Firmware Flashcards

1
Q

In older chipsets, a chip that connects a CPU to memory, the PCI bus, Level 2 Cache, and high-speed graphics card

A

Northbridge

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2
Q

In older chipsets, a chip that handled all the inputs and outputs to the many devices in the PC

A

Southbridge

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3
Q

Intel’s name for the chip that collects functions once performed by multiple chips known as the chipset

A

Platform Controller Hub (PCH)

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4
Q

Unique code corresponding to each key on the keyboard, sent from the keyboard controller to the CPU

A

Scan Code

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5
Q

Firmware that directly controls a particular piece of hardware. This firmware handles startup operations and low-level control of hardware such as disk drives, the keyboard, and monitor

A

Basic Input/Output Services (BIOS)

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6
Q

A chip that stores programs, services, exactly like RAM. Non-volatile, stored info is not erased on shutdown, and anything stored is read-only

A

Read-Only Memory (ROM) Chip

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7
Q

ROM tech that can be electronically reprogrammed while still in the PC. Most common storage medium of BIOS in computers today as it can be upgraded without a need to open the computer on most systems

A

Flash ROM

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8
Q

A chip on every motherboard that enables the CPU to talk to the basic hardware of the PC

A

System ROM Chip

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9
Q

Embedded programs or code stored on a ROM chip. Generally, OS-independent, thus allowing devices to operate in a wide variety of circumstances without direct OS support

A

Firmware

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10
Q

Modern 32-, or 64-bit firmware programming interface. Replaced the original 16-bit BIOS, it supports large capacity storage devices, additional features, and a more direct booting process

A

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

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11
Q

A tiny bit RAM hooked up to a small battery that enabled it to hold system settings for the BIOS firmware even with the computer off. Now, incorporated into the chipset

A

Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Chip

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12
Q

Often informally used to refer to the CMOS setup program or system setup utility

A

CMOS

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13
Q

A powerful type of program that enables you to run a second (or third or fourth), software-based machine inside your physical PC. It recreates the motherboard, hard drives, RAM, network adapters, and more, and is just as powerful as a real PC

A

Virtual Machine

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14
Q

Technology that helps the virtual machines use your hardware more efficiently as is controlled by the BIOS (Intel Virtualization Technology/Intel VT and AMD Virtualization/AMD-V)

A

Hardware-Assisted Virtualization

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15
Q

A feature offered in some chassis that trips a switch when the chassis is opened

A

Chassis Intrusion Detection/Notification

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16
Q

A hardware platform for the acceleration of cryptographic functions and the secure storage of associated information

A

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

17
Q

Alternative way of telling the system how to talk to a piece of hardware. It stores BIOS for the card in a chip on the card itself

A

Option ROM

18
Q

A file stored on the PC’s hard drive that contains all of the commands necessary to talk to whatever device it was written to support

A

Device Driver

19
Q

Basic diagnostic routine completed by a system at the beginning of the boot process to make sure a display adapter and the system’s memory are installed; it then searches for an OS. If it finds one, it hands over control of the machine to the OS

A

Power-On Self Test (POST)

20
Q

Series of audible tones produced by a motherboard during the POST. These tones identify whether the POST has completed successfully or whether some piece of system hardware is not working properly

A

Beep Codes

21
Q

Device installed into a motherboard expansion slot that assists in troubleshooting boot programs by providing a two-digit code indicating the stop of the boot process where the problem is occurring

A

POST Card

22
Q

Segments of code in a system’s BIOS that scans for an OS, looks specifically for a valid boot sector, and, when one is found, hands control over to the boot sector; then it removes itself from memory

A

Bootstrap Loader

23
Q

First sector on a storage drive. The boot-up software in ROM tells the computer to load whatever program is found there. If a system disk is read, the program in the boot record directs the computer to the root directory to load the OS

A

Boot Sector

24
Q

Enables you to boot a PC without any local storage by retrieving an OS from a server over a network

A

Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)