Technical Support Fundamentals Flashcards
What is Abstraction?
The concept of taking a complex system and simplifying it for use
What does the Address Bus do?
Allows the CPU to send the MCC the location of the data it wants from RAM so the MCC can collect the data and send it to the CPU via the EDB
What part of a computer does the CPU use to access programs?
RAM
(Programs are copied to the RAM from the SSD so the CPU can access the information more quickly)
What is the MCC?
Memory Controller Chip
(A bridge between the CPU and RAM that follows the CPUs instructions to locate and retrieve data in the RAM)
What are the next 4 terms for data sizes after ‘Byte’?
Kilobyte
Megabyte
Gigabyte
Terabyte
What does DDR SDRAM stand for?
Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
What is the function of a computer’s power supply?
To convert the Alternating Current (AC) we get from our outlet to low voltage Direct Current (DC) that we can use and transmit throughout our computer
What is Encryption?
A means of securing data by mathematically encoding it so that it can only be read/decrypted by those with the correct key/cipher
What are the two main parts of an Operating System?
Kernal Space (process manager, memory manager, file manager, I/O manager)
and
User Space (applications and GUI)
What is SSH?
Secure Shell
(A protocol implemented by other programs to securely access one computer from another)
Define Protocol
A defined set of standards that computers must follow in order to communicate properly
What is the most common form factor for motherboards?
ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)
If you didn’t use an ATX motherboard, you could use a motherboard with an _____ form factor
ITX (Information Technology Extended)
(Much smaller than ATX, commonly used in NUCs)
When using binary, what does a transistor do?
Either emits an electrical signal to denote a 1, or a lack of electrical signal to denote a 0
How many bits make up a byte?
8
What is an EDB?
External Data Bus
(A row of wires that interconnect the parts of our computer. Voltages travel along these wires turning the state to on representing a 1 in binary, or off representing a 0 in binary)
What is a Time Slice?
A very short interval of time (think milliseconds) that is allocated by the kernal for the CPU to execute a process
What does BIOS stand for?
Basic Input Output Services
(Software that helps initialize our hardware and gets the OS up and running. Stored on the motherboard in a ROM)
What is a ROM?
Road Only Memory Chip
(A chip built into the motherboard that houses the BIOS)
What four sizes can the EDB come in?
-8 Bit (8 wires)
-16 Bit (16 wires)
-32 Bit (32 wires)
-64 Bit (64 wires)
What is a Cache?
Cache is temporarily stored data in the CPU for fast access. It holds frequently used data by the CPU for a small amount of time.
How many cache levels are there in a CPU?
3
(L1, L2, and L3. The main difference between L1 L2 and L3 cache is that L1 cache is the smallest and fastest cache memory and L3 cache is the slowest cache memory while L2 cache is slower than L1 cache but faster than L3 cache.)
What are the two major types of CPU sockets?
-Land Grid Array (LGA)
Pins stick out of the motherboard and the CPU has contact points (Commonly AMD chips)
-Pin Grid Array (PGA)
Pins are located on the CPU chip and the motherboard has contact points (Commonly Intel chips)
When a 1 or 0 is sent to DRAM, it stores each bit in a microscopic ___________.
Capacitor
(The 1’s and 0’s are represented by a charge or discharge on each tiny semiconductor and is how the RAM stores data)
What is DRAM?
Dynamic Random Access Memory
(The chips on your stick of RAM that are responsible for storage via capacitors)
What is SDRAM?
Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
(This type of RAM is synchronized to our system’s clock speed allowing for quicker processing of data)
What is a SSL?
Secure Socket Layer
(A security protocol developed for sending information securely over the internet via encryption)
What is a Shell?
A program that interprets text commands and sends them to the OS to execute
In Linux, what does the ‘SUDO’ command mean?
Super User Do
What is a SoC?
System on a Chip
(Packs the CPU, RAM, and sometimes storage onto a single chip)