc dcvices, such as thc CP[J. clo nvo or
l'[ore operilrions olr one bcat of the clock, irnd others clo (nre opcl iltion lor errch bcrrt. Sorrrc
cleviccs t'night eveu do sorrcthing ou ererv other beat, bur irll rvork rrccording to l)eilts or cvclrs.
You can thirrk of this as sirrilar to children jumping rope. The sl sren clrrk (chilcl turning the
rope) plolicles the ltats or cvcles, l,hile dc'r'jces (clrilclren jLtmping) rvork in I binrrrl flshion
(jump, don'r jump). In dre anirlogl', some chilclren jurnp two or nrore tirres for clch rope pilss,
Horv fast does the clock beirt? The berrts. ctlled thc clock spced. are ncirsurcd in lrcrtz
(Hz), rvhich is onc orcle per second; mcgahertz (A,4Hz), rvhich is orrc million cyclcs per sec-
ond; :rnd gig:rhcrtz (GHz), which is onc billion c\clcs pcr second. Conrllon riltings for
lnotherboard buses today are 2600 MH2,2000 NlHz, 1600 MHz, l.l3i N1Hz, 1066 lvlHz,
tl00 MHz, 5-3.1 MHz, or 400 N{H2,:rlthough lou nright still see sonrc mr)therborrds irround
rated rt 200 MHz, 1-l.l MHz, or slorver. ln other rvords, data or illstrucrir)ns can bc ;trt otr
a 1 600 MHz s)'steln bus ar the rlrtc of I 600 million eve r\' secolrd. A CPU oper rrres from l 66
MHz to alrrrost 4 GHz. The CPU c:rn put data or instluctions on its internll bus at rr nruch
higher rate than does the rnotherboard. Although rve ofrcn retcr ro rhe spccd of the CPIJ
and rhe motherboard bus, talking about the frecluencv of these der icur is rn,rrr ,rcrur'.rre,
bccause tlre term "speed" implies a conrinuous florr', rvhilc thc tcrnr "frecpcncv" implics a
cligital or binarv florv: on ancl off, on and off.

Motherboard buses are most often measured in frequencies such as 2600 MHz, but sometimes
you see a motherboard bus measured in performance such as the nForce 730a motherboard by EVGA buitt
to support an AMD processor including the Phenom X4 Quad Core processor (see www.evgo.com and
www.and.con). This motherboard bus js rated at 5200 l4T/s. one [4T/s is one megatransfer per second or
one million bltes per second transferred over the bus.

The lines of a bus, including data, insrruction, ancl porver lirrc's, often extentl to thc cxpirn-
sion slots (see Figure l --i0). Thc size and shrpe of rln e\p.'lnsi()r'l slor cle;rend on the kind oi
bus it uses. Thercfore, one wAv to detcrn-rine the kind oi bus Iou hlve is to cxrtnrirrc'the
cxpansion slots on the mothcrborrrd.
CHAPTER

Pins on connector edge


of expansion card

Bus lines

Figure 1-30 The lines of a bus terminate at an expansion srot where they connect to pins that con-
nect to lines on the expansjon card jnseired jf
the stot
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PCI slots

AGP slot for


video card

CPU with fan


on top

Chipset

Four slots
for RAN.4

Drive
connectors

Power supply
connection

Cl\4OS batterv
Figure 1-31 The one AGP slot used for a video card is set farther from the edqe ofthe board than the pCI stots
Courtesyi Course TechnoLogy/Cengage Learniitg

Figure 1-3.1 shows :rn older motherboard with two types o{ expansion slots. Looking back
at F'igure 1-9, yo. can see . ncwer motherboard that uses a newer type of expansion slot,
The types of slots shown on both boards irclude the following:

-t PCI (Peripheral component Interconnect) expansioD slot used for input/output devices

mU]il :l
Pc Hardware components I
21

-a PCI Express (PCle) slots that come in several lcngths and :rre used bv high-speed
input/output devices
z AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) expansioi.t slot usccl for a video card

