ICAITS014B Connect hardware peripherals

ICAITS014B
Connect hardware peripherals

Glossary

Other Resources
Sample Class Activities
Sample Projects

Overview
In general Hardware Peripherals can be classified in either internal/external or input/output/storage. Input devices relate to equipment that allows us to put data into the computer system for processing. After the data has been processed there is an output. This is a classical “input-process-output (IPO)” viewpoint about computers. However, the data may be stored, either prior or subsequent to processing, in a storage device. Of course there are devices, especially multi-function, that blur the distinction between these generalised areas of hardware peripherals.

CDROM
Compact Disk Read Only Memory – An optical 120mm diameter disk with 650megabytes capacity. It is used to store text, graphics, sound and video. The digital data is recorded in a spiral from the centre to the outermost edge

CMOS
Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semi-conductor: A low power using memory chip in personal computers the holds time, date and other critical system startup information

DMA
Direct Memory Access: A method of allowing the peripherals to bypass the processor and send blocks of data to a secured memory location. This can speed up data transfer operations enormously.

driver
Operating systems and applications use a general system call to operate hardware devices. The driver is a software routine that translates it into the specific instructions needed to control the hardware device.

DVD
Digital Versatile Disc: 120mm optical disc with a capacity of 4.7 gigabytes. Expected to replace CDROM.

Firewire
A fast (up to 50megabyes per second) serial bus with support for 63 hot swap, plug and play devices. Has the potential to replace serial, parallel, IDE and SCSI Hard disk type interfaces.

IRQ
Interrupt Request: Hardware devices can gain some processor attention by sending a signal via the interrupt request line. Early devices required some knowledge of interrupts to avoid conflicts. Plug and Play now handles the setup of a new device’s communication channels with the rest of the system including the IRQ.

PS/2
A 6 pin mini DIN socket on most computers used for the mouse and keyboard.

RS232
Recommended Standard 232C: now ratified as the EIA-232 standard, which is used by all dial-up modems. The serial port may be either 25pin or 9pin D shell.

USB
Universal Serial Bus: An external peripheral interface with a 12Mb transfer rate. It supports up to 127 hot swappable, plug and play devices. It is expected to replace the standard serial and parallel ports

Other resources
• whatis.techtarget.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• www.webopedia.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• peripherals.about.com/cs/findingdrivers/ - A site for software drivers targeted to peripherals devices
• www.windrivers.com/ - A site for Microsoft Windows related software drivers
• www.drdriver.com/ - A site for device drivers

Sample class activities

Activity 1
In the examples of peripherals below see if you can determine the industry sector (office, home, manufacturing, retail) that the peripherals may characteristically be used in:
Input: Keyboard, mouse, joystick, microphone, trackball, graphics tablet, glidepad, network interface card, barcode reader, scanner, touch screen, sensor, digital camera
Output: Speakers, monitor, printer, network interface card, force feedback device (mouse, headphones, steering wheel, chair, vest, joystick), actuator.
Storage: Floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, optical based disks (CD, DVD etc..), flash cards, memory stick.

Activity 2
Match the port with the description
The Port Match Choice Description

1 Monitor

2 Power in

3 RJ45

4 Voltage selector switch

5 Microphone / speakers

6 Bayonet Network Connector

7 PS/2 Mouse

8 Universal Serial Bus

9 “Firewire” IEEE1394

10 Joystick / MIDI

Activity 3
• Name the following mainboard expansion slots, their speed in megahertz and how many data bits per clock cycle they transfer.
Name Speed Data bits
PCI
AGP
ISA
•
• Describe the OH&S precautions you would undertake while working inside a computer
• How many bytes are there in 2 Kilobytes (2K)?
• There are three (3) connectors on a 34 pin ribbon cable with a twist in the cable between the 2nd and 3rd connectors. At which connector would you put floppy B and floppy A.
• Demonstrate how you would enter the CMOS and adjust the computer for the use of a Plug and Play operating system
• Demonstrate how you would reserve IRQ 5 for a legacy Sound Blaster 16 audio card in the CMOS.
• Demonstrate how you would set the Cylinders Heads and Sectors for a non-standard hard disk drive within the CMOS.
• Show how you would alter the IRQ, DMA and I/O port settings of hardware devices within Windows
• How would you find pin1 of an internal hard or floppy disk ribbon cable?
• On an older style AT power supply there are two (2) flat four (4) socket connectors that plug into the mainboard. How could you tell which way they should be orientated?
• If you were installing two (2) hard drives onto the same IDE ribbon cable how would you ensure that they would work together.

Sample projects
1. Your friend has decided to buy a computer and a salesperson has faxed them a quote. The computer on the fax was described as: PIII 800EB CPU, 128MB PC-133 SDRAM, 30GB HDD, 1.44FDD, 17” NI XGA monitor, 48x CDROM, 32MB 3D AGP graphics card, 12mths RTB warranty. $1895 incl GST Your friend has asked you to explain each of the abbreviations.
2. Create an installation manual targeted to the advanced user for a new graphics card. Use the following as a general guideline.
o Determine the client’s requirements.
o Confirm the minimum specifications required for new device
o Obtain the latest drivers and applications software from the manufacturers web site
o Backup, as a minimum, the critical system files
o Uninstall previous device or reset the device to a compatible state
o Set any jumpers/switches/terminators as per the peripheral documentation
o Physically install new device
o Restart computer and install the drivers and software supplied with the device. Operationally test the device
o Apply the latest driver from the web site.
o Operationally test the device again
o Register the product
o Update the asset inventory
o Review the hardware and software maintenance procedures
o Train any users.
o Confirm with the client that their requirements have been met.