Motherboard
Motherboard
Motherboard is the main circuit board, called a printed circuit board (PCB) in modern electronic devices, including PCs. People call the motherboard the main board, the system board, logic board, or the “mobo.” Mobo is popular amongst people who modify computers, including over clocking various components such as video cards and processors.
Before microprocessors, engineers built computer systems in a frame or cage, connecting components to a back panel (consisting of slots) with wires. In very old computers wires attached to pins on each component, but later engineers began using printed circuit boards, connecting many wires to each board. Individual circuit boards, plugged into the back panel, contained the CPU, memory and other components
In the 1980's manufacturers began saving money by including more functions on the motherboard. Super I/O chips, located on the motherboard, supported a variety of devices including floppy disk drives, ports (serial and parallel,) audio, video, and network interfaces. These integrated functions meant the computer no longer needed expansion cards, except in cases when a user needed extended functions such as 3D graphics cards provided.
Many companies explored early motherboard development and manufacturing, including:
- Hauppauge
- Orchid Technology
- Elitegroup
- Micronics
- Mylex
- AMI
- DTK
- DFI
- Many manufacturers in Taiwan
Companies such as IBM published the schematics for its computers (the IBM PC.) This allowed third party replacement motherboards. Companies used third party motherboards in IBM PC compatible computers. These third party motherboard included upgraded features.
The term mainboard refers to single boards with no peripheral or expansion functionality, such as the boards in appliances like refrigerators and garage door openers. Motherboard contrasts that because they allow extensions through peripherals or “daughter boards.”
Motherboards for IBM compatible computers are by far the most common type of motherboard. Like the old back panel, the motherboard provides all the connections from components to the system. But the motherboard also serves as the home for the CPU as well as for other devices.
Engineers use motherboards in many electronic devices including watches, phones, clocks, and other miniature electronics.
A typical PC has both the CPU and RAM on the motherboard, as well as controllers for hard drives, and optical storage (CD or DVD.) The actual devices – hard drives, optical drives, and others – connect to the motherboard via cables, or plug directly into the motherboard (video cards, sound cards.) Many modern motherboards still integrate basic versions of video, audio, as well as networking.
The motherboard chipset provides the interface between the CPU and other devices. That's why people who build or modify systems have to match the CPU with an existing or new motherboard.
A modern motherboard contains:
- Sockets for CPU
- Memory slots
- Chipset interface between the CPU, main memory, and buses (peripherals)
- Firmware or BIOS memory chips (Flash ROM)
- System clock – synchronizes components
- Expansion card slots
- Power connectors – receive power from the power supply, deliver power to the components such as the CPU and memory
- Connectors and logic for common I/O including mouse and keyboard
- Heatsinks and fan mounting points so people can attach fans which cool the CPU and system
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