Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by Adams
What is the function of motherboard jumpers?
Every components in gadgets performs different function. In electrical engineering, the jumper, or short-circuit bridge, is a small plug-in bridge found on the contacts of pin headers. As a result, they fulfill a function as short-circuit plugs in a certain way. The pins on which the jumpers are placed are electronically connected and thus bridged. What is the function of Motherboard Jumpers?
Since they represent a special type of short-circuit bridge, mainboard jumpers are relatively similar to them. However, they differ from their relatives in terms of shape, size, and application. A jumper consists of a small, slightly curved sheet of spring steel that connects the two pins.
Housing made of plastic, which also protects against short circuits and ensures better handling, creates the spring pressure required for this. You put the jumper on the two pins, and the spring creates an electrical contact; most of the contacts are also gold-plated these days.
By the way: Dipswitches can perform the same function as mainboard jumpers, but jumpers are more popular because of their reliability, lower price, and smaller size.
In general, jumpers have the function that they can configure electronic assemblies or set operating parameters. However, this only applies as long as this setting has to be made rarely or only once. Then, with the help of the jumper, ground connections are created, which, together with a so-called pull-up resistor, provide a bit with the required information.
A mainboard jumper that is used in a PC, however, has another task. It can be used to reset the computer’s BIOS. You may need to do this if the computer no longer boots properly after experimenting with the BIOS settings.
This fact can be easily remedied using a mainboard jumper, and we will show you the few steps you need to know here. Practically all mainboards have a so-called “Clear CMOS Jumper,” which is in most cases near the BIOS battery. It is a large, flat button cell in the PC.
However, be careful: some manufacturers use a different name for this component, so we recommend you refer to the manual in case of doubt. First, you should switch off the device and, in any case, disconnect it from the mains to avoid electric shocks and damage to the technical components. Now go to the jumper; it should now be in the standard position. It usually refers to pins 1 and 2.
Now carefully remove it from this position and put it in the erase position, i.e., pins 2 and 3. Now wait a few seconds and then put the jumper back into the initial position.
That should have fixed these problems by now; if not, it is advisable to remove the BIOS battery for a few minutes. Nevertheless, be careful: we advise you only to approach these sensitive parts if you are familiar with the technology. Otherwise, it can lead to damage to the device!
Mainboard jumpers are small components that enable you to restart your computer in an emergency. If you have such problems, you can restore your PC in a few skillful steps, but you should do without it if you are unsure!
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