Certification Training: A+ Notes Part 1

The 6-step Troubleshooting Process:
1) Identify the problem
2) Establish theory of probably cause
3) Test the theory to determine cause
4) Establish and implement a plan
5) Verify the fix
6) Document everything you do

Bridges
North Bridge: This is located close to the processor. The North Bridge handles communication between RAM, AGP and PCIE slots.

South Bridge: Located further away from the processor than the North Bridge.  The South Bridge handles slower communications such as: PCI, IDE and USB.

Fire classifications
Class A Fire: Orindary combustibles
Class B Fire: Flammable liquids and gasses
Class C Fire: Electrical equipment

Power Supplies
Most are between 120 and 240 volts.
Most are between 200 and 500 watts.
The current form factor standard of a power supply is ATX.

PC Cards
Type    Size      Used for
I           3.3in      Storage
II             5in      NICs, cellular cards
III   10.5mm      HDD

USB / Fireware Transfer rates
USB 1.1        12 Mbps
USB 2.0        480 Mbps
IEEE 1394    400 Mbps
IEEE 1394b    800 Mbps

Memory Pins
SIMM    72
DIMM    168
RIMM    184
SODIMM    144 OR 204

Cable lengths
Serial (RS232)       50 feet
USB                          9 feet
Parallel                   10 or 25 feet
Ethernet                  100-300 meters
ThinNet                   185 meters
ThickNet                  500 meters
Fiber Optic single mode    30 miles
Fiber Optic multi mode    2,000 kilometers