Asus MEL-M 370 User Manual

R

MEL-M

Socket 370 microATX 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 MERCHANTABILITY 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 MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUD­ING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 1999 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS MEL-M
Manual Revision: 1.03 E329
Release Date: February 1999

2 ASUS MEL-M 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 MEL-M User’s Manual 3

CONTENTS

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

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

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

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

The ASUS MEL-M Motherboard ....................................................... 8

Parts of the ASUS MEL-M Motherboard ......................................... 11

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

ASUS MEL-M Motherboard Layout................................................ 12

Hardware Setup Steps ....................................................................... 14

1. Motherboard Settings.................................................................... 14

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

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

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

4. Expansion Cards ........................................................................... 21

Expansion Card Installation Procedure ................................. 21

Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards.................................... 21

Assigning DMA Channels for ISA Cards.............................. 22

ISA Cards and Hardware Monitor ......................................... 22

5. External Connectors..................................................................... 23

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

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

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

4 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

CONTENTS

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

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

V. SUPPORT CD ................................................................................. 57

A. PC Probe ...................................................................................... 61

B. Audio Driver................................................................................. 67

C. Yamaha XGstudio ........................................................................ 69

D. Ystation ........................................................................................ 75

APPENDIX ........................................................................................... 83

DMI Utility ....................................................................................... 83

ASUS CIDB Chassis Intrusion Sensor Module................................ 87

ASUS PCI-L101 Fast Ethernet Card ................................................ 89

ASUS MEL-M 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! The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics

card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modifica­tions to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

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 MEL-M 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) Ribbon cable for (1) 5.25” and (2) 3.5” floppy disk drives
(1) Bag of spare jumper caps
(1) Support CD with drivers and utilities
(1) This Motherboard User’s Manual

ASUS IrDA-compliant infrared module (optional)
ASUS chassis intrusion sensor module (optional)
ASUS PCI-L101 Wake-On-LAN 10/100 fast ethernet card (optional)

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 7

II. FEATURES

The ASUS MEL-M Motherboard

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

Specifications

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

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

II. FEATURES

Features

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

side bus (FSB) platform for 66MHz internal bus.

• 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 Memor y Support: Equipped with three DIMM sockets to support

Intel PC66-compliant SDRAMs (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, or 256MB) up to 768MB.

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

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

• Yamaha Audio with AC’97 Codec (optional): Provides a PCI audio chipset

with 3D surround and positioning capability and an 18-bit stereo, full duplex,
audio codec that conforms to AC’97 analog component specfications.

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

bit ISA expansion slot .

• Wake-On-LAN: Supports Wake-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.

• PC Health Monitoring: Provides an easier way to examine and manage system

status information such as CPU and system voltages, temperatures, and fan sta­tus through the onboard hardware ASIC and bundled LDCM.

• 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.)

8 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

II. FEATURES

• 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.

• Quick Adjustments: Easy-to-access DIP switches make changing CPU and

onboard features settings a snap.

Performance

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

mented on all ASUS smart series of 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.

Features

II. FEATURES

• 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 ATA-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.

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

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 installation 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 to 528MB/s max using SDRAM.

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 9

II. FEATURES

Features

II. FEATURES

Intelligence (some features require the optional Hardware/Thermal Monitor)

• Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system

damage, the CPU, power supply, and system fans can be monitored for RPM
and failure. All the fans are set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.

• Temperature Monitoring and Alert: To prevent system overheat and system

damage, there are heat sensors to monitor the CPU and system temperatures to
warn of damaging temperatures.

• Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure

stable current to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are
more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper
system configuration and 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.

• 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.

• Keyboard Power Up: Keyboard Power Up can be enabled or disabled to allow
the computer to be powered on by pressing the space bar on the keyboard.

• Chassis Intrusion Detection: Supports chassis-intrusion monitoring through
an optional ASUS CIDB module and Intel LDCM.

