Module 1 Installing Computer Systems and Networks Student

Based Learning Materials
Competency-Based Learning Materials
Installing Computer Systems

and Networks
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOW TO USE THESECOMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIALS ............. 2
LIST OF COMPETENCIES ............................................................................... 4
MODULE CONTENT ........................................................................................ 5
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOME ............................................................. 7
LEARNING EXPERIENCE ................................................................................ 8
INFORMATION SHEET 1.1-1 ........................................................................... 9
SELF-CHECK 1.1-1 ....................................................................................... 12
ANSWER KEY 1.1-1 ...................................................................................... 13
INFORMATION SHEET 1.1-2 ......................................................................... 14
SELF- CHECK 1.1-2 ...................................................................................... 23
ANSWER KEY 1.1-2 ...................................................................................... 26
SELF-CHECK 1.1-3 ....................................................................................... 40
ANSWER KEY 1.1-3 ...................................................................................... 44
SELF-CHECK 1.1-4 ....................................................................................... 58
ANSWER KEY 1.1-4 ...................................................................................... 60
SELF-CHECK 1.1-5 ....................................................................................... 64
ANSWER KEY 1.1-5 ...................................................................................... 65
SELF CHECK 1.1-6 ....................................................................................... 73
ANSWER KEY 1.1-6 ...................................................................................... 75
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OHS) .............................................. 76
TOOLS, EQUIPTMENT, MATERIALS .............................................................. 77
TECHNICAL TERMS ...................................................................................... 78
REFERENCES............................................................................................... 82
CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

Hardware Servicing NC II – December 2016 Revision No.
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Install Computer Systems Date Revised: 00
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HOW TO USE THESECOMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING
MATERIALS
Welcome to the Module “Installing Computer Systems and Networks”.

This module contains training materials and activities for you to complete.
The unit of competency “Install Computer Systems and Networks”
contains knowledge, skills and attitudes required for a COMPUTER
HARDWARE SERVICING NC II course.
You are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to
complete each of the learning outcomes of the module. In each learning
outcome there are Information Sheets and Activity Sheets. Follow these
activities on your own and answer the Self-Check at the end of each learning
activity.
The goal of this course is the development of practical skills. To gain
these skills, you must learn basic concepts and terminologies. For the most
part, you will get information from the Information Sheets
This module was prepared to help you achieve the required competency
in “Install Computer Systems and Networks”. This will be the source of
information for you to acquire knowledge and skills in this particular
competency independently and at your own pace, with minimum supervision
or help from your instructor.
If you have questions, don‘t hesitate to ask your
facilitator/trainer/instructor for assistance.
Remember to:
 Read Information Sheets and complete the Self-Checks. Suggested
references are included to supplement the materials provided in this
module.
 Perform the Task Sheets and Job Sheets (if any) until you are confident
that your outputs conform to the Performance Criteria Checklist that
follows the sheet.
 Submit outputs of Task Sheets and Job Sheets to your facilitator for
evaluation and recording in the Accomplishment Chart. Outputs shall
serve as your portfolio during the Institutional Competency Evaluation.
When you feel confident that you have had sufficient practice, ask your
trainer to evaluate you. The results of your assessment will be recorded
in your Progress Chart and Accomplishment Chart.
You must pass the Institutional Competency Evaluation for this

competency before moving to another competency. A Certificate of
Achievement will be awarded to you after passing the evaluation.
Date Developed:
CBLMs on Computer
December 2016
Hardware Servicing NC II – Revision No.
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RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)
You may already have some of the knowledge and skills covered in this
module because you have:
 been working for some time
 already have completed training in this area.
If you can demonstrate to your facilitator/trainer that you are competent
in a particular skill or skills, talk to him/her about having them formally
recognized so you don‘t have to do the same training again. If you have a
qualification or Certificate of Competency from previous training shows it to
your students. If the skills you acquired are still current and relevant to this
module, they may become part of the evidence you can present for RPL. If you
are not sure about the currency of your skills, discuss it with your teacher.
After completing this module ask your trainer to assess your
competency. Result of your assessment will be recorded in your competency
profile. All the learning activities are designed for you to complete at your own
pace.
Inside this module you will find the activities for you to complete followed
by relevant information sheets for each learning outcome. Each learning
outcome may have more than one learning activity.

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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING NC II
COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIALS
LIST OF COMPETENCIES
No Unit of Competency Module Title Code

Install Computer Systems Installing Computer
1 ITCHS03001
and Networks Systems and Networks
Diagnose and Troubleshoot Diagnosing and
2 Computer Systems and Troubleshooting Computer ITCHS03002
Networks Systems and Networks
Configure Computer Configuring Computer
3 ITCHS03003
Systems and Networks System and Networks
Maintain Computer Maintaining Computer
4 ITCHS03004
Systems and Networks Systems and Networks

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MODULE CONTENT
UNIT OF COMPETENCY : Install Computer Systems and Networks

MODULE TITLE : Installing Computer Systems and Networks
MODULE DESCRIPTOR:
This module contains information and suggested learning activities on
Computer Hardware Servicing. It includes training materials and activities for
you to complete.
Completion of this module will help you better understand the
succeeding module on Computer Hardware Servicing.
This module consists of 3 learning outcomes. Each learning outcome
contains learning activities supported by each instruction sheets. Before you
perform the instructions read the information sheets and answer the self-check
and activities provided to as certain to yourself and your teacher that you have
acquired the knowledge necessary to perform the skill portion of the particular
learning outcome.
Upon completion of this module, report to your teacher for assessment to
check your achievement of knowledge and skills requirement of this module. If
you pass the assessment, you will be given a certificate of completion.
NOMINAL DURATIONS: 60 HRS
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this module you MUST be able to:
1. Plan and prepare for installation
2. Install device, system and equipment
3. Conduct test
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
Refer to assessment criteria of learning outcomes #1-3 of this module.
1. Installation planned and prepared to ensure that safety measures,
policies and procedures followed, and that work is appropriately
sequenced in accordance with the industry standards
2. Technical personnel consulted to ensure that the work coordinated
effectively with others involved on the worksite
3. Computer systems and network devices obtained in accordance with the
established procedures and to comply with requirements
4. Location where devices and systems to be installed is determined from
job requirements
Date Developed:
CBLMs on Computer
December 2016
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5. Materials necessary to complete the work obtained in accordance with
established procedures and checked against job requirements
6. Tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the installation
work obtained in accordance with established procedures and checked
for correct operation and safety
7. Preparatory work checked to ensure that no unnecessary damage has
occurred and that work complies with requirements
8. Occupational health and safety policies and procedures followed in
installing computer systems , network devices, and peripherals
9. Computer systems, network devices and peripherals installed obtained
in accordance with the established procedures and to comply with
requirements
10. Appropriate procedures in installing computer systems, network devices
and peripherals achieve in accordance with requirements without
damage or distortion to the surrounding environment and services
11. Variation to devices/systems installation carried out in accordance with
the customer/client‘s requirements
12. Unplanned events or conditions responded to in accordance to in
accordance with established procedures
13. Approval is obtained in accordance with established procedures from
appropriate personnel before any contingencies implemented
14. Ongoing checks of the quality of the quality of the work undertaken in
accordance with the established procedures
15. Occupational health and safety policies and procedures for installing
computer systems and network devices followed.
16. Circuits and systems checked as being isolated where necessary using
specified testing procedures
17. Parts or connections of the installation or service that removed in order
to conduct the test stored to protect against loss or damage and in
accordance with established procedures
18. Unplanned events or conditions responded to in accordance with the
industry requirements
19. Approval obtained in accordance with established procedures from
appropriate personnel before any contingencies are implemented
20. Devices/systems and/or installation tested to terminated in accordance
with the industry requirements
21. Parts and/or connections removed for testing returned to pre-test
conditions in accordance with established procedures
22. Final inspections undertaken to ensure that the installed
devices/systems conforms to requirements
23. Documents in relation to the test forwarded to appropriate personnel
and/or authority in accordance with requirements
PRE-REQUISITES:
PC Operation
Date Developed:
CBLMs on Computer December 2016
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SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOME
LEARNING PLAN AND PREPARE FOR INSTALLATION

OUTCOME #1:
CONTENTS:
1. Safety procedures
2. Basic terms, concepts, functions and characteristics of PC hardware
components
3. Structure of operating systems
4. Familiarization with the various computer systems‘ components and
peripherals
5. system configuration/ settings of computer systems and devices
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Installation planned and prepared to ensure that safety measures,
policies and procedures followed, and that work is appropriately
sequenced in accordance with the industry standards
2. Technical personnel consulted to ensure that the work coordinated
effectively with others involved on the worksite
3. Computer systems and network devices obtained in accordance with the
established procedures and to comply with requirements
4. Location where devices and systems to be installed is determined from
job requirements
5. Materials necessary to complete the work obtained in accordance with
established procedures and checked against job requirements
6. Tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the installation
work obtained in accordance with established procedures and checked
for correct operation and safety
7. Preparatory work checked to ensure that no unnecessary damage has
occurred and that work complies with requirements
CONDITIONS:
The trainees MUST be provided with the following:
1. Personal Protective equipment
2. Electronic laboratory hand tools (assorted pliers, assorted screw drivers,
soldering iron & desoldering tool)
3. LAN tester
4. Crimping tools
5. RS 232 pin exertion/ extraction tool
6. Flashlights
7. Mirror (inspection)
METHODOLOGIES:
 Group discussions
 Lecture-demonstration
 Self-learning / self-pace instruction
ASSESSMENT METHOD:
 Written test / Online test
 Practical Demonstration
 Oral Interview
Date Developed:
CBLMs on Computer December 2012
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LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Learning Outcome 1
PLAN AND PREPARE OF INSTALLATION
Learning Activities Special Instructions
Read Information Sheet 1.1-1 on This learning outcome deals with
―Safety Procedures” planning and preparing for installation
of computer systems and networks
Answer Self-Check 1.1-1
Compare your answers with the
Answer Key 1.1-1 Go through the learning activities
outlined for you on the left column to
Read Information Sheet 1.1-2 on
gain the necessary information or
―Personal Computer Hardware”
knowledge before performing the task
Answer Self-Check 1.1-2 in planning and preparing for
Compare your answers with the installation of computer systems and
Answer Key 1.1-2 networks

―Understanding the Motherboard” Feel free to show your performance to
Answer Self-Check 1.1-3 your trainer for guidance and
evaluation of your performance.
Answer Key 1.1-3
Read Information Sheet 1.1-4 on ―BIOS
and the Boot Process”
Answer Key 1.1-4
―Software Packages and use of
Application Programs”
Answer Key 1.1-5
―Structure of an Operating System”
Answer Key 1.1-6

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INFORMATION SHEET 1.1-1
SAFETY PROCEDURES
Learning Objective
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, you must be able to Identify
and describe the different safety procedures to be followed when installing
computer systems and networks
Introduction
Safety practices should be learned early
and always adhered to when working with any
electrical device, including personal computers
and peripherals. This is for the protection of not
only the people working with them, but also for
the devices themselves. The basis for this
process begins with your Occupational Health
and Safety (OHS) policies.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is a cross-disciplinary area
concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in
work or employment. Knowing OHS is essential to minimize the hazards and
risks not only to students, trainers and other people within the training
institution but others who will be affected.
―Occupational health‖ as stated in Wikipedia, aims at:
1. The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical,
mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations
2. The prevention among workers of departures from health caused
by their working conditions
3. The protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting
from factors adverse to health
4. The placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational
environment adapted to his physiological and psychological
capabilities
5. The adaptation of work to man and each man to his job.
Objective of the OHS Standard
The objective of OHS standard is to protect working man against the
dangers of injury, sickness or death through safe and healthful working
conditions, thereby assuring the conservation of valuable manpower resources
and the prevention of loss or damage to lives and properties.

