Sessions
1.0 Installation, Configuration and Upgrading - 3 sessions
2.0 Diagnosing and Troubleshooting - 3 sessions
3.0 Preventive Maintenance - 1 session
4.0 Motherboard/Processors/Memory - 1 session
5.0 Printers - 1 session
6.0 Basic Networking - 1 session

Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading
This section requires the knowledge and skills to identify, install, configure, and upgrade microcomputer
modules and peripherals, following established basic procedures for system assembly and disassembly of
field replaceable modules. Elements included are listed below with each test objective.
Content Limits
1.1 Identify basic terms, concepts, and functions of system modules, including how each module should work during normal operation and during the boot process. Examples of concepts and modules are:
o System board
o Power supply
o Processor /CPU
o Memory
o Storage devices
o Monitor
o Modem
o Firmware
o BIOS
o CMOS
o LCD (portable systems)
o Ports
o PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
1.2 Identify basic procedures for adding and removing field replaceable modules for both desktop and portable systems. Examples of modules:
o System board
o Storage device
o Power supply
o Processor /CPU
o Memory
o Input devices
o Hard drive
o Keyboard
o Video board
o Mouse
o Network Interface Card (NIC)

Portable system components
o AC adapters
o DC controllers
o LCD panel
o PC card
o Pointing devices.
1.3 Identify available IRQs, DMAs, and I/O addresses and procedures for configuring them for device installation and configuration. Content may include the following:
o Standard IRQ settings
o Modems
o Floppy drive controllers
o Hard drive controllers
o USB port
o Infrared ports
o Hexidecimal/Addresses
1.4 Identify common peripheral ports, associated cabling, and their connectors. Content may include the following:
o Cable types
o Cable orientation
o Serial versus parallel
o Pin connections
Examples of types of connectors:
o DB-9
o DB-25
o RJ-11
o RJ-45
o BNC
o PS2/MINI-DIN
o USB
o IEEE-1394
1.5 Identify proper procedures for installing and configuring IDE/EIDE devi ces. Content may include the following:
o Master/Slave
o Devices per channel
o Primary/Secondary
1.6 Identify proper procedures for installing and configuring SCSI devices. Content may include the following:
o Address/Termination conflicts
o Cabling
o Types (example: regular, wide, ultra-wide)
o Internal versus external
o Jumper block settings (binary equivalents).
1.7 Identify proper procedures for installing and configuring peripheral devices. Content may include the following:
o Monitor/Video Card
o Modem
o USB peripherals and hubs
o IEEE-1284
o IEEE-1394
o External storage
Portables
o Docking stations
o PC cards
o Port replicators
o Infrared devices
1.8 Identify hardware methods of upgrading system performance, procedures for replacing basic subsystem components, unique components and when to use them. Content may include the following:
o Memory
o Hard Drives
o CPU
o Upgrading BIOS
o When to upgrade BIOS
Portable Systems
o Battery
o Hard Drive
o Types I, II, III cards
o Memory

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Diagnosing and Troubleshooting
This section requires the ability to apply knowledge relating to diagnosing and troubleshooting common module problems and system malfunctions. This includes knowledge of the symptoms relating to common problems.

