Lesson 1. Inside the computer case

I. Read and memorize the following words and word combinations:

be little intimidating – немного пугающие

solder – припой

 to pop in – заглянуть

insight – понимание сути

troubleshooting process – процесс поиска неисправности

tangible objects – материальные объекты

chassis – блок

to comprise – включать

circuitry – схема

 

II. Read and translate the text.

Some people get a little excited when they look inside a computer and see all the different electrical components and circuit boards. All the wires, connectors and data cables inside tend to be a little intimidating. Yet, all of today’s computer repairs, replacements, upgrades and installations are getting easier and easier.

A technician could spend hours to search for a specific chip or failed solder connection that’s causing a particular problem. Repairs aren’t done at the chip level anymore. Everything is very modular. It’s quicker, easier, and much more economical to have the technician pop in a whole new video card or motherboard.

It’s necessary to know some of the different components and what they do. It can give you an insight as to which particular module may need replacement, and aids in the troubleshooting process.

A personal computer is made up of multiple physical components of computer hardware, upon which can be installed an operating system and a multitude of software to perform the operator's desired functions.

The term “hardware” covers all those parts of a computer that are tangible objects. Circuits, displays, power supplies, cables, keyboards, printers and mice are all hardware.

Though a PC comes in many different form factors, a typical personal computer consists of a case or chassis in a tower shape (desktop) and the following parts:

1. Monitor

2. Motherboard

3. CPU

4. RAM

5. Expansion card

6. Power supply

7. CD-ROM drive

8. Hard disk

9. Keyboard

10. Mouse

 

III. Give the Russian equivalents.

Computer case, connector, to install, wire, circuit board, connector, technician, upgrade, multitude, chassis, keyboard, replacement, troubleshooting.

 

IV. Give the English equivalents.

Корпус компьютера, соединитель (разъем), установить, монтажная плата, соединитель, техник, карта расширения, обновление, множество, блок, клавиатура, замена, провод (проводник).

 

V. Have a look at the picture and label the elements of this computer system.

VI. Translate the words of the same root. Define speech parts.

To connect – a connector – connection – connectible; to install – installation – an instalment; a place – to place – to replace – a replacement; a multiple – multiplication – to multiply – a multiplicator; to perform – performance – a performer.

VII. Complete the sentences according to the text.

1. All the wires, connectors ____ inside a computer sometimes tend to be a little intimidating. 2. A technician spent hours to search for a specific ____ or failed solder connection that’s causing a particular problem. 3. It’s quicker, easier, and much more economical to have____ in a whole new video card or motherboard. 4. The term ____covers all those parts of a computer that are tangible objects. 5. A personal computer is made up of multiple_____ of computer hardware.

 

VIII. Think of ways in which you can describe:

a) the term “hardware”

b) the PC modular system

c) computer’s hardware.

 

Lesson 2. Processing

I. Before reading the text try to answer the following questions:

1. What is the main function of a computer’s processor?

2. What unit of frequency is used to measure processor speed?

II. Read the text.

The nerve centre of a PC is the processor, also called the CPU, or central processing unit. This is built into a single chip that executes program instructions and coordinates the activities that take place within the computer system. The chip itself is a small piece of silicon with a complex electrical circuit called an integrated circuit.

The processor consists of three main parts.

The control unit examines the instructions in the user’s program, interprets each instruction and causes the circuits and the rest of the components — monitor, disk drives, etc. — to execute the functions specified.

The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs mathematical calculations (+, -, etc.) and logical operations (AND, OR, NOT).

The registers are high-speed units of memory used to store and control data. One of the registers (the program counter, or PC) keeps track of the next instruction to be performed in the main memory. The other (the instruction register, or IR) holds the instruction that is being executed.

The power and performance of a computer is partly determined by the speed of its processors. A system clock sends out signals at fixed intervals to measure and synchronize the flow of data. Clock speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). For example, a CPU running at 4GHz (four thousand million hertz, or cycles, her second) will enable your PC to handle the most demanding applications.

 

III. Answer the questions.

1. What are the main parts of the CPU? 2. What does ALU stand for? What does it do? 3. What is the function of the system clock? 4. How much is one gigahertz?

 

IV. What do the words in bold type refer to?

1. This is built into a single chip.

2. ___ which executes program instructions and coordinates….

