ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 1 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Information Technology (IT)  The design, development, implementation, support, and management of computer hardware and software applications  An IT professional is knowledgeable about computer systems and operating systems.  This presentation will review IT certifications, the components of a basic personal computer system, and safety.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 2 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public IT Technician  Has specialized skills to install, maintain, and repair computers  Computers include desktop, laptop, and personal electronic devices

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 3 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Education and Certification  A successful IT technician has training and experience in the following: Personal computers, printers, scanners, and laptop computers Safe lab procedures Troubleshooting Operating systems Networks Security Communication skills  Industry standard certifications: CompTIA A+ and Network+ CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician)

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 4 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public CompTIA A+ Certification An A+ Certification candidate must pass two exams: 1.CompTIA A+ Essentials ( ) tests for the fundamentals of computer technology, networking and security, as well as the communication skills and professionalism now required of all entry-level IT professionals 2.CompTIA A+ Practical Application ( ): an extension of the knowledge and skills identified in CompTIA A+ Essentials, with more of a hands-on orientation focused on scenarios in which troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 5 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Basic Personal Computer System  A computer system consists of hardware and software components.  Hardware is the physical equipment such as the case, storage drives, keyboards, monitors, cables, speakers, and printers.  Software is the operating system and programs.  The operating system instructs the computer how to operate.  Programs or applications perform different functions.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 6 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Computer Cases  Provides protection and support for internal components  Should be durable, easy to service, and have enough room for expansion  Contain the framework to support and enclose internal components of the computer  Typically made of plastic, steel, and aluminum  Available in a variety of styles  The size and layout of a case is called a form factor  Designed to keep internal components cool  Helps to prevent damage from static electricity

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 7 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Power Supplies  The power supply converts alternating-current (AC) power coming from a wall outlet into direct-current (DC) power, which is a lower voltage.  DC power is required for all of the components inside the computer.  Must provide enough power for the installed components and future additions  Cables, connectors, and components are designed to fit together snugly. Never force any connector or component.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 8 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Motherboards  The main printed circuit board.  Contains the buses, or electrical pathways found in a computer. Buses allow data to travel among the various components.  Also known as the system board or the main board.  Accommodates CPU, RAM, expansion slots, heat sink/fan assembly, BIOS chip, chipsets, internal and external connectors, various I/O ports, and the embedded wires that interconnect the motherboard components.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 9 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Motherboard Form Factors  The form factor of motherboards pertains to the size and shape of the board.  It also describes the physical layout of the different components and devices on the motherboard.  Various form factors exist for motherboards. ATX – Advanced Technology Extended Micro-ATX – Smaller footprint of ATX Mini-ITX – Smaller footprint of ATX

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 10 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Central Processing Unit (CPU)  The CPU is known as the brain of the computer. It is also referred to as the processor.  The CPU executes a program, which is a sequence of stored instructions.  Speed of the CPU is measured in cycles per second- megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 11 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Central Processing Unit (Continued)  The latest processor technology has resulted in CPU manufacturers finding ways to incorporate more than one CPU core onto a single chip. Dual Core CPU - Two cores inside a single CPU Triple Core CPU - Three cores inside a single CPU Quad Core CPU - Four cores inside a single CPU Hexa-Core CPU - Six cores inside a single CPU Octa-Core CPU - Eight cores inside a single CPU

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 12 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Cooling Systems  Electronic components generate heat. Too much heat can damage components.  A case fan makes the cooling process more efficient.  A heat sink draws heat away from the core of the CPU. A fan on top of the heat sink moves the heat away from the CPU.  Fans are dedicated to cool the Graphics-processing unit (GPU). Case Fan CPU Fan

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 13 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Random-access Memory (RAM)  Temporary storage for data and programs that are being accessed by the CPU  Volatile memory, which means that the contents are erased when the computer is powered off  More RAM means more capacity to hold and process large programs and files, as well as enhance system performance.  Types of RAM: Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM) Double Data Rate 2, 3, & 4 SDRAM (DDR2, DDR3, & DDR4 SDRAM)

