Chapter

Six
1

I/O CONNECTOR

12/31/2024
Outline
2

The Serial Port

The Parallel Port
USB Port
BIOS
Basic Input/output System
Error messages and solutions
Advanced BIOS Features
Printers
Printer Types

12/31/2024
 I/O Connector
3

 Modern PC uses input and output ports to connect external devices to

motherboard.
 The most common input output ports are:
 Serial port
 Parallel port
 USB (Universal Serial Bus)

12/31/2024
 Serial Port
4

 Serial ports transfer data one bit at a time.

 Data communication is done serially, not parallel.
 Each character that is sent over a serial connection is framed by start-
and stop signal.
 This way of communication is called asynchronous because
synchronization between the two communicating devices is not needed.
 What devices are connected to serial port? A lot of devices could be
connected to serial port:
 Modem
 barcode reader
 Plotter
 Mouse
 Keyboard
12/31/2024
 Serial port…
5

 In serial ports, the communication is two-ways: from pc to the device

and from device to PC.
 There are different types of serial ports:
 Enhanced serial ports(ESP)
 Super high speed serial ports(SHSSP)
 Most motherboards have at least one serial port. Serial port 1 is called
COM1. If there are more than one serial ports, they are named as
COM1, COM2, etc.

12/31/2024
 Parallel Port
6

 Parallel ports are used to connect printers to PC in early days.

 Now parallel ports have become much more than that and used as
more general purpose, relatively high speed interface between
devices.
 Data is sent/transmitted eight lines at a time (a byte at a time).
 The data transfer rate is high because of parallel transmission.
 Parallel port transfer data only in one direction in early days i.e. from
computer to the device though this is not the case today.
Some of the devices that could be connected include:
 Printer
 CD-ROM drives
 Scanner

12/31/2024
 Parallel Port
7
 There are different types of parallel ports:
 unidirectional(standard parallel port)
 Bidirectional
 Enhanced parallel port (EPP)
 Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP)
 Unidirectional parallel ports, data is transmitted only in one direction-from
computer to the device.
 The device do not send feedback to the computer.
 Bidirectional : IBM introduced bidirectional parallel port in 1987. This type of
port allows true communication i.e. the port allows printers to send
information to computer unlike unidirectional port. The printer tells the
computer the following:
 out of paper
 paper jam
 out of ink
, 12/31/2024
 Parallel port…
8

 EPP is outperforms the standard parallel port.

 But it is compatible with standard port.
 Originally EPP is used primarily by peripherals other than printers like
CD-ROM, hard disk drives, network adapters because they require
constant two way communication with the PC.
 It offers high speed two way data transfers
 It handles hand shaking and synchronization between devices
 ECP :- Like EPP, ECP offers improved performance for parallel port
 It is designed for high performance parallel communication for
operation that involve moving large chunks of data but no monitoring
like scanners, CD-ROM drives.

12/31/2024
 Parallel port ..
9

 The ports have male and female specification.

 Male connectors have pins most of the time.
 The part of cable that fits into computer side port is male.
 The part of computer where we insert cable is female port.
 The male is inserted into female and connection is created.

12/31/2024
 Universal Serial Bus
10

 USB is an external bus standard designed to bring plug and play

to attach external devices to PC.
 It can help to connect external devices without the need to
configure the device by installing on expansion card.
 This makes the configuration of new devices easier
 USB transfers data both synchronously and asynchronously:
 You can connect USB devices while the computer is running
while unlike other ports.

12/31/2024
 USB…
11

 Input Devices :keyboard and mouse are the most commonly used type
of input device.
 Modern mouse and keyboard use USB port which is easy to use for
external devices.
 But before the introduction of USB, they use their own port or serial
port.

12/31/2024
 BIOS
12

 It is the lowest level software that acts between the hardware and
software(operating system).
 Your Pc can be described as series of layers that interface with each
other.
 When you power on your PC, electricity flows into the pc and it wakes
up. First, the power good wire wakes up the CPU.
 The CPU then starts a set of essential programs
called the Basic Input / Output Services (BIOS).
 Every modern PC has a special read only memory (ROM) chip on the
motherboard that stores the System BIOS.

12/31/2024
 BIOS…
13

 When you power on your PC, electricity flows into the pc and it wakes
up.
 First, the power good wire wakes up the CPU.
 The CPU then starts a set of essential programs called the Basic Input /
Output Services (BIOS).
 Every modern PC has a special read only memory (ROM) chip on the
motherboard that stores the System BIOS.
 When your Pc is turned on, BIOS is loaded into memory.
 After loaded, the BIOS performs series of tests called POST.
 POST means Power On Self Test.
 During this stage, BIOS checks the functioning/presence of hardware
resources.

