Computer Hardware Servicing Grade 7 teaches about maintaining and repairing computer hardware components. It covers various hardware tools used for servicing like ESD tools to prevent static damage, hand tools for physical repairs, cleaning tools, and diagnostic tools. The document also describes important internal computer hardware components like the motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. It lists external hardware peripherals for input like keyboards, mice, and cameras and output devices like monitors, printers, and speakers.
Computer Hardware Servicing Grade 7 teaches about maintaining and repairing computer hardware components. It covers various hardware tools used for servicing like ESD tools to prevent static damage, hand tools for physical repairs, cleaning tools, and diagnostic tools. The document also describes important internal computer hardware components like the motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. It lists external hardware peripherals for input like keyboards, mice, and cameras and output devices like monitors, printers, and speakers.
Computer Hardware Servicing Grade 7 teaches about maintaining and repairing computer hardware components. It covers various hardware tools used for servicing like ESD tools to prevent static damage, hand tools for physical repairs, cleaning tools, and diagnostic tools. The document also describes important internal computer hardware components like the motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. It lists external hardware peripherals for input like keyboards, mice, and cameras and output devices like monitors, printers, and speakers.
Computer Hardware Servicing Grade 7 teaches about maintaining and repairing computer hardware components. It covers various hardware tools used for servicing like ESD tools to prevent static damage, hand tools for physical repairs, cleaning tools, and diagnostic tools. The document also describes important internal computer hardware components like the motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. It lists external hardware peripherals for input like keyboards, mice, and cameras and output devices like monitors, printers, and speakers.
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Computer Hardware Servicing Grade 7
What is Computer Hardware Servicing?
Computer Hardware Servicing is the process of maintaining hardware components which include diagnosing issues, upgrading, and repairing the hardware of a computer. There can be done yourself or with an expert computer repair technician. Maintaining, and routine diagnosis of hardware can be done by individuals.
Lesson 1: Hardware Tools and Components
There are four categories of hardware tools namely electro-static discharge (ESD) tools, hand tools, cleaning tools and diagnostic tools. Each tool has its own use and purpose.
Electro-static Discharge (ESD) Tools
These tools are used to protect the computer parts from damage due to static electricity from a technician's body
Examples of ESD Tools
1. Anti-static Wrist Strap (also called ground bracelet)
This is an anti-static device designed for safety of a person working on very sensitive electronic equipment. This prevents build up of static electricity in a person's body It consists of a stretchy hand of fabric with fine woven conductive fibers attached to a wire with clip at the end connecting it to a ground of the conductor. 2. Anti-static Mat Static electricity can damage electronic components. Standing on an anti-static mat while doing repairs or adding expansion cords, can help prevent static electricity from damaging sensitive devices.
Hand Tools These are fairly simple tools which you can use with your hands and which are usually not powered. They are physical-system devices used manually with force
Examples of Hand Tools
1. Flat head screwdrivers
This is a type of screwdriver that is probably one of the most common and versatile tools. It has its flat, bladed end specifically designed to loosen or tighten screws with the linear notch on the top. This was first developed and used in the early 1800s. 2. Phillips head screwdrivers This is a screwdriver with an X shape head driver that matches the X on the head of the screws. It was named after its inventor Henry Phillips.
3. Reed and Prince Screwdrivers
The pointed tip and straight edges of Reed and Prince differentiate it with Phillips, which has curved edges
4. Allen Key or Allen wrench or Hex key or Hex head
This is an L-shaped piece of metal with a hexagonal head. This tool is mostly used on bicycle seats and on some build-it-yourself furniture made with pressed wood, as Allen screws are often found on this equipment. 5. Needle-nose pliers- used to hold small parts
6. Wire cutter- used to strip or cut wires
7. Tweezers- used to manipulate small parts
8. Part retriever- used to retrieve parts from location that are too small for your hand to fit 9. Crimping tool- used for making network cables
Other types of household screwdrivers are less commonly used. These are the square shank screwdrivers, clutch head screwdrivers (fit a butterfly-shaped screw), Torx screwdriver (for star- shaped screw and driver tip used in some seatbelt systems), Scrulox screwdrivers (with square drive) and Robertson screwdrivers (with square tip and slight taper) Cleaning Tools
These are tools used for cleaning. Included in this type of tools are cloth, cleaning fluids, compressed air and lens cleaning kit.
