computer terminologies final part

8/14/2019 Computer Terminologies Final Part

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Computer Technology Abbreviations

Let us extend our understanding of few more terms

related to todays digital world in this final part of thepresentation.

We will limit to very basic information in thispresentation


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MP (Mega Pixel)

A pixel is the smallest element on a screen or printed photoor a document. The pixels are identified using two co-ordinatesystem, similar to X-Y scale of a typical graph. Each pixel

can be identified by its co-ordinates and hence will have itsown unique address. Although it is very common to specifya digital camera in pixel units, all display devices be itmonitor, television, LCD TV etc. will have its own pixelresolution.

A standard VGA display with 640 x 480 resolution actuallymeans it has 640 x 480 = 307200 pixels (or 0.3 MEGA PIXELS).

A digital camera with 3 MEGA PIXEL resolution means itsscreen has 2048 x 1536 pixels.

Each pixel, which corresponds to a co-ordinate, will beaddressed uniquely by the processor for display purpose.

Note: Higher the pixel resolution, more will be the memoryrequired to store images and editing images also will takemore time


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LCD Liquid Crystal Display

Liquid Crystal Display is a concept that uses the concept ofpolarization and by changing voltage stage, the colorintensity of liquid crystals change. Each cell or a group of

cells are linked together and energized by special electrodes.An integrated electronic circuit with its own processorcontrols which cells need to be energized or de-energized.

The LCDs are available in both monochrome and colorversions. Monochrome ones are usually common onindustrial controllers and common display systems. Colorversion is becoming popular in TVs as well.

Due to cell polarization, LCD display has a small viewingangle compared to CRT or Projector display systems.

Contract Ratio is one of the important specifications of anyLCD system.

TFT Thin Film Transistor Matrix is the most commonmethod of creating LCD monitors.


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LED Light Emitting Diodes

An electronic semiconductor device that emits

light when an electric current passes throughit. They are considerably more efficient thanincandescent bulbs, and rarely burn out. LEDsare used in many applications such as flat-screen video displays, and increasingly as

general sources of light today.

LEDs are fast replacing incandescent bulbs,tube-lights for lighting purposes. They areenergy efficient, occupies less space and

lasts longer.


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CRT is a vacuum tube containing an

electron gun (a source of electrons) and afluorescent screen, with internal orexternal means to accelerate and deflectthe electron beam, used to create imagesin the form of light emitted from the

fluorescent screen.

Red, Green, Blue (RGB) are the threeprimary colors that are emitted on aphosphorous screen. When mixed in

different ratios, RGB produces almost allother colors. The CRT tubes are extremelyreliable and rugged. They can withstandextreme environmental conditions.

CRT Cathode Ray Tube


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SMPS Switch Mode Power Supply

SMPS, as the name implies, is a power supplydevice that single or multiple DC voltages atdifferent current (ampere) ratings to manyelectronic equipments, definitely including thecomputer. SMPS can accept wide range of ACinput (usually from 110 to 270 volts) at 60 or 50

Hertz and convert it into DC voltage. Since theinternal electronics generate DC at highfrequency, pulse width modulation, SMPS is notsuitable for operating motors, fans orconventional equipments.

The SMPS on a domestic desktop PC produces+5V and +12V at different ampere ratings. FETor Field Effect Transistors are widely used indesigning these power supplies. SMPS whenfully loaded, produces slight humming sound.


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RS232 / RS232C (Recommended Standard)

One of the important activities taking place between computersor between computer and other electronic devices isCOMMUNICATION. Exchange of information, be it for printing,scanning or program download, is an essential part of thenetwork. To make all products, made world over, communicateproperly certain communication standards, called PROTOCOL,were developed to maintain uniform HARDWARE and

SOFTWARE characteristics. RS232 was one of first suchstandards and is still popularly used. RS 232 is a SERIALCOMMUNICATION protocol which will have COMMON GROUNDand one RECEIVE and one TRANSMIT lines. Since receive /transmit uses common ground line, it cannot communicate forlarge distances, maximum being around 200 feet (60 meters) . Ifthis cable is laid close to voltage or radio lines, it can pick-up

signals and may result in DATA (BIT) LOSS. But, it provides avery simple and reliable connection between closer devices. RSconnections are available in 9-pin, 15-pin D-SUB connectortypes. Rx or RD represents receiving data and Tx or TDrepresents transmitting data.


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RS485 / RS422 Standards

The RS232, as we have seen, uses commonground as reference point resulting in limited

data transfer speed and also distance. A newstandard was developed, which is used eventoday, despite USB and other ports, in industrialcontrol systems like PLCs, Drives and definitelyon SCADA and DCS systems. RS422 / RS485 arecommunication protocols that use separate

pair of twisted wires for receiving andtransmitting, making them isolated them fromcommon ground. Obviously, they can be laid tomuch longer distances, up to 10000 feet (3000meters) without losing data. Since these alsouse D-SUB pin type connectors, avoid confusing

it with RS232 types although they look same.

