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Connecting Devices to Your Computer
When you install a new device for your computer, you'll either connect it to a port on the front or back of the computer, or insert it into a slot inside the computer case. The port or slot provides the channel that the computer and device use to exchange data.
Ordinarily there's more to installing a device than just connecting it, but I'll cover connecting here and the larger process of installing in the next section.
New-computer manuals usually contain diagrams labeling the PC's internal slots and back-panel connectors. Look in the manual for the
motherboard (also called the
mainboard or
desktop board ). Here's an example back-panel diagram from an Intel reference:
External devices
External devices ones that you can connect without opening your PC's caseplug into
ports on the computer's front or back panel.
Table 8.1 lists the common PC ports and connections. If your PC doesn't have a particular port, you must install an expansion card to get it.
Table 8.1. Ports and Connections
PORT DESCRIPTION
Parallel (DB-25)
A long, narrow, female port with 25 holes along 2 rows. If your printer doesn't plug into a USB port, it plugs into this port (usually called a printer port). Older backup, tape, CD, and other external drives use this port too. Windows calls it an LPT port. In modern equipment, USB connections have replaced parallel connections.
Serial
A short, slightly D-shaped male port with 9 pins along 2 rows, used for any type of serial devicean older mouse, external modem, or serial printer, for example. Windows calls it a COM port. USB connections are much faster than serial connections and have replaced them on new hardware.
PS/2
A small, round, female port with six holes. If your mouse and keyboard don't plug into USB ports, they plug into two PS/2 ports. Look for small pictures of a mouse and a keyboard, each next to its proper port. USB has mostly replaced PS/2.
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
A small, thin, rectangular port that accepts almost all Plug and Play devices: mice, USB flash drives, external drives, scanners, digital cameras, MP3 players, keyboards, printers, and so on. Most PCs have at least two USB ports, but you can buy an internal or external USB hub if you need extra ports. USB ports are hot-pluggable, allowing you to connect and disconnect devices without shutting down your PC; Windows automatically loads or unloads the drivers as needed. USB ports can provide power as well as data to the devices they connect. USB 2.0 equipment is much faster than USB 1.1 equipment. USB 2.0 requires Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later.
IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
A small, rectangular, very fast port with a tapered (>-shaped) plug. These ports are ideal for video, external disk, multiplayer gaming, and network devices. Like USB, FireWire is Plug and Play-compliant and hot-pluggable, and can provide power to peripherals. You can buy an internal or external hub to add IEEE 1394 ports to your computer.
Video (VGA)
A rectangular, female port with 15 holes along 3 rows. Your monitor plugs in here. Laptop computers use this port to connect external monitors.
Ethernet (RJ-45)
A jack (which looks like a wide telephone jack) for Ethernet and network connections. If your computer doesn't have an RJ-45 jack, buy a network interface card (NIC) to add one.
Modem (RJ-11)
A ordinary telephone jack that lets you run a telephone line from the wall to your computer for faxing or dial-up internet connections. Laptops, but not desktops, usually have built-in RJ-11 jacks. If you need one, buy a 56K modem card.
Sound
A row of small circular holes for connecting external speakers, headphones, microphones, and audio sources. Most PCs also have built-in sound ports, but adding a good sound card gives you high-quality surround sound.
S-Video
A small, circular, female port for connecting projectors, TVs, and VCRs.
Infrared (IrDA)
A small red lens on laptops that uses line-of-sight infrared light to transfer data from the computer to a similarly equipped device (such as an infrared PDA or printer) without cables.
If you set up your own computer, you're familiar with ports because the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer all have cables or adapters that connect to ports. Different shapes for different port types make it hard to plug a cable into the wrong port, but examine the plug and port, and don't force a connection; you'll bend the pins.
To connect an external device:
If the device is hot-pluggable (USB or IEEE 1394), simply plug the device's cable or adapter into the appropriate port.
or
If the device isn't hot-pluggable, turn off the computer and the device; plug the device's cable into the appropriate port; then turn on the computer and device.
Tips
Some PC also have built-in slots for reading digital-camera memory cards.
If you want to add both USB and IEEE 1394 ports to your PC, save some money and buy an (internal or external) hub that has them both.