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Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines
Computer equipment can be dangerous, and you or others can be
injured or even killed if you don‘t follow proper safety guidelines when working
along PC‘s. The following are some precautionary measures to take before
working with any computer equipment:
1. Always ground or discharge yourself before touching any part of the
computer
2. Do not work alone so that there‘s someone who can take care of you in
case of accident or emergency.
3. Be careful with the tools that may cause short circuit
4. Always full the cable connector on the handle and not on the cable
itself
5. Use only rubber shoes when standing on the ground or in a concrete
floor
6. Make sure that the pins are properly aligned when connecting a cable
connector.
7. Always power off and unplug the computer before working on it.
8. Take away any liquid such as mineral water or soft drinks near your
working area or near computers.
9. Contingency measures during workplace accidents, fire and other
emergencies are recognized.
10. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is correctly used in accordance with
organization OHS procedures and practice.
11. Hazard/risks in the workplace and their corresponding indicators are
identified to minimize or eliminate risk to co‐workers, workplace and
environment.
12. Take necessary precautions to protect the component of the computer
from damaged cause by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
13. Hold the components by edges and do not touch the IC‘s.
14. Read and follow instruction on the manual carefully.
15. Do not use excessive force if things don‘t quite slip into place.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense for

protecting workers. The second line of defense should involve intervention
along the path, that is, adjustment of the work procedure itself and/or the
introduction of mechanical devices to minimize the exposure of workers to
occupational health or safety hazards: e.g., dust collectors, welding fume
extraction units, exhaust fans, welding screens, etc. The implementation of
safe work practices and safe job procedures should also include the proper
selection, care and use of PPE.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is widely used in construction

because the hazards cannot be effectively controlled by using engineering or

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administrative controls. An example of an engineering control is designing the
job/task/tool to eliminate the risk such as using tools equipped with dust
collectors or using a guard on a saw. An example of an administrative control is
posting signs to restrict access to an area.
Personal Responsibilities for Safety
 Observe all precautions related to your work.

 Report unsafe conditions or any equipment or materials you think might
be unsafe.
 Warn others of hazards.
 Report any injury or ill health.
 Wear protective clothing.
 Be safety conscious.
 Always inspect equipment and associated attachments for damage before
using.
Ways to learn and understand SAFETY
 Accidental Experience – caused by accidents.

 Safety Education – method which makes us aware of dangerous
situations
 Avoid accidents or injury.

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SELF-CHECK 1.1-1
TRUE OR FALSE:
Direction: Tell whether the given statement about OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY GUIDELINES is true or false. Write (T) if the statement is true
and (F) is the statement is false. Write your answer on a separate sheet.
____1. Always ground or discharge yourself before touching any part of
the computer
____2. Do not work alone so that there‘s someone who can take care of
you in case of accident or emergency.
____3. Be careful with the tools that may cause short circuit
____4. Always pull the cable connector on the cable and not on the
handle.
____5. Use only rubber shoes when standing on the ground or in a
concrete floor
____6. Make sure that the pins are properly aligned when connecting a
cable connector.
____7. Liquid such as mineral water or soft drinks are supposedly near
at your working area or near computers.
____8. Contingency measures during workplace accidents, fire and other
emergencies are not recognized.
____9. Personal protective equipment is correctly used in accordance
with organization OHS procedures and practice.
____10. Hazard/risks in the workplace and their corresponding indicators
are identified to minimize or eliminate risk to co‐workers,
workplace and environment.

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PERSONAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
Learning Objective
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, you must be able to:
1. Identify different hardware component of a personal computer
2. Describe the function of each hardware component
Introduction
A personal computer is made up of multiple physical components of
computer hardware, upon which can be installed a system software called
operating system and a multitude of software applications to perform the
operator's desired functions.
Hardware Components
If you use a desktop computer, you might already know that there isn't
any single part called the "computer." A computer is really a system of many
parts working together. The physical parts, which you can see and touch, are
collectively called hardware.
Desktop Computer
The illustration above shows the most common hardware in a desktop

computer system. A laptop computer has similar parts but combines them into
a single notebook-sized package.

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System unit / System Case
The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a

rectangular box placed on or underneath your desk. The following are
electronic components found inside the system unit.
1. Motherboard
The motherboard is the main component inside the case. It

is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that
connects the rest of the parts of the computer including the CPU,
the RAM, the Disk Drives (CD, DVD, hard disk, or any others) as
well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion
slots.
2. CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Performs most of the calculations which enable a computer

to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the
computer. It is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan.

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3. RAM (Random Access Memory)
Temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the

computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when
the computer is turned off. Also known as the Primary Storage
in a computer.
4. CHIPSET
It mediates communication between the CPU and the other
components of the system, including main memory. Two
commonly found chipsets are Northbridge and Southbridge
5. BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
The BIOS includes boot firmware and power management.

The BIOS tasks are handled by operating system drivers
Firmware is software routines stored in read-only memory
(ROM). Unlike random access memory (RAM), read-only memory
stays intact even in the absence of electrical power. Startup
routines and low-level input/output instructions are stored in
firmware. It falls between software and hardware in ease of
modification.
6. Bus
A set of wires used for data transfer among the components
of a computer system. A bus is essentially a shared highway that
connects different parts of the system—including the central
processing unit (CPU), disk-drive controller, memory, and
input/output ports—and enables them to transfer information.
Two general types of bus structures:

 Internal bus: Interconnects main memory, the CPU, and all
other components on the motherboard, and is also known as
system bus

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 External (expansion) bus: Connects the outside world of
peripherals to the motherboard
Types of Buses
 Processor Bus - Also called the front-side bus (FSB), is the
fastest bus in today‘s computers and runs at the maximum
speed the motherboard will allow. It connects the CPU and
memory to the motherboard through a microprocessor
called the ―North Bridge‖ or ―Memory Controller Hub‖
 The I/O Bus
Bus interconnection supports the following transfers:
 Memory to processor: the processor reads instructions and
data from memory
 Processor to memory: the processor writes data to memory
 I/O to processor: the processor reads data from I/O device
 Processor to I/O: the processor writes data to I/O device
 I/O to or from memory: I/O module allowed to exchange
data directly with memory without going through the
processor - Direct Memory Access (DMA)
System Bus
A system bus is a single
computer bus that connects the
major components of a computer
system.
It provides the internal
components of the computer with
four different necessities:
 Power: Power comes to the motherboard straight from the power
supply. The motherboard uses the system bus to distribute
power to components mounted on or plugged into it.
 Control signals: The control unit within the CPU sends out
control signals to coordinate the activities of the system. These
signals are carried on the internal control bus.
 Addresses: PC components pass data and instructions between
one another using memory location addresses to reference the
location of the data or instructions in memory. Addresses are
transmitted on the internal address bus.
 Data: Data and instructions are transferred between
components on the internal data bus.

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7. PSU (Power Supply Unit)
It converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-

voltage direct current (DC) power for the internal components of
the computer. Generally, a PC uses 12-volt current to power
motors on devices like hard drives and CD-ROM drives, and 5-
volt and 3.3 volt current to support onboard electronics.
Features of a
PSUjan05
o Power Connection. Use to plug onto a power outlet
o Motherboard Power. Connection that provide power to the
motherboard
o Peripheral Connection. Connectors to provide power to
internal devices
o Fan. Critical component that cools the inside of a PSU and
provide a cooling airflow throughout the case
Factors that determine the quality of a PSU

o Wattage
PSUs are rated in watts. A watt is the standard
measurement unit of power, or energy/time. A PC requires
a sufficient wattage for the machine to run properly. The
following problems may occur if it doesn‘t receive the right
amount of power: (1) The PC will fail to complete the POST
(2) The PC will complete the POST but will fail to load the OS
(3)The PC will complete the POST and load the OS, but will
reboot spontaneously.
o Connectors
Connects the PSU to
all other devices that
require power to
work. The following
are connectors that
are commonly found
on PSUs:

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8. HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
- Your computer's hard disk drive stores information on a hard
disk, a rigid platter or stack of
platters with a magnetic surface.
Because hard disks can hold
massive amounts of information,
they usually serve as your
computer's primary means of
storage, holding almost all of
your programs and files.
9. ODD (Optical Disk Drive)
- Nearly all computers today come
equipped with a CD or DVD drive,
located on the front of the system
unit.
- CD drives use lasers to read
(retrieve) data from a CD, and
many CD drives can also write
(record) data onto CDs. If you
have a recordable disk drive, you can store copies of your files on
blank CDs.
- DVD drives can do everything that CD drives can, plus read
DVDs. If you have a DVD drive, you can watch movies on your
computer. Many DVD drives can record data onto blank DVDs.
10. FDD (Floppy Disk Drive)
- Floppy disk drives store information on
floppy disks, also called floppies or
diskettes. Compared to CDs and DVDs,
floppy disks can store only a small amount
of data. They also retrieve information more
slowly and are more prone to damage.
11. Removable media devices
 CD (Compact Disc) - the most common type of removable media,
suitable for music and data.
 DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) - a popular type of removable media
that is the same dimensions as a CD but stores up to 12 times
as much information.
 USB Flash Drive - a flash memory data storage device integrated
with a USB interface, typically small, lightweight, removable,
and rewritable,

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Computer peripherals
Computer peripherals are devices that are attached to a computer. These
devices are not part of the system unit, but are important since they provide
the input and output functions in order for the users to perform their tasks.
The basic peripherals that you will need to start-up the computer are:
Monitor
LCD monitor (left); CRT monitor (right)

A monitor is an output device which displays information in visual form,
using text and graphics. The portion of the monitor that displays the
information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a computer screen
can show still or moving pictures.
Mouse
A mouse is an input device that controls the movement of the cursor or

pointer and enables the user to move and select items that are displayed on the
monitor.
A mouse usually has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left
button) and a secondary button. Many mice also have a wheel between the two
buttons, which allows you to scroll smoothly through screens of information.
When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen
moves in the same direction. Pointing and Clicking with your mouse is the main
way to interact with your computer.