The data transfer speed on all these protocolsare measured in BITS PER SECOND, which isalso called BAUD RATE


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The BIOS, about which we learned in first presentation, and othercritical information of computers (or any other electronic deviceslike Mobile Phones, PLCs, DVD Players) are permanently stored sothat when power is turned on again, it can recollect all thosedetails and start working properly. This is accomplished usingROM, a type of permanent memory storage available in differenttypes. PROM, UVPROM, EEPROM, Flash Drives are some of thecommonly used variants of ROM.

PROM Programmable Read Only MemoryUVPROM Ultra Violet Erasable Programmable Read Only MemoryEEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only MemoryFlash Drive ROM that uses Flash technology for faster access andstorage

Although disk drives, magnetic tapes also store informationpermanently, they cannot be retrieved fast for start up which isvery critical for any equipment.

With advancement in nanotechnology, a ROM as small as eyecontact lens can store 1 GB data !!

ROM Read Only Memory


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With digital entertainment becoming an inevitable part ofour lives, a seamless connectivity between all

equipments DVD systems, TVs, Gaming Stations, DTH(Direct To Home) was felt necessary and that is whencompanies like Sony, Panasonic joined together and builta standard HDMI. With this standard, all multimediaactivities like music, video, games can be played back onHDMI compatible devices without losing any quality. It

transmits the digital data in UNCOMPRESSED formatensuring superior output.

HDMI interfaces are installed in TVs, Game Stations, DiscPlayers, laptops and high end home theater systems.They can also be installed as add-on plug-ins to desk top

computers. The DTH set top box installed is usually aHDMI interface device that can connect peripheralequipments to TV.

HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface


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A device that connects all types of DIGITAL musicalinstruments, typically to a computer is called MIDI, With thisinterface, editing, copying, mixing and all other techniques

can be performed on music using applicable software. Onrecent systems, MIDI is integrated into a sound card whichcan be fitted as standard package. A conventional LINE-IN,MIC-IN or HEADPHONE sockets on computers are actuallyinterfaced to motherboard thru a MIDI.

MIDI, like RS232, is a digital communication protocol for music

domain. It helps digital music instruments, like key boards,synthesizers, interface with each other and controllingcomputer.

For advanced users, external MIDI devices are available whichprovide more options and flexibility.

Stand alone MIDIs are available which can be used with largemusical instruments when performing concerts.

Applicable software must be used to help understand theinput / output of a MIDI device

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface


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Games, Games, Games. It is one attraction which doesnot, mostly, have age barrier!!! And, with explosion ofcomputer technology, playing world class games, rich in

multimedia, is definitely just a few clicks away.

Although a conventional computer system can handlegaming applications, installing a GA (Graphic Accelerator)card makes it all the more fun. GA is basically a separatecard which can be fixed into PCI slot and it is an

independent CPU by itself. It is a dedicated games (and foralso other multimedia applications) card that reducesload on main CPU.

Like a computer CPU, GA card also has its ownMicroprocessor speed, RAM capacity and power

requirements. Some of the examples where GA isextremely useful are for handling engineering drawings,solid modeling, creating animations, movies and editinglarge video files

GA Graphic Accelerators


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Computers, whether they are desktop PCs, large workstations, servers, need stable and uninterrupted power,especially when performing certain operations. UPS fulfillsthis need. UPS is like a watch tower always sensing the

main power source and if found absent, will instantlyswitchover to back up power, usually in less than 10 milliseconds.

The UPS is specified in KILO VOLT-AMPERE (kVA) rating.Higher the rating, more will be the back up time before itshuts down.

For a desktop PC with CRT or LCD monitor, a 550 VA(0.55kVA) UPS is sufficient to provide backup time for 8 to 12minutes within which it can be safely turned off.

UPS systems are available in different versions OFFLINE,ONLINE and BY-PASS types.

ONLINE UPS system is preferred over others since itCONVERTS incoming AC source to DC before INVERTINGagain to AC source with pure SINE WAVE form. Obviously, italso acts like a stabilizer and prevents spikes, surges fromdamaging expensive loads

UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply


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Although VIRUS, like in our body organisms, is acomputer program that can multiply itself and infect acomputer, it is also known by other names, adware,

malware in information industry. Since it fundamentallyaffects information on a computer, the above abbreviationsuits it very well. The computer viruses can enter frommany sources including pirated software, pirated mediastorage devices like CDs, Flash Drives, Network devices.

Email is the most popular method of spreading viruses,

without users knowledge. The virus can silently sit oncomputer and has potential to multiply after many days orweeks or months.

