Cagayan National High School

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

TLE-ICT
(INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY)
Grade 8 – Module 1

Objectives:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
 identify the important components of a PC and their functions
 familiarize occupational health and safety Procedures
 distinguish the different hardware tools
 perform the basic skills that are necessary to assemble and disassemble a PC

Introduction:
Computers have become a useful part of our everyday lives. The types of computers we use at
home or at work are referred to by varied names such as PCs, microcomputers, workstations, laptops
and desktops. These computers are most popularly referred to as “personal computers” or PCs, the most
common type of computer in the world.
Today, an average person uses computer-based assistance several times each day and it becomes
an integral part of our lives. So it is very important to be aware of and understand them.

Lesson 1: Understanding the Computer System

As an aspiring computer technician, it is very important to know the different components of a
computer system. These are the hardware, software and peopleware. Each component plays an important
role, without each other computer systems will not work properly.

1.1 HARDWARE- the physical, touchable, electronic and mechanical parts of a computer system.

A. Major hardware components of a computer system

The following list represents a basic set of hardware found in most PCs:
1. SYSTEM UNIT- The main part of a microcomputer, sometimes called the chassis. It includes
the following parts: Motherboard, Microprocessor, Memory Chips, Buses, Ports, Expansion Slots
and Cards.

Figure 1. Tower Type System Unit

2. Motherboard / Mainboard / System Board- The main circuit board of a computer. It contains
all the circuits and components that run the computer.

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 3. CPU (Central Processing Unit) - The processor is the main “brain” or “heart” of a computer
system. It performs all of the instructions and calculations that are needed and manages the flow
of information through a computer.

4. Primary storage- (internal storage, main memory or memory) is the computer's working storage
space that holds data, instructions for processing and processed data (information) waiting to be
sent to secondary storage. Physically, primary storage is a collection of RAM chips.

Two (2) Types of Memory

a. ROM – (Read Only Memory) ROM is non-volatile, meaning it holds data even when the power
is ON or OFF.
b. RAM – (Random Access Memory) RAM is volatile, meaning it holds data only when the
power is on. When the power is off, RAM's contents are lost.

5. Expansion Bus - A bus is a data pathway between several hardware components inside or outside
a computer. It does not only connect the parts of the CPU to each other, but also links the CPU
with other important hardware.

6. Adapters- Printed-circuit boards (also called interface cards) that enable the computer to use a
peripheral device for which it does not have the necessary connections or circuit boards. They
are often used to permit upgrading to a new different hardware.

Figure 6. Adapter (Network Adapter)

7. Power Supply Unit (PSU) - Installed in the back corner of the PC

case, next to the motherboard. It converts 120vac (standard house power)
into DC voltages that are used by other components in the PC.

8. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) - Also known as hard drive, is a magnetic

storage device that is installed inside the computer. The hard drive is used
as permanent storage for data. In a Windows computer, the hard drive is usually
configured as the C: drive and contains the operating system and applications.

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9. Optical Drive- An optical drive is a storage device that uses lasers to read
data on the optical media. There are three types of optical drives:
Compact Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and Blu-ray Disc (BD).

10. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) - Designed to optically access data stored on a DVD.
A laser moves back and forth near the disk surface and accesses data at a very fast rate.

B. INPUT DEVICES - Accepts data and instructions from the user or from another computer system.

Two (2) Types of Input Devices

1. Keyboard Entry – Data is inputted to the computer through a keyboard.
o Keyboard - The first input device developed for the PC. Data is
transferred to the PC over a short cable with a circular 6-pin Mini-din
connector that plugs into the back of the motherboard.

2. Direct Entry – A form of input that does not require data to be keyed by someone sitting at a
keyboard. Direct-entry devices create machine-readable data on paper, or magnetic media, or
feed it directly into the computer’s CPU.

Three Categories of Direct Entry Devices

1. Pointing Devices - An input device used to move the pointer (cursor) on screen.
 Mouse - The most common 'pointing device' used in PCs.
Every mouse has two buttons and most have one or two scroll wheels.
 Touch screen- A display screen that is sensitive to the touch of a finger
or stylus. Used in myriad applications, including ATM machines,
retail point-of-sale terminals, car navigation and industrial controls.
The touch screen became wildly popular for smart phones and tablets.
 Light Pen - A light-sensitive stylus wired to a video terminal used to
draw pictures or select menu options. The user brings the pen to the
desired point on screen and presses the pen button to make contact.
 Digitizer Tablet - A graphics drawing tablet used for sketching new images
or tracing old ones. Also called a "graphics tablet," the user contacts the
surface of the device with a wired or wireless pen or puck. Often mistakenly
called a mouse, the puck is officially the "tablet cursor."

2. Scanning Devices- A device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper and translates the
information into a form the computer can use.

