Abstract:
A power on self test card includes a connector module, a logic unit, a microchip, and a display module. The connector module includes a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector. The connector module enables the power on self test card to electrically connect to different types of low pin count buses on various motherboards via either the first connector, the second connector, or the third connector.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to power on self test (POST) cards, particular to a POST card which can electrically connect to computer motherboards with different interfaces. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Current POST cards typically have only one low pin count (LPC) bus and thus can only connect to computer motherboards that include an interface compatible with the LPC bus. However, there are many kinds of computer motherboards and not all may have an interface compatible with the bus on the POST card. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. 
           [0007]    The FIGURE is a block diagram of a POST card according to an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    In general, the word “module” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of detect module instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or in assembly. One or more detect module instructions in the module may be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. It will be appreciated that a module may comprise connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein may be implemented as either detect module and/or hardware module and may be stored in any type of computing system-readable medium or other computing system storage device. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a POST card according to an embodiment. The POST card  100  includes a card body  10 , a connector module  20 , a logic unit  30 , a microchip  50 , a display module  70 , and a work state indicating module  90 . The connector module  20 , the logic unit  30 , the microchip  50 , the display module  70 , and the indicating module  90  are mounted on the card body  10 . Both the connector module  20  and the microchip  50  are electrically connected to the logic unit  30 . Both the display module  70  and the indicating module  90  are electrically connected to the microchip  50 . 
         [0010]    The connector module  20  is configured for connecting the POST card  100  to an LPC bus on a computer motherboard (not shown) to run a diagnostic check on the POST card. The connector module  20  is configured as universal connectors that can be used with any motherboard having an LPC bus. The connector module  20  includes a first connector  21 , a second connector  23 , and a third connector  25 . The first connector  21 , the second connector  23 , and the third connector  25  are electrically connected to the logic unit  30 , configured to enable the POST card  100  to electrically connect to a computer motherboard with different LPC buses. In the exemplary embodiment, both the first connector  21  and the second connector  23  are universal pin connector with different specified pin spacing and/or pin order, and the pin spacing of the first connector  21  is 2.54 mm, the pin spacing of the second connector  23  is 2.00 mm. The third connector  25  is a USB connector or a universal pin connector which is different from the first connector  21  and the second connector  23  in pin spacing and/or pin order, electrically connected to a motherboard by a suitable transmission line. As such, the connector module  20  can be directly connected to a computer motherboard with an interface compatible with either the first connector  21  or the second connector  23 , and for motherboards not compatible with the connectors  21 ,  23  the module  20  can be connected via the third connector  25  and a suitable transmission line, for example, a coaxial-cable or a USB data line. Thus, the connector module  20  is an universal connector for LPC bus connections. 
         [0011]    In the exemplary embodiment, the first connector  21  and the second connector  23  are positioned on opposite edges of the card body  10 . In use, the POST card  100  can be connected to a computer motherboard via the first connector  21 , or the card body  10  rotated and the second connector  23  used. 
         [0012]    The logic unit  30  is configured to read a diagnostic signal generated by the computer motherboard which is connected to the connector module  20  during a boot up sequence of the computer motherboard, and then transmit the signal to the microchip  50 . 
         [0013]    The microchip  50  is programmed to diagnose problems with the computer motherboard and provide diagnostic codes accordingly. The microchip  50  pre-stores different kinds of POST codes and character information corresponding to the POST codes from different companies, for example, PHOENIX, AMI, AWARD, and so on. The microchip  50  is programmed to translate the signals from the motherboards to POST codes, and compare the translated POST codes to the pre-stored POST codes in the microchip  50 , to find corresponding character information. The microchip  50  sends the translated POST codes and corresponding character information to the display module  70 , to display the diagnostic results. 
         [0014]    In the exemplary embodiment, the logic unit  30  can receive diagnostic signal from three different address-ports, for example, port  80 , port  84 , port  85 , and so on. Thereafter, when the diagnostic signal is too large to transmit through a single address-port, the POST card  100  can use three address-ports at the same time. 
         [0015]    In addition, the microchip  50  can detect whether the POST card  10  is connected to a motherboard via the first connector  21  or the second connector  23 , and adjust how information is displayed on the display  70  accordingly for the convenience of the user. 
         [0016]    In the exemplary embodiment, the display module  70  includes four display units. Three of the display units are mounted on one surface of the card board  10 , to display diagnostic results from the three address-ports. The other display unit is mounted on the opposite surface of the card board  10 , to display diagnostic results from any address-port. Thus, the diagnostic results can be read from either side of the card board  10 . 
         [0017]    The indicating module  90  may comprise three indicator lights such as a red, a green, and a yellow light. As an example, in this embodiment, a red light indicates the POST card  100  is on, green indicates the POST card  100  is performing diagnostic testing, and yellow indicates the POST card  100  clearing and resetting for next test. 
         [0018]    It is believed that the exemplary embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.