Anti-VIRUS software, especially purchased from genuinesource, are extremely important to protect computers.Firewall is also another protection method available forcomputers that prevent hackers from accessing andinfecting valuable data with viruses.

Scanning a computer, on specific duration, is very criticalto detect hidden viruses.

VIRUS Vital Information Resource Under Siege


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The most common device found in any broadbandconnection is an ADSL. It is a electronic microcomputerdevice that accelerates communication on conventionalCOPPER TELEPHONE LINES as compared to a MODEM.The ADSL device transmits information from computerson same telephone line, but at HIGHER FREQUENCY.

This technology makes both conversation and datatransmission possible at the same time on SAMEtelephone cable. Using one ADSL router, multiplecomputers can access internet at the same time.

BANDWIDTH is commonly term used while referring to aADSL broadband network. It represents the capacity ofa system to transfer data, measured in bits per unit time.For example, if more than one computer is connected to

same ADSL broadband connection, the bandwidth percomputer reduces.

It is quite similar to a particular road which can handlecertain density of traffic. Anything more causes delay orjam

ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line


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World Wide Web, also known as The Web is a vast

system of interlinked hypertext documents stored onmany computers. It was first found and developed by SirTim Berners Lee, who is also the present president ofWWW Consortium (W3C). The software which looks inthis WWW for specific information is called webbrowser. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, MorzillaFirefox are some of popular browsers.

World Wide Web, the store house of various documents,is interconnected thru internet which technically is aphysical network of various components like telephonecables, broadband, switches, servers. Do not confuseinternet with world wide web.

WWW is a large collection of hypertext documentsstored somewhere on the internet which can beaccessed by various browser software

WWW World Wide Web


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URL, like door number for a house, is a method of locating

specific system on the internet where information is located. TheURL is commonly identified with DOMAIN NAME or IP ADDRESSdepending on website.

http://www.GOOGLE.com/- In this example, GOOGLE is theDOMAIN NAME, which actually means URL. The computer, which

is connected to internet, like a postman, will go thru entire networkand locate the domain. Some sites directly give IP (InternetProtocol) address for identification.

http://www.100.100.100/About- In this example, 100.100.100 is theURL to which searching computer will look for.

Essentially, in background, all URLs, whether identified by a nameor IP address are eventually converted to IP addresses.

The URL was also founded and developed by Sir Tim Berners Lee,who is considered as Father of Internet.

URL Uniform Resource Locator
http://www.google.com/http://www.google.com/http://www.100.100.100/Abouthttp://www.100.100.100/Abouthttp://www.google.com/


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HTTP is basically a program that runs on computers which, inbackground, takes care of identifying URL and downloading therequested information. HTTP as the name implies, is an

international PROTOCOL which ensures seamless communicationbetween any types of computers.

The system which is requesting any information from URL iscalled CLIENT and the system which is delivering thatinformation from URL is called SERVER.

HTTP follows something called TCP/IP (Transmission ControlProtocol / Internet Protocol) to talk between different computers.

In common terms, HTTP can be imagined as a post man who istrained with certain methods to deliver or receive letters from users.

HTTPS (HTTP Secured) basically works like HTTP but is moresecured (safe) and is usually used by banking, finance andscientific systems. It is like a registered post.

HTTP Hyper Text Transfer Protocol


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Illustration of Internet - 1


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Illustration of Internet - 2


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Other Common Abbreviations & Terminologies

FTP File Transfer Protocol Specific command used for locatingURLs that we can use to store / retrieve files

IP Address Internet Protocol Address A specific number formatwhich is designated to a computer system, otherwise called URL

VoIP Voice Over Internet Protocol A communication standard bywhich audio / video information, like web conferencing, chatting,can be transmitted over conventional telephone line

IM Instant Messaging A simple software by which users canchat over internet. Simple text messages, along with exchangingof files, can be accomplished using this technology

WAN / LAN WIDE or LOCAL AREA NETWORK A system

consisting of certain number of computers. LAN usually coverssmall physical area, within a building. WAN is a much widernetwork covering a city, state or country. Internet, obviously, is amixture of many LANs and WANs


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Solution for last fortnight Techuzzle1

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Across2. SYSTEMS in BIOS is ________

6. PARALLELP in LPT is ______

7. GIGABYTESGB when expanded stands for _____

8. REWRITABLERW IN CD-RW when abbreviated is _______

Down1. SERIALS in USB is ______

3. HERTZHz when expanded means _____

4. SELF-TESTST in POST is ________

5. VERSATILEV in DVD is _________


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This fortnight Techuzzle

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Across2. T, when expanded in TCP is _____

6. This is not a cement wall built around computer

7. The name for communication standard

8. UV when expanded in UVPROM is ______

Down1. D, when expanded in HDMI is _____

3. R when expanded in URL is ______

4. Internet can be expanded as international _______

5. This is not yellow tooth for communication

computer terminologies final part

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