ASUS MEBVM User Manual

R

MEB-VM

Socket 370 AGP Motherboard

USER’S MANUAL

USER'S NOTICE

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be repro­duced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in
any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes,
without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED T O THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANT ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PAR­TICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,
EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN­TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF
PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSI­NESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL
OR PRODUCT.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or
altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2)
the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trade­marks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or
explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

• Intel, LANDesk, and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

• IBM and OS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines.

• Symbios is a registered trademark of Symbios Logic Corporation.

• Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

• XGstudio and Soft Synthesizer is a trademark of the Yamaha Corporation.

• Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
The product name and revision number are both printed on the product itself. Manual revi-

sions are released for each product design represented by the digit before and after the period
of the manual revision number. Manual updates are represented by the third digit in the manual
revision number.

For previous or updated manuals, BIOS, drivers, or product release information, contact ASUS
at http://www.asus.com.tw or through any of the means indicated on the following page.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FUR­NISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT
ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COM­MITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR
ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MA Y APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUD­ING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 1998 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS MEB-VM
Manual Revision: 1.01 E325
Release Date: January 1999

2 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (Asia-Pacific)

Marketing

Address: 150 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Tel (English): [phone] ext. 706
Tel (Chinese): [phone] ext. 701
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Newsgroup: news2.asus.com.tw
WWW: www.asus.com.tw
FTP: ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America)

Marketing

Address: 6737 Mowry Avenue, Mowry Business Center, Building 2

Newark, CA 94560, USA
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Fax: [phone]
BBS: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asus.com
FTP: ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/ASUS

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Europe)

Marketing

Address: Harkort Str. 25, 40880 Ratingen, BRD, Germany
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Hotline: [phone]
BBS: 49-2102-448690
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asuscom.de
FTP: ftp.asuscom.de/pub/ASUSCOM

ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual 3

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................. 7

How this manual is organized............................................................. 7

Item Checklist ..................................................................................... 7

II. FEATURES ....................................................................................... 8

The ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard .................................................... 8

Introduction to ASUS Smart Series Motherboards ................. 9

Parts of the ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard ...................................... 11

III. HARDWARE SETUP .................................................................... 12

ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard Layout............................................. 12

1. Jumpers ......................................................................................... 14

HARDWARE SETUP Steps ............................................................. 14

2. System Memory (DIMM) ............................................................. 17

SPD Support .......................................................................... 17

DIMM Memory Installation .................................................. 18

3. Central Processing Unit (CPU).................................................... 19

4. Expansion Cards .......................................................................... 20

Expansion Card Installation Procedure: ................................ 20

Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards.................................... 20

Assigning DMA Channels for ISA Cards.............................. 21

5. External Connectors..................................................................... 22

Power Connection Procedures .......................................................... 33

Flash Memory Writer Utility ............................................................ 34

IV. BIOS SETUP................................................................................... 34

Main Menu .................................................................................. 34

Managing and Updating Your Motherboard’s BIOS................... 36

6. BIOS Setup .................................................................................. 37

Load Defaults ........................................................................ 38

Standard CMOS Setup ................................................................ 38

Details of Standard CMOS Setup:......................................... 38

BIOS Features Setup ................................................................... 41

Details of BIOS Features Setup............................................. 41

Chipset Features Setup ................................................................ 44

Details of Chipset Features Setup.......................................... 44

Power Management Setup........................................................... 47

Details of Power Management Setup .................................... 47

PNP and PCI Setup ..................................................................... 50

Details of PNP and PCI Setup ............................................... 50

Load BIOS Defaults .................................................................... 52

Load Setup Defaults .................................................................... 52

4 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

CONTENTS

Supervisor Password and User Password ................................... 53

IDE HDD Auto Detection ........................................................... 54

Save & Exit Setup ....................................................................... 55

Exit Without Saving .................................................................... 55

V. Software Setup................................................................................. 57

VI. Software Reference ........................................................................ 67

Appendix ............................................................................................... 81

ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual 5

FCC & DOC COMPLIANCE

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the 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 manufacturer’s 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:

• Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

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

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING! Be sure that there is sufficient air circulation across the processor’ s

heatsink by regularly checking that your CPU fan is working. W ithout sufficient
circulation, the processor could overheat and damage both the processor and the
motherboard. You may install an auxiliary fan, if necessary.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.

