Unit-II

Accessory Board
Motherboard:
The motherboard is the main component of any branded or assembled PC, laptop, tablet or a
mobile phone. Now you must be curious, why it is called the motherboard? The motherboard is a
Printed Circuit Board which acts as the main platform for communication between all other
components of a system. All the other computer parts are either directly installed or connected to
various motherboard components and all the data is transferred between them through the
motherboard.

Alternatively referred to as the mb, mainboard, mboard,

mobo, mobd, backplane board, base board, main circuit
board, planar board, system board, or a logic board on
Apple computers. The motherboard is the biggest board in
a computer chassis. It allocates power and allows
communication to and between the CPU, RAM, and all
other computer hardware components
A motherboard provides connectivity between the hardware
components of a computer, like the processor (CPU),
memory (RAM), hard drive, and video card. There are
multiple types of motherboards, designed to fit different types
and sizes of computers.
Each type of motherboard is designed to work with specific
types of processors and memory, so they don't work with
every processor and type of memory. However, hard drives
are mostly universal and work with the majority of
motherboards, regardless of the type or brand.
Motherboard Components
1.Expansion Slots:

ISA slots. These were the oldest expansion slots in the history of motherboards. They were found in AT
boards and are identified by black color. Conventional display cards or sound cards were installed in
these slots. The full form of ISA is Industry Standard Architecture and is a 16- bit bus.

PCI Slots. The full form of PCI is Peripheral Component Interconnect. The PCI slot is one of the
important motherboard components today and is vastly used to install add-on cards on the motherboard.
The PCI supports 64-bit high-speed bus.

PCI express(PCI E). Also known as PCIe, these are the latest and the fastest component of the
motherboard to support add-on cards. It supports full duplex serial bus.

AGP slot. Accelerated graphics port(AGP) is specifically used to install a latest graphics card. AGP runs
on a 32-bit bus and both PCIe and AGP can be used to install high-end gaming display cards.
2.RAM(memory) slots
SIMM slots. The full form is a single in-line memory module. These slots were found in older
motherboards, up to 486-boards. The SIMM supports 32-bit bus.

DIMM slots. The full form of DIMM is a Double inline memory module. These are the latest RAM slots
which run on a faster 64-bit bus. The DIMM used on Laptop boards are called SO-DIMM.

3.CPU Socket

Another vital motherboard component is the CPU socket which is used to install the processor on the
motherboard. Some important sockets are explained below.

Socket7. It is a 321 pin socket that supported older processors like Intel Pentium 1/2/MMX, AMD k5/K6,
and Cyrix M2.

Socket370. It is a 370 pin socket that supports Celeron processors and Pentium-3 processors.

Socket 775. It is a 775-pin socket that supports Inter dual core, C2D, P-4 and Xeon processors.
Socket 1156. Found on latest types of motherboards, it is an 1156-pin socket that supports latest
Intel i-3, i-5 and i-7 processors.

Socket 1366. The socket is of 1366 pins and supports latest i-7 900 processors.

4.BIOS
The full form of BIOS is Basic Input Output System. It is a motherboard component in the form of a
Integrated chip. This chip contains all the information and settings of the motherboard which you can
modify by entering the BIOS mode from your computer.

BIOS is a "read-only" memory, which consists of low-level software that controls the system hardware and acts
as an interface between the operating system and the hardware. Most people know the term BIOS by another
name—device drivers, or just drivers. BIOS is essentially the link between the computer hardware and
software in a system.
All motherboards include a small block of Read Only Memory (ROM) which is separate from the main
system memory used for loading and running software. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code
required to control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of
miscellaneous functions.
The system BIOS is a ROM chip on the motherboard used during the startup routine (boot process) to
check out the system and prepare to run the hardware. The BIOS is stored on a ROM chip because
ROM retains information even when no power is being supplied to the computer.

