. CBLM Perform Computer

COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING MATERIALS

Sector:
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Qualification:
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING NC II
Unit of Competency:
COMMON COMPETENCY
Module Title:
PERFORM COMPUTER OPERATION / HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE EXPLAINATION

TESDA - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER - ILIGAN
Maria Cristina, Iligan City

COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER
In this lesson, we take a look at the different components of a computer system.

After this lesson, you will be able to
Define the primary components that make up a computer

Estimated lesson time: 10 minutes

As you might expect, the components of a computer reflect the function of the machine—specifically, the three stages of computing, as outlined in Lesson 1. Let's examine the components.

Input Devices
The following table lists some examples of devices that are used to put information into a computer:

Device
Description
Keyboard

The primary input device for a computer, allowing users to type information just as they once did on a typewriter.
Mouse

Used with graphical interface environments to point to and select objects on the system's monitor. Can be purchased in a variety of sizes, shapes, and configurations.
Scanner

Converts printed or photographic information to digital information that can be used by the computer. Works similar to the scanning process of a photocopy machine.
Microphone

Works like the microphone on a tape recorder. Allows input of voice or music to be converted to digital information and saved to a file.
CD-ROM/DVD drive

Compact disc–read only memory: stores large amounts of data on a CD that can be read by a computer.

Processing
The central processing unit (CPU) is the heart and brain of the computer. This one component, or "chip," is responsible for all primary number crunching and data management. It is truly the centrepiece of any computer. It is so important that whole generations of computer technology are based and measured on each "new and improved" version of the CPU.
When we refer to the CPU, we are usually speaking of the processor. However, the CPU requires several other components that support it with the management of data to operate. These components, when working in harmony, make up the primary elements of the PC we know today. The following table lists these fundamental support components.

Component
Description
Motherboard

The main circuit board of the computer. The large circuit board found inside the computer. Without it, a computer is just a metal box. The motherboard contains all the remaining items in this table; for all practical purposes, it is the computer.
Chip Set

A group of computer chips or integrated circuits (ICs) that, when working together, manage and control the computer system. This set includes the CPU and other chips that control the flow of data throughout the system.
Data Bus

A group of parallel conductors (circuit traces) found on the motherboard and used by the CPU to send and receive data from all the devices in the computer.
Address Bus

A group of parallel conductors (circuit traces) found on the motherboard and used by the CPU to "address" memory locations. Determines which information is sent to, or received from, the data bus. An address bus is a computer bus (a series of lines connecting two or more devices) that is used to specify a physical address. When a processor or DMA-enabled device needs to read or write to a memory location, it specifies that memory location on the address bus (the value to be read or written is sent on the data bus).
Expansion Slots

Specialized sockets that allow additional devices called expansion cards or, less commonly, circuit boards, to be attached to the motherboard. Used to expand or customize a computer, they are extensions of the computer's bus system.
Clock

Establishes the maximum speed at which the processor can execute commands. Not to be confused with the clock that keeps the date and time.
Battery

Protects unique information about the setup of the computer against loss when electrical power fails or is turned off. Also maintains the external date and time (not to be confused with the CPU's clock).
Memory

Stores temporary information (in the form of data bits) that the CPU and software need to keep running.

Output Devices
The following table lists some common devices, known as peripherals, used exclusively for output.

Device
Description
Printer

Generates a "hard copy" of information. Includes dot matrix, ink jet, and laser varieties.
Monitor

The primary output device. Visually displays text and graphics.
Plotter

Similar to a printer, but uses pens to draw an image. Most often used with graphics or drawing programs for very large drawings.
Speakers

Reproduce sound. Optional high-quality speakers can be added to provide improved output from games and multimedia software.

Input and Output
Some devices handle both input and output functions. These devices are called input/output (I/O) devices, a term you will encounter quite often.

Device
Description
Floppy Disk Drive

Mechanism for reading and writing to low-capacity, removable, magnetic disks. Used to store and easily transport information.
Hard Disk Drive

High-capacity internal (and sometimes external) magnetic disks for storing data and program files. Also called fixed disks.
Modem

Converts computer data to information that can be transmitted over telephone wires and cable lines. Allows communication between computers over long and short distances.
Network Card

An expansion card that allows several computers to connect to each other and share information and programs. Also called network interface card (NIC).
CD Recorder

Also called CD-R. You can copy data to a CD with this device, but you can only write to a section of the disc once. Variations on this type of device include compact disc–rewritable (CD-RW) drives. These drives allow you to read, write, and overwrite a special CD-ROM-type disc.
Tape Drive

Large-capacity, magnetic, data storage devices. Ideal for backup and retrieval of large amounts of data. Works like a tape recorder and saves information in a linear format.

