Industrial Computing — TVE Intermediate (ITVE)

What this syllabus is

Industrial Computing at Intermediate Technical and Vocational Education (ITVE) level is a theoretical and practical subject taught under the Industrial Technical Education field, using the competency-based approach.

Its general aim is to equip you with the knowledge, practical skills and competencies needed to use, maintain and apply computer systems and digital technologies in industrial and professional environments. By the end you should be able to use hardware and software confidently, manage data, build simple computer-based solutions, troubleshoot faults, communicate over networks and apply computing to real industrial situations.

How the course is organised

The syllabus lists 17 modules. They are easier to learn — and to revise — when grouped into eight strands. Every strand below tells you which official modules it covers, so nothing is lost, and the same strand names are used across all SABI Industrial Computing resources.

• Strand 1 — Computing Foundations (Module 1)
• Strand 2 — Hardware and Operating Systems (Modules 2, 3)
• Strand 3 — Maintenance and Troubleshooting (Module 4)
• Strand 4 — Software Applications and Data (Module 5)
• Strand 5 — Networks and Digital Communication (Modules 6, 7)
• Strand 6 — Algorithms and Programming (Module 8)
• Strand 7 — Electronics, Sensors and Embedded Systems (Modules 11, 12, 13, 15, 16)
• Strand 8 — Industrial Applications, Control and Automation (Modules 9, 14, 17)
• Cross-cutting — Security, Ethics and Safety (Module 10)

Strand 1 — Computing Foundations

Module 1 sets the vocabulary for the whole course: what computing is, what makes industrial computing different, and why factories and workshops depend on it.

• Meaning of computing, ICT and industrial computing
• Historical development, generations and classification of computers
• Applications of computers in industry
• Advantages, limitations and emerging trends in computerisation
• Practical: identify computers used in different industrial environments and present real examples

Strand 2 — Hardware and Operating Systems

Modules 2 and 3 take the machine apart and put it back together, then teach you to drive the software that runs it. This strand is heavily practical and is assessed through workshop tasks.

• Hardware: motherboard, CPU, RAM, ROM, HDD and SSD storage, input and output devices, ports and connectors, power supply, expansion cards, buses
• Factors affecting computer performance
• Practical: assemble and disassemble a desktop, install RAM and storage, connect peripherals
• Operating systems: functions, types, desktop and command-line environments
• File and folder management, system configuration, user accounts, device management
• Software installation and removal, updates, backup and restoration, basic OS troubleshooting

Strand 3 — Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Module 4 turns you into the person others call when a machine stops. It covers both keeping systems healthy and diagnosing them when they fail.

• Preventive versus corrective maintenance; cleaning and maintenance tools
• Hardware faults, software faults, power problems, booting problems, printer and storage problems
• Virus and malware problems
• Structured troubleshooting procedures and maintenance documentation
• Safety precautions during maintenance work

Strand 4 — Software Applications and Data

Module 5 is the largest single module in the syllabus and covers three application families used in every technical workplace: word processing, spreadsheets and databases.

• Word processing: documents, text and paragraph formatting, page layout, tables, headers and footers, images, mail merge, printing
• Spreadsheets: cells, formulas, relative and absolute references, SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, COUNTA, IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, RANK, LOOKUP, sorting, filtering, conditional formatting, charts
• Databases: DBMS concepts, tables, records, fields, data types, primary keys, relationships, queries, forms, reports, security
• Practical: technical reports, invoices and payroll sheets, production-cost calculations, sales analysis, a working database with queries and reports

Strand 5 — Networks and Digital Communication

Modules 6 and 7 connect the machine to other machines and to the wider world, then ask you to use that connection responsibly.

• LAN, MAN and WAN; network topologies; switch, router, modem, access point, NIC
• Transmission media, wired and wireless networks, IP addresses, internet and intranet
• Basic network security and network troubleshooting
• Internet and the Web, browsers, search engines, email, file transfer, cloud services, online collaboration
• Digital identity, cybersecurity, data privacy and responsible internet use
• Practical: build a simple LAN, connect and configure computers, test connectivity

Strand 6 — Algorithms and Programming

Module 8 introduces problem solving with C. The exam rewards clear algorithms as much as working code, so learn to express a solution before you type it.

• Algorithms and the characteristics of a good algorithm
• Flowcharts and pseudocode
• Variables, constants, data types, input and output
• Arithmetic, relational and logical operators
• Conditional statements, loops, functions and procedures
• Debugging and testing simple programs

Strand 7 — Electronics, Sensors and Embedded Systems

Modules 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16 form the hardware-control backbone of the course. You move from logic gates to sensors and actuators, then to Arduino programs that tie them together.

• Digital electronics: analogue and digital signals, number systems, digital arithmetic, AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR and XNOR gates, truth tables, Boolean expressions, combinational and introductory sequential logic
• Sensors and transducers: proximity, photoelectric, temperature, pressure, level, light, motion and position sensors, limit switches, sensor characteristics, selection, installation and safety
• Actuators: motors, solenoids, relays, contactors, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, valves and their control
• Microcontrollers and embedded systems: Arduino architecture, digital and analogue input, timers, communication interfaces, the Arduino IDE
• Interfacing: digital and analogue signal interfacing, relay isolation, optocouplers, signal conditioning, RS-485, introductory Industrial Ethernet
• Practical: blink an LED, read a push button, measure temperature, monitor water level and speed, control a motor, build an automatic lighting system

Strand 8 — Industrial Applications, Control and Automation

Modules 9, 14 and 17 place everything you have learned inside a real production environment.

• Computers in manufacturing: CAD, CAM, CNC, embedded industrial systems, monitoring, data acquisition, computer-based quality control, Industry 4.0
• Control systems: open-loop and closed-loop, input, controller, process, output, feedback, set point, error and disturbance
• Control strategies: on/off control and an introduction to PID
• Automation: definitions, history, objectives, advantages and limitations; manual, semi-automatic and automatic systems; fixed, programmable and flexible automation
• Practical: analyse a simple control system and classify industrial processes by degree of automation

Cross-cutting — Security, Ethics and Safety

Module 10 is examinable on its own but also runs through every practical session. Laboratory and electrical safety rules apply from your first workshop day.

• Computer security: malware, viruses, password security, authentication, data backup and protection
• Copyright, software licensing, cybercrime and responsible computer use
• Electrical safety, laboratory safety, environmental considerations and electronic waste

How to study this syllabus

Work strand by strand rather than module by module: the official numbering jumps between theory and hardware, while the strands keep related ideas together.

Every strand pairs theory with a practical activity. Log each practical you complete — assembly, LAN build, Arduino project — because the competency-based approach assesses what you can do, not only what you can recall.

Strands 6 and 7 carry the heaviest workload. Start them early and keep a notebook of working code and wiring diagrams you can revise from.

Source and status

This overview follows the official Industrial Computing Teaching Syllabus for Intermediate Technical and Vocational Education, published by the Ministry of Secondary Education, Inspectorate General of Education, Inspectorate of Pedagogy for Industrial Education, Republic of Cameroon.

Module titles, content lists and practical activities are taken from that document. The strand grouping is SABI's study structure, added to make the syllabus easier to learn from.