UNIX DOS NT OS/2 Windows 95.

1. Like NT, __________ is DOS compatible and provides a graphical user interface that lets you run programs with a click of a mouse.

2. __________ is the most commonly used PC operating system.

3. __________ is a multi-user operating system that allows multiple users to access the system.

4. __________ is an operating system developed by Microsoft, the enhanced version of the popular Microsoft Windows Programs.

5. The usage of _________ is so simple that even little kids learn how to use it very quickly.

 

UNIT 3. Development of microelectronics

I. READING

 

1.1. Read and translate the text “Development of Electronics”[8]

 

Development of Electronics

Electronics is a field of engineering and applied physics dealing with the design and application of electronic circuits. The operation of circuits depends on the flow of electrons for generation, transmission, reception and storage of information. Today it is difficult to imagine our life without electronics. It surrounds us everywhere. Electronic devices are widely used in scientific research and industrial designing; they control the work of plants and power stations, calculate the trajectories of space ships and help the people discover new phenomena of nature. Automatization of production processes and studies on living organisms became possible due to electronics.

The invention of vacuum tubes at the beginning of the 20^th century was, the starting point of the rapid growth of modern electronics. Vacuum tubes assisted in manipulation of signals. The development of a large variety of tubes designed for specialized functions made possible the progress in radio communication technology before the World WarII and in the creation of early computers during and shortly after the war. The transistor invented by American scientists W. Shockley, J. Bardeen and W. Brattain in 1948 completely replaced the vacuum tube. The transistor, a small piece of a semiconductor with three electrodes, had great advantages over the best vacuum tubes. It provided the same functions as the vacuum tube but at reduced weight, cost, power consumption, and with high reliability. With the invention of the transistor all essential circuit functions could be carried out inside solid bodies. The aim of creating electronic circuits with entirely solid-state components had finally been realized. Early transistors could respond at a rate of a few million times a second. This was fast enough to serve in radio circuits, but far below the speed needed for high-speed computers or for microwave communication systems.

The progress in semiconductor technology led to the development of the integrated circuit (1С), which was discovered due to the efforts of John Kilby in 1958. There appeared a new field of science - integrated electronics. The essence of it is batch processing. Instead of making, testing and assembling discrete components on a chip one at a time, large groupings of these components together with their interconnections were made all at a time. 1С greatly reduced the size of devices, lowered manufacturing costs and at the same time they provided high speed and increased reliability.

 

Study the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

· applied physics

· generation

· scientific research

· due to the efforts

· manipulation

· a piece of semiconductor

· reduced weight

· to carry out

· solid body

· to respond

· batch processing

· to assemble

· to lower manufacturing

· to increase reliability

1.2. Answer the following questions:

1. What is electronics?

2. Can you imagine modern life without electronics?

3. Where are electronic devices used?

4. What was the beginning of electronics development?

5. When was the transistor invented?

6. What aim was realized with the invention of the transistor?

7. When were integrated circuits discovered?

8. What advantages did the transistors have over the vacuum tubes?

1.3. Read and translate the text “Microelectronics and Microminiaturization”[22]

Microelectronics and Microminiaturization

The intensive effort of electronics to increase the reliability and performance of its products while reducing their size and cost led to the results that hardly anyone could predict. The evolution of electronic technology is sometimes called a revolution: a quantitative change in technology gave rise to qualitative change in human capabilities.

There appeared a new branch of science - microelectronics. Microelectronics embraces electronics connected with the realization of electronic circuits, systems and subsystems from very small electronic devices to extremely small electronic components and circuit assemblies, made by film or semiconductor techniques. A microelectronic technology reduced transistors and other circuit elements to dimensions almost invisible to unaided eye. The point of this extraordinary miniaturization is to make circuits long lasting, low in cost, and capable of performing electronic functions at extremely high speed. It is known that the speed of response depends on the size of transistor: the smaller the transistor, the faster it is. The smaller the computer, the faster it can work. One more advantage of microelectronics is that smaller devices consume less power. In space satellites and spaceships this is a very important factor. Another benefit resulting from microelectronics is the reduction of distances between circuit components. Packing density increased with the appearance of small-scale integrated circuit, medium-scale 1С, large-scale 1С and very-large-scale 1С. The number of transistors on a chip pleasured the change in scale. There appeared a new type of integrated circuits, microwave integrated circuit. The evolution of microwave 1С began with the development of planar transmission lines. Then new 1С components in a fine line transmission line appeared. Other more exotic techniques, such as dielectric waveguide integrated circuits emerged. Microelectronic technique is continuing to displace other modes. Circuit patterns are being formed with radiation having wavelength shorter than those of light. Electronics has extended man's intellectual power. Microelectronics extends that power still further.

 

Study the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

· performance

· to predict

· capability

· branch of science

· to embrace

· circuit film technique

· invisible to unaided eye

· to react

· speed of response

· advantage/disadvantage

· benefit

· to result from

· packing density

· small-scale integrated circuit

· medium-scale 1С

· large-scale 1С

· very-large-scale 1С

· transmission line

· waveguide

· to emerge

· to displace mode

· pattern

· power

1.4. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the benefit of reducing the size of circuit elements?

