IS7 architecture from Abit

Evgenie Rudometov,

Victor Rudometov

http://www.rudometov.com

The high-powered chip set of Intel 865PE became a basis of motherboard Abit IS7 released by Abit corporation. The given card in which the big number of firm processing techniques is realised, is oriented to creation of the high-powered computer systems which basis is made by processors of NetBurst architecture with processing technique Hyper-Threading.

The models of computer accessories presented in the market differ the big variety. It complicates a choice. Especially it is difficult for making in case of such difficult products, as motherboards

Tens large and small manufacturers of motherboards persistently recommend to potential users the products. Their products differ not only the price and packing, but also functionality, parametres of dependability and stability of operation. Thus the given parametres substantially depend on a choice of chips and quality of manufacture of cards corporations-manufacturers. And it depends on suppliers, qualification of implementators, underlying hardware and carefulness of testing.

Many computer corporations which number makes some tens are engaged in development and release of motherboards. One of such manufacturers is well-known Abit corporation. This corporation releases a wide spectrum of the products oriented to modern high-powered processors.

As an example of the cards developed under processors of Intel of Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron of NetBurst architecture, created and released by experts of the corporation of Intel, it is possible to result motherboard ABIT IS7, presented by several models.

Motherboard Abit IC7-G is intended for the market of the desktop computers used at offices and at home. For a basis of this card the high-powered chip set of Intel 865PE is, allowing to realise all advantages of the architecture of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading.

Intel chip set 865PE motherboard Abit IS7

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

The bar of chip sets of Intel 865 (i865) consists of models i865PE, i865P, i865G. The given bar of the chip sets 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).

The bar leader i865 — a chip set i865PE is calculated for clock rate 100, 133 and 200 MHz that provides a transmission frequency of data 400, 533, 800 MHz.

Processing technique PAT realised in i875P, i865PE is not supported by a chip set (officially and actually, contrary to marketing messages of some manufacturers of motherboards). Besides, by chip sets of the given bar it is not supported and ECC.

The base package consists of Intel chips 82865PE Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and Intel 82801EB (ICH5). As the second chip Intel 82801ER (ICH5R) can use.

Chip MCH supports two-channel memory DDR266 (for any frequency FSB), DDR333 (for 533 and 800 MHz) and DDR400 (only for 800 MHz), AGP 8Х, bus CSA (for chips of Intel Gigabit Ethernet).

Chips ICH5/ICH5R support about 6 arrangements PCI Busmaster, AC ' the 97-codec ((20 bits, AC ' 97 2.2), 8 ports USB 2.0, 4 arrangements IDE with the interface to ATA100, 2 arrangements IDE with interface Serial ATA (with a number of limitations). At usage of southern bridge ICH5R the organisation of arrangements Serial ATA in RAID0 is possible.

The main technical parametres of motherboard Abit IS7

The processor

• Processors of Intel of Pentium 4 (Socket 478) with frequencies FSB of 800/533/400 MHz are supported
• Support of processing technique of Intel Hyper-Threading

Chip set

• Intel 865PE / ICH5 (ICH5-R)
• podderzhika Dual Channel DDR 400
• Support of processing technique Game Accelerator
• Support Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI)

Memory

• 4 plugs for dynamic storage (the 184-contact electrode, DIMM)
• Support of 4 DIMM Single/Dual Channel DDR 400 memory units. (Max. 4  Gbytes)

AGP

• Accelerated Graphics Port with support AGP PRO 8X/4X (0.8  In / 1.5 )

Serial ATA / Serial ATA RAID

• 2 channel Serial ATA 150 Mbajt/with data transfer rate / RAID 0 (option)

Local area network support

• The integrated network controller 10 / 100 Mbit (10 / 100 / 1000 Mbit an option)

Support of interface USB 2.0

• Support of 8 ports USB 2.0 with a transfer rate to 480 Mbit/sek

Support of interface IEEE1394 (option)

• Support of interface IEEE1394a with transfer rates 100 / 200 / 400 Mbit/sek

Sound subsystem

• Built in 6-channel AC 97 CODEC
• The professional digital interface with support 24-bit S/P DIF optical In/Out

Media XP (Option)

• The kard-reader for maps of formats Memory Stick, Secure Digital and Type I/II CompactFlash
• Support of wireless handle and S/PDIF Out / Mic In / Headphone Out / USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394

System BIOS

• Processing technique SoftMenu
• Support Plug-and-Play (PNP)
• Support Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI)
• Anti-virus function (AWARD BIOS)

Internal plugs

• 1 x AGP, 5 x PCI slots
• 1 x IrDA
• 1 x Floppy Port supports up to 2.88 Mбайт
• 2 x Ultra DMA 33/66/100 Connectors
• 4 x Serial ATA 150 Connectors (2х an option)
• 2 x USB 2.0 headers, 2 x IEEE 1394a header (option)
• 1 x CD-IN, 1 x AUX-IN

