TechNotes A+ Core Hardware

Webmaster

Here is the list of our current TechNotes for the A+ Core Hardware exam:

SCSI TechNote

ATA/IDE/EIDE/SATA TechNote *NEW*

Printers TechNote

CPUs and Sockets TechNote

Display TechNote

BIOS, CMOS and POST TechNote

Modems and Serial Ports TechNote

Portables TechNote *NEW*

Basic Networking TechNote

Please post comments, suggestions, remarks etc. by replying to this topic.

(Our TechNotes will eventually be combined into a complete studyguide, online and in PDF.)

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RamsesK

question about scsi tech notes,

i would like to know why the number of devices and the bus width is the same in all cases, i guess is because all devices or available "conections" need their own wire, isn't it?

and what does SPI-2/3 means, it means i guess improvement but in what aspects and how it affects the SCSI system, this is a topic where all of us need be clearer because this is asked in A+ core and its one of the most complex themes, at leats for me, thanks everyone or your atention

RamsesK

about RAID, i would like to know why this topic is also for NET+ and also i would like to know if this RAIDS levels can be applied using special software and at least one example please.

im sorry i am studyng those study guides you have and i want to have everything completely understood, i think that sometimes we have to study something and we can learn it very well but we can really understand the sense of the system seeing in real life, maybe not directly troubleshoting just looking how it works and that...

something else, when installing a SATA buses have the hard drive to have a special port to allow the conexion? i have built computers with sata support on board but i dont see the connector in the driveso i guess there should be a connector and it would be there only in new devices, also i only can connect one device per cable( desvantage isn't it?)

one more time thank you vey much for your dedication and time to answer my questions, sometimes a little intensives and boring but need it for me and my own feeling of how i have to know about something

RamsesK

questions again

after read printer's topic i have this dudes

what is Postscript, i mean how it works with the printer and the computer?

and how really looks a server pirnter? is it a special thing or just a printer attached to one computer and shared for everyone?

thanks again, im studying hard

Webmaster

No need to apologize for asking questions, that's what we are here for

about RAID, i would like to know why this topic is also for NET+ and also i would like to know if this RAIDS levels can be applied using special software and at least one example please.

It is also part of Server+, I guess you have to ask CompTIA why

For network+ you need to know that it is 'fault tolerance'. As you can see at the bottom of our Fault Tolerance and Disaster Recovery TechNotes ( www.techexams.net/technotes/networkplus/fault_disast.shtml ) it relates to the Network+ exam objective:
3.5 Identify the purpose and characteristics of fault tolerance

For the A+ exam, and Server+ exam however, you need to know the difference between the different types of RAID as well. As you can read at the bottom of our A+ ATA/IDE/EIDE/SATA TechNotes:

Current related exam objectives for the A+ 2003 exam:

DOMAIN 1. Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading

1.6 Identify proper procedures for installing and configuring common IDE devices. Choose the appropriate installation or configuration sequences in given scenarios. Recognize the associated cables.
Content may include the following:
- IDE Interface Types
-- EIDE
-- ATA/ATAPI
-- Serial ATA
-- PIO
- RAID (0, 1 and 5)
- Master/Slave/cable select
- Devices per channel
- Primary/Secondary
- Cable orientation/requirements

RAID5 is often implemented in hardware using special hard disk controllers, also known as array controller. But a typical example of 'software' RAID5 is the stripe set with parity in WindowsNT/2000/2003.

something else, when installing a SATA buses have the hard drive to have a special port to allow the conexion? i have built computers with sata support on board but i dont see the connector in the driveso i guess there should be a connector and it would be there only in new devices

yes. And the SATA drives available in stores today are not real (native) SATA drives, although they have a serial ATA connector, there is still a bridge (chip) that convert the parallel data to serial. That is why maximum transfer speed it 'only 150MBps and not 1.5Gbps

also i only can connect one device per cable( disvantage isn't it?)

Yes, but they are working on that in the SATA-II extension to SATA 1.0a (www.serialata.org)

question about scsi tech notes,

i would like to know why the number of devices and the bus width is the same in all cases, i guess is because all devices or available "conections" need their own wire, isn't it?

No, the wires are used in parallel. The bus width does not dictate the number of devices. The bus/controller can tell which device is tranferring data because it includes the SCSI ID.

I have an update planned for the SCSI TechNotes later this month, and will include more details to make it complete for the new 2003 exam objectives.

Webmaster

I had a TechNote lying around covering some of the objectives related to 'portables' which has been written for TechExams.net by Tracey Rosenblath last summer. It isn't entirely complete, and due to circumstances won't be completed by her either, but figured I should put it online anyway. I will see if I need to add things when I combine all the A+ Core TechNotes in one PDF file.

www.techexams.net/technotes/apluscore/portables.shtml

Webmaster

The writer of the Display TechNotes, also wrote 10 review questions related to the same topic:

Display Review quiz

evangelistoluwatobi

I have been going through these CompTIA A+ Core TechNotes: the sub-category of Sockets and CPU's. In fact so far as I have been on the net there has been no site as comphrehensive as these technotes. Can someone tell me why some people are claiming that there are higher processors like Pentium 5-8 in production? Is this true? Or is it a farce?
I'd be glad to hear from anyone!

james3302

I have a questions regarding your tech notes about SCSI's.
You wrote that lowest SCSI ID is 0 used for boot drives(disks). For a SCSI Narrow that works out fine 7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0. But with SCSI wide you state that the priority goes like this: 7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8. Therefore 0 is not the lowest priority but 8 would be. So would 8 then be the lowest priority with SCSI wide?