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Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device that allows the user to enter instructions

and information into a computer.
It is used mainly for typing text into your computer. Like the keyboard
on a typewriter, it has keys for letters and numbers, but it also has special
keys:
 The function keys, found on the top row, perform different functions
depending on where they are used.
 The numeric keypad, located on the right side of most keyboards, allows
you to enter numbers quickly.
 The navigation keys, such as the arrow keys, allow you to move your
position within a document or webpage.
 You can also use your keyboard to perform many of the same tasks you
can perform with a mouse.
Other Peripherals:
Modem
To connect your computer to the Internet, you need a modem. A

modem is a device that sends and receives computer information
over a telephone line or high-speed cable. Modems are sometimes
built into the system unit, but higher-speed modems are usually
separate components.
Speakers
Speakers are used to play sound. They may be built into the
system unit or connected with cables. Speakers allow you to
listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer.
Printer

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A printer transfers data from a computer onto paper. You don't need a
printer to use your computer, but having one allows you to print e-mail, cards,
invitations, announcements, and other materials. Many people also like being
able to print their own photos at home.
The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers.
Inkjet printers are the most popular printers for the home. They can print in
black and white or in full color and can produce high-quality photographs
when used with special paper. Laser printers are faster and generally better
able to handle heavy use.

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SELF- CHECK 1.1-2
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Direction: Select the letter of your best answer. Use a separate sheet of paper
in answering.
1. It is the main component inside the case. It is a large rectangular board
with integrated circuitry that connects the rest of the parts of the
computer including the CPU, the RAM, the disk drives as well as any
peripherals.
A. Motherboard
B. RAM
C. CPU
D. Chipset
2. Temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the computer is
on. Also known as the Primary Storage device in a computer
A. Mainboard
B. CPU
C. RAM
D. HDD
3. Controls communication between the CPU and the other components of
the system, including main memory
A. CPU
B. Firmware
C. RAM
D. Chipset
4. Performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function,
and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer
A. Chipset
B. ODD
C. RAM
D. CPU
5. Startup routines and low-level input/output instructions are stored in
____________
A. ROM
B. RAM
C. HDD
D. ODD
6. Interconnects main memory, the CPU, and all other components on the
motherboard, and is also known as system bus.
A. Internal Bus
B. External Bus
C. Processor Bus
D. Front Side Bus

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7. Also called the front-side bus (FSB), is the fastest bus in today‘s
computers and runs at the maximum speed the motherboard will allow
A. External Bus
B. Internal Bus
C. Processor Bus
D. System Bus
8. It is a single computer bus that connects the major components of a
computer system.
A. Processor Bus
B. System Bus
C. Internal Bus
D. External Bus
9. Converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-voltage DC power
for the internal components of the computer.
A. HDD
B. ODD
C. AVR
D. PSU
10. It is a flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB
interface.
A. CD
B. DVD
C. USB Flash Drive
D. HDD
TRUE OR FALSE
Directions: Write T if the statement is true and correct and F if it is not. Use a
separate sheet of paper in answering.
____1. A monitor is an output device which displays information in
visual form, using text and graphics.
____2. A set of wires used for data transfer among the components of a
computer system is called System Bus.
____3. CD stores up to 12 times as much information compare to DVD.
____4. HDD is the primary storage device in a computer
____5. The numeric keypad, located on the right side of most
keyboards, allows you to enter numbers quickly

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IDENTIFICATION
Instruction: Identify the following computer hardware components and
peripherals.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

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UNDERSTANDING THE MOTHERBOARD
Learning Objective
3. Define the function and purpose of the motherboard
4. Identify motherboard form factors
5. Explain the function of a chipset
6. Describe the operation of cache memory
7. Upgrade a motherboard
Introduction
Most of the PC service technician's world exists
inside the PC case in the form of the motherboard,
processor, memory, BIOS, bus structures, the power
supply, and disk drives.
The motherboard is by far the most important
electronic circuit in the computer. It acts as the
gatekeeper to the CPU—all outside devices wishing to
interact with the CPU must pass through the
motherboard.
Understanding the Motherboard

Every essential component directly or indirectly involved with making the
PC function properly is either on, attached, or connected to the motherboard.
For all intents and purposes, the motherboard is the computer. A computer
without a printer, a CD-ROM, or a monitor is still a computer. However, a
computer without a motherboard is simply an empty metal box that just sits
there giving very bad response time.
The primary components of the PC attach or plug into the motherboard,
which creates the functionality of the PC. The major components included on
or connected to the motherboard include the CPU, memory, expansion cards,
disk drives, keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
The motherboard is often referred to as a systemboard. A systemboard
integrates video, audio, graphics, and other device support into the board's
architecture, whereas a motherboard did not. IBM has always called its
motherboard a systemboard. Apple Computer calls its motherboard a logic
board, while others refer to theirs as a planar board.

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Motherboard Basic Components
Motherboards include components that provide basic functionality to the
computer. The following components (Figure 1.1-1) are found on a typical
motherboard:
Figure 1.1-1: Components on a motherboard
Front Panel Connector CPU Slot

1 9
(HDD LED, POWER LED, POWER SWITCH,RESET SWITCH) (Central Processing Unit)
SATA Controller(x4) RAM Slot / Memory Slot
2 10
(Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) (Random Access Memory)
USB Headers 24 Pin ATX Power Connector
3 11
(Universal Serial Bus) (Advanced Technology Extended)
PCI Slot (x2)
4 12 Floppy Disk Controller
(Peripheral Component Interconnect)
AGP Slot IDE Controller (Optical Drive/HDD)
5 13
(Accelerated Graphic Port) (Integrated Drive Electronics)
6 Northbridge Chipset (w/ Heat sink) 14 Southbridge Chipset
Integrated I/O Ports
7
(Input and Output) CMOS Battery
15
4 Pin ATX Connector (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
8
(Advanced Technology Extended)
1. Front Panel Connector

The front panel header is where the connectors of hard disk drive
activity lights, case speaker, reset button, power on/off button, computer
power on light, and key lock, are connected to make them function
smoothly.i

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Alternatively referred to as the fpanel or front panel connector, the
system panel connector is what controls the computer's power button,
reset button, and LED's found on the front bezel of a computer using the
system panel cables. The System panel cables, as shown in the picture
below, are two wire cables that are color coded to help identify where
they connect to the motherboard system panel connector. The black or
white wire is the ground (GND) wire and the colored wire is the powered
wire. The cables, colors, and connections vary depending on the
computer case and motherboard you have, however, will often include
the cables mentioned below.
Types of System Panel Cables

HDD LED (IDE LED) - The LED activity light for
the hard drive. This is the LED that flashes as
information is being written and read from the
hard drive.
Power LED (PLED) - The LED power light, which
indicates when the computer is on, off, or in
Standby.
Power SW (PWRSW) - Controls the power button
that allows you to turn on and off the computer.
Reset SW - Handles the reset button to restart
the computer.
Speaker - The internal speaker used to sound
the beep noises you hear from your computer
when it is booting.
2. SATA Controller
Serial ATA (SATA) is a computer bus interface that connects host
bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and
optical drives. Serial ATA replaces the older AT Attachment standard
(ATA; later referred to as Parallel ATA or PATA), offering several
advantages over the older interface: reduced cable size and cost (seven
conductors instead of 40), native hot swapping, faster data transfer
through higher signalling rates, and more efficient transfer through an
(optional) I/O queuing protocol. ii
3. USB Headers
A USB header is a group of pins, typically on a computer
motherboard or expansion card, to which an internal USB cable can be
attached to provide extra USB ports. Typically, one header is a group of
two USB ports.

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Many computer cases feature "Front USB Ports". These front USB
ports connect to the USB headers on the motherboard. This is the most
common use for USB headers.iii
4. PCI Slot
Short for Peripheral Component Interconnect, PCI was introduced
by Intel in 1992, revised in 1993 to version 2.0, and later revised in 1995
to PCI 2.1 and is as an expansion to the ISA bus. The PCI bus is a 32-bit
(133MBps) computer bus that is also available as a 64-bit bus and was
the most commonly found and used computer bus in computers during
the late 1990's and early 2000's. Below is an example of what the PCI
slot looks like on a motherboard.
Today's computers have replace PCI with PCI Express.

Examples of PCI devices
 Modem
 Network card
 Sound card
 Video card
5. AGP Slot
Stands for Accelerated Graphics Port.
AGP is a type of expansion slot designed
specifically for graphics cards, primarily to
assist in the acceleration of 3D computer
graphics.. It was developed in 1996 as an
alternative to the PCI standard. Since 2004,
AGP has been progressively phased out in
favor of PCI Express (PCIe). By mid-2009,
PCIe cards dominated the market; AGP cards
and motherboards were still produced, but
driver support was minimal. iv
Like PCI slots, AGP slots are built into a computer's motherboard.
They have a similar form factor to PCI slots, but can only be used for
graphics cards. Since AGP cards require an expansion slot, they can only
be used in desktop computers. v
6. Northbridge Chipset (w/ Heat sink)
The chipset is responsible for facilitating communication between
the computer processing unit (CPU) and the various components on the
motherboard, acting as traffic cops and controllers. Since the
Northbridge is working constantly, it can become very hot and in many
cases it has its own heatsink. Other names for the chip include the
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Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and the Integrated Memory Controller
(IMC).
This chip is located closest to the CPU and controls the fastest
components on the motherboard: the CPU, video card slot, and random
access memory (RAM). vi
7. Integrated I/O Ports

Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system
unit using cables. The cables plug into specific ports (openings),
typically on the back of the system unit (I/O Ports.) Hardware that is not
part of the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device.
Back Panel I/O Ports
8. 4 Pin ATX Connector

The ATX 4 pin power supply connector is a standard motherboard
power connector used to provide +12 VDC to the processor voltage
regulator.
Below is the complete pinout table for the standard ATX 4 pin (2x2)
12V power connector as of Version 2.2 of the ATX Specification. vii
ATX 4 pin 12V Power Connector Pinout (ATX v2.2)
Pin Name Color Description

1 COM Black Ground
2 COM Black Ground
3 +12VDC Yellow +12 VDC
4 +12VDC Yellow +12 VDC

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9. CPU Slot
A CPU socket or CPU slot is a
mechanical component(s) that provides
mechanical and electrical connections
between a microprocessor and a printed
circuit board (PCB). This allows the CPU to
be replaced without soldering. viii
10. RAM Slot or Memory Slot

A memory slot, memory socket, or RAM slot is what allows
computer memory (RAM) to be inserted into the computer. Depending on
the motherboard, there will usually be 2 to 4 memory slots. These slots
determine the type of RAM used in a computer. The most common types
of RAM are SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) and
DDR (Double Dynamic Rate) for desktop computers and SODIMM (Short
Outline dual in-line memory module) for laptop computers, each having
various types and speeds.
11. 21 Pin ATX Power Connector

The ATX specification requires the power supply to produce three
main outputs, +3.3 V, +5 V and +12 V. Low-power −12 V and
5 VSB (standby) supplies are also required. Originally, the motherboard
was powered by one 20-pin connector. ix
12. Floppy Disk Controller

Is a controller used to interface the floppy disk drive with the
computer. A floppy disk controller (FDC) is a special-purpose chip and
associated disk controller circuitry that directs and controls reading from
and writing to a computer's floppy disk drive (FDD). x
13. IDE Controller

IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) is a standardized interface for
data storage devices in computer systems. It is so named because much
of the logic circuitry is integrated into the device itself. IDE is most
commonly used for hard drives and CD or DVD drives, but has also been
used for tape drives and zip drives.

