Sound Card

A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal computer expansion card that transfers the input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The typical uses of sound cards include providing audio for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and video projection.

Sound functionality can also be integrated onto the motherboard using basically the same components as a plug-in card. The best plug-in cards, which use better and more expensive components, can achieve higher quality than integrated sound. The integrated sound system is often still referred to as a "sound card".

Most sound cards use a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which converts recorded or generated digital data into an analog format. The output signal is connected to an amplifier, headphones, or external device using standard interconnects, such as a TRS phone connector or an RCA connector.

More advanced cards usually include more than one sound chip to support higher data rates and multiple simultaneous functionality. An example is creating digital production of synthesized sounds, usually for real-time generation of music and sound effects using minimal data and CPU time.

Most sound cards have a line-in connector for an input signal from a cassette tape or other sound source that has higher voltage levels than a regular microphone. The sound card digitizes this signal. The DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) transfers the samples to the main memory, from where a recording software may write it to the hard disk for storage, editing, or further processing.

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