Image scanner bar code scanner

3. Voice- Input Devices - Audio input devices also known as speech or voice
recognition systems that allow a user to send audio signals to a computer
for processing, recording, or carrying out commands. Audio input devices such
as microphones allow users to speak to the computer in order to record a
voice message or navigate software.
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 C. OUTPUT DEVICES - Any piece of computer hardware that displays results after the computer
has processed the input data that has been entered.
Ex:
1. Computer Display Monitor- It displays information in visual form, using text and graphics. The
portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen or video display terminal.
Types of Monitor

A. CRT Monitors - Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) were

the only type of displays for use with desktop PCs. They are
relatively big (14" to 16" deep) and heavy (over 15 lbs)

B. LCD Monitors - Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology has

been used in laptops for some time. It has recently been made
commercially available as monitors for desktop PCs.

C. LED Monitors (Light Emitting Diode) - A display and lighting

technology used in almost every electrical and electronic product
on the market, from a tiny on/off light to digital readouts,
flashlights, traffic lights and perimeter lighting.

2. LCD Projectors- utilize two sheets of polarizing material with a

liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through
the liquid causes the crystals to align so that light cannot pass through them.
Each crystal, therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through
or blocking the light.

3. Smart Board - A type of display screen that has a touch sensitive t

transparent panel covering the screen, which is similar to a touch screen.

4. Printer - A device that prints text or illustrations on paper.

Types of printer

 Ink-Jet or Bubble-Jet Printer - prays ink at a sheet of paper.

Ink-jet printers produce high-quality text and graphics.

 Laser Printer - Uses the same technology as copy machines.

Laser printers produce very high quality text and graphics.

 LCD and LED Printer- Similar to a laser printer, but

uses liquid crystals or light-emitting diodes rather than a
laser to produce an image on the drum.

 Line Printer - Contains a chain of characters or pins that

print an entire line at one time. Line printers are very fast,
but produce low-quality print.

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 Thermal Printer- An inexpensive printer that works by
pushing heated pins against heat-sensitive paper.
Thermal printers are widely used in calculators and
fax machines.

5. Speakers - Used to play sound. They may be built into the system unit or connected with cables.
Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer.

D. STORAGE DEVICES
 Flash drive / Thumb drive - is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an
integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and
rewritable, and physically much smaller than an optical disc.
 Floppy disk - is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of
thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic
carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles. Floppy disks are read and
written by a floppy disk drive (FDD).
 Memory cards
 Hard drive
 CD / DVD

E. Ports - External connecting sockets on the outside of the computer. This is a pathway into and out of
the computer. A port lets users plug in outside peripherals, such as monitors, scanners and printers.
The Ports and their function
Type of Port Function Illustration
Serial Port Intended for serial type mouse and
older camera

Parallel Port Also called as printer port. This is

only for old model printer. It
has 25 pins. It is a female
port.
VGA (Video Graphic Used to connect monitors. It has
Array) Port 15 pins and it is a female
port.
USB (Universal Serial High speed serial interface that is
Bus) Port used with almost all devices.
It is used to connect latest
model printers, pen drives,
cell phones etc. it has 4 pins.

PS/2 Port Simple, 6-pin, low-speed serial

connections commonly
dedicated to a keyboard and
mouse.

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 Power Port Intended for power cord.

S-Video Port S-Video connections are available

on certain source
components and video
display devices, and offer a
higher level of video
performance over composite
video signals.
Audio Port Intended for plugging in the
speaker or headset.

LAN (Local Area A physical interface often used for

Networking) Port terminating twisted pair type
cables used to connect
computers onto a local-area
networks (LAN), especially
Ethernet RJ-45 connectors

F. Cables and Wires- A cable is most often two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted
or braided together to form a single assembly, but can also refer to a heavy strong rope.

Table 2. The Cables and Connectors

Illustration Function
These jacks are intended for the PS/2 port
specifically for PS/2 type of keyboard and
mouse.
This type of jack is intended for the audio and
microphone port.

S-video jack is obviously for S-Video port

This USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug is intended

for USB port. Modern or new model of
peripherals like printer, camera, scanners
and even other portable computer
attachments used USB type of plugs.

This printer cable jack is intended for the parallel

port.

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 RJ45 ("RJ" in RJ45 stands for "registered jack,"
since it is a standardized networking
interface and the "45" simply refers to the
number of the interface standard) is a type
of connector commonly used for
Ethernet networking.

Power cord is the most important cord because it

connects the computer to the main source
of electricity to make it functional.

1.2 SOFTWARE is the set of instructions (also called a program) that guides the hardware to
operate effectively.

Two main types:

1. System Software – Any software required to support the production or execution of application
programs, but which is not specific to any particular application. Common operating systems
include Windows, the Macintosh OS, OS/2 and UNIX.

