SECTION 1: Installation, Configuration, and
Upgrading
This section provides the knowledge and skills
required to identify, install, configure, and upgrade microcomputer modules and
peripherals, following established basic procedures for system assembly and
disassembly of field-replaceable modules. Elements include the ability to
identify and configure IRQs, DMAs, I/O addresses, and set switches and jumpers.
1.1 Identify
basic terms, concepts, and functions of system modules, including how each
module should work during
normal operation and during the boot process.
System
board
Power
supply
Processor/CPU
Memory
Storage
devices
Monitor
Modem
Firmware
BIOS
CMOS
LCD
(portables)
Ports
PDAs
1.2 Identify basic procedures for adding and
removing field replaceable modules
for desktop and
portable systems.
System
board
Storage
device
Power
supply
Processor/CPU
Memory
Input
devices
Hard
drive
Keyboard
Video
board
Mouse
Network
Interface Card
Portable
System Components
AC
adapters
DC
controllers
LCD
panel
PC Card
Pointing devices
1.3 Identify
available IRQs, DMAs, and I/O addresses and procedures for configuring them
for device
installation and configuration.
Standard IRQ settings
Modems
Floppy
drive controllers
Hard
drive controllers
USB
port
Infrared ports
Hexadecimal/Addresses
1.4 Identify common peripheral ports,
associated cabling and their connectors.
Cable
types
Cable
orientation
Serial
versus parallel
Pin
connections
Examples of types of connectors
include the following:
DB-9
DB-25
RJ-11
RJ-45
BNC
PS2/MINI-DIN
USB
IEEE-1394
1.5 Identify proper procedures for installing
and configuring IDE/EIDE devices.
Master/slave
Devices
per channel
Primary/Secondary
1.6 Identify proper procedures for installing
and configuring SCSI devices.
Address/termination conflicts
Cabling
Types
(regular, wide, ultra-wide)
Internal versus external
Jumper
block settings (binary equivalents)
1.7 Identify proper procedures for installing
and configuring peripheral devices.
Monitor/video card
Modem
USB
peripherals and hubs
IEEE-1284
IEEE-1394
External Storage
Portables
Docking
stations
PC
Cards
Port
replicators
Infrared devices
1.8 Identify hardware methods of upgrading
system performance, procedures for replacing basic and unique subsystem
components and when to use them.
Memory
Hard
drives
CPU
Upgrading BIOS
When to
upgrade
Portable
Systems
Battery
Hard
Drive
Type I,
II, III cards
Memory
SECTION 2: Diagnosing and
Troubleshooting
This section provides the knowledge relating to
diagnosing and troubleshooting common module problems and system malfunctions.
This includes knowledge of the symptoms relating to common problems.
2.1 Identify common symptoms and problems associated with each module and how to
troubleshoot and isolate the problems.
Processor/memory symptoms
Mouse
Floppy
drive
Parallel ports
Hard
drives
CD-ROM
DVD
Sound
card/audio
Monitor/video
Motherboards
Modems
BIOS
USB
NIC
CMOS
Power
supply
Slot
covers
POST
audible/visual error codes
Troubleshooting tools (multimeter)
Large
LBA, LBA
Cables
Keyboard
Peripherals
2.2 Identify basic troubleshooting
procedures and how to elicit problem symptoms from customers.
Troubleshooting/isolation/problem determination procedures
Determining whether hardware or software problem
Gathering information from user regarding:
Customer environment
Symptoms/error codes
Situation when the problem occurred
SECTION 3: Preventive Maintenance
This section provides the knowledge of safety and
preventive maintenance. With regard to safety, it includes the potential hazards
to personnel and equipment when working with lasers, high-voltage equipment, ESD,
and items that require special disposal procedures that comply with
environmental guidelines. With regard to preventive maintenance, this includes
knowledge of preventive maintenance products, procedures, environmental hazards,
and precautions when working on microcomputer systems.
3.1 Identify the purpose of various types of preventive maintenance products and
procedures
and when
to use/perform them.
Liquid
cleaning compounds
Types
of materials to clean contacts and connections
Non-static vacuums (chassis, power supplies, fans)
3.2 Identify issues, procedures and
devices for protection within the computing environment,
including
people, hardware, and the surrounding workspace.
UPS
(uninterruptible power supply) and suppressors
Determining the signs of power issues
Proper
methods of component storage for future use
Potential
hazards and proper safety procedures:
High-voltage equipment
Power
supply
CRT
Special
disposal procedures complying with environmental guidelines:
Batteries
CRTs
Toner
kits/cartridges
Chemical solvents and cans
MSDS
(Material Safety Data Sheet) ESD (electrostatic discharge)
What
ESD can do, how it may be apparent or hidden
Common
ESD protection devices
Situations that could present a danger or hazard
SECTION 4: Motherboard/Processors/Memory
This provides the knowledge of specific terminology
and facts, along with ways and means of dealing with classifications,
categories, and principles of motherboards, processors, and memory in
microcomputer systems.