Notice in Figures i-9 and 1-31 the r'vhite PCI slots are used on both the oldcr and nerver
boards. A motherboard will have at least one slot intended for use by a video card. Tl.te
older board uses an AGP slot for that purpose, and the newer board uses;r long PClc x16
slot for video. PCIe currentlv cones in four different slot sizes; the longest size (PCIc x16)
.l
and the shortest size (PCIe x1) are shown ir.r Figure 9.
With a little pr;rctice, you can identifv expansion slots by their length, by the position of the
breaks ir.r the slots, and by the distance fronr the edgc of the motherbo:rrd to a slot's position.
ln Chapter 5, you'll learn that each expansion slot connunic.rtes with the CPU by rvl,v of
its own bus. There can be a PCI f,xpress bus or an AGP bus and a PCI bus, each Iunning:lt
different speeds and providing different features to .lcc(lmmo.late the expar.rsion c:rrds that
use these different slots. But all these buses connect to the m:rin bus or systefr bus, r,vhich
connects to the CPU,

EXPANSION CARDS
Expansion cards are mounted in expansion slots on the motherboard (see Figure 1--j2).
!'igure l-33 shows the motherboard:rnd expansion cards installed inside a colt.tputer case. By
studying this figure carefr-rlly, you c.rn see the video card ir.rstalled in the PCIe x16 slot and e
moden card and rvireless network card installed in nvo PCI slots. The other three PCI slots
are not used. (Notice the fan on the video card to help J<ecp it cool.) !'igure 1-33 also shorvs
the ports these cards provide irt the rear of the PC case.

l\,4oden'r card

PCI slot

I\,4otherboard

Phone ne ports

Figure 1-32 This adapter card is a modem card and is mounted in a PCI slot on the motherboard
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You can see a full vierv of a video card in Figure 1 34. These
cards all enable thc CPU to connect to an external device or, in
Identifying Expansjon Cards
thc casc of :r modem c:rrd or lretwork card, to a phone line or
nctwork. Thc video card, also called a graphics card, provides
one or nrore ports for a monitor. Tlre network card provides a polt fof a network cable to cou
Dect the PC to a netrvork, and the nrodem card providcs ports for phone lir.res. The technolog.'-
Video card in PCle x16 slot

Modern card in PCI s ot

Wireless network
card in PCI slol

Three empty PCI slots

Three video ports

Two rnodem ports

Wireiess antenna

Figure 1-33 Three cards instalted on a motherboard, providing ports for severaI devices
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Coo ng lan

Heal s nk

Tab used to
stab ize the card

PCI Express
x16 connector

1s-pin ana og
video port

TV'out connector

D gital video port

Figure 1-34 The easiest way to identify this video card is to look at the ports on the end of the card
Courtesy: Course Techno[ogy/Cengage L-"ari]ing
Pc Hardware Cornponents I
25

to access these devices is embedded on the card itself, and the card also has the technology ro
communicate with the slot it is in, tire motherboard, and the CPU.
The easiest way to determine the function of a particular expansion card (short of seeing
its name written on the card, which doesn't happen very ofren) is to look at tl.re end of thc
card that fits against the back of the cornputer case. A network card, for example, has a
port designed to frt the network cable. A modem card has one, or usually t!vo, telephone
jacks as its ports. You'll get lots of practice jn this book identifying porrs on exp.trtsion
cards, Horvever, as you examine the ports on the back of your PC, rememtrr thar some-
times the motherboard provides ports of its own.

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM


The most important component of the computer's electrical systenr is the powcr suppl,v, rvhich
is usually near the rear of the case (see Figure 1-35). This power supply does not actuall-u gener-
ate electricity but converts and reduces it to a voltage that the computel carr handle. A power:
supply receives 110-120 volts of AC power from a wall outlet and converts it to a much lorvcr
DC voltage. Older porver supplies had power cables that provided either 5 or l2 r'olts DC.
Newel power supplies provide.j.3,5, and 12 volrs DC. In addition to providing power for the
computer, the polver supplv runs a fan directll from the electrical output voltage to help cool
the inside oI the computer case. Temperatures over 185 degrees F:rhrenheit (85 degrces Celsius)
can cause corl')ponents to fail, When a cornputer is running, this aud other fans inside the casc
and the spinnirrg of the hard drive are the primary noisem.rkers.

