Lesson Plan
Course Title: Computer Maintenance
Session Title: Bus Structures
Lesson Duration: 90 minutes
Performance Objective:
Upon completion of this assignment, the student will be able to understand the bus structures
inside the computer, how they perform, and what the future holds in computer bus structures.
Specific Objectives:
 Define bus structures.
 Identify the ISA bus.
 Interpret the bus schematic for a computer.
 Identify the PCI bus.
 Differentiate between the different bus structures.
 Learn what the future holds for bus structures.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes/alterations to the
activities may result in the elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
▪ 130.273(c)(1)
The student demonstrates the necessary skills for career development, employability, and
successful completion of course outcomes. The student is expected to:
(B) identify and demonstrate positive personal qualities such as flexibility, open-mindedness,
initiative, listening attentively to speakers, and willingness to learn new knowledge and skills;
(C) employ effective reading and writing skills;
(D) employ effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills;
▪ 130.273(c)(3)
The student applies academic skills to the requirements of computer technologies. The student
is expected to:
(D) interpret appropriate documentation such as schematics, drawings, charts, diagrams,
technical manuals, and bulletins.
▪ 130.273(c)(4)
The student acquires an understanding of computer technologies. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the fundamentals of microprocessor theory;
(B) define the use of Boolean logic in computer technologies;
(F) explain the relationships relative to data-communications theory;
(G) describe the architecture of various computer systems;
(H) describe the function of computer components such as central processing units, storage
devices, and peripheral devices; and
(I) explain computer system environmental requirements and related control devices.
IT: Computer Maintenance: Bus Structures Plan
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▪ 130.273(c)(5)
The student knows the proper function and application of the tools, equipment, and materials
used in computer technologies. The student is expected to:
(B) employ available reference documentation such as tools, materials, and Internet sources to
access information as needed;
(D) identify new and emerging technologies that may affect the field of computer technology
such as quantum computing, photo tonics, and nanotechnology.
Instructor/Trainer
References:
www.howstuffworks.com
Instructional Aids:
1. Bus Structures PowerPoint Presentation
2. Bus Structures Organizer
3. Bus Structures Notes Pages
4. Bus Structures Exam
5. Bus Structures Exam Key
Materials Needed:
Copies of Bus Structures Organizer and Exam
Equipment Needed:
Projection system to display the PowerPoint presentation
Learner
Students should read the appropriate curriculum material for bus structures, depending on the
text/curriculum being used for this course. This lesson can be taught with only the PowerPoint
presentation, and the equipment outlined above.
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
SAY: A bus is a channel or path between the components in a computer.
SAY: There are different types of buses in the computer, and they perform tasks
such as allowing communication between components, and communication
between the processor and the memory.
Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
Instructor Notes:
I. Students define Bus Structures (PPT slides 13)
II. Students identify the ISA bus (PPT slides 4-5)
III. Students interpret the bus schematic in a
Note: Instructors can use
the PowerPoint slides,
handouts, and note pages in
conjunction with the following
outline. Use a computer and
a projector to display the
IT: Computer Maintenance: Bus Structures Plan
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computer (PPT slide 6)
IV. Students identify the PCI bus (PPT slides 7-8)
V. Students differentiate between the different bus
structures (PPT slides 9-11)
PowerPoint presentation, and
discuss the content of each
slide with the students. Hand
(1) Bus Structures Organizer
out to each student to aid
them in note-taking during
the presentation.
VI. Students learn what the future holds for bus
structures (PPT slides 12-15)
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
The teacher demonstrates how to conduct a Boolean search for the term “bus
structures.”
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Students conduct Boolean term searches and read the information obtained from the
search to add to their understanding of bus structures.
Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Checking for understanding (Q&A Session)
Q: What is a computer bus?
A: The channel or path between the components in a computer.
Q: Most computers sold today still have which type of bus?
A: ISA bus.
Q: Which type of bus connects the microprocessor and the system memory?
A: The system bus.
Q: Which bus connects additional components to the computer?
A: The shared bus.
Q: Will buses be around in the future?
A: No, new technology like the HyperTransport and 3GIO will replace buses.
Have students present one new, unique fact/piece of information to the group about
bus structures that they learned from their internet searches. Record the information
on a white board or flip chart. Include information as appropriate on a modified
version of the exam.
