Mother Board and Chipset

The place where all internal parts such as the main processor, memory, hard disk ,graphics card, tv-tuner card  are mounted on, is called Mother board. It looks like the old television set integrated circuit board. There are various ports and slots to connect or place the different hardware devices.

Here I am giving a list of mother board manufacturers:

1. Acer Inc. 
2. Aopen
3. ASrock
4. Asus
5. BFG technologies
6. Biostar
7. Chaintech
8. eVGA
9. Gigabyte technology
10. Foxconn
11. Intel
12. Leadtek
13. Magic-Pro
14. PNY technologies
15. Tyan

The world leader in mother board manufacturing is Intel and Asus. 

Chipset: 

A chipset is a group of integrated circuits ("chips") that are designed to work together, and are usually marketed as a single product. In computing, the term chipset is commonly used to refer to the specialized motherboard chips on a computer or expansion card. When discussing personal computers (PCs) based on recent Intel Pentium-class systems, the term "chipset" often refers to the two main motherboard chips: Northbridge and Southbridge. The manufacturer of a chipset often is independent from the manufacturer of the motherboard. Examples of manufacturer of PC motherboard chipsets include NVIDIA, ATI, VIA Technologies, SiS and Intel.

In home computers, game consoles and arcade game hardware of the 1980s and 1990s, the term chipset was used for the custom audio and graphics chips. Examples include the Commodore Amiga's Original Chip Set or SEGA's System 16 chipset.

Computer systems produced since the late 1980s share commonly used chipsets, even across widely disparate computing specialties. For example, the NCR 53C9x, a low-cost chipset implementing a SCSI interface to storage devices, could be found in Unix machines (such as the MIPS Magnum), embedded devices and personal computers.

Architecture of Computer

Can you tell the name of the big-large box beside your computer monitor? Many of call it "CPU". But actually it is the casing, inside which the CPU (Central Processing Unit) is located. Inside the casing, there are several parts. The "brain" of computer is the processor. The "heart" of computer is the main memory. Others than these two main parts, there are several other devices such as hard-disk, CD drive, DVD drive, SMPS etc. All these stuffs are organised in a large board, called Mother Board.  

Mother Board

There are external devices connected to the computer for different purposes. Some of them helps to take input from the user, some of them helps to give the output to the user. 

Some well known input devices are keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera, web cam, mice etc.

Some well known output devices are monitor, printer, speaker etc.

Basic Computer Architecture

For next few blogs, I am going to discuss about various types of computers available in today's market and their specification.

Evolution of Computer

From the point of view of a historian, we can say that, the evolution of computer consists of five generations. They are discussed below..

1. First generation computer (1942-1955)
2. Second generation computer (1955-1964)
3. Third generation computer (1964-1975)
4. Fourth generation computer (1975-1989)
5. Fifth generation computer (1989 - Present)

 

First Generation Computer

The first generation computers were the fastest calculating devices of their time. They were too heavy in size and required large rooms to accommodate. These computers had limited commercial use. ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC,UNIVAC I, IBM 701 were the first generation computers.

Second Generation Computer

The second generation computers were much smaller and faster than the first generation computers. They consumed less power supply and were more reliable and less prone to hardware failure. In these computers thousands of individual transistors were used , so the same problem for commercial production persisted. Manual assembly of individual components into a functional unit was still required. The programming languages like FORTRAN,COBOL , ALGOL, SNOBOL were developed during this period of second generation computers.

Third Generation Computer

In 1958, Jack St. Kilby and Robert Noyce invented Integrated Circuit. It was starting of a new era in development of computers. These machines were much faster than second generation computers. They were capable of performing 1million instructions per second. The manufacturing did not require manual assembly of individual components, resulting in less human labor and low cost. The mini computer at this generation were affordable even by smaller companies.

Fourth Generation Computer

During fourth generation, magnetic core memories were replaced by semiconductor memories, resulting in large random access memories with fast access time. Also the main achievement in this stage was the introduction of LSI (Large Scale Integration) and followed by VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) circuits.The Microprocessor came in this time. It started a new social revolution, Personal Computer revolution. These PCs were smaller, faster and cheaper. So it was affordable by individuals.  

Fifth Generation Computer

VLSI became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology in fifth generation of computer, resulting in the production of microprocessor chips, having ten million of chips. Storage capacity, processing capacity both increased. CD-ROM technology came into sight. Portable PC s are handy to carry even during travel.A vast sharing of knowledge began , even with the introduction of Internet. The price range had a large variety now. From a kinder-garden child to a university student, all can have a personal computer now according to their specification. 

What is Computer?

Can you tell me, why should you use a computer ( the machine in your desk or at your dad's office or at the departmental store or at the ticket booking office .........the list continues) instead of using a calculator to solve problem or using a dvd player to view movie or to play a game in your play station? Look , the answer to your question lies within it. It is a all-purpose what-not to serve your daily needs.

A nineteenth century Professor at Cambridge University, the famous Charles Babbage (Dec. 1791 – Oct. 1871) is considered to be the father of modern digital computer.  Do you know about this famous man?

The elementary education of Charles was smooth enough, as being from a rich family, he received education from various elite schools and teachers.  He was about eight when he had to move to a country school to recover from a dangerous fever. His parents sentenced that his "brain was not to be taxed too much"; Babbage wrote: "this great idleness may have led to some of my childish reasonings."

That view of Babbage of "different machine" is today's computer which ranges from hi-end tablet PC, laptop, net book , desktop , servers, mobile phones and the list is never ending.

Computer can simply compute. What compute? Everything .... Yes, almost every thing.. From the steps of a soldier in your game to the steps of soldier in real life battle field.. From playing a movie to making a movie... Now, its everywhere..

Computer is a device which operates upon data. A computer has following characteristics : It is automatic, speed is faster than our eye-blinks, it is accurate enough, it is diligent, it is versatile, having no I.Q or feelings.

Purpose

The purpose to publish this blog is to create a awareness, rather more explicitly saying to discuss about the basic and common facts about the computing machines. Here for all topics and discussion covered, I'll try my best to illustrate the facts and basics of Computer and computing more elaborately and explicitly with simple examples. My target is not to achieve the audience who already got lots and lots of knowledge about computer, rather than to discuss more complex facts of computer in simple words.

Here I will start my journey from very basic, elementary level of computing. The stuffs, which are much known to the world about the computers and the facts and misconceptions regarding this very machine,will be discussed.

This blog is intended to everyone, who is interested to know about computers. In today's age, computer are used for every purpose. From bill-vending machines to modern satellites, presence of computer is everywhere.

Thanking you.
aritra and bodhisattwa
(arit.mhp@gmail.com , das.bodhisattwa@gmail.com)