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An IDE controller is the primary interface (usually integrated into
the motherboard) which any IDE devices will be plugged into. It handles
the flow of data to and from these devices. It usually consists of two
connections (known as IDE channels) both of which can handle up to 2
devices each.
14. South Bridge Chipset

The Southbridge handles the slower traffic on the computer, or the
I/O (in and out) devices. SATA and IDE hard drive and expansion slots,
RAID, USB, FireWire®, direct access memory (DMA) controller, system
clock, power management, interrupt controller, and audio codecs all fall
under the control of the this chip. It is also referred to as the I/O
Controller Hub (ICH) or Platform Controller Hub (PCH). xi
15. CMOS Battery

CMOS (Complementary Metal-
Oxide-Semiconductor) is the term usually
used to describe the small amount of
memory on a computer motherboard
that stores the BIOS settings.
The CMOS is usually powered by
a CELL BATTERY. Most CMOS batteries
will last the lifetime of a motherboard
(up to 10 years in most cases) but will
sometimes need to be replaced. Incorrect or slow system date and time
and loss of BIOS settings are major signs of a dead or dying CMOS
battery. xii

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Motherboard Families
A motherboard can be categorized into a variety of families or types,
depending on its design and function. Motherboards can be integrated or
nonintegrated, and they can be a motherboard style or a backplane style.
A motherboard-style mainboard combines a PC's primary components
on a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The single circuit board is what makes
it motherboard style.
A backplane mainboard has a number of card slots into which
daughterboards, such as processors and memory circuit cards, are inserted to
add capabilities.
The two types of backplane mainboards are passive and active.
 A passive backplane board provides only a bus structure and
some data buffering to interconnect the daughterboards.
 An active backplane adds a bit of intelligence to assist the
daughterboards.
An integrated motherboard incorporates most of the circuitry that
would normally be added through expansion cards, including video, disk
controllers, and others. The downside of this simplicity is that if one of the
circuits goes bad, the whole board may be affected.
The opposite style is a nonintegrated motherboard, which is the
traditional style of motherboard that requires the circuitry for major
subsystems, such as video, disk controllers, audio, and others, to be added
through expansion cards. The upside is that if a card goes bad, only that card
needs to be replaced.
Motherboard Form Factors

The shape, packaging, and to a certain extent, the function of a
motherboard are defined by its form factor. Many different form factors are
available--some that are generally accepted in the industry and some that are
open to interpretation by manufacturers.
Form factor defines the following:
 Motherboard size, shape, and how it is mounted to the case.
 Size, shape, and function of the system case.
 The type, placement, and size of the power supply
 The system's power requirements.
 The location and type of external connectors.
 The case's airflow and cooling systems.
The three most commonly used motherboard form factors are:
1. AT: IBM introduced the 16-bit PC AT ("Advanced Technology"), which
added enough additional circuitry to increase the size of its motherboard

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(and case).The AT form factor motherboard, shown in Figure 1.1-1a, is
nearly square at 12 inches x 11–13 inches.
Figure 1.1-1a - AT Form Factor
2. Baby AT: This motherboard is a smaller version of the AT form factor

motherboard. Higher integration technology reduced the space required
by support chipsets and circuitry, which allowed the motherboard to be
reduced as much as 3.5 inches in width and 2 inches in height. This new
style board became known as the Baby AT, shown in Figure 1.1-1b
Figure 1.1-1b – Baby AT Form Factor
3. ATX: Similar in size to the Baby AT, the ATX adds additional features
and is the most commonly used form in today's PCs. The ATX
motherboard (figure 1.1-1c) allows for easier installation of full-length
expansion cards and cables and is easier to cool.
Figure 1.1-1c – Standard ATX Form Layout

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The ATX design also incorporates a number of features into the power
system.
 The motherboard can control the power on and off functions of the power
supply, a feature called soft switching.
 The ATX form provides split voltage (a range of voltages, usually 12v,
5v, and 3.3v) to the motherboard, which eliminates the need for a voltage
regulator included on earlier form factor motherboards.
 The ATX form factor locates the I/O ports in a two-row block on the rear
of the board (figure 1.1-1d), The top row includes a PS/2-type keyboard
or mouse connector, a parallel port, and a blank slot that can be used for
a second parallel port. The bottom row includes a second PS/2-type
keyboard or mouse connector, two serial ports, and a series of blank
ports that might be used for sound or video card connectors.
 The defined size of the connector area on an ATX motherboard is small
(6.25 inches x 1.75 inches), which helps eliminate the clutter of cables
found near the rear panel of a Baby AT motherboard.
Figure 1.1-1d: The placement of the I/O ports on an ATX form factor
motherboard
Motherboard Chipsets
The bus structures and interfaces supported by the motherboard and
CPU are controlled by functions included on the chipset. The chipset is a group
of chips that together help the processor and other peripheral devices plugged
into the motherboard communicate with each other.
Chipset Functions
 It controls the bits (data, instructions, and control signals) that flow
between the CPU and system memory over the motherboard's buses.

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 It manages data transfers between the CPU, memory, and peripheral
devices.
 It supports the expansion bus and any power management features of
the system.
 It issues control commands to device drivers. The chipset contains only
enough instructions to issue control commands to device drivers, which
are what actually control the peripheral device.
Chipsets are integrated into the motherboard and usually cannot be
upgraded without changing the entire motherboard. A PC's chipset is matched
to the motherboard and the CPU as a set. Some chipsets support more than
one processor, but in general, a given chipset is matched to a single processor
type.
At one time, a chipset consisted of several smaller single-purpose
controller chips. Each separate controller, which could be one or more chips,
managed a single function, such as controlling the cache memory, handling
interrupts, or managing the data bus. Today's chipset combines this set of
controller functions into one or two larger, multifunction chips. VLSI (Very
Large Scale Integration) has allowed these many chips to be combined into one
or two chips.
Chipsets, especially two-chip chipsets, are divided into a North Bridge
(the larger chip) and a South Bridge (the smaller chip).
 North Bridge provides support and
control for main memory, cache
memory, and the PCI bus controllers
to the CPU, which is why it is located
physically near the processor. It is
sometimes called the Graphic and
Memory Controller Hub (GMHC).
 South Bridge provides control for
peripheral devices and those
controllers that are not essential to
the PC's basic functions, such as the
serial port controller. Also called the
I/O Controller Hub (ICH)
The chipsets are not the only controller sets on the motherboard. The
most prominent controller sets are the Keyboard Controller and a superset of
input/output device controllers called the Super I/O Controller.
The Super I/O chip combines controllers that are common to all
systems. Controller chips are also found on many high-end devices and
adapter cards. In newer Motherboards, the Super I/O has been placed into the
South Bridge

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Cache Memories
Cache memory is an extremely fast memory type that acts as a buffer
between RAM and the CPU. It holds frequently requested data and instructions
so that they are immediately available to the CPU when needed.
A cache is a buffer that is used to mitigate the speed differences between
devices. Today's PCs commonly include cache memory between the RAM and
the CPU and perhaps between the hard drive and RAM, as well. Caching is
used in two ways on the PC:
 Cache memory: This is a relatively small and very fast memory storage
located between the PC's primary memory (RAM) and its processor (CPU);
it is used to hold data and instructions retrieved from RAM to provide
faster access to the CPU.
 Disk cache: This cache buffer is used to speed up the transfer of data
and programs from the hard drive into RAM. Disk cache, which is either
in RAM or some additional memory on the disk controller, holds large
blocks of frequently accessed data.
Cache memory is usually a small amount of Static Random Access
Memory or SRAM. SRAM is made up of transistors that don't need to be
frequently refreshed like DRAM, which is made up of capacitors. SRAM is very
fast, with access speeds of 2ns (nanoseconds) or faster, which is faster than
DRAM which has access speeds of around 50ns. Another contributing factor to
the speed of the cache is its proximity to the CPU, which eliminates most of the
latency (delay) involved with transfers from RAM.
Cache memory is located in two general locations: inside the processor
(internal cache) and on the motherboard (external cache):
 Internal cache: Also known as primary cache, internal cache is located
inside the CPU chip, also called on the die.
 External cache: Also called secondary cache, external cache is located
on the motherboard outside the CPU. This is the cache referred to on PC
specifications.
Cache is also commonly referred to by its level or proximity to the CPU.
Cache is designated in two levels:
 Level 1 (L1) cache: Also known as the internal cache. L1 cache is placed
internally on the processor chip and is, closest to the CPU. L1 cache
cannot be increased without changing the CPU.
 Level 2 (L2) cache: L2 cache is normally placed on the motherboard very
close to the CPU; but because it is not inside the CPU, it is designated as
the second level of cache. Although L2 cache is commonly considered the
same as external cache, L2 cache can also be included on the CPU, just a
little behind L1 cache. L2 cache can be upgraded on most motherboards.
L2 cache modules plug into special cache module mounts or cache
memory expansion sockets on the motherboard.

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Level 1 (LI) is not higher in ranking than Level 2 (L2) cache. The levels of
cache work together and data are located on either level, depending on the
rules and policies of the caching system. On the other hand,
Upgrading Motherboard
If your PC isn't quite as fast or as powerful as you'd like, you can either
get a new PC or upgrade its motherboard and/or its components. Depending
on the upgrade you wish to make, upgrading the motherboard or the
components on the motherboard typically costs less than a brand new PC.
The three major considerations when looking to upgrade a motherboard
are the CPU, the form factor, and documentation.
Criteria to be considered when evaluating the upgrade of a PC are CPU,
sockets and slots, bus speed, cache memory, memory modules, expansion bus,
BIOS, chipset, form factor and power supply.

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SELF-CHECK 1.1-3
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
in answering.
1. Which of the following is not a common name for the primary printed
circuit board in a PC?
A. Mainboard
B. Motherboard
C. Planar board
D. Systemboard
2. Which of the following is NOT a common motherboard form factors?

