System busA system bus is a single computer bus that connects the major components of a computer system, combining the functions of a data bus to carry information, an address bus to determine where it should be sent or read from, and a control bus to determine its operation. The technique was developed to reduce costs and improve modularity, and although popular in the 1970s and 1980s, more modern computers use a variety of separate buses adapted to more specific needs.
Computer hardwareComputer hardware, commonly shortened to hardware, includes the physical parts of a computer, such as the central processing unit (CPU), random-access memory (RAM), motherboard, computer data storage, graphics card, sound card, and computer case. It includes external devices such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers. By contrast, software is a set of written instructions that can be stored and run by hardware.
ComputerProgrammable machine that processes dataComputers and computing devices from different eras—left to right, top to bottom: Early vacuum-tube computer (ENIAC)Mainframe computer (IBM System/360)Smartphone (LYF Water 2)Desktop computer (IBM ThinkCentre S50 with monitor)Supercomputer (IBM Summit)A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation).
Central processing unitCentral computer component that executes instructionsCore i9-14900KF, a 2023 CPU made by IntelInside a central processing unit: The integrated circuit of Intel's Xeon 3060, first manufactured in 2006A central processing unit (CPU), also known as a central processor, main processor, or simply processor, is the primary processor in a given computer.
Expansion cardIn computing, an expansion card, also known as an expansion board, adapter card, peripheral card or accessory card, is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an electrical connector, or expansion slot (also referred to as a bus slot) on a computer's motherboard (see also backplane) to add functionality to a computer system. Sometimes the design of the computer's case and motherboard involves placing most (or all) of these slots onto a separate, removable card.
Computer architectureIn computer science and computer engineering, a computer architecture is the conceptual design and operational structure of a computer system that define how component parts are organized and interact to execute programs efficiently. It is often a general description that ignores precise implementation details. It covers the instruction set architecture, CPU microarchitecture, memory, and input/output systems.
SoftwareSoftware (SW) consists of computer programs that instruct the execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital computers in the mid-20th century. Early programs were written in the machine language specific to the hardware.
Communication protocolA communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics, and synchronization of communication and possible error recovery methods. Protocols may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of both. Communicating systems use well-defined formats for exchanging various messages.
Network packetIn telecommunications and computer networking, a network packet is a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network. A packet consists of control information and user data; the latter is also known as the payload. Control information provides data for delivering the payload (e.g., source and destination network addresses, error detection codes, or sequencing information). Typically, control information is found in packet headers and trailers.
Network switchA network switch (also called switching hub, bridging hub, Ethernet switch, and—by the IEEE—MAC bridge) is networking hardware that connects devices on a computer network by using packet switching to receive and forward data to the destination device. A network switch is a multiport network bridge that uses MAC addresses to forward data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model.
Optical fiberAn optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers are widely used in fiber-optic communication, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data transfer rates) than electrical cables. Fibers are used instead of cables because signals travel along them with less loss and are immune to electromagnetic interference.
Digital dataDigital data or digital information, in information theory and information systems, is data or information represented as a string of discrete symbols, each of which can take on one of only a finite number of values from some alphabet, such as letters or digits. An example is a text document, which consists of a string of alphanumeric characters.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.