Task 3. Study these steps to take before you phone for technical support.

 Rewrite each one using the clue given.

1. Reboot your PC to see if the problem recurs, (should).

2. Use your PC’s on-board diagnostic and repair tools, (recommend).

3. Record the details of the problem so you can describe it accurately, (good idea).

4. Note your system’s model name and serial number, (advise).

5. Keep a record of hardware and software you’ve installed along with any changes you’ve made to settings, (strongly recommend).

6. If you think hardware may be at fault, figure out how to open the case, (should).

7. Visit the vendor’s website and check the FAQs. (best thing).

8. Avoid phoning in peak times, (never).

9. Have your system up and running and be near it when you call, (good idea).

10. When you reach a technician, tell him or her if you may have caused the problem, (advise).

Task  4. Diagnose these faults and provide advice on each problem.

1. My laser printer produces very faint copies.

2. When I print, three or four sheets come through the printer at the same time.

3. My spreadsheet does not seem to add up correctly.

4. Everything I type appears in capitals.

5. My PC is switched on but the monitor screen is blank.

6. I tried to print a document but nothing came out of the printer.

7. My monitor picture is too narrow.

8. My monitor screen flickers.

9. My mouse responds erratically.

10. The time display on my computer is one hour slow.

11. When I print out a page, the first two lines are missing.

12. My computer sometimes stops and reboots itself. The lights dim at the same time.

LESSON 30

Static Memory Devices: Organization and

Characteristics

Task 1. Read and translate the text:

Задание 1. Прочитайте и переведите текст

One can divide memories into two major types: static memories and dynamic memories. Static memories are those that retain the information, without the need to refresh that information at frequent time intervals. Static memories are simpler than dynamic memories in their operating characteristics. As long as DC power is applied to the device, a static memory will retain all of the information stored in it. No other input signals are required. However, when the power is turned off, this information is lost. These memories are called volatilememories. Other memories that retain their information after the power is turned off are called non-volatile. Static memories in spite of their higher cost per bit of storage are favored for small memory systems because they call for a minimum of external support circuitry. At a further premium in cost the power consumption of static memories can be reduced to such a negligible value that small batteries will power them for days or weeks. Such memories exploit the "complementary" MOS (CMOS) technology: they are found in some pocket calculators that hold their data or their program even when the power switch is in the "off position.

Task  2. Answer the following questions:

Задание 2. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What is the term memory is usually reserved for?

2. What types of a microcomputer memory can you name?

Task  3. Read the text and draw a classification scheme of different memory types.

Task  4. State the most important characteristics for memories.

Electronics

Electronic engineering deals with the research, design, integration, and application of circuits1 and devices used in the transmission and processing of information. Information is now generated, transmitted, received, and stored electronically on a scale2 unprecedented in history, and there is every indication that the explosive3 rate of growth in this field will continue unabated4. Electronic engineers design circuits to perform specific tasks, such as amplifying electronic signals, adding binary numbers, and demodulating radio signals to recover the information they carry. Circuits are also used to generate waveforms useful for synchronization and timing, as in television, and for correcting errors in digital information, as in telecommunications. Prior to5 the 1960s, circuits consisted of separate electronic devices—resistors, capacitors6, inductors, and vacuum tubes— assembled7 on a chassis8 and connected by wires to form a bulky package9. Since then, there has been a revolutionary trend toward integrating electronic devices on a single tiny chip of silicon or some other semiconductive material. The complex task of manufacturing these chips uses the most advanced technology; including computers, electron-beam lithography, micro-manipulators, ion-beam implantation, and ultra clean environments. Much of the research in electronics is directed toward creating even smaller chips, faster switching of components, and three-dimensional integrated circuits.

Task  5. Answer the following questions:

Задание 5. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What does electronics engineering deal with?

2. What are the modern trends in electronics research?

Communications and Control

Engineers in this field are concerned with all aspects of electrical communications, from fundamental questions such as "What is information?" to the highly practical, such as design of telephone systems. In designing communication systems, engineers rely heavily on various branches of advanced mathematics, such as Fourier analysis, linear systems theory, linear algebra, complex variables, differential equations1, and probability2 theory. Control systems are used extensively in aircraft and ships, in military fire-control systems, in power transmission and distribution3, in automated manufacturing, and in robotics. Engineers have been working to bring about two revolutionary changes in the field of communications and control. Digital systems are replacing analog ones at the same time that fiber optics is superseding4 copper cables5. Digital systems offer far greater immunity6 to electrical noise. Fiber optics is likewise7 immune to interference8; they also have tremendous carrying capacity, and are extremely light and inexpensive to manufacture.

Task  6. Answer the following questions:

Задание 6. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What do you know about control systems?

2. In what spheres are control systems used?

3. Can you characterize digital systems advantages in the sphere of modern technologies application?