10 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

II. FEATURES

Parts of the ASUS MEL-M Motherboard

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

T: USB 1
B: USB 2

B: COM 1

T: Parallel/Printer

B: COM 2

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

Yamaha Audio
(optional)

ATX Power

Connector

Socket 370

Intel 440LX

AGPset

3 DIMM
Sockets

DIP

Switches

II. FEATURES

Motherboard Parts

AGP Port
3 PCI Slots

Audio Codec
(optional)

Multi-I/O Chip

1 ISA Slot

Wake-On-LAN

Connector

TM

SB-Link

Connector

Intel PIIX4

PCIset

Programmable

Flash EEPROM

Hardware Monitor

(optional)

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 11

III. HARDWARE SETUP

ASUS MEL-M Motherboard Layout

PS/2

T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

USB

T: Port 1
B: Port 2

COM1

PRINTER

PARALLEL PORT

Motherboard Layout

COM2

III. H/W SETUP

GAME/AUDIO

Audio

Codec

T: Top
B: Bottom

KBPWR

Line

Out

In

Line

In

Mic

Multi-I/O

Keyboard
Controller

ATX Power Connector

CD1

CD2

MODEM

&

Yamaha

Audio

Chipset

WOL_CON

Socket 370

Thermal Sensor

440LX

AGPset

AGP

PCI Slot 1 (PCI1)

PCI Slot 2 (PCI2)

SBLINK

PCI Slot 3 (PCI3)

ISA Slot 1

R

MEL-M

(SLOT1)

Intel

PWR_FAN

01

DIMM1 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

0 1

2 3

CPU_FAN

01

01

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

CLRTC

DIMM2 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

DIMM3 (64/72-bit, 168-pin module)

4 5

Intel

PIIX4

Chipset

2Mbit Flash EEPROM
(Programmable BIOS)

Thermal Sensor

CHASIS

CR2032 3V

FLOPPY

ASUS

ASIC

Hardware

Monitor

CHA_FAN

DIP

Switches

IR

Panel Connectors

PANEL

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

IDELED

SMB

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

12 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

Motherboard Settings

1) KBPWR p. 14 Keyboard Power Up (Enable/Disable)

2) DIP-Switch 5 p. 15 Onboard Audio Setting

3) DIP-Switch 6 p. 15 VIO Setting

4) DIP-Switch 1,2,3,4 p. 16 CPU Bus Frequency Selection

5) DIP-Switch 7,8,9,10 p. 16 CPU Core:Bus Frequency Multiple

Expansion Slots

1) DIMM Sockets p. 17 168-Pin DIMM Memory Support

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

3) SLOT1 p. 21 16-bit ISA Bus Expansion Slots

4) PCI1, PCI2, PCI3 p. 22 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

5) AGP p. 22 Accelerated Graphics Port

Connectors

1) PS2KBMS p. 23 PS/2 Mouse Connector (6-pin female)

2) PS2KBMS p. 23 PS/2 Keyboard Connector (6-pin female)

3) USB p. 24 Universal Serial BUS Ports 1 & 2 (Two 4-pin female)

4) PRINTER p. 24 Parallel Port Connector (25-pin female)

5) COM1, COM2 p. 24 Serial Port COM1 and COM2 Connectors (9-pin male)

6) GAME_AUDIO p. 25 Joystick/Midi Connector (15-pin female) (optional)

7) GAME_AUDIO p. 25 Audio Port Connectors (Three 1/8” female) (optional)

8) ATXPWR p. 25 ATX Power Supply Connector (20 pins)

9) PRIMARY/SECONDARY IDE p. 26 Primary/Secondary IDE Connectors (T wo 40-1pins)

10) FLOPPY p. 26 Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1pins)

11) CHA_, CPU_, PWR_FAN p. 27 Chassis, CPU, Power Supply Fan Connectors (Three 3-pin)

12) WOL_CON p. 27 Wake-On-LAN Connector (3 pins)

13) IR p. 28 IrDA-Compliant Infrared Module Connector (5 pins)

14) IDELED p. 28 IDE LED Activity Light (2 pins)

15) SBLINK p. 29 SB-Link Connector (6-1 pins)

16) CHASIS p. 29 Chassis Intrusion Sensor Lead (4-1 pins)

17) SMB p. 30 SMBus Connector (5-1 pins)

18) AUX/VIDEO_IN p. 30 Stereo Audio In Connectors (Two 4-pin)

19) CD1/CD2 p. 31 Stereo Audio In Connector (Two 4-pin)

20) MODEM p. 31 Modem Card Voice In Connector (4 pins)

21) MSG.LED (PANEL) p. 32 System Message LED (2 pins)

