LESSON 2: OHS Policies and Procedures

Introduction

Occupational Health and Safety or OHS is concerned with health, safety, and welfare issues
in the workplace. Policies and procedures are important in discussing OHS because it aims to
make the workplace safer and better for workers and stakeholders. 

It is concerned with many factors such as removal of hazards and reducing accidents in the
workplace.

As a future computer technician, it is your responsibility to know these standard protocols

especially since you will be assembling and repairing expensive and sensitive equipment that
need care and proper handling.

TOPIC 1: Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is a set of policies and procedures that is followed
in a workplace in order to prevent accidents, illnesses, and injuries. 
It involves knowing the risks that can be encountered in a workplace and figuring out how it
can be prevented.
 
Following OHS policies and procedures is important when dealing with electronics since it
would protect not only the personnel dealing with the components, but also the unit itself. 
Three steps may be done to facilitate OHS procedures in a CSS work space:

1. Hazard identification
2. Risk assessment
3. Risk control

In addition to that, here are some additional OHS Procedures that must be observed in
computer servicing:
TOPIC 2: Hazard Identification

Hazards are anything that can hurt a person. Example of hazards that can be encountered
when conducting computer systems servicing are:
 Tangled electrical cords
 Unsecured or unevenly stacked boxes
 Noise

Hazard identification involves observing the workplace’s surroundings to recognize potential

risks.
What are common hazards that can be encountered in the electronic industry?
TOPIC 3: Risk Assessment

TOPIC 4: Risk Control

Once the hazard has been identified and its risks have been evaluated, it is time to address
these issues:
 Ask your supervisor for instruction and training before using or repairing an
equipment.
 Do not carry or move heavy objects by yourself.
LESSON 3: Applying Quality Standards

Standards are sets of rules that outline specification of dimensions, design of operation,

materials, and performance. Standards provide basis for good quality and protocol.

When it comes to computer systems servicing, standards are important as it serves as

comparison for computer performance. Maintaining quality is important to manage customer
satisfaction where the revenue and profits will depend upon.

TOPIC 1: Assessing Quality

In computer systems servicing, you will be handling a lot of equipment. You will be
purchasing them, assembling and disassembling, repairing, or even maintaining them! 

That is why it is important to assess the quality of the materials you will be receiving
especially when you are purchasing from a supplier.

Here are some standard protocols in checking the materials and goods you will be receiving
in
TOPIC 2: Documentation

Here are some samples of log reports and documentation assessed by a quality checker.

Take note however, that not all organizations will make use of the same form.
TOPIC 3: Inventory Form

Here is an example of an inventory form. 

You will be encountering this after disassembling computers. You will be listing down the
PC specifications in this form.

You can write the general description of what the item is under Items while you can write
the specifications or necessary description below Description/Specification. Anything else
that you think are important notes should be written on the Remarks column.
UNIT 2: Understanding Basic Computer Concepts
LESSON 1: Understanding the Computer

Introduction

We all know that computers are essential pieces of technology that we use to make life
easier and perform jobs faster.  

A computer increases our productivity, connects us to the internet, lets us talk with people
across the world, helps us store a lot of information, and even make money!

In this lesson, we will start with the basics.

We want to understand how the computer works, how many types of computers are there,
what are the functions of the computer, and more!

TOPIC 1: The Computer

In technical terms, the computer is a device that accepts information in the form of

digitalized data, and manipulates it for some result based on a program or sequence of
instructions on how the data is to be processed.
TOPIC 2: Types of Computers

1. Supercomputer
Most powerful and most advance in terms of performance and data processing. These
computers are commonly used by large organizations to conduct specific tasks such
as weather forecasting, research, and exploration.

 Ex. IBM’s Mira in United States. IBM’s Sequoia in United States

 Fujitsu K Computer in Japan

2. Mainframe Computer
Large and expensive computer capable of handling thousands of users and programs
simultaneously. Mainframe computers can handle, process, and store large amount of data.
These are commonly stored in large air-conditioned rooms because of its big size. 
 
Ex. Fujitsu’s ICL VME, Hitachi’s Z800

Fujitsu ICL VME

3. Minicomputer

Also known as midrange computers. It features all the functions of a large size computer, but
has a smaller size. Minicomputers can support many users because of its multi-processing
system. 

Ex. K-202, IBM Midrange computers, SDS-92

K-202

4. Microcomputer

Most widely used and fastest growing type of computer. Desktop computers, laptops, tablets,
and smartphones are types of microcomputers.
TOPIC 3: Fundamental Elements of a Computer

LESSON 2: Basic Hardware Components of Computer Systems

Introduction

A computer system consists of hardware and software components. As important as the

software which are the programs that run the computer, the hardware is the physical
equipment such as the case, storage drives, keyboards, monitors, cables, speakers, and
printers that builds up and let the software run. 

