| A | B |
|---|
| ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)” | An 8-bit code (7 bits plus parity) for character representation. |
| Backplane | Physical connection between an interface processor or card and the data buses and power distribution buses. |
| Backplane components | Interfaces such as the mouse and keyboard connectors, parallel, USB, video and serial ports. |
| Binary | Number system made entirely of 1's and 0's. Also known as Base 2. |
| Bits | Each variable set by a computer is represented as being a 0 or a 1. These 0s and 1s represent a circuit being open or closed, or a capacitor being charged or uncharged. |
| Bus | A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another. It connects all other computer components to the CPU. |
| Bytes | Eight bits. |
| Capacitor | Consists of two conducting metal plates separated by an insulating material. Store energy in the form of electrostatic fields. |
| CD-ROM drive | A compact disk read-only memory drive. |
| Central processing unit (CPU) | The part of a computer that controls all the other parts of a computer. |
| Expansion slots | An opening in a computer where a circuit board can be inserted to add new capabilities to the computer. |
| Floppy disk drive | A disk drive that can read and write to floppy disks. |
| Hard disk drive | The device that reads and writes data on a hard disk. |
| Integrated circuit (IC) | A device made of semiconductor material; it contains many transistors and performs a specific task. |
| Interrupt request (IRQ) | A signal informing a CPU that an event that needs its attention has occurred. |
| Light emitting diodes (LEDs) | A semiconductor device that emits light when a current passes through it. |
| Local-area network (LAN) | Consists of computers, network interface cards, networking media, network traffic control devices, and peripheral devices in a single building or geographically limited area. |
| Microprocessor | A silicon chip that contains a CPU. |
| Monitor connector | The part of a video cable that plugs into a port or an interface. SVGA connectors are typically a 15-pin connector. |
| Motherboard | The main printed circuit board of a microcomputer. |
| Mouse port | A port designed to connect a mouse to a PC. |
| Network | Collection of computers, printers, routers, switches, and other devices that are able to communicate with each other over some transmission medium. |
| Network card | 1) An expansion board inserted into a computer so that the computer can be connected to a network. 2) Board that provides network communication capabilities to and from a computer system. Also called an adapter. |
| NIC (network interface card) | Also called a LAN adapter. |
| Parallel port | An interface capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneously. It is used to connect external devices such as printers. |
| PC components | Components found within a personal computer. |
| Personal computer subsystems | Includes the system bus, CD-ROM drive, CPU, expansion cards, expansion slots, floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, motherboard, and power supply. |
| Power cord | A cord used to connect an electrical device to an electrical outlet to provide power to the device. |
| Power supply | The component that supplies power to a computer. Converts AC power to DC and breaks it into the amounts needed by different devices. |
| Printed circuit boards (PCBs) | A thin plate on which chips (integrated circuits) and other electronic components are placed. |
| Protocol | 1) Formal description of a set of rules and conventions that govern how devices on a network exchange information. 2) Field within an IP datagram that indicates the upper layer (Layer 4) protocol sending the datagram |
| Random-access memory (RAM) | Also known as read-write memory. Considered volatile as it loses stored contents whenthe elctricity is turned off. |
| Resistor | A device made of a material that opposes the flow of electric current. |
| Read-only memory (ROM) | Nonvolatile memory that can be read. Special chip that holds startup information to be used by the computer until the operating system takes over. |
| Serial port | An interface that can be used for communication in which only one bit is transmitted at a time. |
| Small, discreate components | Usually found in a laptop. These components are smaller—the expansion slots become PCMCIA or PC slots, where NICs, modems, hard drives, and other useful devices, usually the size of a thick credit card, can be inserted into the PCMCIA slots along the perimeter. |
| Solder | A conductor that is made up a mixture of lead (Pb) and tin (Sn). |
| Sound card | An expansion card that handles all sound functions. |
| Subnetwork | In IP networks, a network sharing a particular subnet address. |
| Subnetwork mask | A 32-bit address mask used to indicate the bits of an IP address that are being used for the subnet address. Filter the network portion of an address from the host portion. |
| System unit | The main part of a PC; the system unit includes the chassis. |
| Throughput | Rate of information arriving at, and possibly passing through, a particular point in a network system. Actual, rather than optimal data transfer rate. |
| Transistor | A device that amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit. |
| Video card | A board that plugs into a PC to give it display capabilities. |
| Web browser | Graphic user interface (GUI)-based hypertext client application. |
| Wide-area networks (WANs) | Data communications networks that serve users across a broad geographic area and often use transmission devices provided by common carriers. |
| Wildcard mask | A 32-bit quantity used in conjunction with an IP address to determine which bits in an IP address should be ignored when comparing that address with another IP address. |