22) SMI (PANEL) p. 32 SMI Switch Lead (2 pins)

23) PWR.SW (PANEL) p. 32 ATX Power & Soft-Off Switch Lead (2 pins)

24) RESET (PANEL) p. 32 Reset Switch Lead (2 pins)

25)

PWR.LED (

26)

KEYLOCK (

27) SPEAKER (PANEL) p. 32 System W arning Speaker Connector (4 pins)

PANEL

PANEL

)

)

p. 32 System Power LED Lead (3-1 pins)
p. 32 Keyboard Lock Switch Lead (2 pins)

*

III. H/W SETUP

Layout Contents

*

The onboard hardware monitor uses the address 290H-297H so legacy ISA cards

must not use this address; otherwise, conflicts will occur.

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 13

Hardware Setup Steps

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

1. Check Motherboard Settings

2. Install Memory Modules

3. Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

4. Install Expansion Cards

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

6. Setup the BIOS Software

1. Motherboard Settings

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

cards, contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against

Motherboard Settings

III. H/W SETUP

damage from static electricity , you should follow some precautions whenever you
work on your computer .

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 or

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.

III. HARDWARE SETUP

1. Keyboard Wake Up (3-pin KBPWR)

This allows you to disable or enable the keyboard power up function. Set this
jumper to Enable if you wish to use your keyboard (by pressing the spacebar) to
power up your computer. This feature requires an ATX power supply that can
supply at least 300mA on the +5VSB lead. The default is set to Disable because
not all computers have the appropriate ATX power supply. Your computer will
not power on if you set this to Enable and if you do not have the right ATX
power supply.

0 10 10 1

KBPWR

3
2
1

Disable

(Default)

R

MEL-M

MEL-M Keyboard Power Up

KBPWR

3
2
1

Enable

14 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

Motherboard Settings (DIP Switches)

Some of the motherboard’s onboard functions can be adjusted through the DIP
switches. The white block represents the switch’ s position. The example below shows
all the switches in the OFF position.

0 10 10 1

OFF

12345678910

ON

ON

<Frequency Selection
<Frequency Selection
<Frequency Selection
<Reserved
<Onboard Audio Setting
<VIO Setting

R

MEL-M

<Frequency Multiple
<Frequency Multiple
<Frequency Multiple
<Frequency Multiple

MEL-M DIP Switches

2. Onboard Audio Setting (DIP-Switch 5)

The onboard audio can be turned ON or OFF using this switch.

ON

12345 678910

EnableDisable

ON

12345 678910

III. H/W SETUP

Motherboard Settings

MEL-M Onboard Audio

3. VIO Setting (DIP-Switch 6)

The onboard voltage regulator allows you to select the voltage supplied to the
DRAM, chipset, AGP, and the CPU’s I/O buffer. IMPORTANT! Settings this
switch to ON (Add 0.1 Volt) may reduce system life. It is strongly recommended
that you leave this switch on its default setting of OFF (Normal).

Normal Add 0.1Volt

ON

123456 78910

MEL-M Voltage I/O

ON

123456 78910

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 15

4. CPU External (BUS) Frequency Selection (DIP-Switch 1, 2, 3, 4)

These function switches tell the clock generator what frequency to send to the
CPU. These allow the selection of the CPU’ s External frequency (or BUS Clock).
The BUS Clock times the BUS Multiple equals the CPU's Internal frequency
(the advertised CPU speed).

5. CPU to BUS Frequency Multiple (DIP-Switch 7, 8, 9, 10)

These function switches set the frequency multiple between the Internal fre­quency of the CPU and the External frequency (called the BUS Clock) within
the CPU.

CPU

Motherboard Settings

AGP
PCI

III. H/W SETUP

III. HARDWARE SETUP

ON

ON

4.0x(4/1)

12345678910

7.0x(7/1)

12345678910

→

66.8MHz

→

66.8MHz

→

33.4MHz

ON

ON

3.5x(7/2)

12345678910

6.5x(13/2)

12345678910

3.0x(3/1) 5.5x(11/2)

12345678910

ON

12345678910

6.0x(6/1)

12345678910

ON

ON

4.5x(9/2)

ON

12345678910

7.5x(15/2)

ON

12345678910

5.0x(5/1)

12345678910

8.0x(8/1)

12345678910

ON

ON

ON

12345678910

MEL-M CPU External Clock
(BUS) Frequency Selection

MEL-M CPU : BUS Frequency Multiple

WARNING! Do not overclock your processor. Frequencies above 66MHz ex-

ceed the specifications for the onboard Intel Chipset and are not guaranteed to be
stable. Overclocking can cause undue stress on the CPU and motherboard. It
may result in a slower speed or other unpredictable outcomes. The table on the
following page shows the approved CPUs and their settings.

