Modern connectors. Connectors on the system unit. Types and their purpose. What types of connectors are there?

The computer motherboard is equipped with a huge, by the standards of inexperienced users, number of connectors. They are located like inside system unit, and on rear panel computer. Connectors on the front are often duplicate rear with some exceptions.

It is worth noting that the ports of a laptop are practically no different from a computer; we will also consider them below.

A large square with many holes in the center of the motherboard serves for connection processor. From above, after connecting the CPU is installed fan cooling.

It is worth noting that for each type of such connector there is its own list of supported processors. Therefore, when purchasing a CPU, you should pay attention to socket, otherwise the new acquisition simply will not fit into this slot.

Processor connector

Installing a video card

Below, under the processor you can see a number of slots of different lengths. These are the connectors PCIexpress. Previously, there was a connector in this part of the board AGP, but it is morally outdated and is now practically not used.

PCIExpress Today it is divided into x1, x4, x16. The video card is inserted into PCIExpressx16, the rest are now used quite rarely, but, nevertheless, are present on many models of motherboards. They install additional cards, such as sound, network, etc.

RAM

On the right side there are several long connectors into which you can install operational p memory. Currently, RAM is divided into DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. DDR 1 and 2 are obsolete and are not used on new computers. It is also worth noting that these connectors are not compatible with each other. Those. DDR3 cannot be installed in DDR2 and vice versa.

It is worth paying attention to colors slots - this is how channels are allocated. Therefore, several RAM sticks are not installed in a row, but based on these colors.

Hard drive

To connect this device use the interface SATA. They are located on the right side of the board. Today there are three versions: SATA 1.0, SATA 2.0, SATA 3.0. They are compatible with each other and differ only the data transfer speed.

Interfaces IDE And FDD are rare. Old hard drive models worked according to IDE, and the floppy drive through FDD. Currently, they are practically not used.

Power connection

There are two connectors on the motherboard for mandatory power connections. The first of them is located near the RAM and contains 20 or 24 contact. If power is not connected to it, the board will not work.

In addition, next to the processor 4 or 6 pin port for power connection processor. Without it, the computer will also not work.

Cooling computer components

Without cooling, the computer will not be able to work for a long time. Therefore, there are several special connectors on the board where you can connect coolers. One of them is designed for connecting processor cooling, and the rest are for regular fans.

Rear panel of the system unit

If you look at the back of the motherboard, you can see many ports for peripheral devices

PS/2

Used to connect mice And keyboards. Outdated and rarely used. Many new boards do not come with them.

COM and LPT

LPT is a parallel port, and COM– consistent. Nowadays they are used very rarely, and it is almost impossible to see them on new board models. At one time they were used for connections peripheral devices that are currently used USB.

Com port

USB ports

The most popular ports through which you can connect almost everything. They vary in speed. Currently in use USB 2.0 And USB 3.0. They can be distinguished by color: Blue– USB 3.0, and black– 2.0. They differ in speed and are compatible with each other.

USB connectors

Network usage

There is a port located near the USB Ethernet to connect to the network. For connection use cables crimped with connectors RJ-45.

Audio connectors

All motherboards are equipped with an input for connecting speakers And microphone. Depending on the motherboard, their number varies from 3 to 6. Sometimes it is difficult for the user to figure out what and where to connect. There is a standard for this color scheme(In the driver settings, in some cases, ports can be reassigned):

Video connectors

There may be several of them, and they can be located as follows: motherboard, and on video card. Used to connect a monitor or other similar devices.

The most common is analog output VGA– for connecting older monitors.

Digital output is now widespread DVI, but it is also gradually giving way to the connector HDMI.

HDMI– used on almost all modern monitors and video cards. Transmits a signal high definition(FullHD 1920x1080), and can transmit both video and audio over one cable.

Worth mentioning DisplayPort, which is gradually gaining popularity. It's identical HDMI, but using it in production is much cheaper. In addition, a port appeared on the market Thunderbolt, which replaced DisplayPort. They look the same and are fully compatible, but Thunderbolt has a higher data transfer speed, which allows it to display a picture with resolution 5K or 4K on two monitors.

Other connectors

Occasionally, system units are equipped card readers, which allow you to read information from memory cards. It is located on the front panel.

Another rare port is IEEE 1394, which is also called FireWire. Used to connect digital devices such as photos and video cameras. Less commonly, other peripheral devices are connected through it - printers, scanners, disks, etc.

