Hardware Concepts
This is a 1-credit Unit intended for candidates who require an understanding of PC Hardware. It is designed to develop an understanding of the issues involved in designing and constructing secure computer networks. On completion of the Unit you should be able to:
- Install, configure and upgrade PC hardware.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot hardware problems.
- Carry out preventive maintenance.
- Describe the features of motherboards, processors and memory.
- Describe the features of printers.
- Describe basic networking concepts.
In the first part of the course, you will study installing, configuring and upgrading PC hardware, including identifying and installing system modules, identifying typical resource requirements and procedures for setting/altering these when installing and configuring devices, installing and configuring peripheral devices, installing and configuring storage devices, optimising PC operations and identifying upgrading issues.
The second section covers diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware problems, including recognising common problems associated with each module and their symptoms, identifying steps to isolate and troubleshoot problems, interpreting symptoms and inferring the most likely cause, identifying basic troubleshooting procedures and tools, eliciting problem symptoms from customers and justifying asking particular questions in a given scenario.
The third section covers carrying out preventive maintenance, including identifying the various types of preventive maintenance measures, products and procedures and when and how to use them, identifying various safety measures and procedures, and when/how to use them and identifying environmental protection measures and procedures, and when/how to use them.
The fourth section covers the features of motherboards, processors and memory, including distinguishing between the popular CPU chips in terms of their basic characteristics, identifying the types of RAM (Random Access Memory), identifying types of motherboards, their components and their architecture and identifying the purpose of CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) memory, what it contains and how and when to change its parameters.
The fifth section covers the features of printers including identifying printer technologies, interfaces, and options/upgrades and recognising common printer problems and techniques used to resolve them.
The final section covers basic networking concepts, including identifying the common types of network cables, their characteristics and connectors, describing how a network works and identifying common technologies available for establishing Internet connectivity and their characteristics.
There will be a closed-book multiple-choice assessment covering all outcomes. You will be presented with 30 questions and expected to answer 70% of these correctly. You will also be expected to keep a logbook recording the practical tasks you have carried out during the Unit.
