Question On CompTIA A+

• Unidentified

  5 Aug 07, 23:33

  i start a new topic here so whenever i got a question i will refer to here
  
  Just read about the RAM ROM and EPROM
  
  RAM (random acess memory) got give example on how it work so it quite understandable , no problem
  
  but i dont really get it how a ROM(Read Only Memory) or EPROM(Earaseble Programmable rom ) works
  
  Start with ROM 1st , what does the ''Read Only'' means , is it that it can be only be viewed but unedit-able ? How does ROM works ?
  
  
• BrUtUs

  5 Aug 07, 23:38

  cant explain... but tis reminds me to readup on server+...
• Unidentified

  5 Aug 07, 23:40

  wait for super mayi to the rescue
• Unidentified

  5 Aug 07, 23:52

  and also what is ATX ?
  
  a brand ? or chip or some sort of device ?
• ndmmxiaomayi

  5 Aug 07, 23:57

  To simplify, let's use CD ROM as example. CD ROM data can't be edited after it's been burned to a CD. That's the idea of a ROM. Yes, it means it can only be read, cannot be edited.
  
  EPROM, is slightly different. It is still read-only, however, it can edited, only under certain conditions. That certain condition is: It must be exposed to UV Ray. After exposing it to UV Rays, all data will be gone. To prevent accidental data loss, they are usually covered by some foil.
  
  How ROM works... well... exact details I don't know, I'm not an engineer.
  
  You can check out this article on how ROM works.
  
  A summary of what ROM is
  
  1. It stands for Read Only Memory. Data may be read, but not edited.
  
  2. It's a type of non-volatile memory. That means even if power is removed from it, the data will still be preserved.
  
  3. Even if it can be edited, certain conditions have to be met. In the example of EPROM, it has to be exposed to UV Rays for data to be erased, re-programmed and saved.
• ndmmxiaomayi

  6 Aug 07, 00:04

  Originally posted by Unidentified:

  and also what is ATX ?
  
  a brand ? or chip or some sort of device ?

  ATX is a type of form factor. Form factor is one of the things you need to know to build a PC.
  
  ATX stands for Advanced Technology eXtended.
  
  ATX form factor is the most common type of form factor out there. Chances are, your own PC conforms to ATX form factor.
  
  ATX form factor is pretty easy to recognize. It uses a 20-pin (another 4-pin will plug somewhere else) or 24-pin for power supply, has quite a few expansion cards (PCI, PCI-Express, AGP), a few slots for CD/DVD drive, 2 or 3 slots for 3.5 floppy (though I doubt many use it today).
  
  There are also certain measurements, but off my head, I can't remember. It's around 30.5cm.
• Unidentified

  6 Aug 07, 18:01

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

  ATX is a type of form factor. Form factor is one of the things you need to know to build a PC.
  
  ATX stands for Advanced Technology eXtended.
  
  ATX form factor is the most common type of form factor out there. Chances are, your own PC conforms to ATX form factor.
  
  ATX form factor is pretty easy to recognize. It uses a 20-pin (another 4-pin will plug somewhere else) or 24-pin for power supply, has quite a few expansion cards (PCI, PCI-Express, AGP), a few slots for CD/DVD drive, 2 or 3 slots for 3.5 floppy (though I doubt many use it today).
  
  There are also certain measurements, but off my head, I can't remember. It's around 30.5cm.

  so what the different between different form of ATX , difference in the number of pins ?
• ndmmxiaomayi

  6 Aug 07, 20:32

  Originally posted by Unidentified:

  so what the different between different form of ATX , difference in the number of pins ?

  There's only ONE ATX.
  
  The difference in the number of pins is due to technology. Old motherboards use 24 pins for power supply. I have 2 old motherboards, both are of ATX standards. They all use 24 pins.
  
  Custom built 3 PCs last year, they use a newer standard, 20 pins. Another 4 pins is plugged elsewhere.
  
  There are other form factors though.
  
  Before ATX, there was the AT. There's also MicroATX, BabyAT. These are the smaller versions of ATX and AT respectively. There are also rarer form factors such as NLX.
  