A. Mother AT
B. AT
C. ATX
D. Baby AT
3. Which of the following motherboard form factors is nearly square?

A. Mother AT
B. AT
C. ATX
D. Baby AT
4. Which of the following FRMs does not get its size and shape specified in
a form factor standard?
A. Power supply
B. System case
C. Memory
D. Motherboard
5. The feature used to resolve the speed differences of the CPU and RAM
is __________.
A. Disk cache
B. Main memory
C. Cache memory
D. Data bus
6. Which computer component contains the circuitry necessary for all

components or devices to communicate with each other?
A. Motherboard
B. Adapter board
C. Hard drive
D. Expansion bus

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7. Which statement best describes the purpose of the motherboard?
A. Supplies DC power to the peripheral devices
B. Interconnects the primary components of the PC
C. Executes all instructions of the PC
D. Stores and processes the data of the PC
8. Level 1 cache is located where?

A. On the motherboard
B. On an adapter card
C. On the CPU
D. On the ROM BIOS
9. Cache memory is what type of memory?

A. DRAM
B. SRAM
C. Virtual memory
D. There is no standard memory type used for cache.
10. The following are components found on a motherboard, EXCEPT for

___________.
A. Keyboard
B. CPU slot or socket
C. Power connector
D. Floppy and IDE drive connectors
TRUE OR FALSE
____1. A smaller version of the AT form factor motherboard is called
Baby AT (BAT)
____2. The motherboard can control the power on and off functions of
the power supply, this feature called hard switching
____3. North Bridge Chipset is also known as Memory Controller Hub
(MCH)
____4. South Bridge Chipset is also known as I/O Controller Hub
____5. Level 1 (L1) Cache is also known as the External Cache

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IDENTIFICATION
Direction: Identify the different motherboard component of the image below.
Use a separate sheet of paper in answering.
3 5 15
8
4
6 7
14
1 13
2 12 11
10
1 9
2 10
3 11
4 12
5 13
6 14
7
15
8

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Direction: Identify the different ports found in the back panel I/O port. Use a
1 6
2 7
3 8
4 9
5 10

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BIOS AND THE BOOT PROCESS
Learning Objective
1. Understand BIOS basic terms, concepts, and actions
2. Identify the actions of the boot process
3. Define the purpose and usage of the CMOS
4. Upgrade the system BIOS
Introduction
The BIOS, boot process, CMOS, and other system startup and
input/output topics and activities are important to the PC repair professional.
The BIOS holds the key to the system's efficient operations; it can be the best
diagnostics tool in your toolkit--not to mention that it starts up the PC every
time you power it up.
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a collection of software utilities
and programs that can be invoked by the operating system or application
software to perform a variety of hardware-related tasks. Although many
operating systems now contain their own device-oriented programs to improve
performance, the BIOS contains a program for just about every activity
associated with accessing hardware, including programs for starting the
system, testing the hardware, reading and writing to and from storage devices,
and moving data between devices.
The BIOS performs three primary functions, all vital to the usefulness
and function of the computer:
1. It boots the PC.
2. It verifies the configuration data that tells it the internal and peripheral
devices that are supposed to be connected to the PC.
3. It provides the interface (figure 1.1-3a) between the hardware and the
software, such as the operating system, device drivers, and application
software.
OS
Application Software
Drivers
BIOS Hardware
Figure 1.1-3a: BIOS as an interface between software and hardware

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CMOS Chip (Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor)
Motherboards include a small separate block of memory made from
CMOS RAM chips which is kept alive by a battery (known as a CMOS battery)
even when the PC‘s power is off. This prevents reconfiguration when the PC is
powered on.
CMOS devices require very little power to operate.
The CMOS RAM is used to store basic Information about the PC‘s
configuration for instance:
 Floppy disk and hard disk drive types
 Information about CPU
 RAM size
 Date and time, which is updated by a Real Time Clock (RTC)
 Serial and parallel port information
 Plug and Play information
 Power Saving settings
 User and Supervisor Password
Boot Up Process
The instructions that start up the PC and load the operating system into
memory and keep it running are part of the group of instructions that are
collectively referred to as the System BIOS.
The process of starting up the computer and loading the operating
system is commonly called booting the computer, or simply the Boot Sequence.
When the computer boots (self-starts), the BIOS is in charge. When the PC is
powered on, the BIOS supplies the PC with its first set of instructions. The
instructions supplied by the BIOS are what the PC executes during its power
on or boot up sequences until it is able to fetch and execute instructions on its
own.
The BIOS program is loaded to the last 64KB of the first megabyte of
RAM (memory addresses F000h to FFFFh), a.k.a. high memory area, as
shown in Figure 1.1-3B. Processor and BIOS manufacturers established this
location as a standard so that the processor always knows the exact location of
the BIOS in memory. The processor gets its first instructions from this location
and begins executing the BIOS program, which starts the boot sequence.

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Figure 1.1-3A: The standard BIOS memory allocation.
BIOS Chips
An essential part of studying the BIOS is studying the chips (as in
integrated circuits made from silicon "chips") on which it is stored and
delivered to the PC.
Read Only Memory (ROM): Although not solely a BIOS chip, ROM chips
are permanently loaded with instructions during the manufacturing processes.
The instructions written to a ROM chip, which cannot be changed under any
circumstance, are called firmware.
Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM): A PROM is essentially a
blank ROM chip that can be programmed with data or instructions. A PROM
burner (also called a PROM programmer), a special device used to write to the
PROM, enables you to store any data you want. The PROM burner induces
high voltage (12 volts compared to the 5 volts used for normal PROM
operations) to load the data to the chip. The higher voltage burns a memory
location to turn its preexisting binary 1 into a 0, if needed. This process is
irreversible so what you burn is what you get (WYBIWYG). After you burn that
zero into the PROM, there's no going back. For that reason, you may hear
PROM memory referred to as One Time Programmable Memory.
Erasable Programmable Read
Only Memory (EPROM): An EPROM is a
variation of the original PROM with the
added feature of data that can be erased so
that the chip can be reprogrammed. Unlike
the PROM, you can reuse the EPROM
instead of discarding it when its contents are no longer valid. The EPROM has
a small quartz crystal window on the top of the chip through which ultraviolet
(UV) rays can access the chip's circuitry. The UV light causes a chemical
reaction that erases the EPROM by turning the 0's back into 1's again. To
prevent accidental erasure of the EPROM chip, a label tape is normally placed

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over the quartz crystal window. The downside of an EPROM is that it must be
removed from the system to be reprogrammed, which is not always possible.
Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
(EEPROM): An EEPROM (pronounced "e-e-prom") is the common BIOS chip on
newer systems. An EEPROM chip can be reprogrammed like the EPROM, but
unlike the EPROM it doesn't need to be removed from the motherboard. An
EEPROM can be updated through specialized software that is usually
downloaded from the BIOS or chip manufacturer's Web site. This process is
known as flashing, which is why this chip is also commonly called flash ROM.
Because they're easy to upgrade, EEPROM chips are also used in a variety of
other things, such as cars, modems, cameras, and telephones.

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BIOS Role in the Boot Up Process
What the BIOS actually do during its boot sequence varies slightly from
manufacturer to manufacturer, but here are the steps performed during the
boot sequence:
• Initialization of internal power supply

1
• BIOS program is loaded into the memory

(RAM)
2
• POST Process begins

3
• Device driver for the video adapter is loaded

into the memory (RAM)
4
• Other device drivers are loaded into the

memory (RAM)
5
• System determines if the devices listed in the

CMOS configuration data are present and
6 functioning
• System configures Plug and Play (PnP)

devices if any
7
• Configuration is confirmed
8
• BIOS looks in the CMOS data to determine

which disk drive to use for the operating
9 system.

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1. When the PC is powered on, the internal power supply initializes.
The power supply doesn't immediately provide power to the rest of
the computer. First, it determines whether it can supply the proper
voltages that the PC's components require. The power supply sends out a
POWER GOOD signal when it determines that it can supply reliable
power to the rest of the PC. When the chipset receives this signal, it
issues a SYSTEM RESET signal to the processor.
2. When the processor receives the SYSTEM RESET signal, it accesses the
jump address for the start of the BIOS boot program at its hard-
wired preset address and loads it into RAM.
This is where the BIOS

program is loaded
The jump address contains the actual address of the BIOS boot
program on the ROM BIOS chip. The jump address is typically located at
address FFFF0 (hexadecimal) or 1,048,560 (decimal), which is at end of
the first megabyte of system memory.
3. With the primary part of the BIOS now loaded to RAM, the POST
process begins.
If any fatal errors happen during the POST process (problems that
prevent the PC from operating normally), the appropriate error beep
codes sound or perhaps an error message displays, and the boot process
stops. At this point in the boot process only the system speaker (because
it's technically part of the motherboard) can notify the user of errors.
4. If all is well, the boot sequence continues and the system BIOS
loads the device BIOS of the video adapter (if there is one) and
loads it to memory.
As your PC boots, the video adapter's information displays on the
monitor.
5. Any other device-specific BIOS routines, such as those for the hard
disks or SCSI devices, are loaded.
Information, usually including the manufacturer and the BIOS
version, displays. The BIOS begins a series of tests on the system,
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including a run-up count of the amount of memory detected on the
system. Because the display is now available, any errors found in this
process are displayed on the monitor as an error message instead of a
beep code played through the system speaker.
6. The system determines if the devices listed in the CMOS
configuration data are present and functioning, including tests for
device speeds and access modes.
7. Remember The serial and parallel ports are assigned their
identities (COM1, COM2, LPT1, and so on), and a message is
displayed for each device found, configured, and tested.
If the BIOS program supports Plug and Play (PnP), any PnP devices
detected are configured. Although it usually goes by much too fast to
read, the BIOS displays a message for each device it finds and
configures.
8. The configuration is confirmed.
The BIOS displays a summary screen that details the computer as
the BIOS sees it. This summary screen signals that the system is verified
and ready for use.
9. The BIOS looks in the CMOS data to determine which disk drive to
use for the operating system.
If the boot device is the hard disk, the BIOS looks for the master
boot record. If the boot device is a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, it looks at
the first sector of the disk for the operating system's boot program. If the
boot program is not found on the first device listed, the next device
indicated is searched, and then the third, and so on until the boot
program is found. If no boot device is found, the boot sequences stops
and an error message ("No boot device available") is displayed.
Cold Boot and Warm Boot

A cold boot starts when the PC's power is switched on and a warm boot
is performed whenever the PC is restarted or reset with the power already on.
One of the most common ways to start the warm boot is by using the official
keystrokes of the PC repair --CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
A cold boot causes the BIOS to guide the PC's boot sequence through a
series of steps that verify the computer's integrity. The exact steps vary slightly,
depending on just about everything about or in your PC (manufacturer, BIOS,
and hardware configuration).
A warm boot does not run the POST and reestablishes the operating
system and drivers on the PC.