6 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

I. INTRODUCTION

How this manual is organized

This manual is divided into the following sections:

I. Introduction Manual information and checklist
II. Features Information and specifications concerning this product
III. Hardware Setup Instructions on setting up the motherboard
IV. BIOS Setup Instructions on setting up the BIOS software
V. Software Setup Information on setting up the included support software
VI. Software Reference Reference material for the included support software

Item Checklist

Check that your package is complete. If you discover damaged or missing items,
please contact your retailer.

(1) ASUS Motherboard

Sections/Checklist

I. INTRODUCTION

(1) IDE ribbon cable for master and slave drives
(1) Floppy ribbon cable for (1) 5.25” floppy and (2) 3.5” floppies
(1) COM2 connector with bracket
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps
(1) Support CD with drivers and utilities
(1) This Motherboard User’s Manual

ASUS PC100-compliant SDRAM (optional)
IrDA-compliant infrared module (optional)
ASUS PCI-L101 Wake-On-LAN 10/100 Fast Ethernet Card (optional)

ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual 7

II. FEATURES

Features

II. FEATURES

The ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard

The ASUS MEB-VM motherboard is carefully designed for the demanding PC user
who wants many intelligent features in a small package.

• Intel Processor Support: Supports Intel’s Celeron processor designed for the

Socket 370 and packaged in a Plastic Pin Grid Array (PPGA).

• Intel AGPset: Features Intel’s 440BX AGPset with I/O subsystems and front

side bus (FSB) platform which boosts the traditional 66MHz internal bus speed
to 100MHz.

• AGP 3D AGP VGA: Features onboard ATI 3D Rage Pro AGP 2X (8MB

SDRAM) or Rage IIC AGP (4MB SDRAM) for 3D hardware acceleration.

• Onboard Audio (optional): Provides Creative ES1373 PCI audio chipset with

3D surround and positioning capabiliy. Includes complete online help to guide
you through the audio software.

• Audio Codec (optional): Features an 18-bit stereo, full duplex, audio codec

that conforms to AC’97 analog component specfications.

• Enhanced ACPI & Anti-Boot Virus BIOS: Programmable BIOS (Flash

EEPROM), offering enhanced ACPI for W indows 98 compatibility , built-in hard­ware-based virus protection, and autodetection of most devices for virtually au­tomatic setup.

• Versatile Memory: Equipped with two DIMM sockets to support Intel PC100-

compliant SDRAMs (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256MB) up to 512MB.

• AGP Slot: Supports an Accelerated Graphics Port card for high performance,

component level interconnect targeted at 3D graphical display applications us­ing a 66MHz bus.

• PCI & ISA Expansion: Provides two 32-bit PCI expansion slots and one 16-bit

ISA expansion slot .

• Wake-On-LAN Header: Supports W ake-On-LAN activity through an optional

ASUS PCI-L101 Fast Ethernet card or a similar ethernet card.

• SB-Link™: Features Creative’s SB-Link™, allowing SB16 compatibility us-

ing Intel’ s PC-PCI and serialized IRQ protocols to A WE64D or compatible PCI
audio cards.

• Super Multi-I/O: Provides two high-speed UART compatible serial ports and

one parallel port with EPP and ECP capabilities.

• Desktop Management Interface (DMI): Supports DMI through BIOS, which

allows hardware to communicate within a standard protocol creating a higher
level of compatibility. (Requires DMI-enabled components.)

• Ultra DMA/33 BM IDE: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master IDE controller

with two connectors that support four IDE devices in two channels, supports Ultra
DMA/33, PIO Modes 3 and 4 and Bus Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and supports
Enhanced IDE devices, such as Tape Backup, CD-ROM, and LS-120 drives.

