Motherboard is the main component of any computer and made of printed circuit board. The motherboard also known as main board, system board, logic board or sometimes shortened as "mobo". Without a motherboard computer system component would be hard pressed to work.
Before the invention of Microprocessor, normally computer were built in a case or micro frames with components connected by countless slots as back plane for connecting purposes. With the arrival of PCB (Printed Circuit Board), the processor and other peripheral device were all set up on this printed circuit board. During 1980s and 1990s according to survey it was found that, if the peripheral devices are increased on the PCB that was very cost-effective. Single integrated circuit (ICs) able to manage low speed peripheral like mouse, keyboard, serial ports etc placed on the motherboard. In the year of 1996, possible to use full range of audio, video, storage and networking function on them. Even for higher and get better system for 3d gaming and graphics card were also including later. There were few company named Micronics, Mylex, AMI, DTR, Orchid Technologies, Elite group were manufacturing the motherboard earlier but like Apple and IBM soon took over their reputation. They built, developed high and sophisticated motherboard. They also managed to add new and upgrade features to do superior performance over prevailing motherboard.
As a motherboard is a electronic circuit devices that take care whole the entire system activities in different way and a systematic way. In any computer system, motherboard plays an important and vital rule which cannot imagine. As a primary hardware component, motherboard performs a number of critical tasks on computer. First of all, It looks like a component hub which serve as the base of other components of computer. This is converted into house a number of essential components such as system memory, central processing unit, expansion slot, network card, graphics card etc. Moreover, it contains all basic circuitry and elements that are needed to computer works. It flows electric pathway called buses which able to relay to the different components. A motherboard act as a data traffic agent who creates communication between all other circuits that are attached directly or indirectly. It is responsible for transfer information within the computer system. This board permits for the use of internal and external device which can easily
upgraded of a computer system. Like printer, audio jacks, hard drivers, keyboard, game controllers. These all are linked to the main board via external ports, connectors, sockets etc.
From the view of form factor and the size or dimension, motherboards are divided into three sections. They are Full AT, Baby AT and ATX. Full AT motherboard is 12 inches and 11 inches long. But one lack is the full AT faced a problem with allows some of items on the motherboard because driver hung over the motherboard. The second in this category of motherboard which is Baby AT are the most popular motherboard among the computer users. It has 8.5 inches wide and 10 inches long. It also has a pin keyboard connector in the top sight corner of the board that's why anyone can easily recognize that. In the year of 1998, Intel Company wanted to use a system with Pentium 2 processor and the new AGP slot so the ATX form started their journey. The properties of ATX board are 7.5 inches wide and 12 inches long with all the IO ports integrated into the board and usb ports. The ATX board provides 100 MHZ bus where the previous board ran at 60/66 MHz and had one agp slots. Another advance to use, it has soft power. That means it could shut down by the operating system like xp, linux, Vista etc.
This design of motherboard is good and adds support to add cards. But it has also some issue. Like if a component fails to works, it cannot repair and the board may have be damaged and junked. It can be handy with integrated features but at the same time it cause a lot of trouble. It keeps everything is separated which is its own place. Most of the computer's motherboard are non integrated design with expansion cards such as sound, modem etc. The most positive features it is if any component goes wrong, it can be repaired and also replace. But similar to integrated design there are few things that are still used in non integrated design which cannot fix. So to be more realistic there is no fully non integrated based board because it is harder to build this kind PC.
The motherboard placed to the bottom of the case. It can stay in a tower or mini tower. This board normally is attached vertically to one side of the case.
Name of The Chips:
CPU
PCI Slot
PC1 slot
PC2 slot
Northbridge
ATX
Memory slot
Power supply plug in
BIOS
CMOS battery
Sata Connector
USB Connector
Southbridge
Font panel connector
Socket
Sound card
Network card
Function Of The Chips :
CPU:
CPU is the main portion of any computer. Also known as a central processing unit or processor.
The CPU can perform arithmetic and logical operations on data which taken from memory.
It contains the storage unit which helps to store information in the computer.
Using circuit called memory controller CPU loads the program.
CPU an also execute the program and process data, like display on the screen.
Carries out the instructions of a computer program.
RAM:
RAM is an electronic, or volatile, state. When the computer is off, RAM is empty. RAM stands for Random Access Memory.
