Despite frequent ample opportunities built in in BIOS resources, exist the special programs providing the control, the analysis and output of parametres of diagnostics to the screen monitor. Thus standard resources of widespread operating systems of type of Windows often use. Usually such programs are delivered by the corporation-manufacturer as a part of the software applied on the motherboard. As an example it is possible to result the typical program of monitoring — Winbond Hardware Doctor, included, for example, in a package of the software delivered complete with motherboard Abit BE6-II. The fragment of this program showing its operation, is presented on fig. 10.

Fig. 10. Program Winbond Hardware Doctor

Program Winbond Hardware Doctor allows to make system monitoring on following key parametres:
          Voltage — a supply voltage:
          Vcore (a supply voltage of a kernel of the processor),
          Vtt (an additional supply voltage of the processor),
          +3.3V (+3.3 In — a chip set, the frequency generator, bus PCI),
          +5V (+5 In — chips of the motherboard, bus PCI and ISA),
          +12V (+12 In — bus ISA),
          -5V (-5 In — bus ISA),
          5Vsb (a supply voltage standby a mode suspend mode),
          VCC25;
          Fan Speed — speed of rotation of the fan:
          CPU FAN (the processor fan),
          Power FAN (the power supply unit fan);
          Temperature — temperature:
          System1 (System temperature: the motherboard or tank),
          System2 (System temperature: the motherboard or tank),
          CPU (processor temperature).
Program Winbond Hardware Doctor allows to instal the boundaries installing maximum (High Limit) and minimum (Low Limit) values of each parametre (fig. 11), admissible for operation of hardware of the computer. Thus for the control of temperatures only greatest possible values (fig. 12), and for speed of rotation of fans — minimum (fig. 13) are important . If value of controllable parametre has quitted for the installed boundaries, the appropriate warning message accompanied if necessary by beep (fig. 14) will be output.

 
Fig. 11. The upper and lower boundaries

Fig. 12. The High bound for temperature

Fig. 13. The Low bound for speed of rotation of the fan

Fig. 14. Error message

It is necessary to mark, that the resulted program possesses one, but very essential lack. This lack is the binding to certain model of the motherboard or, probably, to a series of motherboards with the identical diagnostic equipment.
However there are also more general-purpose programs of diagnostics of system. An example of such program is popular Motherboard Monitor (MBM). Now two essentially differing versions of this program — 4.хх and 5.хх actively use . In the first versions 5.хх there were some errors calling instability of system operation with some motherboards, therefore many users prefer till now the set of programs 4.хх. Fortunately, the majority of errors are already corrected in last version 5.05. In the following table the chips supported by program MBM are enumerated. It is necessary to mark, that this list grows almost with each output of the new version of the program.

The chips of monitoring supported MBM 4, MBM 5

Examples of operation of different variants of program MBM are presented on fig. 15-18

Fig. 15. Operation of program MBM v. 4.17)

Fig. 16. Customisation of program MBM v. 5.05)

Fig. 17. Operation of program MBM v. 5.05)

Fig. 18. Program MBM v. 5.05)

In the following table examples of motherboards of some known manufacturers are resulted: Abit, ASUSTeK, Chaintech. The resulted cards, it agree to data of implementator MBM, support operation of the given program. In the table the chips integrated into the architecture of motherboards and providing functions of monitoring of key parametres also are specified. Besides, in the table version MBM since which the monitoring of parametres which is carried out by this program is possible is specified.

Resources of monitoring of motherboards

With VIA corporation chip sets the built in resources of hardware monitoring have the majority of motherboards. Cards concern their number with chip VT82C686A, for example. Complete with the given motherboards special programs for hardware monitoring are delivered. For an example of such program can be Shepherd (fig. 19-20).

Fig. 19. Operation of program Shepherd

Fig. 20. Operation of program Shepherd

It is recommended to start monitoring programs at start and not to close them during all period of operation of the computer. Such programs in case of rise in temperature are capable to initiate beep of the warning or even to switch off the computer. It is especially actual to the systems working in forced modes.
It is necessary to mark, that usually given software work in a background. Thus the majority of programs of monitoring are not exacting to resources. For example, on the computer with the processor of Pentium III 700 processor loading makes less than 1 % that is on a measurement errorlevel. It does irrelevant the analysis of software on a degree of their loading of the central processor unit of the computer.
Estimating possibilities of control devices of a correctness of functioning of units and computer subsystems, it is necessary to add, that modern hardware monitoring is not limited only to reading and the analysis of values of parametres of the motherboard and the processor. Modern high-powered videoadapters are equipped by the monitoring resources, allowing to inspect video chip temperature, a supply voltage etc. the Example card ASUS V6600 (on chip GeForce) and the program of monitoring SmartDoctor (fig. 21) can be.

Fig. 21. Operation of program SmartDoctor

It is necessary to mark, that in modern computers of function of resources of hardware monitoring are not linked only to the control of several parametres: 2-3 values of temperature, 3-9 powers, speeds of rotation of 2-3 fans. Added with the appropriate software and supported by additional electronic chains on the motherboard they carry out not only computer security by initialization of alerts and possible its emergency turn off in case of violation of operation of hardware owing to their mortality, but also allow to realise such functions, as automatic dispersal. As an example it is possible to result processing techniques and motherboards of such corporations, as Micro-Star, Gigabyte, Soltek.
Leading computer corporations continue to develop resources of hardware monitoring. Also there are no underplates to doubt that the new processing techniques using them increased possibility, will be and to promote further to growth of productivity of computers and the extension of their functionality.