x_Danny_x

in the Printer Technotes on the section called "PRINTER CONNECTIONS"

you mention both EPP and ECP. I thought that EPP were non-printer paralle port connections, meaning that peripherals that use a parallel port to connect but are not printers, use EPP.

kelvino

hi to all
, this is my first time entering into this website!I must say it is wonderful!im currently studying for 2003 a+ exams.Wondering if anyone has gone through the exams can provide me tips epecially on core hardware....eg ....what are the most questions comptia will expect from candidates like modem,scsi,motherboard, and so on?

janmike

Expect anything covered by any good exam guide. Check out the exam objectives at CompTIA. Also, be sure to check out all of the TechNotes and exam aids on Techexams.

There could be some basic SCSI on this exam, but most advanced SCSI is covered in Server+.

Best of luck

Paddington

Hi i am new to this site. And allready like it alot

Should you maybe update the CPU socket types?
Since it is a few new ones now like 754,775,939 and 940
and what about cache on the different cpu`s ?

serena

Thanks so much........I have printed these out and as i am going through them i find them very helpful, i will be taking this exam probably next week or the week after, as soon as i feel confident i will be writing them.

thanks again for all the info!........

Webmaster wrote:

Here is the list of our current TechNotes for the A+ Core Hardware exam:

SCSI TechNote

ATA/IDE/EIDE/SATA TechNote *NEW*

Printers TechNote

CPUs and Sockets TechNote

Display TechNote

BIOS, CMOS and POST TechNote

Modems and Serial Ports TechNote

Portables TechNote *NEW*

Basic Networking TechNote

Please post comments, suggestions, remarks etc. by replying to this topic.

(Our TechNotes will eventually be combined into a complete studyguide, online and in PDF.)

Webmaster

Thank you

Download the exam objectives from www.comptia.org to make sure you got all the topics covered (there's more to it than the info in my TechNotes).

Good luck with your exam!

paige1

Webmaster,...you are da man!!!

zenboy

Thank you for providing this extremely detailed study guides. I've used it hundreds of times to aid my study without going deep into the textbook to get the answers. Keep up the good work!!

my_id_0308

Keep up the good work Webmaster.The technote is awesome!!!It really help me alot!!

Warrant

2 Webmaster,
Thank u for your usefull notes

Webmaster

Thanks guys

I'll see if I can make some time to write some new A+ TechNotes soon, since it's been a while...

Coasttech

- CDROM, used fot atapi CD-ROM drives
- ARMD, used fo atapi ZIP and LS 120 drives.

What is "fot" & "fo"

and "technologie" not "technology" ?

Thanks

in BIOS section

Kefer

More praise to Webmaster on these technotes

I've been reading a 1200 page book and have felt so overwhelmed as to how to consolidate the main info & what to put in my flash cards.

Very nice work. This site is amazing & I will recommend it to all of my computer geek friends :P

cullbot

Coasttech wrote:

- CDROM, used fot atapi CD-ROM drives
- ARMD, used fo atapi ZIP and LS 120 drives.

What is "fot" & "fo"

and "technologie" not "technology" ?

Thanks

in BIOS section

Are you trying to be funny?

They're just typos.

Webmaster

^^^
Thanks

'Technologie' is actually the Dutch (as well as many other languages) version of technology. So before I started writing in English, I had written the word 'technologie' thousands of times. It's not like I tried to turn the plural form in singular

It's been 4 years since I wrote those notes though, I'd probably even write 'Technologie' with an 'y' now...

Anyway, I'll update it nevertheless because it is indeed a spelling error that shouldn't be in it.

matradley

You know how the author of the TechNote on CPUs and sockets - http://www.techexams.net/technotes/cpu_sockets.shtml - mentioned that you do not have to memorize the pins of the CPUs? I was asked, on the Core Hardware exam, how many pins there were in an xxx processor - xxx pins.

Rodwen

I joined today and just wanted to thank you for these notes!!!

I really need to get my A+ cert for work, and I'm determined to take the exam this year... hopefully this quarter.

I've gone through a book and a few online practice tests, but I need to reall understand a few things before I pay for the exam. So thank you, thank you for these articles. They've refreshed my memory, and I believe I have a better comprehension on a few things.

Tyro

hicks512n04

I find a very useful saying for the laser print process (learned from my teacher) and hoped it could help someone.

California (Cleaning)

Cows (Charging)

Will (Writing)

Do (Developing)

The (Transferring)

Fandango (Fusing)

California Cows Will Do The Fandango.

Lol...always made me remember, and helped emmensly on the test.

blackegg

I wanted to say thanks for ALL of the info posted on this site. It's a great resource and I'm learning a ton. Thanks again to you all!!

Halcyon Hell

Im doing 220-601 on Friday. How will the technotes help me if they are still listed as A+ CORE??

SHAKA25P

once in the tech notes, i try to print the notes using the link: members only: printer friendly version. and no dice. it comes up 404 forbidden.

any help?

Plantwiz

SHAKA25P wrote: »

once in the tech notes, i try to print the notes using the link: members only: printer friendly version. and no dice. it comes up 404 forbidden.

any help?

It is not working at the moment. Sorry.

I'll mention it to Webmaster, though you should easily be able to review the material online for the time being. Helps you to memorize that way