Foxconn 925XE7AA architecture

Evgenie Rudometov

http://www.rudometov.com

On the basis of Intel chip set 925XE company Foxconn has developed and has released the high-powered motherboard oriented to the upper models of processors of Intel of Pentium  4 and supporting variety of perspective processing techniques

Continuing expansion on the world computer markets, company Foxconn carries out release of hi-tech products under an own brand. Grounded in 1974, it possesses powerful intellectual, industrial and financial potentials. Company Foxconnna is the largest original equipment manufacturer of computer accessories for such corporations as HP, Dell, IBM, Gateway, Apple and many other things. Among these completing the visible place is occupied with motherboards. Domestic users have already got acquainted with some models and could estimate their excellence. These cards presented in different price categories, are oriented to modern high-powered processors.

As products of sector High End of the computer market it is possible to result the motherboards created on the basis of the specialised chipset of the system logic (chip set) of Intel 925X. It, for example, model 925A01-8EKRS2, recently considered on pages of the given issuing.

However, as is known, progress is not necessary on a place, and soon after an output of more perfect variant of the bar of specialised sets of Intel 925, presented by Intel chip set 925XE (i925XE), company Foxconn has developed and has released motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 (the article 925A02-8EKRS2).

This card has full name FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 (decryption of an alphanumeric code is resulted more low). However, as a rule, the abbreviated name of the given card — FOXCONN 925XE7AA further will use .

The specified motherboard supports processors of corporation of Intel in the newest konstruktive LGA  775 and realises perspective branch and firm processing techniques in the architecture. The high-powered chip set I925XE concerning, as well as its predecessor — chip set I925X (and to it — I875), to units HighEnd, and intended for support of appropriate processors of Intel became a basis of this card  .

Intel chip set 925XE

Fig. 1. Structure of the computer created on the basis of a chip set of Intel 925XE

The chip set i925XE (a Fig. 1), as well as set I925X, is oriented to creation of high-powered desktop personal computers and powerful workstations of initial level. It is intended as a basis for systems with processors of Intel of Pentium 4, 90 nanometers created on processing technique , hooked up through LGA775 plug and working with bus FSB of type QPB (Quad-Pumped Bus).

Clock rate of the bus can make 133, 200, 266 MHz that provides data transfer on frequencies of 533/800/1066 MHz and addresses on frequencies support 266/400/533 Mgts.

The chip set supports processing techniques Hyper-Threading (multithreaded fulfilment of a program code), EM64T (64-bit addressing and performance of 64-bit commands) for which support by the processor is required also, BIOS and the operating system.

Traditionally for chipsets of system logic the chip set consists of two components named Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and I/O Controller Hub (ICH).

The base package of a chip set i925XE consists of Intel chips 82925XE Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and Intel 82801FB (ICH6). As the second chip improved variants ICH can be applied. It can be, for example, Intel 82801FR (ICH6R), possessing the expanded possibilities of operation with a disk subsystem of memory.

Built in Intel 82925XE the controller of processor bus FSB of type QPB supports the bus with clock rate of 266/200/133 MHz that provides data transfer on frequencies of 1066/800/533 MHz. Clock rate of 1066 MHz has provided support High-End of processors IntelPentium 4 ExtremeEdition with frequency of the bus of 1066 MHz.

Built in Intel chip 82925XE the memory controller provides support of two and one-channel functional modes of memory DDR2 SDRAM. Patterns with usage DDR2 SDRAM with a transmission frequency of data of 400 and 533 MHz are possible . Maximum size of dynamic storage — to 4 Gbytes. According to the documentation, support in bar I925X/I925XE support ECC provides only I925X.

On speed of operation i925XE, as well as I925X, exceeds i915. It is reached basically at the expense of usage of special processing technique of operation of a subsystem of memory. This processing technique is clone of processing technique PAT realised in previous chip sets I875, oriented, as well as I925X, and I925XE, on high-powered computer systems High End.

Structure of package FOXCONN 925XE7AA

Motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA (FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2, 925A02). Characters entering into a full name mean the coding of the integrated resources applied in the architecture: L  — 1 00 M LAN, K  — 1G LAN, 6 — six channels audio, 8 — eight channels audio, E  — IEEE 1394, S  — SATA, R  — RAID. Using this information, it is completely not difficult to decrypt a code which is the second part of the name, and to receive representation about functionality of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2.

Fig. 2. Motherboard FOXCONN package 925XE7AA

(Fig. 2) motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA (FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2) standardly are included into package structure following components:

·          the Packing box of original design,

·          Motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA (a Fig. 3 and a Fig. 4),

·          the Cover plate of input/output,

·          the Documentation in English,

·          the Compact disc with the software from FOXCONN,

·          Three diskettes with drivers for controllers RAID,

·          Three round cables Ultra DMA 66/100/133,

·          One cable of the drive floppy,

·          Eight cables Serial ATA 150 (in the given package – six cables),

·          Four cables of power supply Serial ATA 150 for hooking up of eight arrangements (in the given package – two cables),

·          USB 2.0 Units (four ports), IEEE1394b (two ports),

·          Map Wi-Fi (optional),

·          Aerial Wi-Fi (optional).

