FAQs Thunderbird:
About this FAQ
This list of Frequently Asked Questions contains issues that are either not yet in the Thunderbird's User's Manual or that need more information than is appropriate for the Technical Manual. At any rate, the Technical Manual (1,34 MB) should be consulted first if there are questions and or problems with the Thunderbird motherboard.
At least some of the mounting holes fit together, so this should generally work. Check the dimensional drawing here. However, please check the length of the power supply cables before commiting to a certain type. These could be too short to reach the Mini-ITX board's connectors. You should also make sure that the I/O area fits to your enclosure. Yo will most probably need a custom bezel for this. 
Yes, at clock frequencies up to 1.3 GHz, it is possible to use the Thunderbird board without a fan, but with passive cooling only. A suitable heatsink is optionally available. Please refer to the "Temperature Control" chapter in the Technical Manual.
The Thunderbird always comes complete with CPU and a cooling device. The cooling device is a fan for the 1.6 GHz version and a heatsink for the 1.1 GHz version with soldered BGA-CPU.
Yes, but please note that the CompactFlash adapter is available as an option only for large order numbers.
Yes, USB boot is supported.
There are drivers available for "Dual channel LVDS" displays and some other LVDS types (i.e. 18-bit). (as supported by the i82855GM chipset).The display type can be chosen with the BIOS setup utility.
When the 1.6 GHz processor is changed against a 2 GHz type, it still runs at only 1.6 GHz. Reason: There is a BIOS setting called "Maximum Frequency/Voltage", and this is still at 1.6 GHz. Solution: Set the BIOS to "Load Optimized Defaults". Reboot. The processor now runs at its maximum clock speed. You might also wish to check Application Note AN001 (1,57 MB) for further details.
A hardware accelerator for MPEG is integrated in the chipset.
The standard Thunderbird uses an ATX-Power-Supply. Optionially a single voltage version (+5VDC) can be ordered. (larger order numbers only).
All other necessary voltages are generated on the board, no further supply is necessary.
With RAM and passive heatsink, the Thunderbird measures :
Length: 170 mm
Width: 170 mm
Heigth: 43 mm
Four of the USB ports are at the "side panel". (see the board's picture) The remaining two are brought to a 2 mm connector.
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