23CSE102

Computer Hardware
Essentials 1-0-2- 2

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Motherboard

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Mother Board
 The main printed circuit board in a computer is known as the motherboard. Other
names for this central computer unit are system board, mainboard, or printed wired
board (PWB). The motherboard is sometimes shortened to Mobo.

 Numerous major components, crucial for the functioning of the computer, are
attached
to the motherboard. These include the processor, memory, and expansion slots.

 The motherboard connects directly or indirectly to every part of the PC.

 The type of motherboard installed in a PC has a great effect on a computer's system

speed and expansion capabilities.

 At a minimum it includes one or more Central Processing Units (CPU), and the main
processing activity of the computer takes place on it.

 However, other connected printed circuit boards may contain their own pre-processing
or post-processing CPUs, to take some of the load off of the motherboard; these,
together with other

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Mother Board Cont..,
 The motherboard is the main circuit board inside the PC. It holds the CPU and memory,
provides expansion slots for peripherals, and, whether directly or indirectly, connects to
every part of the PC.

 The essential motherboard make-up includes the chipset (known as the “glue logic”),
some code in ROM and the various wired interconnections between the components
know as buses.

 The chipset is fundamental, and controls how the motherboard interacts with
everything else in the system. A good chipset can be more important than the power of
CPU or the amount of RAM.

 The ROM code includes the BIOS, which has user-changeable options for how the
motherboard operates with integral and connected devices.

 The buses are the electrical wires that connect everything together. Motherboard
designs use many different buses to link their various components. For instance, wide,
high-speed buses are difficult and expensive to produce.

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Mother Board Cont..,

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 All expansion slots, power cables and peripheral connectors are located on an edge-
mounted riser card, allowing simple removal of the main motherboard, which is
mounted on rails in the chassis.

 It uses a full-width I/O shield to allow for different combinations of rear-panel I/O.
The design allows for use of an AGP card, but the slot must be on the motherboard,
which reduces the ease of maintenance when such a card is implemented.

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Flex ATX motherboard form factor

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Processor Slots/Sockets

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CPU interfaces – Slots and Sockets for AMD and Intel Processors
 Intel and AMD have created a set of socket and slot designs for their processors.

 Each socket or slot is designed to support a different range of original and upgrade
processors.

 A CPU socket is a single connector between a microprocessor and motherboard. A CPU

socket is a distinct mount used only for the CPU on the motherboard to ensure correct
circuit chip insertion.

 It facilitates CPU access and prevents damage when a unit is inserted or removed. A
CPU socket also has a lock to prevent CPU movement, and its design helps secure heat
sink placement above the CPU.

 Most PCs and a variety of server systems have CPU sockets. Some laptops and certain
types of servers do not use a CPU socket but have a totally different processor style.
Generally, CPU socket platforms are keyed for correct insertion.

 A CPU socket is also known as a CPU slot.

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 Modern CPU sockets and processors are based on a pin grid array (PGA) architecture.
PGA is a type of packaging used for integrated circuits (IC), such as a microprocessor.

 It is basically a square with pins that are organized below the packaging.

 Pins are spaced approximately 0.1 inches (2.54 mm) apart to cover a portion or entire
underside of the package.

 A CPU socket is shaped like a square or rectangle and made of durable and heat-
resistant plastic and metal contacts for pins or lands, in addition to a metal latch or
lever.

 Hundreds of tiny holes cover the plastic casing's surface, and the plastic
color is usually light tan or burgundy, depending on the manufacturer.

 Chips with high numbers of pin-outs often use land grid array (LGA) or zero
insertion
force (ZIF) sockets.

 LGA sockets apply firm force with a surface plate, and ZIF sockets apply compression
force with a handle.
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 Each method ensures that upon insertion, the pins are not damaged or broken.

 A CPU socket is specifically designed for a particular CPU and is usually not
interchangeable with other types of processors. In many cases, manufacturers classify
sockets into groups.

 A socket may be identified on its side by a three-five digit ID number. The ID number
ensures that the CPU uses the correct CPU socket.

 A CPU socket is made of plastic, a lever or latch, and metal contacts for each of the
pins or lands on the CPU.

 Many packages are keyed to ensure the proper insertion of the CPU. CPUs with a PGA
(pin grid array) package are inserted into the socket and the latch is closed.