Other external storage devices include Iomega Zip drives, which allow users to store 100 MB or 250 MB of data on a single Zip disk.

Other Computer Parts and Accessories
The following table lists some examples of cable that are used to communicate to a system.

Cable/Cord
Description
IDE (ATA/PATA Cable)

IDE is also known as ATA or PATA (Parallel ATA) and is a way of handling a parallel data bus from a disk drive (well, usually a disk drive) to a computer mother board where the disk controller is mostly embedded in the disk drive.
SATA/ATA

SATA (Serial ATA) is an advance on this where the signals are sent over a serial bus not a parallel bus. The cable is much smaller and it will run at higher speed and will support more than 2 drives on a bus.

Note: They are both ways to connect a disk drive to a computer. You use the one that matches your computer mother board (old ones support IDE only, newer ones will support SATA and may support both SATA and IDE) and your disk drive (disk drives are either IDE or SATA, never seen one with both available).
USB Cable

USB cable is a cable that is used to connect a device to a computer or laptop or Printer, Video cameras, Mp3, mp4 even cell phone.
A/V Cable

A/V cable is to use for connect a device to tv and it has the video and audio cable.
Heat Sink

An environment capable of absorbing heat from an object with which it is in thermal contact without a phase change or an appreciable change in temperature.
A protective device that absorbs and dissipates the excess heat generated by a system.
USB HUB

A device that increases the number of USB ports on a PC. However, since the hub plugs into one of the USB ports on the computer, the total number of additional ports is minus one. For example, a four-port hub adds three new ports. USB hubs are typically used to extend USB sockets to the top of the desk for conveniently connecting external peripherals.
Power Cord

A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cord or cable that temporarily connects an electrical appliance to the distribution circuits of an electrical power source via a wall socket or extension cord.

AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator)

A voltage regulator is an electrical regulator designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage level.
It may use an electromechanical mechanism, or passive or active electronic components. Depending on the design, it may be used to regulate one or more AC or DC voltages.
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically the utility mains, fails. A UPS differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide instantaneous or near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions by means of one or more attached batteries and associated electronic circuitry for low power users, and or by means of diesel generators and flywheels for high power users. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short—5–15 minutes being typical for smaller units—but sufficient to allow time to bring an auxiliary power source on line, or to properly shut down the protected equipment
Computer Fan

A computer fan is any fan inside a computer case used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heatsink to cool a particular component. The use of fans to cool a computer is an example of active cooling.
Laptop/Notebook cooler

A laptop/notebook cooler, cooler pad or chill mat is an accessory for laptop computers that helps reduce their operating temperature. Normally used when the laptop's fan device is unable to sufficiently cool the laptop, a cooling pad may house active or passive cooling methods and rests beneath the laptop. Active coolers move air or liquid to direct heat away from the laptop quickly, while passive methods may rely on thermally conductive materials or increasing passive airflow.
TV Tuner or TV Video Capture

A TV tuner card is a computer component that allows television signals to be received by a computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto a hard disk.

SUPPORT HARDWARE
Lesson 2 covered the basic hardware that makes up a computer. There are, however, additional components needed to support safe computer operation. In this lesson, we look at several devices that protect and enhance the value of a computer.After this lesson, you will be able to
Identify additional support hardware for a computer
Understand the functions of some of the add-on hardware
Estimated lesson time: 5 minutesIn addition to the devices that support a computer's data-processing functions, there are others that enhance its operation and performance. The following table lists some of these devices.

Device
Description
Power supply

Converts a local power source (typically 110 volts AC in the United States) to 3.3, 5, or 12 volts DC. Most power supplies also perform some basic line conditioning and surge-protection functions.
Surge suppressor

Used to prevent large power spikes (for instance, lightning) from damaging a computer.
UPS

Uninterruptible power supply. Acts as both a surge suppresser (to prevent high-power spikes) and a power leveler to provide the computer with a constant source of power. Can even provide power during a power failure or interruption (although the duration depends on the UPS and the computer's power consumption) so that the user can safely save data before shutting down.
Case

The box that houses most of the system must provide an environment that minimizes electrical interference to other electronic devices in the area. It should provide a proper heat level for safe operation and bays and connections for drives, circuit boards, and I/O devices.

Don't let the term support hardware lead you to underestimate the importance of these components. How important are roads to commerce, or water to a city? Without a reliable power source, modern PCs would not exist. The internal power supply keeps a clean current running to the system.

