Study Lab for Chapter 2

Use the "Key Terms and Definitions" section of the lab to review terms used in this chapter. Try the "Practice Test" to check your comprehension of the chapter. Tackle the "Lab Exercises" to apply your knowledge.

Key Terms and Definitions

application programs

Programs that create, modify, print, or view data, such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, or Internet Explorer.

BIOS (basic input/output system)

A type of firmware that controls and tests basic computer hardware at the beginning of the boot procedure. Other devices with BIOS chips include VGA video cards and some types of ATA/IDE and SCSI host adapters.

CPU (central processing unit)

The chip that serves as the computational " brains " of the computer, such as Pentium 4, Athlon XP, and so on.

data

Information created or stored in computer-readable form, such as documents, financial data, photos, graphics, and others.

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

High-speed transfers between devices and RAM that bypass the CPU.

external commands

Operating system commands that require a specific program to be launched, such as Windows Explorer (Explorer.exe).

firmware

"Software on a chip" such as BIOS.

Flash memory

RAM that can retain data without electrical power.

flashing

The process of reprogramming a Flash ROM chip with new instructions.

hardware

Physical computing devices (printers, drives , monitors , keyboards, and so on).

I/O port address

Hardware resource used to transfer data between devices; major resource used by Windows to detect hardware during installation.

internal commands

Operating system commands that are available without starting any additional programs. For example, DIR and ERASE are built into MS-DOS and Windows.

IRQ (interrupt request)

0 “15; used by CPU to receive and send signals to hardware devices needing or requesting attention.

legacy port

A ports that predates modern standards such as PS/2, serial, and parallel ports.

memory

Temporary storage workplace for instructions and data. There are two types of memory: RAM and ROM.

memory address

Hardware resource used by some add-on cards for RAM or ROM chips.

operating system

Software that manages all the programs and hardware in or attached to the computer.

point of failure

A device or connection between devices that is most likely to cause a malfunction.

RAM (random access memory)

Memory whose contents can be changed. Its contents are lost when the power is turned off.

ROM (read-only memory)

Memory whose contents normally cannot be changed.

software

Instructions that create or modify information and control hardware; must be read into RAM before use.

utility programs

Computer programs used to perform a specified task involving the health or performance of your computer system, such as drive maintenance (defrag and error-checking), data archiving, and others.

Practice Test

1:	What does RAM need on a regular basis to preserve its contents? (Choose one) Maintenance Sunlight Access by the operating system Electricity
2:	How is firmware related to hardware and software? (Choose one) Firmware is the same as software. Firmware is the same as hardware. Firmware has characteristics of both hardware and software. Firmware refers to hard disk storage of software programs.
3:	Of IRQ, DMA, I/O port addresses, and memory addresses, which two are used for data transfer? (Choose one) IRQ and DMA channels I/O port addresses and DMA I/O port addresses and IRQ Memory addresses and IRQ
4:	Which of the following control the hardware subsystems in a computer running Windows? (Choose all correct answers) Device drivers The operating system The system BIOS Universal Serial Bus
5:	Which of the following components are most likely to be found on the rear of a typical desktop computer? (Choose the single-most correct answer) Floppy and optical drives I/O ports and power connector I/O ports and drive bays Power connector and PC Card slots
6:	Which types of expansion slots are least likely to be found in a recent desktop computer? (Choose all correct answers) ISA AGP PCI CardBus
7:	You are upgrading a legacy-free system. Which of the following devices is most likely to connect to the system? (Choose one) A serial-port PDA cradle A parallel printer A USB floppy drive A PS/2 trackball
8:	You have found an 80-wire cable with a 40-pin connector in a parts storage drawer . Which of the following is this cable specifically designed to work with? (Choose one) SCSI internal drive SCSI external drive ATA/IDE optical drive UltraDMA-133 ATA hard disk
9:	A system identical to the one on your workbench displays its configuration information at startup time, but the system you are repairing doesn't. Which of the following should you change in the system BIOS to display the system's configuration? (Choose all correct answers) Safe mode Enable Boot-Time diagnostic Device Manager Enable Quiet Boot
10:	A BIOS failure could cause which of the following to take place? (Choose one) Some devices work, but others don't. System starts in Safe mode. System starts in Command Prompt mode. System can't start.

