PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 Motherboard PC

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Ø Overview ◊ It is a Printed Circuit Board that performs the key functions to enable smooth running of the computer. Ø Lesson Covered in this Module ◊ Motherboards ◊ Standard Expansion Buses 2

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Lesson 1 - Motherboards Ø Introduction ◊ Motherboard is a Printed Circuit Board which possesses different components for various purposes. It contains • CPU • BIOS, • Memory • I/O ports • External I/O connectors • I/O controllers • Expansion slots • Chipsets. 3

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Ø Topics Covered in this Lesson ◊ Physical Form Factors ◊ Motherboard Components ◊ System Chipsets and Controllers ◊ CMOS Settings ◊ Power On Self Test (POST) ◊ System Resources 4

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors Ø Personal Computer – Extended Technology (PC-XT) ◊ Introduced by IBM, 8088 microprocessor was used. ◊ It has socket for the processor and chips 5

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors Ø AT and Baby AT ◊ To overcome the problem created by AT Form factor, the Baby AT form factor was introduced. ◊ Baby AT is designed to hold the peripheral devices like keyboard, video and mouse. ◊ It could not accommodate the combination of processor, heat sink and fan. Cooling 6

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors Ø ATX and Micro ATX form factor ◊ Here expansion slots were placed on separate riser cards. ◊ It provides software controlled shut down and power up. Ø Micro ATX form factor ◊ More space for I/O connectors was provided at the rear end. 7

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 - Physical Form Factors Ø LPX and Mini-LPX ◊ It has sound and video to be integrated on to the motherboard. ◊ It is not suitable for upgrading and offers poor cooling. Ø NLX ◊ Small in size ◊ Suited for low profile desktop cases 8

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 2 - Motherboard Components Ø The major components of the motherboard ◊ Processor socket or slot ◊ Chipset ◊ Super I/O chip ◊ BIOS ◊ SIMM/DIMM sockets ◊ Bus slots 9

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 2 - Motherboard Components Ø Chipset and Functions ◊ Different chips integrated to a single chip called the chipset. ◊ North bridge and South bridge was introduced to the motherboard with PCI slots. ◊ The south bridge controls the slower I/O components like the Serial ports, USB ports and the IDE. 10

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 2 - Motherboard Components Ø The new technology, Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) uses two chips called hub controllers. Ø The hub controllers are ◊ Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) ◊ I/O Controller Hub (ICH) Ø The chipset determine ◊ The voltage provided to the processor ◊ Number of processors that can be supported ◊ The speed of the processor ◊ The different memory modules that are supported ◊ Bus speed ◊ The different expansion bus that are supported ◊ Power Management 11

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ The system chipset and controllers are the intelligence of the motherboard. ◊ Chipset has a effect on the quality, feature set and speed of the computer. ◊ Controllers found on motherboards • The system chip • The keyboard controller • The super I/O chip • Additional built-in controllers 12

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ► Qualities and Functions of Chipset Ø Chipset Processor Support ◊ Support for Processor Class and Optimization - Supports one generation of processors ◊ Support for Processor Speed - Fast processors need chipset control circuitry that has the capacity to manage them. ◊ Support for Multiple Processor - Chipset support the capability for building motherboards with two or four processors on them. 13

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Chipset Cache Support - The cache stores recent memory accesses by the processor • Size of Secondary Cache - Chipsets support cache of 256 KB or 512 KB. • Type of Secondary Cache - three major kinds of cache, Asynchronous, Synchronous burst, Pipeline burst. • Write Policy of Secondary Cache - A write-through cache and a write back cache. • Cacheability of System Memory - The amount of cacheable memory is dependent on the chipset control circuitry and the amount of tag RAM on the board. 14