Main technical parametres FOXCONN 925XE7AA

Fig. 3. Motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA

Fig. 4. External plugs of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA

The processor

·          Support of the processor of Intel of Pentium 4 (90 nanometers, Prescott) in tank LGA 775 with the system bus 533, 800, 1066 MHz,

·          Support of processors of Intel Celeron with the bus of 533 MHz in tank LGA 775.

Chip set

·         Intel 82925XE (MCH),

·         Intel 82801FR (ICH6R).

Dynamic storage

·         Four plugs (240 contact electrodes) for dynamic storage DIMM,

·         Support of one or two channels of dynamic storage,

·         Memory modules DDR2 400 or DDR2 533,

·         Maximum size — to 4 Gbytes,

·         Support PAT.

USB 2.0

·          Eight (4+4) ports USB 2.0.

IEEE1394

·          Three ports (1 x 1394b + 1 x 1394a 4-contact + 1 x 1394a 6-contact).

Video

·          the Videoadapter in PCI slot Express x16.

Audio

·          Built in 7.1-channel High Definition (Realtek).

LAN

·          Two built in controllers Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) controllers, two ports (Broadcom).

System BIOS

·         8 Mbit flash EEPROM w/LAN boot, PnP, ACPI, WfM, DMI 2.0.

Disk drives

·          the Interface of the floppi-drive,

·          Intel ICH6R: one Parallel ATA IDE; four Serial ATA c RAID 0, RAID 1 and Intel Matrix Storage Technology.

·           

Plugs of peripherals

·          keyboard and mouse Ports PS/2,

·          One serial port,

·          One parallel port,

·          One port IEEE1394b,

·          Two ports LAN (RJ-45),

·          Four ports USB 2.0,

·          Six plugs of audio,

·         SPDIF.

Slots

·          one PCI slot Express x16,

·          three PCI slots Express x1,

·          three PCI slots.

Form factor

·          ATX,

·          the Sizes 12 ”x 9.6” (305 mm h 244 mm).

Features of FOXCONN 925XE7AA architecture

Motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA is fulfilled on textolite of bright red colour. Card bussing is substantially standard. The short description of the main crosspieces which set the parametres defining functional modes, is resulted directly on a card surface.

Considering card FOXCONN trend 925XE7AA, usage of high-powered models of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing techniques Hyper-Threading, EM64T and the bus of 1066 MHz (a transmission frequency of data) is recommended  . It provides reaching of a maximum level of productivity. By the way, using the newest program codes BIOS application of the last models is possible. It can be models of Intel of Pentium 4 steppinga E0 with high clock rate of operation of a kernel, for example, 3,8 GHz, and also appropriate models of Intel of Pentium 4 Extreme Edition.

Nevertheless, despite orientation of the motherboard to sector of high-powered systems, usage and less efficient models of processors is possible. It can be, for example, the processors calculated for the bus of 533 MHz.

In motherboard FOXCONN architecture 925XE7AA in a dynamic storage subsystem DDR2 SDRAM units working on frequencies of 400 and 533 MHz use .

For handle of input\output devices the ICH component which is a part of a chip set traditionally responds. As this component of the given copy of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA Intel chip 82801FR (ICH6R) uses.

In the motherboard architecture two network controllers Gigabit Ethernet presented by chips Broadcom are built in.

Ports external consecutive interfaces are presented IEEE1394b (to 800 Mbit/c), IEEE1394а (to 400 Mbit/c) and USB 2.0 (to 480 Mbit).

For the extension of the computer system created on the basis of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA, the appropriate expansion slots presented by traditional PCI plugs and rather new PCI Express x1 are.

The motherboard architecture incorporates vosemju ports Serial ATA 150 and three port Parallel ATA-100. To increase productivity of a subsystem of hard disks it is possible by means of processing technique RAID 0, and data protection — by means of processing technique RAID 1. For the extension of possibilities RAID in the architecture uses additional chips: Silicon Image 3114 RAID (four ports Serial ATA with possibility of multiplexing in RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, JBOD), ITE 8212F IDE RAID (two Ultra DMA 133/100/66 with possibility of multiplexing in RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, JBOD).

Considering possibilities of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA, it is necessary to mark, that this card supports also variety of firm processing techniques: SuperBoot, SuperBIOS, SuperRecovery, SuperSpeed.

Certainly, are not ignored designers of the given motherboard and possibility of dispersal.

Estimating possibilities of installation of the numerous parametres defining functional modes of units of the motherboard and accessories of the computer, it is necessary to mark, that concrete possibilities depend on the version of program code BIOS.

Power supply of units of motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA is carried out through system of impulse stabilising devices (VRM), integrated into its architecture. They are presented VRM the processor, bus PCI Express x16 and dynamic storage units.

It is necessary to add, that in motherboard FOXCONN architecture 925XE7AA traditional possibilities of hardware monitoring are realised. It is carried out by multifunction array ITE IT8712F-A resources. The control over supply voltages (+3,3, +5, +12), with operation of three cooling fans, processor temperature (it is built in a processor chip) and cards (is built in the card) is provided.

Summing up to all aforesaid, high-powered, multifunctional board FOXCONN 925XE7AA (FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2), created on the basis of High-End a chip set i925XE, can be recommended a wide range of users.

Motherboard FOXCONN 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 is given by the Moscow representation of company Foxconn