Course Schedule

Version 1.0 - 26 May 1998

Also available at http://asgard.kent.edu/hrdc/smallsys.htm

 

Date

Topic

Lecture

Reading

Lab

Assignments Due

May 26 Course Introduction Lecture: "Introduction to PC Physical Architecture"

None

Set up the room.

Figure out which computers work OK.

None

May 27 PC Architecture Lecture: "Introduction to System Startup, POST, and the Bootup Process" Chapters 1, 2 Chapter 1: Projects 1, 2, 4.

Microsoft Diagnostics Exercise

 

 

None

May 28 Principles of Operation Lecture: "PC Hardware and Software Internals"

 

Appendix A, D

Chapter 10 (Not a typo....)

Chapter 2: Projects 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

Review Questions (handwritten) for Chapters 1, 2. 

May 29 More Principles of Operation Lecture: "TSRs"

Hand out Take-Home Test 1

Chapter 3

 

Finish up the above.

Dismantle all working PCs. (See text Pages 132-134 and 374.)

Chapter 3: Projects 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

None

June 1 Floppy Drives

Pointing Devices

Lecture: "Floppy Disk Hardware"

Lecture: "Mice and Other Pointing Devices" (reference only)

Chapter 4 Reassemble all working PCs.

Chapter 3: Projects 8-13.

Review Questions Chapter 3.

Take-Home Test 1 due.

June 2 Video System Lecture: "Video Devices, Modes, Standards, and Accelerator Cards"   Chapter 4: Projects 1-6.

Review Questions Chapter 4.

June 3 Hard Disks Lecture: "Advanced Hard Disk Concepts and Techniques"

Hand out Take-Home Test 2.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Projects 1, 2.

"Practicing DOS" 1-10.

None

June 4 Hard Disks (cont.) Lecture: "Advanced Hard Disk..." (cont.)

Lecture: "Advanced System Control Using Configuration Files" (reference only)

Lecture: "Backup Concepts and Practices"

Chapter 6 Chapter 6: Projects 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Review Questions Chapter 5.

June 5 Troubleshooting Lecture: "Virus Protection and Removal" Chapter 7

Appendix E

Do the "Bugging Assignment."

"Troubleshooting a Boot Problem", Page 380.

Review Questions Chapter 6.

Take-Home Test 2 due.

June 8 Peripheral Devices Lecture: "Device Drivers"

Lecture: "Parallel and Serial I/O Ports and Protocols"

Hand out Take-Home Test 3.

Chapter 8 "Search the Internet for a Video Driver" (All steps.)

 

 
June 9 More Peripheral Devices Lecture: " Principles of CD ROM Operation" (reference only)

Lecture: "Principles of Printer Hardware and Software"

Lecture: "MODEM Installation and Principles of Operation"

  Do the "Debug Assignment." Review Questions Chapter 8.

 

June 10 Memory Lecture: "Advanced PC Memory Management"

Hand out Take-Home final.

Chapter 9 Experiment with the MEM and MSD commands to explore your memory configuration. Take-Home Test 3 due.
June 11 Windows 95 Lecture: "Windows 95 Startup Sequence" (review)

Lecture: "Windows 95 Memory Configuration and Management"

Chapter 11 Document PCs and clean up the lab. Review Questions Chapter 9.

 

 

June 12 More Windows 95 Lecture: "Device Management Under Windows 95" (reference only)

Lecture: "A Look Inside the Windows 95 Registry"

Lecture: "Customization and Configuration of Windows 95"

Optional additional reading (WWW) about the Registry

 

Review Questions Chapter 11.

Take-Home final due.