Datasheet

66 Chapter 1
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Hardware
Depending on the notebook model, the battery may be anywhere, but it’s usually under
the keyboard. On some models, you can slide the battery out the side by removing a panel
or cover; on other models, you must lift the keyboard.
Pull out the battery, and insert a fresh battery in the same slot, pressing it firmly into
place. Then, replace the cover over the battery’s bay.
While manufacturers recommend a shutdown, in reality batteries are hot-pluggable/
swappable, so you don’t have to shut down in order to remove one. However, unless you
have a second battery or are connected to AC power, you’ll lose power and the PC will
shut off when you remove the battery.
For purposes of exam study, hot-swappable and hot-pluggable are inter-
changeable terms.
PCMCIA Cards
PCMCIA cards (named after the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)
are the expansion cards for notebook PCs. Most notebook PCs have a PCMCIA bay that can
accept one Type III device or two Type I or Type II devices:
Type I Up to 3.3mm thick. Used mostly for memory. These are very rarely used in today’s
systems, since the new laptops have other means of increasing memory, such as SoDIMMs.
Type II The most common type. Up to 5.5mm thick. Used for devices that would typically
be expansion boards in a desktop PC, such as network interface cards.
Type III Up to 10.5mm thick. Used for drives. Not common.
In addition to these types based on thickness, there are other types based on technology.
The PCMCIA (PC Card) standard has been updated to a new standard called CardBus; look
for CardBus in the specification when you’re buying PC Card devices. CardBus devices are
backward compatible with older PCMCIA slots. Even newer is the Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) Express (PCIe) bus—a serial bus addition that uses low-voltage differen-
tial signaling (LVDS), allowing you to attach several devices at the same time (using serial
communication instead of the parallel communication standard with most PC buses).
Ports and Communication Connections
Many laptops now include a Mini PCI slot for use with wireless adapters. Mini PCI slots
are also common on docking stations. Mini PCI is a 32-bit bus that operates at 32MHz. It
operates at only 3.3 volts and has three card configurations: Type I, Type II, and Type III.
Whereas Types I and III provide support for an RJ-45 connector, Type II cards have an RJ-45
connector mounted on them.
Other connections/connectors common on laptops include Bluetooth, infrared, cellular
WAN, WiFi, and Ethernet. All of these are discussed elsewhere in this book as they apply
to networking.
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