E5164 COMPUTER SYSTEM DIAGNOSIS AND MAINTENANCE

Unit 2: Motherboard

Prepared by : Mohd Zuhaimi b Zolkifli

Motherboard?
The Motherboard is the main chassis of the PC. All data that flows from component to component inside the computer at some point goes through the motherboard. That is the Motherboards main function to direct data flow to the right components.

Function of motherboard main components

CPU Expansion Slot Buses Chipset BIOS & CMOS Sockets Ports

CPU?

CPU Central Processing Unit

The brain of computer The portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program. Does all the calculations and performs 90% of all the functions of a computer.

Processor Socket/Slot (1)

Sockets are basically flat and have several rows of holes arranged in a square. Processor slot is another method of connecting processor on the motherboard but one which an Intel Pentium II or Pentium III-class processor on a special expansion card can be inserted. More complex processor (Intel Itanium) use a package known as a pin array cartridge (PAC).

Processor Socket/Slot (2)

CPU SOCKET SLOT 1 CONNECTOR SLOT

PAC SOCKET

Type of Expansion Slot (1)

Type of Expansion Slot (2)

Related Buses

What is bus? The paths the computer uses to transport data from one component to another. (It doesn't matter how fast your CPU is or your disk
drive if the bus isn't wide and fast.)

Fast and wide? The width of the bus is determined by how many bits of data the bus can transfer in one operation. (Therefore, a 32-bit bus is wider than a 16-bit bus.) The speed of a bus is rated in megahertz (MHz), which is one million cycles per second. (A single hertz is
one electronic cycle that performs one operation.)

Difference between computer buses

Data width Cycle rate Device Management Type
To determine the bandwidth, or the total amount of data that the bus can transmit.

The maximum number of supported devices and the difficulty of configuring them.

Two types of bus communications, serial and parallel.

Front Side Bus - FSB

The FSB is the interface between the CPU and the motherboard, specifically the North Bridge/Memory Controller Hub. Also connects the various hardware components to the main microprocessor, or central processing unit (CPU). The FSB is bi-directional, meaning data can flow both ways, allowing components to send and receive data from the CPU. Speed of FSB is depends on how wide the front side bus is, its frequency, and the amount of data it can process per clock tick of the CPU

FSB - Example

Memory Bus
The memory bus is the interface between the RAM and the motherboard The memory bus is made up of two parts: the data bus and the address bus
Data Bus: which carries actual memory data within the PC Address Bus: used to select the memory address that the data will come from or go to on a read or write

Input/Output Buses (1)

I/O buses connect the CPU to all other components, except RAM. On modern PCs, usually they are four buses:
ISA bus, which is an old low speed bus, soon to be excluded from the PC design. PCI bus, which is a new high speed bus. USB bus (Universal Serial Bus), which is a new
low speed bus.

AGP bus, which solely is used for the graphics card.

Input/Output Buses (2)

Chipset

Whats a chipset? A collection of chips or circuits that perform interface and peripheral functions for the processor. processor Collection? Usually the circuitry that provides interfaces for memory, expansion cards, onboard peripherals and generally dictates how a motherboard will talk to the installed peripherals. - Functions of chipset can be divided into two major functional groups : Northbridge and Southbridge.

Northbridge
Management of high-speed peripheral communications. Responsible for communications with integrated video using AGP and PCIe, and processor-to-memory communications.

Southbridge
Responsible for providing support to the myriad onboard peripheral (PS/2, Parallel, IDE etc), managing their communications with the rest of the computer and the resource given to them. Also responsible for managing communications with the other expansion buses (PCI, USB and legacy buses).

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Chip

Special memory chip contains the BIOS software that tells the processor how to interact with the rest of the hardware in the computer.

CMOS(1)
PC has to keep certain setting when its turned off such as:
Date Time Hard Drive Configuration Memory

PC keeps these settings in a special memory chip called the Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) chip.

CMOS(2)
To keep it setting, the memory must have power constantly. Motherboard manufacturers include a small battery called CMOS Battery to power the CMOS memory.

