ASUS P2L97A User Manual

R

P2L97A

Pentium® II 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 P AR­TICULAR 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.

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.

• ATI and 3D RAGE are registered trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc.

• 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.

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

are released for each board 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 THA T MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUD­ING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright © 1997 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: ASUS P2L97A
Manual Revision: 1.03
Release Date: November 1997

2

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

ASUS CONTACT INFORMATION

ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

Marketing Info

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

Technical Support

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

ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL

Marketing Info

Address: 721 Charcot Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131, USA
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Technical Support

BBS: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
WWW: www.asus.com

ASUS COMPUTER GmbH

Marketing Info

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 P2L97A User’s Manual 3

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION 7

How this Manual is Organized ........................................................... 7

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

II. FEATURES 8

Features of the ASUS P2L97A Motherboard ..................................... 8

The ASUS P2L97A Motherboard ................................................. 9

III. INSTALLATION 10

Layout of the ASUS P2L97A Motherboard...................................... 10

Installation Steps............................................................................... 12

1. Jumpers ......................................................................................... 12

Jumper Settings ........................................................................... 13

2. System Memory (DIMM) ............................................................. 15

DIMM Memory Installation Procedures: .............................. 16

3. Central Processing Unit (CPU).................................................... 17

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

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

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

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

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

Power Connection Procedures .................................................... 29

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE 30

Support Software .............................................................................. 30

Flash Memory Writer Utility....................................................... 30

Advanced Features Menu ...................................................... 31

Managing and Updating Your Motherboard’s BIOS................... 32

6. BIOS Setup .................................................................................. 33

Load Defaults ........................................................................ 34

Standard CMOS Setup ................................................................ 34

Details of Standard CMOS Setup:......................................... 34

4

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

CONTENTS

BIOS Features Setup ................................................................... 37

Details of BIOS Features Setup............................................. 37

Chipset Features Setup ................................................................ 40

Details of Chipset Features Setup.......................................... 40

Power Management Setup........................................................... 43

Details of Power Management Setup .................................... 43

PNP and PCI Setup ..................................................................... 46

Details of PNP and PCI Setup ............................................... 46

Load BIOS Defaults .................................................................... 48

Load Setup Defaults .................................................................... 48

Supervisor Password and User Password ................................... 49

IDE HDD Auto Detection ........................................................... 50

Save & Exit Setup ....................................................................... 51

Exit Without Saving .................................................................... 51

V. DESKTOP MANAGEMENT 52

Desktop Management Interface (DMI)............................................. 52

Introducing the ASUS DMI Configuration Utility ................ 52

System Requirements ............................................................ 52

Using the ASUS DMI Configuration Utility ......................... 53

VI. ASUS PCI SCSI Cards 55

Symbios SCSI BIOS and Drivers ..................................................... 55

ASUS PCI-SC200 & PCI-SC860 SCSI Cards ................................. 55

Setting Up the ASUS PCI-SC200 & PCI-SC860........................ 56

Setting the INT Assignment for the ASUS PCI-SC200 .............. 56

Terminator Requirements for SCSI Devices ............................... 56

Terminator Settings for the ASUS PCI-SC860 ........................... 57

Terminator Settings for the ASUS PCI-SC200 ........................... 57

SCSI ID Numbers for SCSI Devices .......................................... 58

SCSI ID Priority .......................................................................... 58

ASUS P2L97A 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 P2L97A 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. Installation Instructions on setting up the motherboard
IV. BIOS Software Instructions on setting up the BIOS software
V. Desktop Management BIOS supported Desktop Management Interface
VI. ASUS SCSI Cards Installation of ASUS SCSI cards (optional)

Item Checklist

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

(1) ASUS motherboard

Manual / Checklist

I. INTRODUCTION

(1) Retention mechanism
(2) Attach mount bridges (factory installed)
(1) IDE ribbon cable for master and slave drives
(1) Floppy ribbon cable for (1) 5.25inch floppy and (2) 3.5inch floppies
(1) bag of spare jumpers
(1) disk or CD with support drivers and utilities:

• Flash Memory Writer utility to update the onboard programmable BIOS

• Desktop Management Interface (DMI) utility

• Readme files for descriptions and use of the files

• Technical Support Form
(1) User’s Manual

ASUS PCI-SC200 Fast-SCSI or PCI-SC860 Ultra-Fast SCSI Card (optional)

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 7

Features of the ASUS P2L97A Motherboard

The ASUS P2L97A is carefully designed for the discriminating PC user who wants
many features processed by the fastest CPU. This motherboard:

• Processor Support: Intel Pentium

• Intel Chipset: Features Intel’s 440LX AGPset with I/O subsystems.

• AGP Chipset: Provides ATI 3D RAGE Graphics Accelerator chipset, with on-

II. FEATURES

Specifications

• AMC Connector: Supports ATI Multimedia Channel (AMC) for additional ca-

• Easy Installation: Supports autodetection of hard drives, PS/2 mouse, and Plug

II. FEATURES

®

II (233MHz–333MHz) processor .

board video controller and 4MB of 64-bit SGRAM memory . Accelerated Graphics
Port (AGP) features high performance, component level interconnectivity tar­geted at 3D graphical display applications.

pabilities, such as optional TV tuner card available for video capture, video cap­ture, videophone, TV overlay, or TV tuner applications.

and Play devices to make setup of hard drives, expansion cards, and other de­vices virtually automatic.

