Basis Abit DigiDice

Evgenie Rudometov,

Victor Rudometov

http://www.rudometov.com

On the basis of Intel chip set 865G Abit corporation develops and releases motherboard Abit IS-50 which has become by a basis by created this corporation of a platform barebone, named as Abit Engineered DigiDice.

Presented in the market in a considerable quantity of model of motherboards differ not only functionality, but also the price, and design. Thus the design is defined substantially by the computer usage as which basis the concrete motherboard has served. Estimating existing types of widespread systems, it is necessary to mark, that a variety of their types grows in development of the architecture of personal computers. This growth is linked to tendency on the one hand to universalizatsii solutions, with another — to specialisation. The purpose of such division is rise of efficiency of usage of the created computer systems.

As a result of development of the architecture and implementation of the given approach there was a wide spectrum of computers: from transportable compact handheld computers and notebooks to bulky stationary systems. Intermediate position is occupied rather desksize, but with stationary systems. The youngish class of the computers which have received the name of computers barebone concerns their number.

Dimensions of the typical computer of a format barebone exceed the sizes become usual notebooks. Nevertheless, the sizes of models of a new class of systems much less than traditional form factors of desktop variants. B though computers barebone for the present have not received the status of standard desktop solutions, they promptly type popularity. As a result the market of rather desksize computers barebone, is one of most dynamically developing sectors in the industry.

The solutions of systems barebone were offered by many known manufacturers of computer accessories and systems. Abit corporation which production is widely presented in the Russian market has not stood aside of this process also. Responding to inquiries of the computer market, this corporation has presented the development barebone, named Abit Engineered DigiDice or is simple Abit DigiDice.

The given development represents a platform of compact system. This platform gives to the user possibility to create the high-powered system oriented to the multimedia market of home arrangements, capable to combine in the uniform hardware-software complex the computer, audio and CD/DVD video players, and also appropriate writers of audio and information video, etc .

For creation of the computer system it is enough to instal missing accessories in platform Abit DigiDice. Such accessories concern: processor IntelPentium  4 or IntelCeleron NetBurst architectures, dynamic storage DDRSDRAM units, drives of CD/DVD and hard disk drives, and also the screen monitor, the keyboard and the mouse. By the way, the infra-red remote control traditional for home electronic engineering already is present at a platform package barebone from Abit. This console provides handle of the computer system.

Basis of platform Abit DigiDice is motherboard Abit IS-50 created on the basis of the chipset of the system logic with the integrated video subsystem — Intel chip set 865G.

Intel chip set 865G motherboard Abit IS-50

Fig. 1. Structure of the computer created on the basis of a chip set of Intel 865G

The bar of chip sets of Intel 865 (i865) consists of models i865PE, i865P, i865G, i865GV. The given bar of chip sets (chipsets of system logic), known earlier as Springdale, is oriented to development of desktop personal computers. Supports processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading, 0,13 microns created on processing technique hooked up through Socket 478 plug and working with bus FSB of type QPB (Quad-Pumped Bus).

Bar leader i865 is the chip set i865PE. It is a set it is calculated for clock rate 100, 133 and 200 MHz that provides a transmission frequency of data 400, 533, 800 MHz. Chip sets i865G and i865GV are chip sets with the built in graphics system which has received the company name of Intel Extreme Graphics 2.

The base package of a chip set i865G consists of Intel chips 82865G Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) and Intel 82801EB (ICH5). As the second chip improved variant ICH5 — Intel 82801ER (ICH5R), possessing the expanded possibilities of operation from a disk subsystem of memory can use .

It is necessary to mark, that by bar chip sets i865 it is not supported (officially and actually, contrary to marketing messages of some manufacturers of motherboards) processing technique PAT providing high efficiency of operation of a subsystem of dynamic storage and realised in a set i875P. Besides, chip sets of the given bar do not support also error correction operations — ECC.

