Different Interface Types of Computer Hardware
Hardware is anything that has to do with connecting your computer to the rest of the world. Hardware can also be any software that is designed to help you use your computer more efficiently. It could also be anything that makes it easier for you to use your computer. For example, your operating system, your computer’s software, audio cards, video cards, Ethernet cards, wireless cards, printers, scanners, USB cards and other hardware are all part of the hardware that is part of your computer.
Computer hardware comprises the mechanical components of a desktop or notebook computer, including the case, motherboard, hard drive, mouse, optical drive, sound card, printer, computer data storage, main board, power supply and power adaptor. Most people tend to call any device that is used to connect and make the connection between the hardware and the computer system either an ‘external hardware interface’ or an ‘internal interface’. There are three major categories of interface designs for desktop computer systems, which include physical interface, physical layer and logical layer designs. The physical layer design is probably the most popular of these, because it provides a very high degree of flexibility in expanding the available physical interfaces so that new devices can be added without having to change software.
A physical interface is defined as any one of the physical interfaces found on PCs (printed circuit boards) and other peripheral devices. These interfaces can consist of things like USB, SCSI, eSATA, FireWire, IDE, parallel port, FastBridges, security modules, etc. Physical interfaces allow computers to communicate with each other and with peripheral equipment. When components are physically attached, the communication processes are much simpler and faster. This is especially true when it comes to adding new hardware components to the system.
On the other hand, logical layer designs on the other hand use logical components like a PC’s operating system. The operating system drives the hardware and allows it to execute its commands. As long as the operating system is functioning properly, all other hardware components will be able to communicate with it and perform correctly. Laptop manufacturers however can create software for their hardware that can be used to interface the laptops with the rest of the computers and printers in the network.
The third kind of interface that you can find on computer hardware is the logical layer. Logical layers use different hardware components such as a PC’s keyboard, mouse and monitor to link the PC and other peripheral devices. For instance, a printing device could be connected to a PC using its printer port, a mouse and the keyboard to control printing software programs. With this type of interface, the computer system will still function properly but it will not have any input or output components other than those that the PC uses to connect to the other computer components.
One of the most vital parts of any computer is its memory. The quality of the memory determines the performance of the CPU and the speed at which applications and tasks are completed. When you purchase your laptop, make sure you check if the laptop has an excellent memory and that the laptop’s manufacturer has ensured that the memory is compatible with the particular laptop. There are many brands of laptop memory available and each brand boasts different specifications. If your laptop uses an AMD processor, for example, you should look out for models that are compatible with AMD’s AGP processors and also those that are made by reputable companies like Crucial, Samsung and others.
