Connectors

Monday, August 24, 2015

14:45

Four Stages of Computer Functions

1. Input
2. Processing
3. Output
4. Storage

Six Types of Connectors

1. DIN & Mini-DIN: Deutsche Industrie Norm
a. Replaced years ago by Mini-DIN
b. Also known as PS/2 (this is what IBM called it when they released Personal System 2 computer in 1987)
c. Also known as DIN-6 for uses other than keyboard/mouse peripherals (e.g., satellite speaker connections to a subwoofer)
2. USB
a. USB A: what comes to mind from USB
b. USB B
c. Mini-B, Mini-A, Micro-B, Micro-A
3. Firewire
a. Also Known as IEEE 1394
b. Moves data at high speed making it ideal for applications such as streaming video from camera to hard drive
4. DB Connectors
a. Also Known as D-Shell connectors or D-Sub/D-Subminiature connectors
b. Parallel Ports: 25 pin female DB connector used for many years as a printer connector
c. 9 to 37 pins, more than 25 uncommon
d. Oldest and most common connector
5. RJ Connectors
a. RJ-11, phone jack, almost exclusively used for modems
b. RJ-45, network connection
6. Audio Connectors
a. 1/8th inch connectors, also called mini-audio connectors
b. S/PDIF: Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format. Coaxial & Optical versions, single port replace all mini-audio connectors for a
surround sound setup
7. Video Connectors
a. VGA: 15 pin female DB Video Graphics Array
b. DVI: Digital Visual Interface
i. DVD-D (all digital)
ii. DVD-A (analog)
iii. DVI-I (both digital & analog)
c. S-Video, Component, Composite, HDMI, Mini-HDMI, Micro-HDMI

Quick Notes Page 1

Visible Windows
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

14:27

History of Windows:
- MS-DOS, Microsoft Disk Operating System - early 80s
- Windows 3.11 (Windows 3.x, Windows for Work Groups)
Started as graphical overlay for MS-DOS with Windows 1.0 (1985)
- Microsoft NT
Important feature: NTFS (NT File System)
Previously, all versions of Windows used FAT (File Allocation Table)
- Windows 95: first version that was a full-blown OS an not just an overlay of MS-DOS
Upgrades: Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows Me
- Windows 2000
Based on Windows NT, but easier to use

Quick Notes Page 2

Topics No Longer Covered in 901/902

Monday, April 11, 2016

15:10

220-901 EXAM
- No CRTS and some older tech
- Printers are now part of Domain 1.0
Includes Virtual Printers
- Networking is now from the user's perspective
Troubleshooting what's happening on an individual work station
Shouldn't have to learn network administration
- "Laptops" is now Mobile Devices
Includes Laptops, mobilephones, and tablets
- Now need to be able to troubleshoot all of the above as part of exam

220-902 EXAM
- Windows XP is gone, replaced with Windows 8/8.1
- Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux implemented
- Revamped Security
Additions to Mobile security

General Information Page 3

1.1 BIOS and UEFI

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

12:37

BIOS = Basic Input Output System

The software used to start your computer
The firmware
AKA System BIOS, ROM BIOS, ROM or flash memory
Bootstrapping
BIOS identifies and initializes components of the system
Tests they are working: POST, Power-On Self Test
BIOS indicates any system problems that the POST finds by either on-screen display codes or beep
codes
Can also use a POST adapter card
Then looks for a Boot Loader to allow OS to continue loading normally

Legacy BIOS
The original/traditional BIOS
Older OS talked to hardware though the BIOS instead of accessing hardware directly
Limited Hardware Support
No drivers for modern network, video, and storage devices
ROM, PROM, & EEPROM
BIOS originally stored on ROM (read only memory) chips
Progressed to Programmable ROM allowing user to change settings in BIOS
Now stored on EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM)
Allows not only update settings, but also fully update BIOS by erasing it and rewriting it in process
known as Flashing
Modern BIOS: UEFI
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
Based on Intel's EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface)
A defined standard now being implemented my most manufacturers
Designed to replace the legacy BIOS