Socket (1)
IDE Socket
Usually use to connect hard drive, CD-RW, DVD etc.

JTAG IDE Socket

IDE Connector

Socket (2)
SIMM Socket
holds a single SIMM SIMM (single inline memory module )

Socket (3)
DIMM Socket
Usually use for DRAM, SDRAM, non-standard DRAM module etc DIMM - Dual in-line memory module, comprises a series of dynamic random access memory integrated circuits

Socket (4)
FDD Socket
used for floppy disk drives.

Port (1)
USB Port
the easiest and most common technique for connecting hardware simply plug the hardware into your computer.

Port (2)
iLink/IEEE 1394/FireWire
the highestperformance hardware connection used for digital video cameras and external hard disks Most new computers include at least one iLink port

Port (3)
PC Card
to support extremely small accessories, such as wireless adapters

Port (4)
PS/2
the standard connection for your keyboard and mouse.

Port (5)
Serial or parallel ports
the oldest connection type for external hardware accessories are easy to connect software configures these connections automatically

Main Memory

Introduction
Also known as RAM (Random Access Memory) Needs to have electrical power in order to maintain its information (When power is lost, the
information is lost too!)

It can be directly accessed by the CPU Main memory is expensive compared to external memory so it has limited capacity

How it work?
A memory chip is an integrated circuit (IC) made of millions of transistors and capacitors. A transistor and a capacitor are paired to create a memory cell, which represents a single bit of data. (in DRAM) The capacitor holds the bit of information. The transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuitry on the memory chip read the capacitor or change its state.

 A capacitor is like a small bucketthat is able to store electrons. To store a 1 in the memory cell, the bucket is filled with electrons. To store a 0, it is emptied. The problem with the capacitor's bucket is that it has a leak. The memory controller has to come along and recharge all of the capacitors holding a 1 before they discharge. The memory controller reads the memory and then writes it right back.

Memory Organisation
Auxiliary memory Magnetic tapes Magnetic disks CPU Cache memory I/O processor Main memory

Register Cache

Main Memory

Magnetic Disk

Magnetic Tape

Memory Signals

NOTE
Each motherboard supports memory based on the speed of the front side bus (FSB) and the memorys form factor. Example: if FSB rated at max speed 533MHz and memory rated at 300MHz, the memory will operate at only 300Mhz. (make the computer operate slower than what it could)

Memory Packaging
The memory slots on the motherboard are designed for particular module form factors or styles. DIP, SIMM and SIPP are obsolete memory packages. The most popular form factors for primary memory modules today are DIMM, RIMM, SoDIMM and MicroDIMM

Memory Module SIMM (1)

Single in-line memory module
containing random access memory used in computers from the early 1980s to the late 1990s DRAM technologies used in SIMMs include EDO and FPM. The first variant of SIMMs has 30 pins and provides 9 bits of data. The second variant of SIMMs has 72 pins and provides 32 bits of data (36 bits in parity versions)

Memory Module SIMM (2)

30 pins
Size: 256 KB, 1 MB, 4 MB, 16 MB Have 12 address lines, which can provide a total of 24 address bits. With an 8 bit data width, this leads to an absolute maximum capacity of 16 MiB.

72 pins
Standard sizes: 1 MiB, 2 MiB, 4 MiB, 8 MiB, 16 MiB, 32 MiB, 64 MiB, 128 MiB With 12 address lines, which can provide a total of 24 address bits, two ranks of chips, and 32 bit data output, the absolute maximum capacity is 227 = 128 MiB.

Memory Module DIMM (1)

Dual In-line Memory Module comprises a series of dynamic random access memory integrated circuits. 64-bit memory modules that are used as a package for the SDRAM family (SDRAM, DDR and DDR2. DIMM differentiate the functionality of the pins on one side of the module from the corresponding pins on the other side.