LO.1 Plan and prepare for task to be taken/undertaken

PRACTICE: Instruction
Create a group at least 3 members. Study Common competency, Module 1 Perform Computer Operations pages 1 to 40. After 2 hours prepare for group presentation. Each group discusses what they have study or learned. Be sure to include or emphasize the following during presentation "The name, types, classes, purpose or characteristics of each computer parts."
Note: Group presentation but individual evaluation. Remember that the remarks shall be competent and not yet competent. Those remark competent shall be move on next project or module, and those remarks not yet competent shall be again review the lesson for evaluation again. DURATION: 4 HRS.

JOB SHEET # 1

DEMONSTRATION: Configure the parts of computer hardware below, give the exact location in its components (you can draw or label its components/ peripherals, and equipment)

1 2 3 4

6 7 8

5 9 12 11

10

INSTRUCTIONS:
Trainer would assign a workstation for this lab.
Prepare the following materials and equipment: Computer Table/no chair, Monitor, System Unit, Keyboard, Mouse, Printer, Web camera, Speaker/Headset, 2 pcs. Power Cord, AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator), and extension wire.
Connect all the computer parts/peripherals in their proper places or location.
Let the trainer check your work for evaluation.

NOTE:
Safety first!
Observed 5s in all time.

SELF CHECK # 1
Unit of competency:
Perform Computer Operations
Competency standards
Answer the following computer hardware's you know
Satisfactory response
YES NO

_____________ _____________ ____________ ______________

___________________ ____________ _____________ _____________

____________ _________ ____________ ____________ ___________

____________ __________ ___________ ___________ __________

The trainee's underpinning knowledge was: Satisfactory Not Satisfactory
Feedback to candidate:
The trainee's overall performance was: Satisfactory Not Satisfactory
Trainees signature:
Date:
Trainee's signature:

Date:

COMPUTER HARDWARE CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTERISTICS:

MONITOR
A monitor is a visual display of information, using text and graphics. It converts analog signal to digital signal to transmit information so that monitor can understand.

The portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a computer screen can show still or moving pictures.

There are two basic types of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. Both types produce sharp images, but LCD monitors have the advantage of being much thinner and lighter. CRT monitors, however, are generally more affordable.

Comparison CRT
Pros:

High dynamic range (up to around 15,000:1),[2] excellent color, wide gamut and low black level.
Can display natively in almost any resolution and refresh rate
No input lag
Sub-millisecond response times
Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion. Excellent viewing angle.
Usually much cheaper than LCD or Plasma screens.
Allows the use of light guns/pens
Large size and weight, especially for bigger screens (a 20-inch unit weighs about 50 lb (23 kg))
High power consumption

Comparison LCD

Pros:
Very compact and light
Low power consumption
No geometric distortion
Little or no flicker depending on backlight technology
Not affected by screen burn-in
No high voltage or other hazards present during repair/service
More reliable than CRTs
Can be made in almost any size or shape
No theoretical resolution limit Limited viewing angle, causing color, saturation, contrast and brightness to

Vary, even within the intended viewing angle, by variations in posture.
Bleeding and uneven backlighting in some monitors, causing brightness distortion, especially toward the edges.
Slow response times, which cause smearing and ghosting artifacts. Modern LCDs have response times of 8 ms or less.
Only one native resolution. Displaying resolutions either requires a video scaler, lowering perceptual quality, or display at 1:1 pixel mapping, in which images will be physically too large or won't fill the whole screen.
Dead pixels may occur either during manufacturing or through use.
In a constant on situation, thermalization may occur, which is when only part of the screen has overheated and therefore looks discolored compared to the rest of the screen.
Not all LCD displays are designed to allow easy replacement of the backlight
Cannot be used with light guns/pens

CRT Monitor LCD Monitor Projector

Major manufacturers
IBM
AOC
Apple Inc.
Asus
BenQ
Dell
Eizo
Gateway
Hewlett-Packard
HannStar Display Corporation
Iiyama Corporation
Kogan Technologies
LG
NEC
Samsung
Sony
Toshiba
Tyco Electronics
ViewSonic

CASE + PSU
A computer case is what contains the entire computer's components, there will be space for drives, add-in cards and the motherboard. In addition to this, space for the Power Supply Unit (PSU). Depending on the size of motherboard that you have and the need for space in your computer there are a variety of computer case sizes to accomodate the computer's components.

Things to consider are desk space, cooling, room for expansion and cost. With these things in mind you should have no problem selecting the correct case for your needs.

