The motherboard is probably one of the most important components of a PC, if not the most important. It is considered the nerve center of the computer, and to which are connected the power button, the links with the processor, the power supply, and the graphics card. Besides these different elements, the most important component of an industrial motherboard is the chipset. It is the device that determines the nature of the processor and the type of memory supported by the PC, as well as the buses and standards supported by the device. Finally, it must also be said that certain features, such as monitoring are dependent on specific elements composing the Best industrial motherboard for i7 9700K, as well as options present in the BIOS.
Given this brief overview, it goes without saying that the choice of a motherboard is undoubtedly linked to many factors, details, and parameters that it is important to control. Similarly, is it appropriate to understand the mode of operation of this component of the PC, in order to understand it as it should, and be able to easily choose a model that meets the expectations of the user?
Understand the operation and components of a motherboard
The name “motherboard” is easily understood since this device alone defines almost all of the system’s possibilities. There are essential elements for the proper functioning of a computer:
Read More: Tips for choosing a motherboard for a PC
Chipset
Still called a set of components, the chipset carried a set of two or three chips. Today, it designates two or even a single electronic chip. However, in all cases, it has a close link with the processor, memory, and the various components of the card. We deduce that the chipset is designed for a certain type of processors. However, it should be noted that over time, and developments in the industrial computing environment, Intel and AMD integrate more and more functionality of the chipset on the processor itself. This has many advantages, including integrating all of the intelligence into a single chip and therefore responding to space issues for mobile devices.
The socket
Also known as “processor support “, it is a device via which the processors attach to the motherboard, which device meets technological requirements. In practice, the more functionality a processor has, the more it needs to be connected on both sides to the motherboard. Seen from this angle, the intrinsic link between the processor, its support, and the chipset is self-explanatory.
Memory
Like processor supports, random access memory banks (also called RAM memory) have a physical format that differs according to whether they are of DDR, DDR2, DDR3 or DDR4 type. It is either the chipset or the processor, which actually defines the type of memory supported, if the latter includes a memory controller.
The processor
Of course, all this is functional and controlled thanks to the computing capacity provided by the processor. There are several brands of processors (CPU or processor in English) of which the most known to the general public are Intel and AMD. In the field of industry Intel is still the widely used brand.
In the range of Intel processors, we will select a suitable processor according to the following power and consumption ranges:
- Intel Pentium – For older PCs or non-ventilated versions
- Intel Core Duo – For older PCs or non-ventilated versions
- Intel Celeron – For thin clients that require little power like a Fanless PC for example
- Intel Atom – For thin clients that require a little more power than a Celeron
- Intel Core i3
- Intel Core i5
- Intel Core i7
- Intel Core i9
- Intel Xeon – For server architectures requiring calculations
Motherboard connectivity
The connectivity of the industrial motherboard is a factor that determines its functionality, but also its price. In general, motherboards have various inputs and outputs. With regard to the industrial field for hardened cards, the following type of connection is generally found:
- Serial port
- Ethernet port
- Audio port
- USB 2.0 port and USB 3.0 port
- VGA / HDMI / DP port
- Regarding the Ethernet port, professional cards generally have at least two.
This aims to be able to respond to two issues:
Ability to connect the rugged PC to two separate networks such as the industrial network (OT) and the computer network (IT)
Have a backup port in case of failure of the first
On the more expensive variants, the connection is naturally more sophisticated. There are, for example, an optical audio output, Ethernet ports, an eSATA connector, USB 3.0 ports, a FireWire interface…
The different motherboard architectures
There are two main motherboard formats:
The ATX: Bigger, this motherboard offers is bigger, offers more slot expanders, and more memory banks in some cases.
The µATX format: Smaller, this motherboard format is more suited to compact cases, even if they can be easily integrated into an ATX case.
The mini ITX format: Specially designed for the embedded or embedded field.
In view of all these parameters, it seems obvious that the choice of an efficient motherboard must take several factors into account. Indeed, the offers in terms of processors are wide and diverse. This diversity naturally transposes on the motherboards itself, which thus offers in the same range, many possibilities.
The supervision
The supervision of computer equipment in the professional and industrial field is essential. Indeed, in order to follow the state of its fleet and to be able to go as far as preventive maintenance, the equipment must be adapted to accommodate supervision tools.
As far as industrial IT is concerned, the problem is generally to be able to trace the different information coming from the motherboard. While one of the market leaders in this field (IT) is Centreon (open source solution), it is generally not easy to monitor industrial IT equipment. Indeed a certain number of important metrics are not taken into account like the speed of the fans, the temperature of the CPU etc…
This is why large manufacturers like Advantech offer solutions adapted to these needs. With the Wise-PaaS / RMM solution, now called Wise-PaaS / Edge, many functions additional to Centreon’s capabilities are available.
Apart from that, if you are interested to know about Best Budget Motherboards: All You Need To Know then visit our Technology category
