Computer Hardware and Networking Tutorial for beginners

Computer Hardware &
Networking
By
Mohammed Rizwan Sharieff

Computer Hardware & Networking Page 2
UNIT-1
PC Hardware & Software Components
Computer is an electronic machine which accepts the instruction (Input) from the user processes it
and gives the desired Output.
We use computer to perform various tasks, Data Storage and Processing are the important tasks
performed by the PC (Personal Computer).
Hardware
Computer hardware is the collection of physical parts of a computer system. This includes the
computer case, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It also includes all the parts inside the computer case, such
as the hard disk drive, motherboard, video card, and many others. Computer hardware is what you can
physically touch.
System
Software
Application
Software

Hardware used for Input & Output.
1. Monitor: A computer monitor is an output device that displays information in pictorial form. A
monitor usually comprises the display device, circuitry, casing, and power supply. It is also
referred as Visual Display Unit (VDU).
Types of Monitor:
i. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor
ii. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitor
iii. Light Emitting Diode (LED) Monitor
2. Keyboard: A computer keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer.
Similar to an electric typewriter, a keyboard is composed of buttons that create letters, numbers,
and symbols, as well as perform other functions.
3. Mouse: A computer mouse is a handheld hardware input device that controls a cursor in
a GUI (graphical user interface) and can move and select text, icons, files, and folders on your
computer.
4. Printer: A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a
computer or other device and generates a hard copy of it.
5. Scanner: A scanner or optical scanner is a hardware input device that optically "reads" and
image and converts it into a digital signal.
6. Central Processing Unit: The CPU's main function is to take input from a peripheral (keyboard,
mouse, printer, etc) or computer program, and interpret what it needs. The CPU then either outputs
information to your monitor or performs the peripheral's requested task.
Components of CPU Case:
i. Motherboard
ii. Interface Cards
iii. Expansion Slots
iv. Front Panel Control
v. Rear Side Connector
vi. Cables & Connectors
vii. SMPS(Switching Mode Power Supply)
viii. CPU
ix. Memory
x. CPU Cooling Fan
xi. Hard Disc Drive
xii. CD-ROM Drive

SYSTEM BOARD COMPONENTS USED FOR COMMUNICATION AMONG
DEVICES
Interface Cards are electronic circuits that enable a PC to connect to or interface with another
device.
There are different types of Interface Cards that can be attached to a PC. These interface cards
inserted into one of the expansion slots available in the motherboard.
The Following are the most common interface cards used in PC’s
1. Video Display Card : Used to connect Monitor’s to a PC
2. Integrated Device Electronics(IDE) Card : Used to connect floppy disk drives, hard disk drives,
CD Drive, Printer and Serial Devices to PC.
3. SCSI(Small Computer System Interface) Card : Used to Connect SCSI interface devices like
Hard Disk, Scanners and External disk drive
to a PC.
4. Network Interface Card (NIC) : Used to attach a PC to a Local Area Network(LAN)
SOFTWARE
Software is a collection of instructions that enable the user to interact with a computer, its
hardware, or perform tasks. Without software, most computers would be useless.
There are two main types of software:
i. System software
ii. Application software.
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
Systems software includes the programs that are dedicated to managing the computer itself, such
as the operating system, file management utilities, and disk operating system (or DOS).
OPERATING SYSTEM
 All Computers need basic software known as an Operating System to function.
 An operating system is software which acts as an interface between the end user and
computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one OS to run other programs.
 The OS is the first Software loaded when a computer boots up.
 User interacts with the computer and software through the OS.
 The operating system manages a computer's hardware resources, including:
 Input devices such as a keyboard and mouse.
 Output devices such as display monitors, printers and scanners.
 Network devices such as modems, routers and network connections.
 Storage devices such as internal and external drives.

