Expansion card

Alternatively referred to as an add-on card, expansion board, internal card, interface adapter, or card, an expansion card is a PCB that fits into an expansion slot on a desktop computer. An expansion card is used to give a computer additional capabilities, such as enhanced video performance via a graphics card.

Types of expansion cards in a computer

· Interface card (ATA, Bluetooth, EIDE, FireWire, IDE, parallel, RAID, SCSI, serial, and USB).

· Modem

· MPEG Decoder

· Network Card

· Sound Card

· Video capture card

· Video Card

Expansion card example

Below is a graphic illustration of an ISA Modem expansion card (click the picture to get a descriptive overview).

As seen in the picture, an expansion card has two main parts, the first is the gold plated connector that connects to a motherboard expansion slotand the connector plate. The back metal plate often has connectionsthat allow an outside device to communicate with the card and computer. In this example, the modem has two RJ-11 jacks that allow it to communicate over a phone line.

Do laptops or netbooks have expansion cards?

Laptops, netbooks, and other mobile computers do not have expansion cards like what was explained above. However, some laptops can have PC Cards that can be inserted into the side of the laptop. They may also have a Cardbus slot for an ExpressCard to be added.