• Easy Installation: Equipped with BIOS that supports autodetection of hard

drives, PS/2 mouse, and Plug and Play devices to make setup of hard drives,
expansion cards, and other devices virtually automatic.

• IrDA: Supports an optional infrared port module for wireless interface.

8 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

II. FEATURES

Introduction to ASUS Smart Series Motherboards

Performance

• ACPI Ready: ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is also imple-

mented on all ASUS smart series motherboards. ACPI provides more Energy
Saving Features for future operating systems (OS) supporting OS Direct Power
Management (OSPM) functionality . W ith these features implemented in the OS,
PCs can be ready around the clock, yet satisfy all the energy saving standards.
T o fully utilize the benefits of ACPI, an ACPI-supported OS such as the succes­sor of Windows 95 must be used.

• Double the IDE Transfer Speed: IDE transfers using UltraDMA/33 Bus Mas-

ter IDE can handle rates up to 33MB/sec. The best of all is that this new technol­ogy is compatible with existing AT A-2 IDE specifications so there is no need to
upgrade current hard drives or cables.

• Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas-

ter buses to memory to CPU.

Smart Series

II. FEATURES

• PC’98 Compliant: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of the motherboard meet

PC’98 compliancy . The new PC’98 requirements for systems and components are
based on the following high-level goals: Support for Plug and Play compatibility
and power management for configuring and managing all system components,
and 32-bit device drivers and setup procedures for Windows 95/98/NT.

• SDRAM Optimized Performance: ASUS smart series motherboards support

the new generation memory, Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
(SDRAM), which increases the data transfer rate from 264MB/s max using EDO
memory to 528MB/s max using SDRAM.

ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual 9

II. FEATURES

Power Management

• System Resources Alert: T oday’ s operating systems such as W indows 95, W in-

dows NT , and OS/2, require much more memory and hard drive space to present
enormous user interfaces and run large applications. The system resource moni­tor will warn the user before the system resources are used up to prevent pos­sible application crashes. Suggestions will give the user information on manag­ing their limited resources more efficiently.

II. FEATURES

Smart Series

• Auto Fan Off: The system fans will power off automatically even in sleep
mode. This function reduces both energy consumption and system noise, and

is a important feature to implement silent PC systems.

• Dual Function Power Button: The system can be in one of two states, one is
Sleep mode and the other is the Soft-Off mode. Pushing the power button for
less than 4 seconds places the system into Sleep mode. When the power button
is pressed for more than 4 seconds, it enters the Soft-Off mode.

• Remote Ring On (requires modem): This allows a computer to be turned on
remotely through an internal or external modem. With this benefit on-hand, any
user can access vital information from their computer from anywhere in the world!

• Message LED (requires ACPI OS support): Chassis LEDs now act as infor­mation providers. Through the way a particular LED illuminates, the user can
determine the stage the computer is in. A simple glimpse provides useful infor­mation to the user.

10 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

II. FEATURES

Parts of the ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard

T: PS/2 Mouse
B: PS/2 Keyboard

T: USB 1
B: USB 2

Serial COM 1

Parallel Port

VGA Connector

T: Joystick/Midi
B: Out/In/Mic
(optional)

Wake-On-LAN
Header

AGP Port
2 PCI Slots

Audio Codec
(optional)

Multi-I/O Chip
Serial COM2

Header
1 ISA Slot

ATX Power

Connector

Socket 370

2 DIMM
Sockets

Intel 440BX

AGPset

ATI 3D Rage Pro AGP2X/

Rage IIC AGP VGA Chipset

II. FEATURES

Motherboard Parts

Creative Labs

PCI Audio

(optional)

Programmable

Flash EEPROM

Intel PIIX4E

PCIset

SB-Link

Header

TM

4MB VGA Memory
8MB VGA Memory

(Rage Pro)

(Rage IIC)

ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual 11

III. HARDWARE SETUP

ASUS MEB-VM Motherboard Layout

PS/2

USB

T: Port 1
B:Port 2

COM1

PRINTER

PARALLEL PORT

Motherboard Layout

VGA

III. H/W SETUP

Line
Out

Line

In

Mic

GAME_AUDIO

In

T: Mouse
B:Keyboard

WOL_CON

CD_IN

ATXPWR

Socket 370

AUDIOEN

CPU_FAN

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

32-bit

PCI

Audio

01

DIMM Socket 1 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)
DIMM Socket 2 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

ATI Multimedia Connector (AMC)

Intel

440BX

AGPset

ATI 3D Rage

Pro AGP 2X/

Rage IIC

VGA

Chipset

VGAEN

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

BIOS Power

BUS FREQ

FS0
FS1
FS2
FS3
FS4

INT_EN

2 MB

2 MB

SDRAM

2 MB

SDRAM

SDRAM

Row

0
1

2
3

2 MB

SDRAM

Audio

Codec

PCI Slot 1 (PCI1)

Intel

PIIX4E

Chipset

PCI Slot 2 (PCI2)

MODEM

COM2

Multi-I/O &

Keyboard
Controller

2Mbit Flash EEPROM

(Programmable BIOS)

ISA Slot 1

(ISA1)

FLOPPY

IR

(Grayed items are optional at the time of purchase.)

SBLINK

FREQ MULT

PANEL

RTCCLR

BF2

BF3

Buzzer

BF1

BF0

ASUS

ASIC

12 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

Jumpers

1) INT_EN p. 15 VGA Interrupt Setting (Enable/Disable)

2) VGAEN p. 15 VGA Setting (Enable/Disable)

3) AUDIOEN p. 15 Audio Setting (Enable/Disable)

4) FS0, FS1, FS2, FS3, FS4 p. 16 CPU External Clock (BUS) Frequency Selection

5) BF0, BF1, BF2, BF3 p. 16 CPU:BUS Frequency Multiple

Expansion Slots

1) DIMM1, DIMM2 p. 17 168-Pin DIMM Memory Support

2) Socket 370 p. 19 Central Processing Unit (CPU) Support

3) PCI1, PCI2 p. 20 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

4) ISA1 p. 20 16-bit ISA Bus Expansion Slot

Connectors

1) PS2KBMS P. 22 PS/2 Mouse Connector (6-pin female)

2) PS2KBMS p. 22 PS/2 Keyboard Connector (6-pin female)

3) USB p. 23 Universal Serial BUS Ports 1 & 2 (Two 4-pin female)

4) PRINTER p. 23 Parallel Port Connector (25-pin female)

5) COM1 p. 2 3 Serial Port COM1 Connector (9-pin male)

6) VGA p. 24 Monitor (VGA) Output Connector (15-pin female)

7) GAME_AUDIO (optional) p. 24 Joystick/Midi Connector (15-pin female) (optional)

8) GAME_AUDIO (optional) p. 24 Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8” female) (optional)

9) PRIMAR Y/SECONDARY IDE p. 25 Primary/Secondary IDE Connectors (Two 40-1pins)

10) FLOPPY p. 25 Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1pins)
1 1) IR p. 26 IrDA-Compliant Infrared Module Connector (5 pins)

12) WOL_CON p. 26 Wake-On-LAN Connector (3 pins)

13) SBLINK p. 27 SB-LinkTM Connector (6-1 pins)

14) CD_IN p. 27 Stereo Audio In Connector (4 pins)

15) MODEM p. 28 Modem In Audio Connector (4 pins)

16) COM2 p. 28 Serial Port COM2 Header (10-1 pins)

17) AMC p. 29 ATI Multimedia Channel (40-3 pins)

18) CPU_FAN p. 29 CPU Fan Connector (3 pins)

19) MLED (PANEL) p. 30 System Message LED (2 pins)

20)

KEYLOCK (

21) SMI (PANEL) p. 30 SMI Switch Lead (2 pins)

