Definintions+of+Hardware

= Definitions: =

**Ergonomics:** **The science concerned with designing safe and comfortable machines for humans. For example, one branch of ergonomics deals with designing furniture that avoids causing backaches and muscle cramps. In the computer field, ergonomics plays an important role in the design of monitors and keyboards. **


 * Computer System: **A complete, working computer. The computer system includes not only the computer, but also any software and peripheral devices that are necessary to make the computer function. Every computer system, for example, requires an operating system.


 * Speech Recognition:** The field of computer science that deals with designing computer systemsthat can recognize spoken words. Note that voice recognition implies only that the computer can take dictation, not that it //u ////nderstands // what is being said. Comprehending human languages falls under a different field of computer science called //natural language // //processing. //


 * Viruses:** A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce.


 * Motion Sensors: **In video surveillance, motion detection refers to the capability of the surveillance system to detect motion and capture the events.


 * Infrared: ** Infrared is a wave of light that in the area beyond the visible part of the color spectrum. While it is invisible to human eye infrared is often used to enhance visibility when using night vision devices.


 * Buses:** A //bus// is the path through which a device sends its data so that it can communicate with the CPU and/or other devices.


 * BIOS: ** Acronym for **B**//asic **I**nput/**O**utput **S**ystem //, the built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard,display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of miscellaneous functions.


 * PCI: ** //**P **eripheral **<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px initial initial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">C **omponent **<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px initial initial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I **nterconnect is a type of bus created by Intel corporation. //


 * Chipset:** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A number of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px initial initial; color: #cc3300; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|integrated circuits] designed to perform one or more related functions. For example, one chipset may provide the basic functions of a <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px initial initial; color: #cc3300; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|modem] while another provides the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px initial initial; color: #cc3300; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|CPU] functions for a computer.

**Jumpers:** <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A metal bridge that closes an electrical circuit. Typically, a jumper consists of a plastic plug that fits over a pair of protruding pins. Jumpers are sometimes used to configure expansion boards. By placing a jumper plug over a different set of pins, you can change a board's parameters.


 * Disk Drive: **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">A machine that reads ﻿ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">d ﻿ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">ata from and writes data onto a disk. A disk drive rotates the disk very fast and has one or more heads that read and write data.