COMPUTER TERMINOLOGIES

  • USB port universal serial bus-It is used for data transfer and connection of input and output devices to the computer
  • VGA cable- (Visual Graphics Array). It is used for connecting computer monitor to the CPU.
  • CMOS- Complimentary Metallic Oxide Semi- conductor. It is a battery that helps to save the settings made in the BIOS setup. If removed, the settings will wipe off.
  • BIOS- Basic Input and Output System. It is an environment where parameters are set in order for computer to behave in a certain way.
  • UPS- Un-interrupted Power Supply. It is used to power the computer system even when electricity goes off.
  • SATA-Stands for “Serial Advanced Technology Attachment,” or “Serial ATA.” It is an interface used to connect ATA hard drives to a computer motherboard. SATA transfer rates start at 150MBps, which is significantly faster than even the fastest 100MBps ATA/100 drives.
  • PATA- Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment.
  • IDE- Integrated Device Electronics. It transfers data at 3Mbps in DMA mode. Enhanced IDE (ATA-2) was standardized in 1996 and supported data transfer rates up to 16.7 Mbps which is twice the rate of the original standard.
  • PCI- Peripheral Component Interconnect. PCI is a hardware busused for adding internal components to a desktop computer. For example, a PCI card can be inserted into a PCI slot on a motherboard, providing additional I/O ports on the back of a computer.
  • I/O Ports- Input and Output ports: Referring to the communication ports at the rear and front of CPU for connecting computer peripherals.
  • IC- An integrated circuit, or IC, An IC is a small wafer, usually made of silicon, that can hold anywhere from hundreds to millions of transistors, resistors, and capacitors. These extremely small electronics can perform calculations and store data using either digitalor analog
  • ROM- Read Only Memory. This is part in the CPU in which all the data and information required for the computer to boot are being saved.
  • AGP- Accelerated Graphics Port. It is made specifically for the VGA card in order for monitor to display all colors effectively. It has speed of 66MHz, apparently doubles that of PCI which is 33MHz.
  • RAM- Random Access Memory. This is regarded as the temporary storage device in computer. It is volatile in nature as once light goes off, all files stored on RAM become lost. RAM can be in form of modules, as commonly found in most computers. It can as well be integrated into the board as found in some phones and other mini devices. Systems with bigger memory operate faster than those with smaller ones.
  • Parallel Port- it is used to connect parallel devices such as printer and fax machines.
  • Audio Jacks- These are two ports specifically for connecting speakers and microphone to the computer system.
  • MPU- Micro Process Unit. Often regarded as the brain of the computer, MPU is the most important part of computer system. It controls all other components parts of computer by giving and receiving instruction from them. It equally performs arithmetic and logical operation.

N.B- the VGA and is the extension card for the VGA port

  • PS2 port- These are round ports meant for connecting keyboard and mouse. They are distinguished by their colors (green and purple). The green one is for the mouse while the purple is for the keyboard.
  • Network Port- This port is meant for interconnecting two or more computers together. It is often regarded as the Ethernet port, as computer can access internet through them.

 POST (Power on Self-Test): This is a process performed by firmware or software routines immediately after a computer or other digital electronic device is powered on. The results of the POST may be displayed on a panel that is part of the device, output to an external device, or stored for future retrieval by a diagnostic tool. The principal duties of the main BIOS during POST are as follows:

  • verify CPU registers
  • verify the integrity of the BIOS code itself
  • find, size, and verify system main memory
  • initialize BIOS
  • pass control to other specialized extension BIOSes (if installed)
  • identify, organize, and select which devices are available for booting

WDM: Wavelenght Division Multiple Acces

TDM: Time Division Multiple Access

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access

OCDMA: Optical Code Division Multiple Access

CSMA-CD: Carrier Sense Multiple Access Coalision Detector

DNS: Domain Name System

DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

NAT: Network Address Translator

BIOS (Basic Input and Output System): This is the firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (power-on startup), and to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs. The BIOS firmware comes pre-installed on a personal computer‘s system board, and it is the first software to run when powered on. These settings are stored in the ROM which is powered by the CMOs battery.