1. Ram is able to receiving and holding a copy of the software instruction and data necessary for processing.
2. RAM is non volatile memory which can store temporary memory and permanent memory hold by disk.
3. It can store program and data that currently use by computer.
4. It is writable and readable. RAM is also used to retrieve information.
5. Programs and instructions are loaded into ram so they are ready to use in a system.
CMOS:
The computer's CMOS, or complementary metal oxide semiconductors, consist of battery-powered microchips that house the basic input/output settings (BIOS) on the motherboard.
The CMOS battery allows the computer to remember the current time and date when it is offline.
The CMOS battery retains the BIOS configurations when the system goes offline.
The CMOS also maintains the system calendar.
4. It helps additional settings to be loaded into system memory during the computer start up.
5. This battery secure valuable CMOS data when desktop is not powered on.
BIOS:
Bios are a integral part of a computer. It also known as a basic input output system or system BIOS.
It works like as a program that is made accessible to the microprocessor on an erasable read only memory chip.
1. BIOS is to carry hardware started and to hand off the hardware to the operating system.
2. It also makes it possible for a computer to boot itself.
3. PC BIOSes that can touch Plug-and-Play (PnP) devices are known as
PnP BIOSes, or PnP-aware BIOSes.
4. It is a chip that's entrenched with information more or less hardware on motherboard
Maintains the settings for the hardware similar to how fast to run memory.
5. BIOS make sure all the other chips, concrete drives, ports and CPU function together.
USB:
A USB flash drive contains flash memory storage with Universal Serial Bus interface.
USB flash drive is used for transferring data, valuable files, image etc from a computer and flash drive to computer.
Usb more reliable to store files such as video, audio, office documents, image also PDF files, and spreadsheets etc. In power point presentation also is performed by usb drive.
A USB drive can be used by working professionals to transport data from place to place..
It can be used to save important files, photos, presentations and personal records as a back-up storage device.
Although it is tiny size, but its stability and storage ability it makes very famous among the users. It is a portable device that easily carry anywhere.
Sound card:
Sound Card is also recognized as a audio card. Every computer has must be a sound card which act as a expansion card that produce the input and output audio signal and beside this computer users can control their audio devices with this.
A sound card is that it provides audio processing needs available to computer.
Sound cards can work with any speakers.
It can record sound from microphone.
It works as synthesizer (generating sounds), as a MIDI interface, analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion.
5. Sound card makes easy many multimedia task such as listening music, educational activities such as presentation and entertainment, games, video and sound editing, music composition, etc.
Network Card
A network card (also called a Network Adapter or Network Interface Card, or NIC for short) acts as the interface between a computer and a network cable. The main purpose of the network card is to prepare, send, and control data on the internet.
The function of the Network card is to get shared with another user/computer and that any files through LAN card but have to make a proper connection.
Network interface cards provide a dedicated and full-time connection to the network.
Network Card can send and controlling data.
It is used to pick up data as send it to network wires then spilt that data into transferable packets and again send them to the server so easily download data from there.
Network cards are used a slot in the PCI bus inside motherboard. Most laptops maintain PCMCIA network card.
Peripheral Devices:
Monitor:
A monitor is an electronic visual display for computers. It comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure. The display device in modern monitors is typically a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) thin panel, while older monitors use a catholic ray tube about as deep as the screen size. The main function of it is to display images, video, generated from the video output of devices such as computers on the screen. There are different kinds of monitor are available now-a-days. They are CRT monitor, LCD monitor, Plasma monitor. CRT Monitor are high dynamic range, supply excellent color, wide gamut and low black level. No input log. On the other hand LCD Monitor is very compact and light low power consumption, No geometric distortion little or no flicker depending on backlight technology. Plazma Monitor has high contrast ratios (10,000:1 or greater,) excellent color, wide gamut and low black level, high speed response. contrast or brightness distortion. excellent viewing with angle. no geometric distortion. Producee Softer and less blocky-looking picture than LCDs, also highly scalable.
Mouse:
Mouse is a device that controls and maintains the movement of the cursor or pointer on a monitor. A mouse is a small object that can roll along a hard, flat surface. It helps to select any program or documents to open and also navigate a website/webpage on the internet which we want to go. Different way a mouse can do his works.
Left mouse button - click and Highlights any documents, word or program it is used. Any program or file can be opened directly by clicking left mouse button.
Right mouse button - provides a list of option with a pop-up menu.
