NB - not all ports are mentioned in this post e.g ps2, serial, parallel ports etc.  This content focuses on the requirements of our NCSE ICT syllabus.

Computer Ports

Computer ports can be found on the system unit and serves as points of connection to various peripheral devices via wired cabled or wireless transmission media.

A view of a system unit’s ports is shown below:

Output Devices And Ports

Video output to a computer monitor (or any other visual display unit [VDU]) can be achieved by sending signals from the system unit’s graphics circuits via specific display port over a cable and to the monitor/screen.

Two types of video ports are VGA and HDMI

VGA – Video Graphics Array

This technology has been around since 1978 , and is essentially a chipset for graphical display. A VGA cable connects one end to the system unit’s VGA port and the other to a VGA port on the VDU (Projector, computer monitor, Smart TV, etc)

The system unit’s VGA port is shown below:

Below is an image showing the end of the cable VGA Cable which connects the VGA Port:

Below is an image shown how the cable is intended to be connected via the port for our VGA technology:

Characteristics of VGA Technology

VGA technology,

• is affordable and the cheapest option. VGA only Devices are very cheap, as opposed to other devices that include HDMI etc.
• is widespread, popular and can be easily found world wide
• can display up to 256 colors
• Displays a reliable resolution for most applications, however other technologies can display sharper and clearer images at high resolution.

HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface

This is an another output technology which outputs high quality , high resolution video and sound via HDMI ports and cables. One cable’s end connects to the System unit’s hdmi port and the other to a VDU which can also output sound.

An image is shown below of an HDMI Cable:

An image is shown below of an HDMI Cable port on a VDU:

Communication Ports

Communication Ports allow for computer networking.

Ethernet port (RJ45)

This is a very common standard of networking which uses a wired cable connected via and ethernet port. The ethernet cable can be used to connect 2 PCs, or a pc to network hardware, or even one network to the next.

An image of an ethernet cable with a RJ45 connector end is shown next to a laptop’s RJ45 connector(Right). (The port on the left on the laptop is a RJ11 Connector used for land line phone connection):

A special type of port , USB – Universal Serial Bus

USB technology was developed with the intention to connect many device types to the computer system and/or each other via USB Ports and Cables. E.g networking 2 computer systems, connecting to game consoles to each other for playing videogames etc.

Devices include input , output , external storage devices, communications devices and specialized devices.

Input devices

Keyboard, Mouse, Graphics tablets

Output

Printers,VDUs, Audio

External storage devices

Flash Drives, External Hard Drives

Communications devices

Wireless Networking, Wireless Modems

Specialized devices

Security dongles, Video Cameras, Audio equipment, Midi Keyboards and Controllers.

Fire wire

Firewire is a standard similar to USB that was developed to connect multiple device types to the computer system.

Below is an image of a firewire port:

A firewire cable end:

Internal Ports – SATA and IDE

Within the computer’s system unit various ports, connectors and cables are used to connect devices internally so that they can be manipulated by the computer system

Mass storage devices, such as optical disk drives and hard drives, are connected to the system using two types of technologies:

• IDE – Integrated Drive Electronics
• SATA – Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
  

IDE – Integrated Drive Electronics

This was an earlier technology which was created for mass storage via the device and a multi wired cable in the form of a ribbon. This method of data transfer uses “parallel communication”. (At this level we will not delve into what parallel communication is, more so that we note that it is a defining characteristic of the technology.)

An IDE Hard drive is shown below with a space of connection to the ribbon cable on the bottom left:

An IDE ribbon cable is shown below for connection to either the storage device or the computer system’s circuitry (motherboard):

An IDE Connector on the computer system’s circuitry (motherboard)

SATA – Serial Advanced Technology Attachment

SATA was meant to be a an improvement over IDE Technology. SATA connects mass storage device via SATA Ports and Cabling. This method of data transfer uses “parallel communication”. By the nature of SATA Technology’s design it’s cabling is less bulky than IDE and less expensive making it more popular. Data transfer is much faster as compared to IDE with SATA transferring approximately 45 times faster than IDE Technology.

Below is a picture of a SATA hard drive:

A SATA Data Cable

Below is an image of SATA Cables connected to the computer system’s circuitry (Motherboard)

UPDATES TO THIS POST

28th Sept 2022 – Added “Smart TV with a HDMI port” as an example for a VDU.