Listed below are the cases with the advantages and disadvantages of each, most cases cost more the larger they get however very small cases are normally more expensive than the bigger ones!

Mini - Ideal for people who need a PC in a very small space, for the Micro ATX motherboards. Advantages - Look cool, saves loads of space, added features. Disadvantages - Cost, little/no room for expansion, problems of overheating with fast processors.
Slimline - Ideal for people who want a desktop computer, but dont want a huge box on their desk. Advantages - Look cool, saves loads of space, added features. Disadvantages - Cost, little/no room for expansion.
Desktop - Cheap case solution for a PC. Advantages - Cheap to buy, loads of room for expansion. Disadvantages - They are big, take up desk space. Can have overheating problems if the internal case design is poor.
Mini-Tower - Great for more desk space as it can be floor standing. Advantages - Cheap to buy, loads of room for expansion. Disadvantages - Having it on the floor can make problems getting to the drives and cables that are too short.

Midi-Tower - Great for more desk space as it can be floor standing. Advantages - Cheap to buy, loads of room for expansion. Disadvantages - Having it on the floor can make problems getting to the drives and cables that are too short.
Maxi-Tower - Great for more desk space as it can be floor standing. Advantages - Cheap to buy, loads of room for expansion. Disadvantages - Having it on the floor can make problems getting to the drives and cables that are too short.

There are two basic common types for Computer Casing or chassis:

Tower Case – it is designed to stand vertically that will lessen the space being occupied. It comes in three basic sizes: full, midi and mini.
Desktop Case – it is designed horizontally which are usually used for office or home PCs. It comes in two basic sizes: standard and slimline.

STANDARD COMPUTER BOX LAYOUT

COMPUTER MOUSE

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. (Although traditionally a button is typically round or square, modern mice have spring-loaded regions of their top surface that operate switches when pressed down lightly.) It sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features that can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates into the motion of a cursor on a display, which allows for fine control of a graphical user interface.

Connectivity and communication protocols

Wireless Mouse / Serial interface type Optical USB Interface Type Optical PS2 Interface Type Battery Operated TrackBall Mouse

COMPUTER KEYBOARD
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Following the decline of punch cards and paper tape, interaction via teletype-style keyboards became the main input device for computers.
Despite the development of alternative input devices, such as the mouse,touchscreen, pen devices, character recognition and voice recognition, the keyboard remains the most commonly used and most versatile device used for direct (human) input into computers.


Wireless Mouse / USB Interface Type Optical PS2 Interface Type

OPTICAL DISK DRIVE

CD-ROM Drive
Short for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory, a type of optical disk capable of storing large amounts of data -- up to 1GB, although the most common size is 650MB (megabytes). A single CD-ROM has the storage capacity of 700 floppy disks, enough memory to store about 300,000text pages.

CD-ROMs are stamped by the vendor, and once stamped, they cannot be erased and filled with new data. To read a CD, you need a CD-ROM player. CD-ROMs are particularly well-suited to information that requires large storage capacity. This includes large software applications that support color,graphics, sound, and especially video.

DVD ROM DRIVE
A new type of read-only compact disc that can hold a minimum of 4.7GB (gigabytes), enough for a full-length movie.
The DVD-ROM specification supports disks with capacities of from 4.7GB to 17GB and access rates of 600 KBps to 1.3 MBps. One of the best features of DVD-ROM drives is that they are backward-compatible with CD-ROMs. This means that DVD-ROM players can play old CD-ROMs, CD-I disks, and video CDs, as well as new DVD-ROMs. Newer DVD players can also read CD-R disks.

Sequential: DVD-R, +R, -RW, +RW or ROM
This group of DVD's are intended for the hi-tech graphics, video for movies and audio for music. They provide better quality for graphics and sound along with higher capacity of4.7GB.
Writable: One Time
DVD-R
Can only be written with -R type drives.
Can be read with -R or +R type drives.
DVD+R
2 hours of video in SP mode or 4 hours in EP mode
Can only be written with +R type drives.
Writable: Re-writable up to 1000 Times
DVD-RW
Contains protection technology that prevents copying of CSS-protected discs.
Can only be written with -R type drives.
DVD+RW
Can hold 2 hours of MPEG2.
Can only be written with +R type drives.
Read Only
DVD-ROM
Can only be used for reading.
Movies you buy or rent are usually DVD-ROM.


DVD ROM Drive / IDE Type DVD ROM Drive / SATA Type

VIDEO CARD
There are three main types of video card commonly in use.
PCI Express
AGP
PCI

PCI Express is the most current, and fastest, of the video cards. If possible, you will likely want to install a PCI express video card. Figure 5.1 shows a PCI Express video card.

