Acer ALTOS 1100E User Manual

Altos 1100E Series

User’s Guide

Document

History

Copyright

Notice

EDITION	PART NUMBER	DATE
First	49.AB791.001	August 1999

may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer America Corporation.

Printed in U.S.A

Trademarks

Disclaimer

Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated.

Altos is a registered trademark of Acer America Corporation.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

Windows, Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98 and DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Acer and its suppliers make no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaim any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Further, Acer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revisions or changes. Acer reserves the right to make changes to the products described in this manual at any time and without notice.

ii Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

Warranty/Limitation of Liability

Any software described in this manual is licensed “as is” and Acer and its suppliers disclaim any and all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to any warranty of non-infringement of third party rights, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Acer does not warrant that the operation of the software will be uninterrupted or error free. Should the programs prove defective, the buyer (and not Acer, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary service, repair, and any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software. Please see the Acer Limited Product Warranty for details of Acer’s limited warranty on hardware products. IN NO EVENT SHALL ACER BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS OR DATA, EVEN IF ACER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Software License

Acer grants you a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the software that accompanies your computer system only on a single computer. You may not (a) make copies of the software except for making one (1) backup copy of the software which will also be subject to this license, (b) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, translate or create derivative works based upon the software, (c) export or re-export the software to any person or destination which is not authorized to receive them under the export control laws and regulations of the United States, (d) remove or alter in any way the copyright notices, or other proprietary legends that were on the software as delivered to you or (e) sublicense or otherwise make the software available to third parties. The software is the property of Acer or Acer’s supplier and you do not have and shall not gain any proprietary interest in the software (including any modifications or copies made by or for you) or any related intellectual property rights. Additional restrictions may apply to certain software titles. Please refer to any software licenses that accompany such software for details.

Join Us to Fight Against Piracy

The Acer Group has been implementing a policy to respect and protect legitimate intellectual property rights. Acer firmly believes that only when each and every one of us abides by such policy, can this industry provide quality service to the general public.

Acer has become a member of the Technology Committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Council which is encouraging the protection and enforcement of legitimate intellectual property rights worldwide. Moreover, in order to ensure quality service to all of our customers, Acer includes an operating system in Acer computer systems which is duly licensed by the legitimate proprietors and produced with quality.

Acer commits itself and urges all of its customers to join the fight against intellectual property piracy wherever it may occur. Acer will pursue the enforcement of intellectual property rights and will strive to fight against piracy.

iii

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1.Read these instructions carefully. Save them for future reference.

2.Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.

3.Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

4.Do not use this product near water.

5.Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

6.Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided.

7.This product should be operated from the type of power indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company.

8.This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace the outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the grounding-type plug.

9.Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord.

10.If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the

iv Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.

11.Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

12.Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

13.Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:

a.When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed

b.If liquid has been spilled into the product

c.If the product has been exposed to rain or water

d.If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition.

e.If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged

f.If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service

14.Use only the proper type of power supply cord (provided in your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit. It should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type SVT/SJT, rated 10A 125V minimum. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

15.Replace the battery with the same type as the product’s battery we recommend. Use of another battery may present a risk of fire or explosion. Refer battery replacement to a qualified service technician.

The battery could explode if not handled properly. Do not recharge, disassemble or dispose of it in fire. Keep it away from children and dispose of any used battery promptly.

CD-ROM Safety Warning

DANGER

INVISIBLE RADIATION WHEN OPEN.

AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM.

vi Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

FCC Class B Radio Frequency

Interference Statement

Note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

1.Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

2.Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

3.Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

4.Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

Notice 1:

The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

Notice 2:

Shielded interface cables, if any, must be used in order to comply with the emission limits.

vii

Chapter 1 System Housing

1.1	Stand-alone System ........................................................................................		1-1
1.2	Features............................................................................................................		1-2
	1.2.1	Front Panel ...........................................................................................	1-2
	1.2.2	Rear Panel.............................................................................................	1-3
1.3	Internal Structure............................................................................................		1-4
1.4	Opening the Housing Panels.........................................................................		1-5
	1.4.1	Front Panel ...........................................................................................	1-5
	1.4.2	Left Panel..............................................................................................	1-6
1.5	Installing Drives..............................................................................................		1-7
	1.5.1	3.5-inch Drive.......................................................................................	1-7
	1.5.2	5.25-inch Drives...................................................................................	1-9
1.6	Installing Hot-Swap Cages..........................................................................		1-11
1.7	Installing and Removing a Hot-swappable Redundant Power Supply
	Module .........................................................................................................		1-21
1.8	Replacing the External Redundant System Fan .......................................		1-23
1.9	Installing an Expansion Board ....................................................................		1-24
1.10	SCSI Backplane Board..................................................................................		1-25
	1.10.1 BPL3 LVD SCSI Backplane Board...................................................		1-25
	1.10.2 BPL5 LVD SCSI Backplane Board...................................................		1-27

Chapter 2 System Board

2.1	Features............................................................................................................	2-1
2.2	Major Components.........................................................................................	2-3
2.3	System Board Layout .....................................................................................	2-4
2.4	Jumpers and Connectors ...............................................................................	2-5
	2.4.1 Jumper and Connector Locations......................................................	2-5
	2.4.2 Jumper Settings ...................................................................................	2-6

viii Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

	2.4.3	Connector Functions...........................................................................	2-7
2.5	Front Panel Connectors..................................................................................		2-9
2.6	Installing Components.................................................................................		2-10
	2.6.1	ESD Precautions ................................................................................	2-11
	2.6.2	Pre-installation Instructions.............................................................	2-11
	2.6.3	Post-installation Instructions ...........................................................	2-12
2.7	Installing and Removing a Heatsink..........................................................		2-13
2.8	Installing a Pentium III Processor...............................................................		2-15
2.9 Removing a Pentium III Processor .............................................................			2-17
2.10	Installing the Termination Board................................................................		2-18
2.11	Memory Upgrade .........................................................................................		2-19
	2.11.1 Memory Configurations...................................................................		2-19
	2.11.2 Installing a DIMM.............................................................................		2-20
	2.11.3 Removing a DIMM ...........................................................................		2-21
	2.11.4 Reconfiguring the System ................................................................		2-21
2.12	Installing Expansion Cards .........................................................................		2-22
	2.12.1 Installing 32 Bit PCI Cards...............................................................		2-22
	2.12.2 Installing an AGP Card ....................................................................		2-23
2.13	ASM Pro.........................................................................................................		2-24
2.14	Remote Diagnostic Management................................................................		2-25
	1.14.1 Installing the RDM Module .............................................................		2-25
2.15	Error Messages..............................................................................................		2-26
	2.15.1 Software Error Messages..................................................................		2-26
	2.15.2 System Error Messages.....................................................................		2-26
	2.15.3 Correcting Error Conditions ............................................................		2-29

Chapter 3		BIOS Utility
3.1	Entering Setup.................................................................................................		3-1
3.2	System Information ........................................................................................		3-3
	3.2.1	Processor...............................................................................................	3-4
	3.2.2	Processor Speed...................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.3	Bus Frequency .....................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.4	Internal Cache......................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.5	External Cache.....................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.6	Floppy Drive A....................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.7	Floppy Drive B.....................................................................................	3-5
	3.2.8	IDE Primary Channel Master ............................................................	3-6
	3.2.9	IDE Primary Channel Slave ...............................................................	3-6
	3.2.10	IDE Secondary Channel Master ........................................................	3-6
	3.2.11	IDE Secondary Channel Slave ...........................................................	3-6
	3.2.12	Total Memory ......................................................................................	3-6
	3.2.13	Serial Port 1 ..........................................................................................	3-7
	3.2.14	Serial Port 2 ..........................................................................................	3-7
	3.2.15	Parallel Port..........................................................................................	3-7
	3.2.16	Pointing Device ...................................................................................	3-7
	3.2.17	Memory Parity Mode .........................................................................	3-7
	3.2.18 Onboard USB .......................................................................................		3-7
3.3	Product Information.......................................................................................		3-8
	3.3.1	Product Name......................................................................................	3-8
	3.3.2	System S/N..........................................................................................	3-8
	3.3.3	Main Board ID .....................................................................................	3-9
	3.3.4	Main Board S/N..................................................................................	3-9
	3.3.5	System BIOS Version ..........................................................................	3-9
	3.3.6	System BIOS ID ...................................................................................	3-9
	3.3.7	BIOS Release Date ...............................................................................	3-9

x Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

3.4	Disk Drives ....................................................................................................		3-10
	3.4.1	Floppy Drives ....................................................................................	3-12
	3.4.2	IDE Drives..........................................................................................	3-12
3.5	Power Management .....................................................................................		3-16
	3.5.1	Power Management Mode...............................................................	3-16
	3.5.2 Power Switch < 4 sec. .......................................................................		3-17
	3.5.3	Wakeup Event ...................................................................................	3-17
3.6	Startup Configuration ..................................................................................		3-18
	3.6.1	Fast POST Mode................................................................................	3-18
	3.6.2	Silent Boot ..........................................................................................	3-19
	3.6.3 Num Lock After Boot .......................................................................		3-19
	3.6.4	Memory Test ......................................................................................	3-19
	3.6.5 Initialize SCSI Before IDE.................................................................		3-19
	3.6.6	System Boot Drive.............................................................................	3-20
	3.6.7 Boot From IDE CD-ROM .................................................................		3-20
3.7	Advanced Configuration.............................................................................		3-21
	3.7.1	Onboard Devices Configuration .....................................................	3-22
	3.7.2	PnP/PCI System Configuration ......................................................	3-29
	3.7.3	Memory/Cache Configuration .......................................................	3-33
	3.7.4	CPU Speed Configuration................................................................	3-35
	3.7.5	System Event Configuration............................................................	3-36
3.8	System Security Setup..................................................................................		3-39
	3.8.1	Disk Drive Control............................................................................	3-40
	3.8.2	Setup Password .................................................................................	3-41
	3.8.3	Power-on Password ..........................................................................	3-43
3.9	Date and Time...............................................................................................		3-44
	3.9.1	Date .....................................................................................................	3-44
	3.9.2	Time ....................................................................................................	3-45
3.10 Remote Diagnostic Configuration ..............................................................			3-46
3.11 Load Setup Default Settings........................................................................			3-48

3.12	Abort Settings Change	.................................................................................3-49
3.13	Leaving Setup................................................................................................	3-49

Chapter 4		SCSISelect Configuration Utility
4.1	SCSISelect Configuration Utility Overview.................................................		4-1
	4.1.1	Default Values .....................................................................................	4-1
	4.1.2 When to Use the SCSISelect Utility ...................................................		4-3
	4.1.3 Running the SCSISelect Utility...........................................................		4-3
4.2	SCSISelect Utility Options..............................................................................		4-4
	4.2.1 Configure/View Host Adapter Setting Menu ................................		4-5
	4.2.2	SCSI Disk Utilities .............................................................................	4-19
4.3	Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers .....................................................		4-21
4.4	SCSI Troubleshooting Checklist .................................................................		4-22
4.5	BIOS Startup Messages ................................................................................		4-23
	4.5.1 Device connected, but not ready.....................................................		4-24
	4.5.2 Start unit request failed ....................................................................		4-25
	4.5.3 Disk Drive Configuration Problems ...............................................		4-25