Figure 1-35 Power supply with connections


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A motherboard has one primary connection to receive porver from the powcr suppli (see
Figure l-36). This power is used bv the motherboard, the CPU, and other components tlrat
receive their power from ports and expansion slots coming off tlre n.rotherboard. Li addi-
tiolr, there might be other power connectors on the motherboard to porver a small fan tlut
cools the CPU, to power the CPU itselt, or to provide additiontrl powel to exparrsion cirrc{s.
26 lcHnrren r Introducing Hardware

P'1 power conneclor


on a motherboard

tigure 1-36 The motherboard recejves its power from the power supply by way of a 20 or 24-pin connector
called the P1 connector
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Sonre verl basic instructions are stored on the mothe rboar d-just enough to starr the com
puter, nsc some sinrple hardu.irre devices such as a monitor and kel,board, ancl search for an
oper-ating system storecl on il storaqe device such as a hard drive or CD. These data irnd
instr-uctions rrre stored on special ROM (read<rnl1' memorv) chips on the board and arc
called rhc tllOS (basic input/output systenr). Some adaprer cards, such as a video card, also
have ROM BIOS chips. In the casc of ROM chips, tl.re distirrction betrveen hardware and
softrvare bccomcs vague. Most of the rinre, it's easv to distinguish bet,ween haldrvare :rnd
software. .l'or example, a USB flash clrive is lurdrvilre, but,r 6le on rhe drive containing a ser
of instructions is softtarc'. This softrvare file, sometimes called a progranr, rright be stored
olr the drive todat', bur \()u can erilse that file tomorros, ancl rvrite i nerv one to the drive.
In this clse, it is clcar tbat rr flash clrive is:r permanenr physical entity, where:rs the program
is not. Sonetimes, lrou'ever, hardrvirre and softwtrre are not so easv to distir.rguish. For
instlncc. it RONI chip on ln irdapter card inside ) our compurer has softr,vare instructions
permancntl,v etchecl into it during firbrication. This softrvare is actually a part of rhe hard-
rvrre and is not elsilv charrged. In this case, hardr,vare and softrvare are closcl,v tied together,
lnd it's difficult to separatc the tr,vo, either physically or logicalll'. Sofiware embedded inrcr
hiudware is ofien referrecl to as firnrwarc because of its hvbrid natnre, Figure 1-37 shows an
errrbedded lirnl,rre chip on a motherboard that conrains the ROM BIOS programs.
The notherboarcl ROM BIOS serves rhree purposes: The BIOS that is sometimes used to
nritnirge simple devices is called system BIOS, the BIOS rhat is used to srart the conrputer is
cirlled startup BIOS, and tlie BIOS that is used to change sorrre seftings on rhe morherboard
is cilled IIIOS sctup or CMOS sctup.
These nrotherboard settings are stored in a small anount of RAM locateci on the
firms.are clrip and irrc called CMOS RAM or jLrsr CMOS. Serrings stored in CMOS RAM
irrcludc such things as the current dirte and time, which hard drives are present, and lrow rhe
pirrallel port is configured. Vhen dre computer is firsr turned on, it looks to settings in
(llVlOS RA\,t to find out what hrrclware it shoulcl expect to find. CMOS RAM is volatile
nrenory. Whcn the complrtcr is turr.red off, ClvlOS RAM is powerecl by a trickle of electric-
irv from ir small bltten l()cited ()rr the motherboarr,l or c()r'r'rputer case, usu:rllv close to the
chapter Summary | ,,

