A7N8X-LA
(Focus)
User Guide
Motherboard
Checklist
Contents
A7N8X-LA (Focus) specifications summary ................................... iii
1. Motherboard layout ............................................................... 1
2. Central Processing Unit (CPU).............................................. 2
Installing the CPU.................................................................. 2
3. System memory .................................................................... 3
Installing a DIMM................................................................... 3
4. Expansion slots ..................................................................... 4
Standard interrupt assignments ............................................ 4
IRQ assignments for this motherboard.................................. 4
PCI slots ................................................................................ 5
AGP slot ................................................................................ 5
5. Jumpers................................................................................. 6
6. Connectors ............................................................................ 8
Product Name: A7N8X-LA Focus
Manual Revision: E1317 V1
Release Date: May 2003
ii
A7N8X-LA (Focus) specifications summary
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory
Expansion slots
IDE
Onboard Audio
Onboard LAN
Onboard IEEE 1394
Hardware monitoring
Socket A for AMD Athlon™/Athlon XP™
Supports up to Athlon XP™ 3200+
nVidia nForce2 400 SPP
nVidia MCP-T
400/333/266 MHz
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets for up to 2GB memory
Supports PC2700/PC2100 double-sided DDR
1 x AGP 8X slot
3 x PCI slots
2 x UltraDMA100/66/33 connectors, PIO Mode 3/4
Supports ATAPI IDE, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW and LS-120
RealTek ALC650 6-channel audio CODEC subsystem
AC’97 2.2 compliant
Realtek 8201BL LAN PHY supports 10/100 Mbps
Agere FW802C PHY supports 2 x 1394 ports with
400/200/100Mbps data transfer rate
Super I/O integrated monitoring of CPU and chassis fan
rotations and CPU/chassis temperature
Special features
Rear panel I/O
Internal I/O
Wakeup on Ring, LAN, Keyboard, PS/2 Mouse, RTC Timer
Supports ACPI STR (S3) function
Restart/Off Setup of AC recovery from power failure
1 x Parallel port
1 x Serial port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x RJ-45 port
1 x IEEE 1394 port
Line In/Line Out/Microphone ports
1 x USB 2.0 connector for 2 additional USB ports
1 x IEEE 1394 connector for additional 1394 port
CPU/chassis fan connectors
20-pin ATX power connectors
S/PDIF out connector
CD/AUX audio connectors
Front headphone connector
Front MIC-IN connector
(Continued next page)
iii
A7N8X-LA (Focus) specifications summary
BIOS features
Industry Standard
Form factor
* Specifications are subject to change without notice
4Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS with Enhanced ACPI,
DMI, Green, PnP features
USB 2.0/1.1, PCI 2.2
MicroATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
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1. Motherboard layout
24.5cm (9.64in)
PS/2
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
COM1
PARALLEL PORT
Socket 462
CPU_FAN1
FLOPPY1
Bottom:
Top:
USB1
1394
USB2
Bottom:
Top:
USB1
RJ-45
USB2
Top:Line In
Center:Line Out
Below:Mic In
Audio
Codec
ASPDIF1
HJACK1
Realtek
RTL8201
ATX Power Connector
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP8X1)
A7N8X-LA/Focus
PCI 1
PCI 2
PCI 3
CD1 AUX1
FP_MIC1
nVidia
nForce2
400 SPP
Chipset
Agere
1394
PHY
IEEE1394_1
nVIDIA
MCP-T
Chipset
24.5cm (9.64in)
DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
01
USB56
DDR DIMM3 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
IDE1
IDE2
4
5
Super
BAT1
CHA_FAN1
J11
BUZZ1
HPANEL
4Mb
BIOS
I/O
CLRTC1
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
1
2. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The motherboard provides a Socket A (462) for CPU installation. AMD processors
offer gigahertz speeds to support all latest computing platforms and applications.
The A7N8X-LA supports AMD Athlon™/Athlon XP™ 3200+ processors. This
motherboard supports 400/333/266MHz front side bus (FSB), and allows data
transfers of up to 2.7GB/s with PC2700 DDR.
Each AMD CPU has a “marked” corner. This corner is usually indicated with a
notch and/or a golden square or triangle. Refer to this indicator while orienting the
CPU. A fan and a heatsink should be attached to the CPU to prevent overheating.
CPU NOTCH
TO INNER
CORNER
LOCK
LEVER
A7N8X-LA/Focus
AMD™ CPU
CPU NOTCH
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Socket 462
Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU.
1. Locate the Socket 462 and open it by
pulling the lever gently sideways
away from the socket. Then lift the
lever upwards. The socket lever
must be fully opened (90 to 100
degrees).
2. Insert the CPU with the correct
orientation. The notched or golden
corner of the CPU must be oriented
toward the inner corner of the socket
base nearest to the lever hinge.
