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Guide: Overview of a motherboard Print
Written by Danrok   
Saturday, 10 February 2007
Article Index
Guide: Overview of a motherboard
A layered PCB
BIOS chip
Diagnostic LED port
On-board audio chip
On-board LAN chip
I/O controller chip
The Chipset
Voltage Regulators
Page 2 of 9

A Layered PCB

Photo showing the layers of a PCB
You can see the layered structure of a PCB in this photo.
Modern printed circuit boards are formed from several layers, a typical motherboard has 4, 6 or 8 layers.  Two important layers are the ground plane and power plane, any other layers are sandwiched between these two.  The inner layers have a layout of tracks which carry singals between the various components on the board.  A multi-layered PCB allows for complex and compact board designs.

You can appreciate why it is important not to overtighten the mounting screws when assembling a PC.  The layers could become crushed and damaged.  It is good practice to ensure all mounting holes are used and that they make electrical contact, via screws, with the motherboard tray.  This helps the ground plane to function most effectively.
 

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