User manual VIA PT880 WHITE PAPER

[. . . ] 5 Asynchronous Bus Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ultra V-Link Interconnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 VIA VT8237 South Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 VIA Vinyl Multichannel Audio Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ] The VT8237 also features the VIA Vinyl Multichannel Audio Suite for superlative 6channel and 8-channel immersion audio support, while the VIA Advanced Connectivity Suite provides a host of high-bandwidth connectivity options, including support for the VIA Velocity Gigabit Ethernet companion controller, integrated 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet and up to eight high-speed USB 2. 0 ports. The VT8237 South Bridge has been designed to meet the increasing demands of today's software programs while providing all the necessary headroom for the dataintensive applications of tomorrow. It consists of four key components, as shown in Figure 3 and listed below. Figure 3: VIA VT8237 South Bridge Architecture VIA Vinyl Multichannel Audio Suite The VT8237 South Bridge integrates the high-performance VIA Vinyl Audio AC'97 controller to enable six-channel audio support and the transfer of the highest resolution audio possible over the AC'97 standard. 7 Copyright © VIA Technologies, Inc, 2003. Third party brands and names are the property of their respective owner. VIA PT880 Intuitive Technologies Powering the Pentium 4 Platform For the best audio performance, the VT8237 should be combined with VIA Eight-TRAC (VIA VT1617) codec to enable premium quality AC'97 surround sound. Supporting up to 20-bit resolutions, the VIA Eight-TRAC delivers full 6-channel surround sound to enable theatre-quality home audio and realistic 3D gaming sound effects on mainstream PC systems. Enabling VIA Vinyl Audio To make set-up as easy as possible, the VIA Eight-TRAC provides innovative SixthSenseTM jack detection, while the advanced MixMasterTM technology enables maximum flexibility in configuring customized audio set-ups. The VIA Vinyl Eight-TRAC also supports DualMaxTM hardware down-mixing or headphones, allowing end users to enjoy 6-channel audio with 2-channel or 4-channel speakers. To maximize recording quality for home studio applications, the VIA Eight-TRAC integrates 20-bit, SigmaDelta ADCs for stereo recording and white noise removal. The analog mixer circuitry integrates a stereo enhancement to provide a pleasing 3D surround sound effect for stereo media. A high-quality headphone amplifier is integrated into the Eight-TRAC, reducing BOM cost and design time. The VIA Stylus audio driver rounds out the solution, an easy to use software driver that enables full access to VIA Eight-TRAC features. The VIA Stylus driver also includes full 3D ImmerzioTM gaming support and sound positioning through Sensaura technology, to enable a new level of gaming experience in an AC'97 solution. Figure 4: VIA Stylus Audio Driver Interface 8 Copyright © VIA Technologies, Inc, 2003. Third party brands and names are the property of their respective owner. VIA PT880 Intuitive Technologies Powering the Pentium 4 Platform VIA Vinyl Gold Audio To meet the growing demand for the highest fidelity multi-channel surround sound, the VT8237 South Bridge can also be coupled with the PCI-based VIA Envy24PT onboard audio controller. Enabling 24-bit resolution and 96KHz sampling rates for digital connections, the VIA Envy24PT is the only PC onboard audio solution that supports up to eight-channel outputs for improved flyover effects with the latest Dolby® Digital EX and DTS ES DVD-Video soundtracks. To connect with other devices, the VIA Envy24PT comes equipped with an integrated S/PDIF transmitter and IEC958 line driver that allows the easy and accurate transfer of PCM, DTS, and AC3 audio data in pure digital formats to items like stereos and portable audio devices. For high-resolution eight-channel surround sound, the VIA Envy24PT can be paired with the VIA Six-TRAC codec plus an additional DAC though an I2S-link. Figure 6: Serial ATA Performance: HD Tach Burst Speed Benchmark 10 Copyright © VIA Technologies, Inc, 2003. Third party brands and names are the property of their respective owner. VIA PT880 Intuitive Technologies Powering the Pentium 4 Platform Quick and Easy Set Up, & Hot Plug Capabilities Setting up a Serial ATA Drive using the VIA DriveStation Serial ATA Controller is intuitive and straightforward. In addition, no configuration at all is necessary when installing an additional Serial ATA drive because there is no need for jumpers to determine master/slave settings. The VIA DriveStationTM Serial ATA Controller also supports hot-plug capabilities when the appropriate BIOS and OS support is enabled. [. . . ] PCI Interface & LPC Bus Featuring a PCI 2. 2 compliant PCI controller, the VT8237 offers support for up to six PCI masters. It also has built-in controllers a keyboard and PS2 mouse, and supports a full range of legacy devices through the LPC bus, including Super I/O, boot Rom and embedded microcontrollers. Advanced Connectivity Options Motherboard makers and OEMs can deliver flexible levels of multimedia connectivity via companion chips such as the VIA VT6307 1394 controller and the VIA VT1622 Digital TV-Out chip. VIA VPX2 for Servers and Workstations The new VIA VPX2 companion chip with high throughput HDIT® Interface provides support for ultra high-bandwidth expansion, via two 133MHz PCI-X slots, or maximized connectivity via 12 standard PCI connections. [. . . ]