DTX (form factor)
Encyclopedia
The DTX form factor is a variation of ATX specification designed especially for small form factor
PCs (especially for HTPCs
) with dimensions of 8.0 by 9.6 inches (converted to 203 mm by 244 mm.) An industry standard intended to enable interchangeability for systems similar to Shuttle's original "SFF" designs, AMD
announced its development on January 10, 2007. AMD stated that the DTX form factor is an open standard, and is backward compatible with ATX
form factor cases. They also present a shorter variant named Mini-DTX which is smaller in PCB
size of 203 mm by 170 mm (8.0 by 6.7 inches.)
The specification provides for up to 2 expansion slots
on a DTX motherboard, in the same position as the top two slots on an ATX or microATX
board. Upcoming DTX boards will likely contain one PCI Express
slot and one PCI
slot. The spec also provides for optional ExpressCard
expansion slots on DTX motherboards.
Small form factor
A small form factor is a computer form factor designed to minimize the volume of a desktop computer. For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in litres. SFFs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and book-sized PCs...
PCs (especially for HTPCs
Home theater PC
A Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...
) with dimensions of 8.0 by 9.6 inches (converted to 203 mm by 244 mm.) An industry standard intended to enable interchangeability for systems similar to Shuttle's original "SFF" designs, AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
announced its development on January 10, 2007. AMD stated that the DTX form factor is an open standard, and is backward compatible with ATX
ATX
ATX is a motherboard form factor specification developed by Intel in 1995 to improve on previous de facto standards like the AT form factor. It was the first big change in computer case, motherboard, and power supply design in many years, improving standardization and interchangeability of parts...
form factor cases. They also present a shorter variant named Mini-DTX which is smaller in PCB
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
size of 203 mm by 170 mm (8.0 by 6.7 inches.)
The specification provides for up to 2 expansion slots
Expansion slots
Expansion slots are specific slots on a PC motherboard that facilitate the placement of expansion cards.All such expansion slots are colour coded, and are built in such a way that only a specific type of card or device can interface with/ be inserted into the device.- Types :Common types of...
on a DTX motherboard, in the same position as the top two slots on an ATX or microATX
MicroATX
microATX, also known as µATX is a standard for motherboards that was introduced in December 1997. The maximum size of a microATX motherboard is 244 mm × 244 mm , but some microATX boards can be as small as 171.45 mm × 171.45 mm...
board. Upcoming DTX boards will likely contain one PCI Express
PCI Express
PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...
slot and one PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...
slot. The spec also provides for optional ExpressCard
ExpressCard
ExpressCard is an interface to allow peripheral devices to be connected to a computer, usually a laptop computer. Formerly called NEWCARD, the ExpressCard standard specifies the design of slots built into the computer and of cards which can be inserted into ExpressCard slots. The cards contain...
expansion slots on DTX motherboards.
Benefits
There are several benefits DTX provides to reduce production costs.- DTX will allow up to four motherboards – for low cost – per standard printed circuit board manufacturing panel sizes
- Mini-DTX will allow up to six motherboards – for low cost – per standard printed circuit board manufacturing panel sizes
- DTX motherboards can be manufactured in as few as four layers of printed circuit board wiring for motherboard cost savings
- By leveraging backward-compatibility with ATX infrastructure, vendors may gain a low-cost DTX product offering with little development expense