Chapter 5 Flashcards
Firmware
Why is a motherboard an assumption?
It assumes you are going to put things on it or in it like it assumes you are gonna use USB’s so it has USB ports soldered onto it. It assumes you’re gonna use all kinds of hardware.
True or false: There are scenarios where our devices need to talk to each other before the OS boots up?
True: There are indeed scenarios where our devices need to speak to each other before the OS boots up. We need to speak to these drivers. The OS will forgo any device drivers and simply use some built-in language to communicate with the devices. Which then leads to BIOS (Basic Input Output Services)
True or false: There is no programming built onto the motherboard?
False: built somewhere on the motherboard is programming
What is the difference between firmware and software?
Firmware is programming burnt onto a chip whereas software is copied on a magnetic media or electronic media.
True or false: Built onto every motherboard is a little programming that is designed to talk to the assume hardware an individual can use?
True: No exception on every motherboard is a little programming designed to talk to the assume hardware we call this BIOS
True or False: BIO chips need to be programmed by programers?
True
Why are most modern motherboards equipped with two BIOS chips?
The reason modern motherboards are equipped with two BIOS chips is in case one accidentally whips out or gets corrupted. (Backup BIOS)
What is POST?
Power On System Test (POST) is a series of tests that a computer runs when it is first turned on to ensure all assumed hardware pieces are working properly
What is CMOS?
System Setup also known as the complementary metal oxide semiconductor( CMOS) some of that code has to be able to read bits of data.
What does it mean when we talk about BIOS?
BIOS is a little chip on the motherboard that talks to the assumed devices.
What is the thing that starts telling the CPU to start running a program?
Built into every CPU on the back is a wire called the Power good wire. As soon as it gets enough voltage the CPU starts running.
What happens as the CPU begins to run once it gets enough power to turn on?
First, it starts to talk to the BIOS and starts up the POST which is in short terms a broadcast that goes out the motherboard to all the devices to check themselves. If all checks out send a signal back to leading to the PC boosting itself.
How do we know if the POST was a success?
We can tell with the POST beep.
What happens If something was wrong during the PC’s start up?
The PC will display an error code or if given the scenario that we don’t have a video display we have beep codes to look out for. Given the scenario we don’t have RAM it will continue to beep until the PC is turned off.
What is it called when error codes are displayed on the screen?
Display codes.
Scenario: We are building a new computer from the ground up we have everything in place and when we turn it on and see nothing showing up. What can we do?
We can use a Post Card which uses a hexadecimal two-digit readout. Which we snap into the PC and watch it as it boots into POST. We then use our motherboard book and look at the post error codes which then leads us to the potential issue.
True or False: For a long time everything in the PC was constantly improving except for the BIOS?
True: everything in the PC was constantly improving except the BIOS.
What is UEFI?
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI was the new and improved BIOS we still pretty much call it BIOS.
What is a system setup?
It is an interface that we can get to our computers and we’re gonna use our mouse and keyboards to make changes to the changeable parts of the BIOS.
How can one get to system setup?
By pressing one of the buttons before the system boots into the OS. Ex: the delete key or the f2 key.
What tells us what is happening in the system when we open up the system setup?
Main tab
What are some things you can do in system setup?
Able to change language, times, and dates.
How can one add security using system setup?
By putting more passwords on the computer not in windows. There are two kinds of passwords. We have administrator and user password.
What does AI Tweaker do?
Meant for one to configure power and speed settings as well as overclocking-related items.
How are we able to see things like USB’s and sound cards and be able to turn them off and on?
When we click on the Advanced Tab and click Onboard device configurations it show us the USB’s, sound cards, and with this tab we can change them to be on or off. You can also change USB permissions and turn off and on Network cards.
What is the purpose of the boot tab?
This is where we can configure what device want to boot off of. Like USB. Hard drive, or Solid State Drive.
How can you update your BIOS?
If we want to update our BIOS we can use a thumb drive with the updated BIOS on it or you can get it via internet.
What is a PROM?
A programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) is a type of a read only memory that can only be programmed once like in the factory then snapped into the motherboard. It allows users to write data or instructions once.
What is the real time clock with a built in complementary metal oxcide semiconductor or CMOS?
In the old days if you wanted to make changes to the BIOS through our system setup we updated this chip.
What is a single flash ROM chip?
Flash is a type of ROM (Read Only Memory) it has this big benefit of being to flash it or reprogram it if we want to update that built in BIOS. We still have the Real-Time clock (RTC).
What happens when we turn off the PC?
The power supply supplies a little bit of electricity to the motherboard, but if it is unplugged a battery known as the CMOS battery on the motherboard supplies power.