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 14 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Memory Modules  Memory modules are memory chips that have been soldered on to a special circuit board for easy installation and removal.  The speed of memory has a direct impact on how much data a processor can process because faster memory improves the performance of the processor. As processor speed increases, memory speed must also increase.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 15 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Memory Modules Continued  Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) is a circuit board that holds SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, and DDR2 SDRAM chips. There are 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs, 184-pin DDR DIMMs, and 240-pin DDR2 and DDR3 DIMMs.  Small Outline DIMM (SODIMM) is a smaller, more condensed version of DIMM which provides random access data storage that is ideal for use in laptops, printers, and other devices where conserving space is desirable.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 16 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Adapter Cards Increase the functionality of a computer by adding controllers for specific devices or by replacing malfunctioning ports.  Examples of adapter cards: Sound adapter and video adapter USB, parallel, and serial ports RAID adapter and SCSI adapter Network Interface Card (NIC), wireless NIC, and modem adapter  Types of expansion slots: Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) PCI-Express (PCI-E)

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 17 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives  A hard disk drive (HDD) reads and writes information to magnetic storage platters.  They may be fixed or removable.  The storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB).  Magnetic hard drives have drive motors designed to spin magnetic platters and move the drive heads. Most operate at 5400 or 7200 RPM.  Solid state drives (SSD) do not have moving parts, which results in faster access to data, higher reliability, reduced power usage.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 18 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Optical Drives and Drive Interfaces  An optical drive is a storage device that uses lasers to read data on the optical media. The three types are: –CD, –DVD and –Blu-ray (BD)  Some common drive interfaces are: Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) Parallel ATA (PATA) Serial ATA (SATA) and External SATA (eSATA)

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 19 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Floppy Drives and Flash Drives  A flash drive is a removable storage device that connects to a USB port. A flash drive uses a type of memory that requires no power to maintain the data.  A floppy disk drive (FDD) is storage device that uses removable 3.5 inch floppy disks that can store up to 1.44 MB of data.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 20 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Internal Cables  Internal power cables (Molex, SATA and Berg) connect drives to give them power.  20 or 24 pin ATX power connectors and 4 pin 12V AUX power connectors provide the motherboard with power.  Front panel connectors connect the case buttons and lights to the motherboard.  Data cables connect drives to the drive controller which is located on the motherboard or adapter card. Floppy disk drive (FDD) data cable PATA (IDE) data cable (40 pin) PATA (EIDE) data cable (80 pin) SATA data cable

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 21 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public PS/2 Ports and Audio Ports  A PS/2 port connects a keyboard or a mouse to a computer.  The PS/2 port is a 6-pin mini-DIN female connector.  Line In connects to an external source  Microphone In connects to a microphone  Line Out connects to speakers or headphones  Gameport/MIDI connects to a joystick or MIDI-interfaced device

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 22 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Video Ports A video port connects a monitor cable to a computer.  Video Graphics Array (VGA)  Digital Visual Interface (DVI)  High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)  S-Video  Component/RGB

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 23 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Input Devices Input devices used to enter data or instructions into a computer:  Mouse and Keyboard  Digital camera and digital video camera  Biometric authentication device  Touch screen  Scanner Fingerprint scanner Digital camera

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 24 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Output Devices  Monitors and Projectors: Cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor is the most common monitor type. Most televisions also use this technology. Liquid crystal display (LCD) is commonly used in laptops and some projectors. LCD comes in two forms, active matrix and passive matrix. Digital light processing (DLP) is another technology used in projectors.  Speakers  Printers

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 25 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)  Static electricity is the buildup of an electric charge resting on a surface. This buildup may zap a component and cause damage.  At least 3,000 volts of static electricity must build up before a person can feel ESD, but less than 30 volts of static electricity can damage a computer component. Preventing ESD Damage  Use antistatic bags to store components  Use grounded mats on workbenches  Use grounded floor mats in work areas  Use antistatic wrist straps when working on computers

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 26 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Proper Use of Antistatic Wrist Strap  Connect the cable to the metal chassis of the computer  Wrap the strap around your wrist  The connection will keep your body at the same voltage (potential) as the computer  Attach the wire on the same side of the equipment as the arm wearing the antistatic wrist strap to keep the wire out of the way while you are working. Can prevent ESD damage to computer components.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 27 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Proper Use of Hand Tools  Use the proper type and size of screwdriver by matching it to the screw. Phillips and Flat Head are the most common types.  Do not over tighten screws because the threads may become stripped.  Caution: If excessive force is needed to remove or add a component, something may be wrong.