13. Peripherals

This web page is associated with a book called called The Animated Computer

The book can be bought at: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Dr_Jerome_Heath_THE_EBOOK_ON_COMPUTER_DESIGN?id=WxOTBQAAQBAJ

The book gives excellent explanations for the animated images on this web site. This web page shows the animation of the computer designs in action. The book gives explanations of what the animations are about. Combining the books explanations with the animation provides a well rounded understanding of the animated computer.

Understanding the computer’s peripherals is a special context of the modern computer. For many processes, knowing only what the computer itself does is like hearing one side of a telephone conversation. This context is the various processes that are part of the computer processing but are not actually part of the computer itself. The variations are the many peripherals and types of peripherals that are available.

We discuss the internal workings of disk drives. This provides an understanding of the capabilities and weaknesses of the old standard disk drives. The disk drive is sold with the computer but separate from the basic computer processing.

We also describe the workings of the CD DVD drives. This is not a technology that can be used for normal secondary memory process, but fits more into archiving or providing backups for the normal secondary memory.

Then we spend some of time on the monitor or screen portion of the computer. I cover the CRT technology since it remains as a legacy. Then I cover the flat screen technology with a great deal of detail. From these descriptions you might not be able to build your own but you could come close to that.

CRT Screen Scan

Touch Screen

LED Flat Screen (Original)

Flat panels are made up of a series of layers - each layer accomplishing a different part of the necessary activities needed to produce a "good" picture.

Network Card

Then we discuss printers and their technology, network cards, and WiFi.

Dr. Jerome Heath