 CPUs with an LGA package are inserted into the socket, the latch plate is flipped into
position atop the CPU, and the lever is lowered and locked into place, pressing the
CPU's contacts firmly against the socket's lands and ensuring a good connection, as
well as increased mechanical stability.

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AMD Processor Socket Intel Processor Socket

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Motherboard – On board Ports-Interfaces

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Memory Slots
 Motherboard memory slots are nothing more than the interface mechanism between
RAM and the rest of a computer.

 A memory slot or RAM slot is what allows computer memory (RAM) chip/stick to be
inserted into the computer.

 Depending on the motherboard, there will usually be 2 to 4 memory slots and are
what determine the type of RAM used with the computer.

 The most common types of RAM are SDRAM and DDR for desktop computers and
SODIMM(Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) for laptop computers, each having
various types and speeds.

 Tabs at either end of each slot hold the memory module in place and ensure a
consistent connection between the memory and the motherboard.

 To remove memory, you simply push each tab away from the memory module and pull
the memory out.

 To replace a memory module, you simply push the memory firmly into the slot and
push the tabs toward the memory module until they snap into place.
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FDD Port
 FDD stands for floppy disk drive. Although most computers no longer use floppy
drives, the FDD connector is still present on many motherboards.

 The FDD connector contains 34-pins, and uses a FDD ribbon cable to connect to a 3 ½"
floppy disk drive.

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IDE Interfaces
 One of the earliest and most significant standards introduced into PC hardware was
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics), a standard which controls the flow of data between
the processor and the hard disk.

 The term IDE itself is not an actual hardware standard, but the proposals were
incorporated into an industry-agreed interface specification known as ATA (AT
Attachment).

 The parallel ATA standard evolved from the original IBM Advanced Technology (AT)
interface and defines a command and register set for the interface, creating a
universal standard for communication between the drive unit and the PC.

 One of the major innovations introduced by IDE was the integration of the disk
controller functions onto the disk drive itself.

 The separation of the controller logic from the interface made it possible for drive
manufacturers to enhance the performance of their drives independently – there were
no performance-boosting features incorporated into the ATA interface itself

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 . IDE drives connect straight to the system bus with no need for a separate controller
on the bus, thereby reducing overall cost.

 Since the implementation of the ATA standard, the PC has changed dramatically.

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Serial ATA (SATA)
Interface
 Stands for "Serial Advanced Technology Attachment," or "Serial ATA." It is an interface
used to connect ATA hard drives to a computer's motherboard.

 For one, SATA drives each have their own independent bus, so there is no competition
for bandwidth like there is with Parallel ATA. They also use smaller, thinner cables,
which allows for better airflow inside the computer.

 SATA cables can be as long as one meter, while PATA cables max out at 40cm. This gives
manufacturers more liberty when designing the internal layout of their computers.

 First-generation Serial ATA support for data transfer rates of up to 150 MB/s (1.5Gb/s).

 Subsequent versions of the specification, increasing performance to support data

transfer rates of 300 MB/s (3Gb/s), have led manufacturers to implement varied and
often awkward fixes for compatibility, usually involving motherboard or device jumper
settings.

 This represents a backward step, especially as SATA has led to the first jumperless
hard drives. However, the advantages of SATA have made it the industry standard for
ATA connectivity.
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SATA Benefits
Reductions in voltage and pin count: Serial ATA’s low-voltage requirement (500 mV peak-
to-peak) will effectively alleviate the increasingly difficult-to-accommodate 5-volt signaling
requirement that hampers the Parallel ATA interface.

Smaller, easier-to-route cables: Elimination of the cable-length limitation: The Serial ATA
architecture replaces the wide Parallel ATA ribbon cable with a thin, flexible cable that can
be up to 1 meter in length. The serial cable is smaller and easier to route inside a PC’s
chassis and eliminates the need for the large and cumbersome 40/80-wire connectors
required by Parallel ATA. The small-diameter cable also helps improve air flow inside the PC
system chassis and facilitates designs of smaller PC systems.

Improved data robustness: Serial ATA offers more thorough error checking and error
correcting capabilities than Parallel ATA. The end-to-end integrity of transferred commands
and data can be guaranteed across the serial bus.

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