Notes :-

Different ADD-on Cards 3 Hours

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Notes :-
The video card is an expansion card that allows the computer to send graphical
information to a video display device such as a monitor or projector. The Video Card
is also known as graphics card, graphics adapter, video adapter. Each motherboard
supports only a limited range of video card formats. Some video cards offer added
functions, such as video capture, TV tuner adapter, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoding,
FireWire, light pen, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors.

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 Graphics processing unit (GPU) - A GPU is a dedicated processor optimized for
accelerating graphics. The processor is designed specifically to perform floating-point
calculations, which are fundamental to 3D graphics rendering. The main attributes of the
GPU are the core clock frequency, which typically ranges from 250 MHz to 4 GHz and the
number of pipelines, which translate a 3D image characterized by vertices and lines into a
2D image formed by pixels.
 Video BIOS - The video BIOS or firmware contains the basic program that governs the
video card's operations and provides the instructions that allow the computer and software
to interact with the card.
 Video memory - Since video memory needs to be accessed by the GPU and the display
circuitry, it often uses special high speed or multi-port memory, such as VRAM, WRAM,
SGRAM, etc.
 RAMDAC - RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter) converts
digital signals to analog signals for use by a computer display that uses analog inputs such
as CRT displays. Depending on the number of bits used and the RAMDAC data transfer
rate, the converter will be able to support different computer display refresh rates.
 Cooling devices - Video cards may use a lot of electricity, which is converted into heat. If
the heat isn't dissipated, the video card could overheat and be damaged. Cooling devices are
incorporated to transfer the heat elsewhere.
 Power demand - As the processing power of video cards has increased, so has their
demand for electrical power. Present fast video cards tend to consume a great deal of
power. While CPU and power supply makers have recently moved toward higher
efficiency, power demands of GPUs have continued to rise, so the video card may be the
biggest electricity user in a computer.

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The most common connection systems between the video card and the computer
display are:
1. Video Graphics Array (VGA) Analog-based standard adopted in the late 1980s
designed for CRT displays. Some problems of this standard are electrical noise,
image distortion and sampling error evaluating pixels.
2. Digital Visual Interface (DVI): Digital-based standard designed for displays such
as flat-panel displays (LCDs, plasma screens, wide High-definition television
displays) and video projectors. It avoids image distortion and electrical noise,
corresponding each pixel from the computer to a display pixel, using its native
resolution.
3. Video In Video Out (VIVO) includes to allow the connection with televisions,
DVD players, video recorders and video game consoles.
4. High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI): An advanced digital
audio/video interconnect released in 2003, and is commonly used to connect game
consoles and DVD players to a display. HDMI supports copy protection through
HDCP.
5. Display Port: An advanced license and royalty-free digital audio/video
interconnect released in 2007. Display Port intends to replace VGA and DVI for
connecting a display to a computer.

