8
1.2 Special Features of the System Board
Hyper-Threading Technology Functionality Requirements
The system board supports Intel processors with Hyper-Threading Technology. Enabling the
functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for your computer system requires
ALL
of the
following platforms.
Components:
CPU -an Intel
®
Pentium
®
4 Processor with HT Technology
Chipset –an Intel
®
chipset that supports HT Technology
BIOS -a BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled
OS -an operating system that includes optimizations for HT Technology
Please refer to Appendix B for information about enabling the functionality of the
Hyper-Threading Technology. For more information on Hyper-Threading Technology, go to:
www.intel.com/info/ hyperthreading.
Watchdog Timer
The Watchdog Timer function allows your application to regularly “clear” the system at the set
time interval. If the system hangs or fails to function, it will reset at the set time interval so that
your system will continue to operate.
DDR
Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM) is a type of SDRAM that doubles the data rate
through reading and writing at both the rising and falling edge of each clock. This effectively
doubles the speed of operation therefore doubling the speed of data transfer.
S/PDIF
S/PDIF is a standard audio file transfer format that transfers digital audio signals to a device
without having to be converted first to an analog format. This prevents the quality of the audio
signal from degrading whenever it is converted to analog. S/PDIF is usually found on digital audio
equipment such as a DAT machine or audio processing device. The S/PDIF connector on the
system board sends surround sound and 3D audio signal outputs to amplifiers and speakers and to
digital recording devices like CD recorders.
IrDA Interface
The system board is equipped with an IrDA connector for wireless connectivity between your
computer and peripheral devices. The IRDA (Infrared Data Association) specification supports data
transfers of 115K baud at a distance of 1 meter.
USB Ports
The system board supports USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 ports. USB 1.1 supports 12Mb/second
bandwidth while USB 2.0 supports 480Mb/ second bandwidth providing a marked improvement in
device transfer speeds between your computer and a wide range of simultaneously accessible
external Plug and Play peripherals.