Chip GMCH contains the controllers giving interfaces with high capacity in the structure. These controllers control the system bus with data transfer with frequency of 800 MHz and two-channel memory DDR SDRAM. Besides, they will organise operation of the integrated graphics resources on the basis of processing technique of Intel Extreme Graphics 2, graphic interface AGP8X and communication facilities with a chip of input/output ICH. Feature of a chip set is support of resources of the architecture of Intel Communication Streaming Architecture with the interface on the basis of the selected network bus (Dedicated Network Bus, DNB), providing data transfer under standard Gigabit Ethernet (GbE).

Chip GMCH of chip set I865G supports two-channel memory DDR266, DDR333 and DDR400 by total amount to 4 Gbytes, AGP 8Х, bus CSA (for chips of Intel Gigabit Ethernet).

82801EB / Intels 82801ER (ICH5 / ICH5R) are supported by Intel chips to 6 arrangements PCI Busmaster, AC ' the 97-codec ((20 bits, AC ' 97 2.2), 8 ports USB 2.0, 4 arrangements IDE with a parallel interface to ATA/100, 2 arrangements IDE with interface Serial ATA-150. At chip usage (the southern bridge) ICH5R multiplexing of disk drives of interface Serial ATA-150 in array RAID  0 or RAID  1 is possible  .

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of chips MCH/GMCH which is a part of chip sets of the bar i865

Parametres	I865G	i865PE	i865P	i865GV
МикросхемыMCH/GMCH	i82865G GMCH	i82865PE MCH	i82865P MCH	i82865G GMCH
Processors	Intel OF PENTIUM 4	Intel OF PENTIUM 4	Intel OF PENTIUM 4	Intel OF PENTIUM 4
Hyper Threading	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
The processor bus, MHz	800/533/400	800/533/400	533/400	533/400
Dynamic storage	DDR400/ 333/266	DDR400/ 333/266	DDR333/ 266	DDR400/ 333/266
ECC	No	No	No	No
Move. A memory size, a Gbyte	4	4	4	4
AGP	8X/4X	8X/4X	8X/4X	No
Built in Drawing	Intel Extreme Graphics 2	No	No	Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Bus DNB	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second
The local bus	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second

Table 2. Comparative characteristics of chips ICH which is a part of chip sets of the bar i865

Chips	ICH5/ICH5R	ICH5/ICH5R	ICH5/ICH5R	ICH5/ICH5R
The local bus	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second
Version PCI	PCI 2.3	PCI 2.3	PCI 2.3	PCI 2.3
PCI Masters	6	6	6	6
Interface IDE	Ultra ATA/100	Ultra ATA/100	Ultra ATA/100	Ultra ATA/100
Serial ATA	2 ports, ATA/100	2 ports, ATA/100	2 ports, ATA/100	2 ports, ATA/100
RAID	With ICH5R	With ICH5R	With ICH5R	With ICH5R
USB	8 ports, USB 2.0	8 ports, USB 2.0	8 ports, USB 2.0	8 ports, USB 2.0
AC ’ 97	20-bit Audiosystem	20-bit Audiosystem	20-bit Audiosystem	20-bit Audiosystem
Super I/O	LPC	LPC	LPC	LPC

The main technical parametres of motherboard Abit IS-50

Fig. 2. Motherboard Abit IS-50

Fig. 3. External (Back plugs of motherboard Abit IS-50

Fig. 4. External (Front plugs of motherboard Abit IS-50

The processor

·        support of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 (kernel Northwood, 512 Kbytes of cache memory L2) in 478-contact tank mPGA with clock rate to 3,0 GHz +, processing technique Hyper-Threading and with the processor bus FSB of type QPB providing transmission frequencies of data 400, 533, 800 MHz;

·        support of processors of Intel Celeron (kernel Northwood, 128 Kbytes of cache memory L2) in 478-contact tank mPGA.

Chip set

·        Intel 82865G GMCH (GMCH) + Intels 82801EB (ICH5), are possible variants from Intel 82801ER (ICH5R).

