ABRAHAM ADESANYA POLYTECHNIC, IJEBU-IGBO

PMB 1020, IJEBU IGBO, OGUN STATE

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATION 20222/2023 SESSION

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

COURSE TITLE: COMPUTER HARDWARE II

COURSE CODE: EEC247 TIME: 2:00 HRS
LEVEL: ND I ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER QUESTION ONE (1) AND ANY OTHER FOUR

1a. Identify the parts labelled (1-13), on the computer motherboard shown in fig .1

13mks
(b)Mention any four(4) tools that can be used for troubleshooting and fault tracing of
a computer system 4mks
(c) As a computer technician, you are commissioned to install a motherboard. Mention
any two (2) precaution you will ensure. 2mks
(d) List four (4) essential skills needed by a good computer technician 4mks
(e) What is the meaning of POST and its function in a computer booting process 2mks
(f) Mention five (5) common problems that can occur in computer motherboards, and
the troubleshooting and repair techniques to diagnose and fix these issues effectively
5mks
2a. What is expansion slot? List any 3 types of expansion slot 5mks
b. Write the following computer acronym in full
(i)SATA (ii)AGP (iii)RAM (iv)VGA (v)ROM 5mks
3a. Highlights the steps involved in assembling a computer 5mks
b. What is RS232 serial communication and describe with the aid of diagram how it
is implemented between a computer system and peripheral device. 4mks
c. Show the pin out diagram of USB 2.0/1.1 port 1mk

4a. What is a MODEM? List three ports that can used to connect a MODEM 5mks
b. Sketch the universal troubleshooting process chart for a computer system 5mks

5. Describe how you will test the following electronic components out of circuit using a
Digital multimeter 10mks
(I)Resistor
(II) Diode
(III) Transistor
(IV) Electrolytic Capacitor
(V) inductor
6a. Distinguish between preventive and corrective maintenance 4mks
b. Mention any three (3) routine maintenance that can be carried out on a computer
system 3mks
c. What are the output voltages of an ATX computer power supply 3mks

7. Table Q1 shows the fault diagnosis troubleshooting database for a computer

system. Complete the
table
TABLE Q1
Symptom or fault Causes Troubleshooting
step/solutions
i The system fails to boot, freezes 1mk 1mk
during boot or freezes during
operation for no apparent reason
ii Completely dead system, no 1mk 1mk
activity, fan not blowing, excessive
heat from the power supply
iii Unrecognized USB device while 1mk 1mk
trying to install a USB device
iv No sound from the computers 1mk 1mk
speakers or headphone
v DVD drive cannot be accessed and 1mk 1mk
the light does not go on