C
Coin batlery

Firmware chip

tiqure 1-37 This firmware chip contains ftash Rolvl and CM05 RAlu; Clt4OS RA14 is powered by the coin
battery located near the chip
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firmware chip (refer back to Figure 1-37). This bittter)' po\\'cr is tlecessatv so thirt thc
motherboard configuration is not lost rvhen the PC is rurned off.
Motherboard milnufilctutets often publish updatcs for the ROIvI BIOS on their moth-
erboards; if a board is p;iving 1'ou problenrs or vou wltnt to use a ncw fcaturc jLrst
releirsed, you might lvant to upgracle thc'tliOS, In the prrst, this nleant buving ncrv ROM
chips and exchanging thenr on the motherboard. Hou'ever; ROM chips on nrothcrboatds
today:rre ntacle oI nor-volatile memorv ancl cirn bc reprogrammed. Called flash ROM,
tlre software stored on tbese chips can be overu'ritten by new software that tenains on
the chip untit it is overwritten. (You rvill learn holt'to do this in Chapter 5; the Proccss
is called flashing ROM. )

CHAPTER SUMMARY
/ A compute| reqLrires both hirrclware ancl sofnvate to work.

^l The four basic functions of the nricr,tc,rrnl.uter Jre irpur, oLrrput,


processing, rrnd storage
of datr.

,l Data lnd instructions are stored in a computer in binary fornr, lvhich uses onlt't\\() states
for data-on and off, or 1 and 0-which Lrre crrlled bits. F-ight bits equal onc'bYte.

^l The four most popular input/output devices itre tlre mouse, keyboarcl, printcl, :rnd
monito r,

./ Thc' nrost impor t.rnt colr'rpenent inside the computer cirse is the lrlothel boal d, .rlso
called the nririn board or svsterr board. Ir lrolds the most important microchip inside
the case, the central processing unit (CPU), a micropr<>cessor or processor. The
motherbolrd also gives access to other circuit boards anci peripheral tlcviccs.
All communicrtions betrveen tbe CPU and other dcviccs t1r Llst pass tlrrough the
motherb, l.
2a l cnrrrrn r Introducing Hardware

,t Most microchips are manufactured using CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semicon,


ductor) technology.
I Each hardware device needs a method to communicate with the CPU. software to control
it, and electricity to power it.
./ Devices outside the cornputer case connect to tlte motherboard through ports on the
case. Common pons are network, Fire\Vire, sound, serial, parallel, USB, keyboard, and
mouse ports.

,l An adapter card inserted in an expansion slot on the motherboard can provide an inter-
face between the motherboard and a peripheral device, or can itself be a peripheral. (An
example is a network card.)
,l The chipset on a motherboard controls most activities on the motherboard.
,t Primary storage, called memory or RAM, is temporary storage the CPU uses to hold data
and instructions while it is processing both.

,a Most RAM sold today is stored on memory chips embedded on memory modules, which
are called DINIMs.

/ Secondary storage is slower than primary storage, but it is permanent storage. Some
exan.rples of secondary storage devices are hard drives, CD drives, DVD drives, Blu-ray
drives, flash drives, memory cards, Zip drives, and floppy drives.
,r Most older hard drives, CD drives, and DVD drives use the parallel AIA (PAIA) interface
standard, also called the EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics) standard, which
can accommodate up to four EIDE or IDE devices on one system. Newer drives use the
serial ATA (SATA) interface standard.

,t The system clock is used to synchronize activity on the motherboard. The clock sends
continuous pulses over the bus that different components use to control the pace of
activity.
A motherboard can have several buses, including the sysrem bus, the PCI Express bus, the
PCI bus, and the older AGP bus.
The frequency of activity on a morherboard is measured in megahertz (MHz), or one mil-
lion cycles per second. The processor operates at a much higher frequency than other
components in the system, and its activity is often measured in gigahertz (GHz), or one
billion cycles per second.
The power supply inside the computer case supplies electricity to components both inside
and outside the case. Some components external to the case get power from their own
electrical cables.
A ROM BIOS or firmware microchip is a hybrid of hardware and software containing
programming embedded into the chip.
ROM BIOS on a motherboard holds the basic software needed to srart a PC and begin
the process of loading an operating system. Most ROM chips are flash ROM, meaning
that these programs can be updated without exchanging the chip.
The BIOS setup program is part of ROM BIOS stored on the firmware chip. This pro-
gram is used to change motherboard settings or configuration information. When power
to the PC is turned off, a battery on the motherboard supplies power to CMOS RAM
that holds these settings.
I