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
IT: Computer Maintenance: Bus Structures Plan
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Monitor student progress during the internet research and provide independent reteach/redirection as needed.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Use the Bus Structures Exam and Exam Key.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):
Students that have mastered the internet search activity can peer-tutor students
(one-on-one).
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Icon
MI
Verbal/
Linguistic
Logical/
Mathematical
Visual/Spatial
Musical/
Rhythmic
Bodily/
Kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalist
Existentialist
Teaching Strategies
Personal Development
Strategies
Lecture, discussion, journal
writing, cooperative learning,
word origins
Reading, highlighting, outlining,
teaching others, reciting information
Problem-solving, number
games, critical thinking,
classifying and organizing,
Socratic questioning
Mind-mapping, reflective
time, graphic organizers,
color-coding systems,
drawings, designs, video,
DVD, charts, maps
Use music, compose songs
or raps, use musical
language or metaphors
Organizing material logically, explaining
things sequentially, finding patterns,
developing systems, outlining, charting,
graphing, analyzing information
Developing graphic organizers, mindmapping, charting, graphing, organizing
with color, mental imagery (drawing in
the mind’s eye)
Use manipulatives, hand
signals, pantomime, real life
situations, puzzles and board
games, activities, roleplaying, action problems
Reflective teaching,
interviews, reflective listening,
KWL charts
Cooperative learning, roleplaying, group brainstorming,
cross-cultural interactions
Natural objects as
manipulatives and as a
background for learning
Socratic questions, real-life
situations, global
problems/questions
Creating rhythms out of words, creating
rhythms with instruments, playing an
instrument, putting words to existing
songs
Moving while learning, pacing while
reciting, acting out scripts of material,
designing games, moving fingers under
words while reading
Reflecting on the personal meaning of
information, studying in quiet settings,
imagining experiments, visualizing
information, journaling
Studying in a group, discussing
information, using flash cards with
others, teaching others
Connecting with nature, forming study
groups with like-minded people
Considering the personal relationship to
the larger context
IT: Computer Maintenance: Bus Structures Plan
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Bus Structures Organizer
Objectives
 Define bus structures
 Identify the ISA bus
 Interpret the bus schematic in a computer
 Identify the PCI bus
 Differentiate between the different bus structures
• Learn what the future holds for bus structures
I. Bus Structures
A. All of the components of a computer need to _________________________
with each other.
B. Communication needs to be _____________ and
___________________________.
C. A bus is the _________________ or ______________ between the
components of a computer.
D. Buses have ____________ over the years.
E. The evolution of the bus has been _______ compared to other technologies.
F. Most computers sold today still have an ____________ ____________
____________ (ISA) bus that will accept computer cards developed for the
original IBM PC in the early 1980s.
G. A typical computer has two key buses: the ____________ bus, or local bus,
connects the ____________ (central processing unit) and the ____________
memory.
H. Other buses - ISA and PCI - connect to the system bus through a
____________.
I.
The bridge is a part of the computer's ____________ and acts as a traffic
____________, integrating the data from the other buses to the system bus.
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J. The other main bus, the ____________ bus, is for connecting ____________
components to the computer.
K. It is called a shared bus because it lets ____________ devices access the
same path to the CPU and system memory.
L. These devices include such items such as: modem: ____________ , sound or
graphics card; ____________ , scanner.
M. As technology advanced, other buses were developed:
i. Extended ____________ Standard ____________ (EISA) - ____ bits at
___ MHz
ii. ____________ Local Bus (VL-Bus) - ___ bits wide, and operated at the
speed of the ____________ bus, and the speed of the processor itself.
N. Intel introduced a new bus standard in early 1990s called __________
Component ___________ (PCI).
O. PCI presents a hybrid between ______ and VL-Bus.
i. It provides direct access to system memory for ____________ devices.
ii. It uses a ____________ to connect to the front side bus, and therefore to
the CPU.
iii. It is capable of even higher performance than VL-Bus while
____________ the potential for ____________ with the CPU. Can
connect up to _______ external components.
iv. You can have more than one _____ bus on the same computer.
P. The PCI bridge chip regulates the speed of the PCI bus ____________ of the
CPU's speed.
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Q. This provides higher ____________ .
Bus Type
Bus Width
Bus Speed
MB/sec
ISA
bits
8 MHz
MBps
EISA
32 bits
MHz
32 MBps
VL-bus
bits
25 MHz
100 MBps
VL-bus
32 bits
33 MHz
MBps
PCI
32 bits
MHz
132 MBps
PCI
bits
33 MHz
264 MBps
PCI
64 bits
MHz
512 MBps
PCI
64 bits
MHz
1 GBps
R. As processor speeds steadily climb in the ______ range, many companies are
working to develop a ____________ ____________ bus standard.