Figure 5.1: A PCI Express Video Card

Before PCI express the most common type of video card was the AGP card. AGP cards still give great performance. If you have only one video card in your system you will want to make sure it is either AGP or PCI Express. Figure 5.2 shows an AGP video card.

Figure 5.2: An AGP Video Card

The oldest style for video cards that I will discuss is PCI. You can see a PCI video card in Figure 5.3.

Figure 5.3: A PCI Video Card

You should not use a PCI card as your primary video display card. PCI cards are to slow to play any of the more advanced video games, or to show video. Besides, the price difference between PCI and AGI/PCI-Express is minimal.

What is a good option for PCI cards is using them in conjunction with an AGP or PCI-Express video card. This allows you to have a second display. This will be covered in the next section. Now I am going to show you how to install the video card.

PRINTERS
A printer is an output device that produces text and graphics on paper.
Major types of printer
Printers can be divided into two main groups, impact printer and non-impact printer. Impact printer produces text and images when tiny wire pins on print head strike the ink ribbon by physically contacting the paper. Non-impact printer produces text and graphics on paper without actually striking the paper.

Printers can also be categorized based on the print method or print technology. The most popular ones are inkjet printer, laser printer, dot-matrix printer and thermal printer. Among these, only dot-matrix printer is impact printer and the others are non-impact printers.

Some printers are named because they are designed for specific functions, such as photo printers, portable printers and all-in-one / multifunction printers. Photo printers and portable printers usually use inkjet print method whereas multifunction printers may use inkjet or laser print method.

Inkjet Printer Dot-Matrix Laser Printer

SCANNER
A device for examining, reading, or monitoring something, in particular.
A machine that examines the body through the use of radiation, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging, as a diagnostic aid

POWER SUPPLY UNIT
A power supply unit (PSU) supplies DC power to the other components in a computer. It converts general-purpose alternating current (AC) electric power from the mains (110V to 120V at 60Hz [115V nominal] in North America, parts of South America, Japan, and Taiwan; 220V to 240V at 50Hz [230V nominal] in most of the rest of the world) to low-voltage (for a desktop computer: 12V, 5V, 5VSB, 3V3, -5V, and -12V) direct current (DC) power for the internal components of the computer. Some power supplies have a switch to select either 230 V or 115 V. Other models are able to accept any voltage and frequency between those limits and some models only operate from one of the two mains supply standards.

SPEAKER
Speakers are used to play sound. They may be built into the system unit or connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer.

Major computer speaker companies

The base of a Harman Kardon speaker.

Altec Lansing
Bose Corporation
Creative Labs
Cyber Acoustics
Dell
Edifier
General Electric
Harman Kardon
Hewlett-Packard
JBL
Klipsch
Logitech

HARD DISK DRIVE

A hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile, random access digital data storage device. Main storages devices on computer that store data, files, software on computer. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data ismagnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the platters.

A hard disk drive normally has one head per platter with all heads mounted on common rack. The hard disk spins the disk as 3600, 5400, and up to 7200 or even more RPM (rotation per minute).
Basic Hard drive components:
Disk platters
Read/ write head
Spindle motor
Head actuator mechanism
Logic board
Cable and connectors
Configuration items
The platters, spindle motor, heads and head actuator mechanism are contained in a sealed chambers called the Head Disk Assembly (HDA), usually treated as a single components and is rarely opened. Other parts external to HDA such as the logic board, cover, and other configuration items can be disassembled from the drive.

Hard drive comes with TWO Basic sizes:
Hard disk drive 3.5" in size
Laptop Hard drive 2.5" in size

Types of Hard disk Drive / Communication Interfaces
Three of the most common and widely used hard drive types are:
IDE

SCSI

SATA or Serial ATA.