Index

xii Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

List of Figures

2-1	System Board Layout .....................................................................................	2-4
2-2	System Board Jumper and Connector Locations........................................	2-5
2-3	Front Panel Connectors..................................................................................	2-9
2-4	Installing a Pentium III Processor...............................................................	2-16
2-5	Unlocking the Module Latches...................................................................	2-17
2-6	Installing the Termination Board................................................................	2-18
2-7	Installing a DIMM ........................................................................................	2-20
2-8	Removing a DIMM.......................................................................................	2-21
2-9	Installing a PCI Card....................................................................................	2-22
2-10	Installing an AGP Card................................................................................	2-23
2-11	Installing the RDM Module.........................................................................	2-25
4-1	Options Menu Screen.....................................................................................	4-4
4-2	Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen (1 of 2)............................	4-5
4-3	Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen (2 of 2)............................	4-6
4-4	Host Adapter SCSI ID Selection Screen for AHA-3950U2B .....................	4-7
4-5	SCSI Parity Checking Selection.....................................................................	4-8
4-6	Host Adapter SCSI Termination Selection for AHA-3950U2B.................	4-9
4-7	Boot Device Options Screen ........................................................................	4-10
4-8	SCSI Device Configuration Screen for AHA-3950U2B............................	4-11
4-9	Advanced Configuration Options Screen .................................................	4-16
4-10	SCSI Disk Utilities Screen for AHA-3950U2B...........................................	4-19

xiii

List of Tables

2-1 System Board Jumper Settings......................................................................		2-6
2-2	Connector Functions ......................................................................................	2-7
2-3	Memory Configurations ..............................................................................	2-19
2-4	System Error Messages ................................................................................	2-27
3-1 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings ......................................................		3-27
3-2	Drive Control Settings..................................................................................	3-40
4-1 Default Settings for SCSI Controller and all Devices.................................		4-2

xiv Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

About This Manual

This user’s guide aims to give you the information you need to operate the system properly and tells you how to install internal components.

Manual Structure

This user’s guide consists of four chapters and an index.

Chapter 1 System Housing

This chapter describes the features of the system housing and tells you how to install the basic system components such as disk drives, a system board, or expansion boards. It also describes the IDM BPL3 and BPL5 LVD SCSI backplane subsystems, which consist of a backplane board and drive trays that support LVD SCSI hard disk drives.

Chapter 2 System Board

This chapter describes the system board and all its major components. It contains information about the system board layout, jumper and connector locations, jumper settings, connector functions, and information on installing optional components. At the end of the chapter you will find an explanation of error messages and corresponding corrective measures.

Chapter 3 BIOS Utility

This chapter gives information about the system BIOS and tells how to configure the system by setting the BIOS parameters.

Chapter 4 SCSISelect Configuration Utility

This chapter describes the SCSISelect Configuration Utility, which allows you to change SCSI controller settings without opening the computer or changing jumpers.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

,	,	Represents the actual keys that you
		have to press on the keyboard.

		NOTE
		Gives bits and pieces of additional
		information related to the current
		topic.

		WARNING
		Alerts you to any danger that might
		result from doing or not doing
		specific actions.

		CAUTION
		Suggests precautionary measures to
		avoid potential hardware or
		software problems.

		IMPORTANT
		Reminds you to take specific action
		relevant to the accomplishment of
		the procedure at hand.

		TIP
		Tells how to accomplish a procedure
		with minimum steps through little
		shortcuts.

xvi Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

Chapter 1 System Housing

This chapter describes the features of the system housing and tells you how to install the basic system components such as disk drives, a system board, or expansion boards.

If you receive a complete system, the basic components are already installed.

