First introduce the common motherboard structure specification, explain the development of motherboard specifications.
The main board - a platform we often call a computer - is a key part of a computer. It integrates chipsets, various I/O control chips, expansion slots, and power chips. According to the layout, size, shape, and power supply specifications of the various components on the motherboard, the industry has established corresponding industry standards for the motherboard and its power supplies, chassis, etc., that is, the "structural specifications." The main board structure specifications include AT, Baby AT, ATX, Mini ATX, Micro ATX, LPX, Mini LPX, NLX, Flex ATX, and the relatively new Mini-ITX. Here is a brief introduction to several common motherboard architectures.
1. ATX motherboard (12' x 9.6', 305 x 244mm)
The ATX (AT Extend) architecture was proposed by Intel Corporation in July 1995. The ATX architecture is a new structural design that better supports power management. ATX is a combination of Baby AT and LPX architectures. It rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise on the basis of the Baby AT and provides COM port, LPT port, PS/2 mouse port, and PS/2 keyboard port directly. In addition, on the motherboard design, due to the increased horizontal width, the CPU slot can be placed next to the memory slot, so that when the long card is inserted, no space is occupied by the CPU, and the replacement of the memory bar is also more convenient.
The hard disk port is moved from the edge of the motherboard to the middle, so that it is closer to the hard disk and floppy drive on the chassis after the installation, which facilitates the connection and reduces electromagnetic interference. The power supply is located on the right side of the CPU slot. With the power supply single-edge bracket fan, it can directly dissipate heat from the CPU and the components inside the chassis. Most of the peripheral interfaces are integrated on the main board, which effectively reduces electromagnetic interference and improves the situation in which various devices are connected to compete for space.
The advantages of the ATX architecture are: Firstly, it improves the installation, disassembly and use of hardware in an all-round way; Second, it is more convenient to support existing multimedia cards and future new devices; Thirdly, it reduces the overall cost of the system; Fourth, it improves the system. Ventilation design; fifth is to reduce electromagnetic interference, the space inside the machine is more concise. The EMB-875A in the AAEON Embedded M/B Series is this type of specification.
2. Micro ATX motherboard (9.6' x 9.6', 244 x 244mm)
In 1997, the low-price computer style became popular, and the market demand for low-cost motherboards was relatively large, so MicroATX's motherboard specifications appeared. This specification was modified from the original ATX specification to 244×244mm, which reduced the number of PCI slots and reduced the cost by reducing the area of ​​the printed board and reducing the number of PCI slots. The real rise of MicroATX is not on the 440ZX, but on the later i810 chipset. The i810 chipset does not require a video card and a sound card, so that the number of slots can be reduced. EMB-845M and EMB-900M are MicroATX specifications
3.FlexATX motherboard (9.0' x 7.5', 229 x 191mm)
The FlexATX V1.0 specification was released on March 1, 1999. Its size is smaller than that of the MicroATX motherboard. Its name is taken from the English "Flexbility", meaning flexible and flexible. Using the FlexATX specification can be more cost effective, and in addition to the reduced footprint, other specifications are the same as for MicroATX (version 1.0) and standard ATX (version 2.03), which means that FlexATX motherboards can be immediately adapted to any ATX or MicroATX chassis. Past ATX and MicroATX motherboards require nine holes, while FlexATX is reduced to six. However, the result of this size reduction is the reduction of expansion slots. FlexATX has at most one or two slots.
4. Mini-ITX motherboard (170×170 mm)
This is also the protagonist we want to introduce today. The Mini-ITX specification was proposed by VIA. VIA hopes that its own Mini ITX will become the standard solution for future micro-computers. The reason that Mini ITX's size is so small is not the design's inspiration, but it removes some components. The "number one war criminal" is a CPU socket that takes a lot of space.
This picture clearly shows the difference in size
The strength of the Mini-ITX motherboard is naturally its small size and low power consumption. It can also be easily integrated into a car or a small stereo, and additional hardware is also possible. As far as CPU cooling is concerned, there is no need to worry, because its low heat usually only needs a cheap fan.
Those who have complained about poor performance must be aware that the hardware technology is quite mature. It does not have the troublesome problems that high-end products may cause, and the stability is also very high. Maybe you can accept that the Windows system suddenly crashes (at least when you are used to ...), but the car navigation system and the multimedia system interface in the living room must work properly every time. In addition, AAEON has already launched and is currently developing products based on Intel chipsets and Intel Pentium-M, ULV PIII CPUs, such as EMB-623T and EMB-852T in AAEON Embedded M/B series, which will make even greater progress in performance. , And can also fully cope with the ability to rely heavily on the MPEG-2 (DVD) and MPEG-4 (with AC3) playback work.
5. Embedded ATX
The Embedded ATX architecture is designed to meet the needs of users who wish to use embedded motherboards in low profile applications. The main advantages are the compatibility with the existing ATX series and the addition of PCI Riser. Card expansion. In addition, the Embedded ATX and micro ATX architectures are fully compatible with the dimensions and mounting holes, such as EMB-830 in the Aeon Embedded M/B series.
I believe that everyone has a certain understanding of the motherboard specifications, AAEON will definitely introduce more and better products to the market in the future. Whether it is past, present or future, AAEON is an expert in embedded systems, and also your choice of industrial control products. The best partner.