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The POST Process
The POST (Power-On-Self-Test) is a hardware diagnostic routine built into
the BIOS that checks the PC's hardware to make sure that everything that's
supposed to be there is present, and that everything is working properly. The
POST process ensures that the system is ready to begin the boot sequence.
If the POST process detects errors, it generates a signal to indicate where
in the process the error occurred and which device had the error. Not all POST
errors are fatal; the POST process generally continues past nonfatal problems.
If a fatal error is detected, (such as "no memory is found") the POST process
signals its error code and halts the boot process immediately. If the POST
detects an error before the device drivers for the monitor are loaded, then it
must signal an error the only way it can: using sounds, actually beeps, issued
through the PC's system speaker.
The meaning of a beep code depends on the manufacturer of the BIOS.
Each BIOS maker has its own set of beep codes, which can also vary from one
version to the next--similar to having a different Morse code scheme for every
ham radio (to be discussed on a separate module. )
Just about all BIOS programs will sound a single beep right before
displaying the BIOS startup screen. As long as the boot sequence continues,
the beep doesn't indicate a problem. BIOS beep codes can be used to
troubleshoot hardware failures occurring in the POST procedure.
BIOS Startup Screen

Immediately after the BIOS loads the
video and other device-specific BIOS
programs, it displays its startup screen.
Although this display varies by
manufacturer, it generally contains the
following information:
 Version: The BIOS manufacturer and
the BIOS program's version number
and version date.
 Startup program keys: The keyboard
key or keys used to access the BIOS setup program. Typically, these are
the Delete (Del) key or a Function (F1 or F2) keys, but could also be a key
combination, such as CTRL+ESC.
 Logos: A logo from one or more of the following: the BIOS manufacturer,
the PC manufacturer, or the motherboard manufacturer.
 Energy Star: If the BIOS supports the Energy Star standard, aka the
Green standard, an Energy Star logo is displayed.
 Serial number: The BIOS program's serial number appears either at the
end of the display or at the bottom of the screen. The serial number of

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the BIOS is specific to the combination of the motherboard, chipset, and
program version.
System Configuration Summary
After the BIOS completes its work but before it starts loading the
operating system into memory, it displays a summary of the system
configuration. Typically, the following information is displayed:
 Processor: The type of microprocessor, such as Pentium, Pentium Pro,
Core2, i3, i5, i7 and so on.
 Coprocessor: If a math coprocessor or floating point unit (FPU) is
installed on the system, it is indicated as "Installed."
 Clock speed: Measures the clock speed of the processor in MHz. This
information may be displayed on the same line as the processor type.
 Floppy disk drives: Indicates whether the system has any disk drives,
the size, and capacity of each floppy disk.
 Hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD drives: If the system includes ATA disk
drives or ATAPI optical or tape drives, the BIOS displays the drive types
detected, including the primary master and slave drives and any
secondary slaves and masters found, including the manufacturer,
capacity, and access modes of each drive.
 Memory size: Indicates the amount of memory in base, extended, and
cache memory. The base memory (conventional memory) size is always
640KB. Displays the amount of extended memory on the system minus
the amount set aside for the BIOS. The BIOS doesn't report the amount
of memory reserved for the high-memory area that contains the BIOS
itself. The cache size is displayed separately.
 Memory type: The type and configuration of the physical memory is
displayed, including the number of memory banks or modules installed
and the memory technology in use. For example, the display may
indicate "EDO DRAM at Bank 1" or "FP: 0 was detected."
 Video type: Unless your computer is more than 10 years old, the display
type is usually "VGA/EGA," which really doesn't tell you anything except
that the video adapter was detected.
 Serial ports: The system resource addresses (usually 3F8h and 2F8h) of
any serial or COM ports detected.
 Parallel ports: The system resource address (usually 378h) of the
parallel port is displayed.
 Plug and Play (PnP) devices: If any PnP adapter cards are detected by
the BIOS, a description of each may be displayed.

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Setting the BIOS configuration
The BIOS setup and
configuration data is accessed
through one of the startup programs.
This program, called the Setup
(Figure 1.1-3b), is available for only a
very short time during the system
boot sequence and you can access it
through a specific key or combination
of keys.
Always create a backup of the
BIOS settings each time the BIOS
configuration changes and for every Figure 1.1-3b – Setup Screen
new PC added to the network. To
make a backup of the BIOS settings, simply write them down on paper and
keep it in a safe place.
To gain access to the BIOS setup program, press a key designated by the
BIOS, which is displayed during the initial boot process. Figure 1.1-3c shows
the information displayed during the boot sequence. Notice that it shows that
the F1 function key is used to access the setup program. Table 1.1-3a lists the
keystrokes used to access the setup program for most of the popular BIOS
programs.
Figure 1.1-3c: A sample startup screen.
Table 1.1-3a: BIOS Setup Program Access Keys

BIOS KEYS
AMI DEL (Delete)
Award DEL or CTRL+ALT+ESC
Compaq F10
IBM F1
Phoenix BIOS F1 or F2

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Standard Configuration Menu
On nearly all newer PCs, the configuration data is managed and
maintained on two levels:
 Standard Configuration. Includes the system clock and basic data on
the hard drives, floppy drive, and video adapter.
 Advanced Setup. The standard configuration menu may also list the
processor type, memory type and speed, and the amount and type of
memory.
Here's a list of the basic standard settings and parameters you normally
find on the standard configuration menu:
 System date: Sets the MM/DD/YY date for the system. On Windows 98
and 2000, this BIOS setting can be adjusted from the built-in Date/Time
Properties feature.
 System time: Displays the time in the 24-hour clock format (11:00 PM
displays as 23:00). Like the system date, this setting can be adjusted
from the Date/Time Properties feature of Windows.
 IDE primary and secondary masters: The parameters of the hard
drives configured as the primary master or secondary master, if any, are
configured in these entries. On most BIOS systems, the default setting is
commonly "Auto," which refers to auto-detection.
 IDE primary and secondary slaves: The parameters of the hard disk
drives configured as the primary slave or secondary slave, if any, are
configured in these entries. On most BIOS systems, the default setting is
commonly "Auto," which refers to auto-detection.
 Floppy disk drives A and B: Listed separately, because there is
commonly no B floppy drive installed, the type of disk drive in the system
is indicated in this entry. The default for the A drive is typically the 1.44
MB drive and "Not Installed" for the B drive. The choices are typically
o 1.44 MB: The normal everyday 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.
o 1.2 MB: Although rarely used anymore, the normal 5.25-inch
floppy disk drive.
o 2.88 MB: The high-density 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, called the
Big Floppy. Rare, but shows up on some of the latest systems.
o None or Not Installed: No floppy drive is installed in the A or B
positions.
 Video display: This setting defines the display standard in use and is
usually VGA/EGA indicating that the PC is using a VGA or SVGA card.
Other Startup Menus
Depending on the BIOS, you may find other menus listed on the setup
program's menu page. These menus typically focus on one particular aspect of
the system's configuration. Some of the menus you may find are:

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 Power management: This menu contains options used to control the
system when it is automatically powered down through power
conservation settings.
 Integrated peripherals: This menu defines the configuration of the
devices that are integrated into the motherboard, such as serial and
parallel ports, audio, and USB ports.
Security and Passwords
The ability to set the user and supervisor password for the BIOS and the
CMOS data is included on a separate menu or in the advanced features menu
on older systems.
If the user password is set, the computer isn't allowed to boot until the
proper password is entered. The supervisor password protects the BIOS
program's settings and the system configuration. Without the supervisor
password, a user can't access the BIOS settings, but the system will boot.
If you forget the user password and remember the supervisor password,
you can enter the BIOS setup data and clear or change the user password. If
you forget both passwords, you're stuck. Your only recourse is to open the
computer and use the password-clear jumper (see Figure 1.1-3D) located on the
motherboard near the CMOS chip and its battery. You can also clear the CMOS
settings, including all advanced settings that you may have changed and the
passwords, by removing the CMOS battery, shown in Figure 1.1-3E. That's one
reason that you want to keep a backup copy of the system setup written down
and kept in a safe place.
Figure 1.1-3D: The Password Clear jumper on a PC motherboard.
Figure 1.1-3E: The CMOS battery on a PC motherboard.

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Updating the BIOS
Fortunately, the EEPROM has replaced the PROM and is the BIOS ROM
of choice. This is fortunate because the EEPROM can be updated in place on
the board through a process called flashing. Flashing allows you to upgrade
the contents of the EEPROM under the control of a software utility program.
The BIOS manufacturers that produce flash BIOS provide software
utilities to control the flashing process. The flash utility is easily obtained from
the manufacturer's Web site or by mail. The flash software runs on a PC after it
has booted.

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SELF-CHECK 1.1-4
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
in answering.
1. What does the acronym BIOS stand for?

A. Binary Input Output System
B. Basic Independent Operating System
C. Basic Input Output System
D. It has no specific meaning
2. Starting the PC when it's powered off causes which type of boot cycle to
be performed?
A. cold boot
B. warm boot
C. dead boot
D. restart
3. The hardware configuration and chipset features of a PC are stored in
which type of memory?
A. ECC
B. DRAM
C. CMOS
D. EDO
4. Which of the following ROM types can be reprogrammed under software
control?
A. ROM
B. PROM
C. EPROM
D. EEPROM
5. Using a software utility to upgrade the BIOS is called
A. flashing
B. strobing
C. burning
D. upgrading
6. The BIOS is loaded into which area of system memory?
A. Conventional
B. Upper memory block
C. Extended memory
D. High memory area
7. What event signals the end of the boot sequence?
A. POWER GOOD signal
B. The operating system is running
C. A single beep code
D. The POST process ends

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8. Which of the following actions is not performed during the boot
sequence?
A. backup copy is made of the CMOS configuration data
B. POST process
C. Serial and parallel ports are assigned their port identities
D. The configuration summary screen is displayed
9. A hardware diagnostic routine built into the BIOS that checks the PC's
hardware to make sure that everything that's supposed to be there is
present and is working properly
A. CMOS
B. BIOS
C. POST
D. ROM
10. Type of BIOS chip where instructions written to it cannot be
changed under any circumstance
A. EPROM
B. PROM
C. ROM
D. EEPROM
TRUE OR FALSE
____1. If the supervisor password is set, the computer isn't allowed to
boot until the proper password is entered
____2. F1 and F2 keys can be used interchangeably to access the AMI
or Award BIOS Setup page
____3. Warm boot is performed whenever the PC is restarted or reset
with the power already on
____4. The BIOS program is loaded to the first 64KB of the last
megabyte of RAM a.k.a high memory area
____5. BIOS beep codes can be used to troubleshoot hardware failures
occurring in the POST procedure

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SOFTWARE PACKAGES AND USE OF APPLICATION PROGRAMS
Learning Objective:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, you must be able to identify
and describe Software Packages and Application Programs.
Introduction
Software is the component of a computer system which refers to the set
of instructions written in a code-that computers can understand and execute.
Another name for this set of instructions is Program.
Software
the programs that run the
computer
Application Software Programming Software