Laptop connectors

Laptops have significantly fewer external ports than computers. This is due to their design. There are few differences, so we’ll just list the ports, and their descriptions can be found above.

• VGA, DVI or HDMI for monitor
• USB for corresponding devices
• IEEE1394 for photo or video camera. Very rare on top models.
• Card reader found on almost all laptops. Used to read memory cards.
• COM And LPT- are very rare. New models are practically not equipped with them.

The following ports are found only on laptops:

– these are connectors used to connect various peripheral devices to the system unit. Connectors for computer ports are located on the back and front panels, and in laptops they are located on the sides of the case.

The name “port,” as applied to a computer, is borrowed from electronics, where an input-output port is the hardware for data exchange between the controller (or processor) and the connected device. Likewise in a computer, ports receive and transmit information from a device located outside the system unit.

Any computer has a minimum set of computer ports, without which it will not function fully. It is necessary to connect , and , to the system unit, otherwise it will not be a computer, but an expensive iron box. If necessary, computer ports can be increased using expansion cards connected to. Let's look at the set of ports that are always present in an ordinary computer.

Minimum set of ports on a computer

Depending on the manufacturer of the system unit, its age and purpose, the number of ports varies, but almost always there will be connectors such as:

1. Ports that accept a mouse and keyboard, called PS/2 ports. Nowadays, computers are increasingly being manufactured without these connectors or with one combined for connecting both a keyboard and a mouse. At the moment, the PS/2 port is obsolete; you can connect a mouse and keyboard to a USB port.
2. Port connector for connecting a monitor.
3. RJ-45 connector used for network connection (LAN or Internet).
4. USB ports that are universal.
5. Audio connectors of the sound card. A microphone, speakers or headphones, and a line input are connected here.

Most of the connectors are already on the computer's motherboard. In cases where any connector is missing, external devices can be connected via universal ports.

Universal computer ports

Serial port

One of the oldest universal ports, developed at the beginning of the evolution of computers. It is a 9 or 25 pin (less common) connector called a COM port (or serial port). The transmission of information in it occurs in one stream, sequentially one after another, which determined its name. In the earliest computers, a modem or mouse was connected to it, but now it is rarely used because it has gradually been replaced by the USB port.

Parallel port

This is another rarity from the beginning of the computer era. It is called LPT - port or parallel computer port. At first it was developed for connecting, and then they began to connect other devices. Information through the LPT port is transmitted over several streams, which is reflected in the name “parallel port”. The parallel port has 25 pins, which is why it can be confused with a 25-pin serial port. However, there is a big difference between them: the LPT port is equipped with contacts in the form of holes, and the serial port has contacts in the form of plugs. Differs like dad from mom.

Universal USB computer port

Currently, old ports are being replaced by more powerful universal ports, one of which is USB. It appeared in the mid-90s of the last century and continues to develop to this day. Information transfer here occurs sequentially, as in a COM port, but its transmission speed is much higher. Most peripheral devices are connected via a USB port. For example, the one we are all familiar with connects directly to the USB port. USB connectors are located on the rear and front panels of the system unit.

Modern computers are equipped with 2 types of USB connectors: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, which are compatible with each other, but differ in data transfer speed. USB 3.0 transfers information faster than USB 2.0. You can distinguish them by the color of the connector: USB 3 is blue or red.

In addition to the ports discussed above, there are also such universal high-speed ports as FireWare and eSata. For a novice user they are not of interest, because... their scope of application lies in professional computers, and even then they are increasingly being replaced by USB connections.

Monitor connectors

The connectors for connecting a monitor are located on the rear panel of the system unit and, depending on yours, may have one form or another.

VGA video card connector

This is one of the oldest and most common monitor connectors. It got its name from the abbreviated English Video Graphics Adapter - video graphics adapter. Motherboards with a built-in video card are most often equipped with this connector. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 1280x1024 pixels.

DVI video card connector

A more advanced connector compared to VGA due to the ability to transmit the monitor signal directly in digital form, without additional conversions, unlike VGA, in which video is transmitted in analog format. Digital video transmission is not subject to interference, which has a positive effect on image quality. To connect a monitor via DVI output, it must also have a corresponding connector. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 2560x1600 pixels.

HDMI video card connector

Another connector for a high-quality digital connection to a monitor, as its name suggests - High Definition Multimedia Interface. The HDMI port is significantly smaller in size compared to DVI, and is also capable of transmitting high-quality multi-channel audio. The maximum resolution of the transmitted signal is 2560x1600 pixels. Audio cards have 3 connectors colored green, blue and pink. Green color is a linear output for connecting speakers or headphones, a linear input for inputting sound from another source, a microphone is connected to the pink connector.

