What are expansion slots and cards? What are they used for?

As previously mentioned, many personal computers allow users to expand their systems by providing expansion slots on the system board. Users can insert optional devices known as expansion cards into these slots. Ports on the cards allow cables to be connected from the Expansion cards to devices outside the system unit. There area Wide range of different types of expansion cards.

List and describe three commonly used expansion cards.

 Graphics cards, which provide high-quality 3D graphics and animation for games and simulations. While many personal computer systems have a GPU connected directly to the system board, others connect through a graphics card. This card can ‘contain one or more GPU chips and is standard for most gaming computers.

 Network interface cards (NIC), also known as network adapter cards, which are used to connect Computer to a network, (See Figure 5-18.) The network allows connected computers to share data, programs, and hardware. The network adapter card typically connects the system unit to a cable that connects to the network

Wireless network cards allow computers to be connected without cables.

What are SD cards? How are they used?

To meet the size constraints of laptop computers, tablets, and ‘smartphones, fingernail-size expansion cards known as SD cards have been developed. These cards plug into expansion slots located within many laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

What is bus, and what is bus width?

A bus line—also known simply as a bus—connects the parts the CPU to each other, Buses also link the CPU to various other components on the system board. A bus is a pathway for bits representing data and instructions. The number of travel simultaneously down a bus is known 2s the bus width,

What is the difference between a system and an expansion bus?

Every computer system has two basic categories of buses. One category, called system buses, connects the CPU to memory on the system board. The other category, called expansion buses, connects the CPU to other components on the system board, including expansion slots.

Discuss three types of expansion bused

Universal serial bus (USB) is widely Used today. External USB devices are connected from one to another of to a common point or hub and then onto the USB bus.

FireWire buses are similar to USB buses but more specialized. They are used primarily to connect audio and video equipment to the system board,

PCI Express (PCle) is widely used in many of today’s most powerful computers. Unlike most other Buses that share a single bus line or path with several devices, the PCle bus provides a Single dedicated path for each connected device

What are ports? What do they do?

A port is a socket for external devices to connect to the system unit Some ports ‘connect directiy.to the, system board, while others connect to cards that are inserted into slots on the system board. Some ports are standard features of most computer systems, and others are more specialized

Describe four standard ports and five specialized ports.

Most desktop and laptop computers come with a standard set of ports for connecting. a monitor, keyboard, and other peripheral devices. The most common ports follow.

Universal serial bus (USB) ports can be used to connect several devices to the system unit and are widely used to connect keyboards, mice, printers, storage devices, and a variety of specialty devices. One such device, a USB TV tuner card)allows Users to view and record television programs.

High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI ports provide high-definition video and audio, making it possible to use a computer as a Video jukebox or an HD video recorder.

Thunderbolt ports provide high-speed connections. A single port can connect up to seven separate devices connected one to another. Thunderbolt ports promise to replace a number of different types of ports including Mini Display Ports.

Ethernet ports are a high-speed networking port that has become a standard for many of today’s computers. Ethernet allows you to connect multiple computers for sharing files, or ta DSL or cable modem for high-speed Internet access.

Specialized Ports

In addition to standard ports, there are numerous specialty ports. The most common include:

External Serial Advanced) Technology Attachment (eSATA) ports provide high speed connections for external shard-disk drives, optical discs, and other large secondary storage devices

Musical instrument digital interface (MIDD) ports are 2 special type of port for connecting musical-instruments like an electronic keyboard to 2 sound card. The sound card converts the music into‘ Series of digital instructions.

Mini Display Port (MiniDP or mDP) ports are audiovisual ports typically used to connect large monitors. These ports are used with many Apple Macintosh computers.

VGA (Video-Graphics Adapter) and DVI (Digital Video Interface) ports provide connections to analog and digital monitors, respectively. DVI has become the most commonly used standard, but VGA ports are still provided on almost all systems for compatibility with older lower-cost monitors.

FireWire ports provide high-speed connections to specialized FireWire devices such as camcorders and storage devices.