S U M M A R Y  ..........


Chapter 1 - PC ModelsChapter 1 - PC Models

What makes PC's different - Features...Pg.5-8

Chapter 2 - Disassembling the PCChapter 2 - Disassembling the PC

Typical toolkit					****
	- tools to include
	- tools to avoid and why

General PC Disassembly			****
	- Be sure that disassembly is necessary
	- Adequate Workspace
	- Keep small parts organized
	- Backup the Configuration
	- Protect the HardDisk if necessary
	- Turn everything off
	- Leave the Power Supply plugged in
	- Diagram
	- Remove Boards Correctly
	- Removing Drives...(4 types)
	- The "Pin 1 Rule"

Common Reassembly Mistakes		****
	- Forgetting P8 and P9
	- Bad Motherboard Seating
	- Reversed Data or Control Cables
	- Mishandled Boards
	- Forgetting to Attach Power
	- Neglecting to Plan Cabling
	- Forgetting Connections for...speaker/ keylock/ battery
	- Panicking if Power-up has Problems

Chapter 3 - Inside the PC

System Board/Motherboard

	- Lab exercise
	- Types and Parts  .........   identification
		- e.g... Pgs.60-63
	
Central Processing Unit

	.......   general understanding of discussion....

	- types
	- speeds
	- word size
	- data path
	- internal Cache Memory
	- numeric coprocessors
	- tables of comparison ..Pg.81-83	 

PC Memory

	- SIMMs, SIPPs, DIMMs
	- types of memory (Memory Map) 	****
		...only general info re: details Pg.97-120

PC Expansion Buses

	- PC, XT, AT(ISA), MCA, EISA
	- local bus configurations
		- VESA, PCI
	- PCMCIA - type 1,2,3

System Clock, etc.

Ports (general Identification)
	......

Chapter 4 ? Avoiding Service ? P/M

Factors Endangering PC's Health		****
					Pg.172-196
	- excessive heat
	- dust
	- magnetism
	- stray electomagnetism
	- power surges, incorrect line voltages, power outages
	- water and corrosive agents


Chapter 5 - Troubleshooting PC Problems

Seven Steps to Troubleshooting Success	****
					Pg.209-239
	1. Check the operator
	2. Is everything plugged in
	3. Check the software
	4. What Am I doing Differently?
	5. Check External Signs...Make notes	 
	6. Run diagnostics
	7. Disassemble, etc.


Chapter 6 - Configuring New Circuit Boards

Configuring

	- Resolving device conflicts
	- Providing software support (BIOS and/or device drivers)

	- I/O Addresses, DMA, IRQs, RAM and ROM Addresses

	- Board Installation (procedure)	****			Pg.304

Chapter 7 - Repairs with Circuit Boards/Chips

Identifying Problem Boards

Understanding the PC Boot Process		****
          					Pg.340-350  and Handout

Finding bad chips - 	Pg.352-357



Chapter 8 - Semi-Conductor Memory

Package types....
	- DIPs
	- SIPPs 
	- SIMMs
	- DIMMs

Access Speeds......
	- 50, 53, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100ns

Size .....
	- 16K, ......

Terms.....
	- static ram
	- dynamic ram
	- static ram caches
	- interleaving
	
Memory Banks and Data Widths
	- (general understanding)



Chapter 9 - Power Supplies and Power Protection

Replacing the Power Supply....		****
					Pg.417

Protecting the PC from AC
	- Check outlet wiring
	- Check what else is on the line
	- Ensure a common ground
	- Protect against power noise
	
Solutions to Power Problems			****
					Pg.422-429
	- Isolation
	- Shielding
	- Proper Grounding

Power Conditioners/SPS/UPS



Chapter 10 - HDD Overview and Terminology

Hard Disk Terms		Pg.435		****
	(current types)

Disk Geometry
	- heads/tracks/cylinders/sectors
	- ZBR
	- LBA
	
Disk Performance Characteristics
	- Seeks and Latency
	- Band Steppers and Voice Coil Drives
	- Data Transfer Rates, Interleave Factors, Sector - Skew

Caches in Drive Subsystems

Installation Characteristics			****
					Pg.469-481
	- ST506, ESDI, SCSI, IDE, EIDE
 


Chapter 11 - Installing a HDD

Steps in HDD Installation			****
					Pg.493-545


Chapter 12 - How DOS Organizes Disk Areas

Overview - 			Pg.561
	- Absolute Sectors and DOS Sectors
	- Clusters
	- DBR
	- FAT and the Directory
	- Subdirectories
	- Logical Drive Structure


Chapter 13  - HDD Preventative Maintenance 

Basics of Disk Hardware PM			****
					Pg.588

	- leave it on
	- good power protection
	- don't smoke
	- park the head
	- proper mounting
	- format at temp and orientation
	- use disk cache where appropriate
	- attend to squeaky drives

Basics of Data PM					****
					Pg.602

	- backing up
		drive type			- once after SETUP
		MBR				- once, after FDISK
		DBR				- once, after FORMAT
		FAT and directory	- daily
		user data			- regularly
		
	- emergency "boot floppy"
	- minimize accidental FORMAT
	- test/refresh disk media annually
	- periodically DEFRAG
	- use verification features
	- understand/protect from viruses

Understanding Viruses
	(general understanding)

Chapter 14 - Recovering Data and Fixing HDDs

...general understanding


Chapter 15 - Understanding, Installing Repairing FDDs


The Floppy Subsystem				****
					Pg.764-769


Simple Preventive Maintenance
	- clean/not clean
	- saving the heads
	- diskettes
	- test the drive periodically


Removing, Configuring and Installing FDDs	****
					Pg.772-778


Floppy Troubleshooting				****
					Pg.781

 



Chapter 17 - Printers


Components - 	controller, cable, printer

Parallel Ports

Maintenance
	- Daisy Wheel
	- Dot Matrix 
	- Ink Jet 
	- Thermal Transfer
	- Laser
	- Infrared

Common Problems and Troubleshooting
					Pg.850-856



Chapter 18 - Troubleshooting Laser Printers18 


General maintenance techniques


Chapter 19 - Modems and Serial Interfaces

The Asynchronous Port

The UART							****                                                            

Modems...							****

	- software problems
	- hardware problems

ISDN

The Wave							****


Chapter 20 - Keyboards and Mice

Keyboards Types

Mouse Types	
  
Wireless Input Devices


Chapter 21 - Video Adapters and Displays

Resolution and Colours	

Terms	- horizontal scan frequemcy
		- dot pitch
		- multi-frequency monitors

Video Troubleshooting				       Pg.964-965

Chapter 24 - CD-ROMs

Types of CD-ROMs			Pg.1028-1031	****

Characteristics of Computer CD-ROMs
	- multimedia kits
	- physical characteristics
		- loading
		- internal or external
	- performance characteristics
		- spinning speeds
		- data transfer rates
		- access time
		- caching
		- buffers
	- interface type
		- proprietary
		- IDE
		- SCSI
		- EIDE


CD-ROM Installation					****
					Pg.1048-1053

Common Reasons for Difficult Installs	****
					Pg.1053
	- Problems with software drivers
	- Missing or forgotten cables
	- Insufficient conventional memory
	- Incompatible adapter devices or software devices
	- I/O, DMA and IRQ conflicts
	- Drive and adapter incompatibilities
	- Boards seated properly
	- Do they actually work?
Maintenance of Compact Disks  -  	Pg.1056


Chapter 25 - Choosing a PC

Current PC Specifications				****













(Revised ? April/98)
??



 

 