2. What do you understand by the term of microminiaturization?

3. What does the speed of the signal response depend on?

4. What advantages of microelectronics do you know?

5. What scales of integration do you know?

6. How are microelectronics techniques developing?

1.5. Read and translate the text “The types of Software”[23]

The Types of Software

 

A computer to complete a job requires more than just the actual equipment or hardware we see and touch. It requires Software — programs for directing the operation of a computer or electronic data.

Software is the final computer system component. These computer programs instruct the hardware how to conduct processing. The computer is merely a general-purpose machine that requires specific software to perform a given task. Computers can input, calculate, compare, and output data as information. Software determines the order in which these operations are performed.

Programs usually fall in one of two categories: system software; applications software. System software controls standard internal computer activities. An operating system, for example, is a collection of system programs that aid in the operation of a computer regardless of the application software being used. When a computer is first turned on, one of the systems programs is booted or loaded into the computers memory. This software contains information about memory capacity, the model of the processor, the disk drives to be used and more. Once the system software is loaded, the applications software can be brought in.

System programs are designed for the specific pieces of hardware. These programs are called drivers and coordinate peripheral hardware and computer activities. User needs to install a specific driver in order to activate a peripheral device. For example, if you intend to buy a printer or a scanner you need to worry in advance about the driver program, which, though, commonly goes along with your device. By installing the driver you «teach» your main board to «understand» the newly attached part. Applications software satisfies your specific need. The developers of application software rely mostly on marketing research strategies trying to do their best to attract more users (buyers) to their software. As the productivity of the hardware has increased greatly in recent years, the programmers nowadays tend to include as much as possible in one program to make software interface look more attractive to the user. These class of programs is the most numerous and perspective from the marketing point of view.

Data communication within and between computers systems is handled by system software. Communications software transfers data from one computer system to another. These programs usually provide users with data security and error checking along with physically transferring data between the two computer's memories. During the past five years the developing electronic network communication has stimulated more and more companies to produce various communication software, such as Web-Browsers for Internet.

 

Study the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

· to complete

· to require

· equipment

· to direct

· to conduct

· general-purpose

· specific

· control

· internal

· aid

· regardless

· to boot

· memory capacity

· peripheral

· to install

· main board

· to attach

· developer

· to handle

· to transfer

· to provide with

· security

· to check

· to develop

· Web-browser

1.6. Answer the following questions:

1. What do you think is more expensive: hardware or software?

2. Has anyone in your group ever purchased software?

3. Why do you think piracy (audio, video, computer software) still exists?

1.7. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. Computer programs only instruct hardware how to handle data storage.

2. System software controls internal computer activities.

3. System software is very dependable on the type of application software being used.

4. The information about memory capacity, the model of the processor and disk drives are unavailable for system software.

5. The driver is a special device usually used by car drivers for Floppy disk driving.

6. It is very reasonable to ask for a driver when you buy a new piece of hardware.

7. Software developers tend to make their products very small and with poor interface to save computer resources.

8. Communication software is in great demand now because of the new advances in communication technologies.

9. Application software is merely a general-purpose instrument.

10. Web-browsers are the class of software for electronic communication through the network.

II. WRITING

2.1. Write the English equivalents of the given Russian words and word combinations:

A) Прикладная физика; передача и прием информации; поток электронов; трудно представить; научные исследования; промышленное проектирование; вычислять траекторию космических кораблей; обнаруживать явления природы; благодаря электронике; отправная точка; способствовать управлению сигналами; быстрый рост; разнообразие ламп; создание первых компьютеров; полностью заменил; полупроводниковый кристалл; уменьшить вес; сократить стоимость; потребление электроэнергии; высокая надежность; твердотельные компоненты; довольно быстро... но гораздо ниже; высокоскоростной компьютер; микроволновые системы связи; полупроводниковая технология; область науки; интегральная схема; пакетная обработка; сборка дискретных компонентов на кристалле; снизить производственные затраты; обеспечить высокую скорость.

 

B) Интенсивные усилия; увеличить надежность; увеличить параметры; уменьшить размер и стоимость; вряд ли кто-нибудь мог прогнозировать; количественные и качественные изменения; область науки; пленочная технология; полупроводниковый метод; сокращать элементы схемы; суть миниатюризации в том, что; создать схемы с долгим сроком службы; чрезвычайно высокая скорость реакции; чем меньше, тем быстрее; преимущество; расходовать энергию; польза; уменьшение расстояния между элементами схемы; большая интегральная схема; микроволновая интегральная схема; волновод; линия передач; смещать; изображение схем; расширять возможности человека.

 

2.2. Write the Russian equivalents of the given English words and word combinations:

A) Electronics; electrons; physics; information; microelectronics; industrial design; to calculate trajectories; phenomena of nature; automatization of production processes; organisms; vacuum tubes; specialized functions; progress in radio communication technology; transistor; electrode; components; to realize; communication system; technology; discrete components; chip, power consumption; power consumption change; signals manipulation; transistor invention; circuit functions; communication systems, data processing system; integrated circuits development; science field; process control; automatization processes control; circuit components; size reduction; electronics development; communication means; problem solution; space exploration; pattern recognition; customers accounts; air traffic control.

B) To maintain records, on-board environment, pattern recognition, deposits and withdrawal, guidance, computer literacy, problem-solving device, to be aware of, opportunity, basics, application, to restate, significant, achievements, computing, to embrace, dimension, instruction, to direct the operation, to process, subscription magazine, data processing system, store manager, to have much in common