PC Installation, Configuration and Upgrading

• Input
• Processing
• Output
• Storage

System Components

System case

• Desktop or tower
• Designs: AT or ATX
• Cover, front panel, rear panel

Motherboard

• (aka Planar board, system board)
• Expansion slots (PCI, ISA, AGP)
• ROM BIOS Chip
• CMOS Battery
• ATX power connector
• I/O ports (parallel and serial)
• PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports.
• Memory slots (SIMMs, DIMMs)
• CPU slot, socket
• EIDE connectors

CPU

• Central Processing Unit (aka processor)
• PGA (Pin Grid Array, socket) or SEC (Single-Edge Cartridge, slot)

Memory

• ROM (Read-Only Memory)
• RAM (Random Access Memory)
• System RAM
• Cache RAM
• ROM BIOS
• CMOS RAM

System Clock

• Synchronizes all parts and operations of the PC (IRQ 0)

Speaker

• Part of the system board
• Indicates hardware errors

PSU

• Converts AC (wall) to DC (inside case)
• DC +/- 5 V and +/- 12 V
• Typically, 220-230 W
• AT motherboard to power supply connectors: P8 and P9 (black wires together)
• ATX motherboard to power supply connectors: P1
• Power supply to hard drive connectors: molex
• Power supply to floppy drive connectors: mini-molex

• Analog device
• Compatibility
• Resolution (800x600, 1024x768)
• Non-interlacing (flicker rate)
• Dot pitch
• Refresh rate (vertical): 60 Hz, 72 Hz
• Viewable size

Video/Graphics Card

• DAC (Digital-Analog Converter)
• Screen images stored in RAM areas call UMA (385KB) plus onboard RAM
• Display resolution
• Number of Colors
• Standards: CGA, EGA, VGA, ...SVGA (to 16 million colors, 1600x1200)

Ports, Cabling, Connectors

I/O Ports

Port gender

• Male: pin connectors
• Female: hole connectors

Parallel Ports (IEEE 1284):

• Compatibility/Standard/Centronics mode: 8 bit (original)
• Nibble, Bi-Tronics mode: 4 bit, bi-directional channel
• Byte mode (enhanced bi-directional) mode: 8 bit, PS/2 parallel port, bi-directional
• ECP (Extended Capabilities Port)
• Bi-directional 8-bit operation: can tell data from commands (CD-ROMs, Scanners, Printers)
• EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port): bi-directional 8-bit, daisy-chain peripheral support.
• Problems: electronic noise, signal loss, and data skew – the longer the cable the more data is skewed (delayed and out of synch between the individual wires)
• Max cable lengths about 5 m

Standard Serial Ports (RS-232C)

• DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) – interface with users (all computers)
• DCE (Data Communications Equipment) – interface with DTE (modems, mice, devices)
• Max cable length usually 30 m

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Ports

• Data-intensive tasks
• One host (e.g. PC) and one or more devices (up to 127 daisy-chained)
• Support for hot-pluggable devices (computer does not need to be restarted or turned off)
• No need for external power (powered by the bus) usually
• Data rate is 12 Mb/s with a shielded cable, 1.5 Mb for unshielded.
• Max cable length 5 m

Small Computer Systems/Standard Interface (SCSI) Ports

• Uses parallel data stream, hardware handshaking, and control signals
• One SCSI controller and one or more devices (up to 7, or 15)
• Internal or external connectors
• Can look exactly like a parallel printer port (DB25F)

• BNC
• RJ-45
• RJ-11 connectors

• Infrared Device Association
• Infrared serial link
• “line of sight” communication
• (some PDAs are USB)

Cables

• Watch cable orientation
• Watch cable quality
• Watch cable length (data skew and electromagnet interference - EMI)

Connectors

Interface Cards

Interface cards are integrated circuit boards that fit into an expansion slot on the motherboard.

Expansion Card/Bus Types:

• NIC: Network Interface Card
• Sound Card
• SCSI Card
• Modem card
• I/O card (ports): Input/Output
• ISA: Industry Standard Architecture
• EISA: Extended Industry Standard Architecture
• MCA: Micro Channel Architecture
• VL-Bus: VESA Local-Bus (Video Electronics Standards Association)
• PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect
• AGP: Accelerated Graphics Port

Install and configure peripherals

Typical installation of a peripheral:

1. Power off the PC and remove the mains power cord
2. Take ESD precautions
3. Remove system case cover
4. Find available expansion slot
5. Remove blanking plate (covering slot at the back of the system case)
6. Insert PC card, pressing firmly into place, and securing with a screw
7. Replace case
8. Connect external cables (including the mains power cord)
9. Power on
10. Check BIOS, Plug n Play
11. Install drivers (Add/Remove Hardware)
12. Check for conflicts in Device Manager
13. Test the peripheral.

Always follow these steps each time, for every peripheral you install, even if installing more than one at a time. Ensure the first one is working properly before starting the next.

Modems

• Modulate/Demodulate
• Internal, external, PCMCIA modems
• Converts digital computer signals to audible analog tones to send data (modulation) and reconverts analog signals to digital to receive data (demodulation) over phone lines
• Asynchronous transmission (serial) with start and stop bits
• Speeds: V.34 - 28.8 Kbps; V.90 - 56 Kbps (Kilobits per second)
• Flow control
• Software (XON and XOFF) and Hardware (RTS and CTS) handshaking
• Data compression

Modem AT (Command Language) Commands

e.g. ATDT1234567

Duplexing

• Simplex: one-way communication
• Half-duplex: two-way communication, one direction at a time (walkie-talkie)
• Full duplex: two-way simultaneous communication (telephone)

Error Detection

• Current modem standards: V.42 MNP4 and V.42 LAPM
• Parity check: adds a parity bit to each piece of data (sum = even/odd), not reliable (cannot detect double-bit errors)
• Checksum: sends value as last two bits
• Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC): algorithm that divides a block of data by a binary number (16 or 32 bit) and the remainder is the checksum.

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Last modified: 17/07/ 2006