4.1 Distinguish between the popular CPU chips in terms of their basic
characteristics.
Popular
CPU chips (Intel, AMD, Cyrix)
Characteristics:
Physical size
Voltage
Speeds
Onboard
cache or not
Sockets
SEC
(Single Edge Contact)
4.2 Identify the categories of RAM (Random
Access Memory) terminology, their locations
and physical
characteristics.
Terminology, including the following:
EDO RAM
(Extended Data Output RAM)
DRAM
(Dynamic Random Access Memory)
SRAM
(Static RAM)
RIMM (Rambus
Inline Memory Module 184-pin)
VRAM
(Video RAM)
SDRAM
(Synchronous Dynamic RAM)
WRAM
(Windows Accelerator Card RAM)
Locations and physical characteristics, including the following:
Memory
bank
Memory
chips (8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit)
SIMMS
(Single In-line Memory Module)
DIMMS
(Dual In-line Memory Module)
Parity
chips versus non-parity chips
4.3 Identify the most popular type of
mother-boards, their components and their architecture
(bus structures and power
supplies).
Types
of motherboards:
AT
(full and baby)
ATX
Components, including the following:
Communication ports
SIMM
AND DIMM
Processor sockets
External cache memory (Level 2)
Bus
architecture, including the following:
ISA
PCI
AGP
USB
VL Bus
Basic
compatibility guidelines
IDE
(ATA, ATAPI, ULTRA-DMA, EIDE)
SCSI
(Wide, Fast, Ultra, LVD (Low Voltage Differential)
4.4 Identify the purpose of CMOS
(Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), what it
contains and how to change
its basic parameters.
Examples
of basic CMOS settings are as follows:
Printer
parallel port (uni/bidirectional, disable/enable, ECP, EPP)
COM/serial port (memory address, interrupt request, disable)
Floppy
drive (enable/disable drive or boot, speed, density)
Hard
drive (size and drive type)
Memory
(parity, non-parity)
Boot
sequence
Date/time
Passwords
Plug & Play BIOS
SECTION 5: Printers
This provides knowledge of basic types of printers,
basic concepts, printer components, how they work, how they print onto a page,
paper path, care and service techniques, and common problems.
5.1 Identify basic concepts, printer operations and printer components.
Types
of printers:
Laser
Inkjet
Dot
matrix
Types
of printer connections and configurations:
Parallel
Network
USB
Infrared
Serial
5.2 Identify care & service techniques
& common problems with primary printer types.
Feed
and output
Errors
Paper
jam
Print
quality
Safety
precautions
Preventive maintenance
SECTION 6: Basic Networking
This section provides the knowledge of basic network
concepts and terminology, ability to determine whether a computer is networked,
knowledge of procedures for swapping and configuring network interface cards,
and knowledge of the ramifications of repairs when a computer is networked.
6.1 Identify
basic networking concepts, including how a network works and the
ramifications of repairs on
the network.
Installing and configuring network cards
Network
access
Full-duplex, half-duplex
Cabling
(twisted pair, coaxial, fiber optic, RS-232)
Ways to
network a PC
Physical network topographies
Increasing bandwidth
Loss of
data
Network
slowdown
Infrared
Hardware protocols
4.4 Identify the purpose of CMOS
(Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), what it
contains and how to change
its basic parameters.
Examples
of basic CMOS settings are as follows:
Printer
parallel port (uni/bidirectional, disable/enable, ECP, EPP)
COM/serial port (memory address, interrupt request, disable)
Floppy
drive (enable/disable drive or boot, speed, density)
Hard
drive (size and drive type)
Memory
(parity, non-parity)
Boot
sequence
Date/time
Passwords
Plug & Play BIOS
SECTION 5: Printers
This provides knowledge of basic types of printers,
basic concepts, printer components, how they work, how they print onto a page,
paper path, care and service techniques, and common problems.
5.1 Identify basic concepts, printer operations and printer components.
Types
of printers:
Laser
Inkjet
Dot
matrix
Types
of printer connections and configurations:
Parallel
Network
USB
Infrared
Serial
5.2 Identify care & service techniques
& common problems with primary printer types.
Feed
and output
Errors
Paper
jam
Print
quality
Safety
precautions
Preventive maintenance
SECTION 6: Basic Networking
This section provides the knowledge of basic network
concepts and terminology, ability to determine whether a computer is networked,
knowledge of procedures for swapping and configuring network interface cards,
and knowledge of the ramifications of repairs when a computer is networked.
6.1 Identify
basic networking concepts, including how a network works and the
ramifications of repairs on
the network.
Installing and configuring network cards
Network
access
Full-duplex, half-duplex
Cabling
(twisted pair, coaxial, fiber optic, RS-232)
Ways to
network a PC
Physical network topographies
Increasing bandwidth
Loss of
data
Network
slowdown
Infrared
Hardware protocols
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