Shuttle AV40 architecture

Article is grounded on substances of books "Arrangement of the multimedia computer" and "Motherboards and chip sets"

Shuttle corporation motherboards still rather were widely known and popular recently among domestic users. However now cards of this manufacturer entering, by the way, in first ten, have appeared practically superseded by the similar production released by more aggressive competitors. And in spite of the fact that, at least, a number of the newest motherboards of this manufacturer concedes nothing it to the products created by leaders, taking the upper positions of the table of a rating.

Motherboards concern one of the most important parts of modern computers. The choice of the optimal card is the difficult and responsible task which solution defines not only functionality of the computer, but is frequent also stability of its operation. It is linked by that implementators transfer on the motherboard more and more units and the sites representing before the expansion card. As a result the construction all becomes more difficult, and requirements to design — more religiously. Requirements and to units of motherboards, their functionality, the architecture and dependability increase.

The problem of a choice of the optimal card is not simplified also by presence of the big number of the corporations-manufacturers which number by some estimations exceeds five tens. Among them there are names well-known to domestic users. The given corporations put the big resources in marketing of production that is naturally mirrored in the price of their production. There are no words, production of the largest corporations occupying the upper lines of a rating, really, differs excellence and deserves, as a rule, the appreciation. It is linked to presence for corporations of the qualified experts and the high scientific and technical potential grounded on usage of the newest processing techniques. However and the price of products from such manufacturers — corresponding.

Parsing production of similar corporations, it is necessary to understand, that quite often considerable share of the price the user is forced to pay for so-called brand — the advertised brand of the corporation. Therefore, carrying out a choice of products from eminent manufacturers, it is necessary to estimate carefully a relation the price/quality. Certainly, it at all does not mean, that it is necessary to run into other extreme measure and to aspire to production released by small corporations which have located on the opposite end of the table of a rating. As a rule, such corporations have no enough qualified personnel, due resources for development of high-quality high technology products which motherboards concern.

However there are also such corporations which do not aspire to put the big resources in advertising of production. Saving on marketing considerable financial resources, they have possibility to reduce the price for the products, but quite often lose in popularity of production among the potential users who do not have possibilities to learn and appreciate their product.

Shuttle corporation, apparently, concerns number of such manufacturers also. Motherboards of this corporation were widely known and popular only several years ago. However now cards of this manufacturer entering, by the way, in first ten, have appeared practically superseded by the similar production released by more aggressive competitors. And it in spite of the fact that, at least, a number of the newest motherboards of this manufacturer, practically, do not concede on functionality to the products created by leaders of this sector of the computer market.

As an example which is worthy, it is possible to result motherboards AV40 and AV40R, oriented to usage of processors of Pentium 4.

The given cards are constructed on the basis of chip set VIA P4X266 released alternatively i850 Chipset of the corporation of Intel (http://rudteam.narod.ru/mb.html).

Before to pass to consideration and the analysis of the architecture and possibilities of the specified motherboards, it is expedient to remind some data of a chip set. It is especially important as, as is known, the chip set to the greatest degree defines potential possibilities of the motherboard. And from that, how much successful there was a choice of this extremely important component designers of the motherboard, depend both parametres, and dependability of a released product. And it concerns not only the card, but, eventually, and all computer.

Fig. 1. Structure of the computer with chip set VIA P3X266

The structure of chip set VIA P4X266 is based on usage of the architecture, providing usage of two chips VT8753 and VT8233. By old tradition they are named North Bridge and South Bridge.

For an expedition of an informational exchange between computer components the specified chips are jointed by the special interface bus V-Link providing speed of an exchange of 266 Mb per second. The given solution has been successfully tested for the first time by designers of VIA corporation in chip sets VIA Apollo Pro266 and VIA Apollo KT266.

As well as in chip sets of the previous generations, chip North Bridge defines possibilities of a chip set by operation with the processor, dynamic storage, the videoadapter and with chip South Bridge. Chip South Bridge is responsible for interaction with hard disks, expansion cards and peripherals. Besides, it is frequent South Bridge provides both network possibilities, and audio.

All told is characteristic and for chip set VIA P4X266.

Chip North Bridge VT8753 named quite often VIA P4X266, provides support of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with Socket 423 plugs and Socket 478. Frequency FSB — 400 MГц (Quad Pumped). Memory — PC100/PC133 SDRAM or PC1600/PC2100 DDR SDRAM at a maximum memory size of 4 Gbytes. Video — AGP 2X/4X. Firm interface bus V-Link provides link with maximum capacity 266 Мбайт/c.

Chip South Bridge VT8233 incorporates resources of support of two channels IDE with support of standards ATA 33/66/100, and also Ethernet/Home PNA. Supports to 6 USB 1.1, 5 PCI, AC ' 97, ACPI, OnNow etc .

In addition to the resulted parametres of chip set VIA P4X266, it is necessary to remind, that the architecture and functionality of motherboards are defined not only type of applied chips of a chip set, and also quantity of DIMM slots defining number of units and sizes of dynamic storage. Besides, it is necessary to consider quantity of PCI slots, presence and types additional to the chips, functionality expanding a set, and also functionality of the special software etc.

Fig. 2. Motherboard Shuttle AV40

Processors: Pentium 4 with processor Socket 478 plug and clock rate of bus FSB of 100 MHz.

Chip set: VIA P4X266 (VT8753 + VT8233).

Dynamic storage: from 64 Mb to 1,5 Gbytes in 3 DIMM (184 p, 2,5) PC1600/PC2100 DDR SDRAM, frequency of the bus of memory of 100/133 MHz.

BIOS: Award BIOS V6.0 PG.

Video: support of 1 arrangement AGP 1X/2X/4X.

Audio: AC ’ 97 codec VIA VT1611A

Input/output resources (I/O): 2 ports IDE (to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA 100/66/33), 2 PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port, 1 parallel port DB25 (SPP/EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports DB9 16550 UART, 2 ports USB (+4 dop.), Line-Out, Line-In, Mic-In, MIDI/GAME.

Slots: 1 AGP, 5 PCI.

Forms the factor: ATX (305x244 mm).

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