AC (Alternating Current)
Type of electrical current typically found in a wall outlet. A computer is plugged into alternating current. A power supply then changes the alternating current into direct current (DC) so that the computer can use the current properly.
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
AGP is expansion bus technology designed especially for the throughput demands of video and 3-D graphics. AGP slots are reserved for video controller cards.
AT (Advanced Technology)
A motherboard form factor first introduced in 1984 and still in use in many homes and businesses.
ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)
Introduced in 1996, ATX is the modern-day motherboard form factor.
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
A program with detailed start-up instructions for a PC that is usually stored in ROM on the motherboard.
CD-RW (Compact Disk, Read Write)
CD format that not only reads standard CD-ROM disks but can also write to CD-R disks and re-write to CD-RW media.
CLI (Command Line Interface)
Text based computer interface. Usually, A CLI prompt is a blinking cursor waiting for user input. MS DOS provides a Command Line Interface.
CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
A computer chip found on a motherboard that stores the BIOS information for a PC.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The main motherboard chip – the “brains” of a PC - designed to run a group of instructions, or instruction set.
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)
The picture tube a computer monitor is built from.
DC (Direct Current)
Type of electrical current used by a PC. The power supply converts AC into DC. Digital Bridge Technology Academy Basic Hardware Skills Curriculum: Computer Hardware & Operating Systems 58
DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module)
A DIMM is a type of RAM module.
DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
DRAM is the most common type of computer memory.
DOS (Disk Operating System)
A single user, single-tasking operating system that prompts a user with a CLI to execute commands.
EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics)
EIDE allows for two IDE controller channels that can each support two devices. EIDE is an extension of IDE.
ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)
Transfer of an electrical current from an electrically charged object to a conductive object.
FAT (File Allocation Table)
A method of organizing the contents of media storage devices, such as the contents of hard disk drives.
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
This is the interface used by MS Windows. Icons, pictures, and menus are used to activate and use programs. A GUI prompts a user to “point and click”.
Hz (Hertz)
A unit of speed commonly used to measure the speed of a CPU. One Hertz means one cycle per second. One Megahertz, or MHz, is 1 million cycles per second.
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
Standard data interface used by hard disk drives for a PC.
IRQ (Interrupt Request)
Hardware devices use IRQ lines to request time from the CPU to perform a task. For example, an interrupt request is generated every time someone uses a key on a keyboard.
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
ISA is an expansion bus technology that dates back to the original IBM PC.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
LCD is flat-screen computer display technology that uses liquid crystals and electricity to create images.
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
Tiny light displays usually found on the faceplate of a PC. Digital Bridge Technology Academy Basic Hardware Skills Curriculum: Computer Hardware & Operating Systems 59
MBR (Master Boot Record)
This refers to the first sector on the bootable partition of a hard disk drive or other disk media.
MMX (Multi-Media Extensions)
Technology that adds additional instruction sets to a CPU chip to optimize operations that are commonly used to process multimedia data.
Modem (MOdulator DEModulator)
A modem turns digital signals into analog signals and usually is used to send data over telephone lines. A modem can also turn received analog signals back to into a digital format.
NIC (Network Interface Card)
A NIC is a device (on a PC it is usually an expansion card) that enables a PC to connect to a cable of some form of computer network, usually a LAN (Local Area Network).
NTFS (New Technology File System)
This is a file allocation system first available with the Windows NT operating system and subsequently used to develop Windows 2000.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
PCI is a popular expansion bus technology.
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association)
Term usually associated with credit card size expansion cards used by laptop computers.
PGA (Pin Grid Array)
Connection pins on a CPU designed to fit into a PGA ZIF slot built into a motherboard.
PnP (Plug and Play)
PnP refers to a standard that is supposed to allow the automatic configuration of hardware components and peripheral devices to a PC.
POST (Power on Self-Test)
A series of tests run by a system BIOS that examine the essential hardware of a PC.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
A PC uses RAM to hold running data.
RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory)
This is a type of DRAM.
RGB (Red, Green & Blue)
CRT monitors use red, green, and blue light to produce the entire color spectrum. Digital Bridge Technology Academy Basic Hardware Skills Curriculum: Computer Hardware & Operating Systems 60
ROM (Read Only Memory)
Memory that permanently stores data; this data cannot be erased.
RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)
Measurement of the speed of a disk as it revolves around a spindle. The term generally applies to hard drive speed and CD-media drives.
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
A data pathway used by devices such as hard disk drives, CD-Media drives, scanners, and sometimes printers. This interface allows the connection of up to seven devices.
SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory)
DRAM chip with an efficient data pathway that reduces the need to send interrupt requests to the CPU.
SEC (Single Edge Connector)
The SEC is a processor slot design. CPUs are connected to a motherboard in a vertical fashion using single edge connection technology referred to as Slot design technology.
SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module)
A SIMM is a type of RAM module.
SRAM (Synchronous Random Access Memory)
SRAM is a fast type of RAM.
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
A device that contains a battery and provides backup power to a PC during a loss of main power or when power levels drop to low levels. UPS backup power only last for a short time depending on the size of the UPS battery.
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
USB is expansion bus technology that transfers data much faster than serial and parallel connections. USB also allows you to connect and disconnect, or “hot swap”, peripheral devices without having to configure and restart a PC.
VGA (Video Graphics Array)
The minimum, PC monitor video display standard that provides 16 colors at a resolution of 640x480.
VRAM (Video Random Access Memory)
Video RAM updates video output to reflect every change in the screen display. VRAM is crucial to the operation of a PC. This memory is faster and more expensive than standard DRAM. Digital Bridge Technology Academy Basic Hardware Skills Curriculum: Computer Hardware & Operating Systems 61
WRAM (Windows Random Access Memory)
RAM commonly used in graphics cards on a PC. This memory is similar to VRAM, but faster. WRAM provides a PC advanced support for video.
ZIF (Zero Insertion Force)
Motherboard socket designed to accept a PGA CPU chip. Through the use of a lever, a ZIF socket allows a PGA chip to be installed on a motherboard without having to apply pressure to the chip during the insertion.
Bit/Byte Chart
1 Bit = 1 Bit (value of 1 or 0) Byte = 8 bits
Kilobit = 1,024 bits Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes
Megabit = 1,048,576 bits Megabyte = 1,048,576 bytes
Gigabit = 1,073,741,824 bits Gigabyte = 1,073,741,824 bytes
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