MODULE 3

Expansion Slots-ISA,EISA,MCA,VESA,PCI Local Bus, processor, connectors, CMOS memory, SMPS,

Serial and parallel ports, USB, BIOS chip, steps for assembling PC.

Expansion slots

Memory and peripheral devices are connected to the processor through a group of lines called
buses. Types of buses available are

1. Address Bus
2. Data Bus
3. Control Bus

There are different types of bus standards. They are also refererred as bus slots or expansion slots.
An expansion slot is a connection or port inside the computer, on the motherboard. This allows
expansion card to be connected. An expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard that is used to
insert an expansion card, which provides additional features to a computer such as video, sound,
advanced graphics, Ethernet or memory.

Different expansion slots used in modern computer system are,

ISA - Network card, sound card, video card.

EISA - SCSI, network card, video card.

MCA-Network

VESA - Video card.

PCI - Network card, SCSI, sound card, video card.

PCI Express - Video card, modem, sound card, network card.

ISA

ISA is the abbreviation of Industry Standard Architecture. ISA provide network card, video card,
sound card. It has 24 address lines and 16 data lines. ISA was introduced by IBM. ISA was originally
an 8 bit computer bus that was expanded to 16 bus in 1984.

The ISA bus permitted bus mastering, i.e. it enabled controllers connected directly to the bus to
communicate directly with the other peripherals without going through the processor. One of the
consequences of bus mastering is direct memory access (DMA).

This is an older motherboard slot technology. A few of these can still be found in new machines to
provide compatability to cards such as modems which donot need lots of bandwidth.

Data transfer speed- 8 bit

8 bit slots are capable of transfering 0 .624 MB/sec . 16 bit slots are capable of transfering 2 MB/sec

EISA

It is the abbreviation of Extended Industry Standard Architecture The EISA bus (Extended Industry
Standard Architecture) was developed in 1988 by a consortium of companies (AST, Compaq, Epson,
Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Olivetti, Tandy, Wyse and Zenith) in order to compete with the MCA
proprietary bus that was launched by IBM the previous year. The EISA bus used connectors that
were the same size as the ISA connector but with 4 rows of contacts instead of 2, for 32-bit
addressing.

ISA is not suitable for multi tasking and multi user system. EISA and MCA bus architecture is suitable
for multi user system. EISA uses 32 bit address bus and 32bit data bus to fulfil the needs of a 32 bit
micro processor.

The EISA bus architecture is also capable of bus mastering, i.e. it enabled controllers connected
directly to the bus to communicate directly with the other peripherals without going through the
processor. The EISA bus sub system can support upto 6 bus masters and 8 slaves.

MCA

It is the abbreviation of Micro Channel Architecture. It supports network cards. It was a 16 or 32 bit
computer bus. It was introduced by IBM in 1987 as a competitor to ISA bus. MCA offers additional
feature over ISA such as a 32 bit bus. It also included bus mastering for greater efficiency. The
primary limitatoins of MCA bus was that, it was proprietory and required licensing fees. Due to
these, the MCA bus never became widely used.

VESA

It is the abbreviation of Video Electronocs Standard Association. It support video cards. VESA is a
group of video card manufacturers that set video display and bus standards. Basically VESA buses
has ISA slots and extra six slots at the other end.

PCI Local bus

It is the abbreviation of peripheral component Interconnect. PCI was developed by INTEl. The PCI
bus is a high performance bus for interconnecting chips , expansion boards , processor or memory
subsystem. It was developed in early 1990’s as a standard method for interconnecting chips on a
board. PCI bus is a high performance connection between motherboard components and expansion
card. There is a bridge chip between the processor and the PCI bus which connect the PCI to the
processor.

Processor

A processor or micro processor is a chip that resides in computer and other electronic devices .It is
an integrated electronic circuit that performs the calculations that run a computer. A processor
performs arithmetical, logical, input/output (I/O) and other basic instructions that are passed from
an operating system (OS).

Its basic job is to receive input and provide appropriate output.The Central processor of a computer
is also known as CPU or central processing unit. This processor handles all the basic system
instructions, such as processing mouse and keyboard input and running applications.

Processors are found in many modern electronic devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets, and
other handheld devices. Their purpose is to receive input in the form of program instructions and
execute trillions of calculations to provide the output that the user will interface with.
A processor includes an arithmetical logic and control unit (CU), which measures capability in terms
of the following:

 Ability to process instructions at a given time.