Dynamic storage

·        about two channels of dynamic storage with the units installed in two DIMM DDR SDRAM slots (184 contact electrodes, 2,5 In, unbuffered, without ECC) Are supported ;

·        units of dynamic storage of type DDR 400, DDR333, DDR266, maximum size of a subsystem of memory — to 2 Gbytes.

Video

·        one general-purpose 1,5 plug or 0,8 In AGP 3.0 with support of mode AGP 8X/4X.

Audio

·        5.1 audiosubsystem on the basis of codec ALC 650.

LAN

·        the integrated network controller of Realtek corporation — RTL8101L 10/100 Mbps LAN PHY with an output on standard network RJ45 plug.

USB

·        a maximum six (4 external and 2 internal) USB 2 plugs.

Interfaces of disk drives

·        two connectors Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33;

·        two connectors Serial ATA-150.

System BIOS

·        BIOS Phoenix Award, 4 Mбит Flash EEPROM.

Slots

·        one AGP slot;

·        one PCI slot.

Peripherals plugs external (Back)

·        one PS/2 plug of the keyboard;

·        one PS/2 plug of the mouse;

·        one plug of VGA;

·        two USB 2.0 plugs;

·        one RJ45 plug;

·        one S/PDIF Out plug;

·        audioplugs (Speaker, Line-Out, Line-In, Mic-In, Center/Sub-woofer).

Peripherals plugs external (Front)

·        one IEEE 1394 plug ;

·        one USB 2.0 plug;

·        one Mic-In plug;

·        one Headphone plug;

·        one 6-v-1 card reader plug supporting SM, MMC, SD, CMS, CF, MicroDrive;

·        one plug of the LCD-display;

·        four plugs of shortcuts;

·        one plug a lot of the step switch.

Monitoring of hardware

·        monitoring of powers and temperatures.

Special functions

·       Abit SoftMenu;

·       Abit Manager, etc.

Form factor

·        ATX.

Motherboard Abit IS-50 documentation

The architecture and motherboard Abit IS-50 parametres are described in the order bookings which is presented in package Abit DigiDice. Entirety and quality of the documentation allow not only to familiarise with potential possibilities of the motherboard, but also renders the essential help in assemblage of the configured system and customisation of hardware-software resources of the computer.

Features of the architecture and design of motherboard Abit IS-50

The design of motherboard Abit IS-50 as a whole corresponds to the settled traditions defined by referens-design. First of all it concerns the critical regions of the card linked to operation of the processor, chip MCH of a chip set of Intel 865PE, dynamic storage and the video resources in this case presented by an internal video subsystem or the external videoadapter. Otherwise, motherboards are disabled. This results from the fact that operation of the enumerated major components of system of hardware of the computer is characterised by very high frequencies that demands the certain conditions of service following from objective physical laws. However the design of motherboard Abit IS-50 possesses also a number of the features following from the architecture, a construction and platform assignment barebone, developed and presented Abit corporation.

Fig. 5. Motherboard Abit IS-50 structure

In the system created on the basis of the given card, usage of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading and the bus with a transmission frequency of the given 800 MHz is recommended  . It provides reaching of a maximum level of computer power. Nevertheless, usage and less efficient models of processors of same NetBurst architecture is possible. It can be, for example, the models calculated for the bus of 533 MHz and even of 400 MHz. Though Intel chip set 865G is taken up a position as the chipset for the processors supporting processing technique Hyper-Threading, together with motherboard Abit IS-50 probably application of models in which this processing technique is not supported. For example, together with this card can be maintained and models of processors of Intel Celeron of NetBurst architecture. However it is necessary to recognise, that this variant does not provide high levels of productivity of system which can be reached with powerful processors IntelPentium  4.

Fig. 6. The processor plug of standard Socket 478

It is necessary to mark, that implementators of platform AbitDigiDice guarantee working capacity exclusively with the processors created on the basis of kernel Northwood. Models on kernel Willamette are not supported. Besides, formally processors on kernel Prescott are not supported also. Thus, if absence in list Willamette speaks features of the architecture Prescott — it is exclusive because of high energopotreblenija and the heat releases, superimposing hard requirements on VRM and cooling resources barebone. Though it is necessary to recognise, that models Prescott with frequency of 533 MHz keep within the installed limits.