10mks
 Marking Guide EEC247
1a
1---------------------------------------------Mouse and keypad port 1mk
2---------------------------------------------USB 1mk
3---------------------------------------------Parrallel port 1mk
4---------------------------------------------CPU chip 1mk
5---------------------------------------------RAM slot 1mk
6---------------------------------------------Floppy controller 1mk
7---------------------------------------------IDE controller 1mk
8---------------------------------------------PCI slot 1mk
9---------------------------------------------ISA slot 1mk
10-------------------------------------------CMOS Battery 1mk
11-------------------------------------------AGP slot 1mk
12-------------------------------------------CPU slot 1mk
13-------------------------------------------Power supply plug in 1mk
1b
TOOLS THAT CAN BE USED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING ARE ;
[1.] Soldering Iron.
[2.] Oscilloscope.
[3.] Multimeter.
[4.] Set of screw drive wire.
[5]Lead sucker
[6]Magnifying glass
[7]Vacuum cleaner
[8] Cutter. Any four item listed award 4 mks
1c
[1.] I will ensure that I wear antistastic wrist wrap.
[2.] I will follow the instruction in manufacturer manual.
[3.] I will ensure I do not touch the motherboard component unnecessarily.
[4.] I will double check placement and position of parts before attempting to
fo.rcefully install them.
[5.] I will not overtighten the cooling fan on the processor.
[6.] I will hold the circuit board by the edges and not bend the board.
[7.] I will discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely grounded
object before working on the motherboard.
Any 2 relevant point award 2 mks
 1d
[1.]Excellent problem solving skills.
[2.]Great communication skill.
[3.]Passion for technology.
[4.]Creative thinking skills.
[5.]Analytical thinking skill.
[6.]Voracious learner [passion for technology].
[7.]Ability to work with a team.
[8.]High degree of technical skil.
[9.]Attention to details . Any 4 awawrd 4mk
1e
The computer post [power on self test] checks a computer internal hardware for
comatibility and connection before starting the reminder of the boot process . If the
computer passes the post, the computer may give a single beep [some computer may
beep twice] as it starts and continue to boot . However if the computer fail the post ,
the computer will either not beep or generate a beep code that tell the use the
source of the problem.
Award 2 mks
1f
COMMON ISSUES WITH MOTHERBOARD ARE CATEGORIZED AS
[1.] POWER RELATED ISSUES : one common problem is when the computer fails to
power on or experiences intermittent power loss . Troubleshooting steps involves
checking the power supply for proper connecting , testings the power supply with a
multimeter and inspecting the motherboard for any visible signs of damage or blown
capacitors ,repairing power related issues may involve replacing a faulty power supply
, repairing or replacing damaged connectors or replacing faulty capacitors.
1mk
[2.] BOOT FAILURE OR ERROR MESSAGES : if the computer fails toboots or display
error messages during start up , it could indicate issues with the motherboard .
Troubleshooting steps may involve checking the connection of peripheral devices ,
veryfying the proper seating of RAM modules & expansion card & resetting the BIOS
settings . Repair techniques may include repeating or replacing RAM modules ,
updating or reseting BIOS or replacing faulty expansion card.
1mk
[3.] OVERHEATING &THERMAL ISSUES : Overheating can cause the computer to
shutdown on experience instability .Troubleshooting steps may involve cleaning the
CPU cooler & heat sink , checking the functionality of cooling fans and applying fresh
thermal paste between the CPU & heat sink . Repair techiques may include replacing
faulty cooling fans, upgrading the CPU cooler or improving the system’s overall
airflow. 1mk
[4.] FAULTY OR DAMAGED COMPONENTS : Motherboards can develop issues with
specific component such as USB ports ,audio jarks or expansion slots .Troubleshooting
steps may involve testing the affected components with known working devices ,
checking for physical damage or loose connections & updating or reinstalling devices
drivers .Repair techniques may incude replacing faulty components , soldering or
reflowing damaged connectors or updating device drivers.
1mk
[5.] BIOS OR FIRMWARE ISSUES : Problem with the BIOS or firmware can cause
various issues , including boot failure , compartibility problem or system instability .
Troubleshooting step may involve resetting the BIOS or firmware to the latest
version or clearing the CIOS .Repair techniques involve flashing the BIOS with
updated firmware or replacing a faulty BIOS chips
1mk
 2a
Expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard used to add an adapter
/card/expansion card in order to provide additional features to a computer
2mk

2b
TYPES OF EXPANSION SLOT
[1.] ISA-Industry Standard Architecture.
[2.] PCI-Peripheral Component Interconnect.
[3]EISA–Extended Industry Standard Architecture.
[4.] AGP-Accelerated Graphic Port.
[5.] VESA-Video Electronics Standard Association.
[6.] CNR-
[7.] MCA-Microchannel Architecture.
[8.] AMR- any 3 point award 3mk

SATA- Serial Advance Technology Attachment. 1mk

AGP-Accelerated Graphic Port . 1mk
RAM-Random Acess Memory. 1mk
VGA-Video Graphic Array. 1mk
ROM-Read Only Memory. 1mk
 3a
-Source for parks such as motherboards,memory ,hard drive E.T.C.
-Install the motherboard using the manual.
-Install CPU &cooling fan .
-Install RAM.
-Install all the adapter card VCA MODE.
-Install the hard drive ,DVD drive E.T.C.
-Set all your jumper and switches for motherboard, hard drive E.T.C.
-Connect the powerpacks.
-Check all connectors.
-Install the OS.
-Power up the system. 5mks
3b
RS232 serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at a
time ,sequentially over a communication channel or is a standard communication
protocol that allows exchanging of data between a computer and it pheripherial
devices to allow exchange serial data. 2mks