 Maximum number of bits/instructions.

 Relative clock speed.

A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a
computer.

The four primary functions of a processor are fetch, decode, execute and write back.

The basic elements of a processor:

The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which carries out arithmetic and logic operations on the operands in
instructions.

The floating point unit (FPU), also known as a math coprocessor or numeric coprocessor, a
specialized coprocessor that manipulates numbers more quickly than the basic microprocessor
circuitry can.

Registers, which hold instructions and other data. Registers supply operands to the ALU and store
the results of operations.

L1 and L2 cache memory, their inclusion in the CPU saves time compared to having to get data from
random access memory (RAM).

Most processors today are multi-core, which means that the IC contains two or more processors for
enhanced performance, reduced power consumption and more efficient simultaneous processing of
multiple tasks.

Multi-core set-ups are similar to have multiple, separate processors installed in the same computer,
but because the processors are actually plugged into the same socket, the connection between them
is faster.

The CPU is not the only processor in a computer.

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is another processor, and even some hard drives are technically
capable of performing some processing.

The two main competitors in the processor market are Intel and AMD.

Connectors:

A connector is the unique end of a plug, jack, or the edge of a card that connects into a port.

Ports

A Computer Port is an interface or a point of connection between the computer and its peripheral
devices. Some of the common peripherals are mouse, keyboard, monitor or display unit, printer,
speaker, flash drive etc. A computer port is also called as a Communication Port.

The main function of a computer port is to act as a point of attachment, where the cable from the
peripheral or external device can be plugged in and allows data to flow from and to the device or
over internet.
Characteristics of Ports

A port has the following characteristics −

 External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.

 Ports are slots on the motherb oard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.

 Examples of external devices attached via ports are the mouse, keyboard, monitor,
microphone, speakers, etc.

In Computers, communication ports can be divided into two types based on the type or protocol
used for communication. They are Serial Ports and Parallel Ports.

Serial Port

A serial port is an interface through which peripherals can be connected using a serial protocol
which involves the transmission of data one bit at a time over a single communication line.

It allows a PC to transmit or receive data one bit at a time. It is one of the oldest types of interfaces
and at one time was commonly used to connect printers and external modems to a PC. Compared to
a parallel port, the data transfer rate of a serial port is slower.The serial port is found on the back of
the computer and is part of the motherboard.

The serial port standard is RS-232. This standard is used for transmitting serial communication
between devices, which are usually called data communications equipment (DCE) and data terminal
equipment (DTE). The serial port uses a nine-pin (DE-9) connector or a 25-pin (DB-25) connector.
Originally, the standard used 25 pins. Because many of the pins were unused and were quite bulky,
the smaller DE-9 connector became popular.

Some of the hardware components which uses serial port.

Mouse - One of the most commonly used devices for serial ports.

Modem - Another commonly used device for serial ports. Used commonly with older computers,
however, is also commonly used for its ease of use.

Network - One of the original uses of the serial port, which allowed two computers to connect
together and allow large files to be transferred between the two.

Printer - Today, this not a commonly used device for serial ports. However, was frequently used with
older printers and plotters.

Parallel Port

A parallel port, is an interface through which the communication between a computer and its
peripheral device is in a parallel manner i.e. data is transferred in or out in parallel using more than
one communication line or wire. parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once .Printer port is an
example of parallel port.

There are many types of parallel ports, but the term has become most closely associated with the
printer port or Centronics port found on most personal computers from the 1970s through the
2000s.The Centronics port is a 36 pin port that was developed as an interface for printers and
scanners and hence a parallel port is also called as a Centronics port. It includes three groups of
lines: eight for data, four for control signals, and five for status signals.

Before the wide use of USB ports, parallel ports are very common in printers. The Centronics port
was later replaced by DB-25 port with parallel interface.

USB

USB Stands for "Universal Serial Bus." USB is the most common type of computer port used in
today's computers. It can be used to connect all kind iof devices such as keyboards, mouse,external
hard disks, printers, scanners, digital cameras, and removable media drives, etc.. It was introduced in
1997. Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.

A USB port is a standard cable connection interface for personal computers and consumer
electronics devices. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, an industry standard for short-distance
digital data communications. USB ports allow USB devices to be connected to each other with and
transfer digital data over USB cables. They can also supply electric power across the cable to devices
that need it.

USB is also faster than older ports, such as serial and parallel ports.