KEY TERMS
For explanations of ke1'terms, see the Glossxry near the end of the book.

adirpter card tront sidc bLrs (FSB) prlmaf) storagc


binarv nulnbe t svsten't gigrrhertz (GHz) printer
BIOS (b:tsic input/out1'rut s1-srert) graphics card pt()cessor:
BIOS setup hir
RIOq (enrn bir coov
halc{ cop_v program
bus hard disk dlivc (HDD) protocol
[rr're hlrcl drive llAtr{ (randonr access lrrem()l \')
carcls hardrvare llO\I (reacl<rnlv nemorr')
centrirl processing unir (CPU) heltz (Hz) S/PDIF (Son.v-Philips I)igital
chipsct host bus Interface) sound porr
clock speed kelboard secondarv storage
CNIOS (conplemenlirry metil- m.lgnetic hirld clrive serirrl ATA (SATA)
oxide seniconductor) nrain boald serial polt
C\IOs RA\I nreg:rherrz (I'IHz)
CMOS setup memot,v solicl state clrive (SSD)
datir bus lrliCfOprocessot strnup BIOS
datl path size fionitor svsrerr BIOS
DIlvt,\1 {dual inline memorl morherboard si'sreln lrolld
nroclule) lltouse svstem bus
expansion crrds non-volatile memorl- svsrern clock
expansion slots parallel ,\TA (l']ATA i tritces
fi rnlrvitre par,rllel port universal serirl bus (USB1 port
flash RONI periphelal cievice video carcl
floppv disk dLive (FDD) Port video mcrnon
llopp,v drive po\\'er supplI rrrletile

REVIEWING THE BASICS


1, Vhy is all d:rtir stored in a contputer in binary form?

2. \X/hat are the four prinrary functions of hardt'ale?

3. What irre the two majn input devices and two main output devices?

4. What three things do electronic hardrvitre devices need in otder ro function?

How many bits are in a byte?


6. What is the purpose of an expansion slot on a motherboard?

7. \Vhich component on the morherboard is used primarily for processing?

8. Name the two main CPU manufacturers.

9. Order the following ports according to speed, placing the fastest port first: FireWire,
eSATA, USB.

10. Vhat are two other narnes for the s-vstem bus?

11. What type of output does an S/PDIF port provide?

72. Why is an SSD hard drive more reliable under rugged conditions than an IDE lrard drive?
13. How is the best way ro determine if a cable inside a comPuter is a data cable or a por'ver cable?

74. List three rypes of ports that are often found coming directlv off the motherboard to be
used by external devices.
-t
JU I CHAPTER 1 Introducing Hardware

15. What is the purpose of the S/PDIF port?


16. What is the rrost cotrrn.ron tvpc of nemory module?
17. Vhat is thc difference between volarile and non volatile memoryJ

18. Of the two rypes of storage in a s1'51slr1, rvhich type is generally faster and holds data and
instructions r,vhile the dat;r is being processed? Which tvpe of stor:rge is generally slower,
but more llermanent?
19. Vhat technology standard provides ior up to four devices on a sysrem, including the hard
drive as onc of those devices? lWhat are t\4ro corlmon industry names loosely used to
describc this standard?

20. \that is :r measLlrement of frecluerrcy of a system bus and CPU? \fhich is faster, the system
bus or the CPU?

27. Name three tl pcs o{ buses thar ar-e likely ro be on a motherboard today.
22. A porver suppl,v receives 120 r'olts of_ porver from a nall outlet and converts it to
-3.-3, 5, and l2 r,olts of _ porver.

23. ROM BIOS or firmware chips that can bc upgraded lrithour replacing the chips are called

24. BIOS setup allorvs a technician to change configuration setings on a motherboard stored
in _.
25. Name three exarrples of secondary stor;rge devices.