Set the DIP switches b y the Internal speed of your processor as follows:

(BUS Frequency Switches) (Frequency Multiple Switches)

Intel CPU Model Speed Mult Freq. 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10

Celeron (PPGA) 466MHz 7.0x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON] [OFF] [ON] [OFF]
Celeron (PPGA) 433MHz 6.5x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON] [ON] [OFF]
Celeron (PPGA) 400MHz 6.0x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON] [ON] [ON] [OFF]
Celeron (PPGA) 366MHz 5.5x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON]
Celeron (PPGA) 333MHz 5.0x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON] [OFF] [OFF] [ON]
Celeron (PPGA) 300MHz 4.5x 66MHz [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [ON] [OFF] [ON]

16 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

2. System Memory (DIMM)

Only Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) can be used with this motherboard.
Sockets are available for 3.3Volt (power level) unbuffered Synchronous Dynamic
Random Access 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.

To utilize the chipset’s Error Checking and Correction (ECC) feature, you must use a
DIMM module with 9 chips per side (standard 8 chips/side + 1 parity chip) and make
the proper settings in BIOS Chipset Features Setup of BIOS SETUP.

IMPORTANT: Memory speed setup is required through "Auto Configuration" in

BIOS Chipset Setup of BIOS SETUP.

WARNING! Memory modules must have 18 chips or less. Memory modules

with more than 18 chips will cause unstable operation.

Install memory in any combination as follows:

DIMM Location 168-pin DIMM Total Memory

DIMM1 (Rows 0&1) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB x1
DIMM2 (Rows 2&3) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB x1
DIMM3 (Rows 4&5) SDRAM 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB x1

Total System Memory (Max 768MB) =

Memory Notes:

• DIMMs that have more than 18 chips are not supported on this mother­board.

• T wo possible memory modules are supported: SDRAM with and without ECC.

• SDRAM chips are generally thinner and have higher pin density than EDO 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 are available in 16, 32, 64, 128MB; double-sided in 32,
64, 128, 256MB.

III. H/W SETUP

System Memory

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 17

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.

System Memory

III. H/W SETUP

III. HARDWARE SETUP

Lock

0 10 10 1

FRONT

R

MEL-M

MEL-M 168-Pin DIMM Sockets

20 Pins 60 Pins 88 Pins

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

RFU

Buffered

Unbuffered

Voltage Key Position

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 ask your retailer the correct DIMM type before purchas­ing. This motherboard supports four clock signals.

18 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

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! 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.

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

III. H/W SETUP

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

R

MEL-M

MEL-M Socket 370

0 10 101

Socket 370 CPU (Top)

Notch

Socket 370 CPU (Bottom)

19ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

(This page was intentionally left blank.)

III. H/W SETUP

III. HARDWARE SETUP

CPU

20 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

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 the documentation for your expansion card and make any necessary hard­ware or software settings for your expansion card, such as jumpers.

2. Remove your computer system’s cover and the bracket plate on the slot you
intend to use. Keep the bracket for possible future use.

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

4. Secure the card on the slot with the screw you removed above.

5. Replace the computer system’s cover.

6. Set up the BIOS if necessary
(such as IRQ xx Used By ISA: Yes in PNP AND PCI SETUP)

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

Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards

Some expansion cards need to use an IRQ 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, leaving 6 IRQs 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.

NOTE: The onboard audio by default uses IRQ 5.
Both ISA and PCI expansion cards may require to use IRQs. System IRQs are avail-

able to cards installed in the ISA expansion bus first, then any remaining IRQs are
available to 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 the Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD.EXE) utility located in the W in­dows directory to see a map of your used and free IRQs. If you use W indows 95, the
Resources tab under Device Manager displays the resource settings being used by
a particular device (to gain access, double-click the System icon under the Control
Panel program). Ensure that no two devices share the same IRQs or your computer
will experience problems when those two devices are in use at the same time.