Expensive multi-channel audio cards have more connections and, in addition to the color marking of the connectors, they always add labels to designate the ports, thanks to which the correct connection of the audio system will not be difficult.

This article discusses the most common computer ports, which are required in any system unit. In fact, there are a large number of other ports used in some professional areas, and they are unlikely to be of interest to a novice user.

Probably every user of a personal computer or laptop has encountered issues with connecting a monitor or TV to it, as well as the quality of the resulting image. And if earlier getting a high-quality picture on the screen was quite problematic, today this problem does not exist at all. Of course, if your device has a DVI connector. This is what we will talk about, and also consider other existing interfaces for displaying images on the screen.

Types of connectors for displaying images on a computer monitor or screen

Until recently, all personal computers had exclusively analog connections to the monitor. To transfer images to it, a VGA (Video Graphics Adapter) interface with a D-Sub 15 connector was used. Experienced users still remember the blue plug and 15-pin socket. But, besides this, video cards also had other connectors designed to display images on a TV screen or other video device:

• RCA (Radio Corporation of America) - in our opinion, “tulip”. An analog connector designed to connect a video card to a TV, video player or VCR using a coaxial cable. Has the worst transmission characteristics and low resolution.
• S-Video (S-VHS) is a type of analog connector for transmitting a video signal to a TV, VCR or projector, dividing the data into three channels responsible for a separate base color. The quality of signal transmission is slightly better than “tulip”.
• Component connector - output to three separate “tulips”, used to output images to the projector.

All of these connectors were widely used until the late 1990s. Of course, there was no question of quality, since both televisions and monitors at that time had very low resolution. Now we cannot even imagine how it was possible to play computer games while looking at a TV screen with a cathode ray tube.

With the advent of the new century, thanks to the introduction of digital technologies in the development of video devices, RCA, S-VHS and component output began to be used less and less. The VGA interface lasted a little longer.

A little history

The operating principle of a conventional video card was that the digital image output from it had to be converted into an analog signal using a RAMDAC device - a digital-to-analog converter. Naturally, such conversion already deteriorated the image quality at the initial stage.

With the advent of digital screens, it became necessary to convert the analog signal at the output. Now monitors have also begun to be equipped with a special converter, which again could not but affect the image quality.

And here, in 1999, DVI appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, the latest digital video interface, thanks to which we can today enjoy the perfect picture on the screen.

The development of this interface device was carried out by a whole group of companies, which included Silicon Image, Digital Display Working Group and even Intel. The developers came to the conclusion that there is no need to convert a digital signal to analog, and then vice versa. It is enough to create a single interface, and the image in its original form will be displayed on the screen. And without the slightest loss of quality.

What is DVI

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface. The essence of its work is that a special TMDS encoding protocol, also developed by Silicon Image, is used to transmit data. The method of signal transmission through a digital video interface is based on the sequential sending of information pre-implemented by the protocol, with constant backward compatibility with the analog VGA channel.

The DVI specification allows for a single TMDS connection to operate at up to 165 MHz and a transfer rate of 1.65 Gbps. This makes it possible to obtain an output image with a resolution of 1920x1080 with a maximum frequency of 60 Hz. But here it is possible to simultaneously use a second TMDS connection with the same frequency, which allows you to achieve a throughput of 2 Gbit/s.

Having such indicators, DVI left far behind other developments in this direction and began to be used on all digital devices without exception.

DVI for the average user

Without delving into the jungle of electronics, a digital video interface is just a special encoding device that has a corresponding connector on the video card. But how do you know that a computer or laptop has a digital output?

It's very simple. The connectors of video cards with a digital interface cannot be confused with others. They have a specific appearance and shape, different from other nests. In addition, the DVI connector is always white, which makes it stand out from the rest.

In order to connect a monitor, TV or projector to a video card, you simply plug in the plug of the desired wire and secure it using special hand-screwed bolts.

Resolution and scaling

However, neither digital coding nor special video card connectors have completely solved the problem of computer-monitor compatibility. A question arose about image scaling.

The fact is that all monitors, screens and televisions that already have a DVI connector are not capable of producing a higher output resolution than that provided by their design. Therefore, it often happened that the video card produced a high-quality picture, and the monitor showed it to us only in a quality limited by its capabilities.

The developers caught on in time and began equipping all modern digital panels with special scaling devices.