12/31/2024
 BIOS..
14

 Based on tests, BIOS gives error messages or beeps.

 If there is non-functional device is found or if device is missing.
 The beep codes for each PC vary according to the BIOS manufacturer,
although you’ll find certain codes on most PCs.
 A single beep at boot up signals all is well and the system is ready to load the
operating system.
 A long, repeating beep often signals a problem with RAM.
 A series of beeps one long and three short usually point a problem with the
video card or connection.

12/31/2024
 BIOS…
15

 The BIOS is computer system could be:

 motherboard ROM
 adapter card ROM
 device driver
BIOS performs the following four functions:
1. POST (power on self test): The POST tests your computer’s processor,
memory, chipset, video adapter, disk controllers, disk drives, keyboard, and other
crucial components.
2. Setup: System configuration and setup program. This is usually a menu-driven
program activated by pressing a special key during the POST, which allows you
to configure the motherboard and chipset settings along with the date and time,
passwords, disk drives, and other basic system settings.
3. Bootstrap loader: a routine that reads the disk drives looking for a valid master
boot sector.

12/31/2024
 BIOS…
16

 This master boot sector program then continues the boot process by loading an
operating system boot sector, which then loads the operating system core files.
4. BIOS (basic input/output system): this refers to the collection of actual drivers
used to act as a basic interface between the operating system and your hardware
when the system is booted and running.
 When running Windows in safe mode, you are running almost
solely on ROM-based BIOS drivers because none are loaded from disk.
 The Booting Process
 Booting is the process of starting a computer.
 When you turn on the computer, it passes through many steps before
becoming ready for use.
 All these processes are performed one after the other.
 This process is termed as booting(boot process).

12/31/2024
 BIOS…
17

 Most computers execute what is found in the ROM/ROM.

 But operating systems are stored on hard disk. Who loads the OS from
hard disk? This is what happens during starting your computer.
 Electric power is turned on
 The CPU starts executing ROM BIOS
 The BIOS performs tests to verify basic system functionality.
 This test is called POST.
 Any error during this stage is reported using “beep” sound
 Any new device is installed and configured if they are plug and play
compliant.

12/31/2024
 BIOS…
18

 The BIOS performs Video ROM scan. BIOS looks for video adapter
BIOS found in video adapters. If successful, video is initialized.
 The ROM searches for boot records at cylinder 0, head 0, sector1.
 The BIOS loads Master Boot Record form the specified location.
 MBR is part of the OS that loads the OS.
 The MBR in turn loads the OS.

12/31/2024
 Printer
19

 Printer is used to produce hard copy of information.

 There are different types of printer based on the technology used to
produce print.
 Printers are divided into two based on how they produce print on a
paper:
 Impact printers
 Non-impact printers

12/31/2024
 Impact printers
20

 Impact printers print by striking paper, ribbon, and cartridge

together.
 Most of them take continuous paper.
 Dot Matrix : they print by striking wire pins against inked
ribbon.
 The print head of such printers contain pins.
 When this pin is pressed against a ribbon and paper, it prints
small dots.
 Daisy Wheel Printer has a plastic metal wheel on
which the shape of each character stands out in
relief.
 A hammer presses the wheel against ribbon
producing characters on paper. Disadvantage:12/31/2024 can’t
 Non-Impact printers
21

 They use a mechanism that does not strike paper to produce print.
 They print by spraying ink or by using heat and pressure to fuse
powder onto paper.
 Examples of non-impact printers are: inkjet printer, laser printer, and
thermal printers.
 Ink jet printers work/operate by propelling tiny droplets of liquid ink
onto paper.
 There are two types of printers: thermal inkjet printer and piezoelectric
inkjet printer.
 Thermal ink jet printers function by superheating the ink in the
cartridge to approximately 400 degree centigrade.

12/31/2024
 Non-Impact printer…
22

 Piezoelectric Printers is a newer technology than thermal printers.

 It is patented by Epson.
 This technology uses piezo crystals.
 A crystal is located at the back of ink reservoir of each nozzle.
 Such printers apply electric charge to piezoelectric crystals.
 Theses crystals change their shape as a result of electric current forcing
the ink through the nozzles.
 The change in shape by transducer forces some ink through the nozzle
onto paper which forms dots.

12/31/2024
 Non-Impact printer…
23

Laser Printer rely on photoconductive

properties of certain compounds.
They use light called laser light to produce
print on the paper.

12/31/2024
 24

Any Q ?

12/31/2024