Anna University Coimbatore 2010 B.E Computer Science and Engineering PC hardware and troubleshooting - Question Paper

ANNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, COIMBATORE
B.E.,/B.TECH. DEGREE EXAMINATIONS: NOV/DEC 2010
REGULATIONS: 2008
FIFTH SEMESTER -CSE
080230018 PC HARDWARE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

PART-A
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS
1. Define an instruction cycle.
2. Specify the two types of controllers and give a description of the same.
3. List the available control signals.
4. Cache memory is used to minimize the idle time of the CPU - Justify.
5. Sketch the diagram of a mechanical key switch and label its parts.
6. Distinguish between impact and non-impact printers.
7. How is a trackball different from a mouse?
8. Mention the use of a joystick and annotate its working.
9. What is BIOS? What does it do on startup of a system?
10. When is a 'reset' control classified as hardware and software?
11. How does the interrupt logic handle an interrupt?
12. Indicate the purpose of 'retry logic' in a Hard Disk Controller.
13. The reliability of computer hardware is improved using a standard pre-shipment burn-in testing.
What is the procedure followed in such a testing?
14. On a motherboard, how can the heat generated by a CPU be reduced?
15. Mention the two typematic controls and their purpose in the advanced BIOS features setup.
16. Compare boot virus and file virus.
17. List any four symptoms that indicate a fault in a computer system.
18. Define a firmware.
19. When can you say that a system is dead? Suggest a few symptoms of a dead system.
20. By systematic troubleshooting, hardware problem can be easily identified and rectified. 
Indicate the steps involved in it.

PART-B
ANSWER ANY FIVE QUESTIONS

21a). Give the block diagram of an ALU and explain the various sections of it.(6)
b). When does a data error occur? Give a detailed account of the popular error detection 
techniques.(6) 

22a). Explain the working principle of a CRT display monitor with a neat diagram.(6)
b). State the advantage of a scanner input device. Describe the four common types of scanners.(6)

23a). The system box is the main body of a PC. Enumerate the main unit that can be identified 
within a system box and give a brief note on each.(6)
b). Discuss the operation of a Floppy Disk Controller with a neat sketch.(6)

24a). Describe the aspects to be considered in a pre-installation plan of a PC.(4)
b). Outline the steps involved in the assembling sequence of a PC and explain the same.(8)

25a). Tabulate the common problem sources, their effects and the corresponding preventive 
maintenance actions to be taken.(6)
b). Brief out the options available in DOS for data recovery.(6)

26a). Discuss in detail the types of troubleshooting tools.(4)
b). Explore the problem associated with a hard disk drive.(8)

27a). Write short notes on modem and fax modem.(4)
b). Write short notes on the anatomy of DOS.(8)

28a). Highlight the importance of Instruction Prefetch with a neat diagram.(6)
b). What does a POST message convey? Discuss the five different modes used by POST.(6)