The term "motherboard" or "mainboard" refers to the most prominent component found inside a personal computer or Pc. It is a large circuit board mounted to one side or lowest of the computer case depending on the type of Pc. Even laptops include a motherboard but these are designed specifically for the laptop in which they are fitted. There are some types of motherboard and they are categorized by the type of case they fit into also known as the form factor. Atx and mAtx or micro Atx are the two most base types installed in most contemporary Pcs.
The motherboard's role is to allow everything to impart with each other. The circuit board contains a number of ports or connectors allowing the discrete internal components within the computer to impart with the processor, memory etc. All of these connectors have a role and allow discrete components and devices to be fitted or installed internally or externally.
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In the rest of this report I will illustrate the function of each of these ports or connectors and the devices that may be linked to them.
Cpu or Processor Socket
The Cpu socket is rather self explanatory as it holds the Cpu. There are discrete types of processor available and each is designed to fit a sure Cpu socket type. The socket is designed so that the processor can only be fitted one way. This is usually thought about by a series of notches cut out of the edges of the Cpu. These notches will match the Cpu socket for definite facility of the processor. The motherboard Cpu socket usually contains a mechanism or latch to firmly lock the processor securely into the socket.
Memory Slots
Again the memory slots are just that. They hold the computer memory in place. Motherboards can have a varying number of memory slots fitted to them. In most home Pcs there are two, three or four slots. As with the Cpu socket, the memory slots are designed to hold specific types of memory. The slots have a number of raised points designed to correspond with the definite type of memory module, they also help to determine the orientation of the memory when installed. At each end of the slot a small latch device can be found. These latches are opened before installing the memory module and lock it in place as the module is inserted into the slot.
Sata Connectors
These connectors allow devices such as hard disk drives and Cd/Dvd drives to be installed in the computer. The number of these connectors varies depending on the motherboard. The connector can be recognised by the small L-shaped receptacle which prevents improper fitting of the Sata cables.
Ide/Pata Connectors
These are the older type of connection for hard disk drives and Cd/Dvd drives. Older motherboards may have two of these connectors, a primary and secondary. An Ide cable would be used to connect up to two devices to each connector. The connector has two rows of pins and a notch cut out of one side enabling easy fitting of the cables ensuring that they are correctly fitted. contemporary motherboards may only have one Ide connector fitted to allow whether an older hard disk or Cd/Dvd drive to be installed.
Agp Graphics Slot
This is a brown coloured slot used to fit the older Agp graphics cards. On some motherboards this would have a small latch at one end to securely hold the graphics card in place.
Pci, Pci-E Expansion Card Slots
These are usually white in colour and the number can vary dependant on the motherboard. The older Pci has now been substituted by the Pci-E or Pci Express standard. They allow expansion cards such as sound, network or multimedia cards to be installed allowing easy expansion of the computers functionality. Fitting a card simply involves pushing the expansion card into the slot when the computer is powered off.
Motherboard Header Connectors
The motherboard contains a series of small connectors in discrete locations colse to the board. They usually consist of a number of raised pins. These header connectors have a variety of uses. Some allow Usb ports placed on the case to be connected, others are for connecting the front panel audio connections such as headphone and microphone sockets housed on the computer case. Connecting to these headers can be awkward and consultation of a motherboard hand-operated is usually required.
External Ports
On the rear facing edge of the motherboard there are a number of ports that are graphic on the rear of the Pc. These may vary depending on the age of the board. The base ports are Ps2 which are coloured purple for connecting a keyboard, green for connecting a mouse. There may also be a red parallel printer port although these are rarely found on contemporary boards. Another port which is less base on contemporary boards is the turquoise serial connectors that are used to connect a variety of devices such as old moderns, bar code scanners etc. Some motherboards may have a network or Rj45 port used for connecting the computer to a network but this is not all the time present. Usb and Audio connection ports are also placed on the rear of the board allowing external Usb devices and speaker systems or microphones to be linked to the Pc.
As we can see above the motherboard is the centre piece when it comes to connecting all the discrete computer components inside and face of the Pc. So how does the motherboard control all these devices and allow them to impart successfully?
On the motherboard there is sometimes one or two micro-chips which control the motherboard functions. They are sometimes known as the chipset but the definite names are "Northbridge" and "Southbridge" chipsets. Each has a specific role for controlling discrete transportation functions in the middle of the discrete components linked to the motherboard.
Computer Components - The Motherboard Explainedmicro usb cable
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