TOPIC 2.1 MOBILE DEVICE

Laptop Components - Laptop CPU

  • Use less power and create less heat than desktop processors.
  • CPU throttling to modify the clock speed as needed to reduce power consumption and heat. These specially-designed processors allow a laptop to operate longer when using a battery.


Laptop Components

Monitor, Fn key, and Function keys F1 through F12

  • A laptop monitor is a built-in LCD. A desktop monitor can be added to a laptop
  • The Fn key is used to activate a second function on a dual-purpose key.
    (Accessed by pressing the Fn key in combination with another key is printed on the key in a smaller font or different color)
  • The purpose of the Function keys F1-to-F12 depends on the operating system and the application running.

  • Port Replicator - may contain a SCSI port, a networking port, PS/2 ports, USB ports, and a game port.
  • Docking Station - has the same ports as a port replicator, but adds the ability to connect to PCI cards, additional hard drives, optical drives, and floppy drives.
    A laptop connected to a docking station has the same functionalities as a desktop computer.

Laptop Display Types

Laptop monitors are built-in displays.
There are four types of laptop displays:

  • LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
  • LED – Light Emitting Diode - uses less power and has a longer lifespan than LCD monitors
    -OLED - Organic LED
  • Plasma – rarely used in laptops due to high power consumption

Backlights, Inverters and Wi-Fi Antenna

  • Inverter converts DC power to the higher voltage AC power that is required by the backlight

Backlight shines through the screen and illuminates the display.

  • Two common types of backlights are cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and LED.
    - Cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) are used in LCD monitors

Configure Laptop Power Settings

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standards create a bridge between the hardware and OS and allow echnicians to create power management schemes to get the best performance from the computer.

  • ACPI standards are applicable to most computers, but they are particularly important when managing power in laptops.

Managing acpi settings in the bios

These are the steps to access the ACPI settings in the BIOS:

  • Enter BIOS setup by pressing the appropriate key or key combination while the computer is booting. - Typically this is the Delete key or the F2 key, but there are several other options.
    -Locate and enter the “Power Management settings” menu item.
  • Use the appropriate keys to enable ACPI mode.
    -Save and Exit BIOS setup.

Power Settings in Windows

Allows you to reduce the power consumption of a number of devices or of the entire system. Use Power Options to control the power management features of the following:

  • Laptop
  • Hard drive
  • Display
  • Sleep timers
  • Low-battery warnings

To configure your power settings, click:
Start > Control Panel > Power Options


Laptop Communication Methods

Laptops use several different communication methods:

  • Bluetooth
  • Infrared
  • Cellular WAN
  • Wi-Fi

Bluetooth
image

Infrared

  • A short-range, low-throughput wireless technology used as a data transmission medium.
  • Infrared light signals operate in the lowest light frequency
  • Distances are limited to a few feet or meters
  • IR cannot penetrate any object that blocks the light signal

Three types of IR networks:

  • Line of sight - The signal is transmitted only if there is a clear, unobstructed view between devices
  • Scatter - The signal is bounced off ceilings and walls.
  • Reflective - The signal is sent to an optical transceiver and is redirected to the receiving device

Cellular WAN
To connect a laptop to a cellular WAN, you install an adapter that is designed to work with cellular networks.

  • Cellular WAN cards are plug-and-play.
  • Can be plugged in to the PC card slot or is built in to the laptop.
  • Access with a USB adapter or by using a mobile hotspot.

Require no software installation and no additional antenna or accessories.




Wi-Fi
a wireless technology that provides a simple connection from anywhere within the range of a base station.

  • Connection distances of 300 feet (91 meters) or more, depending on the environment
  • Ease of access makes Wi-Fi a simple solution for network connectivity.

Laptops access the internet by using wireless adapters

  • Mini-PCI - Commonly used by older laptops. Mini-PCI cards have 124 pins and are capable of 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless LAN connection standards
  • Mini-PCIe - Most common type of wireless card in laptops. Mini-PCIe cards have 54 pins and support all wireless LAN standards.
  • PCI Express Micro - Commonly found in newer and smaller laptops, such as Ultrabooks, because they are half the size of Mini-PCIe cards.

Wi-Fi antennas transmit and receive data carried out over wireless signals