Lab Exercises

Use the following hands-on exercises to improve your knowledge of the topics covered in this chapter.

What's Inside Your PC? Taking the Tour

Objective: Determine the major components inside your computer.

Required equipment: desktop computer, tools to open system, ESD protection (wrist strap, anti-static work mat)

1. Turn off the computer, unplug it, and open the system carefully .

   caution

   

   If you are not familiar with taking precautions against ESD (electrostatic discharge ), read Chapter 13 first!

   
   

2. Locate the expansion slots inside your system. How many of each are there?

   AGP _______ Available _______

   PCI _______ Available _______

   ISA _______ Available _______

3. How many drive bays are inside your system?

   5.25-inch (external) _______ (internal) _______

   3.5-inch (external) _______ (internal) _______

   How many are open for upgrades?

   Open 5.25-inch (external) _______ (internal) _______

   Open 3.5-inch (external) _______ (internal) _______

4. Which type of processor do you have?

   Slot-Based _______

   Socket-Based _______

5. Close the system and proceed to the next lab.

I/O Ports and Your PC

Objective: Determine the major port types available on your computer.

Required equipment: desktop or notebook computer

1. How many USB ports does your system have?

   Rear _______ Front _______

2. How many IEEE-1394a ports does your system have?

   Rear _______ Front _______

3. How many parallel ports does your system have?

4. How many serial ports does your system have?

   Rear _______ Front _______

5. How many PC Card/CardBus slots does your system have?

6. Does your system have PS/2 mouse or keyboard ports? Yes _____ No _____

7. Does your computer have an RJ-45 (Ethernet) port? Yes _____ No _____

8. Does your computer have an RJ-11 (modem) port? Yes _____ No _____

9. Does your computer have audio jacks (RCA mini-jacks for analog audio or SPDIF digital audio jacks )? Yes _____ No _____

Answers for the Practice Test

A1:	Answer D is correct: Electricity. RAM's contents are lost unless it is recharged many times a second by the system.
A2:	Answer C is correct. Firmware has characteristics of both hardware and software. It's a physical device (a chip), so it's like hardware. It contains programs, so it's like software.
A3:	Answer B is correct. I/O port addresses and DMA are used for data transfer, while IRQ is used to signal the CPU or device, and memory addresses are used for devices containing memory (RAM or ROM) chips.
A4:	Answers A, B, and C are correct. The system BIOS (basic input-output system) chip on the motherboard configures built-in hardware, while the operating system and its device drivers (files that tell Windows how to use your PC's hardware) configure advanced features of built-in hardware and control add-on hardware.
A5:	Answer B is correct. I/O ports and the power connector are found on the rear of every desktop PC. Floppy and optical drives are found on the front of a desktop PC, while PC Card slots are almost never included in a desktop PC.
A6:	Answers A and D are correct. The ISA slot is obsolete, and the CardBus (32-bit PC Card) slot is used in notebook, not desktop, computers.
A7:	Answer C is correct. A legacy-free system is generally understood to have USB (and sometimes IEEE-1394a) ports in place of the serial and parallel legacy ports. Some legacy-free systems also do away with PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports.
A8:	Answer D is correct. The 80-wire, 40-pin ATA/IDE cable is specifically designed to work with UltraDMA-66 (ATA-66) and faster ATA/IDE drives. Most optical drives support the UltraDMA-33 or slower PIO standards.
A9:	Answer B is correct. Enabling boot-time diagnostics (also referred to as disabling quiet boot) displays configuration information on systems that normally don't display this information.
A10:	Answer D is correct. A BIOS failure prevents the system from starting.