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers • Chipset Memory Support - The chipset determines several permissible features of the memory • Support for Maximum Memory-Determines the maximum quantity of RAM a system can have on the motherboard • DRAM Technology - Regulates whether motherboard can make use of FPM, EDO, BEDO, or SDRAM memory. • Support for DRAM Packaging and Size - Two main types of memory packages are, single in-line memory module (SIMM) and dual in-line memory module (DIMM). • Support for Parity and Error Correction - Error correction logic is offered as part of the memory control circuits of the chipset. 15

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Chipset Peripheral and I/O Bus Control - Most recent computers use two buses, (ISA) bus and l component (PCI) bus. • Bus Types - The chipset determines what type of buses the system can support. • Bus Bridges – Bridge is used for connecting together devices on two different buses. • IDE/ATA Hard Disk Controller - All motherboards have integrated into them support for four IDE hard disks • DMA Controller and DMA Mode Support – Process of transferring information directly to and from memory with no interference of the processor. 16

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Interrupt Controller ◊ USB Support ◊ AGP Support ◊ Plug and Play 17

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Chipset Power Management Support – Works through a number of BIOS settings that determine when to shut down different parts of the computer • Energy Star • Advanced Power Management • Display Power • Management Signalling • System Management Mode • Hard Disk Spindown 18

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Super I/O Controller Chip super I/O controller handles three ports • Serial Port Control – controls the serial ports, UART • Parallel Port Control – manages and controls the parallel port • Floppy Disk Drive Control – supports the Floppy Disk Drive and floppy based tape drives 19

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers Ø Processor Ø Two major components ◊ Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) – performs Arithmetic and Logic Operations ◊ Control Unit (CU) – provides the control signals for performing different operations. Ø Cache Memory ◊ It is high speed storage memory made of Static RAM (SRAM). ◊ Two types of cache memory are L 1 or the internal cache and L 2 cache or the external cache. 20

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers Ø I/O Ports ◊ Each device connected to a computer uses I/O port address. ◊ Functions of I/O address • Sending commands to the peripheral device • Receiving the status of the device whether it is idle or busy • Send and receive data • Configure the device for interrupts Ø Bus Speed ◊ The speed of the bus refers to the amount of the data that can be transferred across the bus. 21

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers Ø Some of the bus types are, ◊ Front side Bus - The bus speed in general refers to the speed of the Front Side Bus (FSB). ◊ AGP Bus – It connects the video card to the memory and the CPU. ◊ Back side Bus – It connects the processor to the L 2 Cache 22

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers ◊ Memory bus – It connects the north bridge to the memory. ◊ IDE or ATA bus – It connects the south bridge to the disk drives. ◊ PCI Bus – It connects the PCI slots to the south bridge. 23

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - System Chipset and Controllers Ø Jumpers ◊ It is a small connector which can be placed between two pins to make electrical connections. Ø DIP switch ◊ The dual inline package switch is a small block provided with a lever. 24

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø CMOS BIOS ROM Ø Stores the basic system configuration. The four major components of BIOS are ◊ POST ◊ Bootstrap Loader ◊ CMOS Setup ◊ BIOS ROM 25

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø CMOS Battery ◊ Battery is used to power up the Real time Clock Chip. ◊ This chip maintains the system date and time. Ø System Configuration ◊ The BIOS should find an operating system on a hard disk or floppy disk drive to start the computer. Ø Starting the Setup Program ◊ The settings made in the BIOS setup program are stored in the nonvolatile RAM of the CMOS chip. 26

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Step-by-Step CMOS/BIOS Configuration ◊ From the CMOS setup menu, select the menu point to examine or change setting and choose Standard CMOS setup to begin. 27

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings ◊ From the standard CMOS configuration screen you can set Date, Time, Hard drives connected to the IDE interface, Floppy disk drive types for drives 28

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Advanced CMOS Configuration ◊ Here, you can perform the Number Lock setting, keyboard repeats speed, type of video, settings for cache memory, and other special features. 29

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Recommended Advanced CMOS Settings ◊ Depending on the BIOS version, you have to press the ESC key, to return to the main menu 30