Attributions to media used in this post

• Dmitry Makeev, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/ATX_Computer_cases%2C_back_view.jpg)

• Katsuki at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Vga-cable.jpg)
  
• Hartmut.krummrei, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Kannan shanmugam,shanmugam studio, Kollam, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Kreuzschnabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• The original uploader was Hieke at German Wikipedia., Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Amin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• TheAnarcat, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Leon Brooks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• JulianVilla26, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Fustigate314159, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  
• Hardyplants, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Draw the shapes from the following snippets of scratch code:

Exercise 1

pen down
repeat 4
    move 100 steps
    turn right 90 degrees
end repeat    

Solution: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/700717121

Exercise 2

pen down
repeat 3
    move 100 steps
    turn right 120 degrees
end repeat

Solution: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/700720654

Exercise 3

pen down
repeat 3
    move 200 steps
    repeat 2 
        turn right 120 degrees
        move 200 steps
    end repeat
    repeat 2 
        turn left 120 degrees
        move 200 steps
    end repeat
    turn right 120 degrees
end repeat

Solution: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/700721746

Animated solution:

Solution with more pauses: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/638143905

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Draw the shapes from the following snippets of scratch code:

Exercise 1

pen down
repeat 4
    move 100 steps
    turn right 90 degrees
end repeat    

Exercise 2

pen down
repeat 3
    move 100 steps
    turn right 120 degrees
end repeat

Exercise 3

pen down
repeat 3
    move 200 steps
    repeat 2 
        turn right 120 degrees
        move 200 steps
    end repeat
    repeat 2 
        turn left 120 degrees
        move 200 steps
    end repeat
    turn right 120 degrees
end repeat

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Task 1

Create a solution in scratch which accepts a mark from the user and outputs whether or not the mark is a pass or a fail. Assume the pass mark is 50.

Solution: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/699663431

Task 2

Modify your solution above to keep on prompting the user indefinitely and keep track of the number of marks entered.

In the above scenario, we add:

• a forever block to achieve indefinite/infinite repetition
• a variable to keep track of the number of marks, numMarks
• the join operator to output results

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Task: Create a solution which accepts 10 temperatures in Celsius and outputs “it is hot” if the temperature is greater than 30 degrees, otherwise output “it is cold”

Solution

See flowgorithm files here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lvuR4sNPoV8ZfWN_GPL1DnZewjNm3bES?usp=sharing

Flowchart

Pseudocode

Start
    // Task: Create a solution which accepts 10 temperatures in Celsius and outputs "it is hot" if the temperature is greater than 30 degrees, otherwise output "it is cold"
    // 
    // Start Declaring Variables
    // End Declaring Variables
    // Start Variable Initialization
    // 
    counter = 1
    maximum = 10
    currentTemperature = -999.99
    
    // End Variable Initialization
    // 
    loop while counter <= maximum
        output "Please enter temperature value #" + counter
        input currentTemperature
        if currentTemperature > 30 then
            output "it is hot"
        else
            output "it is cold"
        end If
        counter = counter + 1
    end while
    output "Ending program"
end 

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Demo:
1. Visit Scratch.mit.edu or open scratch version 3
2. Add the pen addon to the scratch project
3. Experiment with the blocks that use the pen
4. Draw a square of side 50 units

Scratch Demo: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/650520375

Video Demo:

Task: Prompt the user to enter a value and store it in a variable called “Side”. Proceed to draw a square with a length of side equal to “Side”. (Assume the user enters a size that can fit in the stage area.)

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Main Content:

1) Read the information found here: https://islandclass.wordpress.com/2020/08/20/presentation-software/

2) Follow the video tutorial found here: https://islandclass.wordpress.com/2020/09/16/video-series-using-powerpoint-presentation-software/

Further Additional Content:
______________________________________________________________________________

The ministry of education has provided the following task and youtube videos:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-presentation-in-powerpoint-422250f8-5721-4cea-92cc-202fa7b89617

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS

1) Follow the instruction from above until “Saving” (Information from first link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-presentation-in-powerpoint-422250f8-5721-4cea-92cc-202fa7b89617 )”

2) View the videos (Posted above) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8hJvppObGQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzuHplbKD9A

3) Print your presentation (This step is optional)

______________________________________________________________________________
Text book resources:

JUST CLICK 3RD EDITION

Just Click 3rd Edition pg 92 to 97
Just Click 3rd Edition pg 98 to 99 (optional)

COMPUTING STUDENT BOOK 3
Oxford International Lower Secondary Computing Student Book 3 , Chapter 5

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved. 

Using Scratch Online, create a game on a topic of your interest. Please include the following:
1. Name of the game 1 mk
2. Instructions on how to use the game 1 mk
3. Good use of color and stage area 1 mk
4. Moving a sprite with the keyboard / mouse 2 mks
5. At least 1 loop (e.g. using the forever or repeat block) 2 mks
6. At least 1 If block (e.g. using an If block) 2 mks
7. At least 1 Variable (e.g. score) 2 mks
8. At least 1 Sensing block 2 mks
9. At least 1 Say block 2 mks

-SUBMIT A WORD PROCESSING DOCUMENT WHICH CONTAINTS THE INSTRUCTIONS AND A LINK TO THE GAME
-Keep all work PG13
-ONLY GROUP LEADERS ARE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT

See the video as a general guide on submission instructions. (Recorded previously on 2022-

© 2022  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.