Drag: press the Left mouse button than moves any direction such as down or align middle, right or lest it shows highlighting text that's being selected.
Highlight: left mouse button leads the cursor over the whole documents, paragraphs, or pages.
Triple click: Left mouse button - Highlights a paragraph which can be easily customized.
Keyboard:
It is a type writer board which is set of many key. It provides a lot of keys get together so user can give input from keyboard. Arithmetic, Numeric, Alphabetic number, letter, and many sign character are get together on the keyboard which are used to give instruction to computer.
Anyone can type text and numbers into a word processor, text editor or other program.
It provides computer gaming, either with regular keyboards or by using keyboards with special gaming features.
Produce commands to the operating system of a computer, such as Windows' Control-Alt-Delete combination then a popup menu come on screen with task window or shuts down the machine immediately.
It lets the user input textual and numeric data.
Keyboards are found in different types and function. Some of them Ergonomic Keyboards, Compact keyboard, internet keyboard, multimedia and gaming keyboard etc,
Printer:
As a peripheral component printer produces a text, graphics documents stored in electronic form. It works on hard transparent sheet like paper. The main function of it is to receive electronic documents and print them as hard copies. Some printers are known as network printers integrated with network interfaces, especially wireless and Ethernet based that can serve a hard copy device for users on the entire network. Some printers are building to support and maintain both network local and worldwide connected with computer users. Later some features are added to printers that can provide link to share between interface and electronic media. Now-a-day some printers are gathered with sending option devices such as scanners or fax machines have a single unit and has function like as photocopiers. Multifunction printers (MFP) that support non-printing features and function. Sometimes called multi-function devices (MFD). Most MFPs allows printing, scanning, and copy options.
Scanner
This device can capture images different kinds of source such as newspaper, magazine, posters etc. Other sources like computer editing and display. Scanners come in different way. Scanner is also used for creating higher resolution or lower resolution image. Scanners generally come with different software among them Adobe's Photoshop product, is the best software that lets customize picture and also modify captured picture. Scanners play vital rules in a business or other capable of capturing high quality images in commercial industry.
Scanner lets scan and edit picture.
2. Flatbed scanners are the best and most versatile choice for photo prints and documents.
3. It also can photocopy of picture or crop the picture to make them smaller.
4.It is used for storing photograph into a computer and input printed data on image.
Microphone
Microphone is a device that converts sound waves into an electric signal which fed into other electrical devices such as a recorder, amplifier or a broadcast transmitter. A microphone is to take your sound waves and translates it to appropriate machine readable form and the transmits it as an electrical pulses to the central processing unit for processing. There are different types of microphone in the market. They are Dynamic microphone. Ribbon microphone, Carbon microphone, piezoelectric microphone, Fiber Optic microphone. Laser microphone, Liquid microphone etc. Today electromagnetic induction (dynamic microphone), capacitance change (condenser microphone), piezoelectric generation, or light modulation to create an electrical voltage signal which comes from mechanical vibration.
Webcam:
A webcam is device that is used to capture photo, recording video and transfer them over the internet. This device is entirely connected to the video capture card which can instantly capture video or photo from anywhere and later view them to the people through online. Now a day's webcams brings a lot of opportunities for the users such as they integrated text chat, message sending option. One of the best features is who are not currently online they also get a message from sender through webcam. One of the major thing that webcam allows video chatting which are most interesting part among the current people. Now one to one video communication came to easier than before by developing the sight of video quality has done a good job with this webcam that is ensured more stability and video conferencing system. More functions are added with this such as realistic environment, automatic lighting control and face tracking from both sides.
Game Controller:
Gamer and user needs game controllers to play character or object on the computer. The game or entertainment system whole are controlled with the game controller. A controller is typically connected to a game console or USB port or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by medians of wireless connection. Controllers which have been classified as games controllers are keyboards, mice, game pads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, are also game controllers. The main function of a game controller is to give the movement/actions of a playable body/object or otherwise influence the events in a video or computer game. The type of controller used in a game depends on the genre of the game being played (i.e. Steering Wheel controllers for driving games, yoke like for flying, etc)
Conclusion:
Without any doubt motherboard is a complex and important component of any types of computer. It is more important to choose a proper CPU with memory and input and output then find a motherboard that supports them and works together. It should be known about major features each provides where the particular exactly match with its needs and requirements are.