Now, when we connect the DVI connector on the monitor to the corresponding output on the video card, the device instantly self-adjusts, choosing the optimal operating mode. We usually don’t pay any attention to this process and don’t try to control it.

Video cards and DVI support

The first video cards of the NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS series already had built-in TMDS transmitters. They are still widely used today in Titanium cards, being integrated into rendering devices. The disadvantage of built-in transmitters is their low clock frequency, which does not allow achieving high resolution. In other words, TMDS do not make the most of their advertised 165 MHz bandwidth. Therefore, we can say with confidence that NVIDIA at the initial stage failed to adequately implement the DVI standard in its video cards.

When video adapters began to be equipped with an external TMDS, working in parallel with the built-in one, the DVI interface was able to produce a resolution of 1920x1440, which exceeded all the expectations of the company's developers.

The Titanium GeForce GTX series had no problems at all. They effortlessly provide images with a resolution of 1600x1024.

ATI took a completely different path. All of its video cards that have DVI outputs also operate from integrated transmitters, but they are supplied complete with special DVI-VGA adapters that connect 5 analog DVI pins to VGA.

Maxtor specialists decided not to bother at all and came up with their own way out of the situation. The G550 series video cards are the only ones that have a dual DVI cable instead of two signal transmitters. This solution allowed the company to achieve a resolution of 1280x1024 pixels.

DVI connector: types

It's important to know that not all digital connectors are created equal. They have different specifications and designs. In our daily life, the following types of DVI connectors are most often encountered:

• DVI-I SingleLink;
• DVI-I DualLink;
• DVI-D SingleLink;
• DVI-D DualLink;
• DVI-A.

DVI-I SingleLink connector

This connector is the most popular and in demand. It is used in all modern video cards and digital monitors. The letter I in the name means “integrated”. This DVI connector is special in its own way. The fact is that it has two combined transmission channels: digital and analog. In other words, this is a DVI+VGA connector. It has 24 digital pins and 5 analog pins.

Considering that these channels are independent of each other and cannot be used simultaneously, the device independently chooses which one to work with.

By the way, the first such integrated interfaces had separate DVI and VGA connectors.

DVI-I DualLink connector

DVI-I DualLink is also capable of transmitting an analog signal, but, unlike SingleLink, it has two digital channels. Why is this necessary? Firstly, to improve throughput, and secondly, it all again comes down to resolution, which is directly proportional to image quality. This option allows you to expand it to 1920x1080.

DVI-D SingleLink connector

DVI-D SingleLink connectors do not have any analog channels. The letter D informs the user that this is a digital interface only. It has one transmission channel and is also limited to a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels.

DVI-D DualLink connector

This connector has two data channels. Their simultaneous use makes it possible to obtain 2560x1600 pixels at a frequency of only 60 Hz. In addition, this solution allows some modern video cards, such as nVidia 3D Vision, to reproduce three-dimensional images on a monitor screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

DVI-A connector

In some sources, the concept of DVI-A is sometimes found - a digital connector for transmitting exclusively an analog signal. In order not to mislead you, let us immediately indicate that in fact such an interface does not exist. DVI-A is just a special plug in cables and special adapters for connecting analog video devices to the DVI-I connector.

Digital connector: pinout

All of the connectors listed differ from each other in the location and number of contacts:

• DVI-I SingleLink - has 18 pins for a digital channel and 5 for an analogue one;
• DVI-I DualLink - 24 digital pins, 4 analog, 1 - ground;
• DVI-D SingleLink - 18 digital, 1 - ground;
• DVI-D DualLink - 24 digital, 1 - ground

The DVI-A connector also has its own unique pin arrangement. Its pinout consists of only 17 pins, including ground.

HDMI connector

A modern digital video interface also has other types of connecting communications. For example, the HDMI DVI connector is in no way inferior in popularity to the listed models. On the contrary, due to its compactness and the ability to transmit an audio signal along with digital video, it has become a mandatory accessory for all new TVs and monitors.

The abbreviation HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface, which means “high-definition multimedia interface.” It appeared for the first time in 2003 and since then has not lost any of its relevance. Every year new modifications appear with improved resolution and bandwidth.

Today, for example, HDMI makes it possible to transmit video and audio signals without loss of quality over a cable up to 10 meters long. The throughput is up to 10.2 Gb/s. Just a few years ago this figure did not exceed 5 Gb/s.

This standard is supported and developed by the world's leading radio electronics companies: Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony, Philips, etc. Almost all video devices today manufactured by these manufacturers must have at least one HDMI connector.

