Abit WB6 User Manual page 6

1-2 Chapter1
PCI audio chipset.
! Integrated IDE controller with Ultra DMA/66 support
! USB host interface with support for 2 USB ports
! AC '97 2.1 compliant link for audio and telephony CODECs
! Firmware Hub (FWH) interface support
The FW82802AB is also called the FWH, Firmware Hub. The FWH component is part of
®
several integrated Intel chipsets. The FWH is key to enabling future security and
manageability infrastructures for the PC platform. The device operates under the FWH
interface/protocol. The hardware features of this device include a Random Number
Generator (RNG), five General Purpose Inputs (GPIs), register-based block locking, and
hardware-based locking. An integrated combination of logic features and non-volatile
memory enables better protection for the storage/update of platform code/data, adds
platform flexibility through additional GPIs and allows for quicker introduction of new
®
security/manageability features into the current and future Intel architecture platform. It's
available in 8Mbit (82802AC), 4Mbit (82802AB), and 2Mbit (82802AA) densities. It uses
the 32L PLCC or 40L TSOP industry standard packages.
The WB6 has one AMR slot onboard, it is called the Audio/Modem Riser (AMR) slot. The
Audio/Modem Riser is an open industry-standard specification that defines a hardware
scalable Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) motherboard riser board and interface,
which supports both audio and modem functions. The specification's main objective is to
reduce the baseline implementation cost of audio and modem functionality. In accordance
with PC user's demands for feature-rich PCs, combined with the industry's current trend
towards lower cost PCs, all of theses functions are built into the motherboard. But
motherboard integration of the modem subsystem has been problematic to date, in large part
due to FCC and other international telecom certification processes that may delay the
introduction of a motherboard. Resolving the homologation/certification issue for modems
is one of the AMR specification's key objectives.
In the future, not only OEM motherboards will have an AMR design, the AMR card will
appear in the market and you can make a choice in buying this kind of card according to your
budget. But your motherboard must have an AMR slot to be able to plug an AMR card. The
WB6 insures this expandibility for this issue.
Y2K Problem Free
The potential threat of Year 2000 (Y2K) problems are making everyone very nervous. The
Y2K issue applies to almost any device, firmware, or software that operates on or with year
based dates. This problem is caused by a design flaw in the Real Time Clock (RTC) unit.
The RTC only changes the last two digits of the year code, but not the century information.
WB6