Legacy BIOS

Advantages of UEFI
Boot from large (>2.2TB) GUID Partition table (GPT) disks
Also supports FAT format and removable media
Includes a pre-boot environment
Allows troubleshooting of the OS before it loads
Is not an OS
Has its own shell, drivers & applications
Can browse internet, back up a storage device or even remote-in for remote diagnostics

BIOS configuration/settings are stored in Nonvolatile BIOS memory

Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)
Main disadvantage of CMOS is that it requires a power source (battery) to retain settings
Often still referred to as CMOS memory even when it isn't
Flash Memory is now used
Doesn't require a constant power source
Is more flexible and reliable
The CMOS Battery
Lithium Battery
Not needed for today's flash-based storage
Maintains older BIOS configurations
Today may be present on motherboards to maintain date/time
A bad battery will require a BIOS configuration on every boot

Section 1 - Hardware Page 4

CMOS Battery

UEFI BIOS

1.1 BIOS Configurations

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

13:04

Common Buttons to interrupt the boot process and enter the BIOS configuration screen
DEL, F1, F2, Ctrl-S, Ctrl-Alt-S
RAM
View and configure memory settings
Hard Drive/ SSD
Drive Settings
Optical Drive
Enable / Disable
CPU
Set computer or supervisor password
Boot process
Built-In Diagnostics
Part of the BIOS
Run from the BIOS menu, no additional media or software required
Focused on hardware checks, doesn't touch OS
BIOS Configuration Jumper Block (AKA CMOS Jumper)
3 pin jumper usually near CMOS battery
3 Settings: Normal, Configuration, Recovery
Configuration allows access to the BIOS without password

Section 1 - Hardware Page 5

1.1 BIOS Security

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

13:14

BIOS Passwords
Require a password to start the OS boot process
Supervisor Passwords
Restricts BIOS changes
Full Disk Encryption
Everything is encrypted, all data, not just individual files
Windows BitLocker disk encryption
Integrates with BIOS' TPM
TPM - Trusted Platform Module
Can be added to many motherboards
Built-in to some systems
Adds advanced hardware-based cryptographic functions
LoJack for Laptops
Original called CompuTrace
Name licensed from the vehicle recovery service
Built into the BIOS
Software installed into the OS by BIOS
Reinstalls itself if removed or new storage drive is installed
"Phone Home" function
Provides remote location information
Theft Mode
Remotely lock the Laptop and/or delete files
Forces a startup password

Secure Boot
Prevents malicious drivers or OS software from running
Part of the UEFI specification
Digitally signs known good software
Software won't run without the proper signature
Supported in many different OS:
REQUIRED by Windows 8, 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
Linux Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu can all use Secure Boot

Section 1 - Hardware Page 6

TPM - Trusted Platform Module

1.1 Installing BIOS Upgrades

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

13:25

Firmware
Non-volatile memory and software that starts devices
Older-style replacement of ROM (Read Only Memory) chips
No chips replacement in modern day, Flash Memory instead
Not usually part of a normal maintenance process
Upgrade for a specific reason: improved performance, bug fix, etc
Identify Current BIOS Version
May appear when system starts but can be difficult to catch
Easier to look in System Information (msinfo32)
Accessed by msinfo32 in CMD line or System Information Utility
Provides version and date details
If possible, get a copy of the current version
Updating Firmware can potentially render a system unusable, have a backup plan
Before Upgrading
Read the Documentation
Some BIOS updates are bland/unnecessary
Check for OS and other prerequisites
Locate
a Reliable Power Source

Laptop: Connect to AC power and have a full battery

Desktop: Use a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply), if possible
Run the Upgrade Program
Really Old BIOS upgrades may require a boot disk (floppy or optical media)
Most modern upgrades run as an executable
Most upgrade apps will check for prerequisites
Do not rely on this
Other Options
Multiple BIOS chips/versions
Two Separate BIOS Versions (Main/Backup)
Easily Switch between them
Upgrade from a USB flash drive
Computer may not even need to be powered on, using stand -by power instead

