Normally, the motherboard contains the CPU or the brain of the computer, memory ( RAM, ROM etc.) and support circuits to make the computer work.
Motherboard also contains many Expansion Slots on which you connect various circuit boards. These circuit boards are used to connect different devices such as monitor, printer, scanner etc. with the computer.
This main board is called Motherboard because all other circuit boards, inside the computer, are attached to this board i.e. it is the mother of all boards.
As this main board is called motherboard, all other boards attach to it are called “Daughterboard”.
Sometimes the size of the daughterboard could be bigger than the motherboard. But, most of the time motherboard is the largest circuit board inside a personal computer.
Mother contains
- CPU (Microprocessor),
- Co-Processor (optional),
- CMOS Memory,
- Real Time Clock (RTC) Circuit,
- Memory (RAM & ROM),
- BIOS,
- Support Chips / Chipset to help CPU to deal with Input / Output, Interrupts, DMA etc.,
- Expansion Slots
On the Motherboard Printed Circuit Board (PCB), the components are placed and connected with the help of thin copper tracks. Motherboard PCB contains many such tracks to make electrical connection between different parts of the system.
Generally these tracks are very fine, and one should never put excessive pressure on the board while inserting or removing cards or chips, if the board bends excessively, these tracks could develop small hairline cracks.
Once a track is broken, because of the multiple layers of tracks, it is almost impossible to trace the broken area and repair it.
When evaluating the quality of the motherboard one should consider
- The thickness of the board. Most cheaper boards are quite thin and they cannot withstand careless handling or frequent insertion and removal of the expansion cards.
- The quality of the soldering. The soldered joints of good motherboard should be bright not foggy.