2.1 Identify common symptoms and problems associated with each module and how to troubleshoot and isolate the problems. Content may include the following:
o Processor/Memory symptoms
o Mouse
o Floppy drive
o Parallel ports
o Hard Drives
o CD-ROM
o DVD
o Sound Card/Audio
o Monitor/Video
o Motherboards
o Modems
o BIOS
o USB
o NIC
o CMOS
o Power supply
o Slot covers
o POST audible/visual error codes
o Troubleshooting tools, e.g., multimeter
o Large LBA, LBA
o Cables
o Keyboard
o Peripherals
2.2 Identify basic troubleshooting procedures and how to elicit problem symptoms from customers. Content may include the following:
o Troubleshooting/isolation/problem determination procedures
o Determine whether hardware or software problem
o Gather information from user regarding, e.g.,
o Customer Environment
o Symptoms/Error Codes
o Situation when the problem occurred
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Preventive Maintenance
This section requires the knowledge of safety and preventive maintenance. With regard to safety, it includes the potential hazards to personnel and equipment when working with lasers, high voltage equipment, ESD, and items that require special disposal procedures that comply with environmental guidelines. With regard to preventive maintenance, this includes knowledge of preventive maintenance products, procedures, environmental hazards, and precautions when working on microcomputer systems.
Content Limits
3.1 Identify the purpose of various types of preventive maintenance products and procedures and when to use and perform them. Content may include the following:
o Liquid cleaning compounds
o Types of materials to clean contacts and connections
o Non-static vacuums (chasis, powersupplies, fans)
3.2 Identify issues, procedures and devices for protection within the computing environment, including people, hardware and the surrounding workspace. Content may include the following:
o UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and suppressors
o Determining the signs of power issues
o Proper methods of storage of components for future use
Potential hazards and proper safety procedures relating Lasers
o High-voltage equipment
o Power supply
o CRT
Special disposal procedures that comply with environmental guidelines.
o Batteries
o CRTs
o Toner kits/cartridges
o Chemical solvents and cans
o MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) precautions and procedures
o What ESD can do, how it may be apparent, or hidden
o Common ESD protection devices
o Situations that could present a danger or hazard
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Motherboard/Processors/Memory
This domain requires knowledge of specific terminology, facts, ways and means of dealing with classifications, categories and principles of motherboards, processors, and memory in microcomputer systems.
Content Limits
4.1 Distinguish between the popular CPU chips in terms of their basic characteristics. Content may include the following:
o Popular CPU chips (Intel, AMD, Cyrix)
o Characteristics
o Physical size
o Voltage
o Speeds
o On board cache or not
o Sockets
o SEC (Single Edge Contact)
4.2 Identify the categories of RAM (Random Access Memory) terminology, their locations, and physical characteristics.
Content may include the following:
o Terminology:
o EDO RAM (Extended Data Output RAM)
o DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
o SRAM (Static RAM)
o RIMM (Rambus Inline Memory Module 184 Pin)
o VRAM (Video RAM)
o SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM)
o WRAM (Windows Accelerator Card RAM)
o Locations and physical characteristics:
o Memory bank
o Memory chips (8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit)
o SIMMS (Single In-line Memory Module)
o DIMMS (Dual In-line Memory Module)
o Parity chips versus non-parity chips.
4.3 Identify the most popular type of motherboards, their components, and their architecture (bus structures and power supplies). Content may include the following:
o Types of motherboards:
o AT (Full and Baby)
o ATX
o Components:
o Communication ports
o SIMM and DIMM
o Processor sockets
o External cache memory (Level 2)
o Bus Architecture
o ISA
o PCI
o AGP
o USB (Universal Serial Bus)
o VESA local bus (VL-Bus)
o Basic compatibility guidelines
o IDE (ATA, ATAPI, ULTRA-DMA, EIDE)
o SCSI (Wide, Fast, Ultra, LVD(Low Voltage Differential))
4.4 Identify the purpose of CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), what it contains and how to change its basic parameters. Example Basic CMOS Settings:
o Printer parallel port-Uni., bi-directional, disable/enable, ECP, EPP
o COM/serial port-memory address, interrupt request, disable
o Floppy drive-enable/disable drive or boot, speed, density
o Hard drive-size and drive type
o Memory-parity, non-parity
o Boot sequence
o Date/Time
o Passwords
o Plug & Play BIOS
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Printers
This section requires knowledge of basic types of printers, basic concepts, and printer components, how they work, how they print onto a page, paper path, care and service techniques, and common problems.
Content Limits
5.1 Identify basic concepts, printer operations and printer components. Content may include the following: Paper feeder mechanisms Types of Printers
o Laser
o Inkjet
o Dot Matrix
Types of printer connections and configurations
o Parallel
o Network
o USB
o Infrared
o Serial
5.2 Identify care and service techniques and common problems with primary printer types. Content may include the following:
o Feed and output
o Errors (printed or displayed)
o Paper jam
o Print quality
o Safety precautions
o Preventive maintenance
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Basic Networking
This section requires knowledge of basic network concepts and terminology, ability to determine whether a computer is networked, knowledge of procedures for swapping and configuring network interface cards, and knowledge of the ramifications of repairs when a computer is networked. The scope of this topic is specific to hardware issues on the desktop and connecting it to a network.
Content Limits
6.1 Identify basic networking concepts, including how a network works and the ramifications of repairs on the network. Content may include the following:
o Installing and configuring network cards
o Network access
o Full-duplex, half-duplex
o Cabling-Twisted Pair, Coaxial, Fiber Optic, RS-232
o Ways to network a PC
o Physical Network topographies
o Increasing bandwidth
o Loss of data
o Network slowdown
o Infrared
o Hardware protocols
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