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Power Management Configuration ◊ After a user defined period of inactivity of devices like the monitor, the hard drive, or the CPU will go into different low power modes. • Standby mode • Suspend mode 31

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Built-In Ports/Peripherals Setup ◊ It can enable or disable ports which built in new systems. 32

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Security/Passwords ◊ Two types of passwords are ◊ One must be entered to allow any use of the system ◊ Another one must be entered to allow access to the BIOS/ CMOS setup Ø Saving and Recording BIOS/CMOS Settings ◊ BIOS allows you to save the changes and it will reject the changes that happen accidentally. ◊ Record the critical BIOS settings 33

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø BIOS Upgrades ◊ Change the physical chip or to change its contents with software Ø Flash BIOS Upgrade ◊ Install the BIOS upgrade loader and BIOS image to a floppy disk Ø Incorrect CMOS Configuration ◊ Restart by using the BIOS Setup auto-configure options, double-check drive configurations, save changes, and restart. 34

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - CMOS Settings Ø Incorrect Flash BIOS or Failed Update ◊ If the update can't be installed, the motherboard might have jumpers that writeprotects the flash BIOS. Ø Clearing Password the BIOS ◊ It can be cleared by using a CMOS jumper that is present in the motherboard. 35

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 5 - Power On Self Test (POST) Error codes Ø Some main functions of BIOS during POST ◊ Helps to start the Operating System. ◊ Check for the integrity of the BIOS code Ø Some error beeps ◊ No beep - Power supply or system board problem ◊ 1 long, 1 short beep - System board problem ◊ Long beeps - 3270 keyboard card Ø Some error codes ◊ 100 to 199 - System board ◊ 200 to 299 - Memory ◊ 300 to 399 - Keyboard 36

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - System Resources Ø System resources are components that are required to communicate between the hardware components in a PC. Ø Interrupt Request Channels (IRQ) ◊ Hardware devices use IRQ signal to the processor ◊ There are 16 IRQ channels. 37

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - System Resources Ø The snapshot shows the different IRQ channels associated with different devices. 38

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - System Resources Ø Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels ◊ Here the data is transferred between the peripheral device and the memory without the intervention of the CPU. ◊ Devices connected to serial and parallel port do not use DMA channels Ø I/O Port Address ◊ It is an interface present in a PC to connect devices ◊ The port address ranges from 0000 h to FFFFh 39

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - System Resources Ø The snapshot displays the I/O address range used by different devices 40

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - System Resources ► Checking for Resource Availability ◊ For Windows 3. x or MS-DOS, the resource settings can be verified by using the MSD command present in the DOS directory. ◊ For Windows 2000 or Windows XP, follow the step given below to identify the resources used by the different devices Click Start Programs Accessories System Tools-> System Information 41

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Lesson 2 - Standard Expansion Buses Ø Introduction ◊ The expansion slots are used to enhance the features of the PC. ◊ The expansion slots can hold expansion cards like the sound card, VGA card, AGP card, Network card etc ◊ There are different types of expansion slots. Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) bus • • Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus Extended ISA (EISA) Bus Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) Bus Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)Bus Peripheral Component Interconnect – X Accelerated Graphics Port Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser 42

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Lesson 2 - Standard Expansion Buses Ø Topics Covered in this Lesson ◊ PC Bus ◊ Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) Bus ◊ Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus ◊ Extended ISA (EISA) Bus ◊ Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) Bus ◊ Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus ◊ Accelerated Graphics Port ◊ Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser 43

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 – PC Bus Ø PC bus is an 8 bit expansion slot to connect 8 bit expansion cards. 44

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 2 - Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) Bus ◊ ISA bus is a 16 bit slot present in 80286, 80386, 80486 and Pentium systems. ◊ The ISA card is configured through jumpers or switches 45

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 - Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus ◊ Bus Mastering - The components that can take control over the bus are called bus masters. Ø Features of MCA ◊ It is a 16 or 32 bit bus created by IBM ◊ Supports bus mastering ◊ Operates at 10 -12 MHZ ◊ Can be configured through software ◊ Has Lower Noise Level 46