S. They propose doing away with the shared-bus technology used in PCI, and
moving to a point-to-point ____________ connection. This means that a
____________ connection between two devices (nodes) on the bus is
established while they are communicating with each other. By providing
____________ direct links, such a bus can allow several ____________ to
communicate with no chance of ____________ each other down.
T. ____________, a standard proposed by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD),
is touted by AMD as the natural progression from PCI. HyperTransport is
designed specifically for connecting ____________ computer components to
each other, not for connecting external devices such as removable drives.
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U. Intel has announced ____________ (Third Generation I/O), a proposed
standard that industry experts believe will compete with HyperTransport to
replace ____. Intel's plans for 3GIO include:
i. Speeds in excess of ____________
ii. Full serial I/O architecture
iii. Point-to-point ____________
iv. Low ____________
V. _________ is still in the preliminary stages of specification and has a way to go
before it can be considered a standard. But the emphasis with 3GIO, as well as
with HyperTransport and Infiniband, is to move away from the _____________based system and toward a direct-connection system. Even so, ISA is still in
use two decades after its inception, and PCI is expected to hang around for a
long time yet.
Computer Maintenance
Name ________________________
Date _________________________
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Computer Maintenance
Name ________________________
Date _________________________
Bus Structures Exam
Multiple Choice
1. The following definition, “the channel or path between the components in a computer”
defines what
a. BIOS
b. cars
c. POST
d. bus
2. Most computers today still have which bus structure
a. ISA
b. IFA
c. IDA
d. None of the above
3. One key bus that a computer has is a (an)
a. System bus
b. Local bus
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a or b
4. Which bus connects additional components to the computer?
a. System bus
b. Shared bus
c. Local bus
d. None of the above
5. Some devices that are connected by the shared bus include the following EXCEPT
a. Hard drive
b. Sound card
c. modem
d. power supply
6. PCI stands for
a. Peripheral Component Interconnect
b. Peripheral Computer Interconnect
c. Peripheral Component In circuit
d. None of the above
7. Examples of what the PCI bus can do include
a. Can connect up to five external components
b. Provides direct access to system memory
c. Uses a bridge to connect to the front side bus
d. All of the above
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8. A direct connection between two devices (nodes) on the bus is established while they
are communicating with each other is called
a. Pin connection
b. Point-to-point connection
c. Both of the above
d. Neither of the above
9. A standard proposed by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), is touted by AMD as the
natural progression from PCI is known as
a. hyperism
b. transportation
c. hyperTransport
d. None of the above
10. Intel's plans for 3GIO include:
a. Speeds in excess of 10 GHz
b. Full serial I/O architecture
c. Point-to-point connections
d. All of the above
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Bus Structures Exam Key
Multiple Choice
11. The following definition, “the channel or path between the components in a computer”
defines what
a. BIOS
b. cars
c. POST
d. bus
12. Most computers today still have which bus structure
a. ISA
b. IFA
c. IDA
d. None of the above
13. One key bus that a computer has is a (an)
a. System bus
b. Local bus
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a or b
14. Which bus connects additional components to the computer?
a. System bus
b. Shared bus
c. Local bus
d. None of the above
15. Some devices that are connected by the shared bus include the following EXCEPT
a. Hard drive
b. Sound card
c. modem
d. power supply
16. PCI stands for
a. Peripheral Component Interconnect
b. Peripheral Computer Interconnect
c. Peripheral Component In circuit
d. None of the above
17. Examples of what the PCI bus can do include
a. Can connect up to five external components
b. Provides direct access to system memory
c. Uses a bridge to connect to the front side bus
d. All of the above
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18. A direct connection between two devices (nodes) on the bus is established while they
are communicating with each other is called
a. Pin connection
b. Point-to-point connection
c. Both of the above
d. Neither of the above
19. A standard proposed by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), is touted by AMD as the
natural progression from PCI is known as
a. hyperism
b. transportation
c. hyperTransport
d. None of the above
20. Intel's plans for 3GIO include:
a. Speeds in excess of 10 GHz
b. Full serial I/O architecture
c. Point-to-point connections
d. All of the above
IT: Computer Maintenance: Bus Structures Plan
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