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 A sound card (audio card) is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input
and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer
programs. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for
multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio,
presentation, education, and entertainment.
 Sound cards usually feature a digital-to-analog converter, which converts recorded
or generated digital data into an analog format. The output signal is connected to an
amplifier, headphones, or external device. Most sound cards have a line in
connector for signal from a cassette tape recorder or similar sound source. The
sound card digitizes this signal and stores it (under control of appropriate matching
computer software) on the computer's hard disk for storage, editing, or further
processing. Another common external connector is the microphone connector, for
use by a microphone or other low level input device. Input through a microphone
jack can then be used by speech recognition software or for Voice over IP
applications.
Notes :-
A TV tuner card is a computer component that allows television signals to be received
by a computer. TV tuner are available in a number of different interface:- as
1. PCI bus expansion card
2. PCI Express bus
3. PCMCIA, mini PCI Express
4. PCMCIA Express
5. USB devices also exist
Notes:-
 A network card is an expansion card which installs into a computer and enables that
computer to physically connect to a local area network. The most common form of
network card in current use is the Ethernet Card. Other types of network cards
include wireless network cards and Token Ring network cards. Ethernet network
cards most often use RJ-45 jacks. Wireless network cards usually have no external
connections other than a possible antenna jack. Other terms for network card
include network adapter, network interface card and NIC.
 A network interface controller (NIC) is a hardware device that handles an interface
to a computer network and allows a network capable device to access that network.
The NIC has a ROM chip that contains a unique number. The MAC address
burned into it. The MAC address identifies the device uniquely on the LAN.
Notes :-
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used
for storing digital contents. They are commonly used in many electronic devices,
including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video
game consoles. They are small, re-recordable, and they can retain data without power.
Notes :-
1. PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) - The PCMCIA
standard has been expanded several times and are suitable for many types of devices. There are
three types of PCMCIA cards-
 Type I cards can be up to 3.3 mm thick, and are used primarily for adding
additional ROM or RAM to a computer.
 Type II cards can be up to 5.5 mm thick. These cards are often used for modem
and fax modem cards.
 Type III cards can be up to 10.5 mm thick, which is sufficiently large for
portable disk drives.
2. Compact Flash - Compact Flash is the de facto standard to flash memory Storage. It is used
everywhere from digital cameras to MP3 players to embedded systems. There are two variants of
Compact Flash: Type 1 & Type 2. CF Type 2 cards are a little bit thicker than CF type I Cards.
Currently CF Type 2 cards house devices like Micro drive and WiFi network Card. CF cards are
very robust and industrially proven to be reliable.
3. Secure Digital card - Secure Digital card is basically the second generation Multimedia Card.
They are exactly the same as MMC physically, other than the extra locking switch on the SD Card.
The locking switch prevents data from being read, written, and deleted from the storage card. A SD
Card device can also read and write MMC.
 mini Secure Digital card -Recently a new smaller SD Card has emerged on the
market. It is called the mini SD Card. The card is originally intended for use in
mobile phones and miniature electronics, such as MP3 players.
 micro Secure Digital card - The micro SD Card is even smaller than the
miniSD Card. The micro SD Card is designed for use in cellular phones and
small mobile devices. The micro SD Card can accessed in a SD Card slot via an
adapter.
4. Multimedia Card - The Multimedia Card (MMC) standard was introduced by SanDisk and
Siemens in 1997. MMC is smaller but slightly thicker than the Smart Media cards. Its interface
pins are on its backside and lay similarly to Memory Stick. The card itself is 32 mm x 24 mm x
1.4mm and is often used in place of the SD card. Transfer speeds of a MMC is around 2.5MB/s
and they can often be used in SD Card readers.
Notes :-
5. Sony Memory Sticks - Sony Memory Sticks are light, compact and designed for a
wide variety of devices including digital cameras, recorders, and more. Memory
Stick uses a serial interface to transfer data between the host device and card.
 Memory Stick PRO - Sony Memory Stick PRO is the new
Standard to eliminate the 128 MB limitation. Currently, Memory
Stick PRO is available up to 1 GB. Memory Stick PRO will not
work in devices that only support the standard Memory Stick. But
Memory Stick PRO devices are compatible with the original
Memory Stick. Today, all 128MB, and under, cards are Memory
Stick, while all larger cards are Memory Stick PRO.
 Memory Stick Duo - Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro
Duo are basically smaller versions of the Memory Stick and
Memory Stick Pro. The Duo has pin-to-pin compatibility with its
older and larger Memory Stick sibling.
6. Smart Media - Introduced by Toshiba in 1995 . Smart Media card is the first
challenger to the flash memory market. It is smaller and thinner than the CF cards.
It also has contact pins directly on the surface of the card.
7. xD-Picture Card - xD-Picture Card is a contender invented and promoted by
Olympus and Fuji. the xD-Picture Card is a type of removable flash memory
designed for use in digital cameras. The xD is ultra-compact with its size of 20mm
x 25mm x 1.7mm.
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