Section 1 - Hardware Page 7

1.2 Motherboard Types

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

14:39

ATX Form Factor

Advanced Technology Extended
Standardized by Intel in 1995
Power
20 Pin connector
24 pin connector, additional 4/8 pin connector
Still popular and manufactured in 2016

ITX Form Factor

Low-power motherboards developed by VIA Technologies in 2001
Mini-ITX has mounting points compatible with ATX and Micro-ATX

MicroATX (uATX)
Smaller but limited expansion slots compared to Standard-ATX
Similar mounting points and power connections to Standard-ATX

Section 1 - Hardware Page 8

1.2 Motherboard Expansion Slots & Bus Speeds

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

32-Bit PCI Parallel Bus

64-Bit PCI Parallel Bus

14:49

"Busses" are communication paths between the different components on a motherboard

Bus also used to communicate information from expansion slots
The Expansion Bus
"Width" of expansion bus
How much traffic you can put through a connection / how much data you are able to
move in and out of the expansion slot
Term is changing to Bandwidth
Clock speed of the Bus
How fast the information is transferred
Speed measured as the number of cycles that can be performed in a single second
1 Cycle is called a Hertz
1 MHz (megahertz) = 1 million cycles per second
1 GHz = 1000 MHz
Clock speed does not necessarily equal transfer rate
Ex. DDR3 SDRAM can transfer 64 times the memory clock speed
Conventional PCI
PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect
Common expansion interface created in 1994
32-bit and 64-bit bus width
Parallel communication
For a single transfer, all of the bits are transferred at a single time
Throughput varies by bus version
133 MB/s (32-bit at 33MHz)
266 MB/s (32-bit at 66 MHz or 64-bit at 33 MHz)
533 MB/s (64-bit at 66 MHz)

PCI-X
PCI eXtended
Based on conventional PCI, designed for higher throughput needed by servers
Higher Bandwidth
4x the clockspeed
1064 MB/s throughput
Parallel Communication

Section 1 - Hardware Page 9

PCIe
PCI Express
Effectively replaced PCI, PCI-X, and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
Communicated Serially
Unidirectional serial "lanes"
Communication going back and forth in both directions simultaneously
One, two, four, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two full duplex lanes
x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, x32
Different versions of PCIe, improving speed with each iteration
Per-lane throughput in each direction
V1.x: 250 MB/s
V2.x: 500 MB/s
V3.0: ~1GB/s
V4.0 (expected in 2016): 2GB/s
Mini PCI and PCI Express Mini Card
Utilized in Laptops and mobile use to expand features

1.2 Motherboard RAM Slots

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

15:20

RAM (Random Access Memory)

DIMM
Dual Inline Memory Module
Electrical contacts are different on each side
64 bit data width
Memory bus of the computer is the size of the communication path used between the memory and
the CPU
DDR SDRAM - 184 Pins, DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM - 240 Pins
SRAM: Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory

SO-DIMM
Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module
DDR and DDR2 SDRAM - 200 Pins, DDR3 SDRAM - 204 Pins
Micro-Dimm
Smaller form-factors for mobile devices with high memory density
DDR - 172 Pin, DDR2 and DDR3 - 214 Pins

Section 1 - Hardware Page 10

1.2 Motherboard CPU Sockets

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

15:30

ZIF Socket: Zero Insertion Force

PGA: Pin Grade Array
LGA: Land Grid Array
Opposite of PGA, pins are on the motherboard

Section 1 - Hardware Page 11

1.2 Motherboard Chipsets

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

15:36

Northbridge (Memory Controller Hub)

Connects the CPU to memory and high-speed graphics card
High bandwidth communication
Modern mobos include cooling options (heatsink/fans)
Some Modern CPUs have consolidated the function of the Northbridge controller into
themselves making communication between CPU and Memory faster by bypassing the
need for a Northbridge chipset
Southbridge (I/O Controller Hub)
Manages connections
PCI interface slots
Other Peripherals (USB, Ethernet, IDE, etc.)
Onboard gfx controller
BIOS

Section 1 - Hardware Page 12

1.2 Motherboard Jumpers & Connectors

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

15:47

Section 1 - Hardware Page 13