computer science

Intel Hub Architecture

Intel Hub Architecture is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Intel Hub Architecture rather than just read about it. In short: Intel Hub Architecture (IHA), also known as Accelerated Hub Architecture (AHA), was Intel's architecture for the 8xx family of chipsets, starting in 1999 with the Intel 810. It uses a memory controller hub (MCH) that is connected to an I/O controller hub (ICH) via a 266 MB/s bus.

Key takeaways

Intel Hub Architecture belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Intel Hub Architecture to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Intel Hub Architecture from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Intel Hub Architecture (IHA), also known as Accelerated Hub Architecture (AHA), was Intel's architecture for the 8xx family of chipsets, starting in 1999 with the Intel 810. It uses a memory controller hub (MCH) that is connected to an I/O controller hub (ICH) via a 266 MB/s bus. The MCH chip supports memory and AGP (replaced by PCI Express in 9xx series chipsets), while the ICH chip provides connectivity for PCI (revision 2.2 before ICH5 series and revision 2.3 since ICH5 series), USB (version 1.1 before ICH4 series and version 2.0 since ICH4 series), sound (originally AC'97, Azalia added in ICH6 series), IDE hard disks (supplemented by Serial ATA since ICH5 series, fully replaced IDE since ICH8 series for desktops and ICH9 series for notebooks) and LAN (uncommonly activated on desktop motherboards and notebooks, usually independent LAN controller were placed instead of PHY chip). Intel claimed that, because of the high-speed channel between the sections, the IHA was faster than the earlier northbridge/southbridge design, which hooked all low-speed ports to the PCI bus. The IHA also optimized data transfer based on data type.

Next generation Intel Hub Interface 2.0 was employed in Intel's line of E7xxx server chipsets. This new revision allowed for dedicated data paths for transferring greater than 1.0 GB/s of data to and from the MCH, which support I/O segments with greater reliability and faster access to high-speed networks.

Current status IHA is now considered obsolete and no longer used, being superseded by the Direct Media Interface architecture. The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) providing most of the features previously seen in ICH chips while moving memory, graphics and PCI Express controllers to the CPU, introduced with the Intel 5 Series chipsets in 2009. This chipset architecture is still used in desktops, in some notebooks it is going to be replaced by SoC processor designs.

References

External links First Intel chipset to use IHA

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Intel Hub Architecture

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Intel Hub Architecture claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Intel Hub Architecture before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Intel Hub Architecture ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Intel Hub Architecture

In research: Intel Hub Architecture appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Intel Hub Architecture in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Intel Hub Architecture is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer buses, Intel products, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Intel Hub Architecture outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Intel Hub Architecture in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Intel Hub Architecture means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Intel Hub Architecture out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Intel Hub Architecture in simple terms?

Why does Intel Hub Architecture matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Intel Hub Architecture?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Intel Hub Architecture.