How the video cards work? - (Joannacel A. Paraiso)

This week we learned about:

How the video cards work:

• First, build a message in the ‘virtual screen’ in the PC’s memory.
• The message to be displayed is next passed from the application to the operating system as a block of memory.
• The operating system then formats the message and transfers it to the display graphic card’s own memory as a pattern of pixels that represent the image or text message.
• The graphics card then reads the formatted message out of its display memory and paints it onto the screen.

We also learned that:
Video cards
-converts digital data into signals that can be sent across a connector to the monitor which interprets the signal into an image. And there are two basic categories of video modes:

• The text mode - which is a type of monitor that displays only ASCII which stands for American Standard Codes For International Interchange.
• The Graphics mode - which is a type of monitor who can display any bit – mapped image.

Expansion Slots
-are located on the back of the computer. They provide access to the AGP, PCI, and ISA expansion slots. Cards are plug into the slots to add more devices for the computer.
Output Devices
-any peripheral device that presents, displays, alters, or records output after it has left a computer’s system unit.Output device data can appear in various forms such as graphics, laser light, sound or text.
Examples of Output devices

• Computer Speaker - convert output data into sound.
• Monitor - most popular output device. The monitor receives signals from a video card inside of the computer and gives the user a graphical or textual display. Monitors are important because they give users a visual presentation of keyboard commands and mouse movements.- Monitors display output data and show users the end results of the processes taking place inside a computer.
• Printer - create images on paper, plastic, cloth and other print media using technologies like ink transfer, heat transfer, chemical transfer, chemical reactions, and physical force.

Input Devices
-any peripheral appliance that generates input for the computer and allows users to enter information into the computer to be processed. It allows users to provide a computer with commands, software, instructions, and information. Input devices are the pathways through which information enters a computer’s system unit.
Examples of input devices:

• Keyboard – the set of typewriter like keys that enables you to enter data into a computer.
  The keys on computer keyboards are often classified as follows:
  
  
  >Alphanumeric Keys = letter and numbers
  
  >Punctuation Keys = comma, period, semicolon, and so on.
  
  >Special Keys = functions keys, control keys, arrow keys, Caps Lock key, etc.
• Mouse – The mouse is a device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. Invented by Douglas Engelbart of Stanford Research Center in 1963, and pioneered by Xerox in the 1970’s.
• Microphone – Allows the computer to receive and record sound. Necessary for voice recognition software and any software that needs to record sound.

Five Elements of Computing Process:
- equipment involved in the function of a computer.

• Software - also called “Program”, is the instruction that tell the hardware what to do.n Data - is the raw facts that the computer can change into useful information. The information we get out of the computer always depends on the data we put into it.
• People - are also called the “end users”. Most computers need people to operate them.n Procedures - are the steps or directions that the end user needs to follow in order to complete a certain task.
• SOFTWARE- Provides the commands that tell the hardware what task to perform, what to read and write, how to send the end result (output) to a monitor or printer.
• Data- can be any information that a program needs: character data, numerical data, image data, audio data, and countless other types.