SEMINAR ON MOTHERBOARD

What is a motherboard….????We all know that a motherboard is a vital

part of every PC.A motherboard houses the BIOS (Basic

Input Output System), which is the simple software run by a computer when initially turned on. Other components attach directly to it, such as the memory, CPU (Central Processing Unit), graphics card, sound card, hard-drive, disk drives, along with various external ports and peripherals.

Structure of Motherboard

Diagram of Motherboard

Components of MotherboardProcessor SocketMemory(RAM) SlotsIDE(Integrated Drive Electronics) ConnectorAGP(Accelerated Graphics Port)PCI Slots(Expansion Slots)North BridgeSouth BridgeBIOS(Basic Input Output System)Onboard USB AdapterOnboard Sound CardOnboard Serial PortOnboard Parallel PortOnboard PS2 Mouse/Keyboard Connector

Processor Socket A CPU socket is often made up of plastic, a metal lever or

latch and metal contacts for each of the pins or lands on the CPU. Most packages are keyed to ensure the proper insertion of the CPU. CPUs with a PGA package are inserted into the socket and the latch is closed. This has the effect of physically securing and protecting the CPU as well as causing an electrical connection between all the CPU pins and the socket. In the case of LGA the CPU is placed onto the socket and a latch is closed over the CPU, securing it. Most CPU sockets are designed to support the installation of a heat sink. It must be able to protect the CPU from the weight of the heat sink (often very heavy in weight relative to the CPU) particularly during the installation and removal, but also ensuring the heats ink makes good thermal contact with the CPU.

CPU sockets provide an advantage over directly attaching CPUs to the PCB by making it easier to replace the processor in the event of a failure. The CPU is often the most expensive component in the system and the cost of a CPU socket is relatively low which makes this popular among computer system manufacturers.

The nature of a CPU socket requires it not only to make good electrical contact with the CPU, but also to be soldered to the PCB with which it interfaces.

Memory(RAM) Slots

Memory slots are used to connect a motherboard with RAM(Random Access Memory).

RAM is used to store the temporary data like OS files , user files, files required to run an application.

A file to be copied from HDD to external medias like CD ,floppy ,pen drive etc also use RAM as their medium.

Much of the memory available today is dual data rate (DDR) memory. This means that the memory can transmit data twice per cycle instead of once, which makes the memory faster. Also, most motherboards have space for multiple memory chips, and on newer motherboards, they often connect to the north bridge via a dual bus instead of a single bus. This further reduces the amount of time it takes for the processor to get information from the memory.

IDE(Integrated Drive Electronics) Connector

It is used to connect different IDE based Peripherals to Motherboard.

Peripherals such as:CD-ROMDVD-ROMHDD(Hard Disk Drive) etc.

AGP(Accelerated Graphics Port)

It is used to connect the graphic card also known as video adapter to the motherboard.

Using the graphics card we connect our computer with the display i.e monitor.

PCI Slots(Expansion Slots)It is used to connect the external peripheral

devices. They include: Sound card

Radio card TV tuner card etc.

North BridgeNorth Bridge controls the flow of data

between the CPU/Processor and Graphic card , RAM.

South BridgeSouth Bridge controls the flow of data

between CPU/Processor and everything except which the north bridge does.

It includes PCI,HDD,LAN ports ,USB Ports etc.

BIOS(Basic Input Output System)Booting the computer.Validates the PC configuration.Provides an interface between hardware and

software.

BIOS Snap

Onboard USB AdapterIt is used to connect any external media or

devices supporting the USB(Universal Serial Bus) connection.

Devices such as Printer , Pen-drive ,Modem ,External HDD etc.

Onboard Sound CardSome motherboards have an onboard audio

out.It is used to give the audio output of the

computer.

Onboard Serial PortThe serial port is used to connect your

motherboard to monitor/display.

Onboard Parallel PortThe parallel port is used to connect your pc

to any printer having a parallel port connector.

Onboard PS2 Mouse/Keyboard ConnectorPS2 connector is used to connect our

keyboard and mouse to the pc for giving inputs.

Conclusion Unless you have limitless resources, price is always a

consideration when buying computer component. A motherboard usually takes up a fairly large part of any PC budget, so it requires careful consideration. It is worth bearing in mind that cheaper boards sometimes support only more expensive components: If this is the case, work out the total cost of buying the board and components, as sometimes it may be worth spending a little more on a more expensive board. A cheap motherboard may be more unreliable and more trouble than it is worth. A motherboard is one of those components where it pays to spend a little extra.

Thank you...