Parsing a spectrum of possible models of processors, it is not necessary to forget and about a dynamic storage subsystem. According to possibilities of a used chip set of Intel 865G the functional mode of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be as one-channel (at a transmission frequency of the given 800 MHz and memory modules DDR400 the pass-band makes 3,2 Gbytes/c), and two-channel (under those conditions the pass-band of 6,4 Gbytes/c) is reached . The two-channel mode allows to receive completely depthbalanced system on informational streams as pass-bands of the processor bus and the memory bus coincide. In this case they make equal values: at a transmission frequency of the given 800 MHz and memory modules DDR400 — 6,4 Gbytes/with. Thus operation of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be or synchronous — clock rate of operation of memory modules coincides with clock rate FSB, or asynchronous — clock rate differs from frequency FSB. Considering that fact, that in many cases of implementation of systems on the basis of Abit IS-50, graphics resources as a part of chip GMCH of a chip set i865G use, it is expedient to use a two-channel pattern of dynamic storage. By the way, in case of unsufficiency of productivity of the integrated video subsystem there is a possibility of application of external AGP 8X videoadapter .

Fig. 7. Chip North Bridge with cooling resources

Estimating high-speed parametres of a subsystem of dynamic storage, it is necessary to add, that though the most high-speed units are DDR400, can use both DDR333, and DDR266. It is necessary to add, that frequency functional modes of memory modules are set in BIOS Setup the given motherboard. In the same place it is possible to instal the parametres defining tajmingi operations of used units that provides implementation of their hidden potential and rise of productivity of system.

For handle of input\output devices the second chip which is a part of the used chip set traditionally responds. As the given chip Intel 82801EB (ICH5) uses. It is necessary to mark, that there are variants of motherboard AbitIS-50 with Intel chip 82801ER (ICH5R).

Fig. 8. Intel chip 82801EB (ICH5) a chip set i865G, responsible for input/output

In the architecture of motherboard Abit IS-50 by means of the integrated controllers the set of the functions accessible only several years ago is realised is exclusive by means of the built in resources which are a part of expansion cards.

In the motherboard architecture, except chips of Intel and Abit, units of such corporations, as VIA, RealTek, Avance Logic (division RealTek), Texas Instruments and others are used.

Intel chip 82801EB (ICH5) allows the user to create different patterns of a disk subsystem. Thus disk drives can be hooked up, as by means of traditional interface Parallel ATA/100, and serial interface Serial ATA-150. Here it is necessary to remind, that Serial ATA is the standard ATA of a new generation providing scaled productivity, necessary for problem solving both today's, and tomorrow. Possessing capacity in 150 Mb per second, Serial ATA faster present widespread standard Parallel ATA, possessing thus 100 % a software compatibility with the last. In case of Intel chip 82801ER (ICH5R), multiplexing of hard disk drives with interface SerialATA-150 in array RAID  0 or RAID  1 is possible  .

Fig. 9. A battery for CMOS BIOS, two Parallel ATA/100 plugs and two Serial ATA plugs

The important attribute of the modern computer are the developed multimedia possibilities. One of making data of resources are audioresources. In the motherboard they are presented traditional for solutions from Abit by chip ALC650. The given integrated controller provides a six-channel sound rather excellence.

Network controller Realtek RTL8101L is built in the motherboard architecture 10/100 Mbps LAN PHY. Data traditional for Abit corporation motherboards the built in network controller provides data transfer with frequency to 100 Mbit/with. He allows to hook up easily through built in RJ-45 plug the computer to the local area network providing, for example, an output in the broad-band Internet channel. Presence of the built in network controller gives the chance to participate, for example, in network games, not being spent on acquisition of an additional map of the extension.

