1.

On BIOS

a. What is BIOS?

BIOS means Basic Input/Output system. It loads the operating system.

b. Why is it needed?

BIOS is needed to perform power-on self-test (POST) to make sure that

the parts of the computer are functioning properly in order to start itself.
They manage things like the keyboard, the screen, and the serial and
parallel ports, especially when the computer is booting.

c. Can it be upgraded?

BIOS can be upgraded so that that the system can accept new hardware
part.

d. How is the BIOS upgraded?

BIOS is upgraded by upgrading the programs stored on the motherboard

ROM memory. In this upgrade you also upgrade the BIOS, POST and
setup.

e. BIOS manufacturers

1. IBM

2. INTEL

2. On expansion cards

a. What are PCI and ISA?

PCI means Peripheral Component Interconnect. It is a computer bus for

attaching hardware devices in a computer. It can be a form of an integrated
circuit fitted onto the motherboard itself, called planar device in the PCI
specification or an expansion slot that fits into a slot.
 ISA means Industry Standard Architecture. It is a bus standard for IBM
compatibles that extends the XT bus architecture to 16 bits. It also allows bus
mastering although only the first 16 MB of main memory is available for
direct access.

b. What is the speed difference between PCI and ISA expansion slots?

An ISA bus operates at 8MHz clock rate and has a maximum data rate of 8
MBps. In newer sytems ISA buses are for flower devices. A PCI operates
at clock speeds of 33 or 66 MHz. At 32 bits and 33 MHz, a PCI bus has a
maximum date rate of 132 MBps. Slots for PCI cars are shorter than those
for ISA plug-in cards.

3. On memory chips

a. What RAM and ROM

RAM means Random Access Memory. It is a computer memory that can be

accessed randomly. Any piece of data can be returned in a constant time
regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the
previous piece of data.

ROM means read-only memory. It is a computer memory that can

permanently store data and applications within it. When the computer is
turned off, the contents of the ROM are not lost.

b. SIMM or single in-line memory module, is type of memory module containing

random access memories used in computers. DIMM or dual in-line memory
module comprises a series of dynamic random access memory integrated circuit.

The difference between SIMMS and DIMMS is that DIMMS have separate
electrical contacts on each side of the module, while the contacts on SIMM on
both sides are redundant. SIMMs have 32-bit data path, while standard DIMMs
have 64-bit data path. he gold or tin pins on the lower edge of the front and back
of a SIMM are connected, providing a single line of communication paths
between the module and the system. The pins on a DIMM are not connected,
providing two lines of communication paths between the module and the system,
one in the front and one in the back. SIMMs and DIMMs are not interchangeable;
they are different sizes and they install into different types of sockets.

4. On video cards
a. Give a brief description of the following terms: AGP port, EDO RAM, Pixel,
refresh rate, resolution.

AGP port- Accelerated graphics port

AGP is designed especially for the throughput demands of 3D-

Graphics. AGP introduces a dedicated point-to-point channel so
that the graphics controller can directly access main memory.

EDO RAM (extended data output) RAM is type of random access

memory chip that improves the time to read from memory on
faster microprocessors such as the Intel Pentium.

Pixel means picture element. It is the smallest item information of

an image.

Refresh rate or vertical fresh rate is the number of times in a

second that display hardware draws the data it is being given. It is
expressed in hertz.

Resolution refers to the number of distinct pixels. It signifies the

number of dots on the entire screen.

b. Why would having a separate processor on a video card help performance?

Because graphics processing is one of the strenuous

computations for a computer which is why it is good to have
dedicated location where all the graphics are computed.
5. On power supplies

a. What is the basic function of a power supply?

The power supply converts the alternating current (AC) line from your home
to the direct current (DC) needed by the personal computer.

b. What rating do computer power supplies have?

Computer power supplies are rated based on their maximum output power.
Typical power ranges are from 300 W to 500 W (lower than 300 W for Small
form factor systems) and are intended for ordinary home computers, the use
of which is limited to Internet-surfing and burning and playing DVDs

c. What are the common type of power supplies?

There are two common types of power supply: AC adapter and DC adapter.
Most are designed to convert high voltage AC mains electricity to a suitable
low voltage supply for electronics circuits and other devices. Some power
supplies include a capacitor to provide smooth DC which is suitable for less-
sensitive electronic circuits, including most of the projects on this website.

d. What is the importance of power supply fan?

It cools the entire PC. The fan is traditionally located at the rear of the power
supply, and special vents are provided for it in the case of the supply itself to
allow for it to exhaust.

6. On hard drives

a. Explain the purpose of a hard drive in a computer system?