Backboard plugs

• 1 x PS/2 Keyboard, 1 x PS/2 mouse
• 1 x Printer Port, 1 x COM port
• 1 x S/PDIF Out connector, 1 x S/PDIF In connector
• 1 x Audio connectors (Front Speaker, Line-in, Mic-in)
• 1 x Audio connectors (Center/Sub, Surround Speaker)
• 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x IEEE 1394a
• 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x RJ-45 LAN Connector

The additional

• ATX form factor
• Hardware monitoring - Including Fan speeds, Voltages, System environment temperature

Motherboard Abit IS7 models

Structure of a package of motherboard Abit IS7-E

Fig. 2. A package of motherboard ABIT IS7-E,

Into package structure enter:

·        a box;

·        motherboard Abit IS7-E;

·        a compact disc with drivers and utilities

·        the user manual in English with short descriptions in different languages, including Russian;

·        the quick reference guide on motherboard and software installation;

·        cables of arrangements ATA 100/66 and the flexible drive;

·        the cover plate of input/output corresponding to specification ATX, etc .

Features of the architecture and design of motherboard Abit IS7-E

Fig. 3. Motherboard ABIT IS7-E developed and released by Abit corporation

Fig. 4. Motherboard ABIT IS7-E plugs

The design of motherboard Abit IS7-G developed and released by Abit corporation, as a whole corresponds to the referens-design of similar products created and recommended by corporations, releasing sets of system logic.

As card Abit IS7-E is oriented to application in high-powered systems, therefore in the systems created on the basis of the given card, usage of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading and the bus of 800 MHz is recommended  . It provides reaching of a maximum level of productivity. However usage and less efficient models is possible. It can be, for example, the processors calculated for the bus of 533 MHz and even of 400 MHz.

Cовместно with motherboard Abit IS7-E created on the basis of a chip set i865PE, application of models and without support of processing technique Hyper-Threading is possible. However together with this card can be maintained and models of processors Celeron though, it is necessary to recognise, that it does not provide the high levels of the productivity accessible to more efficient variants of processors and the given motherboard.

The subsystem of memory of the card is two-channel. Thus the functional mode of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be as one-channel (3,2 Gbytes/c), and two-channel (6,4 Gbytes/c). Thus first two DIMM slots of motherboard Abit IS7-E concern the first channel built in a chip set i867PE the memory controller, last two — to the second channel.

It is necessary to mark, that the two-channel mode allows to receive completely depthbalanced system. It is provided in the event that pass-bands of the processor bus and the memory bus coincide and make equal values — 6,4 Gbytes/with. Thus operation of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be or synchronous — clock rate coincides with frequency FSB, or asynchronous — clock rate differs from frequency FSB. It is set in BIOS Setup — SDRAM Frequency.

One of features of design Abit IS7-E are resources of cooling of chip MCH. In spite of the fact that the referens-design of the motherboard from Intel corporation provides passive cooling of the given chip, engineers Abit used traditional solution for the products — rather small heat sink supplied with the fan. It on a plan of implementators raises stability of operation of the card, especially in modes of the dispersal advocated by Abit corporation in the products, otja it is necessary to mark, that the additional fan does not promote lowering of the common noise level.

Fig. 5. Chip MCH of a chip set i865PE with resources of cooling and the plug of processor Socket 478

The second chip of a chip set i865PE — ICH5, responsible for input/output, thanks to insignificant teploobrazovaniju it is traditional in cooling resources does not require, as has found reflexion in design Abit IS7-E.

Fig. 6. Chip ICH5 (Intel 82801ЕB, responsible for input/output) a chip set i865PE and SerialATA plugs

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

One more important feature of the architecture and design of motherboard Abit IS7-E is usage of the resources providing implementation of interface Serial ATA 150. However in the architecture of the given model of a resource and possibility RAID are not provided.

audiosredsta are provided by traditional chip ALC650. The given integrated controller provides a six-channel sound.

The network controller is integrated into the motherboard architecture. It allow to include easily the computer through built in RJ-45 plug in structure of a high-speed local area network.

As well as all motherboards of the given corporation, Abit IS7-E supports dispersal modes.

For enthusiasts of dispersal there is a possibility of installation of the forced functional modes of the processor. It is carried out by frequency rise (overclocking) processor bus FSB and the memory bus, and also a choice of best values of parametres of operation of DDR SDRAM units.

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 simplifies the control in case of usage of modes of dispersal.

One more feature of Abit IS7-E architecture — usage of a fourline variant of the converter of power (VRM), characteristic for Abit corporation motherboards. Converter VRM is allocated traditionally between the processor and input/output plugs.

Fig. 7. Fourline VRM motherboard Abit IS7-E

Estimating operation parametres of the described motherboard, it is necessary to mark, that at performance of numerous, durable tests card AbitIS7-E worked steadily, providing high efficiency of the computer, however it is a subject of one of following articles.

Motherboard ABIT IS7-E is given by the Moscow representation of Abit corporation