3. ___ that is being executed.

4. ___performance of a computer is partly determined by the speed of its processor.

V. Translate the following text in writing.

The central processing unit (CPU) is the main IC chip on your computer’s motherboard. They come in different shapes, sizes and packages. Older CPUs came in the DIP format, and some 286s and early 386s were QSOPs, but what you’ll see the most are the flat, square PGA or SPGA chips.

CPU is considered the “brain” of your computer. It controls and directs all the activities of the computer, transmitting, receiving and processing data constantly. But like the “brain” of any project or organization, it relies very heavily on its support group and advisors. There are a lot of factors involved that are related to the CPU and have an effect on the speed and performance of your machine. Some of these factors include:

a) Whether there’s a math coprocessor present and if it’s internal or external.

b) The clock speed of the system and of the CPU. The amount of internal cache and external cache available.

c) The bus architecture or supporting circuitry on the motherboard.

Notes

DPI – Dual Inline Package – корпус с двумя рядами контактов; QSOP – Quarter Size Outline Package – корпус шириной в ¼ дюйма; PGA – Pin Grid Array – корпус с матрицей игольчатых приводов; SPGA – Staggered Pin Grid Array – ступенчатая матрица приводов; clock speed – тактовая частота; cashe – «кэш», промежуточная память с большой производительностью

Lesson 3. Motherboard

I. Read and memorize the following words:

to attach – присоединять

to reside – постоянно находиться

to enable – позволять, делать возможным

to mediate – посредничать

chipset – набор микросхем

to handle – обрабатывать

firmware – встроенное программное обеспечение

boot – самозагрузка; выполнять начальную загрузку

heat sink – радиатор

fan – вентилятор

controller – контроллер, устройство управления, диспетчер

additional core features – дополнительные основные особенности

bus – шина, магистральная шина

internal bus – внутренняя шина

external bus controller – контроллер внешней шины

 

II. Read and translate the text.

A motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in some complex electronic systems, such as modern personal computers. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the main board, system board, or, on Apple computers, the logic board. It is also sometimes casually shortened to “mobo”.

The motherboard is the “body” of the computer. Components directly attached to the motherboard include CPU, chips, RAM, BIOS, buses and bus controllers.

The central processing unitperforms most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the “brain’ of the computer. It is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan.

All the chips that reside on the motherboard are known as the chipset. The chipsetmediates communication between the CPU and the other components of the system, including main memory.

RAM stores all running processes (applications) and the current running OS. RAM Stands for Random Access Memory.

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)includes boot firmware and power management. Operating system drivers handle the B asic I nput O utput S ystem tasks.

Internal Buses connect the CPU to various internal components and to expansion cards for graphics and sound.

External Bus Controllers support ports for external peripherals. These ports may be controlled directly by the Southbridge I/O controller or are based on expansion cards attached to the motherboard through the PCI bus (see the scheme of a typical chipset layout).

On most PCs, it is possible to add memory chips directly to the motherboard. You may also be able to upgrade to a faster PC by replacing the CPU chip. To add additional core features, you may need to replace the motherboard entirely.

Notes

Southbridge controller – Южный мост, контроллер-концентратор ввода-вывода (в отличие от Northbridge controller – северный мост, контроллер-концентратор памяти). Названия можно объяснить представлением архитектуры чипсета в виде карты. Процессор располагается на вершине карты, на севере. Соединен с остальной частью материнской платы через согласующий интерфейс и южный мост.

 

III. Give the English equivalents.

Circuit board, complex, electronic systems, motherboard, logic board, calculations, chipset, controller, to mediate, bus, external peripherals, Southbridge controller, external bus controller, printed circuit board.

 

IV. Think of ways in which you can explain the following abbreviations. Translate them into Russian.

a) PCB; b) CPU; c) OS; d) RAM; e) PCI bus; f) BIOS

 

V. Review the text, find the key words or phrases in each passage and use them to summarise the text.

VI. Find some additional information and write short reports about:

a) Bus controllers; b) Basic Input /Output Systems

 

Lesson 4. Buses and cards

I. The following word combinations will help you to translate this text:

expansion slot – расширительное гнездо, разъем

expansion card – плата расширения

edge connector – торцевой разъем

compatibility card – плата совместимости

front side bus – фронтальная шина

 

The main circuit board inside the computer system is the motherboard. It contains the processor, the memory chips, expansion slots, and controllers for peripherals, connected by buses — electrical channels that allow devices inside the computer to communicate with each other. For example, the front side bus carries all data that passes from the CPU to other devices.

