Introduction; Purpose / Scope; Overview - Intel Thin Mini-ITX System Design Manual

1

Introduction

1.1

Purpose / Scope

This document outlines possible solutions to creating a system utilizing a Thin Mini-ITX
motherboard, as specified in the Mini-ITX Addendum To The microATX Motherboard
Interface Specification Version 1.2. It will focus on the electrical, mechanical and
thermal interfaces between a Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge or Cedar Trail based Thin Mini-
ITX motherboard, and its enclosure and peripherals
Compliance with the guidance outlined in this document enables chassis and Thin
Mini-ITX motherboards that can be interchangeably used between systems. This
increases the system design options using a building block approach, while mitigating
the need for custom solutions.
Revision 1.2 of this document Design Guide includes changes that are intended to
improve the interoperability and system integration experience based on the thin mini
ITX motherboard standard. When designing a chassis based on this revision of the
design guide, a chassis manufacturer should take into consideration whether to
accommodate motherboards in production prior to this document revision.
Motherboard designs based on revision 1.0 of this document are generally expected to
be compatible with Chassis designs based on later revisions, however issues could
include cable length mismatch due to tightening of the connector placement zones in
revision 1.1. Refer to the Channel AIO (Thin Mini-ITX Form Factor) – Compatibility
Matrix for Revision 1.0 based motherboards.
1.2

Overview

Thin Mini-ITX motherboards evolve the standard Mini-ITX form factor in to even
smaller system designs. They are especially useful in segments that place a premium
on small, slim chassis. Typical usages of such chassis are:
 All In One (AIO) PCs
 Stackable home theater PC to be size compatible with the standard width of AV
components such as DVD players and receivers
 VESA mountable Thin PC
 Digital signage PC (Built inside or behind a TV or other display)
In this design guide, particular attention is given to slim, sub-4 liter Tiny PCs, and All
In One PCs.
8 Thin Mini-ITX Based PC System Design Guide
Introduction