5.CMOS Battery
Motherboards also include a small separate block of memory made from CMOS RAM chips
which are kept alive by a battery (known as a CMOS battery) even when the PC’s power is off.
This prevents reconfiguration when the PC is powered on.
CMOS devices require very little power to operate.
The CMOS RAM is used to store basic Information about the PC’s configuration for instance:-
● Floppy disk and hard disk drive types
● Information about CPU
● RAM size
● Date and time
● Serial and parallel port information
● Plug and Play information
● Power Saving settings

Other Important data kept in CMOS memory is the time and date, which is updated by a Real
Time Clock (RTC).
6.CHIPSET
A chipset is a group of small circuits that coordinate the flow of data to and from a PC's key
components. These key components include the CPU itself, the main memory, the secondary cache,
and any devices situated on the buses. A chipset also controls data flow to and from hard disks and
other devices connected to the IDE channels.
A computer has got two main chipsets:
● The NorthBridge (also called the memory controller) is in charge of controlling transfers
between the processor and the RAM, which is why it is located physically near the processor.
It is sometimes called the GMCH, for Graphic and Memory Controller Hub.
● The SouthBridge (also called the input/output controller or expansion controller) handles
communications between slower peripheral devices. It is also called the ICH (I/O Controller
Hub).

The term "bridge" is generally used to designate a component which connects two buses.
Chipset manufacturers include SIS, VIA, ALI, and OPTI.
7.Power Connectors
In order to receive power from SMPS, there are connectors mounted on the motherboards.

AT connector. It consists of 2 number of 6 pin male connectors and is found on old types of
motherboards.

ATX connector. The latest in the series of power connectors, they are either 20 or 24 pin female
connectors. Found in all the latest types of motherboards.

8.IDE connector
The Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) connectors are used to interface disk drives. The 40-pin male
connector is used to connect IDE hard disk drives and the 34-pin male connector connects to Floppy
Disk Drive.

9.SATA connector
Latest in the series, the connectors, Serial Advance Technology Attachment(SATA) are 7-pin connectors
to interface latest SATA hard disks or optical drives. They are much faster than IDE interface.
10.Co-Processor
The co-processor is one of the important motherboard components and helps the main processor in
mathematical calculations and computer graphics.A coprocessor is a computer processor used to
supplement the functions of the primary processor (the CPU). Operations performed by the coprocessor
may be floating point arithmetic, graphics, signal processing, string processing, cryptography or I/O
interfacing with peripheral devices. By offloading processor-intensive tasks from the main processor,
coprocessors can accelerate system performance.
11.Cabinet connections
The cabinet in which the motherboard is installed has many buttons that connect to the motherboard.
Some of the common connectors are Power Switch, Reset Switch, Front USB, Front Audio, Power
indicator(LED) and HDD LED.
I/O interface connectors/Connector side on motherboard:
Keyboard & Mouse : This Port is used to connect keyboard and mouse , now a day we use USB
connector for keyboard and mouse

Serial or COM : It used to connect some types of modem, scanner, or digital camera

Parallel or Printer : You plug your printer into the parallel, or printer, port. But now printers may
use a USB port

USB : Designed to replace older Serial and Parallel ports, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) can
connect computers with a number of devices, such as printers, keyboards, mice, scanners,
digital cameras, PDAs, and more

Video or Monitor : It used to connect your monitor into the video port

Line Out : It used to connect speakers or headphone into the Line Out jack

Line In : The Line In jack allows you to listen to your computer using a stereo system
Microphone : It used to connect a microphone into this jack to record sounds on your
computer

Joystick or Game : If you have a joystick, musical (MIDI) keyboard, or other gaming
device, this is where you plug it in

Phone or Modem : The phone or modem jack is where you plug your computer into a
phone line

Network or Ethernet : You can connect your computer to a network by plugging in an

Ethernet cable in this port

SCSI : It used to connect a hard drive, CD-ROM drive, or other device to a computer
Different types of motherboards

1.AT Motherboards
The oldest of the main boards, these motherboards were used in earlier
286/386 or 486 computers. The AT means the board consists of advanced
technology(AT) power connectors. There are two power connectors of 6 pin
each mounted on the AT motherboards. The AT motherboards were available
in the early 80’s.
2.ATX Motherboards
The ATX motherboards started in 90’s and are still available. The ATX connector on the
motherboard consists of a single connector. These boards are used for P2/P3 or P/4 processors.

