Chapter 2: Basic PC Concepts and Terminology^35
A Quick Overview of the Electronics of the PC
The electronic components of your computer create a series of digital circuits that, while
each has a logical objective, work together to process your data, play your game, or com-
municate with the world. Adigital circuitis a group of electronic components that accept
and process binary data and then apply Boolean algebra to reach a result. Don’t worry;
you don’t need to learn algebra all over again. Boolean algebra is the logic mechanism
that applies certain rules (AND, OR, and NOT) to binary values to determine an answer.
Exactly how this happens is very important to programmers and engineers, but it’s not
too important to hardware technicians, especially beginners.Figure 2-6. A wrist strap protects your PC against electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage.
Photo courtesy of Desco Industries, Inc.