III. H/W SETUP

Expansion Cards

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 21

T o simplify this process this motherboard has complied 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 does 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. To install a PCI
card, you need to set something called the INT (interrupt) assignment. Since all the
PCI slots on this motherboard use an INTA #, be sure that the jumpers on your PCI
cards are set to INT A.

Expansion Cards

III. H/W SETUP

Assigning DMA Channels for ISA Cards

III. HARDWARE SETUP

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.

NOTE: The onboard audio by default uses DMA1.

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

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

ISA Cards and Hardware Monitor

The onboard hardware monitor uses the address 290H-297H so legacy ISA cards
must not use this address or else conflicts will occur.

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.

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

MEL-M Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

22 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

5. External Connectors

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

clearly distinguished from jumpers in the Motherboard Layout. Placing jumper
caps over these connector pins will cause damage to your motherboard.

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
floppy drives. IDE ribbon cable must be less than 46 cm (18”), with the second drive
connector no more than 15cm (6”) from the first connector .

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

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 an 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.

Connectors
DMA Channels

III. H/W SETUP

III. H/W SETUP

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 23

III. H/W SETUP

Connectors

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 Connectors (Two 9-pin COM1/COM2)

The two serial ports can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. See
“Onboard Serial Port” in Chipset Features Setup of BIOS SETUP.

COM 1 COM 2

Serial Ports (9-pin Male)

24 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

6. Joystick/Midi Connector (15-pin GAME_AUDIO)

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)

7. 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 inputing voice.

MicLine InLine Out

1/8" Stereo Audio Connectors

8. ATX Power Supply Connector (20-pin block ATXPWR)

This connector connects to an ATX power supply. The plug from the power sup­ply will only insert in one orientation because of the different hole sizes. Find the
proper orientation and push down firmly making sure that the pins are aligned.

IMPORTANT: Make sure that your ATX power supply can supply at least 10mA

on the +5 volt standby lead (+5VSB). You may experience difficulty in power­ing on your system if your power supply cannot support the load. For Wake-On­LAN support, your ATX power supply must supply at least 720mA +5VSB.

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

+3.3Volts

-12.0Volts
Ground

Power Supply On

Ground
Ground
Ground

-5.0 Volts
+5.0 Volts
+5.0 Volts

+3.3 Volts
+3.3 Volts
Ground
+5.0 Volts

Ground
+5.0 Volts
Ground
Power Good
+5V Standby
+12.0Volts

Connectors

III. H/W SETUP

MEL-M ATX Power Connector

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 25

III. HARDWARE SETUP

9. Primary / Secondary IDE connectors (Two 40-1pin IDE)

These connectors support the provided IDE hard disk ribbon cable.
After connecting the single end to the board, connect the two plugs at the other
end to your hard disk(s). If you install two hard disks, you must configure the
second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper accordingly . Please refer to the
documentation of your hard disk for the jumper settings. BIOS now supports
SCSI device or IDE CD-ROM bootup (see “HDD Sequence SCSI/IDE First” &
“Boot Sequence” in BIOS Features Setup of BIOS SETUP) (Pin 20 is removed

to prevent inserting in the wrong orientation when using ribbon cables with
pin 20 plugged).

TIP: You may configure two hard disks to be both Masters using one ribbon

cable on the primary IDE connector and another ribbon cable on the secondary
IDE connector. You may install one operating system on an IDE drive and
another on a SCSI drive and select the boot disk through BIOS Features Setup.

III. H/W SETUP

Connectors

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

MEL-M IDE Connectors

NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to

Secondary IDE Connector

PIN 1

Primary IDE Connector

PIN 1

10. Floppy Disk Drive Connector (34-1pin FLOPPY)

This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After connect­ing the single end to the board, connect the two plugs on the other end to the
floppy drives. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent inserting in the wrong orienta-

tion when using ribbon cables with pin 5 plugged).