STORAGE DEVICES

USB Drive Floppy Disk Hard Disk Drive Other Storage Devices

MOTHERBOARD
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard,system board, or, on Apple computers, the logic board.[1] It is also sometimes casually shortened to mobo.[2]

MOTHERBOARD MANUFACTURERS
ABIT Ltd.
Motherboard manufacturer specializing in motherboards for the overclocking and performance market.
AOpen
A division of Acer Corporation that sells primarily to the OEM market. They even make a computer motherboard which has a vaccuum tube on it.
ASUSTek
One of the oldest and most respected motherboard manufacturers on the market.
Chaintech
Chaintech is one of the newer entries in the US performance motherboard market.
DFI
Maker of a wide variety of ATX and microATX design PC motherboards.
ECS Elitegroup
Maker of a wide range of PC motherboards that has recently started selling to the performance market.
EPoX Computer
A relatively new motherboard manufacturer that has many high performance motherboard options.
FIC Inc.
Manufacturer of a number of different motherboards. Note: This site does not view well outside of Internet Explorer.
GigaByte Technology
Manufacturer of a wide variety of motherboards.
Intel
The Company most known for its CPUs also develops a line of motherboards based upon its own chipsets and CPUs.
IWILL
Manufacturer that started out developing SCSI controller cards that has expanded into the PC motherboard market.
MSI Inc.
Developer of a wide range of well prices motherboards which still contain excellent features.
Shuttle Computer Group
Manufacturer of a wide variety of motherboards including the small form factor X PC line.
Soltek USA
One of the newest motherboard manufacturers on the market that recently began produce small form factor products.
Tyan Computer
Manufacturer well known for their multiple processor motherboards.

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
The central processing unit (CPU) is the portion of acomputer system that carries out the instructions of acomputer program, and is the primary element carrying out the functions of the computer or other processing device. The central processing unit carries out each instruction of the program in sequence, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. This term has been in use in the computer industry at least since the early 1960s.[1] The form, design and implementation of CPUs have changed dramatically since the earliest examples, but their fundamental operation remains much the same.

CPU Images:

CPU socket Types:
PGA

PGA stands for Pin Grid Array. As on the image, the CPU's circuits are integrated inside a ceramic layer with an array of pins on the surface.
PGA CPU FormPGA CPU FormAt the installation the pins are inserted in the socket's holes making contact with the motherboard's circuits.
PGA CPU Form
PGA CPU Form
There are other form variants and they have their own technology. I will not discuss them here, because I think it is not important until you are a complete savvy. But still, here are the variants names I know it exist.

PPGA stands for Plastic Grid Array
FCPGA stands for Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array
CPGA stands for Ceramic Pin Grid Array
OPGA stands for Organic Pin Grid Array
Socket 478 - for older Pentium and Celeron processors
Socket 754 - for AMD Sempron and some AMD Athlon processors
Socket 939 - for newer and faster AMD Athlon processors
Socket AM2 - for the newest AMD Athlon processors
Socket A - for older AMD Athlon processors

LGA
LGA stands for Land Grid Array. If you look at the image, you can see there are no pins. Instead it is an array of pads that is built on the CPU's surface.
At the installation the CPU is sat on the socket's pins where they are fixed to the motherboard and contact with the circuits.
The LGA form offer a clock frequency higher than the PGA caused by its larger contact point. Maybe it is the reason why Intel decided to go back to this form that was used long ago.

SELF CHECK # 2
Unit of competency:
YES NO

_____________ ______________ _____________ _________

___________ ____________ ______________ ______________

__________ ____________ ____________ ___________ _________

__________ __________ _________ __________ _________

__________ _________ ____________ ___________ ____________

The trainee's underpinning knowledge was:
Satisfactory Not Satisfactory

COMPUTER MEMORY THEORY

Lesson 3 covered the basic hardware that makes up a computer. There are, however, additional components needed to support safe computer operation. In this lesson, we look at several devices that protect and enhance the value of a computer.

Identify the types of computer RAM (Memory)
Understand the functions of memory


In addition to the devices that support a computer's data-processing functions, there are others that enhance its operation and performance.

RAM

RAM or Random Access Memory is the memory used by the computer while it is in operation, this memory is described as volitile as it is wiped clean when the computer is shutdown. Again the more RAM that you have installed in your computer the faster the computer will operate.

There are various types of RAM, they vary becuase of the increasing in processor speeds and the need for the RAM to keep up. You can get RAM modules in various sizes i.e. their logical sizes, the amount of data they can hold. This range from 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB. Nowadays you will normally only find RAM in sizes of 128MB or above.

SIMM or DIMM?

The two main types of RAM are:
1. SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module)
2. DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module)
all modern computers use the DIMM type of RAM.

There are 4 main types of RAM listed below and then within these there are even more types under each of these main types. The traditional RAM type is DRAM (dynamic RAM). The other type is SRAM (static RAM). SRAM continues to remember its content, while DRAM must be refreshed every few milli seconds. DRAM consists of micro capacitors, while SRAM consists of off/on switches. Therefore, SRAM can respond much faster than DRAM. SRAM can be made with a rise time as short as 4 ns. It is used in different versions in L2 cache RAM (for example pipe line BURST Cache SRAM). DRAM

Currently, there are at least four types:
FPM (Fast Page Mode)
ECC (Error Correcting Code)
EDO (Extended Data Output)
SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM)
SO-DIMM memory (Laptop Memory

SO-DIMM three types (Laptop Memory):

There are three types of SO-DIMM memory, which build on each other's capacities.