 The OS interprets input given by the user through a keyboard, mouse or other input device
and takes appropriate action.
There are different kinds of Operating System
i. Disc Operating System (DOS)
ii. Windows
iii. UNIX
iv. Linux
v. Macintosh
vi. Netware
vii. Android
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application software is the software designed for specific purpose to accomplish the specific task
or Applications are the pieces of software that are programmed to perform specific task.
It can be called an application or simply an app. In fact all the software other than
system software and programming software are application software.
Examples of Application Software
a. Microsoft Office
b. Turbo C++
c. Inpage
d. Auto Cadd
ROM BIOS (ROM Basic Input Output System)
The BIOS in a PC is stored on a ROM chip. Early PC’s used a ROM BIOS, but PC’s today use a
flash memory BIOS because it can be updated in place. In order to update a ROM BIOS, the computer
case had to be opened, and the ROM chip had to be located and replaced. Nevertheless, a BIOS stored in
ROM is more secure than one in flash memory, because it cannot be changed from an external source.
A ROM BIOS chip contains data that specifies the characteristics of hardware devices, such as
memory and hard disk and floppy disk drives, so the system can properly access them.
What is BIOS?
Every computer with a motherboard includes a special chip referred to as the BIOS or ROM BIOS
(Read Only Memory Basic Input/output System). The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic
computer hardware. The BIOS also includes a test referred to as a POST (Power on Self Test) which will
ensure that the computer meets requirements to boot up properly. If the computer does not pass the POST
you will receive a combination of beeps indicating what is malfunctioning within the computer.

The BIOS has 4 main functions:
I. POST - Test computer hardware insuring hardware is properly functioning before starting process
of loading Operating System.
II. Bootstrap Loader - Process of locating the operating system, if capable Operating system located
BIOS will pass the control to it.
III. BIOS - Software / Drivers which interfaces between the operating system and your hardware.
When running DOS or Windows you are using complete BIOS support.
IV. CMOS Setup - Configuration program which allows you to configure hardware settings including
system settings such as computer passwords, time, and date.
POST (Power On Self Test)
 The POST is a test the computer must complete to verify all hardware is working
properly before starting the remainder of the boot process.
 The POST process checks computer hardware, like RAM (random access
memory), hard drive, CD-ROM drive, keyboard, etc., to make sure all are working
correctly.
 If all hardware pasts the POST, the computer will continue the boot up process and
may generate a single beep sound as well.
 If POST is unsuccessful, it will generate a beep code to indicate the error
encountered and the computer will not boot up. All POST errors are relating to
hardware issues with one of the components in the computer.

Dell Beep Codes
Power LED Blinking/Beep Codes for Dell
LED/
Beep
Code
Fault Description Fault(s) Suggested Action
1
Motherboard: BIOS
ROM Failure
Motherboard, covers BIOS
corruption or ROM error
Run the Dell Diagnostics
2 Memory
No Memory (RAM)
detected
Troubleshoot the Memory
3
Motherboard:
Chipset
 Chipset Error (North and
South bridge error
 Time-Of-Day Clock test
failure
 Gate A20 failure
 Super I/O chip failure
 Keyboard controller
failure
4 Memory Memory (RAM) Failure
5
Real Time Clock
Power Failure
CMOS battery failure
Try reseating the CMOS
Battery and run the Dell
Diagnostics if that does not
resolve the issue
6 Video BIOS Video card/chip failure Run the Dell Diagnostics
7
Central Processing
Unit (CPU)
Central Processing Unit
(CPU) Failure

Connectors in PC

PS2 Connector
 A PS2 connector is used for things like keyboards & Mouse, however it is slowly been taken
over by USB connectors.
 PS2 connecters and port were founded by IBM in 1987.
 The PS/2 port is a 6-pin mini-DIN connector used for connecting some keyboards and mouse to a
PC compatible computer system. Its name comes from the IBM Personal System/2 series of
personal computers, with which it was introduced in 1987.
 The PS/2 mouse connector generally replaced the older DE-9 RS-232 "serial mouse" connector,
while the PS/2 keyboard connector replaced the larger 5-pin/180° DIN connector used in the
IBM PC/AT design.
 The PS/2 designs on keyboard and mouse interfaces are electrically similar and employ the same
communication protocol.
 The color-coded PS/2 connection ports (purple for keyboard and green for mouse)
USB Connector
 USB is one of the most common connectors, Used mainly to connect to devices such as mice,
keyboards, mobile phones and MP3 players.
 The USB connections have also produced a new market based around USB gadgets, these gadgets
include gaming devices.
 USB, short for Universal Serial Bus, is an industry standard that defines cables, connectors and
communications protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between computers and
devices.
 USB was designed to standardize the connection of computer peripherals (including keyboards,
pointing devices, digital cameras, printers, portable media players, disk drives and network adapters) to
personal computers, both to communicate and to supply electric power. It has largely replaced a
variety of earlier interfaces, such as serial ports and parallel ports, as well as separate power chargers
for portable devices.

VGA connector
 A Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector.
 The 15-pin VGA connector was provided on many video cards, computer monitors, laptop computers,
projectors, and high definition television sets.
 Many devices still include VGA connectors, although VGA generally coexisted with DVI(Digital
Video Interface) as well as the newer and more compact HDMI and Display Port interface connectors.
HDMI Connector
 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a proprietary audio/video interface for transmitting
uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-
compliant source device, such as a display controller, to a compatible computer monitor, video
projector, digital television, or digital audio device. HDMI is a digital replacement for analog video
standards.
 The CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) capability allows HDMI devices to control each other when
necessary and allows the user to operate multiple devices with one handheld remote control device.

Serial port Connector
 In computing, a serial port is a serial communication interface through which information transfers in
or out one bit at a time (in contrast to a parallel port).
 Throughout most of the history of personal computers, data was transferred through serial ports to
devices such as modems, terminals, and various peripherals.
Parallel port Connector
 A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers for connecting peripherals. The name refers to
the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once, in parallel communication, as
opposed to serial interfaces that send bits one at a time. To do this, parallel ports require multiple data
lines in their cables and port connectors, and tend to be larger than contemporary serial ports which
only require one data line.
 A Parallel port is mostly used for peripherals such as Printers. Before the introduction of USB cables.
They were used to connect Game Pads, Joysticks, and Webcams etc. Parallel is a lot faster than Serial
(SATA) due to it been able to send 8 bits all at once (1 bit per channel).

Game port
 The game port, originally introduced on the Game Control Adapter, is a device port that was found on
IBM PC compatible and other computer systems throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the traditional
connector for joystick input, and occasionally MIDI devices, until replaced by USB in the 21st
century.
 Originally located on a dedicated expansion card, the game port was later integrated with PC sound
cards, and still later on the PC's motherboard. During the transition to USB, many input devices used
the game port and a USB adaptor in the form of a cable expansion.
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UNIT II
SYSTEM BOARD (MOTHER BOARD)
A motherboard is one of the most essential parts of a computer system. It is the heart of the
Computer also called as System board, baseboard or main board.
It provides the common link to all other components inside the PC, including the CPU, memory,
disk drives, video & Sound adapters, keyboard, mouse and other peripheral components.
The System Board is made of fiber glass and is typically green or brown in color, with a mesh
work of copper lines. These lines are the electronic circuits to which signal travel from one component to
another and are collectively called as Bus.
A Typical Motherboard

COMPONENTS OF MOTHER BOARD
1. CPU:
The CPU is the computer's brain. It is responsible for fetching, decoding, and executing program
instructions as well as performing mathematical and logical calculations.
2. RAM Slots:
RAM slots is for attaching RAM on it in general desktop we can see two slot of RAM but in
server motherboard we can see 4+ slot of RAM.RAM comes in different size(memory).
3. IDE controller:
IDE that is Integrated Drive Electronics, also called as ATA or Parallel ATA (PATA).IDE
controller is responsible for controlling the hard drive. Today’s computers no longer come with a
IDE controller.
4. PCI slot:
PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interface, PCI slot allows you to insert expansion cards into
your computer. PCI used to connect additional PCI device like network cards, sound cards,
modems, video cards.
5. AGP slot:
The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video
card (Graphics Card) to a computer system.
6. Power supply plug in (Power Connector) :
The Power supply provides the necessary electrical power to make the computer system operate.
The power supply takes standard 220-V AC power and converts into +/-12-Volt, +/-5-Volt, and
3.3-Volt DC power.
7. North Bridge: Northbridge is an integrated circuit responsible for communications between
the CPU interface, AGP, and the memory. Unlike the Southbridge, the Northbridge is directly
connected to these components and acts like a "bridge" for the Southbridge chip to communicate
with the CPU, RAM, and graphics controller.
8. South Bridge: The Southbridge is an IC on the motherboard responsible for the hard
drive controller, I/O controller and integrated hardware. Integrated hardware can include the sound
card and video card if on the motherboard, USB, PCI, ISA, IDE, BIOS, and Ethernet.
9. CMOS Battery: CMOS is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor is used to store BIOS
setting in computer motherboard. CMOS Battery also store date and time.
10. Connectors for integrated peripherals : It includes PS2 , USB, HDMI, Serial, Parallel, LAN
Connectors.

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