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Introduction
Features
Watchdog Timer
The Watchdog Timer function allows your application to regularly “clear” the sys-
tem 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.
DDR3
DDR3 delivers increased system bandwidth and improved performance. It offers
peak data transfer rate of up to 21 Gb/s bandwidth. The advantages of DDR3
are its higher bandwidth and its increase in performance at a lower power than
DDR2.
Graphics
The Intel northbridge chip comes integrated with the Intel Graphics Media Ac-
celerator 4500 delivering an excellent blend of graphics performance and features
to meet business needs. With support for Microsoft DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0
and OpenGL* 2.0, Intel GMA 4500 delivers excellent video and 3D graphics with
outstanding graphics responsiveness. These enhancements deliver the perfor-
mance and compatibility needed for today’s and tomorrow’s business applications.
DVI
DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a form of video interface technology made to
maximize the quality of flat panel LCD monitors and modern video graphics
cards. Data is transmitted using the TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Sig-
naling) protocol, providing a digital signal from the PC’s graphics subsystem to
the display.
PCI Express
PCI Express is a high bandwidth I/O infrastructure that possesses the ability to
scale speeds by forming multiple lanes. The x4 PCI Express lane supports trans-
fer rate of 1 Gigabyte per second. The PCI Express architecture also provides a
high performance graphics infrastructure by enhancing the capability of a x16 PCI
Express lane to provide 4 Gigabytes per second transfer rate.
S/PDIF
S/PDIF is a standard audio file transfer format that transfers digital audio sig-
nals 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.