DP connector

DP (DisplayPort) is the newest connector that replaced the HDMI multimedia interface. Possessing high throughput, minimal loss of quality during data transmission and compactness, it was designed to completely replace the DVI standard. But it turned out that not everything is so simple. Most modern monitors do not have appropriate connectors, and changing their production system in a short time is impossible. In addition, not all manufacturers are particularly committed to this, which is why most video equipment is not equipped with the DisplayPort standard.

Mini connectors

Today, when more mobile devices are often used instead of computers: laptops, tablets and smartphones, it becomes not very convenient to use conventional connectors. Therefore, manufacturers such as Apple, for example, began to replace them with smaller analogues. First VGA became mini-VGA, then DVI became micro-DVI, and DisplayPort shrank to mini-DisplayPort.

DVI adapters

But what if, for example, you need to connect a laptop to an analog monitor or another device that has a DVI connector to a digital panel with HDMI or DisplayPort standard? Special adapters will help with this, which can be purchased today at any radio electronics store.

Let's look at their main types:

• VGA - DVI;
• DVI - VGA;
• DVI - HDMI;
• HDMI - DVI;
• HDMI - DisplayPort;
• DisplayPort - HDMI.

In addition to these basic adapters, there are also varieties of them that provide connection to other interfaces, such as USB.

Of course, with such a connection there is a loss of image quality, even between devices of the same type that support the DVI standard. An adapter connector, no matter how high-quality it is, cannot solve this problem.

How to connect a TV to a computer

Connecting a TV to a computer or laptop is not difficult, but you should determine which interface is equipped with both devices. Most modern television receivers have built-in connectors that support DVI. This can be either HDMI or DisplayPort. If a computer or laptop has the same connector as the TV, it is enough to use the cable that usually comes with the latter. If the wire was not included in the kit, you can freely buy it in the store.

The computer operating system will independently detect the connection of the second screen and offer one of the options for using it:

• as the main monitor;
• in clone mode (the image will be displayed on both screens);
• as an additional monitor to the main one.

But do not forget that with such a connection, the image resolution will remain the same as provided for by the screen design.

Does cable length affect signal quality?

Not only the signal quality, but also the data transfer speed depends on the length of the cable connecting the device and the screen. Taking into account the modern characteristics of connecting wires for various digital interfaces, their length should not exceed the established parameters:

• for VGA - no more than 3 m;
• for HDMI - no more than 5 m;
• for DVI - no more than 10 m;
• for DisplayPort - no more than 10 m.

If you need to connect a computer or laptop to a screen located at a distance exceeding the recommended one, you must use a special amplifier - a repeater (signal repeater), which can also distribute the channel to several monitors.

SCSI Specifications

Table 1. Data transfer rates, lengths and types of SCSI-1, SCSI-2 cables SCSI-3 specification- further development of the standard aimed at increasing the number of connected devices, specification of additional commands, and Plug and Play support. As an alternative to the parallel interface SPI(SCSI-3 Parallel Interface) it becomes possible to use a serial interface, including a fiber-optic interface with a data transfer rate of 100 MB/. SCSI-3 exists in the form of a wide range of documents defining individual aspects of the interface, and in many ways overlaps with the serial bus FireWire.

Terminators, connectors

Internal connectors
Low-Density 50-pin	connection of internal narrow devices - HDD, CD-ROM, CD-R, MO, ZIP (like IDE, only for 50 pins)
High-Density 68-pin	connection of internal wide devices, mainly HDD
External connectors
DB-25	25 connection of external slow devices, mainly scanners, IOmega Zip Plus. most common on Mac. (like a modem)
Low-Density 50-pin	or Centronics 50-pin. external connection of scanners, streamers. usually SCSI-1.
High-Density 50-pin	or Micro DB50, Mini DB50. Standard external narrow connector
High-Density 68-pin	or Micro DB68, Mini DB68. Standard external wide connector
High-Density 68-pin	or Micro Centronics. According to some sources, it is used for external connection of SCSI devices.

When using the external and internal connectors of the host adapter simultaneously, its terminators are disabled. The correct use of terminators is essential - the absence of one of the terminators or, conversely, an extra terminator can lead to instability or loss of functionality of the interface. In terms of execution, terminators can be either internal(placed on the device’s printed circuit board), and external(installed on cable or device connectors). Based on their electrical properties, the following types of terminators are distinguished: · Passive (SCSI-1) with an impedance of 132 Ohms - ordinary resistors. These terminators are not suitable for high-speed SCSI-2 modes. · Active with an impedance of 110 Ohms - special terminators to ensure operation at a frequency of 10 MHz in SCSI-2. · FPT (Forced Perfect Terminator) - an improved version of active terminators with emission limiters. Active terminators require power, for which there are special TERMPWR interface lines.

