04 Ports

We will learn about:
Expansion Slots
Expansion Cards
Ports
Buses
Bays
Power Supplies
Expansion (or adapter) card - The circuit board used
to add devices or capabilities to a computer.
Types of Adapter cards include:

• Video (or graphics) card – converts output to video signal
• Video Capture – used with a video camera (camcorder)
• Sound – speakers, microphone
• Modem – allows communications through phone lines
• Network – allows communications to a network
• PC/TV – connect to a TV
• TV tuner (HDTV tuner) – view TV on the monitor
• FireWire / USB 2.0 – connect devices
• MIDI – connect musical instruments
Plug and Play – computer automatically configures the

adapter card when it is installed.
Ports
and
Connectors
Ports, used to add keyboard, monitor, printer,
etc., are places to attach external devices
using connectors.
A connector joins a cable to a device. Male
connectors have exposed pins, female
connectors have matching holes.
Different devices have different pin layouts.

Port Types
Types of Ports
zSerial Port – transmits only one bit of data at a time,
used to connect things that don’t require a fast
transmission time like a keyboard, mouse, or modem.
zParallel port - transmits more than one bit of data at a
time, faster than serial ports.
zUSB (universal serial bus) – can connect up to 127
different peripheral devices with a single connector
zFireWire – similar to USB, can connect up to 63 different
peripheral devices with a single connector
serial port
parallel port
Special Purpose Ports
• MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)
• SCSI (small computer system interface) – high
speed parallel port for disk drives and printers
• 1394 or FireWire (like USB port) – connects
multiple devices
• IrDA (InfraRed Data Association) – used for
wireless connections
• Bluetooth – also used for wireless, uses radio
waves
PC cards, Flash Memory Cards and USB drives
add memory, communications, storage, modem or other

devices to a laptop or other mobile device (like digital
cameras).
Unlike cards that plug into a motherboard, PC cards can be

changed while the device is running – called hot swapping
(plugging)
Buses
Buses are the electrical pathway (trace) along which
bits are transferred.
Used to transfer bits from:

• storage devices to memory address bus – transfers
• input devices to memory information about where
• memory to the CPU data is stored in memory
• CPU to memory data bus – transfers actual
• memory to output devices data
• memory to storage devices
Two types of buses are:
• System bus – part of the motherboard that
connects CPU to main memory (generally
what is meant by bus)
• Expansion bus – allows CPU to

communicate with peripheral devices.
Bus Speed
• A bus is measured by its size or bus width. The bus width

determines the number of bits that can be transferred at one
time. The larger the number of bits handled by the bus, the
faster the computer transfers data. (For example a 64-bit
number has to be transferred in two steps on a 32-bit bus).
The wider the bus, the fewer number of transfers must be
made.
• Every bus has a clock speed (like the CPU). The faster the
clock, the faster the data can be transferred.
Expansion bus
processor
fastest
next fastest
next fastest
slowest memory
PCI bus
expansion slots ISA bus expansion slots
DVD-ROM
drive
Bays CD-RW
drive
Open area inside the Zip drive
system unit for empty drive
installing additional bay
equipment floppy disk

drive
Power Supply
• Standard wall outlets supply AC current
ranging from 115 to 120 volts.
• Computers use DC current ranging from 5
to 12 volts.
• The power supply converts the AC power to
DC power.
• Supplies power to the motherboard, hard
disk, CD/DVD, floppy drive, etc.
Be Sure you can:
• Describe the types of expansion cards found in the
Explain the purpose of expansion slots and expansion
cards
• List the different types of expansion cards
• Define hot swapping
• Define plug and play
• Explain the purpose of a port and connector
• Explain the difference between a serial port and
parallel port
• Explain what a USB port is used for
• List the special purpose ports
• Explain the purpose of a bus
• Explain how bus width affects speed
• Explain what a bay is used for
• Explain the purpose of the power supply

04 Ports

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04 Ports

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We will learn about:

Types of Adapter cards include:

Plug and Play – computer automatically configures the

Different devices have different pin layouts.

add memory, communications, storage, modem or other

Unlike cards that plug into a motherboard, PC cards can be

Used to transfer bits from:

• Expansion bus – allows CPU to

• A bus is measured by its size or bus width. The bus width

equipment floppy disk

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