Computer Hardware

The four basic parts you see in front of you:

- Mouse 鼠标- Keyboard 键盘- Monitor 显示器- Tower/CPU 电脑塔

From Previous Class…

The keyboard is used for text or number input.

The mouse is used to move the cursor and select items (such as files or text).

The monitor is used as the computer output, and tells you or shows you what is going on.

The tower is the heart of the computer, and everything runs off of it. All the information processing is done in it.

What do they do again?

There may be other hardware that you will encounter besides the four mentioned previously.

What examples can you think of?

Other Hardware

USB Flash Drive (U盘)Printers (打印机)

Writing Pads (手写板)

Speakers (音箱)

Internet Modem (调制解调器)

Computers have various interfaces and connections.

They have been standardized in the past few decades, and some you see are for “legacy” devices (legacy means obsolete, or super super old!).

There are wireless connections as well, these either use Bluetooth or even Wi-Fi (WLAN).

Each physical connection can have a male or female type connector. (One inserts and the other receives.)

The Ports and Connections

VGA (blue)

DVI (white)

HDMI

DisplayPort

PC Video Connections

Do not get HDMI and DisplayPort confused!

HDMI is much more common.

RJ11 or RJ14 (phone cable)

RJ45 (ethernet)

- It is wider/bigger than a phone cable.

Network Connectors

PS/2 (6 pin mini-DIN)

- GREEN is for the mouse.

- PURPLE is for the keyboard.

3.5mm jack (audio jack)

- The number of bands means the number of “channels” the connector can carry.

- GREEN is output, so headphones connect there.

- RED is mic input, so microphones connect there.

- BLUE is for stereo input, so other input goes here.

Current Connectors

Sometimes the jack do not have colors. They would have icons instead.

Lightning

- Apple mobile device connector.

- Reversible.

Thunderbolt

- Also used for MiniDP (Mini DisplayPort)

- Found in big mobile devices like laptops.

More Current Connectors

• USB connector names usually have 3 things:- A number. This tells you the speed of the connection.

- A size. This tells you the size of the connector.

- A letter. This tells you the type of the connector.

• There exists (as of 2017):

- Numbers: 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1

- Size: normal, mini, and micro

- Type/Letter: A, B, and C

USB

As of 2017,

there are several common USB connections we’ll see:

- USB

(connects to computers)

- Micro USB

(connects to mobile devices)

- 3.0/3.1 USB or Micro USB

(connects to external hard drives and fast devices)

- USB Type C

(connects to mobile devices and computers, soon to completely replace Micro USB AND normal USB)

Common USB Connectors

What Normal USB Looks Like

They usually have a symbol:

USB 2.0 is usually black or white. USB 3.0 is blue.

Rarely called SuperSpeed USB.

What Micro USB Looks Like

Micro USB

Micro USB 3.0

New type of connector.

Competes with Lightning and replaces Thunderbolt.

Reversible.

Will be in mobile devices starting in 2016 and 2017.

USB Type C does not mean USB 3.0/3.1!

USB Type C

Bluetooth- Creates a communication channel by a process

called “pairing”.

- Easy to set up. Future Bluetooth technology will use even less power and have better range.

- Usually used by headphones, phones, mouse, keyboards and devices that are “wireless”.

Wi-Fi- Connects to a Wi-Fi point to perform functions

wirelessly or go on the internet.

- Used by some printers or even speakers.

Wireless Connections

Memory Cards

Memory cards are used by small mobile devices and digital cameras or camcorders for storing files such as photos and videos. They are a form of “external storage”.

The costs of memory cards can vary depending on several factors:

- Capacity: the higher the capacity the higher the price

- Speed: some cards perform better than others

- Branding: some cards by certain manufacturers are more reliable

and backed by their warranty, thus might be more expensive.

Some Memory Cards

Memory Sticks

(Sony products only) CF Cards (CompactFlash)

(some advanced digital cameras)

xD Picture Card

(Fujifilm and Olympus)

SD Card (Secure Digital)

SD cards are the most commonly used and versatile memory card today.

They have 3 sizes, 2 of which you will see often:

- normal size (SD)

- micro size (microSD)

You will see the SD size most often as an adapter for the microSD card.

They come in 3 different types (as of 2017):

standard/normal, HC, and XC

They also come in various minimum and maximum possible speeds.

SIM Cards Clarification

People often get SIM cards and SD cards confused. They are not the same thing!

SD cards from the previous slide are used for storage of information.

SIM cards on the other hand are used for cell phones to identify with your subscribed phone number. SIM stands for “subscriber identification module”.

Without a SIM card, your GSM cell phone can not make calls except for emergencies.

SIM cards come in four sizes:

normal, mini, micro, and nano

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