The USB 1.1 specification supports data transfer rates of up to 12Mb/sec and USB 2.0 has a
maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps.

CMOS Memory

CMOS Stands for "Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor." CMOS describes the material that
this memory is made of. CMOS circuits are found in several types of electronic components,
including microprocessors, batteries, and digital camera image sensors.

Inorder for the computer to start properly, the computer must know some specific information
about hardware and software configurations such as available memory, disk type, video type etc.
This information is stored in the CMOS memory inorder for the data to be saved even if the
computer is turned off. A small battery is used to give continuous power supply to this memory.

When the computer is turned off, all the information stored in the RAM is automatically
deleted.However the computer needs to remember important hardware settings . As the CMOs
memory is continuoudsly powered by battery, the data remains in memory even when the computer
is turned off and unplugged.

CMOS Battery

The CMOS battery is a lithium-ion battery about the size of a coin. It can hold a charge for up to ten
years before needing to be replaced. If your CMOS battery dies, your BIOS settings will reset to their
defaults when your computer is turned off.

Incorrect or slow system date and time and loss of BIOS settings are major signs of a dead or dying
CMOS battery. Replacing them is as easy as swapping out the dead one for a new one. While most
motherboards have a spot for a CMOS battery, some smaller computers, like many tablets and
laptops, have a small external compartment for the CMOS battery that connects to the motherboard
via two small wires.

BIOS Chip
The BIOS is a computer chip on the motherboard like CMOS except that its purpose is to
communicate between the processor and other hardware components like the hard drive, USB
ports, sound card, video card, and more. A computer without a BIOS wouldn't understand how these
pieces of the computer work together. CMOS is also a computer chip on the motherboard, or more
specifically a RAM chip, which means it would normally lose the settings it's storing when the
computer is shut down. The CMOS battery is used to provide constant power to the BIOS chip. When
the computer first boots up, BIOS pulls information from the CMOS chip to understand the hardware
settings, time, and anything else that's stored in it.

Steps for assembling a PC

This set of instructions will help you assemble a basic computercapable of running most modern
software packages encountered by a casual user. Modern computers become more affordable when
users supplement their monetary investment with a few hours of effort. This computer build will be
very basic and will be the minimum hardware necessary to have a functional system. After you have
all of the parts and materials needed, it will take between 2 and 4 hours to assemble your computer
and you will need to be able to use simple hand tools, such as a screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

Step 1: Procuring Parts

First you will need to buy the parts necessary to build the computer. The parts we will use here are
labeled as follows:

1. Processor (CPU)

2. Computer Case or cabin

3. Optical Drive (DVD RW and SATA capable)

4. Memory (RAM)

5. Power Supply

6. SATA Cables

7. Motherboard (SATA Capable)

8. Processor Fan

9. Case Fan

10. Hard Drive (SATA Capable)

11. Assortment of case and drive screws

Step 2: Gather Tools and Supplies

Gather the tools you will need for assembling:

 Screwdriver
 Wire cutters and strippers
 Needle-nosed pliers
 Utility knife
 Small flashlight
 Adjustable wrench
 Small container to hold screws
 Heat sink compound
 Grounding Strap

You may not use every single one of these tools in every installation, but it is best to have all of them
on hand in case you have a use for them.

Step 3: Open the Case

Open the computer case by removing the side panels. Find the screws that hold the side panels in
place and remove them. The panel is removed by first sliding it back then lifting it away from the
case.

Step 4: Prepare the Case for Assembly

Three things need to be done before assembly begins:

 Remove any parts or packaging materials that may have been shipped inside the case.
 Remove the cover for the optical drive.
 Make note of the cables pre-installed in the case. These should be front panel connections
for features such as the power switch, audio jacks and USB ports. If they are not labeled,
consult the manufacturer’s documentation and label them yourself now before other parts
are installed in the case.

Step 5: Ground Yourself

Put the grounding strap on your wrist and connect the other end to the computer case. If your strap
is not equipped with a clip to hook to the case, find a place to wedge against the metal. This will
prevent any buildup of static electricity on your body from damaging the computer components.

Caution: Static electricity can ruin computer components. Always wear a grounding strap when
handling any internal components.

