Full Form of ATX
Advanced Technology eXtended
ATX Full Form is Advanced Technology eXtended. ATX refers to a configuration specification of a motherboard which was created by Intel in the year 1995. The development occurred with the aim to improving former de facto standards such as the AT design. ATX is regarded as the first major change in the motherboard, power supply and enclosure of a desktop computer. The configuration has markedly improved the interchangeability and standardization of components. This specification characterizes major mechanical dimensions, Input/Output panel, mounting point, and connector interfaces among a motherboard, a computer case, and a power supply.
Presently, the ATX is the most commonly used motherboard design. Other available standards are there for smaller boards such as FlexATX, microATX, and mini-ITX that generally maintain the basic rear layout, although they reduce the number of the expansion slots and the size of the board. The latest ATX is version 2.2 for motherboards and 2.31 for a power supply that was officially released in the year 2008.
In the year 2003, Intel announced the launch of the BTX standard, which was intended to become a substitute for the ATX however, even after so many years, ATX is still largely used. Among many achievements of the ATX one is the bringing about ubiquity to the PS/2-style mini-DIN mouse and keyboard connectors. Many legacy connectors have been however removed from modern ATX motherboards such as 9-pin parallel ports, 25-pin parallel ports, etc. As replacements, FireWire, Ethernet, audio ports have emerged.