System Overview
ROBO-8910VG2A User’s Manual
1-1
Chapter 1
System Overview
1.1 Introduction
Along with Intel introduced its first PCI Express chipset, many applications are
longing
for this latest interface. PCI Express, a serial type I/O interface such as
Ethernet and USB that we had already familiar for many years. A basic link of PCI
Express consists of dual unidirectional differential links, implemented as a transmit
pair and receive pair and a link must support at least one lane. To scalable
bandwidth, a link may aggregate multiple lanes. In PCI Express revision 1.0a, the
lane can up to 32 lanes width and denoted PCI Express x32. Bandwidth of one lane is
2.5Gbps per direction; therefore, it is 80Gbps for 32 lanes.
However, full-size SHB (Single Host Board) specification of PICMG such as PICMG
1.0 and 1.2 are not support PCI Express as external expansion interface. As a result,
the only way that can adopt this interface is on-board devices. On-board devices that
utilized PCI Express interface are limited to some categories and space on-board. To
leverage this new interface, PICMG announces PICMG 1.3, so called SHB Express.
The new standard SHB takes components side as ISA card for layout consideration
(same as PICMG 1.0), supports 20 PCI Express lanes and four 32-bit/66MHz PCI as
external expansion.
Portwell presented its first SHB according to PICMG 1.3 that uses Intel longevity
supported PCI Express chipset - 915GV & ICH6. The board, ROBO-8910VG2A
equipped single Pentium 4 or Celeron D processor, DDR2 memory, integrated
graphics engine, one IDE channel, four SATA port, eight USB 2.0 ports and dual
Gigabit Ethernet port.
ROBO-8910VG2A features:
Support socket 478 type, 533/800MHz FSB, Pentium 4 and Celeron D processor
that generates lower thermal than LGA 775 package and more reliable thermal
solution
Two DIMM sockets provide up to 2GB DDR2 400/533 system memory
expansion capability in dual channel
915GV integrated graphics engine – GMA 900
Equipped dual Gigabit Ethernet
Audio in/out, Watch-dog timer, Type II CompactFlash socket, 8 USB 2.0 ports
(two ports dedicated to keyboard & mouse)
Support four PCI Express x1, and four PCI expansion via backplane (additional
one PCI Express x16 by project based that change GMCH to 915G)