SDRAM stands for synchronous dynamic random access memory. This type of memory syncs itself up with your computer's processor, allowing smooth access. With the advances of technology, most newer laptops no longer use SDRAM.
DDR SDRAM is SDRAM with a double data rate. This means it's twice as fast as standard SDRAM, and it's one of the two most common types of memory found in modern laptops as of August 2009.
DDR2 SDRAM is yet another upgrade to the original SDRAM concept. A big advantage of this type of memory is that it draws less power than its predecessors, thus creating less drain on your laptop.

Most Common DRAM used in PC's are: Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM)
Single Data Rate (SDR) SDRAM is a synchronous form of DRAM.
Double data rate (DDR) SDRAM was a later development of SDRAM, used in PC memory from 2000 onwards. DDR2 SDRAM is a minor enhancement on DDR-SDRAM that mainly affords higher clock speeds and somewhat deeper pipelining.

Different RAM Types and its uses
The type of RAM doesn't matter nearly as much as how much of it you've got, but using plain old SDRAM memory today will slow you down. There are three main types of RAM: SDRAM, DDR and Rambus DRAM.

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)
Almost all systems used to ship with 3.3 volt, 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. SDRAM is not an extension of older EDO DRAM but a new type of DRAM altogether. SDRAM started out running at 66 MHz, while older fast page mode DRAM and EDO max out at 50 MHz. SDRAM is able to scale to 133 MHz (PC133) officially, and unofficially up to 180MHz or higher. As processors get faster, new generations of memory such as DDR and RDRAM are required to get proper performance.

DDR (Double Data Rate SDRAM) DDR basically doubles the rate of data transfer of standard SDRAM by transferring data on the up and down tick of a clock cycle. DDR memory operating at 333MHz actually operates at 166MHz * 2 (aka PC333 / PC2700) or 133MHz*2 (PC266 / PC2100). DDR is a 2.5 volt technology that uses 184 pins in its DIMMs. It is incompatible with SDRAM physically, but uses a similar parallel bus, making it easier to implement than RDRAM, which is a different technology.

Rambus DRAM (RDRAM) Despite it's higher price, Intel has given RDRAM it's blessing for the consumer market, and it will be the sole choice of memory for Intel's Pentium 4. RDRAM is a serial memory technology that arrived in three flavors, PC600, PC700, and PC800. PC800 RDRAM has double the maximum throughput of old PC100 SDRAM, but a higher latency. RDRAM designs with multiple channels, such as those in Pentium 4 motherboards, are currently at the top of the heap in memory throughput, especially when paired with PC1066 RDRAM memory.

DIMMs vs. RIMMs DRAM comes in two major form factors: DIMMs and RIMMS. DIMMs are 64-bit components, but if used in a motherboard with a dual-channel configuration (like with an Nvidia nForce chipset) you must pair them to get maximum performance. So far there aren't many DDR chipset that use dual-channels. Typically, if you want to add 512 MB of DIMM memory to your machine, you just pop in a 512 MB DIMM if you've got an available slot. DIMMs for SDRAM and DDR are different, and not physically compatible. SDRAM DIMMs have 168-pins and run at 3.3 volts, while DDR DIMMs have 184-pins and run at 2.5 volts.
RIMMs use only a 16-bit interface but run at higher speeds than DDR. To get maximum performance, Intel RDRAM chipsets require the use of RIMMs in pairs over a dual-channel 32-bit interface. You have to plan more when upgrading and purchasing RDRAM.

Types of Memory
Pretty much every new laptop on the market should use DDR3 memory now. It is still possible to find some older netbooks or laptops on the market that use DDR2 but it is best to avoide them now. In addition to the type of memory installed in the laptop, the speed of the memory can also make a difference in the performance. When comparing laptops, be sure to check both of these pieces of information to determine how they may impact performance.
There are two ways that the memory speeds can be designated. The first is by the memory type and its clock rating, like DDR3 1066. The other method is by listing the type along with the bandwidth. In the case the same DDR3 memory would be listed as PC3-8500 memory.

