Well...The exam is coming up. The instructor requests that everybody be able to identify every part of the motherboard including power supplies, connectors, sockets and other peripherals. Identifying the peripherals is easier. However, when it comes to the pins and connectors which range from about 12 pins, 20 pins or 28 pins and so forth. I get confused...I have been doing a lot of searches at google, but I seem not to be able to get any better results. I hope you guys could tell me if there is any tutorial that will tells you about all the components of the motherboard as well as the power supply connectors.
Ok, starting from the top: http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2686/labelled.jpg 1: PS/2 connectors (old style keyboard & mouse) 2: Optical and Coax (Digital) Audio connectors 3: USB and Firewire ports 4: Mini-firewire port 5: Network ports 6: Analog Audio connectors 7: CPU Power connector (ATX +12V) 8-pin 8: Fan Power connector 9: CPU Socket (ZIF) 10: CPU voltage regulators (VRMs) 11: Northbridge, or MCH (memory controller hub) 12: RAM slots 13: ATX Power connector (24-pin) 14: Floppy drive connector 15: Southbridge, or ICH (Interface controller hub) 16: S-ATA ports 17: IDE port 18: PCI-Express 1x Slot 19: PCI-Express 16x Slot 20: PCI slot 21: USB header 22: Front Panel connector header (e.g. power switch, reset switch, power LED) 23: CMOS Battery
Thanks a bunch for this self-made identified tutorial. It is awesome! But would you please care to explain the connector a little more in detail...There are 4 pins, 8 pins or 12 pins or even 20 to 24 pins...And also a bunch of cables such as ribbon cables, which I already know, and other cables as well.
"But would you please care to explain the connector a little more in detail". ??????? You want the pinouts? IMO, the pinouts are irrelevant unless your course is an engineering course. You must have been sleeping in class if you've gotten to exam time and are just asking for this now. Sammorris has given you a very comprehensive start. What additional level of detail do you need and (I'm curious as to) why?
Not sleeping but is the first time learning about networking and PC stuff...And not sure what the teacher was gonna include in the exam and besides, just wanna learn a little bit more.
Then I reiterate: IMO, the pinouts are irrelevant unless your course is an engineering course. I'm a component level electronics technician by trade and I don't memorize pinouts unless it's something I troubleshoot every day. I know where pin 1 is on the cable and pin 1 is on the socket in case the cable isn't keyed. PCs are designed so that each subsystem cable is different so you pretty much CAN'T plug the wrong cable into the wrong socket. ex. FDD and IDE/ATAPI drive interfaces both use dual row BERG headers, but FDD are 34 pin, IDE HDD are 40 pin. There are a couple of functions which do not have a standard pinout. You could POSSIBLY plug an internal audio header onto an internal USB port but even those are typically keyed. If not, they should be labeled. The most BONEHEAD thing that remember seeing which contradicts the above is someone bringing in a PC for repair that had a 4x AGP card into a 1X AGP slot by pointing the video connector inside the case because "that's the only way it would fit". Otherwise, the cables and connectors are keyed to be "idiot proof". (or almost idiot proof)
I think your instructor will be much more interested in you being able to tell AGP from PCI and telling a USB header from a firewire header. TIP: Most parts that have multiple plugs that are even remotely close will label them. Also, pin one almost always has a dot, a triangle, or a "1" next to it. The wire for pin one on a ribbon cable usualy has a different color or stripe. If the course is as outdated as most, you will probably also need to know the ISA slot, as well as the difference between SDR, DDR, DDR2, DDR3, and maybe rambus. They might even quiz you on the old AT mainboard power connectors (the black ground wires go together). Also, there are two kinds of molex power connectors to learn and also the newer SATA power connector and the 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors for video cards...and the 3 and 4 pin fan connectors.