Safely Removing Hardware
A small icon (
) appears in the notification area (system tray) when a USB, IEEE 1394, or other hot-pluggable removable storage device is plugged into your PC. If no data is being transferred between the device and the computer, you can unplug the device safely. Usually a light on the device or an onscreen warning signals whether data transfer is active. USB flash drives have a green activity light that blinks during read-write operations, for example.If you want to be extra safe when you remove a device (make sure that an external drive's disks have stopped spinning, for example), you can stop the device before unplugging it:
1. Right-click the notification-area icon; then choose Safely Remove Hardware.
2. In the dialog box that appears, select the device in the Hardware Devices list; then click Stop.
3. Click OK in the confirmation dialog box.
The notification-area icon disappears, and it's safe to unplug the device.
Internal devices
Internal devices are connected inside your PC's case. Storage devices such as CD, DVD, floppy, tape, backup, and hard drives are mounted on stacked shelves, called
bays, at the front of the case. Printed circuit boards with edge connectorssuch as sound cards, video adapters, graphics accelerators, internal modems, Ethernet (network) adapters, and USB hubsare called
expansion boards or
cards. These cards plug into
expansion slots (or simply
slots ) on the main circuit board (motherboard ).
Table 8.2 lists the common PC slots. You must open your computer's case to see which slots are empty.
Table 8.2. Slots
SLOT DESCRIPTION
PCI
A white-cased socket about 3.25 inches (8.25 cm) long, with a white crossbar about three-quarters of the way down the slot. PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots, developed by Intel but supported by all manufacturers, are the most common type.
ISA
A black-cased socket about 5.25 inches (13.3 cm) long, with a black crossbar about two-thirds of the way down the slot. Some computers include both ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) slots for older, slower devices and PCI slots for modern ones.
AGP
A brown-cased slot about 3 inches (7.6 cm) long, with a brown crossbar about one-third of the way down the slot. AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is based on PCI but gives 3D graphics cards faster access to main memory than PCI. A PC has only one AGP port, occupied by a video card or accelerated graphics card.
PCMCIA (PC Card)
A slot on the side or back of a laptop computer that accepts a metal PC Card about the size of a credit card. A PC Card adds a particular feature to a laptop: a modem, Ethernet port, wireless antenna, or extra memory, for example. PC Cards are Plug and Play-compliant and hot-pluggable, and can provide power to peripherals.
Each type of slot has a different shape and color, so you're unlikely to insert a card into the wrong slot. Inserting a card into a slot takes a little courage and practice. You must seat the card firmly and accurately by using neither too much force nor too little.
Tips
Before touching the motherboard or handling a card outside its protective packaging, touch a grounded metal surface (such as the computer case or a pipe) to discharge static electricity.
Plugging a card into an expansion slot connects it to the
bus the shared collection of hardware conductors that allows computer components to exchange data.
PC Cards are hot-pluggable, so you don't have to power down your laptop to insert them.
To connect an expansion card:
1. Shut down Windows, turn off the computer, and unplug the power cord.
2. Remove the computer's cover.
3. Remove the cover plate of an empty slot (to let the card's ports protrude from the computer case).
4. Seat the card in the slot firmly, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
5. Replace the screw that held on the cover plate, tightening it through the hole in the bracket on the back of the card.
6. Replace the cover, reconnect the power cord, and turn on the computer.
Windows will detect the new card after it starts.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that provides short-range (about 30 feet) radio links among desktops, laptops, PDAs, cellphones, printers, digital cameras, mice, keyboards, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices. It aims to eliminate cable clutter while simplifying communications, sharing, and data synchronization between computers and devices. Bluetooth doesn't need a line-of-sight connection (as infrared does), so you can, say, listen to MP3 music from the laptop in your briefcase on a hands-free headset.
Bluetooth adapters plug into any USB port on your computerthe product's user's guide will have instructions.
Bluetooth requires Service Pack 1, but Service Pack 2 further improves support. To learn more, search for
bluetooth in Help and Support Center. If you're having problems, go to http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=883258, "How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth Detection and Connectivity Problems in Windows XP Service Pack 2."
Bluetooth is an open standard (that is, it's not owned by Microsoft or anyone else); see also www.bluetooth.com.