22) SPEAKER (PANEL) p. 30 System Warning Speaker Connector (4 pins)

23) PWR (PANEL) p. 30 ATX Power & Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pins)

24) IDELED (PANEL) p. 30 IDE Activity LED (2 pins)

25)

PLED (

26) RESET (PANEL) p. 31 Reset Switch Lead (2 pins)

27) ATXPWR p. 32 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pins)

PANEL

PANEL

)

)

p. 30 Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2 pins)

p. 31 System Power LED Lead (3-1 pins)

III. H/W SETUP

Layout Contents

13ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

Hardware Setup Steps

Before using your computer, you must complete the following steps:

1. Set Jumpers on the Motherboard

2. Install System Memory Modules

3. Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

4. Install Expansion Cards

5. Connect Ribbon Cables, Cabinet Wires, and Power Supply

6. Setup the BIOS Software

WARNING! Computer motherboards, baseboards and components, such as SCSI

cards, contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against
damage from static electricity , you should follow some precautions whenever you
work on your computer .

III. H/W SETUP

Jumpers

1. Unplug your computer when working on the inside.

2. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer components. If you do
not have one, touch both of your hands to a safely grounded object or to a
metal object, such as the power supply case.

3. Hold components by the edges and try not to touch the IC chips, leads o r
connectors, or other components.

4. Place components on a grounded antistatic pad or on the bag that came with
the component whenever the components are separated from the system.

14 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

1. Jumpers

1. VGA Interrupt Selection (INT_EN) / 2. VGA Setting (VGAEN)

INT_EN allows you to set the VGA interrupt method. The default disables the
chipset’ s internal interrupt routing. Some TV tuners or MPEG cards may require
the interrupt be assigned by the onboard chipset, in which case INT_EN must be
enabled. VGAEN allows you to enable or disable the onboard VGA. Disable the
onboard VGA if you are using a VGA card on the expansion slot.

3. Audio Setting (AUDIOEN)

The onboard 32-bit PCI audio may be enabled or disabled using this jumper.

Setting AUDIOEN

Enable [1-2] (default)
Disable [2-3]

Jumpers

III. H/W SETUP

15ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

4. CPU Bus Frequency Selector (FS0, FS1, FS2, FS3, FS4)

This option tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the CPU, DRAM, and
440BX AGPset. This allows the selection of the CPU’s External frequency (or BUS
Clock). The BUS Clock multiplied by the BUS Ratio equals the CPU’s Internal fre-
quency (the advertised CPU speed).

5. CPU Core:BUS Frequency Multiple (BF0, BF1, BF2, BF3)

This option sets the frequency multiple between the Internal frequency of the
CPU and the CPU’ s External frequency . These must be set in conjunction with the

CPU Bus Frequency.

III. H/W SETUP

Jumpers

0 1

MEB-VM CPU Settings

3

2

1
FS0
FS1
FS2
FS3
FS4

66.8MHz

CPU

33.4MHz

PCI

3

2

1
FS0
FS1
FS2
FS3
FS4

112.0MHz

CPU

37.3MHz

PCI

CPU Bus Frequency

BF3

BF2

BF1

BF3

BF2

BF1

BF0

3
2
1

BF0

3
2
1

3
2
1

3.0x(3/1)

3
2
1

5.0x(5/1)

CPU Core:Bus Frequency Multiple

2

1

75.0MHz

37.5MHz
2

1

115.0MHz

38.3MHz

BF3

BF2

3.5x(7/2)

BF3

BF2

5.5x(11/2)

3

3

BF1

BF1

1

83.0MHz

41.6MHz
1

120.0MHz

40.0MHz

BF0

BF3

3
2
1

4.0x(4/1)

BF0

BF3

3
2
1

6.0x(6/1)

3

2

3

2

BF2

BF1

BF2

BF1

3

2

1

100.3MHz

33.4MHz
3

2

1

124.0MHz

41.3MHz

BF3

BF0

3
2
1

4.5x(9/2)

