Modularity

Modularity is the degree to which a system's components may be separated and recombined. The meaning of the word, however, can vary somewhat by context:

System

A system is a set of interacting or interdependent component parts forming a complex/intricate whole. Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its structure and purpose and expressed in its functioning.

The term system may also refer to a set of rules that governs structure and/or behavior. Alternatively, and usually in the context of complex social systems, the term is used to describe the set of rules that govern structure and/or behavior.

Etymology

The term "system" comes from the Latin word systēma, in turn from Greek σύστημα systēma: "whole compounded of several parts or members, system", literary "composition".

History

According to Marshall McLuhan,

"System" means "something to look at". You must have a very high visual gradient to have systematization. In philosophy, before Descartes, there was no "system". Plato had no "system". Aristotle had no "system".

In the 19th century the French physicist Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, who studied thermodynamics, pioneered the development of the concept of a "system" in the natural sciences. In 1824 he studied the system which he called the working substance (typically a body of water vapor) in steam engines, in regards to the system's ability to do work when heat is applied to it. The working substance could be put in contact with either a boiler, a cold reservoir (a stream of cold water), or a piston (to which the working body could do work by pushing on it). In 1850, the German physicist Rudolf Clausius generalized this picture to include the concept of the surroundings and began to use the term "working body" when referring to the system.

Doepfer A-100

The Doepfer A-100 is an analog modular synthesizer system introduced by German audio manufacturer Doepfer in 1995. Although it only had 10 modules at time of release, it currently has more than 120 modules plus several different enclosures and accessories.

A-100 modules are designed to be rackmounted, each being 3U tall and a multiple of 2HP wide, though a variety of cases are available to house them. This type of racking system, 'Eurorack', has been adopted by many other manufacturers of synthesiser modules. Modules are patched using standard mono miniature (3.5 mm) leads. This combination of 3U height, multiples of 2HP width, and 3.5 mm leads is known more generally as the Eurorack standard, and is in contrast to the older combination of 5U height and 6.35 mm leads pioneered by Moog. Other companies such as Analogue Solutions, Analogue Systems, Roland, Moog and Cwejman have also adopted the Eurorack standard, making it relatively easy to integrate their modules into each other's systems.

Cooler Master

Cooler Master Co., Ltd. is a computer hardware manufacturer from Taiwan. Founded in 1992, the company is an aftermarket brand for computer chassis, PSU, coolers, cooling pads, and other accessories. Alongside the retail business, Cooler Master is also a cooling solution OEM vendor for different brand names of the computer industry including nVIDIA (VGA coolers),AMD (CPU cooler), and EVGA (motherboard heatsinks). In recent years the company expanded its operation and brand exposure into gaming communities and sponsored major events such as KODE5. Some of Cooler Master's products also won awards such as the iF product design award.

The company headquarters of Cooler Master is located in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan and has a manufacturing facility in Huizhou, China. To support international operations, the company also has branch offices in various continents, including United States (Fremont, California and Chino, California), the Netherlands (Venlo), Germany (Augsburg), Russia (Moscow), and Brazil (São Paulo). Other than the mother brand, Cooler Master, the company also launched subsidiary brands into different market segments, including the gaming oriented "CM Storm" and the life-style product line "Choiix".