Chapter 7: Computer Operation

Question 1

The BIOS is a complex piece of firmware

Answer 1

Software on a chip that provides support for the following devices and features of your system.

Question 2

BIOS

Answer 2

features include the selection and configuration of storage devices connected to the motherboard’s host adapters, such as hard drives, floppy drives, and CD-ROM drives.

Question 3

BIOS

Answer 3

Configuration of main and cache memory

Question 4

BIOS

Answer 4

Configuration of built-in ports, such as PATA and SATA hard disk, floppy disk, serial, parallel, PS/2 mouse, USB, and IEEE-1394 ports

Question 5

BIOS

Answer 5

Configuration of integrated audio, network, and graphics features when present, also selection and configuration of special motherboard features, such as memory error correction, antivirus protection, and fast memory access.

Question 6

BIOS

Answer 6

Power management, and hardware monitoring such as processor temp, voltage levels, and fan performance.

Question 7

BIOS

Answer 7

Runs the power-on self test (POST), and establishes a list of locations that can be used by an operating system to boot the computer.

Question 8

ROM Chips

Answer 8

Originally the BIOS was stored on Read-Only Memory chips

Question 9

ROM

Answer 9

Contains its memory even when the computer is shut off

Question 10

ROM

Answer 10

Can be read from, but not written, RAM can be read and written at the same time Random Access Memory

Question 11

PROM

Answer 11

Programmable ROM chip which enabled the user to modify the BIOS settings

Question 12

Todays BIOS resides on the

Answer 12

EEPROM which stands for electrically erasable programmable ROM and means that we cannot only modify settings, but also fully update the BIOS by erasing it and rewriting it in a process known as flashing.

Question 13

CMOS Memory

Answer 13

Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits. CMOS technology is also used for several analog circuits such as image sensors (CMOS sensor), data converters, and highly integrated transceivers for many types of communication.

Question 14

CMOS

Answer 14

Two important characteristics of CMOS devices are high noise immunity and low static power consumption. Since one transistor of the pair is always off, the series combination draws significant power only momentarily during switching between on and off states. Consequently, CMOS devices do not produce as much waste heat as other forms of logic,