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the
socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
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ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
3. System memory
The motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual Inline Memory
Module (DIMM) sockets. These sockets support up to 2GB system memory using
184-pin unbuffered non-ECC PC2700/PC2100 double-sided DDR DIMMs.
The following figure illustrates the location of the DDR DIMM sockets.
DDR1
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
184-Pin DDR DIMM Sockets
CAUTION: DIMMs are keyed to fit with only one direction. DO NOT force a
DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.
DDR3
104 Pins
80 Pins
Installing a DIMM
You may install 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB DDR DIMMs into the
DIMM sockets using the memory configurations in this section.
Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or
other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both
the motherboard and the components.
Follow these steps to install a DIMM.
1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing
the retaining clips outward.
2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that
the notch on the DIMM matches the
break on the socket.
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket
until the retaining clips snap back in
place and the DIMM is properly
Unlocked Retaining Clip
seated.
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
DDR DIMM notch
3
4. Expansion slots
The motherboard has three PCI slots and one Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot.
To install and configure an expansion card:
1. Install an expansion card following the instructions that came with the chassis.
2. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any.
3. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables below.
4. Install the drivers and/or software applications for the expansion card
according to the card documentation.
Standard interrupt assignments
IRQ Priority Standard Function
0 1 System Timer
1 2 Keyboard Controller
2 N/A Programmable Interrupt
3* 11 Communications Port (COM2)
4* 12 Communications Port (COM1)
5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
6 14 Floppy Disk Controller
7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9* 4 ACPI Mode when used
10* 5 IRQ holder for PCI steering
11* 6 IRQ holder for PCI steering
12* 7 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 8 Numeric Data Processor
14* 9 Primary IDE Channel
15* 10 Secondary IDE Channel
* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
IRQ assignments for this motherboard
ABCDEFGH
PCI slot 1 shared
PCI slot 2 used
PCI slot 3 used
AGP slot shared
Onboard USB controller 1
Onboard LAN
Onboard audio
Onboard 1394 controller
4
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
PCI slots
There are three (3) 32-bit PCI slots on this motherboard. The slots support PCI
cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with
PCI specifications. The figure below shows a typical PCI card installed into a slot.
AGP slot
This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that supports
AGP 8X cards. When you buy an AGP card, make sure that you ask for one with
+1.5V specification.
Note the notches on the card golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on
your motherboard.
Install only +1.5V AGP cards on this motherboard!
AGP Card without Retention Notch
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP8X)
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
5
5. Jumpers
1. Clear RTC (3-pin CLRTC1)
This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS.
You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters
by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The RAM data in CMOS, that include
system setup information, is powered by the onboard button cell battery.
To erase the RTC RAM:
1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
2. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (Default) to pins 2-3 (Clear CMOS).
Keep the cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap
back to pins 1-2.
3. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
4. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup
to re-enter data.
Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the jumper caps on default
position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Clear RTC RAM
CLRTC1
12
Normal Clear CMOS
(Default)
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ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
2. Clear Password (3-pin J11)
This jumper allows you to clear the password in CMOS. To erase the Password
move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (Default) to pins 2-3 (Clear Password).
Keep the cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to
pins 1-2. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer. Hold down the <Del>
key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data.
J11
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Clear Password Setting
12
Normal Clear Password
(Default)
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ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
7
6. Connectors
This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the motherboard.
1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1)
This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After
connecting one end to the motherboard, connect the other end to the floppy
drive. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent incorrect insertion when using ribbon cables
with pin 5 plug).
FLOPPY1
NOTE: Orient the red markings on
the floppy ribbon cable to
A7N8X-LA/Focus
PIN 1
PIN 1
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Floppy Disk Drive Connector
2. ATX power connectors (20-pin ATXPWR1)
These connectors connect to an ATX 12V power supply. The plugs from the
power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find
the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit.
Make sure that your ATX 12V power supply can provide 8A on the +12V lead
and at least 1A on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The minimum
recommended wattage is 230W, or 300W for a fully configured system. The
system may become unstable and may experience difficulty powering up if the
power supply is inadequate.
ATXPWR1
A7N8X-LA/Focus
+12.0VDC
+5VSB
PWR_OK
COM
+5.0VDC
COM
+5.0VDC
COM
+3.3VDC
+3.3VDC
+5.0VDC
+5.0VDC
-5.0VDC
COM
COM
COM
PS_ON#
COM
-12.0VDC
+3.3VDC
A7N8X-LA/Focus
ATX Power Connector
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ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin IDE1, IDE2)
This connector supports the provided UltraDMA100/66/33 IDE hard disk ribbon
cable. Connect the cable’s blue connector to the primary (recommended) or
secondary IDE connector , then connect the gray connector to the
UltraDMA100/66/33 slave device (hard disk drive) and the black connector to the
UltraDMA100/66/33 master device. It is recommended that you connect nonUltraDMA100/66/33 devices to the secondary IDE connector. If you install two
hard disks, you must configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its
jumper accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper settings.