26. A hertz is _ crcle per second; a megahertz is _ cvcles per second, and a giga-
hertz is _ cycies per second.

27. An ACP slor is nornalll used for a(n) _ expansion card.


28. Horv nanv sizes of PCI Express slots are currenth manirfactured for personal computersJ
29. Nan.re the thrce purposes the motherboard RONI BIOS serves.

30. From rvhere does CMOS RAM receive its pol'er when the computer is not turned on?

THINKING CRITICALLY
1. \When seJecting secondary storage deviccs for a nerv desktop pC, which is more important,
a CD drive or a floppy drive? Whv?

2. Based on r,vhat you have lear ned ir.r this chapter, rvhen working on a Microsoft l(/ord docu
Inent, rvhy is it inportant rr) save your work oftcn? Explain your answer using the two
terms primirrl storage and secondary storagc.

3. Most buses are 16, 32, 54, or 128 bits wide. \X/hy do you tl.rink rhese bus widths are multi
ples of eight?

4. You purchase a new computcr s)rsteD that does not have a modem port, and then vou
decide that \'ou want to use a clial-up connccrion to the Internet. Vh:rt is tl.re least expen-
.ire rr.:rr lo nl'r.rin a modern porri
a. Trade in the computer for another con'rputer that has a modem port
b. Purchase :r second con-rputer lvith a modenr port
Hands-0n Projects l 31

c, Purchase ;r modem card ard install it in your s1.sten.r


d, Purchase an external modem that connects to your PC b-v u'a-v of r USB p,'rr
E ln this cl.rapter, a light bulb is used to demonstrate the binary concept used for computer
storage and conmunication. Give another example ir cverydav life to explain this binar:,v
concept. Get crel1ti\re.
6. If the CMOS battery inside your computer s1-stem died, r'hen you first turn on your
system, will you expect the system to boot up norma]l,v to the operetrng svstcnr
level? !0hat information do you think the system r'vould not have av:lil:rble for a
successful boot?

7. \(/hich device is a solid state device, a CD drive or ir memory n.rodule? \X/l.ry?

HANDS.ON PROJECTS
PRoJECT 1-1: Identifvjnq P0rts on Your Computer

Lool< at the bacl< of youl home or latr computer and make a diagram showirg the ports.
Label all the ports in the diagrarr and note rvhich oncs are used and whicl.r ones are not used.

PRoJECT 1-2: Researchinq lvlotherboards Usinq the Internet

The Internet is an incledibly rich source of information about computer hardu'ale ar.rd soft-
ware. Answer these questiolrs about a motherboard, using the lnternet as your source:

1. ASUS is a r.najor manufacturer of motherboards. Go to the Asus V/eb site at


wluw.asus.com and print a Wetr page advertising a n.lotherboafd fol a desktop computer-.
lIy'hat is the frequency of rhe system bus? lWhat is the system bus called?

3. List the expansion slots contained on thc mothcrboard. \(hat processors cloes this board
support?

4. Go to Google.com and search on "notherboard review." l.ist three \(eb sites that revierv
motherboards. Search these three sites. lVhich ones revier,v the ASUS r.r.rotherboald you
selected in Step 1? Vhat is one statement that ore review makes about this mother-
board?

PR0JECTl-3: IdentifvinqMotherboardComponents

Look on the CD that accompanies this book for the diagrarr, "A Motherboald Diagram
with Labels Missing," which is also shown in Figure I 38, and print tlrc diagram.
Label as man,v of the conponents on the diagram as you can! using the photographs in
Figures 'l-9 and 1-31, and other photographs in the chapter. This exercirt rs vrrl impor
tant to heJp you recognize motherboard components in motherbo:rrd documcntation.