Hard drive stores digitally encoded data on rapidly roatating paltters with
magnetic surfaces

b. Define the following parts of a hard drvie: spindle, head actuator, read/write head,
tracks, sectors, disk platters, servo mechanism, servo mechanism, interface
connector.

Spindle
 Spins the platters of the drive under the heads. The spindle motor is
sort of a "work horse" of the hard disk. It's not flashy, but it must
provide stable, reliable and consistent turning power for thousands of
hours of often continuous use, to allow the hard disk to function
properly.

Head actuator-

The actuator is the device used to position the head arms to

different tracks on the surface of the platter (actually, to different
cylinders, since all head arms are moved as a synchronous unit, so each
arm moves to the same track number of its respective surface). The
actuator is a very important part of the hard disk, because changing from
track to track is the only operation on the hard disk that requires active
movement: changing heads is an electronic function, and changing sectors
involves waiting for the right sector number to spin around and come
under the head (passive movement).

Read/Write head –

The read/write heads of the hard disk are the interface between the
magnetic physical media on which the data is stored and the electronic
components that make up the rest of the hard disk (and the PC). The heads
do the work of converting bits to magnetic pulses and storing them on the
platters, and then reversing the process when the data needs to be read
back.

Tracks-

All information stored on a hard disk is recorded in tracks,

which are concentric circles placed on the surface of each platter, much
like the annual rings of a tree. The tracks are numbered, starting from zero,
starting at the outside of the platter and increasing as you go in. A modern
hard disk has tens of thousands of tracks on each platter.

Sectors-

A track holds too much information to be suitable as the smallest unit of

storage on a disk, so each one is further broken down into sectors. A sector
is normally the smallest individually-addressable unit of information
stored on a hard disk, and normally holds 512 bytes of information.
 Disk platters-

In every drive, all the platters are physically connected together on

a common central spindle, to form a single assembly that spins as one unit,
driven by the spindle motor. The platters are kept apart using spacer rings
that fit over the spindle. The entire assembly is secured from the top using
a cap or cover and several screws. Each platter has two surfaces that are
capable of holding data; each surface has a read/write head.

Servo mechanism-

It is automatic device for the control of a large power output by

means of a small power input or for maintaining correct operating
conditions in a mechanism. It is a type of feedback control system. The
constant speed control system of a DC motor is a servomechanism that
monitors any variations in the motor's speed so that it can quickly and
automatically return the speed to its correct value.

Interface connector-

Modern hard disk drives use one of two interfaces: IDE (ATA) and its variants, or SCSI. You
can tell immediately by looking at the back of the hard disk which interface is being used by
the drive:

IDE/ATA: A 40-pin rectangular connector. SCSI: A 50-pin, 68-pin, or 80-pin D-shaped

connector (the same shape used for serial and parallel port connectors). A 50-pin connector
means the device is narrow SCSI; 68 pins means wide SCSI; 80 pins means wide SCSI using
single connector attachment (SCA).

7. On CD-ROMs

a. Define the following components: laser, pits, servomotor, photo detector

Laser
 The laser beam passes through the polycarbonate layer, reflects off the
aluminum layer and hits an opto-electronic device that detects changes in
light. The bumps reflect light differently than the "lands" (the rest of the
aluminum layer), and the opto-electronic sensor detects that change in
reflectivity. The electronics in the drive interpret the changes in reflectivity in
order to read the bits that make up the bytes.

Pits

A series of stiny holes are burned into the surface of the master disc and
duplicated on the many copies made from it. The holes are called pits

Lands

At each data-holding position on the disk, the flat part of the city is called
lands.

Servomotor

It is a closed-loop feedback system. It is an automatic device used to

correct the performance of a mechanism by means of an error-sensing
feedback. The term servomechanism properly applies only to systems in
which the feedback and error-correction signals control mechanical position
or one of its derivatives such as velocity or acceleration.

Photo detector

The photodetector transforms the light energy into electrical energy. The strength
of the signal is dependent on how much light was reflected from the disk.

b. How does constant linear velocity difference from constant angular velocity?

"Constant Linear Velocity (CLV) is a format in which the spacing of data is

consistent on the CD, but the speed of the disc varies on whether the data being
read is near the center or the edge of the disc. Constant angular velocity of a
rotating disk means that, given a stationary base reference line and a zero line on
the disk, both extending from the center of rotation to the outside edge of the disk,
the periodic change in angle between the two lines remains a constant. Such a
disk will have constant angular velocity (CAV) if its rate of rotation or revolutions
per minute (RPM) remains constant.

c. What does the transfer rate measures?

i. It measures the amount of data that is moved from one place to another at g
given time. It can also be viewed as the speed f travel of given amount of
data from one place to another.