subject: An Introduction to PCI [print this page] Imagine that you are an animator, you would like to use connect different modules like an external hard disk so that you can save large data from your laptop onto it. At the same time, you want a graphics card so that the graphics of your computer will run noticeably smoother. With good graphics, you might also want to have a good sound card so that you can test the animation with sounds. Now, imagine that you will need to put everything in at once, but there is no place for the three. You will then need PCI to save the day.
What is PCI? An abbreviation for peripheral component interconnect bus, PCI is a component that allows the installation of add-ons onto computers. It works like an expansion slot where other components are able to be connected onto it so that the ability of that module will be enhanced on the computer. As computers are advanced frequently, people would like to enjoy the abilities of the components are able to provide without having to change a computer altogether. With the bus, this is possible for people to enjoy the technological advances without feeling the pinch in the pocket at each advance.
The bus' work is very straightforward. It allows you to connect components of all sorts into the computer's processor. These may be like hard disks, graphics card, sound cards, and the list goes on as people are creating more and more components that your computer can enjoy. Basically what happens is that a component in the form of a tiny printed circuit board will be attached to the bus. When the computer is on, the component will use the bus as its communication channel to relay its data to the processor.
What is PCI's advantage then? The advantage of using these buses is that you can change parts of the computer easily. For example, if you want to upgrade your graphics card, you can just unplug the old graphics card and replace it with a new one. You would not even need to buy a new computer altogether to enjoy such feature.
