What component would most likely cause a "parity error"?
Answer: C
Correct answer: bad RAM
The parity bit is written with each byte and checked on every read, so a mismatch means the stored bits have changed. That is a memory fault by definition.
Please log in or register to report this question.
What is the paper feeding technology most commonly associated with dot-matrix printers?
Answer: B
Correct answer: tractor feed
A dot matrix printer pulls continuous stationery through by sprockets engaging the perforated edges - the tractor feed - which keeps the paper aligned through many pages.
Please log in or register to report this question.
What configuration should a Volt-Ohm meter be set to when testing a fuse?
Answer: D
Correct answer: Ohms
A fuse is tested for continuity, which is a resistance measurement, so the meter is set to ohms - and to be safe the fuse is removed from the circuit first.
Please log in or register to report this question.
A PC with a 486DX2 processor runs internally at 50Mhz. What speed would its external logic be running?
Answer: B
Correct answer: 25Mhz
The DX2 runs its core at twice the bus speed, so an internal 50 MHz means an external
\[ \frac{50}{2} = 25\ \text{MHz} \]
Clock doubling raised processor speed without requiring faster and more expensive motherboards.
Please log in or register to report this question.
You are testing the resistance in Ohms of a fuse on a 15K amp system. If the fuse is good, the meter should read?
Answer: A
Correct answer: 0.0
A good fuse is a piece of wire, so its resistance is effectively zero and the meter reads 0.0. A blown fuse reads as an open circuit.
Please log in or register to report this question.
The floppy drive uses which DMA (direct memory access) channel?
Answer: D
Correct answer: 2
The floppy controller uses DMA channel 2, which is why that channel is never available for anything else on a machine with a floppy drive.
Please log in or register to report this question.
You have a system that periodically locks up. You have ruled out software, and now suspect that it is hardware. What should you do first that could help you narrow it down to the component at fault?
Answer: D
Correct answer: disable the CPU cache in CMOS
Switching the cache off in CMOS is done in seconds and needs no parts. If the lockups stop, the fault is in the cache; if they continue, the cache is cleared and the search moves on.
Please log in or register to report this question.
A static jolt of as little of _____ volts can fry most any PC integrated circuit.
Answer: B
Correct answer: 30
Modern integrated circuits are damaged by discharges of a few tens of volts - far below the three thousand or so a person can feel. That gap is the whole reason for wrist straps: the damage is done long before anything is noticed.
Please log in or register to report this question.
Which values are held in CMOS for the hard drive
Answer: A
Correct answer: size (heads, cylinders, sectors)
CMOS holds the drive's geometry so that the BIOS can address it before any operating system is loaded. Interrupt assignments and free space are not part of it.
Please log in or register to report this question.
Before sending data, a modem sends a request to send signal, or RTS.
Answer: A
Correct answer: True
RTS, request to send, is raised by the sender to ask permission to transmit; the receiver answers with CTS. That exchange is the hardware handshake of RS-232.
Please log in or register to report this question.
