PCs ENVIRONMENT and
PERIPHERALS
Lecture 4
An expansion cards:
-
An expansion card (expansion board) is an electronic
circuit board that adds more functionality to your
computer.
-
Expansion cards are installed into the expansion slot of a
computer motherboard.
- It's allow you to upgrade or expand the capabilities of
a computer.
An expansion cards:
Type of expansion cards:
1- Video card.
2- Sound card.
3- Network Interface card.
4- Modem. (internal modem).
An expansion cards:
-Three points to make a card work successfully in an
expansion slot:
1- Physical connection: expansion cards need to be built
specifically for the expansion slots (require creation of
industry standards)
2- Communication: the card need some way to
communicate with CPU (to receive instructions and send
data)
3- Drivers: operating system needs some means of enabling
users to control the new device
An expansion cards:
1- Video card:
The video card is an expansion
card that allows the computer to
send graphical information to a
video display device such as a
monitor, TV.
The Video Card is Also Known As:
graphics card, graphics adapter,
video adapter.
An expansion cards:
2- Sound card:
- A sound card is an expansion component used in
computers to receive and send audio.
-The input device attached to receive audio data is usually a
microphone, while the device used to output audio data is
generally speakers or headphones.
- also known as an audio card
An expansion cards:
3- Network Interface card( NIC):
- a Network Interface Card(NIC) is
an expansion card that enables a
computer to connect to a network
such as a home network or the
Internet using an Ethernet cable
with a RJ45 connector.
- also known as an Ethernet card and
network adapter.
An expansion cards:
4- Modem (Internal modem):
- Modem:
- The word modem is actually short for
Modulator/Demodulator.
- It is used to connect a computer to the Internet.
- There are internal and external modems.
An expansion cards:
4- Internal modem:
- Internal modem is a circuit board
that is inserted into an expansion
slot on the motherboard.
-Internal modem cannot be moved
from one computer to another
easily.
- Two main types of internal modem :
1- Dial-up modem.
2- wifi (wireless) modem.
- Modem:
- External modem:
- External modem is attached to the
system unit as an external device
through telephone line.
- External modem is connected to
computer using cable to COM1 or
COM2 port or to USB port.
- - It is connected to the telephone
wall jack by another cable.
-It requires external power supply.
An expansion slot:
Expansion slots :
Expansion card are connected to the slot.
 A slot located inside a computer (on the motherboard).
 Allows additional boards to be connected to it.

Storage Devices:
Storage Devices : are the data storage devices that are used
in the computers to store the data.
Examples:
- Hard drive.
- Floppy drive.
- Optical drive.
- Flash drive.
- Flash memory.
Storage Devices:
1- Hard Drive :
- The hard disk drive is the main, and usually largest, data
storage device in a computer.
- The operating system, software and other files are stored
in the hard disk drive.
Connect to the computer using :
Data cable  SATA socket in the motherboard.
Power cable  from power supply.
Storage Devices:
2- Floppy Drive:
- The floppy drive reads data from, and writes data to, a
Floppy disk.
Connect to the computer using :
Data cable  FDD socket in the motherboard.
Power cable  from power supply.
Storage Devices:
3- Optical Drive:
- Optical drives uses lasers to read and write data on
optical discs like CDs, DVDs .
Connect to the computer using :
Data cable  SATA socket in the motherboard.
Power cable  from power supply.
Storage Devices:
4- Flash drive:
- USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable.
Storage capacities typically range from 64 MB to 64 GB.
- Flash drives are widely used to transport files and backup
data from computer to computer
Storage Devices:
5- Flash memory cards:
A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state
electronic flash memory used with digital cameras,
handheld and Mobile computers, telephones, video game
consoles, and other electronics.
Assignment :
 What
is the Difference between
Network Interface Card (NIC)
and modem Card ?