Motherboard

Motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in some complex electronic systems, such as modern personal computers. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the main board, system board, or, on Apple computers, the logic board. Motherboard, like a backplane, provides the electrical connections by which the other components of the system communicate, but unlike a backplane, it also hosts the central processing unit, and other subsystems and devices. Motherboards are also used in many other electronics devices such as mobile phones, stop-watches, clocks, and other small electronic devices.



MOTHERBOARD COMPONENTS:

1. Mouse and Keyboard connectors - Keyboard Connectors are two types basically. All PCs have a Key board port connected directly to the motherboard. The oldest, but still quite common type, is a special DIN, and most PCs until recently retained this style connector. The AT-style keyboard connector is quickly disappearing, being replaced by the smaller mini DIN PS/2-style keyboard connector.

2. USB port - USB is the General-purpose connection for PC. A USB connector's distinctive rectangular shape makes it easily recognizable. USB has a number of features that makes it particularly popular on PCs.

3. Parallel port - Most printers use a special connector called a parallel port. Parallel port carries data on more than one wire, as opposed to the serial port, which uses only one wire. Parallel ports use a 25-pin female DB connector. Parallel ports are directly supported by the motherboard through a direct connection or through a dangle.

4. CPU Chip - The central processing unit, also called the microprocessor performs all the calculations that take place inside a pc. Modern CPUs generate a lot of heat and thus require a cooling fan or heat sink. The cooling device (such as a cooling fan) is removable, although some CPU manufactures sell the CPU with a fan permanently attached.

5. RAM slots - Random-Access Memory (RAM) stores programs and data currently being used by the CPU. RAM is measured in units called bytes. RAM has been packaged in many different ways. The most current package is called a 168-pin DIMM (Dual Inline Memory module).

6. Floppy controller - The floppy drive connects to the computer via a 34-pin ribbon cable, which in turn connects to the motherboard. A floppy controller is one that is used to control the floppy drive.

7. IDE controller - Industry standards define two common types of hard drives: EIDE and SCSI. Majority of the PCs use EIDE drives. SCSI drives show up in high end PCs such as network servers or graphical workstations. The EIDE drive connects to the hard drive via a 2-inch-wide, 40-pin ribbon cable, which in turn connects to the motherboard. IDE controller is responsible for controlling the hard drive.

8. PCI slot – PCI stands peripheral component interconnect. The PCI bus is used to connect I/O devices (such as NIC or RAID controllers) to the main logic of the computer. PCI bus has replaced the ISA bus.

9. ISA slot – ISA stands Industry Standard Architecture. It is the standard architecture of the Expansion bus. Motherboard may contain some slots to connect ISA compatible cards.

10. CMOS Battery - To provide CMOS with the power when the computer is turned off all motherboards comes with a battery. These batteries mount on the motherboard in one of three ways: the obsolete external battery, the most common onboard battery, and built-in battery. 

11. AGP slot – In modern motherboard, a single connector that looks like a PCI slot, but is slightly shorter and usually brown. In this slot, inserted a video card. This is an Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) slot.

12. Power supply plug in - The Power supply provides the necessary electrical power to make the pc operate. The power supply takes standard 110-V AC power and converts into +/-12-Volt, +/-5-Volt, and 3.3-Volt DC power. The power supply connector has 20-pins, and the connector can go in only one direction. 26

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is capable of executing the instructions that are stored in memory, carrying out arithmetic operations, and performing data transfers. Larger computers have several processors (CPUs). It is responsible for interpreting and executing most of the commands from the computer's hardware and software. It is often called the "brains" of the computer. The main unit inside the computer is the CPU. This unit is responsible for all events inside the computer. It controls all internal and external devices, performs arithmetic and logic operations. The operations a microprocessor performs are called the instruction set of this processor. The instruction set is "hard wired" in the CPU and determines the machine language for the CPU.

Computer And PC Hardware Architectural Components

A PC is made up of multiple physical components of computer hardware, upon which can be installed an operating system and a multitude of software to perform the operator's desired functions. It consists of the following parts :-
                 •Main Memory (RAM)
                 •Processor (CPU)
                 •Auxiliary storage (Disk Drives)

                 •Input and Output devices

Example Of Enterprise Computer Environment

Enterprise Computer is seeking employees willing to provide a truly superior customer service experience for our customers. All employees must have a significantly above average technical proficiency and an ability to answer all technical questions a customer may have in regard to the purchase and setup of computers and high tech equipment. But more importantly, all employees must insure that the customer is fully satisfied with each interaction with Enterprise Computer. In an Industry segment that has a notoriously bad reputation for customer service; Enterprise Computer stands alone in its full commitment to customer satisfaction. For most home users, networking means a dial-up or DSL account. For a growing number of users, however, the network is often an enterprise environment like the one shown in Figure.

