APCO 2P11 Home Page

Personal Computers and Networks
APCO 2P11

Course Description

Inner workings of modern computers from a user's point of view. Understanding the hardware, network, and system software. Topics include CPUs, memory, video, input/output, networks, security, installation of operating systems and hands-on trouble shooting.

Lectures, 2 hours per week, lab, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: not open to COSC (single or combined), BCB, CAST and CNET majors.

Prerequisite: APCO 1P01 (minimum 60 percent) or permission of the instructor

The Objective of this course is to promote the understanding of Personal Computers at a hardware and operating system level.

The lecture component will focus on the architecture of Intel based computers. Emphasis will be directed toward understanding the mechanical and electrical composition of personal computers. The understanding of hardware and software requirements to allow component communications between the operating system and the hardware. Topics which will be covered: CPUs and CPU architecture, motherboards, daughter boards, chip sets, software drivers, bus technologies (IDE,PCI, ISA, USB,Serial ATA,Parallel & Serial), Storage Devices, Local Area Networks (Home and Office) and protocols (TCP/IP,NetBEUI).

Labs will be used to allow students hands on practise. Students will be required to disassemble/reassemble computing hardware, install hardware and software. Lab topics: Investigation of system resources, CPU & Motherboard replacement, Motherboard configuration, Memory, BIOS updates, Power Supply replacements, Installation of Legacy hardware, Cabling (includes creating network and ribbon cables), Disk Drives (Partitioning), OS-installations, Networks and Network configuration. In all labs a emphasis will be placed on Trouble Shooting and Diagnosis.

Course Information

Course Outline
Test Previous Term Solution to this years test
Exam Previous Term

Lectures

Week1

1.   Computers and the binary number system:   http://www.howstuffworks.com/bytes.htm
2    More information about microprocessors (CPUs):   http://www.pcguide.com/ref/cpu/
3.   More information about RAM :   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_access_memory
4.    More information about secondary (mass) storage: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/m/mass_storage.html
5.   A computer bus resource: http://www.computerhope.com/help/bus.htm
6.   Motherboard ChipSet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipset

Week2

1. DOS description and developmental timeline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS

2.      Microsoft's home page for Windows 10 https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/windows?os=windows-10
3.      Information about Linux https://www.linuxforum.com/
4.   Unix for the PC https://www.freebsd.org/
5.   Information about Mac OS X http://www.apple.com/macosx/
6.   Overview of Operating System Functions http://computer.howstuffworks.com/operating-system.htm

        7.   Information on Booting a System: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting
        8.      PC Troubleshooting and Repair Guide: http://www.pcguide.com/ts/index.htm
        9.    BIOS http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsb/p/bios.htm

Week3

1. Motherboard Form Factors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherboard_form_factor

2.      How Electricity Works: http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity.htm
3.      Specifications and Developmental History for Transistors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor
4.   Surge Protectors: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/surge_protector.html
5.   Energy Star Program: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home.index
6.   Anatomy of Switching Power Supplies http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/327

Week4

1.      Detailed Explanation of CPU Operations http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/209
2.      Information about Dual-Core Processors: http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2005/dual_core.asp
3. Product Information for Intel Processors: http://www.intel.com/products/processor/index.htm
4.      Product Information for AMD Processors: http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118,00.html
5.      Computer cooling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_cooling

Week5

1.      How Motherboards Work: http://www.howstuffworks.com/motherboard.htm
2.      The PCI bus: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/buses/types/pci.htm
3.      Information about CMOS: http://www.computerhope.com/help/cmos.htm
4.      Replacing a Motherboard: http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_mother.htm
5.      Troubleshooting a Motherboard: http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/MotherboardProblems.htm
6.    Unified Extensible Firmware Interface http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFI
7.   Trusted Platform Module (TPM) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module
8.     Visualization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization

Week6

                      1.      More Information on RAM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_access_memory
                      2.      How ROM works: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/rom.htm
                      3.      Parity Checking: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/parity_checking.html
                      4.      Upgrading Memory: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,18024-page,1/article.html
                      5.   Advice from Microsoft on Troubleshooting RAM Installations:
                                    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/ballew_tshootram.mspx
                      6.   How Flash Memory works http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/flash-memory.htm

Week7

Explaining Hard Disk Limitations: http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/bioslim.htm
How Floppy Drives Work: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/floppy-disk-drive.htm
Hard Drive Components: http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/InsideHardDrive.asp
More Information on ATA interfaces http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT_Attachment
Installing a Hard Drive: http://www.pcmech.com/show/harddrive/43
Troubleshooting a Hard Drive: http://www.techadvice.com/tech/H/HardDriveTS.htm

Week8 - Same slides as Week 7.
Week9

        1.      Types of Keyboards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_technology
        2.      How a Computer Mouse Works:http://www.howstuffworks.com/mouse.htm
        3.      More Information on the CRT Monitor: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/crt/
          4.      More Information on LCD Monitors: http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/lcd-monitor-technology
        5.      USB Technology: http://www.computerhope.com/help/usb.htm
          6.   FireWire (1394x). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire

1. VPN. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network
2. VPN. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/vpn1.htm

Labs

Students will be expected to work individually or in pairs. This will depend on the composition of the labs, the available lab equipment and the individuals. Each individual or group will be provided a Dell 960. This machine will be used by those who it is assigned to for the duration of the course.

What the lab provides:

A machine to be used during the labs.
Basic tools for disassembly and assembly.
Basic diagnostic equipment.
Some consumables.

The expected lab work will be available several days prior to the actual lab. There will be some labs in which students will be required to do preliminary work (research).

Resources

As part of the lab, you will be using diagnostic software provided by a lab CD as well as third party software. The lab CD is based upon the Ultimate Boot Disk project using the Beta 5.3.1 release. Copies of this CD will be available during lab. Alternately, the ISO image of the resource CD is available below or from the above home website. Please note, that the lab will be using version 5.3.1 due to hardware incompatibilities with new version.

UBD_CD 5.3.1 (This is an iso image file, you must burn it before you can use it)

The course will make extensive use of third party software. A collection of resources has been made available as a folder on your lab machines. If you lose or require this software, it is available below.

Lab Resource Software (Shift Left Click to save the file)

Occasionally, additional software will be required as the course progresses. This software will be placed in the folder below.

Supplemental Lab Resource Software

To burn the ISO you will need Nero, MagicISO, ImageBurn or any burning software which is capable of burning an ISO to a CD. These burning resources will not be provided here, nor will any further instruction.

Booting from the CD (UBD) will provide you with diagnostic software which will be used during lab. Warning, some hard disk software is destructive to the data, handle with care, you have been warned.

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