ISA CARD Meaning and
Definition
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ISA card, also known as Industry Standard Architecture card, is a type of expansion card commonly used in early personal computers. It is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into the ISA slots on the motherboard, allowing additional hardware components to be connected to the computer.
The ISA card follows the industry standard architecture, setting the guidelines and specifications for the connection and communication between the card and the motherboard. It uses a 16-bit or 8-bit data bus and can support a variety of devices, such as sound cards, network cards, and modem cards.
The ISA card slots on the motherboard are generally longer than other expansion card slots, with the typical length being 8.5 inches. The card is inserted into these slots and secured with screws to ensure a stable and reliable connection. It connects to the motherboard using a series of gold-plated contacts, providing both data transmission and power supply.
ISA cards were widely used in personal computers from the early 1980s until the mid-1990s when they were gradually replaced by newer and faster technologies such as PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect). Despite being an older technology, ISA cards were versatile and allowed users to upgrade their computers by simply adding compatible cards. This flexibility made them popular in their time.
In modern computers, ISA cards are rarely used, as newer motherboards do not support ISA slots. However, they hold historical significance in the evolution of computer hardware and remain a relic of early computing technologies.
Common Misspellings for ISA CARD
- usa card
- jsa card
- ksa card
- osa card
- 9sa card
- 8sa card
- iaa card
- iza card
- ixa card
- ida card
- iea card
- iwa card
- isz card
- iss card
- isw card
- isq card
- isa xard
- isa vard
- isa fard
- isa dard
Etymology of ISA CARD
The term "ISA card" stands for Industry Standard Architecture card.
The etymology of the term is as follows:
1. ISA: It refers to the Industry Standard Architecture, which is a standard for the internal bus of IBM-compatible computers. It was introduced by IBM in 1981 with the original IBM PC, and later adopted as a de facto standard by other computer manufacturers. The ISA bus allowed expansion cards (such as video cards, sound cards, and network cards) to be connected to the computer's motherboard.
2. Card: In this context, "card" refers to a printed circuit board or an expansion card that can be plugged into the computer's motherboard to provide additional functionality or features.
So, the term "ISA card" is a combination of the acronym for the Industry Standard Architecture and the term "card", referring to the expansion card that connects to the ISA bus.