1.1Stand-alone System

The Altos 1100E housing is a stand-alone system housing. Rotate the feet outward to stabilize the housing.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-1

1.2Features

1.2.1 Front Panel

Panel Door

Keylock

1-2 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

1.2.2 Rear Panel

Mouse Port

Keyboard Port

USB Ports

Parallel Port

Com1

Com 2

RJ-45

Power Socket

Hot-Swap Redundant

Power Supply

External Housing

Fan

AGP Video

Connector

External SCSI

Connector

Expansion Slots

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-3

1.3Internal Structure

Hot-swap

Redundant

Power Supply

Internal

Housing Fan

Expansion Card

Slots

Backplane Board

Hot-Swap Cage

(SCSI)

5.25-inch Drive Ba

3.5-inch Drive Bay

Power Switch

System Status LED

Hard Disk Drive LE

RDM LED

Reset Switch

Removable Hard Di

Drive Trays

1-4 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

1.4Opening the Housing Panels

1.4.1 Front Panel

Key lock

To open the front panel, use the key to unlock and then pull the panel as shown in the illustration above.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-5

1.4.2 Left Panel

To remove the left panel:

Turn off the power switch and unplug the power cord before removing the left panel. See section 2.6 for important ESD precautions and preand post-installation instructions.

1.Remove the two front thumbscrews. Keep them in a safe place for later use.

2.Pull the panel handle out and use it to remove the left panel from the housing.

Left panel

screws

Left Panel Handle

1-6 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

1.5Installing Drives

Turn off the power switch and unplug the power cord before installing or removing drives. See section 2.6 for important ESD precautions and preand post-installation instructions.

1.5.1 3.5-inch Drive

To install 3.5-inch drives:

1.Open the front panel of the housing. See section 1.4 for more information on opening the housing panel.

2.Detach the 3.5-inch drive frame (2 pieces) from the housing by removing two screws. Keep the screws for later use.

3.Attach the drive frames to the 3.5-inch drive securing it with four screws as shown below.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-7

4.Insert the drive into the drive bay and secure it with two screws.

5.Connect the diskette drive cables and close the housing panels.

1-8 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

1.5.2 5.25-inch Drives

You may install a CD-ROM, digital audio tape (DAT), hard disk, diskette drive or any other 5.25-inch device into the drive bay.

To install 5.25-inch devices:

1.Open the front panel. See section 1.4 for more information on opening the housing panel.

2.Detach the 5.25-inch drive frame (2 pieces) from the housing by removing two screws. Keep the screws for later use.

3.Attach the drive frames to the 5.25-inch drive securing it with four screws as shown below.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-9

4.Insert the drive into the drive bay and secure it with two screws.

5.Connect the signal and power cables to the drive and close the housing panels.

1-10 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

1.6Installing Hot-Swap Cages

You can install either one BPL3 hot-swap cage or one BPL5 hot-swap cage into the system housing. The system housing comes with one BPL5 hot-swap cage.

BPL3 and BPL5 Hot-Swap Cage Comparison Table

	BPL3	BPL5
Dimension occupied	Two 5.25” bays	Three 5.25” bays

Cooling fans	Two 6 cm fans	One 12 cm fan

Power LED, HDD Access	Yes	Yes
LED, HDD Fail LED

HDD Support	SCA HDD	SCA HDD

Transfer Rate	80MB/s Ultra2	80MB/s Ultra2
	LVD	LVD

SCSI Termination	Yes	Yes

SCSI out (for termination	Yes	Yes
or expansion)

See section 1.10 for additional information about BPL3 and BPL5 backplane boards.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-11

Installing a BPL3 Hot-Swap Cage

To install the hot-swap cage into the housing:

1.Open the front panel and remove the left panel of the housing. See section 1.4 for more information on opening the housing panels.

2.Attach the drive guides on the sides of the hot-swap cage with two screws on each side. The drive guides come with the hot-swap cage.

1-12 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

3.Insert the hot-swap cage into the housing and secure the hot-swap cage with two screws as shown below.

Chapter 1 – System Housing 1-13

4.Attach the power cable, the SCSI terminator, the HDD fault LED cable, and the system board connector cable to the backplane board and attach the other end of the connector cable to the system board. For the location of the SCSI connector, please refer to Chapter 2, System Board.

System board connector cable

Power connector

SCSI

Terminator

CN3: Connect to system board’s HDD Fault LED

1-14 Altos 1100E Series User’s Guide

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Table of Contents

Conventions