BF0

103.0MHz

124.0MHz

BF2

BF1

3

2

1

34.3MHz
3

2

1

31.0MHz

BF0

3

2

1

105.0MHz

35.0MHz
3

2

1

133.0MHz

44.3MHz

3

2

1

110.0MHz

36.7MHz
3

2

1

133.0MHz

33.3MHz

WARNING! Frequencies above 1 00MHz exceed the specifications for the on-

board Intel Chipset and are not guaranteed to be stable. PCI frequencies above
33MHz exceed the specifications for PCI cards and are not guaranteed to be stable.

Set the jumpers by the Internal speed of your processor as follows:

(CPU BUS Freq.) (Freq. Multiple)

Intel CPU Model Freq. Ratio BUS F. FS0 FS1 FS2 FS3 FS4 BF3 BF2 BF1 BF0

Celeron (PPGA) 366MHz 5.5x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2]
Celeron (PPGA) 333MHz 5.0x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [1-2] [1-2] [2-3]
Celeron (PPGA) 300MHz 4.5x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [2-3] [1-2] [2-3] [1-2]

NOTES: Overclocking your processor is not recommended. It may result in a slower

speed. Voltage Regulator Output Selection (VID) is not needed for the Pentium II/Celeron
processor because it sends a VID signal directly to the onboard power controller.

16 ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

2. System Memory (DIMM)

NOTE: No hardware or BIOS setup is required after adding or removing memory.
This motherboard uses only Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs). Sockets are

available for 3.3Volt (power level) unbuffered Synchronous Dynamic Random Ac-
cess Memory (SDRAM) of either 8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB, or 256MB. One side (with
memory chips) of the DIMM takes up one row on the motherboard.

The Intel 440BX AGPset does not support ECC function. ECC memory modules
may be used but the ECC function will not be available.

Memory speed setup is recommended through SDRAM Configuration under “Chipset
Features Setup” in BIOS SETUP.

Install memory in any combination as follows:

DIMM Location 168-pin DIMM Memory Modules Total Memory
Socket 1 (Rows 0&1) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB x1
Socket 2 (Rows 2&3) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB x1

Total System Memory (Max 512MB) =

SPD Support

This motherboard supports SPD DIMMs. If non-SPD DIMMs are used, you will be
warned during boot-up to set the timings manually.

General DIMM Notes

• For the system CPU bus to operate above 100MHz, use only PC100-compli­ant DIMMs. When this motherboard operates at 100MHz, most system will not

even boot if non-compliant modules are used because of the strict timing issues
involved under this speed. If your DIMMs are not PC100-compliant, set the
CPU bus frequency to 66MHz for system stability.

• Two possible memory chips are supported: SDRAM with and without ECC.

• SDRAM chips are generally thinner with higher pin density than EDO (Ex­tended Data Output) chips.

• BIOS shows SDRAM memory on bootup screen.

• 8 chips/side modules do not support ECC, only 9 chips/side modules support ECC.

• Single-sided DIMMs come in 16, 32, 64,128MB; double-sided come in 32, 64,
128, 256MB.

III. H/W SETUP

System Memory

17ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

DIMM Memory Installation

Insert the module(s) as shown. Because the number of pins are different on either
side of the breaks, the module will only fit in the orientation as shown. DIMM
modules are longer and have different pin contact on each side and therefore have a
higher pin density. SIMM modules have the same pin contact on both sides.

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System Memory

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MEB-VM 168-Pin DIMM Sockets

The DIMMs must be 3.3V Unbuffered for this motherboard. T o determine the DIMM
type, check the notches on the DIMMs (see figure below).

168-Pin DIMM Notch Key Definitions (3.3V)

DRAM Key Position

pins

Lock

Voltage Key Position

88

60

pins

20

pins

Lock

RFU

Buffered

Unbuffered

5.0V

Reserved

3.3V

The notches on the DIMM module will shift between left, center, or right to identify
the type and also to prevent the wrong type from being inserted into the DIMM slot on
the motherboard. You must tell your retailer the correct DIMM type before purchas­ing. This motherboard supports four clock signals.