Motherboard for P1/P2 processors:

Pentium 4 motherboard
Form Factor ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)
Form Factor ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)

Designed as an evolution of the Baby AT form factor, ATX marks a profound change in the
architecture of the motherboard and other components such as the cabinet and the power
supply.
Within the motherboard there are significant changes such as the location of the CPU
socket, which is now placed near the power supply, thus allowing the flow of air caused by
the fan of the source and not to be interfered with by any element as it happened with the
technology Baby AT.
Another change was the connection between the source of the feed. Which is now a single connector,
unlike the AT which were two. Some of the most important improvements for ATX and benefits
are:
● Integrated input and output ports
● Slots of expansion without interference
● Start Control by software
● 3 Vol. from the source (reduces hardware cost, energy consumption, and heat)
● A better airflow

The ATX motherboard dimensions are 12 × 13 in. A variation of the ATX is the Mini ATX, which is
essentially a reduced-size version of ATX but more reduced in terms of its shape, its measurements
are 11.2 × 8.2 inches.
Micro ATX

It is an evolution of ATX. Its measures are 9.6 × 9.6 inches. The Micro-ATX supports up to
four expansion slots that can combine freely with ISA, PCI, PCI / ISA shared, and AGP.
Mounting holes changed from the Standard ATX, since the measurements are different,
but they are also compatible with most ATX cabinets.
This type of motherboard form factor supports both Intel and AMD processors. It is
commonly used on Small Form Factor Desktop Computers.
Mini-ITX
Mini ITX is a low-power consumption motherboard format of 6.7 × 6.7 inches. Its
dimensions are the most characteristic factor of this type of form factor. Although this
type of motherboard was designed with the aim of empowering teams of low
consumption, at present there are no limits and they have grown by giant steps in
terms of benefits.
Since the Mini-ITX was introduced they have expanded in all kinds of applications,
thanks to their open standard factor. Mini ITX is a standard format for all types of
equipment, such as vehicle embedded computers, industrial applications, and IoT.
The Mini-ITX is the first standard system of reduced format that is popularized,
reaching all types of projects and any equipment where it may be necessary.
Nano-ITX

The Nano-ITX is another type of motherboard form factor, that measures 4.7 × 4.7 in.
Nano-ITX are fully integrated boards designed to consume very low power. This type of
motherboard can be used in many applications, but it was specially designed for smart
entertainment, like PVRs, media centers, smart TVs, in-vehicle devices, and more.
Pico-ITX

The Pico-ITX is the smallest type of motherboard form factor in this list. Its
measurements are 3.9 × 2.8 in and it is 75% smaller than the Mini-ITX. This
motherboard was designed and developed by VIA, to open up innovation for smaller
and smarter IoT devices.
The Pico-ITX with an x86-based-platform and low-power consumption board is a
great choice for embedded systems applications, such as industrial automation, in-
vehicle computers, digital signage, and more.
The motherboard may be characterized by the:
i) form factor
ii) chipset
iii) type of processor socket used

i) Form factor refers to the motherboard’s geometry, dimensions, arrangement and electrical
requirements. Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) is the most common design of motherboard
for desktop computers.

ii) Chipset is a circuit, which is used to controls the of resources such as the bus interface with the
processor, cache memory and RAM, expansion cards, etc. It used to coordinate data transfers
between the various components of the computer.

iii) The processor socket is a connector into which the processor is mounted. The Basic Input
Output System (BIOS) and Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) are present on the
motherboard.
Some of popular manufacturers of the motherboard.
● Intel
● ASUS
● AOpen
● ABIT
● Biostar
● Gigabyte
● MSI
Floppy 32 pin ribbon flat cable
IDE Controller-40 pin ribbon cable for hard drive
Slots-AGP, PCI, ISA
CMOS battery
CPU slot
Power supply Plug in