Hardware Organization of PCs:

Types of
motherboard and their details.
CSE212 CPI
 Motherboard and System Devices
• If the processor is the brain of the computer, then
the motherboard and its major components (the
chipset, BIOS, cache, etc.) are the major systems
that this brain uses to control the rest of the
computer.
• Well, the CPU sits on the motherboard, and if it
can be called the brain of your computer then the
motherboard is truly the central nervous system.
• The components and circuits on the motherboard
determine exactly what your computer can do and
how fast it runs.
• It has expansion slots for installing different
adapter cards like your video card, sound
card, Network Interface Card, and modem.
• It has RAM slots for your system's Random
Access Memory
 Integrated & Non-Integrated
Motherboards
• There are many different types of motherboards.  There are
non- integrated motherboards and a integrated
motherboards.  The non- integrated motherboard lets you
choose your video & sound cards, and they are easier to
upgrade.  The integrated motherboard has the video built
into the motherboard and usually requires part of your
system memory to operate.  This means if you have 128MB
of memory on your system, and the video requires 16MB,
you only have 112MB of memory left for Windows to use. 
Some motherboards also have onboard sound.  If you ever
want to upgrade your video or sound, you have to set
jumpers on the motherboard to do it.  Motherboards also
range in bus speeds, number of PCI & ISA slots, memory
speeds, and much more.
 EXPANSION SLOT;SLOT
• In desktop computers, the motherboard is
home to special electrical jacks called
expansion connectors that allow you to plug in
additional printed circuit boards. The space
potentially occupied by an expansion board is
an expansion slot, usually referred to simply
as a slot.
• Beyond standardization, other concerns include
the number, size, and arrangement of the slots.
These considerations determine how expandable
a given computer really is. In addition, the
spacing of the bus connectors in the slots is a
concern. Put them too close together, and you'll
limit the designer's choice of circuit components
to those that are short or force the designer to
put the components flat against the board, thus
wasting its expensive space. Even the number of
expansion connectors may be set or limited by
the bus standard.
 Slot Spacing
• The thickness of desktop computer expansion
boards is more implicit, determined by the
spacing of the expansion slots. If slot spacing
is too narrow, board simply won't fit. Worse,
one board might touch another and short-
circuit a computer signal, leading to erratic
operation or complete non-operation of the
computer. If slot spacing is too wide, fewer
will fit in a computer of reasonable size, thus
limiting your expansion options.
 Slot Layout
• In desktop computers, the layout of the slots is
mostly a concern of the system designer. As
long as your boards fit, you shouldn't have to
worry. The designer, however, must fret about
the electrical characteristics of signals that are
close to invading the territory of microwave
ovens. Some are purely electronic issues that
cause high-speed buses to operate erratically
and interact detrimentally with other
electronic circuits by generating interference.
 Motherboard Form Factors
• The form factor of the motherboard describes
its general shape, what sorts of cases and
power supplies it can use, and its physical
organization. Many computers, however, are
built around motherboards of a few standard
sizes. This standardization is a matter of
convenience. It allows a computer
manufacturer flexibility in the choice of
suppliers—standardized dimensions make
motherboards interchangeable.
 PC/XT
• When IBM came out with its first Personal
Computer (PC), there were no standards and the
motherboard tended to be a little on the large
size with more space than it really needed.
Within a short time, they had developed their
Extended Technologies computer (XT), reducing
the size of the motherboard to make it more
compact and still accept the different circuits and
components needed for the system. The XT
quickly became a standard for motherboards in
many of the clones that were being developed at
the time.
 AT/baby AT
• Computers quickly became more and more
powerful with more system memory installed on
the board, faster CPUs, and features that
required more circuitry and components. IBM
had to increase the size of their boards to accept
all these components and developed the AT
motherboard. At 13.5" X 12", this form factor
soon became another standard followed by other
manufacturers. Size, screw placement, expansion
slot positioning, and even component placement
was followed so closely that some motherboard
manufacturers were worried about lawsuits.
 AT and Baby AT
• Up until recently, the AT and baby AT form factors
were the most common form factor in the
motherboard world. These two variants differ
primarily in width: the older full AT board is 12"
wide.
• One of the major problems with the width of this
board (aside from limiting its use in smaller cases)
is that a good percentage of the board "overlaps"
with the drive bays. This makes installation,
troubleshooting and upgrading more difficult.
• The AT, however, pretty well became industry
standard throughout the 80's and into the early
90's. As technology advanced, circuits and
components became smaller and more
integrated. Many companies decided to reduce
the size of the motherboard again. Because the
AT had been standard for so many years they
retained the placement of the expansion slots
and the screw positioning on a 13" X 8.5 or 9"
board. This meant that an AT board could be
replaced with a 'baby AT' or 'mini AT' board and
still fit in the same case.
 ATX board
• Because the baby AT form factor was never made a
true standard, many companies have taken liberties
with different dimensions and design. The ATX is a
form factor developed by Intel that closely conforms to
the baby AT size. It puts together some of the better
ideas, engineering and design to make a standard that
is cheaper to develop, allows for better component
access, and in some ways is faster and more stable.
• The ATX board measures approximately 9.5" X 12" and
takes the baby AT board and turns it 90 degrees to put
the long edge of the board along the back of the
computer case, which provides maximum space for
expansion slots and I/O ports.
 'mini ATX
• The ATX standard also provides for a smaller
'mini ATX' form factor which cuts the size of a
board down to 8.2" X 11.2" and removes one
row of mounting holes. These boards will fit in
a regular ATX style case.
NLX
Comparison of Form Factors
 Jumpers
• Jumpers are pins on a motherboard or other
device, that are used to provide configuration
information to the hardware. A single jumper
consists of a pair of pins, with a small rectangular
shunt that can be placed over both pins to short
them together. The hardware is programmed to
act one way when the jumper is shorted, and
another way when it is left open. The jumpers
are normally numbered JP1, JP2 etc.. For some
functions, a group of jumpers is used.
• ADVANTAGES OF AT BOARDS