It is important to learn about these components as these will be the basis before you handle
equipment especially in disassembling and assembling a computer system.

TOPIC 1: Computer Systems

The complete computer made up of the CPU, memory and related electronics (main cabinet),
all the peripheral devices connected to it and its operating system. 

 Computer systems fall into two broad divisions: clients and servers. 

 Client machines fall into three categories from low to high end: laptop,
desktop and workstation. 
 Servers range from small to large: low-end servers, midrange
servers and mainframes.
Processing Devices

Processing devices are the computer’s circuitry in the system unit.

 Motherboard – the circuit board housing the memory and the central processing unit
(CPU)

 Central Processing Unit (CPU) – manipulates input data into the information needed
by the users

 Memory – also known as Random Access Memory or RAM. It is a series of

electronic elements that act as temporary storage of data and program instructions
while the instructions are being processed by the CPU.
  Chips – these make up the CPU and the memory; these are electronic devices that
contain many microscopic pathways designed to carry electrical currents.

Storage Devices

Storage devices store data and programs. These hold data, information, and programs
permanently.

 Solid State Drive (SSD) – mass storage device that stores data in a permanent state
even without power. Similar to an HDD’s function, only the internal components are
different. SSDs do not have moving parts but store data on magnetic platters making
use of flash memory.

 Hard Disk Drive (HHD) – often called hard drive or hard disk. This is the most
common storage device that do not need power to maintain data; these store data
through spinning platters or magnetic disks, recording individual bits written into the
disk.

 Flash Drive – highly portable small data storage devices making use of flash memory
and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port connection

 CD – “compact disc”, this storage device can hold up to 700 MB; it is read by an
optical drive through a laser
Input devices 

Input devices allow the user to communicate with the computer by entering data or
commands.

 Keyboard – primary input device used to input alphanumeric data and commands to
the computer

 Mouse – primary input device used to navigate and interact with the monitor output

 Scanner – scans documents and converts them digitally, which can be edited on a
computer.

 Webcam – small cameras attached to a monitor or desk that record or broadcast video

 Joystick – device used to control video games, aside from the keyboard
Output Devices

Output devices enable the computer to show the processed data and information
understandably to the user.

 Printer – prints paper documents, photographs, and other outputs called hard copies
which are physical versions of the documents.

 Monitor – acts as the primary display of the unit where the user interface and
programs are reflected.

 Speakers – sound system device that produce audio output from the computer

TOPIC 2: The System Unit

The System Unit is the overall structure that houses the processor, memory, and electronic
components of the computer that are used to process data. All input and output devices are
connected into the system unit. The system unit is housed by what is known as system
case or computer case. It holds and protects most components of a computer.

The Computer Case contains the framework to support and enclose internal components of

the computer.  It helps to prevent damage from static electricity. It typically made up of
plastic, steel, and aluminum which are available in a variety of styles.  The size and layout of
a case is called a form factor.  It is also designed to keep internal components cool by using
airflow vents and cooling fans.  

Computer cases are referred to in a number of ways: Computer

chassis, Cabinet, Tower, Box and Housing.
 

  Types:
 Tower (Full, Mid, Mini)
 Desktop (Standard, Slimline)

Power Supply

Power supplies serve as the source for electricity to the computer. Attached are vital
hardware cables and buses for transferring power to various components in the computer. 

The following are the basic connector you can see in a power supply:
 ATX 24 pin main power connector is the standard motherboard power connector
used in nearly every computer.
 SATA 15 pin power supply connector is one of several standard peripheral power
connectors. SATA power connectors only connect to SATA drives like hard drives
and optical drives. SATA power connectors do not work with older PATA devices.
 Molex 4 pin power supply connector is a standard peripheral power connector.
Molex power connectors connect to many different kinds of internal peripherals
including PATA hard drives and optical drives, some video cards, and even some
other devices.
 Floppy drive 4 pin power supply connector is the standard floppy drive power
connector. The floppy power connector, also called a Berg connector or Mini-Molex
connector, is included in even the newest power supplies even though floppy drives
are becoming obsolete.
 ATX 4 pin power supply connector is a standard motherboard power connector used
to provide +12 VDC to the processor voltage regulator. This small connector usually
attaches to the motherboard near the CPU.
 ATX 6 pin power supply connector is a motherboard power connector used to
provide +12 VDC to the processor voltage regulator but the 4-pin variety is the more
 commonly used connector. This small connector usually attaches to the motherboard
near the CPU.

