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| Aim of Module | To provide students with sufficient skills and knowledge concerning the operation of personal computers to be employed in a junior role installing PCs and supporting PCs users. |
| Credits | 7 |
| Suggested Time | 70 student learning hours |
| Prescription Expiry Date | Nov 2002 |
| Topics | Highest Skill Level | Suggested Assessment Percentage | |
| 1 Hardware & Software | C | 70 | |
| 2 System Configuration | A | 15 | |
| 3 Installation and Support | A | 15 | |
| 100 | |||
| LEARNING OUTCOMES The Student Will | ||
| C | 1 | Describe the overall system architecture of a typical PC system including the structure and function of the major hardware and software components and explain how these components interact. |
| A | 2 | Describe and use system configuration procedures. |
| A | 3 | Remove and replace system components demonstrating safe working and anti-static procedures. Explain how hardware units should be tested to check that they are working correctly. |
It is expected that extensive theory will be given to support the learning of the necessary skills. | ||
| 1 Hardware & Software |
| - The evolution the PC architecture. | ||
| - Power Supply | ||
| - Bus | ||
| - Processors | ||
| - Support Chips | ||
| - Primary Storage | ||
| - Interfaces | ||
| - Video Sub-systems | ||
| - Secondary Storage Devices | ||
| - I/O Devices | ||
| - ROM-BIOS |
| 2 System Configuration |
| - Driver software for video and add-on hardware | ||
| - Motherboard configuration; jumpers and switches | ||
| - Expansion card configuration; hardware & software | ||
| - BIOS setup programs | ||
| - Flash BIOS upgrading | ||
| - Hard disk installation and partitioning procedures |
| 3 Installation and Support |
| - Anti-static procedures | ||
| - Expansion card removal and replacement | ||
| - Disk drive removal and replacement | ||
| - Memory removal, replacement and upgrading. | ||
| - Diagnostic software |
| Note | ||
| NOTES TO TUTOR | ||
| > | It is envisaged that this module will be taught using PC compatible machines. Suggested detail to include: | |
| > | The evolution of the PC architecture and of the Intel 80x86 processor. | |
| > | Power Supply | |
| - System requirements | ||
| - Power supply conditioning (spike protectors, UPS’s & SPS’s) | ||
| > | Bus | |
| - Describe the bus system and give examples of how this is exploited | ||
| - Current implementations of local bus. | ||
| > | Processors | |
| - Notable features of processor chips (eg. 8088, 80486, Pentium, Pentium II). | ||
| - The addressing, CPU clock range and data bus width (both internal and external) | ||
| - Operating modes (real mode, protected mode, virtual memory) | ||
| > | Support Chips | |
| - Clock generator & PIT | ||
| - PIC (understanding of how interrupts work required) | ||
| - CMOS | ||
| - DMA controller | ||
| > | Primary Storage | |
| - Capacity and characteristics | ||
| > | Interfaces | |
| - Parallel | ||
| - Serial | ||
| - USB | ||
| - SCSI | ||
| - ATA | ||
| > | Video Sub-systems | |
| - Display modes | ||
| - Resolution | ||
| - Bandwith and scan frequencies | ||
| - Memory requirements | ||
| > | Secondary Storage Devices | |
| - File system structure (Boot sector, FAT, & directory if DOS studied) | ||
| - Floppy diskettes | ||
| - Winchester disks | ||
| - Cartridge disks | ||
| - Cartridge tapes | ||
| - Optical disks | ||
| > | I/O Devices | |
| - Keyboard | ||
| - Mouse | ||
| > | ROM-BIOS | |
| - Importance in starting computer | ||
| - Provision of ROM-BIOS functions | ||