There is a number near the connector, mine says 3, I've seen them say 1 or 4, what is this number?

Thanks

The only reference I have are other cards with several numbers physically engraved into the individual pcb layers.

Thus I assume it may be a print of the current PCB Layer on the multilayer PCBs. The low numbers (1-4) of PCB layers would also support this theory.

They're most prominent on old Hardware (usually found in empty spots on the border of PCB) and it seems they're not present anymore on more modern hardware. I assume this is due to easier and automated PCB processing.

That's quite a reasonable explanation, sounds like it could be the case. :)

stop
its not a pcb layer identification
look on the proto cards or the aalchemy, if its the layer they are not about each other if its you cant read it

maybe they make 4 or 6 cards out of one big PCB (mainboardsize) and the number says witch part it is


okay, on the avenger pci sd pcb someone make it this way
but you see, you done see it right ::)




aalchemy layers
http://www.abload.de/img/img_0391-cs7ci.jpg

Do you mean these numbers?
(images are thumbnails, click for larger)

Dell Voodoo 3 3000 AGP (no TV out)
http://tweakers.net/ext/f/uWwboV05GaPWAHN9z8Nt7OpO/thumb.jpg

Compaq Voodoo 3 3000 AGP TV out
http://tweakers.net/ext/f/muHzf6nyfc5WIL4xxGLD2dTY/thumb.jpg

Voodoo 3 3000 PCI SDR-SDRAM
This one has two different numbers :-?
http://tweakers.net/ext/f/3YFtxmlKwdeLNQ9ZCrfxju2r/thumb.jpg

NitroX infinity wrote on 13.12.08 at 03:15:52:

Do you mean these numbers? (images are thumbnails, click for larger) Dell Voodoo 3 3000 AGP (no TV out) http://tweakers.net/ext/f/uWwboV05GaPWAHN9z8Nt7OpO/thumb.jpg Compaq Voodoo 3 3000 AGP TV out http://tweakers.net/ext/f/muHzf6nyfc5WIL4xxGLD2dTY/thumb.jpg Voodoo 3 3000 PCI SDR-SDRAM This one has two different numbers :-? http://tweakers.net/ext/f/3YFtxmlKwdeLNQ9ZCrfxju2r/thumb.jpg

Yea I mean those numbers.

Yea they must be PCB layer numbers, I held my Voodoo 3 3000 PCI SDR-SDRAM against the light, and you can see all the numbers from different layers shine through.  :)

I saw another very good example when I had a closer look at some brand new 2GB DDR2 RAMs I got.

In the transparency I can clearly see all 6 PCB layers with each having its label imprinted, top to bottom.

FalconFly wrote on 19.01.09 at 02:16:33:

I saw another very good example when I had a closer look at some brand new 2GB DDR2 RAMs I got. In the transparency I can clearly see all 6 PCB layers with each having its label imprinted, top to bottom.

Same here on a Phillips Trimedia TM1, very clear. :)

Those numbers seems to be present on almost all V3s (1k,2k,3k, even Velocity).

Looking on my 3 Velocity I have here, i found that all have a different number (2,3,4). Quite funny, makes you think that if you have some duplicates (cards) on your collection then maybe they aren't quite duplicates (different revisions, numbers, memory type, etc) makes every card unique.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1521/velocity234.th.jpg

but still the cards are identical :) since a velocity 100 remains a Velocity 100 and the revision is the same only PCB date may be different so if a card of the same sort is different it has to be the Revision that counts :)

all Velo 100's are Rev.A 3.xxx cards the oldest production models are from week 27 year 1999 the prototypes were Rev.A0 2499's to 2699's but their revision is still Rev.A0.

a different revision can make a card more different that just the PCB date, this is actually I am saying, the three cards you posted remain identical of the revision they are from  even it seems that they all use the same bios, only diff is the PCB date which doesn't state it as a different card.  8-)

Update : got the entire quad velocity collection  ;)

http://www.abload.de/img/picture002a56y.jpg