Below is a listing in order of fastest to slowest memory types in both formats:
DDR3 1600 / PC3-12800
DDR3 1333 / PC3-10600
DDR3 1066 / PC3-8500
DDR2 800 / PC2-6400
DDR3 800 / PC3-6400
DDR2 667 / PC2-5300 or PC2-5400
DDR2 533 / PC2-4200
DDR2 400 / PC2-3200

BEST RAM Manufacturer
Mushkin = Excellent Performance and Durable

Crucial = Compatibility and Warranty

Kingston= Stable and warranty/RMA is fast

OCZ= Very good stick and 2nd. line after the above manufatures.

SELF CHECK # 3
Unit of competency:
YES NO

________________ ________________ _________________

________________ ________________ ________________

____________________________

How do you choose ram for your desktop computer?

How do you choose ram for your laptop computer?


TYPES OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Lesson 4 covered the basic hardware that makes up a computer. There are, however, additional components needed to support safe computer operation. In this lesson, we look at several devices that protect and enhance the value of a computer.
Enumerate the types of Computer Software
General security, privacy legislation and copyright

In addition to the devices that support a computer's data-processing functions, there are others that enhance its operation and performance.

Major Types of Software
Software is the means by which computer systems speak with computer users. Software forms the heart of computer systems. What are the major types of software? Read on to find out.

Software, by definition, is the collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that performs different tasks on a computer system. The term 'software' was first used by John Tukey in 1958. At the very basic level, computer software consists of a machine language that consists of groups of binary values, which specify processor instructions. The processor instructions change the state of computer hardware in a predefined sequence. Briefly, computer software is the language in which a computer speaks.

There are different types of computer software. What are their major types?
Programming Software: This is one of the most commonly known and popularly used forms of computer software. These software come in forms of tools that assist a programmer in writing computer programs. Computer programs are sets of logical instructions that make a computer system perform certain tasks. The tools that help the programmers in instructing a computer system include text editors, compilers and interpreters.

System Software: It helps in running the computer hardware and the computer system. System software is a collection of operating systems; devise drivers, servers, windowing systems and utilities. System software helps an application programmer in abstracting away from hardware, memory and other internal complexities of a computer.

Application Software: It enables the end users to accomplish certain specific tasks. Business software, databases and educational software are some forms of application software. Different word processors, which are dedicated for specialized tasks to be performed by the user, are other examples of application software.

Apart from these three basic types of software, there are some other well-known forms of computer software like inventory management software, ERP, utility software, accounting software and others. Take a look at some of them.

Inventory Management Software: This type of software helps an organization in tracking its goods and materials on the basis of quality as well as quantity. Warehouse inventory management functions encompass the internal warehouse movements and storage. Inventory software helps a company in organizing inventory and optimizing the flow of goods in the organization, thus leading to an improved customer service.

Utility Software: Also known as service routine, utility software helps in the management of computer hardware and application software. It performs a small range of tasks. Disk defragmenters, systems utilities and virus scanners are some of the typical examples of utility software.

Data Backup and Recovery Software: An ideal data backup and recovery software provides functionalities beyond simple copying of data files. This software often supports user needs of specifying what is to be backed up and when. Backup and recovery software preserve the original organization of files and allow an easy retrieval of the backed up data.

This was an overview of the major types of software. Computer software are widely popular today and hence we cannot imagine a world of computers without them. We would not have been able to use computers if not for the software. What is fascinating about the world of computers is that it has its own languages, its ways of communication with our human world and human interaction with the computers is possible, thanks to computer software. I wonder, if the word 'soft' in 'software' implies 'soft-spokenness', which is an important quality of a pleasant communication.

Software copyright
Software copyright is the relatively recent extension of copyright law to machine-readable software. While many of the legal principles and policy debates concerning software copyright have close parallels in other domains of copyright law, there are a number of distinctive issues that arise with software. This article will primarily focus on topics peculiar to software.

Software copyright is commonly used by proprietary software companies to prevent the unauthorized copying of their software. Open source licenses also rely on copyright law to enforce their terms. For instance, copyleft licenses impose a duty on licensees to share their modifications to the copylefted work under some circumstances. No such duty would apply had the software in question been in the public domain.

The copyright infringement of software (often referred to as software piracy) refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software. Copyright infringement of this kind is extremely common. Most countries have copyright laws which apply to software, but the degree of enforcement varies.

SELF CHECK # 4
Trainee's name:

Unit of competency:
Answer the following question given below
YES NO
What is software?

What is Operating System software / System Software?

What is Application Software?

What is Utility Software?

What is Programming Software?


Activity 1

Familiarized the following computer components bellow. State the name of each part includes the types and brand or manufacturer.

. CBLM Perform Computer

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