DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTING INTELLIGENT SYSTEM

Code No: 554715

₦5,000.00

ABSTRACT

Detection of personal computer (PC) hardware problems is a complicated process which demands high level of knowledge and skills. Depending on the know-how of the technician, a simple problem could take hours or even days to solve. The aim is to develop an expert system for troubleshooting and diagnosing personal computers thereby assisting personal computer owners in dealing with their computer problems especially when the time is limited and human expert is not available.The use of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) and UML (Unified Modeling Language) are use to model the system. In this research work, the method of fact-finding called knowledge acquisition which is a knowledge-based approach to extract facts is adopted. Various sets of rules are also introduced into the system for detecting different types of failures which can be easily handled by the PC owners and will give their causes. The data extracted from experts is stored in the knowledge-base of the Expert System shell. The graphical user interface, the expert system shell and the database of the model are developed by integrating visual basic 6.0 programming language, Access database tool and the dynamic linking library (DLL) files.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The advancement in computer technology has paved its way into almost every field of human endeavour such as medicine, education, military, engineering, business etc. In our society today, computer systems have been programmed to think intelligently the way human beings do. Research efforts have been made to make computers perform those tasks that require the thought process of a human. This field of study concerned with making computer behave like human beings is known â€œArtificial Intelligence (A.I)â€.
Artificial Intelligence is making computer think and act the same way humans do. Thus, Artificial Intelligence programs are designed by disintegrating (breaking) such thought processes into some basic steps, thus simulating human behaviour. Artificial Intelligence has many domains of research such as natural language processing, expert systems, speech recognition, robotics, vision system, etc. The most well-known area is expert system, where programs include expert knowledge of a particular field in order to assist people working in that field. Expert systems are considered as software which operates on a sophisticated system like human expert. They are computerized program tools that replicate the knowledge and judgement of human experts in a well-defined domain. The underlying logic used in expert systems is known as fuzzy logic (FL). Fuzzy logic (FL) is a superset of the conventional Boolean logic used for Handling the concept of partial truth. It is currently used to model linguistic and imprecise information. It is used in medicine or medical diagnosis, troubleshooting of computer problems, controllers for simple processes like vacuum cleaners and washing machines.
BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Information system has turned out to be more persuasive in our society today, and with the myriad advances in information technology, automated computer fault diagnosis system has become so fundamental that every organisation has to embark upon.
The computer troubleshooting intelligent system (CTIS) is an expert system, which uses human knowledge often stored as rules with the computer to solve problems. This research work is aimed at the design of a simple intelligent system called EXPERT PC TROUBLESHOOTER for diagnosing computer related problems and prescribes the necessary solutions. The system consists of a user interface, knowledgebase, an inference engine, and an expert interface. In addition, the system features a fuzzy logic module to troubleshooting post beep errors, and an intelligent system that assists in the knowledge acquisition process.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
In our society today, the use of computer is widespread; however, the knowledge in computer troubleshooting is limited, and this poses difficulties among organisations when faced with computer problems. Taken this into consideration, the expert system would be able to detect those problems and make the necessary suggestions for rectification.
AIMS/OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main aim of this research work is to replicate the knowledge of human experts (computer technicians/engineers) by designing a simple system that can automate maintenance, repair, and operation processes. It would aid free-up technicians or engineers from manually performing routines, labourious, and time consuming maintenance task.
The objectives of this research work are as follows;
i    To design a system that is able to search, track specific problems and Provide solution from its knowledgebase and to guide the user to reach Their needs.
ii    To provide an application that is user friendly.
iii    To provide an application that is modifiable i.e. to add, delete and update Problem details by the administrator.