System Software or OS performs specific personal, makes computer programs which
tells the CPU what to do business or scientific processing uses different programming
tasks languages
Word Processor,
MS DOS Windows Spreadsheet,
Presentation, Database Cobol, Pascal, Java, Visual Basics,
MAC OS
Programs, Desktop Fox Pro
Corel Linux Publishing, Reference,
Graphics, Educational,
Computer Games,
Network
Three Types of Software

1. System Software. This software tells the CPU what to do; a more
common term is Operating System (OS). The most popular OS in use for
PC microcomputer is Microsoft‘s MS DOS. DOS (Disk Operating System)
for short is a collection of various programs that help control your PC.
Other operating systems are Microsoft Windows (from the early Windows
95, 98, ME, Vista, 7 to the current windows 8, OS 2, MAC OS, Unix,
Linux and Apple‘s OSs.
2. Application Software. This is designed and written to perform specific

personal, business, or scientific processing tasks, such as payroll,
processing, human resource management, or inventory management.
Common Application software are the following:

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 Word Processor – This serves as an electronic typewriter and even
more. With word processors, the user can easily produce quality
documents like memos and reports. Popular word processors include
MS Word and Word Perfect.
 Spreadsheets- These are programs that simulate a paper divided into

rows and columns, where values can be placed. These are used for
advanced numerical analysis and calculations. Some of the more
common spreadsheet programs are Lotus 1-2-3 and, MS Excel and
Open Calculate.
 Database Programs – These serve to collect a structured collection of

data, which can later be managed and manipulated.
 Presentation Software – These are programs that allow users to create

electronic presentation for reports and other functions.
 Desktop Publishing Software – This allow the user to create page

makeup and do simple typesetting to produce various materials, such
as books pamphlets, reports, and booklets. Examples of DTP software
are MS Publisher, and PageMaker.
 Reference Software – These are electronic versions of various

references such as encyclopedia, almanacs, atlases, dictionaries,
thesauri, and the like.
 Graphics Programs – These allow the creation and manipulation of

graphics, images, objects, and pictures. Some of the common
graphics programs are CorelDraw, Photoshop, and Computer Aided
Design (CAD)
 Educational Software – These include tutorials and electronic lessons

that give students knowledge or training in a particular subject or
skill, such as Math or Science or in gardening or cooking.
 Computer Games – These are programs that simulate real games or

provide entertainment and adventure to users.
 Network Software – These are programs that make it possible for

computers in different areas to be connected, allowing their users to
communicate with each other.
 Language Software – These provide programmers with the necessary

tools to write programs and instructions to computer.

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3. Programming Software. Programmers use this software for making
computer programs. Programming software is a tool to make software
using different programming languages.

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SELF-CHECK 1.1-5
TRUE OR FALSE
____1. Word processors are used to create special movie effects.
____2. Systems software tells the CPU what to do.
____3. Software refers to the set of instructions that computer can
understand and execute.
____4. Reference software includes tutorial and electronic lessons that
give students knowledge or training in a particular subject or
skill.
____5. Graphics Program allows the users to execute electronic
presentations for reports and other functions.
IDENTIFICATION
Directions: Identify the term or terms described by the sentence. Write your
answer on your answer sheet.
1. Programs that make it possible for computers in different areas to be
connected are called ____________.
2. ____________ is designed and written to perform specific personal,
business, or scientific processing tasks.
3. Programs that are used for advanced numerical analysis and
calculations are called ____________.
4. Programs that provide programmers with the necessary tools to write
programs and instructions to computer are called ____________.
5. ____________ programs allow users to create electronic presentation for
reports and other functions.

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ANSWER KEY 1.1-5
TRUE OR FALSE
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
IDENTIFICATION
1. Network software
2. Application software
3. Spreadsheets
4. Language software
5. Presentation Software

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STRUCTURE OF AN OPERATING SYSTEM
Learning Objective
1. Identify popular operating Systems
2. Understand Operating System (OS) basic terms and concepts
3. Identify the different function of an Operating System
Introduction
Computers are pretty much useless without software. A piece of
hardware makes a good paperweight or doorstop, unless you have an easy way
to interface with it. Software is that interface. While there are many types of
software, or programs, the most important application you‘ll ever deal with is
the operating system. Operating systems have many different, complex
functions, but two of them jump out as being critical: (1) interfacing with the
hardware, and (2) providing a platform on which other applications can run.
Operating System (OS)
Software that manages computer resources and provides

programmers/users with an interface used to access those resources.
The layer of software which takes care of technical aspects of a

computer's operation. It shields the user of the machine from the low-level
details of the machine's operation and provides frequently needed facilities.
Below is a listing of common operating systems available today, and who

developed them.
Operating system Developer Operating system Developer
Corel Linux Corel MS-DOS 5.x Microsoft

Linux Linux Torvalds MS-DOS 6.x Microsoft
MAC OS 8 Apple Windows 2000 Microsoft
MAC OS X Apple Windows 98 Microsoft
Mandrake Linux Mandrake Windows CE Microsoft
MS-DOS 1.x Microsoft Windows ME Microsoft
MS-DOS 2.x Microsoft Windows NT Microsoft
MS-DOS 3.x Microsoft Windows Vista Microsoft
MS-DOS 4.x Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft

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Multitasking, multiprocessing, and multithreaded
Multitasking means the operating system supports more than one
program at a time. Windows 3.x supports what is called cooperative
multitasking, which means that the programs running on the PC are expected
to give way when another program requests use of a resource. Windows 95 and
98 support preemptive multitasking, which gives the operating system the
authority to suspend a program that is monopolizing a needed resource.
Multiprocessing means that a computer has more than one processor.
Multithreading means that a single program has the ability to create

(spawn is the technical term) several activities under its control that all run
concurrently.
Common System Components

Process Management
 A process is a program in execution. A process needs certain resources,

including CPU time, memory, files, and I/O devices, to accomplish its
task.
 Processes can create sub-processes to execute concurrently.
 A program by itself is not a process; a program is a passive entity,
whereas a process is an active entity.
 The execution of a process must progress in a sequential fashion. The
CPU executes one instruction of the process after another until the
process completes.
 Operating System processes: Those execute system code.
 User processes: Those that execute user code.
 The operating system is responsible for the following activities in
connection with process management.
- Process creation and deletion.
- Process suspension and resumption.
- Provision of mechanisms for:
 process synchronization
 process communication
- Deadlock handling
Main Memory Management
 Memory is a large array of words or bytes, each with its own address. It
is a repository (storage) of quickly accessible data shared by the CPU and
I/O devices.
 Main memory is a volatile storage device. It loses its contents in the case
of system failure.
connections with memory management:

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– Keep track of which parts of memory are currently being used and
by whom.
– Decide which processes to load when memory space becomes
available.
– Allocate and deallocate memory space as needed.
File Management
 A file is a collection of related information defined by its creator.

Commonly, files represent programs (both source and object forms) and
data.
 A file consists of a sequence of bits, bytes, lines, or records whose
meanings are defined by their creators.
connections with file management:
- File creation and deletion.
- Directory creation and deletion.
- Support of primitives for manipulating files and directories.
- Mapping files onto secondary storage.
- File backup on stable (nonvolatile) storage media.
I/O System Management
 The I/O system consists of:

- A buffer-caching system
- A general device-driver interface
- Drivers for specific hardware devices
 The O.S. hides the peculiarities of specific hardware devices from the
user.
Secondary Storage Management
 Since main memory (primary storage) is volatile and too small to

accommodate all data and programs permanently, the computer system
must provide secondary storage to back up main memory.
 Most modern computer systems use disks as the principle on-line
storage medium, for both programs and data.
connection with disk management:
- Free space management
- Storage allocation
- Disk scheduling
Protection System
 Protection refers to a mechanism for controlling access by programs,

processes, or users to both system and user resources.
 The protection mechanism must:
- distinguish between authorized and unauthorized usage.

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- specify the controls to be imposed.
- provide a means of enforcement.
Command-Interpreter System
 Command-Interpreter system is a system program, which is the interface

between the user and the operating system.
 Command-Interpreter system is known as the shell.
 Some operating systems provide a user-friendly interface (mouse-based
window) such as, Macintosh and Microsoft Windows.
 Some operating systems provide text interface (commands are typed on
keyboard) such as MS-DOS and Unix shells.
 Many commands are given to the operating system by control statements
which deal with:
- process creation and management
- I/O handling
- secondary-storage management
- main-memory management
- file-system access
- protection
- networking
 The program that reads and interprets control statements is called
variously:
- control-card interpreter
- command-line interpreter
- shell (in UNIX)
 Its function is to get and execute the next command statement.
Operating System Services
 Program execution – system capability to load a program into memory

and to run it.
 I/O operations – since user programs cannot execute I/O operations

directly, the operating system must provide some means to perform I/O.
 File-system manipulation – program capability to read, write, create, and

delete files.
 Communications – exchange of information between processes executing

either on the same computer or on different systems tied together by a
network. Implemented via shared memory or message passing.
 Error detection – ensure correct computing by detecting errors in the CPU

(such as power failure) and memory hardware, in I/O devices (such as
connection failure), or in user programs.

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Additional functions exist not for helping the user, but rather for ensuring
efficient system operations.
 Resource allocation – allocating resources, such as CPU cycles, main

memory, file storage, I/O devices, to multiple users or multiple jobs
running at the same time.
 Accounting – keep track of and record which users use how much and
what kinds of computer resources for account billing or for accumulating
usage statistics.
 Protection – ensuring that all access to system resources is controlled.
System Calls
 System calls provide the interface between a running program and the
operating system.
– Generally available as assembly-language instructions.
– Languages defined to replace assembly language for systems
programming allow system calls to be made directly (e.g., C. Bliss,
PL/360, PERL)
 Three general methods are used to pass parameters between a running
program and the operating system.
– Pass parameters in registers.
– Store the parameters in a table in memory, and the table address
is passed as a parameter in a register.
– Push (store) the parameters onto the stack by the program, and
pop off the stack by operating system.
 System Calls Categories
– System calls can be grouped into 5 categories:
1. Process Control: end, abort, load, execute, create process,
terminate process, allocate and free memory.
2. File Manipulation: create file, delete file, open file, close file,
read file, and write file.
3. Device Manipulation: request device, release device, read,
write.
4. Information Maintenance: get time or date, set time or date,
get process or file or device.
5. Communications: create or delete communication connection,
send and receive messages.
System Programs
System programs provide a convenient environment for program development
and execution. They can be divided into several categories:
 File manipulation: create, delete, copy, rename, print files.