I A* Exam Tip th" n* 220-701 Essentiats exam expects you to be able to recognize components on a
motherboard diagram similar to the one jn Fjgure 1-38.
CHAPTER

Figure 1-38 A motherboard diagram wr'th Labels missing


Courtesy: Course Technotogy/Cengage Learning

PR0JECT 1-4: Examining Your Conputer

\Vhat tvpe of CPU does yo'r computer have, and horv much rnemory is i'stalled? To answer
these questions, r-rsingwindows visra, click start, right-click computer, and select properties
on the shortcut'renu. The System window opens. (Using svindows Xi click Start, righr-click
My Computer, select Properdes on the shortcut menu, and click the General tab.) The CpU
infomration is listed in this window. Print a screen shot of this window. one quick antl easy
way to get a hard copy of a screen is to use Paint. Follow these directions to print the screen:

1. Press the PrintScrn (print screen) key. This puts the screen capture on your \Windows
Clipboard.

lN!l!!tl You can capture just the active window, instead of the entire screen, by pressinq
Att+Prin6crn instead of PrintScrn,

2. Open Pair.rt. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, paint.


3. Click Edit, Paste to put the contents of the Clipboard into painr. If necessarl click yes to
the dialog box that pops up to confirm the paste.
4. To print the page, click File, Print, select a printer in the print dialog box, and click print.
Reat Probtems, Reat Sotutions I

PRoJECT 1-5: Learninq to Think in Binary and Hex

l,ook on the CD thilt accomprrnies this book for rhe content "The Hexadecimal Number
System and Memory Addressing" and "ASCII Chirracter Set and Ansi.sys" to anslver these
questions:

1. l?hat is the ASCII code in binary and in decimal for a lowercase z?

2. iX/liat is the ASCII code in binary and in decimi,rl for a period?

3. Vrite the binary numbers irom 1 to 20.

4. iVhat is the largest decimal number that can be stored using 8 bits, or 1 b,vre?

5. Write the hex numbers fiom l to 20.

6. Convert 4,3 to binary. Convert 43 to hex.


7. What is 1 101 1001 in decimal? ln hex?

REAL PROBLEMS, REAL SOLUTIONS

REAL PRoBLEM 1-1: Reading a TechnicaI Ad for a Computer System

Computer ads can sometimes be difficr.rlt to reard, especially those targeting tech-sirvvv com-
puter buyers. Figure 1-39 shows an adveltisement published bv GIM Conrputer Corp
ltuluLu.gitllcorltputers.cottt), a computer parts store that assembles systems from parts.rnd
sells thenr as a single unit price rvitlr a one-,vear rvarrant).on all parts. Ansrver the follorving
questions about this ad for tlreir high-end games computeri

1, What is rhe system bus called? What is the system bus frequency?

2. What is the frequency for tl.re processor'?

3. \X/hat is the brand of tJ.re processor?

4. How much RAM is installed?

5. What type of expansion slot is used for the video card?

6. What type of interface does the hard drive use?


7. How much dara can the hard drive store?

8. Vhat is the brand of the n.rotherboard?

9. \What type of optical drive is installed?

10. List the terms in the ad that you do not understand (many are nor covered in this chapter)
and save this list. In future chapters, you will learn the meanings of all these rerms.
34 lcnlrrrn r Introducing Hardware

GIM lntel Gamer's Dream System o

Model
Brand General lntell gence Machines
Model GIM lntel Gamer's Dream Syslem

Tech Spec
l\,4otherboard ASUS P6T Deluxe
Processor lntel Core i7 920 2.66Ghz Quad Core, 8MB
Cache, 1066FSB
l\.4emory Crucial6GB DDR3 1600N.4h2 (3z2GB)
Primary Hard Drive Raid 0, 2 pcs ol Seagate lTB 32N, Buffer SATA2 3G
7200rpm Hard Drive

Secondary Hard
Drive
Case Lian-Li PC60 Aluminurn Mid Tower Case W Nspire
exireme 750 Watt PSU
Video nividia GTX280 1GB PCI-Express Video Card
Audio Onboard Sound
LAN Onboard Gigagil NIC
Optical Drive LG GGW-H2oL Blue Bay Bumer

Warranty
Parts 1 year limited
Labor 3 year limited

Fiqure 1-39 GIiq Computer setts preassembted svstems to tech-savw customers


Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

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