EXERCISE 2

MICROPROCESSOR
A microprocessor is a programmable digital electronic component that incorporates the functions of a central processing unit (CPU) on a single semiconducting integrated circuit (IC). The microprocessor was born by reducing the word size of the CPU from 32 bits to 4 bits, so that the transistors of its logic circuits would fit onto a single part. One or more microprocessors typically serve as the CPU in a computer system, embedded system, or handheld device.

CISC CHIPS
A complex instruction set computer (CISC) is a microprocessor instruction set architecture (ISA) in which each instruction can execute several low-level operations, such as a load from memory, an arithmetic operation, and a memory store, all in a single instruction. The term was retroactively coined in contrast to reduced instruction set computer (RISC).

RISC CHIPS

The reduced instruction set computer, or RISC, is a CPU design philosophy that favors an instruction set reduced both in size and complexity of addressing modes, in order to enable easier implementation, greater instruction level parallelism, and more efficient compilers. As of 2007, common RISC microprocessors families include the DEC Alpha, ARC, ARM, AVR, MIPS, PA-RISC, Power Architecture (including PowerPC), and SPARC.


CONTROVERSY

A controversy or dispute is a matter of opinion over which parties actively disagree, argue, or debate. Controversies can range in size from private disputes between two individuals to large-scale disagreements between societies.

KINDS OF MEMORY CHIPS

RAM comes in many different kinds of configurations and types, and it runs at many different speeds, as well. Before you upgrade, you need to know how to spot the different types. Pictured in these steps are the different types of RAM, including the older-style DIPs and newer SIMMs, DIMMs, and RIMMs. You should also view the "What Is RAM Density?" tutorial for more in-depth information about DIMMs and RIMMs


If you have a very old computer, it might use a dual inline package (DIP) kind of memory. DIPs came in pairs or sets of eight and could be soldered into holes on the computer's motherboard or plugged into a socket that was soldered on the motherboard. This method was fine when computers typically operated on a couple of megabytes or less of RAM, but as the need for memory grew, the number of chips needing space on the motherboard increased. Systems using this memory will not be able to run Windows® 98 and above.


The two basic types of RAM today are Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) and Rambus Dynamic RAM (RDRAM). The form you use depends on the RAM sockets installed on your motherboard (the largest printed circuit board in your computer). To know what to buy, you will need to know the limitations of your system, which can be found by checking the motherboard or your PC manual. See the "Memory Module Descriptions" tutorial for more information
The two basic types of memory modules are Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs) and Single Inline Memory Modules (SIMMs). These modules are a little more than an inch high and four to six inches wide, and connect to your motherboard with pins. The number of pins refers to how many contact strips are on the connector side of the SIMM or DIMM.
SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules) plug into long matching sockets on your motherboard. Typically, a motherboard has two or three banks of SIMM sockets into which you plug the memory. SIMMs primarily come in 72-pin formats. The typical capacities of these are 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, and 32MB. This type of memory is old and not common in today's machines.
DIMMs (Dual Inline Memory Modules) look a lot like SIMMs, but they come in a 168-pin format. They are usually a faster and higher-performance memory than SIMMs, and are used in Pentium® PCs. Their typical size is 128 MB of RAM with additional sizes of 256 and 512.
RIMMs (Rambus Inline Memory Modules) look alot like DIMMs and fit in the same area as a DIMM connector. RIMMS have 184 pins in contrast to a DIMM's 168, but use the same socket specification as a standard 100MHz DIMM. RIMMs are typically compatible with Pentium PCs that have 1GHz or more processors. Check your PC's or motherboard's manual to verify whether or not you have a motherboard with the proper Rambus Circuitry to support RIMMs. See the "RIMMs" tutorial for more information.
A SIMM or DIMM usually has nine chips of memory on it, eight of which are used for the memory itself. The ninth chip is the parity chip, and is used for error checking. Some computer systems require parity chips, while others do not. In general, Pentium-based computers don't require parity memory. Parity memory usually costs more than non-parity memory. Check your PC's or motherboard's manual to see which kind of memory your PC requires.

KINDS OR TYPES OF EXPANSION

ISA -- Industry Standard Architecture
EISA -- Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture
Found in IBM-compatible desktop computers.These expansion slots are a standard way to connect more devices to a PC-compatible computer. "ISA" is an older style that is typically found on computers with 80286 ("286"), 80386 ("386") and 80486 ("486") microprocessors.

NuBus

Found in Macintosh computers.NuBus slots are used to connect many kinds of expansion cards, including network adapter cards, video cards, additional cache cards and PC computer expansion cards.

PCI -- Peripheral Component Interconnect
Found in many IBM-compatible desktop computers and newer Macintosh computers.PCI is a standard bus adapter that allows high-speed connections to most peripheral devices, including video adapter cards, network cards, cache cards and PC computer expansion cards.

Small Computers System Interface
Found on desktop computers, predominantly in Macintoshes.SCSI expansion slots allow you to connect a wide variety of devices like CD-ROM drives, printers and scanners. You can connect up to six different SCSI devices in a chain.