SCSI devices

Scanners

Typically, scanners come with their own card. Sometimes it is completely “own”, as, for example, in the Mustek Paragon 600N, and sometimes it is just the most simplified version of standard SCSI. In principle, using a scanner with it should not cause problems, but sometimes connecting the scanner to another controller (if the scanner has this capability) can be beneficial. Scanning A4 with 32-bit color at 600dpi is a picture of about 90Mb and transferring this amount of information through the 8-bit ISA bus not only takes a lot of time, but also greatly slows down the PC, because Drivers for this standard card are usually 16-bit (for example, Mustek Paragon 800IISP). An additional one is usually a cheap FastSCSI PCI controller. Less or more productive will not give anything new. This option also has a caveat - you need to make sure that the scanner (or more importantly, its drivers) can work with your new controller in your configuration. For example, Mustek Paragon 800IISP drivers are designed for your card or any ASPI compatible one.

Serial port RS-232

RS-232 (English Recommended Standard) is a standard for serial asynchronous transmission of binary data between two devices at a distance of up to 15 meters. The RS-232 port is not often seen in business laptops these days, but can be useful in industrial laptops. It is used to implement real-time data collection systems, connect scientific equipment, and control other devices. To connect equipment operating according to the RS-232 standard, laptops are equipped with a 9-pin DB-9 (D-sub) connector.

Today I will tell you about the connectors on the system unit, what they are and why they are needed there. Since the time when the first computers appeared, many connectors have gone into oblivion, and many others have appeared more recently. How to figure out which connector is needed for what and are they needed at all?

There's really nothing complicated. And if you have ever encountered assembling a system unit or connecting cables to it, you probably wondered why there are so many of them and what needs to be connected there.

And so let's start studying the connectors of the system unit. For these purposes, I will use an image of an average system unit

Now let's look at each connector in more detail. Let's start from top to bottom in order. First on the list will be socket for connecting the power cable:

Standard power cable, this cable connects all computer devices, from printers and scanners to faxes and monitors.

A very convenient cable, differing only in the length of the wire and the thickness of the wire section. Accordingly, the thicker the cable, the greater the load it can withstand.

PS/2 connector used for connecting mouse and keyboard. In their visual appearance they are absolutely identical, the only difference is in their coloring. The green port is for connecting a mouse, the purple port is for connecting a keyboard.

In modern motherboards you can find one PS/2 port, which is painted in two colors at once, green and purple, this means that you can connect either a mouse or a keyboard to it.

COM port– was once used to connect a mouse, modems, scanners. Now this port is practically not used.

Over the past 7 years, I have had to use this port several times. To connect temperature sensors to it. It was through this port that the data accumulated on it was read. I also connected an attachment for satellite dishes through this port (updating the firmware).

VGA port – for connecting a monitor. The port is very similar to the previous one, but has three rows of contacts and is always painted blue. This port has been used for connecting monitors for many years.

Now new video cards with a DVI port are being actively introduced (photo on the right). When choosing a monitor with such a cable, I advise you to carefully check which DVI port you have on your motherboard, since there are at least five different types.

LPT port– previously used to connect a printer or scanner. Now this port is obsolete and no one uses it.

The outdated LPT port has been replaced by a new, more functional USB port. In modern motherboards this port is not installed as unnecessary.

USB port- The most widely used connector in any modern computer. You can connect a mouse, keyboard, camera, flash drive, printer, scanner, video camera and much more to this connector.

There are two types of USB ports – USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 port has a blue color inside; this port has a higher throughput speed. USB 2.0 ports are white and black.

Network port – for connecting a network cable. A cable from the provider that provides you with Internet service is connected to this port.

The same ports are present on your router (if you use one). Using this port you can.

Connectors for connecting audio devices. For connecting speakers, headphones, microphones, etc.

Red connector for connecting a microphone, green connector for connecting speakers (headphones), blue connector for line output (for transmitting an audio signal to another device).

The most basic connectors that are present on almost every system unit are described. Perhaps your system unit has connectors that are not described in this article, if this is the case and you don’t know what these connectors are for, attach a photo to the comment, I will definitely help you.