PORTS AND
CABLES
PORTS
• Ports - External connecting sockets on the outside
of the computer. This is a pathway into and out of
the computer. A port lets users plug in outside
peripherals, such as monitors, scanners and
printers.
Table 1 . The Ports and their function
Type of Port Function Illustration
Serial Port Intended for serial type
mouse and older
camera
Parallel Port Also called as printer port.
This is only for old
model printer. It has
25 pins. It is a female
port.
VGA (Video Graphic Used to connect monitors.
Array) Port It has 15 pins and it is
a female port.
USB (Universal Serial High speed serial interface
Bus) Port that is used with
almost all devices. It
is used to connect
latest model printers,
pen drives, cell
phones etc. it has 4
pins.
PS/2 Port Simple, 6-pin, low-speed
serial connections
commonly dedicated
to a keyboard and
mouse.
Power Port Intended for power cord.
Type of Port Function Illustration
S-Video Port S-Video connections are
available on certain
source components
and video display
devices, and offer a
higher level of video
performance over
composite video
signals.
Audio Port Intended for plugging in the
speaker or headset.
LAN (Local Area A physical interface often
Networking) Port used for terminating
twisted pair type
cables used to
connect computers
onto a local-area
networks ( LAN),
especially Ethernet
RJ-45 connectors
Cables and Wires
• Cables and Wires- A cable is most often two or
more wires running side by side and bonded,
twisted or braided together to form a single
assembly, but can also refer to a heavy strong
rope.
Table 2 . The Cables and Connectors
Illustration Function
These jacks are intended for
the PS/2 port specifically
for PS/2 type of
keyboard and mouse.
This type of jack is intended
for the audio and
microphone port.
Illustration Function
S-video jack is obviously for
S-Video port
This monitor jack is intended
for the VGA (Video
Graphic Array) port
This USB (Universal Serial
Bus) plug is intended for
USB port. Modern or
new model of
peripherals like printer,
camera, scanners and
even other portable
computer attachments
used USB type of plugs.
This printer cable jack is
intended for the parallel
port.
RJ45 ("RJ" in RJ45 stands for
"registered jack," since it
is a standardized
networking interface and
the "45" simply refers to
the number of the
interface standard ) is a
commonly used for
Etherne t networking.
Illustration Function
Power cord is the most
important cord because
it connects the computer
to the main source of
electricity to make it
functional.
Software
• Software is the set of instructions (also called a program) that
guides the hardware to operate effectively. Software can be split
into two main types:
1. System Software – Any software required to support the production or execution of
application programs, but which is not specific to any particular application. Common
operating systems include Windows, the Macintosh OS, OS/2 and UNIX.
LINUX
MAC
WINDOWS
Software
2. Application Software – Designed to help the user to perform singular or
multiple related tasks. Examples of application software are as follows:
a. Word processing software - Creates, edits, saves, and prints documents.
Example: MS Word, WordPerfect, Ami Pro, MacWrite.
b. Spreadsheet software - An electronic spreadsheet consisting of rows and
columns is used to present and analyze data. Example: MS Excel, Lotus 123,
Quattro Pro.
c. Database management software - Used to structure a database, a large
collection of computer programs. Data is organized as fields and records for
easy retrieval. Example: MS Access, dBase, Fox Pro, Oracle.
d. Graphic software - Graphics programs display results of data manipulation for
easier analysis and presentation. Example: Macromedia Flash, Harvard
Graphics, 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop
Peopleware
People ware - Refers to people involved in the data
processing operations such as the system
administrator, office workers, students and others.
BINARY SYSTEM
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpk67YzOn5w&t=101s
