Slot A
| Type | SECC |
|---|---|
| Chip form factors | PGA |
| Contacts | 242 |
| FSB protocol | EV6 |
| FSB frequency | 200 MT/s, 266 MT/s |
| Voltage range | 1.3–2.05 V |
| Processors | AMD Athlon (500–1000 MHz) |
| Predecessor | Super Socket 7 |
| Successor | Socket A |
This article is part of the CPU socket series | |
Slot A is the physical and electrical specification for a 242-lead single-edge-connector used by early versions of AMD's Athlon processor.
The Slot A connector allows for a higher bus rate than Socket 7 or Super Socket 7. Slot A motherboards use the EV6 bus protocol, a technology originally developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for its Alpha 21264 microprocessor.
Slot A is mechanically compatible but electrically incompatible with Intel's Slot 1. As a consequence, Slot A motherboards were designed to have the connector's installed orientation be rotated 180 degrees relative to Slot 1 motherboards to discourage accidental insertion of a Slot 1 processor into a Slot A motherboard, and vice versa. The choice to use the same mechanical connector as the Intel Slot 1 also allowed motherboard manufacturers to keep costs down by stocking the same part for both Slot 1 and Slot A assemblies.
Unlike with Slot 1 CPUs, there were never any converter cards, or slotkets made that allowed Socket A CPUs to be used on Slot A motherboards, as what happened with the slotkets made for using Socket 370 CPUs in Slot 1 motherboards.
AMD went back into using a traditional socket interface with Socket A in 2000.