Motherboard

The motherboard is also known as mainboard, system board, logic board, or  MOBO. It

holds and allows communication between the crucial components of the computer such as the
CPU and memory. It also provides connection for other peripherals. This provides the path
which the processor (CPU) communicates with all the components of the computer.

There are several components that are attached to the motherboard. These include:
1.     Chip – small piece of semiconducting material, where more integrated circuits are
embedded. They have standard-sized pin connectors that allows them to be attached to the
motherboard.
2.     Bus - an electrical path that enables data flow between various system components.
3.     Integrated Circuit (IC) – contains microscopic pathways that carry electric current.
The IC contains millions of elements such as resistors, capacitators, and transistors. Many
different kinds of chips are located in the motherboard
4.     Microprocessor – this is the central processing unit on a chip.
 
Different variety of chip packages:

1.     Dual Inline Package (DIP) – this has two parallel rows of pints that attach the chip
package to the circuit board
2.     Pin Grid Array (PGA) – holds a larger number of pins because the pins are mounted
on the surface of the package.
3.     Flip Chip-PGA (CF-PGA) Package – higher performance PGA packaging that places
the chip on the opposite sides of the pins.
4.     Single Edge Contact (SEC) Cartridge – does not use pins but connects to one of the
edges in the motherboard.

The form factor of motherboards pertains to the size and shape of the board.  It also describes
the physical layout of the different components and devices on the motherboard.  Various
form factors exist for motherboards:
 AT – Advanced Technology
 ATX – Advanced Technology Extended
 Mini-ATX – Smaller footprint of ATX
 Micro-ATX – Smaller footprint of ATX
 LPX – Low-profile Extended
 NLX – New Low-profile Extended
 BTX – Balanced Technology Extended

The function of the northbridge is primarily a fast path between the CPU and the video bus
and system RAM. While the southbridge connects with the slow hardware/components of the
system. 

See the photo below (courtesy of Quora) to understand the function of these bridges:
Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Commonly known as the CPU or processor, this is the brain of the computer. It interprets

and carries out the basic instructions to operate a computer. 

It impacts overall computing power and manages most of the computer operations. The
motherboard contains a socket to hold the processor or CPU. The central processing unit
(CPU), also called the processor or microprocessor, does most of the processing of data and
instructions for the entire system. Because the CPU generates heat, a fan and heat sink might
be installed on top to keep it cool.

Nowadays, processors have multiple cores called multi-core processors. This means that the
processor is a single chips that has two or more separate processors. In multi-core processors,
each of the processors run at a slower clock speed as compared to a single-core processor, but
this efficient process typically increases performance. There are two kinds of common multi-
core processors today:

1.     Dual Core Processor – chip that contains two separate processors

2.     Quad Core Processor – chip with four separate processors
 
AMD and Intel are the two most popular brands of processors in the market nowadays.
Bundled with the processors are the heat sinks.  A heat sink consists of metal fins that draw
heat away from a component. The fan and heat sink together are called the processor cooler.
The photo below shows a CPU with a heat sink mounted on the motherboard.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The Random Access Memory or RAM acts as temporary storage as long as the computer is

running. The contents of the RAM change as programs are executed. These are chips that are
placed directly on the motherboard. These RAM consists of switches which are triggered by
changes in electric current. 

Three basic types of RAM:

1.     Dynamic RAM (DRAM) – This kind of RAM needs to be recharged by the CPU. If
not, it loses its contents. There are many variations of DRAM such as:
o Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) – faster than DRAM because it is synchronized to the
system clock
o Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM – faster than SDRAM because they transfer data twice
for each clock cycle
o DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM – faster than DDR SDRAM
o  ambus DRAM (RDRAM) – type of DRAM faster than SDRAM that uses pipelining
techniques
2.     Static RAM (SRAM) – This kind is faster and more reliable than any form of DRAM.
Unlike the DRAM, this does not need to be re-energized. However, it is much more
expensive and it used for special purposes.
3.     Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM) – This kind stores data using magnetic charges
instead of electrical charges. It has greater storage capacity, consume less power, and faster
access times.
 

The RAM chips are housed in a small circuit board called the memory module, which is
inserted into the motherboard.

Three types of memory modules:

1.     Single Inline Memory Module (SIMM) – this has pins on opposite sides of the circuit
board which connect together to form a single set of contacts. This houses SDRAM chips
along with DIMMs.
2.     Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) – the pins on the opposite sides of the circuit
board do not connect and form two sets of contacts. This houses SDRAM chips along with
SIMMs.
3.     Rambus Inline Memory Module (RIMM) – this houses RDRAM chips

The computer will need a certain amount of memory to be able to handle programs, data, and
information, depending on the types of applications used. 

The more RAM a computer has, the faster the computer will be. 
 To be able to use basic application software such as Office Suite, one needs at
least 1GB of RAM. 
 Using programs and multimedia should have at least 4GB. 
 Playing modern games or using editing software will require at least 8GB. 