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 Status information: Some programs ask the system for date and time,
disk space, number of users.
 File modification: Text editors to create and modify the content of files
stored on disk.
 Programming language support: Compilers and assemblers are provided
to the user with the O.S.
 Program loading and execution: After a program is assembled or
compiled, it must be loaded into memory to be executed. The system may
provide loaders, linkage editors and debuggers.
 Communications: Programs provide mechanism for creating virtual
connections among processes, users, and computer systems, such as
sending messages and transferring files.
Structure of an Operating System (OS)

Monolithic OS
Layered OS
A layered design was first used in THE operating system. Its six layers are as
follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 5: user programs
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 4: buffering for I/O devices
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 3: operator-console device deriver
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 2: memory management (virtual memory)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 1: CPU scheduling
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layer 0: hardware

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The Structure of the THE operating system
Advantages of micro-kernels
 the modules run in user mode (protection against bugs)
 adaptability to use in distributed systems
 forces the programmers to adopt a modularize approach
 easily ported to other architectures
 better use of RAM than monolithic ones
Modules in monolithic systems (Linux)

 monolithic OS faster than micro-kernel OS
 modularized approach
 platform independence
 frugal main memory usage
 no performance penalty

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SELF CHECK 1.1-6
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
in answering.
1. Which part of the System Component‘s where a process needs certain

resources, including CPU time, memory, files, and I/O devices, to
accomplish its task?
A. Process Management
B. Main Memory Management
C. File Management
D. I/O System Management
2. One of the Common System Components where a collection of related
information defined by its creator. Commonly, files represent programs
(both source and object forms) and data.
C. File Management
3. Most modern computer systems use disks as the principle on-line
storage medium, for both programs and data.
A. Main Memory Management
B. File Management
C. I/O System Management
D. Secondary Storage Management
4. The execution of a process must progress in a sequential fashion. The
CPU executes one instruction of the process after another until the
process completes.
C. File Management
5. System capability to load a program into memory and to run it.
A. Program Execution
B. I/O Operations
C. File-System Manipulation
D. Error Detection
6. Program capabilities to read, write, create, and delete files.
A. Program Execution
B. I/O Operations
C. File-System Manipulation
D. Error Detection

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7. Some programs ask the system for date and time, disk space, number of
users.
A. Status Information
B. File Manipulation
C. File Modification
D. Programming Language Support
8. Text editors to create and modify the content of files stored on disk.
A. Status Information
B. File Manipulation
C. File Modification
D. Programming Language Support
9. Which part of the system components also called as the shell?
A. Interface
B. Interpreter
C. Command-Interpreter
D. Control-card Interpreter
10. Which part of the system components control access by programs,
processes, or users to both system and user resources.
A. Protection System
B. I/O System Management
C. Command-Interpreter System
D. File Management

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OHS)
 Always ground yourself before touching any part of the computer

 Do not work alone
 Be careful with tools that may cause short circuit
 Replace only fuses with those proper ratings
 Wear safety glasses for protection against sparks and metal fragmented
 Use only grounded plugs and receptacles
 Working area should have ventilations, trash can , fire exit and capable
of being disinfect.
 Keep one hand in your pocket when working live circuit.
 Wear rubber sole shoes when standing on the ground or in a concrete
floor.
 Always power off and unplug the computer before working on it.
 Wear hard hat when someone working above you
 When making circuit changes, switch off and unplug the power cord from
the equipment then discharge the capacitors.

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TOOLS, EQUIPTMENT, MATERIALS
TOOLS EQUIPTMENT MATERIALS

Screwdriver (standard) Server Software applications
Screwdriver (Philips) Hub / Switch Network OS software
Long nose pliers Modem RJ 45
Mechanical pliers Fax machine UTP cable
Allen wrench PC Video camera Contact cleaner
Electronic tester External CD writer
Crimping tools External zip drive
Soldering gun scanner
Solder sucker Printers
Lead Flash disk / Memory
stick
Wire stripper
Uninterruptible Power
Supply (UPS)
Computer with
peripherals

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TECHNICAL TERMS
Active Hubs amplify or boost signals

Anti-Static A product that prevents the build up of static electricity
BIOS Basic Input/Output System, chip that controls the most
basic functions of the computer and performs a self-test
every time you turn it on.
FRM Field Replaceable Module (Mouse, Keyboard, PSU, RAM,
etc)
Flash drive RAM that can retain data without electrical power. It is
widely used for BIOS chips and for digital camera and
digital music storage.
Graphic tablet objects are drawn using a pen or a puck. The puck is
technically a tablet cursor, not a mouse.
Goggles A large spectacles, with shields around the rims, for
protecting the eyes from dust, excessive light, wind, etc.
Hard-disk drive is a storage device that stores billions of characters of data
on a nonremovable disk.
Hardware refers to the tangible (things you can touch) components of
a computer system. Hardware components are further
divided into three groups namely
Host any computer whether mainframe, server, or even PC that
acts as an information source on a network.
Intelligent Hubs select which path a specific signal will travel
Joy Stick a hand-held control stick that allows a player to control the
movements of a cursor on a computer screen or a symbol
in a video game
LAN Card Local area network interface card.
Laptop computer A small, portable computer -- small enough that it can sit
on your lap.
Local Area the smallest of the three network types, consist of PCs
Network connected together within a limited area, such as within
the same building, floor or department.
Mainframe A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting
many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.
Metropolitan are network that spans no more than 50 miles. It is design
Area Network to connect LANs spanning a town or city
Minicomputer A multi-user computer capable of supporting up to
hundreds of users simultaneously.
Metropolitan is a network that spans no more than 50 miles. It is
Area Network design to connect LANs spanning a town or city
Motherboard contains the CPU, BIOS, Memory, mass storage interfaces,
serial and parallel ports, expansion slot and all the
controllers required to control standard peripheral devices

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such as the display screen, keyboard and disk drive
Modem (Modulator-Demodulator) The modem is a device that
allows a given computer to share data or otherwise a device
which let computers exchange information
Modular Hubs are popular in networks because they are easily expanded
and always have management option. It is purchased as
chassis, or card cage, with multiple card slots, each of
which accepts a communication card, or module
Multimedia is the combination of different types of communication
media (sound, print, video, and so on)
Multitester is an instrument use to measure voltage, current and
resistance.
NIC Network Interface Card – The PC expansion board that
plug into a personal computer or server and works with the
network operating system to control the flow of information
over the network.
Network is a communications system connecting two or more
computers.
Network Bridge divides network into smaller, more manageable sections
helping reduce network traffic.
Network Hub a hardware device that all PCs on a network are connected
to by cabling. The hub manages receiving and
transmitting data from networked services.
Network Server is a powerful computer whose sole purpose is to serve
network clients.
Network Switch It helps determine how data moves over large networks.
Notebook An extremely lightweight personal computer that weighs
computer weigh less than 6 pounds and are small enough to fit easily
in a briefcase.
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
Operating software that controls the allocation and use of programs
System (OS) and data that a computer uses.
Passive Hubs simply connects various cables
Personal A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor.
computer
Port hub /Port is a connector on the back of a computer or other device.
A port is either a serial port or a parallel port.
Peers mean any computer sharing the same protocol layer with
another computer.
Protocol refers to the specific standards governing the sending and
receiving of data.
Repeater a device that strengthen signals and allow then to stay
clear over longer distances.

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Printer It is a piece of hardware that produces a paper copy (also
known as ‗hardcopy‘) of the information generated by the
computer.
RAM Random Access Memory, is a primary memory. This
memory is used inside the computer to hold programs and
data while it is running.
RJ 45 is the connector plugged into the NIC ports on computers
and often connecting the main networking hardware
together.
Router a device that forwards data packets between Local or Wide
Area Network groups.
Scanner it is an input device that read text or illustration printed on
paper, translates the information into a form that a
computer can use.
Server is a part of a network. It is a special computer that users
on the network can asses to carry out a particular job.
Software Programs and data that a computer uses.
Software Enables you to perform specific tasks- solve problems,
applications perform work, or entertain yourself.
Sound Device A windows XP Control Panel applet, called Sounds, and
Driver Installer / Multimedia in Windows 2000, for configuring the system‘s
Sound and Audio sound card.
Devices
Stackable Hubs work just like standalone hubs, except that several of them
can be ―stacked‖ (connected) together, usually by short
lengths of cable.
Standalone Hubs are single products with a number of ports. It is usually
include some method of linking them to other standalone
hubs for network expansion.
Static The discharge of electricity between two objects with
different electrical potential
Sub notebook A portable computer that is slightly lighter and smaller
computer than a full-sized notebook computer. Typically, sub
notebook computers have a smaller keyboard and screen,
but are otherwise equivalent to notebook computers.
UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) least expensive and most popular
network media.
USB Universal Serial Bus, a hardware interface for low-speed
peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick,
scanner, printer and telephony devices.
VGA Video Graphics Array
Video Camera camera using videotape: a camera that records onto
videotape
Wide Area Used to distribute information thousands of miles among

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Network thousands of users.
Wireless Hubs are hubs designed for the home
Workstation is any network computer that connects to and request
resources from a network

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REFERENCES
i http://aopen.jp/tech/techinside/frontpanel.html
ii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA
iii http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_USB_header
iv http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port
v http://www.techterms.com/definition/agp
vi http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-northbridge.htm
vii http://pcsupport.about.com/od/insidethepc/a/atx-pinout-4-pin-12v-psu.htm
viii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_socket
ix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX
x http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk_controller
xi http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-northbridge.htm
xii http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsc/g/cmos.htm

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Installing Computer Systems

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

Welcome to the Module “Installing Computer Systems and Networks”.

You must pass the Institutional Competency Evaluation for this

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No Unit of Competency Module Title Code

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

UNIT OF COMPETENCY : Install Computer Systems and Networks

NOMINAL DURATIONS: 60 HRS

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES:

LEARNING PLAN AND PREPARE FOR INSTALLATION

Read Information Sheet 1.1-3 on

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense for

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is widely used in construction

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

Personal Responsibilities for Safety

 Observe all precautions related to your work.

Ways to learn and understand SAFETY

 Accidental Experience – caused by accidents.

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

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PERSONAL COMPUTER HARDWARE

The illustration above shows the most common hardware in a desktop

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a

The motherboard is the main component inside the case. It

Performs most of the calculations which enable a computer

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

Temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the

The BIOS includes boot firmware and power management.

Two general types of bus structures:

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

It converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-

Factors that determine the quality of a PSU

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

LCD monitor (left); CRT monitor (right)

A mouse is an input device that controls the movement of the cursor or

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A keyboard is an input device that allows the user to enter instructions

To connect your computer to the Internet, you need a modem. A

CBLMs on Computer Date Developed:

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UNDERSTANDING THE MOTHERBOARD

Understanding the Motherboard

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Front Panel Connector CPU Slot

1. Front Panel Connector

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Types of System Panel Cables

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Today's computers have replace PCI with PCI Express.

7. Integrated I/O Ports

Back Panel I/O Ports