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 4 - Enhanced ISA ◊ It is a 32 bit bus. ◊ Capable of using multiple bus mastering devices. ◊ Compatible 8 bit PC bus, 16 bit ISA bus. ◊ Software setup capability for boards 47

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 5 - Video Electronics Standard Architecture (VESA) bus ◊ It is a 32 bus. ◊ It is used to connect video cards, I/O cards and multimedia expansion cards Ø Disadvantages of the VESA ◊ 80486 dependence ◊ Limited number of slots ◊ No bus mastering ◊ Boards are configured through jumpers 48

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 6 - Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus Ø PCI ◊ Operates at a speed of 33 MHz or 66 MHz ◊ It is a 64 bit bus ◊ Communicates with processor using a bridge circuit. Ø PCI-X ◊ Operates at 133 MHz bus speed ◊ Offers 64 bit Band width ◊ Supports 1 GB/Sec data transfer rate ◊ Supports efficient bus operation ◊ Provides backward Compatibility 49

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 7 - AGP Bus ◊ It is designed for connecting video cards. ◊ PCI bus with 2. 1 version at 66 MHZ is the basis for AGP slot. ◊ It supports a new technique called texture cache. 50

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser ◊ This specification developed by Intel. ◊ The function of the modem and the analog I/O audio circuitry are combined together on a small circuit board ◊ The small circuit board is called raiser card ◊ The AMR card enhances the performance by providing better quality audio solutions. 51

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser Ø Communication Network Raiser Card ◊ This is a standard developed by Intel ◊ It contains chips for the functioning of modems and audio devices. Ø PCMCIA or PC Card ◊ It is an expansion board used for laptop and notebook computers. ◊ It is used for interfacing components like the Memory, fax/modems, SCSI adapters 52

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 8 - Audio Modem Raiser and Communication Network Raiser ◊ The following figure shows different Bus interfaces and the devices that can be connected to each of them 53

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Lesson 3 - Choosing, Installing and Troubleshooting a Motherboard Ø Introduction ◊ Motherboard is the most important component of the computer. ◊ This is the central component to which every other component is attached, Ø Topics covered in this module ◊ Choosing a Motherboard ◊ Installing a Motherboard ◊ Troubleshooting a Motherboard 54

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 -Choosing a Motherboard Ø Choosing a Motherboard ◊ Choosing an appropriate motherboard can be quite a challenging task. A lot of factors affect the choice of the motherboard. ◊ Future upgradeability of the system is the most important one ◊ It should support a higher hard drive capacity, a higher Memory slot on the motherboard, whether it has an AGP slot. 55

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 1 -Choosing a Motherboard Ø IT should support the following ◊ Mother form factor ◊ CPU compatibility ◊ Functionality ◊ Connectors 56

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 2 -Installing a Motherboard Ø Installing a Motherboard ◊ Installing a motherboard should be done with a lot of care. ◊ Connect the motherboard to the mounting holes and tighten the screws. ◊ Set the jumpers and switches to the appropriate positions. ◊ Once the motherboard is secure, then start connecting the different wires to their appropriate sockets. 57

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Topic 3 – Troubleshooting a Motherboard Ø Troubleshooting a Motherboard ◊ Troubleshooting the motherboard is the trickiest part for a technician. ◊ This requires a lot of time, patience and documentation. Since the troubleshooting has to be done at the chip-level, troubleshooting a motherboard can cost more time and money than buying a new one. 58

PC Hardware Basic Guide Module 4 - Motherboard Conclusion ◊ PC bus is an 8 bit expansion slot to connect 8 bit expansion cards ◊ The • • • major components of the motherboard are Processor socket or slot Chipset Super I/O chip BIOS SIMM/DIMM sockets Bus slots ◊ ISA bus is a 16 bit slot present in 80286, 80386, 80486 and Pentium systems ◊ Future upgradeability of the system is the most important one 59