MAC LINUX

WINDO
wwWSsingular or multiple related tasks.
2. Application Software – Designed to help the user to perform
Examples of application software are as follows:
a. Word processing software - Creates, edits, saves, and prints documents. Example: MS Word,
WordPerfect, Ami Pro, MacWrite.

b. Spreadsheet software - An electronic spreadsheet consisting of rows and columns is used to

present and analyze data. Example: MS Excel, Lotus 123, Quattro Pro.

c. Database management software - Used to structure a database, a large collection of computer

programs. Data is organized as fields and records for easy retrieval. Example: MS Access, dBase,
Fox Pro, Oracle.

d. Graphic software - Graphics programs display results of data manipulation for easier analysis
and presentation. Example: Macromedia Flash, Harvard Graphics, 3D Studio Max, Adobe
Photoshop
3. People ware - Refers to people involved in the data processing
operations such as the system administrator, office workers, students
and others.

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 Lesson 2
USE OF TOOLS IN PC HARDWARE SERVICING

To complete hardware repairs, it is important to have a toolkit that should contain all of the
necessary tools. As you gain experience, you will learn which tools to have available for different types
of jobs. Hardware tools are grouped into these four categories:

 Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) tools

 Hand tools
 Cleaning tools
 Diagnostic tools

Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) Tools

Static electricity is easily generated by friction on carpets, tile flooring, clothing, hair, fabric, and
etc. The friction of moving air alone will charge suspended particles and cause the buildup of static
electrical charges on people and objects in the environment. Grounded antistatic work mats used with
antistatic wrist straps provide the most basic means for the controlled discharge of electrostatic
electricity.
Examples of ESD Tools:
1. Anti-static wrist strap – Used to prevent ESD damage to computer equipment.

2. Anti-static mat – Used to stand on or place hardware on to

prevent static electricity from building up.

Hand Tools
A hand tool is a device for performing work on a material or a physical system using only hands. Hand
tools can be used manually or electrically powered, using electrical current. Examples of Hand Tools are
as follows:
Hand Tools
Tool Description

Flat Head Screwdriver – Used to loosen or tighten slotted screws.

Philips Head Screwdriver – Used to loosen or tighten cross-head screws.

Torx Screwdriver - Used to loosen or tighten screws that have a star-like

depression on the top, a feature that is mainly found on laptop.

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 Hex Driver – Sometimes called a nut driver, is used to tighten nuts in the
same way that a screwdriver tightens screws.

Needle-Nose Pliers – Used to hold small parts.

Wire Cutter – Used to strip and cut wires.

Tweezers – Used to manipulate small parts.

Part Retriever – Used to retrieve parts from location that is too small for
your hand to fit.

Flashlight – Used to light up areas that you cannot see well.

Cleaning Tools
Having the appropriate cleaning tools is essential when maintaining or repairing computers.
Using these tools ensures that computer components are not damaged during cleaning. Examples:

Tools Description

Lint-free Cloth – Used to clean different computer components without

scratching or leaving debris.

Compressed Air – Used to blow away dust and debris from different
computer parts without touching the components.

Cable Ties – Used to bundle cables neatly inside and outside of a

computer.

Parts Organizer – Used to hold screw, jumpers, fasteners and other small
parts and prevents them from getting mixed together.

Diagnostic Tools
Computers are easier to use and more dependable with each new generation of hardware and
operating system update, but that does not mean they are problem-free. Here are the most popular tools
for diagnosing your computer problems:
Diagnostic tools
Tools Description

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 Multimeter – Used to test the integrity of circuits and the quality of
electricity in computer components.

Loopback Adapter – Used to test the functionality of computer ports.

Proper Use of ESD Tools

Proper se of Antistatic Wrist Strap
1. Connect the cable to the metal chassis of the computer.
2. Wrap the strap around your wrist.
3. The connection will keep your body at the same
voltage (potential) as the computer
4. Attach the wire on the same side of the equipment as the arm
wearing the antistatic wrist strap to keep the wire out of the
way while you are working.

CAUTION: Never wear an antistatic wrist strap if you are repairing a monitor or CRT.

Proper Use of Antistatic Mat

1. Lay the computer on the mat.
2. Connect the computer to the mat with the cable.
3. Connect the mat to a reliable electrical ground with its cable.
4. Now, you and the computer are at ground potential.

Proper Use of Hand Tools

1. Use the proper type and size of screwdriver by matching it to the screw.
2. Do not over tighten screws because the threads may become stripped.
CAUTION: If excessive force is needed to remove or add a component, something
may be wrong.
CAUTION: Magnetized tools should not be used around electronic devices.
CAUTION: Pencils should not be used inside the computer because the pencil lead can act as a
conductor and may damage the computer components.

Proper Use of Cleaning Materials

To clean computers and accessories:
1. Use mild cleaning solution and lint-free cloth to clean computer cases, outside of monitor, LCD
screen, CRT screen and mouse.
2. Use compressed air to clean heat sinks.
3. Use Isopropyl alcohol and lint-free swabs to clean RAM.
4. Use hand-held vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to clean a keyboard.

CAUTION: Before cleaning any device, turn it off and unplug the device from the power source.
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