BIOS supports specific device bootup. If you have more than two
UltraDMA100/66/33 devices, purchase another UltraDMA100/66/33 cable. You
may configure two hard disks to be both master devices with two ribbon cables –
one for the primary IDE connector and another for the secondary IDE connector.
1. Pin 20 on each IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the
UltraDMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect orientation when you
connect the cables.
2. The hole near the blue connector on the UltraDMA100/66/33 cable is
intentional.
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
IDE Connectors
IDE2
PIN 1
NOTE: Orient the red markings
(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.
IDE1
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
9
4. CPU and Chassis Fan Connectors (3-pin CPU_FAN1, CHA_FAN1)
The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~740mA (8.88W max.) or a
total of 1A~2.22A (26.64W max.) at +12V. Connect the fan cables to the fan
connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black wire of each cable
matches the ground pin of the connector.
Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of sufficient
air flow within the system may damage the motherboard components. These
are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors!
CPU_FAN1
GND
+12V
Rotation
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
CHA_FAN1
GND
+12V
Rotation
12-Volt Cooling Fan Power
5. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD1, AUX1)
These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources
such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.
AUX1 (White)CD1 (Black)
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Ground
Ground
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A7N8X-LA/Focus
Internal Audio Connectors
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
Left Audio Channel
Right Audio Channel
Left Audio Channel
Right Audio Channel
6. USB headers (10-1 pin USB56)
If the USB ports on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header is available
for additional USB ports. The USB header complies with USB 2.0 specification
that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. This speed advantage over
the conventional 12 Mbps on USB 1.1 allows faster Internet connection,
interactive gaming, and simultaneous running of high-speed peripherals. You
may connect a USB module to the USB header.
The USB module is purchased separately.
A7N8X-LA/Focus
USB+5V
USB_P6-
USB_P6+
GND
NC
USB56
1
USB+5V
USB_P5-
USB_P5+
GND
A7N8X-LA/Focus
USB 2.0 Header
7. IEEE 1394 connector (10-1 pin IEEE1394_1)
This connector is for a 10-to-6-pin 1394 serial connector cable that connects to
a 1394 module. Attach the 10-1 pin cable plug to this connector, and the 6-pin
cable plug to the 1394 module. You may also connect a 1394-compliant
internal hard disk to this connector.
NEVER connect a USB cable to any of the IEEE 1394 connectors. Doing so
will damage the motherboard!
IEEE1394_1
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
IEEE-1394 Connectors
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
TPA0-
GND
TPB0-
+12V
GND
1
GND
+12V
TPA0+
TPB0+
11
8. Front headphone connector (5-pin HJACK1)
This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel headphone jack.
HJACK1
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Front HeadPhone Header Connector
HP-L Signal
Analog Ground
FRONT OUT-L Signal
1
HP-R Signal
FRONT OUT-R Signal
9. Front microphone connector (3-pin FP_MIC1)
This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel microphone jack. Use a
3-pin audio cable to connect the microphone jack to this connector.
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A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Front Microphone Connector
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
FP_MIC1
MIC Power
MIC Input
Ground
10. Digital audio connector (3-pin ASPDIF1)
This connector is for an S/PDIF audio module that allows digital instead of
analog sound output. Connect one end of the audio cable to this connector and
the other end to the S/PDIF module.
A7N8X-LA/Focus
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Digital Audio Interface
ASPDIF1
+5V
Ground
SPDIFOUT
ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
13
11. System panel connector (10-pin HPANEL)
This connector accommodates several system front panel functions.
ATX Power
A7N8X-LA/Focus
Power LED
HPANEL
PLED-
PLED+
HDLED-
HDLED+
Switch*
PWR
GNDReset
Ground
A7N8X-LA/Focus
HDLED
Reset SW
Front Panel Audio Connector
• System Power LED Lead (2-pin PLED)
This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED lights up
when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the system is in sleep
mode.
• Hard Disk Activity LED Lead (2-pin HDLED)
This 2-pin connector is for the HDD LED cable. The read or write activities of
the device connected to the any of IDE connectors cause the IDE LED to light
up.
• ATX Power Switch / Soft-Off Switch Lead (2-pin PWR)
This connector connects a switch that controls the system power. Pressing the
power switch turns the system between ON and SLEEP, or ON and SOFT
OFF, depending on the BIOS or OS settings. Pressing the power switch while
in the ON mode for more than 4 seconds turns the system OFF.
• Reset Switch Lead (2-pin RESET)
This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for rebooting
the system without turning off the system power.
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ASUS A7N8X-LA (Focus) Motherboard
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