The size of a bus, called bus width, determines how much data can be transmitted. It can be compared to the number of lanes on a motorway — the larger the width, the more data can travel along the bus. For example, a 64-bit bus can transmit 64 bits of data.

Expansion slots allow users to install expansion cards, adding features like sound, memory and network capabilities.

An expansion card (also an expansion board, adapter card or accessory card) in computing is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard to add additional functionality to a computer system. One edge of the expansion card holds the contacts (the edge connector) that fit exactly into the slot. They establish the electrical contact between the electronics (mostly integrated circuits) on the card and on the motherboard. The primary purpose of an expansion card is to provide or expand on features not offered by the motherboard.

Expansion card types

•Video cards

· Sound cards

· Network cards

· TV tuner cards

· Video processing expansion cards

· Modems

· Host adapters such as SCSI and RAID controllers

· POST cards

· BIOS Expansion ROM cards

· Compatibility card

· Physics cards (commercially available at present)

· Disk controller cards (for fixed – or removable –media drives)

· Interface adapter cards, including parallel port cards, serial port cards, multi-I/O cards, USB port cards, and proprietary interface cards

· RAM disks, e.g. I-RAM

· Memory expansion cards

· Hard disk cards

· Clock/calendar cards

· Security device cards

· Radio tuner cards

 

II. Answer the questions.

1. What term is used to refer to the main printed circuit board? 2. What is a bus? 3. What is the benefit of having expansion slots?

 

III. Translate the words of the same root. Define speech parts.

To expand – an expanse – expansible – an expansion – expansive; to compute – a computer – computation; to connect – a connector – connection; to establish – an establishment – established; to provide – providence – a provider – provident.

III. State the character of this text (scientific, popular science, newspaper article, encyclopaedia). Explain your choice.

IV. Find some additional information about one of the expansion card types. Write a short report.

Lesson 5. Power Supply

I. Read and translate the text.

The component that supplies power to a computer is also called a power supply unit or PSU. Most personal computers can be plugged into standard electrical outlets. The power supply then pulls the required amount of electricity and converts the AC to DC. It also regulates the voltage to eliminate spikes and surges common in most electrical systems. Not all power supplies, however, do an adequate voltage-regulation job, so a computer is always susceptible to large voltage fluctuations.

Power supplies are rated in terms of the number of watts they generate. The more powerful the computer, the more watts it can provide to components.

 

II. Transcribe, practice the pronunciation and remember the translation of the following words:

power supply – блок питания

to plug – подключать

electrical outlet – электрическая розетка

spike – выброс, скачок

surge – помеха

susceptible – восприимчивый, чувствительный

fluctuations – колебания

 

III. Find the key words that can help you to retell the text. Retell the text.

IV. Make a report on:

a) The problem of computer system’s stability.

b) The problem of surge protection of the internal buses and the components.

 

Lesson 6. Hard disk

 

I. Read and translate the text.

Hard disk is a magnetic disk on which you can store computer data. The term “hard” is used to distinguish it from a soft, or floppy, disk. Hard disks hold more data and are faster than floppy disks. A hard disk, for example, can store anywhere from 10 to more than 100 gigabytes, whereas most floppies have a maximum storage capacity of 1.4 megabytes.

A single hard disk usually consists of several platters. Each platter requires two read/write heads, one for each side. All the read/write heads are attached to a single access arm so that they cannot move independently. Each platter has the same number of tracks, and a track location that cuts across all platters is called a cylinder. For example, a typical 84-megabyte hard disk for a PC might have two platters (four sides) and 1,053 cylinders.

In general, hard disks are less portable than floppies, although it is possible to buy removable hard disks.

 

II. Consult the dictionary and find the definitions of the following terms. Write them down.

a) Floppy disk; b) hard disk; c) storage capacity; d) single access arm; e) platter; f) cylinder

 

III. Choose the suitable word to complete the sentence.

1. ______is the track location that cuts across all platters. 2. ______ is an item of factual information derived from measurement or research. 3. _______is a rigid magnetic disk mounted permanently in a drive unit. 4. _______is a unit of information equal to 1000 megabytes. 5. _______is one of the circular magnetic paths on a magnetic disk that serve as a guide for writing and reading data. 6. _______is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible magnetic storage medium.

