Computer Terminology

When you dealing with computer, you should know the terminologies often used.  I’ve compiled some terminologies completed with  illustration if possible to make this clearer.

BIOS (basic input/output system) A collection  of software codes built into a PC that handle  some of the fundamental tasks of sending data from  one part of the computer to another.

boot or boot-up The process that takes place  when a PC is turned on and performs the routines  necessary to get all the components functioning  properly and the operating system loaded. The term bootstrap began as a metaphor derived from pull straps sewn onto the backs of leather boots with which a person could pull on their boots without outside help. The term refers to the fact that a computer cannot run without first loading software but must be running before any software can be loaded. Hence, starting a computer is like "lifting yourself with your own bootstraps".

circuit board Originally, wires ran from and to  any component in any electrical device, not just  computers. A circuit board replaces the need for  separate wiring with the metallic traces printed on  the board-sometimes also on the bottom of the
board and in a hidden middle layer. The traces  lead to connections for processors, resistors, capacitors,  and other electrical components. The importance  of the circuit board is that its entire creation  can be automated, and the board packs more components  into an ever-smaller space.

[Figure Above] A PCB as a design on a computer (left) and realized as a board assembly with populated components (right). The board is double sided, with through-hole plating, green solder resist, and white silkscreen printing. Both surface mount and through-hole components have been used.

clock A microchip that regulates the timing and  speed of all the computer's functions. The chip  includes a crystal that vibrates at a certain frequency  when electricity is applied to it. The shortest
length of time in which a computer can perform  some operation is one clock, or one vibration of  the clock chip. The speed of clocks-and therefore,  computers-is expressed in megahertz (MHz). One  megahertz is 1 million cycles, or vibrations, a second.
Thus, a PC can be described as having a  200 or 300 MHz processor, which means that the  processor has been designed to work with a clock  chip running at that speed.

 

CMOS An acronym for complementary metal oxide  semiconductor-a term that describes how a  CMOS microchip is manufactured. Powered by a  small battery, the CMOS chip retains crucial information  about what hardware a PC comprises even  when power is turned off.

CPU An acronym for central processing unit, it is  used to mean the microprocessor-also,  processor-which is a microchip that processes the  information and the code (instructions) used by a
computer. The "brains" of a computer.  expansion slot Most PCs have unused slots  into which the owner can plug circuit boards and  hardware to add to the computer's capabilities. Most slots today are personal computer interface

(PCI) or it's next-generation sibling PCI-Express (PCIE).  One other slot, the accelerated graphics port  (AGP), accepts a video card designed to move  images out of memory quickly, although it is fast  being replaced by PCI-E-you might also see shorter
slots on older computers. These are industry standard  architecture (ISA), the only type of slots on the  first Pc.

motherboard A sheet of plastic onto which  metallic circuits have been printed and to the rest  of the PC's components are connected. These components  could be connected via a socket, such as  with the CPU, a slot, as with graphics cards and  memory modules or they may be built directly onto  the motherboard, as with external ports, such as  USB.

operating system Software that exists to control  the operations of hardware. Essentially, the  operating system directs any operation, such as  writing data to memory or to disk, and regulates the  use of hardware among several application programs  that are running at the same time. This frees
program developers from having to write their own
code for these most basic operations.

ROM and RAM Acronyms for Read Only  Memory and Random Access Memory. ROM is  memory chips or data stored on disks that can be  read by the computer's processor. The PC cannot
write new data to those chips or disk drives. RAM is  memory or disks that can be both read and written  to. Random access memory really is a misnomer  because even ROM can be accessed randomly. The  term was originally used to distinguish RAM from
data and software that was stored on magnetic  tape, and which could be accessed only sequentially.  That is, to get to the last chunk of data or  code on a tape, a computer must read through all  the information contained on the tape until it finds  the location where it stored the data or code for  which it is looking. In contrast, a computer can  jump directly to any information stored in random  locations in RAM chips or on disk.

system files Small disk files that contain software  code that are the first files a computer reads  from disk when it is booted. The system files contain  the information needed, following the initial hardware  boot, to load the rest of an operating system.

write and read Writing is the process by  which a computer stores data in either RAM chips  or on a disk drive. Reading is the process by which  a computer transfers data or software code from a  drive to RAM or from RAM to the microprocessor.