Computer Hardware and Software Questions and Answers

Answer: B

Correct answer: duplexer

A duplex unit takes the printed sheet, turns it over and feeds it back through, so the second side can be printed without the user reinserting the paper.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Extended Industry Standard Architecture

EISA is the 32-bit extension of the ISA bus, designed by a consortium as an answer to IBM's proprietary MCA, and it accepts ISA cards in its deeper slots.

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.

Answer: B

Correct answer: False

A CRT anode carries tens of kilovolts, hundreds of times beyond a standard meter's range and its insulation. Measuring it requires a high-voltage probe designed for the purpose.

Answer: D

Correct answer: 2E8H

The standard serial addresses are COM1 at 3F8, COM2 at 2F8, COM3 at 3E8 and COM4 at 2E8.

Answer: B

Correct answer: I/O card

A SCSI host adapter is an expansion card that moves data in both directions between the bus and its devices, so as a field replaceable unit it is classed as an I/O card.

Answer: B

Correct answer: 8

An AT class machine has two cascaded DMA controllers giving eight channels, numbered 0 to 7. Channel 4 is consumed by the cascade, leaving seven for devices - which is why the figure 7 is often quoted as well.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Basic Input Output System

BIOS is the Basic Input Output System, firmware stored on a chip on the motherboard and the first code the processor executes when the machine is switched on. It performs three tasks in sequence. It runs the POST - the power-on self test - checking that the memory, processor and essential devices are present and working, and reporting failures by beep codes. It then initialises the hardware. Finally it locates a boot device and loads the bootstrap loader from it, handing control to the operating system. Its settings - boot order, date and time, hardware options - are held in CMOS memory, kept alive by a small battery on the board. A dead battery is why a computer forgets the date. On modern machines BIOS has been replaced by UEFI, which supports larger disks through GPT partitioning, faster booting and secure boot verification, though the older name is still used loosely for both.

Answer: D

Correct answer: RAM

RAM is volatile: it loses its contents the instant power is removed. That is why unsaved work is lost in a power cut, and why a computer must load the operating system from disk into RAM at every start-up. The other three are non-volatile and retain data without power. ROM holds firmware written at manufacture; a hard disk stores data as magnetic patterns; a flash drive uses floating-gate transistors that hold charge indefinitely. RAM divides in two, and the difference matters. SRAM stores each bit in a flip-flop, needs no refreshing and is fast, so it is used for cache - but it takes several transistors per bit and is expensive. DRAM stores each bit as charge on a tiny capacitor which leaks and must be refreshed thousands of times a second; it is far denser and cheaper, so it is used for main memory. The name random access distinguishes both from sequential media such as tape.

Answer: C

Correct answer: System chassis

A field replaceable unit is a part that can be swapped out to effect a repair - a board, a supply, a drive. The chassis is the frame everything else is fitted into and is not replaced in service.