0 10 10 1

NOTE: Orient the red markings on
the floppy ribbon cable to

PIN 1

R

MEL-M

PIN 1

MEL-M Floppy Disk Drive Connector

26 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

11. Chassis, CPU , & Power Supply Fan Connectors (3-pin CHA_, CPU_, PWR_FAN)

These connectors support cooling fans of 500mA (6 Watts) or less. Orientate the
fans so that the heat sink fins allow airflow to go across the onboard heat sink(s)
instead of the expansion slots. Depending on the fan manufacturer, the wiring
and plug may be different. The red wire should be positive, while the black
should be ground. Connect the fan’ s plug to the board taking into consideration
the polarity of the this connector. NOTE: The “Rotation” signal is to be used

only by a specially designed fan with rotation signal.

WARNING! The CPU and/or motherboard will overheat if there is no airflow

across the CPU and onboard heatsinks. Damage may occur to the motherboard
and/or the CPU fan if these pins are incorrectly used. These are not jumpers,

do not place jumper caps over these pins.

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

Power Supply Fan
CPU Fan Power

GND

+12V

Rotation

GND
+12V
Rotation

Chassis Fan Power

MEL-M 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power

12. Wake-On-LAN Connector (3-pin WOL_CON)

These connector connects to LAN cards with a W ake-On-LAN output, such as the
ASUS PCI-L101 (see APPENDIX). The connector powers up the system when a
wakeup packet or signal is received through the LAN card.

IMPORTANT: This feature requires that the WAKE On LAN Power Up Control is
set to Enabled (see Power Management Setup under BIOS SETUP) and that your
system has an ATX power supply with at least 720mA +5V standby power.

Connectors

III. H/W SETUP

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

MEL-M Wake-On-LAN Connector

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 27

Ground

+5 Volt Standby

PME
IMPORTANT: Requires an ATX power
supply with at least 720mA +5-volt
standby power

III. HARDWARE SETUP

13. IrDA-Compliant Infrared Module Connector (5-pin IR)

This connector supports the optional wireless transmitting and receiving infrared
module. This module mounts to a small opening on system cases that support this
feature. You must also configure the setting through “UART2 Use Infrared” in
Chipset Features Setup to select whether UART2 is directed for use with COM2
or IrDA. Use the five pins as shown on the Back V iew and connect a ribbon cable
from the module to the motherboard according to the pin definitions.

0 10 10 1

III. H/W SETUP

Connectors

+5V IRRX IRTX

Front View

(NC) GND

R

MEL-M

Back View

IRTX
GND

IRRX

+5V
(NC)

MEL-M Infrared Module Connector

14. Hard Disk Activity LED (2-pin IDELED)

This connector supplies power to the cabinet’s hard disk or IDE activity LED.
Read and write activity by devices connected to the Primary or Secondary IDE
connectors will cause the LED to light up.

0 10 10 1

TIP: If the case-mounted LED does not
light, try reversing the 2-pin plug.

IDELED

R

MEL-M

MEL-M IDE Activity LED

28 ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual

III. HARDWARE SETUP

15. SB-Link™ Connector (6-1 pin SBLINK)

Using Intel’s PC-PCI and serialized IRQ protocols found in this motherboard’s
AGPset, this connector allows Sound Blaster 16 compatibility to A WE64D (Digi­tal) or other PCI audio cards, enabling users to play Real-mode DOS games and
multimedia applications. SB-Link acts as a bridge between the motherboard and
the PCI audio card by providing the DMA and IRQ signals present in the ISA
bus but not available on the PCI bus.

0 10 10 1

NOTE: Pin 3 is removed to ensure the
correct orientation of the cable on it.

PC/PCI Request
Sideband Signal

R

MEL-M

MEL-M SB-Link™ Connector

PC/PCI Grant

Sideband Signal

DGND

2

1

SBLINK

6

5

Serial IRQ
DGND

16. Chassis Intrusion Sensor Lead (4-1 pin CHASIS)

This lead is for a chassis intrusion monitor or sensor. The sensor is triggered
when a high level signal is sent to the “chassis signal” lead. This occurs when a
panel switch or light detector is triggered. This function requires the optional
ASUS CIDB Chassis Intrusion Sensor Module (see APPENDIX) to be installed.

0 10 10 1

R

MEL-M

MEL-M Chassis Open Alarm Lead

Ground

Chassis Signal

+5Volt Standby

Connectors

III. H/W SETUP

ASUS MEL-M User’s Manual 29