  Here's a not-so-old power supply that uses 24-pin.
  
  http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemdetails/TC3G-5001/TC3G-5001-out2-wg.jpg
  
  This is the 20-pin ATX power supply for newer boards.
  
  http://www.motherboards.org/images/articles/guides/20-pin.jpg
  
  There's a full article here on the 20-pin and 24-pin power supply: http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_4.html
  
  To know more about form factors, visit this website: http://www.formfactors.org/
• Unidentified

  6 Aug 07, 22:05

  thx mayi , im still quite confuse on the bits thing
  
  the book abit long winded , made me even confuse about the bit thing
  
  Do you mind simplify and re-explanin stuff on bits ? and what 32-bit and 64bits thing and what transfer thing
  
  so confuse till i dunno what im typing ......
• ndmmxiaomayi

  6 Aug 07, 22:12

  Bots? I don't know bots in A+.
  
  Bits - just 0s and 1s.
  
  32-bit - refer to the processor or motherboard. You will get to see this more often, as there are now softwares that are specifically for 32-bit.
  
  It also refers to RAM as well... but that is not of much concern. You won't understand anything till you know the bits, bytes, decimal and hexadecimal system well. Add in octal as well.
  
  64-bit - same.
  
  1 bit is either a 0 or a 1.
  
  8 bits make a byte.
• Unidentified

  6 Aug 07, 23:01

  Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

  Bots? I don't know bots in A+.
  
  Bits - just 0s and 1s.
  
  32-bit - refer to the processor or motherboard. You will get to see this more often, as there are now softwares that are specifically for 32-bit.
  
  It also refers to RAM as well... but that is not of much concern. You won't understand anything till you know the bits, bytes, decimal and hexadecimal system well. Add in octal as well.
  
  64-bit - same.
  
  1 bit is either a 0 or a 1.
  
  8 bits make a byte.

  sorry , typo , all bits , there no bots
  
  the other part i leave it 1st , the 1bit is either 0 or 1 thing i really catch no ball
  do you mind explaning it and futher simplify it ,
  
  from watever i know myself fromt the book , i think it says 1 is on 0 is off , so what thing on and what thing off ???? and wat
  address 10 => CPU -2 arrow--> memory
  
  what the heck it talking aboute , care to simplify ? Thx
• ndmmxiaomayi

  7 Aug 07, 11:50

  Originally posted by Unidentified:

  sorry , typo , all bits , there no bots
  
  the other part i leave it 1st , the 1bit is either 0 or 1 thing i really catch no ball
  do you mind explaning it and futher simplify it
  
  from watever i know myself fromt the book , i think it says 1 is on 0 is off , so what thing on and what thing off ????

  Bit is short for binary digit.
  
  Each bit contains either one of these numbers: 0 or 1
  
  Simply speaking, 0 means off, 1 means on.
  
  Think of a switch. You can either turn it on or off. No matter what you do, it's still an on or off issue.
  
  What is on and off, you don't need to know, as it will be engineering stuffs. It's related to the circuitry in the motherboards and control how the hardware works.
  
  The on and off is just an analogy.
  
  

  wat address 10 => CPU -2 arrow--> memory

  ????
• Unidentified

  13 Aug 07, 23:11

  i reading this section : CMOS setting
  
  it say aboute setting the CMOS password stuff , which it alright
  then if lost the password , then either have to switch the jumper to forget the password or if no jumper , another way of removing the CMOS battery and reinsert it back , which will result in loss of hard drive , memory , and other device setting
  
  then in this case of ''loss of data'' , let say got a comp kena virus before , off it and remove the battery , so the data loss , will the virus also be forgoten ?
• ndmmxiaomayi

  13 Aug 07, 23:25

  No, it doesn't happen this way. Because there's no way a virus is able to do that. The "loss of data" is actually some hardware settings.
  
  http://www.dewassoc.com/support/bios/bios_password.htm
  http://home.comcast.net/~soundguy1/cmos.html