Enterprise Computing Environment

In the computer industry, an enterprise is an organization that uses computers. A word was needed that would encompass corporations, small businesses, non-profit institutions, government bodies, and possibly other kinds of organizations.

A multinational company that has interconnected computer users located around the world could be considered an enterprise. The network operating system that they utilize can be referred to as an enterprise operating system. The database that stores their global sales information is both an enterprise application and an enterprise database.

Types Of Computers

Computers are classified in three types:-

1.Based on operational principle
2.Based on capacity, speed and reliability
3.Based on size


1: Based on Operational Principles
 
Analog - Analog computers solve problems by using continuously changing data such as: 1.temperature
2.pressure
3.voltage

Digital - The digital Computers work upon discontinuous or discrete data. They convert the data into digital signal (binary digits 0 and 1) and all operations are carried out on these digits at extremely fast rates.


2. Based on capacity, speed and reliability

Mainframe - Mainframe computers allow many simultaneous users industry, research, and university computing centers typically huge databases, complex mathematical operations, processing millions of transactions everyday.

Minicomputers - Minicomputers mid-range servers supporting smaller number of simultaneous users, typically 50 to 100 larger businesses accounting, billing, and inventory records.

Microcomputers - Microcomputers are personal or desktop computer designed for general use by a single person home and all types of businesses entertainment, communication, personal databases, and spreadsheets, word processing, accounting, inventory control, research.


 3. Based On Size:

Desktop - A Personal Computer that is not designed for portability. The computer is set up in a permanent location. Most desktops offer more power, storage and versatility for less cost.

Laptop - These are also called notebooks. Laptops are portable computers that integrate the display, keyboard, a pointing device or trackball, processor, memory and hard drive all in a battery-operated package slightly larger than an average hardcover book.

Palmtop - More commonly known as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Palmtops are tightly integrated computers that often use flash memory instead of a hard drive for storage. These computers usually do not have keyboards but rely on touch screen technology for user input. Palmtops are typically smaller than a paperback novel, very lightweight with a reasonable battery life. A slightly larger and heavier version of the palmtop is the handheld computer.

Workstation - A desktop computer that has a more powerful processor, additional memory and enhanced capabilities for performing a special group of task, such as 3D Graphics or game development.

Server - A computer that has been optimized to provide services to other computers over a network. Servers usually have powerful processors, lots of memory and large hard drives.

Supercomputer- This type of computer usually costs hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Although some supercomputers are single computer systems, most are comprised of multiple high performance computers working in parallel as a single system. The best known supercomputers are built by Cray Supercomputers.

Wearable- The latest trend in computing is wearable computers. Common computer applications (e-mail, database, multimedia, calendar/scheduler) are integrated into watches, cell phones, even clothing.

How Computer Operates or Start Ups or Works

The program and the necessary data are entered into the computer system from an input device, and are stored in main memory where they can be accessed as needed.

Now, the CPU retrieves the instructions from the main memory, one by one, and decodes each instruction to determine what operation to be performed.

When required by instruction, the CPU also retrieves the necessary data from main memory.

The CPU then performs the operation required by the instruction, which might be arithmetic or logical operation. As each instruction is performed, the results are either temporarily saved by the CPU or are stored in main memory.

The processing cycle (retrieve instruction, decode and execute instruction, save results) is repeated until all the program instructions have been carried out by the CPU. The final results are then either stored in main memory, or are sent to an output device such as a printer.








Related Keywords:
       How Computer Works
       How Computer Boots
       Boot Startup of Computer
       How PCs Work?

What is a computer

Computer derives its name from the word Compute that means calculation. A computer is an electronic device that processes or transforms data into useful information by executing a series of predefined instructions. In today, a computer is not only limited to computation, but also used for making phone calls, maintaining databases, listening songs, viewing movies etc. There are two principal characteristics of a computer – 1.It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner. 2.It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions.