CCOG for CIS 145 Winter 2025
- Course Number:
- CIS 145
- Course Title:
- Microcomputer Hardware and Troubleshooting
- Credit Hours:
- 4
- Lecture Hours:
- 30
- Lecture/Lab Hours:
- 0
- Lab Hours:
- 30
Course Description
Covers how to identify, remove, and install standard components of a PC style microcomputer including motherboards, CPUs, RAM, hard drives, removable media drives and power supplies. Includes BIOS, CMOS, the boot process, video displays, printers, and home networking. Audit available.
Intended Outcomes for the course
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
- Safely open a microcomputer case.
- Identify the component parts of a microcomputer.
- Safely remove and install component parts of a microcomputer.
- Troubleshoot and repair common microcomputer problems.
-
Install an operating system on a microcomputer.
Outcome Assessment Strategies
- Identify the basic components of a microcomputer.
- Remove and replace the basic components of a microcomputer.
- Describe the function of the CPU, RAM, motherboard, power supply, chipset, BIOS, and CMOS.
- Describe how hard drives, floppy drives, and optical drives work.
- Describe prevailing technologies and specifications of monitors and printers.
- Troubleshoot and repair simple problem conditions effecting microcomputers.
- Describe how to install home networking using different methods for obtaining Internet service.
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
Identify the basic components of a microcomputer
- CPU
- RAM
- Power supply and cables
- Hard drive
- Removable media drives
- Adapter cards
- Motherboard
Remove and replace the basic components of a microcomputer
- CPU
- RAM
- Power supply and cables
- Hard drive
- Removable media drives
- Adapter cards
- Motherboard
Describe the function of the CPU, RAM, motherboard, power supply, chipset, BIOS, and CMOS
Program instruction storage
- CPU packages
- CPU manufacturers
- CPU speeds
- RAM physical forms
- RAM technologies
- Motherboard form factors
- Power supply plug types
- Northbridge and Southbridge
- Boot process
Describe how hard drives, floppy drives, and optical drives work
- Tracks and sectors
- CHS, LBA, and Large
- Formatting and partitioning
- DET, FAT, and MFT
- Pits and lands
- CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW
- DVD-RAM; DVD-R,-RW; DVD+R,+RW
Describe prevailing technologies and specifications of monitors and printers
- CRT
- LCD
- OLED
- Plasma
- Display resolution
- Dot pitch
- Refresh rate
- Response time
- Dot matrix printers
- Ink jet printers
- Laser printers
- Thermal printers
- Photo printers
Troubleshoot and repair simple problem conditions effecting microcomputers
- Loose or improperly installed CPU
- Loose or improperly installed RAM
- Loose or improperly installed controller cables
- Loose power supply cables
- Master, Slave, and Cable Select settings on IDE devices
- Defragment the hard drive
- Check and repair hard drive integrity
- Adjust video display settings
Describe how to install home networking using different methods for obtaining Internet service
- Nodes
- Media
- Protocols
- NIC
- UTP
- TCP/IP
- 802.11b, g, & a
- Physical topologies
- Logical topologies
- Dial-up Internet service
- Cable Internet service
- DSL Internet service
- NAT routers