3mks
 4a
Modem is a hardware component that allows a computer devices to connect to one
another or to the internet .It is an acronyms from modulator . 2mk
TYPES OF MODEM
[1.] Dial up modem.
[2.] Digital subscribe line.
[3.] Cable modem.
[4.] Digital modem.
[5.] External modem. Any 3 award 3mk
4B
INSTALLATION OF A DIAL UP MODEM
in window 7.
-Click the network selection[ICON].
-Click open network andsharing center.
-Click set up a new connector or network.
-Click set up a dial up connector net click net.
-Enter your settings for dial up .
-Click connect award 5mk
4c
[1.] USB.
[2.] Serial RS232. 2mk
 5a
Testing Resistor
STEP1: set the rotary switch at appropriate ohms range on the meter
STEP2: connect the black test lead to the first terminal and red test lead to the other
terminal of the resistor.
STEP3: read the LCD and compare yours reading with the indicate value on the
resistor body 2mks
Testing Diode
STEP1: set the rotary switch at diode symbol on the digital multimeter
STEP2: connect the black test lead to the cathode of the diode and red lead to the
anode
STEP3: if the diode is good, the meter will show the approximate forward voltage drop
of the diode
STEP4: if the lead connection is reversed, only figure “1” will be displayed
2mks
Testing Transistor
STEP1: set the rotary switch at diode symbol on the digital multimeter
STEP2: identify whether the transistor is NPN or PNP type and locate emitter, base and
collector
STEP3: connect the black test lead to the collector and red test lead to the base. The
meter will show the forward voltage drop if it is an NPN transistor
STEP4: reversed the lead, only figure “1” will be displayed. Repeat the procedure for
emitter to the base 2mks

Testing Capacitor
STEP1: set the rotary switch at ohms range on the digital multimeter
STEP2: connect the black test lead to the negative terminal of the capacitor and red
lead to the positive terminal of the capacitor
STEP3: there will be charging and discharging of the capacitor by abrupt increase and
decrease in readings on the LCD screen 2mks
Testing Inductor
STEP1: set the rotary switch at appropriate inductance range on the meter
STEP2: connect the black test lead to the first terminal and red test lead to the other
terminal of the inductor.
STEP3: read the LCD and compare yours reading with the indicate value on the
inductance 2mks
 6a
Preventive maintenance is any maintenance carried out on an equipment in order
to prevent the equipment from breaking down . Example is routine maintenance
2mk

Corrective maintenance is any maintenance carried out to retain or repair an

equipment or bring it back to normal operation example is repair or replacing a faulty
motherboard or power supply 2mk
6b
Routine maintenance that can be carried out on a computer system
I. General cleaning with soft cloth soaked in vanishes, dusting using vacuum blower
etc
II. Scanning hard disc for errors
III.Routing check for strange noise, overheating etc
IV. Demagnetisation hard drive
V. Defragmentation of hard drive
any 3 award 2mks
(C) the output voltages of an ATX power supply are 3.3v, 5v,12v
3mks
 7
Symptom or fault Causes Troubleshooting
step/solutions
i The system fails to boot, I. Hardware I.Examine any
freezes during boot or freezes conflicts upgrade and its
during operation for no II. RAM problem adapter
apparent reason ii. check the IRQ,DMA
and IO address
settings of other
boards in the system
award 1mk any iii. Replace RAM
relevant point
award 1mk for
any relevant point
ii Completely dead system, no I. Damaged power I. check the fuse
activity, fan not blowing, supply II. check the power
excessive heat from the II. blown fuse supply
power supply III. Damged power III. Check the
cable motherboard
IV. replace the power
pack

Award 1mk for any

Award 1mark for relevant point
any relevant point

ii Unrecognized USB device I. faulthy USB port I. try using other USB
i while trying to install a USB II. driver for the device port
device not installed or wrong II. install the driver
driver installed for the USB device or
upgrade the driver
online

Award 1mk for any Award 1mk for any

relevant point relevant point
i No sound from the computers I. faulthy speaker I. check audio port
v speakers or headphone II. damaged audio port II. check audio
III. Software error device properties
III. Check volume
control properties
IV. plug in known
working headphone
V. repair the faulty
port or replace with
audio add on card

Award 1mk for any Award 1mk for any

relevant point relevant point
v DVD drive cannot be Faulthy DVD drive Replace the
accessed and the light does complete drive
not go on Award 1mk for any
relevant point Award 1mk for any
relevant point

10mks