1. Cloth It is recommended to use lightly dampened cloth when cleaning especially with computer case. As you clean your computer, use a paper towel to dry it. Remember to avoid cleaning components inside the com- puter or circuit board with damp or wet cloth.
2. Cleaning Fluid This must be sprayed to the material being cleaned. Always use paper towel to dry it
3. Compressed air This cleaning tool is recommended for casing and power supply cleaning 4. CD Lens Cleaner A cleaning system for the lens of the laser pick-up of the CD player, CD-ROM or DVD player
5. Parts organizer This is where you put the small parts of your tools such as screw, jumpers, fastener to avoid it from getting mixed with each other. Diagnostic Tools It is still best to frequently check your equipment or unit for any possible malfunction or problem. There are devices like a Multimeter and loopback adapter, that are being used to diagnose problems, especially with computer units. With a multimeter, you can test the integrity of circuits and the quality of electricity Loopback adapter, however, is used for ports functionality testing.
What are internal computer hardware components?
Internal components collectively process or store the instructions delivered by the program or operating system (OS). These include the following:
Motherboard. This is a printed circuit board that holds the central processing unit (CPU) and other essential internal hardware and functions as the central hub that all other hardware components run through.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)- The CPU is the brain of the computer that processes and executes digital instructions from various programs; its clock speed determines the computer's performance and efficiency in processing data. RAM. Random Access Memory or dynamic RAM - is temporary memory storage that makes information immediately accessible to programs; RAM is volatile memory, so stored data is cleared when the computer powers off.
Hard disk drive (HDD)- are physical storage devices that store both permanent and temporary data in different formats, including programs, OSes, device files, photos, etc. Solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs are solid-state storage devices based on NAND flash memory technology; SSDs are non-volatile, so they can safely store data even when the computer is powered down.
Optical drive. Optical drives typically reside in an on-device drive bay; they enable the computer to read and interact with nonmagnetic external media, such as compact disc read- only memory or digital video discs.
Heat sink. This is a passive piece of hardware that draws heat away from components to regulate/reduce their temperature to help ensure they continue to function properly. Typically, a heat sink is installed directly atop the CPU, which produces the most heat among internal components. Graphics processing unit. This chip-based device processes graphical data and often functions as an extension to the main CPU.
Network interface card (NIC). A NIC is a circuit board or chip that enables the computer to connect to a network; also known as a network adapter or local area network adapter, it typically supports connection to an Ethernet network. What are external hardware components?
External hardware components, also called peripheral components, are those items that are often externally connected to the computer to control either input or output functions. These hardware devices are designed to either provide instructions to the software (input) or render results from its execution (output).
Common input hardware components include the following:
Mouse. A mouse is a hand-held pointing device that moves a cursor around a computer screen and enables interaction with objects on the screen. It may be wired or wireless.
Keyboard. A keyboard is an input device featuring a standard QWERTY keyset that enables users to input text, numbers or special characters.
Microphone. A microphone is a device that translates sound waves into electrical signals and supports computer-based audio communications. Camera. A camera captures visual images and streams them to the computer or through a computer to a network device.
Touchpad. A touchpad is an input device, external or built into a laptop, used to control the pointer on a display screen. It is typically an alternative to an external mouse.
USB flash drive. (Universal Serial Bus) - A USB flash drive is an external, removable storage device that uses flash memory and interfaces with a computer through a USB port. Memory card. A memory card is a type of portable external storage media, such as a CompactFlash card, used to store media or data files.
Examples of output hardware components include the following:
Monitor. A monitor is an output device similar to a TV screen that displays information,
documents or images generated by the computing device. Printer. Printers render electronic data from a computer into printed material.
Speaker. A speaker is an external audio output device that connects to a computer to
generate a sound output. Headphones, earphones, earbuds. Similar to speakers, these devices provide audio output that's audible only to a single listener.