Step 6: Install Motherboard

To install the motherboard we need parts that should have been included with your purchased
components:

 I/O Bezel is a trim panel installed in the back of the case that surrounds the interface ports
on the motherboard. It should be included with the motherboard.
 Standoffs are installed in the case screw holes to create a riser that separates the case and
motherboard. The screws install into the standoffs. Screws and standoffs should be included
with the case, but it is a good idea to order these items just in case they aren't included.

Follow these steps to install the motherboard in the case:

1. Install the I/O bezel plate into the opening in the back of the case. It pushes in from the inside.

2. Install standoffs in the case. The standoffs screw into the motherboard mounting holes. Check the
screw hole locations on the motherboard for exact placement.

3. Lower the motherboard into the case and align with the I/O bezel.

4. Install the screws.

Step 7: Install Hard Drive

The hard drive is the device that stores all of your data. It is 3.5" wide and needs to be mounted so
that you can gain access to the cable connections on the back. If that is not possible you may need to
connect cables before you install the drive. To mount the drive:

1. Find a 3.5" drive bay to install the drive in. If you have trouble finding a place to mount the drive
consult your case documentation for suggestions.

2. Slide the drive into place until the screw holes on the sides are lined up with the holes in the case.
3. Install the screws.

Step 8: Install Optical Drive

The optical drive is 5.25" wide and is installed in the drive bay that we removed the cover from in a
previous step. Cable access considerations apply to this drive also.

To install the drive:

1. Slide the drive into the drive bay until the screw holes are lined up and the front of the drive is
flush with the front of the case. Make sure that it is orientated correctly.

2. Install the screws.

Step 9: Install the CPU

The CPU is the brain of the computer. It is installed on the motherboard in the socket.

To install the CPU:

1. Find the corner marking that designates pin 1 of the CPU. On a brand processor, the corner is
marked with an arrow. Consult the manufacturer's documentation for specific information about
your processor.

2. Lift the small metal rod next to the socket.

3. Find the corresponding marking on the CPU socket and insert the CPU so that the markings are
lined up.

4. Push the rod down to lock the processor in place.

Step 10: Install RAM

The RAM is the temporary memory location that the processor works from. Permanently stored data
is pulled from disks and stored in RAM while the processor works with it.

The memory is easy to install:

1. Set the RAM board in the socket. Check to see that the notch in the board is in the correct
location. If it is not, turn it around 180 degree.

2. Press firmly on both ends of the board to set it into the socket. Make sure the tabs lock into place.
Caution: Pressing the boards in when the tab is not aligned could cause damage to the RAM boards
as well as the motherboard.

Step 11: Install the CPU Fan

The CPU fan is really a combination of a heat sink and fan together. The unit draws heat away from
the CPU.

To install the fan:

1. Place thermal compound to the CPU following the instructions provided with the compound.

2. Set the fan assembly on the CPU with mounting tabs aligned.

3. Pull the locking rod down on the fan assembly to lock into place.

4. Connect the fan assembly's power connector to the motherboard. Consult the manual to
determine proper placement.

Caution: Failure to apply thermal compound will result in insufficient cooling and will cause damage
to the CPU and/or motherboard.
Step 12: Install Case Fan

The case fan is usually installed on the back panel of the case. If the fan mount is not obvious
consult the case documentation.

To mount the fan:

1. Align the mounting holes by holding the fan to the mounting pad on the inside of the case. The fan
needs to be mounted so that it blows air out of the case.

2. Insert the screws from the outside of the case and tighten

Step 13: Install Power Supply

Follow these directions to install the power supply:

1. Align the mounting holes in the case and power supply.

2. Insert screws and tighten. Step 14: Connect Cables With all of the components installed in the
case, the jungle of wires can be daunting. It is important to consult the motherboard manual in order
to make sure proper connections are made.

There are two kinds of connections, power and data.

 Every device that has been installed needs power. The power supply connectors are to be
connected and fixed. The motherboard has two power connections, and there are two connectors
specifically for SATA devices (drives). The other connectors will run fans and other non-SATA devices.

 Data cables connect drives and front panel devices to the motherboard. Please consult the
motherboard documentation for the exact placement of connectors. Warning: Incorrect connections
can damage components and cause bodily injury.

Step 15: Wrap-up

Now that the components are completely installed, the last thing to do is to reinstall the side panels
on the case. The computer is now ready to be turned on and to have software loaded on it. If the
computer has problems starting up, check all component connections and mounting to make sure
that you have hooked everything up correctly. Consult individual component manuals for specific
troubleshooting information if problems persist