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3. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard provides a ZIF Socket 370. The CPU that came with the mother­board should have a fan attached to it to prevent overheating. If this is not the case
then purchase a fan before you turn on your system.

WARNING! Without a fan circulating air on the CPU, the CPU can overheat

and cause damage to both the CPU and the motherboard.

To install a CPU, first turn off your system and remove its cover. Locate the ZIF
socket and open it by first pulling the lever sideways away from the socket then
upwards to a 90-degree right angle. Insert the CPU with the correct orientation as
shown. The notched corner should point towards the end the of the lever. Because
the CPU has a corner pin for two of the four corners, the CPU will only fit in the one
orientation as shown. The picture is for reference only; you should have a CPU fan
that will cover the face of the CPU. W ith the added weight of the CPU fan, no force
is required to insert the CPU. Once completely inserted, close the socket’s lever
while holding down the CPU.

CPU

NOTE: Set the bus frequency and multiple for your Socket 370 processor.

Socket 370 CPU (Top)

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MEB-VM Socket 370

Socket 370 CPU (Bottom)

Notch

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19ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

4. Expansion Cards

WARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or

removing expansion cards or other system components. Failure to do so may
cause severe damage to both your motherboard and expansion cards.

Expansion Card Installation Procedure:

1. Read your expansion card documentation on any hardware and software set-

2. Set any necessary jumpers on your expansion card.

3. Remove your computer system’s cover.

4. Remove the bracket on the slot you intend to use.

Expansion Cards

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5. Carefully align the card’s connectors and press firmly.

III. HARDWARE SETUP

tings that may be required to setup your specific card.

Keep the bracket for possible future use.

6. Secure the card on the slot with the screw you removed in step 4.

7. Replace the computer system’s cover.

8. Setup the BIOS if necessary

9. Install the necessary software drivers for your expansion card.

Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards

Some expansion cards need to use an IRQ (Interrupt Request) to operate. Generally
an IRQ must be exclusively assigned to one use. In a standard design there are 16
IRQs available but most of them are already in use by parts of the system which
leaves 6 free for expansion cards. If your motherboard has PCI audio onboard, an
extra IRQ will be used, leaving 5 IRQs free. If your motherboard has ISA audio
onboard, an extra 3 IRQs will be used, leaving 3 IRQs free.

Both ISA and PCI expansion cards may need to use IRQs. System IRQs are avail­able to cards installed in the ISA expansion bus first, and any remaining IRQs are
then used by PCI cards. Currently, there are two types of ISA cards.

The original ISA expansion card design, now referred to as “Legacy” ISA cards,
requires that you configure the card’s jumpers manually and then install it in any
available slot on the ISA bus. You may use Microsoft’s Diagnostic (MSD.EXE)
utility included in the Windows directory to see a map of your used and free IRQs.
For Windows 95/98 users, the “Control Panel” icon in “My Computer,” contains a
“System” icon, which gives you a “Device Manager” tab. Double-clicking on a
specific device give you “Resources” tab which shows the Interrupt number and
address. Make sure that no two devices use the same IRQs or your computer will
experience problems when those two devices are in use at the same time.

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III. HARDWARE SETUP

To simplify this process, this motherboard complies with the Plug and Play (PNP)
specification which was developed to allow automatic system configuration when­ever a PNP-compliant card is added to the system. For PNP cards, IRQs are as­signed automatically from those available.

If the system has both Legacy and PNP ISA cards installed, IRQs are
assigned to PNP cards from those not used by Legacy cards. The PCI and PNP
configuration of the BIOS setup utility can be used to indicate which IRQs are being
used by Legacy cards. For older Legacy cards that do not work with the BIOS, you
can contact your vendor for an ISA Configuration Utility.