Today the RAM ranges up to 64GB depending on the programs that will be used for the
computer.
Cooling Technology

Cooling technologies are essential in avoiding the computer from overheating and

maintaining a good, well-ventilated system.

Chassis Fan

Several cooling technologies are present throughout the system unit:

 o    Fans are also present in several components such as the power supply, ports, processor,
hard disk etc.
o    Heat sink, on another hand, is a small metal or ceramic component with fins on the
surface which absorbs and distributes heat produced by electrical components.
o    Heat pipe is used on smaller devices like notebook computers since this is smaller in
size.

Heat Sink
Expansion Cards

A motherboard has expansion slots to be used by expansion cards. An expansion card, also

called an adapter card, is a circuit board that provides more ports than those provided by the
motherboard. 
The photo below shows a Video Card, where it provides three video ports. Notice the
cooling fan and heat sink on the card, which help to keep the card from overheating. The
trend today is for most ports in a system to be provided by the motherboard (called onboard
ports) and less use of expansion cards.
There are also other variants of expansion cards such as network cards, sound cards, video
capture cards, interface cards, and other expansion cards that cater to whatever the computer
user for his/her needs and improvements for the system.

Storage

A system might have one or more hard drives, an optical drive, a tape drive, or, for really old
systems, a floppy drive. 

A hard drive, also called a hard disk drive (HDD), is permanent storage used to hold data
and programs.  

Hard Disk Drive

For example, the Windows  operating system and applications are installed on the hard drive.
All drives in a system are installed in a stack of drive bays at either the front or on the lower
portion of the case.  Nowadays, users use Solid State Drive or SSDs because of its use of
flash memory, which does not use physical disks to write memory/data.
 Solid State Drive

Each drive has two connections for cables: the power cable connects to the power supply and
another cable, used for data and instructions, connects to the motherboard.

SATA Cable // SATA Connector Slot in the Motherboard

TOPIC 3: Ports, Sockets, Slots, & Connectors

The motherboard has several ports, sockets, slots, and connectors that link the computers'
components, input, and output devices among each other. First we'll look at the port which
are usually found at the side of the motherboard or the back of the system case.

The port basically serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or
peripheral devices. 

A port generally refers to the female part of connection. Computer ports have many uses, to
connect a monitor, webcam, speakers, or other peripheral devices. 

On the physical layer, a computer port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment to

which a plug or cable connects. Electronically, the several conductors where the port and
cable contacts connect, provide a method to transfer signals between devices.

Familiarize yourself with the following ports usually found with computer systems below:
TOPIC 3: Ports, Sockets, Slots, & Connectors

Ports
Slots
Sockets
The following are the most common sockets found in the motherboard. The CPU socket
where the CPU itself is inserted and the CMOS slot where the CMOS battery (which lets the
motherboard remember the date and time of the computer) that is replaced after it has worn
out.

LESSON 3: Hand Tools and Equipment

Introduction

Most tools used in computer system servicing are hand tools. These can be part of a computer
repair toolkit as well. In this lesson, you will learn about the common hand tools and
equipment that you will be using especially in handling computer equipment such as
disassembly/assembly of a computer, as well as  repair and maintenance.

TOPIC 1: Electrostatic Discharge Tools

When working with electronic equipment, it is important to make sure that there is no static
electricity to avoid damage of computer parts. 

Static electricity can be easily generated by friction on carpets, clothing, hair, fabric, flooring,
etc. 

Thus, these tools should be utilized:

 Anti-static wrist wrap 

Worn to prevent ESD damage to computer hardware
Anti-static mat 
Used to stand on or place tools to prevent buildup of static electricity.

TOPIC 2: Hand Tools

TOPIC 3: Cleaning Tools

Lint-free cloth 
For cleaning computer parts without leaving marks or scratches.

Compressed air 
For clearing or blowing away dust from computer parts.

Cable Ties 
Used to organize and bundle cable together.
Parts organizer  
For holding and organizing screws and other small computer parts.

TOPIC 4: Diagnostic Tools

Digital Multimeter 

A tool that can be used to measure amps, volts, and ohms. It can test the integrity of circuits
and the quality of electricity in computer components. Information is flashed on the screen.

Loopback Adapter 
Also called as loopback plug. This tool tests the basic functionality of computer ports. The
adapter is specific to the port that you want to test.
Toner Probe 
A two-part tool that generates a tone that travels the length of the cable. The toner part is
attached to a cable at one end using specific adapters, such as RJ-45, coaxial, or metal clips.
When the probe is near to the cable where the toner is attached, a tone can be heard from the
speaker.