Fig. 10. Chips VIA VT6307, SuperI/O Winbond W83627, ALC650 6-channel audio CODEC, network controller Realtek RTL8101L 10/100 Mbps LAN

Integrated into structure of Abit IS-50 architecture chip Winbond W83627 realises possibilities SuperI/O.

Chip VIA VT6307 used as a part of the given motherboard, provides possibilities of port IEEE 1394, being standard communication facility of videounits which digital videocameras, for example, concern, digital videorecorders, etc .

In motherboard Abit IS-50 architecture support of the big number of ports of standard USB 2.0 is provided , two of which is standardly output on a backboard. But in a construction similar plugs and on the front panel are provided. Estimating possibilities of the given ports, it is necessary to remind, that the bus of this standard gives a high-speed way for hooking up of arrangements of a new generation. Providing return compatibility with arrangements USB 1.1, bus USB 2.0 in forty times faster the predecessor. Speed USB 2.0 makes 480 Mbit/with while USB 1.1 provides only 12 Mbit/with. For this reason USB 2.0 is ideal solution for connection to the motherboard of the computer of the peripherals working on the big transfer rates.

As well as all motherboards of the given corporation, Abit IS-50 supports dispersal modes (overclocking). For enthusiasts of dispersal there is a possibility of installation of the forced functional modes of the processor, dynamic storage, video resources. So, for example, Abit IS-50 allows to increase frequency FSB from rating value to 300 MHz with step 1 MHz. Besides, there is a possibility to raise a supply voltage on memory modules and AGP to 2,8 and 1,65 In according to step 0,05 Century In addition it is possible to raise power on the processor to +0,375 In with step 0,025 In, and also to regulate tajmingi operations of memory modules and to change over a wide range dividers or to fix frequency of buses PCI/AGP.

It is necessary to add, that the processing technique of an expedition reminding PAT from Intel and realised in i875P is included in dispersal resources in BIOS Setup traditional for motherboards from Abit. This processing technique of rise of productivity from Abit has received name Game Acceleration. It has four variants of customisations — Auto, Turbo, StreetRacer and F1.

Rise of dependability and stability of operation is promoted by implementation of the hardware monitoring providing the control over supply voltages and operation of cooling fans. This possibility considerably simplifies the control over hardware of the computer in case of usage of modes of dispersal.

Levels of standard power rails +3,3, +5 and +12 In, values of temperature of the processor and the motherboard, a rotating speed of three fans are inspected a number of the major parametres, among which supply voltage of a kernel of processor Vcore . Powers on memory modules, AGP, Battery, Standby are besides, displayed.

By the way, the part of given data is output on the separate special LCD-display which, the truth, is not the constituent of the motherboard.

One more feature of Abit IS-50 architecture is usage of a three-channel variant of a pulse converter of powers — VRM.

Fig. 11. A three-channel pulse converter of powers (VRM) motherboard Abit IS-50

Converter VRM is allocated traditionally between the processor and input/output plugs.

Considering features of power supplies, it is necessary to mark, that on the given motherboard except VRM there are also separate stabilising devices of power supply of buses AGP and dynamic storage units.

Fig. 12. Converters of a supply voltage of units of dynamic storage and external AGP videoadapter of motherboard Abit IS-50

For power supply of accessories, including motherboard Abit IS-50, the system created on the basis of platform Abit DigiDice, the desksize power supply unit by power of 200 W (AC 115 V~230 V, 4-2 A, 50/60 Hz) from Enhance Electronics is provided     .

Power supply unit output parametres

Output potential, In	+3,3	+5	+12	-5	-12	+5sb
Output current, And	17	12	10	0,3	0,5	1,5

Fig. 13. The Power supply unit for motherboard Abit IS-50

In conclusion of the given browse, it is necessary to mark, that the platform barebone Abit DigiDice is substantially obliged by wide functionality to motherboard Abit IS-50. Testing has shown high stability of system operation barebone and its rather high productivity.

The package of platform Abit DigiDice is given by the Moscow representation of Abit corporation