BF2S Forums IT Essentials Homework (Again.)

25) How does a computer talk? It uses what?

Dumb questions. It uses TCP/IP.



18) When two serial ports talk it is called:
that's pretty ambiguous.

The name "serial" comes from the fact that a serial port "serializes" data. That is, it takes a byte of data and transmits the 8 bits in the byte one at a time. The advantage is that a serial port needs only one wire to transmit the 8 bits (while a parallel port needs 8). The disadvantage is that it takes 8 times longer to transmit the data than it would if there were 8 wires. Serial ports lower cable costs and make cables smaller.

Before each byte of data, a serial port sends a start bit, which is a single bit with a value of 0. After each byte of data, it sends a stop bit to signal that the byte is complete. It may also send a parity bit.



Soft Power (Power On and 5V Standby Signals) explained:

Early PCs using the PC/XT, AT, Baby AT and LPX form factors all use a mechanical switch to turn the computer on and off. Newer form factors, starting with the ATX/NLX, and including the SFX and WTX, have changed the way the power supply is turned on and off. Instead of using a physical switch, these systems are turned on by a signal from the motherboard telling the power supply what to do. In turn, the motherboard can be told to change this signal under software control. This is what allows Windows to shut the power down to a PC, or what allows such features as turning a PC on from a button on the keyboard. This feature is called "Soft Power" and the signal that controls the power supply is called "Power On", or alternately, "PS On" or "PS_On".

This feature would seem to create a small "chicken and egg" situation however. How can the motherboard tell the power supply to turn on, electronically, when the motherboard is also off due to not having any power from the supply? :^) The answer is the other "Soft Power" signal, which is called "+5 V Standby" (or "+5VSB", or "5VSB", etc.) This signal is the same output level as the regular +5 V lines from the power supply, but is independent of the other provided voltages and is always on, even when the rest of the power supply is turned off. A small amount of current on this wire is what allows the motherboard to control the power supply when it is off. It also permits other activities that must occur while the PC is off, such as enabling wakeup from sleep mode, or allowing the PC to be turned on when activity is detected on a modem ("Wake on Ring") or network card ("Wake on LAN").






I'm at uni doing an IT degree and think these questions are stupid.

Last edited by TheAussieReaper (2008-11-04 15:43:09)

Noobpatty wrote:

TheAussieReaper wrote:

25) How does a computer talk? It uses what?

Dumb questions. It uses TCP/IP.



I'm at uni doing an IT degree and think these questions are stupid.

She might have meant TCP/IP because it was made for the same course years ago, so either we haven't covered that, she meant binary, or it was a question she forgot to tell us not to do. Either way I'm writing both since she'll be lose on the answers. Any input on the others? thanks.

edit: I'm taking this in 10th grade but somehow it counts for 4 college credits lol. 'Twas about 200 usd for the credits I think.

Not a dumb question. Computer's don't have to use TCP/IP, there are other connection methods. Not to mention the question is "How does a computer talk," not "How do two computers talk to each other?"

I'd go with binary.

Noobpatty wrote:

vague/strange questions

...deserve vague/strange answers.

13: the magic bus.

17: ...socks... ...laces.

18: a conversation.

22: a ps-goo.

23: goo power.

25: a computer talks by bouncing a beam of charged neutrons off the inner-surface of a miniature black-hole.

Defiance wrote:

TheAussieReaper wrote:

25) How does a computer talk? It uses what?

Dumb questions. It uses TCP/IP.



I'm at uni doing an IT degree and think these questions are stupid.

Not a dumb question. Computer's don't have to use TCP/IP, there are other connection methods. Not to mention the question is "How does a computer talk," not "How do two computers talk to each other?"

I'd go with binary.

Yes, it's a dumb question.

You could answer computers talk using Microsoft Sam. There is no context in which the question is asked.

Scorpion0x17 wrote:

Noobpatty wrote:

vague/strange questions

...deserve vague/strange answers.

13: the magic bus.

17: ...socks... ...laces.

18: a conversation.

22: a ps-goo.

23: goo power.

25: a computer talks by bouncing a beam of charged neutrons off the inner-surface of a miniature black-hole.

lol

blademaster wrote:

do your own homework not being a dick or anything

You don't think I tried? The stuff I don't know here is stuff we weren't taugh/ isn't specific.