Memory Module DIMM (2)

168-pin SDRAM module

184-pin DDR SDRAM module

DIMM slots

Memory Module DIMM (3)

DIMM range in capacity from 8 MB to 1 GB per module and can be installed singly instead of in pairs. Another standard, Rambus in-line memory module (RIMM), is comparable in size and pin configuration to DIMM but uses a special memory bus to greatly increase speed.

Memory Module SODIMM (1)

Many brands of notebook computers use proprietary memory modules, but several manufacturers use RAM based on the small outline dual in-line memory module (SODIMM) configuration. SODIMM cards are small, about 2 x 1 inch (5 x 2.5 cm), and have 144 or 200 pins. Capacity ranges from 16 MB to 1 GB per module. Sub-notebook computers use even smaller DIMMs, known as MicroDIMMs, which have either 144 pins or 172 pins.

Memory Module SODIMM (2)

Type Of Memory (DRAM)

Dynamic random access memory Has memory cells with a constant refreshing.

paired transistor and capacitor requiring

Type Of Memory (SRAM)

Static random access memory Uses multiple transistors, typically four to six, for each memory cell but doesn't have a capacitor in each cell. It is used primarily for cache.

Type Of Memory (FPM DRAM)

Fast page mode dynamic random access memory It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of data by column and row. Then reading the bit before it starts on the next bit. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 176 MBps.

Type Of Memory (VideoRAM)

A type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3D accelerators. VRAM normally has two independent access ports allowing the CPU and graphics processor to access the RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located on the graphics card and comes in a variety of formats. The amount of VRAM is a determining factor in the resolution and color depth of the display. VRAM is also used to hold graphics-specific information such as 3-D geometry data and texture maps.

Type Of Memory (EDO DRAM)

Extended data-out dynamic random access memory Does not wait for all of the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the address of the first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about five percent faster than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264 MBps.

Type Of Memory (SDRAM)

Synchronous dynamic random access memory Takes advantage of the burst mode concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit as it goes. The idea is that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.

Memory bank system

How memory load onto motherboard

Operating System and Boot Processes

Introduction
OS provides a consistent environment for other software to execute commands. Gives users an interface with the computer so they can send commands (input) and receive feedback or result (output)
Devices Processor

Hard disks

OS

Memory

Input/Output

OS Terms and Concept

Version normally described by a number, which tells you how new the product is in relation to other versions of the product. Source actual code that defines how a piece of software work. (open source: can modify/ close source: can't modify) Shell a program that runs on top of the OS and allows the user to issue commands through a set of menus or some other graphical interface.

 Graphical User Interface (GUI) a method by which a person communicates with a computer. Network any group of computer that have a communication link between them. Cooperative Multitasking a multitasking method that depends on the application itself to be responsible for using and then freeing access to the processor.

 Preemptive Multitasking a multitasking method in which OS allots each application a certain amount of processor time and then forcibly takes back control and gives another application or task access to the processor. Multithreading ability of a single application to have multiple requests in to the processor at one time.

Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows was born out of the Microsoft Disk Operating Systems (MSDOS) The limitations of the DOS command-line interface became apparent. Solution make the OS easier to navigate, more uniform, and user friendly. 1985 1st version of Windows was released.

Windows 1

Window 1 - 1985
Featured the tiling window, mouse support, and menu systems. Also offered cooperative multitasking, meaning that more than one Windows application could run concurrently. It didnt use icons. More graphical version of the DOSSHELL.exe program.

Windows 2

Windows 2.0 - 1987

Added icons and allowed application windows to overlap each other, as well as tile. Support was also added for PIFs (program information files), which allowed the user to configures Windows to run their DOS applications more efficiently.

Windows 3.x

Windows 3.x 1990an

A far more flexible memory model (more
than 640kb normally imposed by DOS)

The addition of the File Manager and Program Manager Allowed for network support. Could operate in 386 Enhanced mode
(used part of the hard drive as virtual memory able to use disk memory to supplement the RAM in the machine.)

