COMPUTER CONCEPTS

Vocabulary
Chapter 5 Computer Architecture

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Computer architecture
The design and construction of a computer that is the basis for designating its platform.

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Chip package
The housing for an integrated circuit, a chip package can be a single DIP or PGA, or it can include a circuit board as in a DIMM or SEC.

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Integrated circuit (IC)

A thin slice of silicon crystal containing microscopic circuit elements such as transistors, wires, capacitors, and resistors; also called chips and microchips.

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Motherboard
The circuit board in the computer that houses the chips that control the processing functions.

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Analog device
A device that operates on continuously varying data, such as a dimmer switch or a watch with a sweep second hand.

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Digital device
A device that works with discrete (distinct or separate) numbers or digits.

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ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

A code that represents characters as a series of 1s and Os. Most computers use ASCII code to represent text, making it possible to transfer data between computers.
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Binary number system

A method for representing numbers using only two digits, 0 and 1. Contrast this system to the decimal system, which uses ten digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

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Character data
Letters, symbols, or numerals that will not be used in arithmetic operations (name, social security number, etc.).

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Numeric data
Numbers that represent quantities and can be used in arithmetic operations.

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EBCDIC (Extended Binary-Coded Decimal Interchange Code)

A method by which digital computers represent character data.

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Address lines
The circuitry on the data bus that carries a signal indicating the location or address of data.

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Data bus
An electronic pathway or circuit that connects the electronic components (mainly the processor and RAM) on a computer's motherboard.

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Data lines
The wires in the data bus that carry the signals that represent data.

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Capacitors
Electronic circuit components that store an electrical charge; in binary code, a charged capacitor represents an "on" bit, and a discharged one represents an 'off" bit.

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RAM (Random Access Memory)

A type of computer memory circuit that holds data, program instructions, and the operating system while the computer is on.

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RAM address
Like the address on a house, a RAM address identifies a specific area in RAM that can hold data.

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DIMM
Short for dual in-line memory module, a DIMM is a small circuit board that holds RAM chips. A DIMM has a 64-bit path to the memory chips.

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Virtual memory
A computer's use of hard disk storage to simulate RAM.

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CMOS memory
A type of battery-powered integrated circuit that holds semi-permanent configuration data (acronym for complementary metal oxide semiconductor).

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ROM
Read-only memory; one or more integrated circuits that contain permanent instructions that the computer uses during the boot process.

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ROM BIOS
A small set of basic input/output system instructions stored in ROM, which cause the computer system to load critical operating files when the user turns on the computer.

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Plug and play

The ability of a computer to automatically recognize and adjust the system configuration for a newly added device.

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Millisecond (ms)
A thousandth of a second.

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Mils
A measurement of the size of an integrated circuit, one mil is .001 inch.

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Accumulator
A part of the ALU that holds the results of processing operations until they can be sent to RAM.

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ALU (arithmetic logic unit)

The part of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logical operations on the numbers stored in its registers.

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Microprocessor
An integrated circuit that contains the circuitry for processing data. It is a single chip version of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) found in all computers.

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Registers
A sort of "scratch pad" area of the ALU and control unit where data or instructions are moved so that they can be processed. Control unit The part of the ALU that directs and coordinates processing.

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Instruction pointer
A sort of placeholder that the CPU's control unit uses to keep track of the location of the instructions that are scheduled for processing.

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Instruction register
A location in the CPU's control unit that holds a processing instruction retrieved from RAM.

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Instruction
Computer code that tells the computer to perform a specific arithmetic, logical, or control operation.

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Instruction set
The collection of instructions that a CPU is designed to process.

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Op code
Short for operation code, an op code is a command word that designates an operation, such as add (ADD), compare (CMP), or jump (JMP).

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Operands
An operand is the part of an instruction that specifies the data, or the address of the data, on which the operation is to be performed.

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Instruction cycle
The steps followed by a computer to process a single instruction; fetch, interpret, execute, then increment the instruction pointer.

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Cache
Special high-speed memory that gives the CPU more rapid access to data (also called RAM cache or cache memory).

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Megahertz
Megahertz (MHz) is a measure of frequency equivalent to one million cycles per second.

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System clock
A device in the computer that emits pulses to establish the timing for all system operations.

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Word size
The number of bits the CPU can manipulate at one time, which is dependent on the size of the registers in the CPU and on the number of data lines in the bus.

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CISC
CISC (complex instruction set computer) is a general-purpose microprocessor chip designed to handle a wider array of instructions than a RISC chip.

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Pipelining
A technology that allows a processor to begin executing an instruction before completing the previous instruction.

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RISC
RISC (reduced instruction set computer) is a microprocessor chip designed for rapid and efficient processing of a small set of simple instructions.

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Parallel computer
A computer that has more than one processor and can process more than one instruction at a time. Also called non-von-Neumann machines.

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Parallel processing
A technique by which two or more processors in a computer perform processing tasks simultaneously.

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Expansion bus
The segment of the data bus that transports data between RAM and peripheral devices. input/output The circuitry that allows a computer to collect data (input) and the transportation of the results to display, print, or storage devices (output).
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Expansion card
A circuit board that is plugged into a slot on a PC motherboard to add extra functions, devices, or ports.

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Expansion slot
A socket or "slot" on a PC motherboard designed to hold a circuit board called an expansion card.

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Modem
A device that sends and receives data to and from computers over telephone lines.

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Sound card
A circuit board that gives the computer the ability to accept audio input from a microphone, play sound files stored on disks and CD-ROMS, and produce audio output through speakers or headphones.

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AGP
Short for accelerated graphics port, an AGP is a type of interface, or slot, that provides a high-speed pathway for advanced graphics.

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ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)

A standard for moving data on the expansion bus. Can refer to a type of slot, a bus, or a peripheral device. An older technology, it is rapidly being replaced by PCI architecture.

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PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

A method for transporting data on the expansion bus. Can refer to type of data bus, expansion slot, or transport method used by a peripheral device.

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Expansion port
A socket into which the user plugs a cable from a peripheral device, allowing data to pass between the computer and the peripheral device.

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Boot process
The sequence of events that occurs within a computer system between the time the user starts the computer and the time it is ready to process commands.

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Power-on self-test (POST)

A diagnostic process that runs during startup to check components of the computer such as the graphics card, RAM, keyboard, and disk drives.

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Bootable floppy disk

A disk that contains essential operating system files and that can be used to boot a computer.

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Default drive
The drive that a computer attempts to read from or write to unless an alternate drive is specified.

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Windows Registry
A crucial data file maintained by the operating system that contains the settings needed by a computer to correctly use any hardware and software that has been installed on the system.

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Safe Mode
A menu option that appears when Windows is unable to complete the boot sequence. By entering safe mode, a user can gracefully shut down the computer, then try to reboot it.

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Return to Title Page

Prepared by James Q. Jacobs

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