COMPONENTS OF A MOTHERBOARD(CHIPSETS)

In this session we will learn & know about the Components of a Motherboard, Where it placed on the motherboard, Which function they are performed & how to interact with other components as well as other hardware.

To each components deeply first thing we must know is "Bus" architecture.

    {{ Many components of a computer system work on the basis of         a "bus". A "bus",in the sense,is a common collection of           signal Pathways over which related devices communicate           within the computer system.

       Expansion buses of various architectures,such as PCI &           AGP, incorporate slots at certain points in the bus to           allow insertion of external devices, or adapters,into the         bus, usually with no regard to which adapters are                 inserted into which slots. 

       The term "bus" is also used in any parallel or bit-               serial wiring implement where multiple devices can be             attached at the same time in parallel or in series.

       eg. USB,SCSI,Ethernet. }}

CHIPSETS :->

A chipset is a collection of chips or circuits that perform interface & peripheral functions for the processor.This collection of chips is usually the circuitry that provides interfaces for memory,expansion cards,& on board peripherals & generally dictates how a motherboard will communicate with the installed peripheral. Chipsets include mainly two chip "Northbridge" & "Southbridge".

NORTHBRIDGE :->

                     The Northbridge subset of a motherboards chipset is the set of circuitry or chips that performs one very important function : management of high speed peripheral communications. The Northbridge subset is responsible primarily for communications, for instance, & processor-to-memory communications.

{{ How to identify whih one is the northbridge chip on the motherboard ? It's very easy the chip which is nearer to the processor with aheatsink is the northbridge chip.}}

The northbridge is directly connected to the southbridge & helps to manage communications between southbridge & rest of the computer.

SOUTHBRIDGE :->

                     The southbridge subset of the chipset, is resposible for providing support to the myriad onboard slower peripherals ( PS/2, Parallel, IDE & so on ) managing their communications with the rest of the computer & the resources given to them. Most of the motherboards today have integrated PS/2,USB, Parallel & Serial. Some of the optional features handled by southbridge include LAN, Audio, Infrared & Fire wire(IEEE 1394).

The southbridge is also resposible for managing communications with the other expansion "buses" like PCI, USB, & Legacy Buses.

                            

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