 Version 3.1(1992) provide better graphical display capability and multimedia support, improved Windows errorprotection system and let application work together easily (object linking and embedding OLE) Version 3.11 (Windows for Workgroup) support both 16-bit and 32-bit application.

Windows 95

Windows 95 - 1995
Integrated the OS and the shell. Designed to be hybrid of the features of previous DOS versions and newer 32-bit systems. Support both 32-bit and 16-bit driver as well as DOS driver. Support for Plug and Play (PnP) standard.

Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP

Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Windows 98/Me released after 95. Then Windows NT designed to be far more powerful, uses an architecture based entirely on 32-bit code and is capable of accessing up to 4GB of RAM. Then Windows 2000 used the same interface as Windows 98 with a few important enhancement. Windows XP come in 3 version (XP Home, XP Professional and Media Center), contains more corporate and network features.

Other OS
Windows Server 2003 Windows Vista MAC OS Linux

Boot Process
Supplying Power Bootstrap Core Test POST OS Search Loading OS

Supplying Power
The internal power supply turns on and initializes. The power supply takes some time until it can generate reliable power for the rest of the computer, and having it turn on prematurely could potentially lead to damage. Therefore, the chipset will generate a reset signal to the processor until it receives the Power Good signal from the power supply.

Bootstrap
A technique which a simple computer program activates a more complicated system of programs. Example: In the start up process of a computer system, a small program such as BIOS, initializes and tests that hardware, peripherals and external memory devices are connected, then loads a program from one of them and passes control to it, thus allowing the loading of larger programs, such as an operating system.

Power-on self-test (POST)

It is the first step of the more general process called initial program load (IPL), booting, or bootstrapping. On power up, the main duties of POST are handled by the BIOS, which may hand some of these duties to other programs designed to initialize very specific peripheral devices, notably for video and SCSI initialization.

 Verify the integrity of the BIOS code itself Find, size, and verify system main memory Discover, initialize, and catalog all system buses and devices Pass control to other specialized BIOSes (if and when required) Provide a user interface for system's configuration Identify, organize, and select which devices are available for booting Construct whatever system environment that is required by the target OS

Principal duties of the main BIOS during POST

POST beeps code

Beeps Steady, short beeps Meaning Power supply may be bad

Long continuous beeps Memory failure Steady, long beeps No Beeps One long, two short beeps Power supply bad Power supply bad, system not plugged in, or power not turned on Video card failure

1st stage of typical POST

2nd stage of a POST

Boot Process of DOS Operating System

1. Once the computer system is turned on, the BIOS performs a series of activities called POST that checks to see whether the peripherals in the system are in perfect order. 2. This Pre Boot Sequence consists of a series of steps that starts with the execution of software stored in the ROM called firmware.

3. After the BIOS is done with the pre boot activities, it searches for the Master Boot Record in the first physical sector of the bootable disk. 4. Note that a floppy disk cannot be partitioned and hence does not contain the MBR. Hence, if the bootable disk is floppy, this process is skipped and the boot strap loader is loaded in the memory.

5. If the bootable disk is not the floppy, the MBR finds and searches the partition table to load and scan all the extended partitions to find the primary partition. 6. When it finds one, it implies that it is the bootable partition, and, the Operating System loader (bootstrap loader) is loaded from that partition onto the memory. 7. A boot strap loader is a special program that is present in the boot sector of the bootable drive

8. MS DOS Operating system comprises of the following files: ---

Mandatory

IO.Sys MSDOS.Sys Command.Com

Should be present in the bootable drive If not found, then the message,"Non-system disk or disk error Replace and press any key when ready"

Config.Sys Autoexec.bat

Optional

9. The boot strap loader first loads the IO.Sys file. (responsible for Input Output in the DOS environment.) 10. The next file that is loaded is the MSDOS.sys which is the core of the DOS operating system. (responsible for Memory management and Processor Management in the DOS environment.) 11. The MSDOS.Sys file now searches to find the name of the command interpreter in the Config.Sys file and when it finds one, it loads the same onto the memory. 12. If no command interpreter is specified in the Config.Sys file, the Command.Com file is loaded as it is the default command interpreter of DOS Operating system. 13. You can load a different command interpreter by specifying the following in the Config.Sys file.