 

IV. Ask your group-mates questions on the text.

 

UNIT 3. STORAGE DEVICES

Lesson 1. Computer storage

 

I. Read and translate the text.

A computer’s memory can be viewed as a list of cells into which numbers can be placed or read. Each cell has a numbered “address” and can store a single number. The computer can be instructed to “put the number 123 into the cell numbered 1357” or to “add the number that is in cell 1357 to the number that is in cell 2468 and put the answer into cell 1595”. The information stored in memory may represent practically anything. Letters, numbers, even computer instructions can be placed into memory with equal ease. Since the CPU does not differentiate between different types of information, it is up to the software to give significance to what the memory sees as nothing but a series of numbers.

In almost all modern computers, each memory cell is set up to store binary numbers in groups of eight bits (called a byte). Each byte is able to represent 256 different numbers; either from 0 to 255 or -128 to +127. To store larger numbers, several consecutive bytes may be used (typically, two, four or eight). When negative numbers are required, they are usually stored in two’s complement notation. Other arrangements are possible, but are usually not seen outside of specialized applications or historical contexts. A computer can store any kind of information in memory as long as it can be somehow represented in numerical form. Modern computers have billions or even trillions of bytes of memory.

The CPU contains a special set of memory cells called registers that can be read and written to much more rapidly than the main memory area. The registers are high-speed units of memory. One of the registers (the program counter, or PC) keeps track of the next instruction to be performed in the main memory. The other (the instruction register, or IR) holds the instruction that is being executed. There are typically between two and one hundred registers depending on the type of CPU. Registers are used for the most frequently needed data items to avoid having to access main memory every time data is needed. Since data is constantly being worked on, reducing the need to access main memory (which is often slow compared to the ALU and control units) greatly increases the computer’s speed.

Computer’s main memory comes in two principal varieties: random access memory or RAM and read-only memory or ROM. RAM can be read and written to anytime the CPU commands it, but ROM is pre-loaded with data and software that never changes, so the CPU can only read from it. ROM is typically used to store the computer’s initial start-up instructions. In general, the contents of RAM is erased when the power to the computer is turned off while ROM retains its data indefinitely. In a PC, the ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the computer’s operating system from the hard disk drive into RAM whenever the computer is turned on or reset. In embedded computers, which frequently do not have disk drives, all of the software required to perform the task may be stored in ROM. Software that is stored in ROM is often called firmware because it is notionally more like hardware than software. Flash memory blurs the distinction between ROM and RAM by retaining data when turned off but being rewritable like RAM. However, flash memory is typically much slower than conventional ROM and RAM so its use is restricted to applications where high speeds are not required.

In more sophisticated computers there may be one or more RAM cache memories which are slower than registers but faster than main memory. Generally computers with this sort of cache are designed to move frequently needed data into the cache automatically, often without the need for any intervention on the programmer’s part.

II. Answer the questions.

1. What type of memory is temporary? 2. What type of memory is permanent and includes instructions needed by the CPU? 3. How can RAM be increased? 4. How many digits does a binary system use? 5. What is a bit? 6. What is a collection of 8 bits called? 6. What code do computers use to make calculations? 7. What two states do electronic circuits differentiate? 8. How do computers represent characters? 9. What units are used to avoid complex calculations? 10. Do you know what ASCII – pronounced /'æski/ – stand for? 11. What memories are used in microcomputers?

 

III. Study the following table. It might be useful for you.

Unit of memory	Abbreviation	Exact memory amount
Binary digit	bit, b	1 or 0
Byte	B	8 bits
Kilobyte	KB or K	1,024 bytes
Megabyte	MB	1,024 KB, or 1,048,576 bytes
Gigabyte	GB	1,024 MB, or 1,073,741,824 bytes
Terabyte	TB	1,024 GB, or 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

IV. Complete these descriptions with the correct unit of memory.

1. A____ is about one trillion bytes – about as much text as the books and magazines in a huge library. 2. A_____ is about one million bytes – about as much text as a 300-page novel. 3. A_____ is about one billion bytes – about as much text as 1,000 books. 4. A_____ is about one thousand bytes – equivalent to one sheet of A4. 5. A______ can store a single character, such as the letter h or number 7.

 

V. What do you call a unit which:

1) accepts information from outside a computer?

2) memorizes information to be operated on?

3) brings information out of the computer?

 

V. Make up the summary of the text in writing.

Lesson 2. Magnetic storage

I. Read and translate the text.

Magnetic storage devices store data by magnetizing particles on a disk or tape. There are basically three types of magnetic storage devices available to the computer user — 3.5″floppy drives and diskettes, hard drives and tapes.

A floppy disk is so called because it consists of a flexible sheet of plastic, coated with iron oxide — a magnetizable material. A floppy disk drive spins at 360 revolutions per minute (rpm), so it’s relatively slow. However, a hard drive spins at over 7,200rpm and stores data on a stack of metal rotating disks called platters. This means you can store much more data and retrieve information much faster.

New disks need to be formatted though as a rule they come preformatted from the manufacturer. The operating system (OS) organizes the disk surface into circular tracks and divides each track into sectors. The OS creates a directory which will record the specific location of files. When you save a file, the OS moves the read/ write head of the drive towards empty sectors, records the data and writes an entry for the directory. Later on, when you open that file, the OS looks for its entry in the directory, moves the read/ write heads to the correct sector and reads the file in the RAM area.

The OS allows you to create one or more partitions on the hard drive, in effect dividing it into several logical parts. Partitions allow installing more than one OS on the computer. The user can also split the hard drive to store the OS and programs on one partition (this is the internal hard drive usually called C: drive) and data files on another so that when a problem occurs the OS may be reinstalled without affecting the data partition.

External hard drives are connected to the USB or FireWire port of the computer. They can be as small as a wallet but can have as much capacity as internal drives; they are usually used for backup or as secondary storage.

Hard drives are very sensitive to vibration and shocks, especially when they are operating.

A tape drive reads and writes data on tapes. It is sequential-access — i.e. to get to a particular point on the tape, it must go through all the preceding points. Tapes are used for data collection, backup and archiving.

The average time required for the read/ write heads to move and find data is called seek time (or access time) and is measured in milliseconds. Seek time shouldn’t be confused with transfer rate — the average speed required to transmit data from the disk to the CPU, measured in megabytes per second.

 

II. Decide whether these sentences are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. A hard drive spins at the same speed as a floppy disk drive. 2. If you format a hard drive that has files on it, the files will be deleted. 3. Hard drives cannot be partitioned to run separate operating systems on the small disk. 4. Seek time and transfer rate mean the same thing. 5. Disk drives are not shock resistant, especially in operating mode.

 

III. Read each paragraph carefully and say briefly what they are about.

IV. Speak on advantages and disadvantages of magnetic storage devices.

 

V. Read the text and translate it into Russian. Write a short summary of it.

The function of the memory unit is to store programs and data. This function can be accomplished with a variety of equipment. It is useful to distinguish between two classes of memory devices which comprise the prime and secondary storage. Primary storage, or the main memory, is a fast memory capable of operating at electronic speeds, where programs and data are stored during their execution. The main memory contains a large number of semiconductor storage cells, each capable of storing one bit of information. These cells are rarely read or written аs individual cells. Instead, they are processed in groups of fixed size called words. The main memory is organized so that the contents of one word, containing n bits, can be stored or retrievedin one basic operation.

To provide easy access to any word in the main memory, it is useful to associate a distinct name with each word location. These names are numbers that identify successive locations, which are hence called address. A given word is accessed by specifying its address and issuing a control command that starts the storage or retrieval process.

The number of bits in each word is often referred to as the word length of the given computer. Large computers usually have 32 or more bits in a word, while microcomputer and minicomputer word lengths range from 8 to 32 bits. Small machines may have only a few thousand words, large machines often have millions of words. Data is usually manipulated within a machine in units of words, multiples of words, or submultiples of words. A typical access to the main memory results in one word of data being read from the memory or written into it.

Notes

Can be stored or retrieved – зд. могут быть найдены; successive locations – последовательные ячейки. Data is usually manipulated – С данными обычно работают.