An IRQ number is automatically assigned to PCI expansion cards after those used by
Legacy and PNP ISA cards. In the PCI bus design, the BIOS automatically assigns an
IRQ to a PCI slot that has a card in it that requires an IRQ. T o install a PCI card, you need
to set something called the INT (interrupt) assignment. Since all the PCI slots on this
motherboard use an INT A #, be sure that the jumpers on your PCI cards are set to INT A.

Assigning DMA Channels for ISA Cards

Some ISA cards, both legacy and PnP, may also need to use a DMA (Direct Memory
Access) channel. DMA assignments for this motherboard are handled the same way
as the IRQ assignment process described earlier. You can select a DMA channel in
the PCI and PnP configuration section of the BIOS Setup utility.

IMPORTANT: To avoid conflicts, reserve the necessary IRQs and DMAs for legacy

ISA cards (under PNP AND PCI SETUP of the BIOS SOFTWARE, choose Yes in IRQ
xx Used By ISA and DMA x Used By ISA for those IRQs and DMAs you want to reserve).

Accelerated Graphics Port

This motherboard provides an accelerated graphics port (AGP) slot to support a new
generation of graphics cards with ultra-high memory bandwidth, such as an ASUS
3D hardware accelerator.

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Expansion Cards

MEB-VM Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

21ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

5. External Connectors

IMPORTANT: Ribbon cables should always be connected with the red stripe on the
Pin 1 side of the connector. The four corners of the connectors are labeled on the
motherboard. Pin 1 is the side closest to the power connector on hard drives and some
floppy drives. IDE ribbon cable must be less than 18 inches (46 cm), with the second
drive connector no more than 6 inches (15 cm) from the first connector.

1. PS/2 Mouse Connector (6-pin PS2KBMS)

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Connectors

III. HARDWARE SETUP

WARNING! Some pins are used for connectors or power sources. These are

clearly separated from jumpers in “Motherboard Layout.” Placing jumper caps
over these will cause damage to your motherboard.

The system will direct IRQ12 to the PS/2 mouse if one is detected. If not de­tected, expansion cards can use IRQ12. See “PS/2 Mouse Control” in BIOS
Features Setup of BIOS SETUP.

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

2. PS/2 Keyboard Connector (6-pin PS2KBMS)
This connection is for a standard keyboard using a PS/2 plug (mini DIN). This
connector will not allow standard AT size (large DIN) keyboard plugs. You
may use a DIN to mini DIN adapter on standard AT keyboards.

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

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III. HARDWARE SETUP

3. Universal Serial BUS Ports 1 & 2 (Two 4-pin USB)

Two USB ports are available for connecting USB devices.

USB 1

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2

4. Parallel Port Connector (25-pin PRINTER)

You can enable the parallel port and choose the IRQ through “Onboard Parallel
Port” in Chipset Features Setup of BIOS SETUP.
NOTE: Serial printers must be connected to the serial port.

Parallel (Printer) Port (25-pin Female)

5. Serial Port COM1 Connector (9-pin COM1)

One serial port is ready for a mouse or other serial devices. A second serial port
is available using a serial port bracket connected from the motherboard to an
expansion slot opening. See “Onboard Serial Port” in Chipset Features Setup of
BIOS SETUP for settings.

Serial Port (9-pin Male) COM 1

Connectors

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23ASUS MEB-VM User’s Manual

6. Monitor Output Connector (15-pin VGA)

7. Joystick/MIDI Connector (15-pin GAME_AUDIO)

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Connectors

III. HARDWARE SETUP

This connector is for output to a VGA-compatible device.

VGA Monitor (15-pin Female)

You may connect game joysticks or game pads to this connector for playing
games. Connect MIDI devices for playing or editing audio.

Joystick/Midi (15-pin Female)

8. Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8” GAME_AUDIO)
Line Out can be connected to headphones or preferably powered speakers.
Line In allows tape players or other audio sources to be recorded by your com-

puter or played through the Line Out. Mic allows microphones to be connected
for inputting voice.

MicLine InLine Out

1/8" Stereo Audio Connectors

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