14. The last file to be loaded and executed is the Autoexec.bat file that contains a sequence of DOS commands. 15. Now, the prompt is displayed and you can see the drive letter of the bootable drive displayed on your screen indicative of the fact that the Operating System has been loaded successfully from that drive.

Boot Disc
What?
A boot disk will allow you to boot off of a diskette instead of your hard drive. This diskette can be used to fix issues that may arise during the lifetime of your computer.

Creating a Window XP boot disk

The Microsoft Windows XP CD is a bootable CD and in many cases you should not need a bootable floppy diskette. Booting from the Windows XP CD will allow you to not only install/reinstall Windows XP but will also allow you to troubleshoot it.

Important file in Boot Disc

Boot.ini - which contains configuration options for a boot menu. NTLDR - which contains the main Boot loader itself Ntdetect.com - To load an NT-based OS
(NTLDR is actually required. If boot.ini is missing, NTLDR will default to \Windows on the first partition of the first hard drive. Many desktops in the home are in this configuration and a missing boot.ini file will simply generate an error stating it is missing, then boot into Windows successfully.)

Create MS-DOS bootable diskette

When formatting a floppy diskette, users have the option of creating a MS-DOS startup disk, follow the below steps to do this. 1. Place diskette in the computer. 2. Open My Computer, right-click the A: drive and click Format. 3. In the Format window, check Create an MSDOS startup disk. 4. Click Start

How to use a boot diskette

1. Place the diskette into write-protect mode (in case a virus is on the computer, this will not allow the virus to transfer itself onto the diskette). 2. Insert the diskette into the computer and reset or turn on the computer to begin the boot process. 3. As the computer is booting, answer the questions prompted (if any). 4. Once at the A:\> take the appropriate actions depending upon the situation of the computer.

Resources System
Interrupt Request (IRQ) DMA Channel I/O Addresses

Interrupt Requests (IRQ)

What? IRQ manage various hardware operations. Devices such as sound cards, modems, and keyboards can all send interrupt requests to the processor. Example: when the modem needs to run a process, it sends an interrupt request to the CPU saying, "Hey, hold up, let me do my thing!" The CPU then interrupts its current job to let the modem run its process.

IRQ (2)
It is important to assign different IRQ addresses to different hardware devices - the interrupt request signals run along single IRQ lines to a controller. This interrupt controller assigns priorities to incoming IRQs and sends them to the CPU. Since the interrupt controller can control only one device per IRQ line, if you assign the same IRQ address to multiple devices, you are likely to get an IRQ conflict. This can cause a range of errors from not allowing network connections to crashing your computer. So make sure you assign unique IRQs to new hardware you install and avoid the frustration and keyboard throwing that conflicts can cause.

Direct Memory Access (DMA)

Method of transferring data from the computer's RAM to another part of the computer without processing it using the CPU. While most data that is input or output from your computer is processed by the CPU, some data does not require processing, or can be processed by another device. In these situations, DMA can save processing time and is a more efficient way to move data from the computer's memory to other devices.

DMA (2)
For example, a sound card may need to access data stored in the computer's RAM, but since it can process the data itself, it may use DMA to bypass the CPU In order for devices to use direct memory access, they must be assigned to a DMA channel. Each type of port on a computer has a set of DMA channels that can be assigned to each connected device.

I/O Addresses
Resources used by virtually every device in the computer. Conceptually; they represent locations in memory that are designated for use by various devices to exchange information between themselves and the rest of the PC.

I/O Addresses Spaces

Unlike IRQ and DMA channels, which are of uniform size and normally assigned one per device, some devices use more than one because many devices wrapped into one package such as sound card. I/O addresses vary in size - some devices have much more information to move around than others

Motherboard Fault Symptoms

Basic Troubleshooting Method