True or False: Some motherboards have a battery?
False, all motherboards have a battery that battery being a CR 2032
What are some negatives if your motherboard has a bad battery?
Your time on your PC could slow down by a certain amount of time.
What is something that could happen if the battery on your motherboard dies?
One thing that can happen is all your system information through system setup disappears.
Given the scenario, you misclicked something in BIOS and want to change it back but don’t remember what it was originally what can you do?
SImply hit f10 it won’t save any of the changes you made.
True or false: Some systems have system tuning where we ask the pc what it thinks its best shot of what it can do
True, some systems have system tuning where we ask the PC what is optimal for what is has.
What can you do in the settings you changed aren’t to your liking?
You can set it back to default with the default option.
What is Flashing?
Means all you’re doing is updating the firmware on that flash chip that is on your motherboard.
True or false: You can turn your motherboard into an ashtray by improperly flashing.
True
What are some ways of preventing improper flashing?
- Make sure that you are not gonna run out of electricity while in the process.
2.Make sure to have a complete copy of the flash update - Make sure to do research and decide if you should flash your BIOS.
Why do motherboard manufacturers install 2 BIOS chips?
Simple answer they install two with the idea of us screwing one up.
Why would a manufacturer need to flash your BIOS
There could be bugs that need fixing.
Reasons to update BIOS
- To fix bugs
- To update BIOS to accept new technology like ram or CPU and even USBS.
What are Form Factors?
It is the tight standards about the size and dimensions of motherboards.
True or False: Most form factors have the I/O area where we put in all our input.
True.
What is an ATX Form Factor?
One of the more popular form factors and is the biggest form factor with 12 inches by 9.6inch.
What is a Micro ATX Form Factor?
Can fit in big and small cases sitting at the size of 9.6 inches by 9.6
What is a Mini ITX Form Factor?
It is designed for really small systems. It is about the smallest form factor sitting at 6.7 inches by 6.7 inches.
What is the ITX Form Factor?
It is a larger version of the Mini ITX
True or False: Due to the standardization of form factors the actual shape of the I/O shield is extremely fixed. Meaning if we use a mini-ITX or a shield of a micro-ATX or a full size ATX they all have the same exact shield sizes.
True
True or False: No matter how big the case the I/O shield will not fit even if the case is physically large enough to handle the motherboard?
False: No matter how big the case the I/O shield will fit as long as the case is physically large enough to handle the motherboard.
True or False: On older motherboards there were so many chips all over the board each with its own role?
True: on older motherboards there were many chips over the motherboard each with its own role.
What was the reason for the creation of chipsets?
They wanted to go ahead and start making dedicated chips that took on all these different jobs, leading to the special purpose chips known as Chipsets. On one motherboard there was two separate chips one called the north bridge and south bridge. The two worked together.
What did the North bridge do?
It acted as the interface to the CPU so the north bridge added the memory controller into it. Also handles high speed expansion buses. (typically dealing with the fast stuff).
What did the South Bridge do?
Handled the slower stuff. Its job was to deal with usb ports for example, or things that take time.
True or False: Modern CPU took over the functions of the Northbridge and todays chips are just southbridges.
True. The CPU took on the Northbridge responsibilities and left the southbridge to handle the slower tasks
What are you really buying when you buy a motherboard?
You are buying the chipset. Manufactures advertise the chipset on all their motherboards. Chipsets define how many sticks of ram are supported as well as how many video cards you can put in your system. While also defining how fast of ram you can have and how many USB ports you can support and what speed, as well as how many hard drives you can have.
What should you be looking for when picking the right Motherboard?
Ask yourself what are you trying to do with the computer? What are our needs? Consider motherboard compatibility: is it a desktop or laptop? Does it need to be a multi socket like for a server? What about Form Factors? Does Aesthetic matter?
What should we do or have when installing a motherboard?
Make sure to have have the right tools and use an ESD mat or ESD strap.
Standoffs are included in every single motherboard, they give us a little bit clearance so that no matter what our board does not touch metal and short out. Also provides a stable mount for mobo.
What steps do we take to install Motherboard?
- Make sure to hold onto I/O shield.
- Install I/0 Shield first then go ahead and place motherboard onto standoffs and make sure it lines up.
- Don’t screw motherboard all the way down.
What are some things CompTIA might ask when it comes to the defects you might have with your motherboard?
First one being capacitor swelling. Purpose of the capacitor is to hold a charge, if you notice some of the capacitors are swelling immediately practice proper power handling. Unplug power from there as we have a defective motherboard. If you smell something burning it could be a hint of a swelling capacitor. Unplug power don’t use Mobo.
