A+ Certification - Core Hardware Training Class

Lesson 1: Introduction to Microcomputers

A Brief History of Computers
Number Systems
Microcomputer System Components and Their Functions
Software and Firmware
Tools of the Trade

Lesson 2: Safety

Basics of Electricity and Electronics
General Safety Guidelines
Fire Safety
Computer Equipment Disposal

Lesson 3: System Components

Power Supplies
ROM BIOS
Central Processing Units
System Boards
Memory

Lesson 4: Bus Architectures

What is a Bus?
The 8-bit bus
The ISA Bus
The EISA Bus
Micro Channel Architecture Bus
The PCI Bus
Plug and Play
Video Circuitry Buses

Lesson 5: Ports, Connectors, and Cables

Overview of Input/Output Ports
PS/2 Ports
Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Universal Serial Bus Ports
FireWire Ports

Lesson 6: Expansion Boards

Drive Controllers
Video Cards
Sound Cards
Modem Cards

Lesson 7: Storage Systems

Fixed Disk Drives
Removable Media Disk Drives
Backup Systems

Lesson 8: Peripheral Devices

Primary Input Devices
Primary Output Devices
Other Input/Output Devices

Lesson 9: Portable Computing

Components of Portable Systems
PC Cards
Power Management

Lesson 10: Networking

Network Concepts
Introduction to the OSI Model
Network Connectivity