Dual-Core Definition
A dual-core processor is a CPU with two processors or "execution cores" in the same integrated circuit. Each processor has its own cache and controller, which enables it to function as efficiently as a single processor. However, because the two processors are linked together, they can perform operations up to twice as fast as a single processor can.
The Intel Core Duo, the AMD X2, and the dual-core PowerPC G5 are all examples of CPUs that use dual-core technologies. These C...
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Multiprocessing Definition
Multiprocessing Definition
For many years, the speed of computer processors increased through improvements in the architecture and clock speed of processors. However, in recent years, chip manufacturers have reached a limit in how small they can make the transistors inside CPUs without them overheating. Therefore, using multiple processors, or multiprocessing, has become the next step in increasing computing performance.
Multiprocessing can be implemented in two different ways: 1) using more th...
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Clock Speed Definition
Clock Speed Definition
Clock speed is the rate at which a processor can complete a processing cycle. It is typically measured in megahertz or gigahertz. One megahertz is equal to one million cycles per second, while one gigahertz equals one billion cycles per second. This means a 1.8 GHz processor has twice the clock speed of a 900 MHz processor.
However, it is important to note that a 1.8 GHz CPU is not necessarily twice as fast as a 900 MHz CPU. This is because different processors often use ...
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Multi-Core Definition
Multi-Core Definition
Multi-core technology refers to CPUs that contain two or more processing cores. These cores operate as separate processors within a single chip. By using multiple cores, processor manufacturers can increase the performance of a CPU without raising the processor clock speed. Since the upper threshold of clock speeds has leveled out during recent years, multi-core processors have become a common means to improve computing performance.
Most modern computers have at least two ...
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Processor Core Definition
Processor Core Definition
A processor core (or simply “core”) is an individual processor within a CPU. Many computers today have multi-core processors, meaning the CPU contains more than one core.
For many years, computer CPUs only had a single core. In the early 2000s, as processor clock speeds began plateauing, CPU manufacturers needed to find other ways to increase processing performance. Initially, they achieved this by putting multiple processors in high-end computers. While this was effec...
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Toslink Definition
Toslink Definition
Toslink is a type of digital audio connection developed by Toshiba Corporation. It uses a fiber optic cable to transmit an audio signal in the form of pulses of light. A single Toslink cable can be used to carry a mono, stereo, or even a surround audio signal.
Toslink is similar to the Sony/Philips Digital Interfance, known as S/PDIF. It provides the same digital audio data as S/PDIF, but uses a light beam instead of an electrical current to send the data. Because the Toslink...
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Analog Definition
Analog Definition
Analog is an adjective that describes a continuous measurement or transmission of a signal. It is often contrasted with digital, which is how computers store and process data using ones and zeros.
While computers are digital devices, human beings are analog. Everything we perceive, such as what we see and hear, is a continuous transmission of information to our senses. This continuous stream of input is not estimated, but received and processed by our brains as analog data.
An...
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Telecommunications Definition
Telecommunications Definition
Telecommunications, or telecom, is the transmission of signals over long distances. It began with the invention of the telegraph in 1837, followed by the telephone in 1876. Radio broadcasts began the late 1800s and the first television broadcasts started in the early 1900s. Today, popular forms of telecommunications include the Internet and cellular phone networks.
Early telecommunications transmissions used analog signals, which were transferred over copper wires....
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Computer Science Definition
Computer Science Definition
Computer science is the study of computers and computing concepts. It includes both hardware and software, as well as networking and the Internet.
The hardware aspect of computer science overlaps with electrical engineering. It covers the basic design of computers and the way they work. A fundamental understanding of how a computer "computes," or performs calculations, provides the foundation for comprehending more advanced concepts. For example, understanding how a ...
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Hyperlink Definition
Hyperlink Definition
A hyperlink is a word, phrase, or image that you can click on to jump to a new document or a new section within the current document. Hyperlinks are found in nearly all Web pages, allowing users to click their way from page to page. Text hyperlinks are often blue and underlined, but don't have to be. When you move the cursor over a hyperlink, whether it is text or an image, the arrow should change to a small hand pointing at the link. When you click it, a new page or place i...
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