• ISA & PCI Expansion Slots: Provides two 16-bit ISA and four 32-bit PCI slots.

• Super Multi-I/O: Provides one high-speed UART compatible serial port 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.) (See section V)

• CPU Built-In Level 2 Cache: 512KB or 256KB Pipelined Burst Level 2 cache

in the Pentium II Single Edge Contact (SEC) cartridge.

• V ersatile Memory Support: Equipped with three DIMM sockets to support (8,

16, 32, 64, or 128MB) 168-pin SDRAM/EDO memory modules up to 384MB.

• PCI Bus Master IDE Controller: Comes with an onboard PCI Bus Master

IDE controller with two connectors that supports four IDE devices in two chan­nels, supports PIO Modes 3 and 4 and Bus Master IDE DMA Mode 2, and
supports Enhanced IDE devices such as Tape Backup and CD-ROM drives.
Supports two drives of either 5.25-inch (360KB or 1.2MB) or 3.5-inch (720KB,

1.44MB, or 2.88MB) disk drives. Supports Japanese “Floppy 3 mode” (3.5-inch
disk drive: 1.2MB) and LS-120 floppy disk drives (3.5-inch disk drive: 120 MB,

1.44MB, 720K). BIOS supports IDE CD-ROM or SCSI device boot-up.

• Performance: 528MB/s data transfer rate using SDRAM, 33MB/s IDE transfer

rate using Bus Master UltraDMA/33 IDE, concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI
transfers.

• SCSI Bios: Supports optional ASUS SCSI controller cards through onboard

SYMBIOS firmware.

8 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

II. FEATURES

The ASUS P2L97A Motherboard

PS/2 Mouse (Top)
PS/2 Keyboard (Bottom)

USB Port 1 (Top)
USB Port 2 (Bottom)

COM 1
(Bottom)

Parallel (Top)

VGA
(Bottom)

4MB SGRAM VGA
memory

SEC CPU Slot

Intel 440LX AGPset

DIMM Sockets

Primary/Secondary
IDE Connectors

II. FEATURES

Motherboard Parts

Onboard ATI AGP
VGA Chipset

4 PCI Slots

Multi-I/O and
Keyboard BIOS

2 ISA Slots

Intel PIIX4
PCIset

Programmable
Flash EEPROM

Floppy Disk
Drive Connector

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 9

III. INSTALLATION

Layout of the ASUS P2L97A Motherboard

III. INSTALLATION

Board Layout

PS/2

MOUSE (TOP PORT)
KEYBOARD (BOTTOM)

USB

USB 1

(TOP PORT)

USB 2 (BOTTOM)

COM 1

PARALLEL PORT

VGA

Keyboard
BIOS &
Multi-I/O
Chip

ATX Power Connector

FAN1

Wake on LAN

Intel

440LX

AGPset

Single Edge Contact Slot

PCI Slot 1

R

PCI Slot 2

PCI Slot 3

VIRQ.

DIMM Socket 3 (64-bit, 168-pin module)

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

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

23

01Row

45

Onboard
ATI AGP
VGA
Chipset

1MB SGRAM
(onboard VGA
memory option)

1MB SGRAM
(onboard VGA

AMC Port

memory option)

1MB SGRAM
(onboard VGA
memory option)

1MB SGRAM
(onboard VGA
memory option)

Intel PIIX4

PCIset

FS0
FS1
FS2

BUS Freq.

CLRTC

CMOS Power

(CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell)

Primary IDE

Secondary IDE

Floppy Disk Drives

BF3
BF2
BF1
BF0

Freq. Ratio

IDELED

PCI Slot 4

ISA Slot 1

ISA Slot 2

10 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

Flash EEPROM

(Programable BIOS)

Panel Connectors

Infrared (IrDA)

III. INSTALLATION

Jumpers

1) CLRTC p. 13 Real Time Clock (RTC) (Short/Clear CMOS)

2) VIRQ p. 13 VGA Interrupt Selection

3) FS0, FS1, FS2 p. 14 CPU Bus Frequency

4) BF0, BF1, BF2, BF3 p. 14 CPU Core:Bus Frequency Multiple

Expansion Slots/Sockets

1) DIMM Sockets p. 15 DIMM Memory Module Support

2) SEC CPU Slot p. 15 Single Edge Contact CPU Support

3) SLOT1, SLOT2 p. 21 16-bit ISA Bus Expansion Slots

4) PCI1, PCI2, PCI3, PCI4 p. 21 32-bit PCI Bus Expansion Slots

Connectors

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

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

3) PRINTER p. 24 Parallel (Printer) Port Connector (25-pin Female)

4) COM1 p. 24 Serial Port COM1 (One 9-pin Male)

5) VGA p. 24 Monitor (VGA) Output Connector (15-pin Female)

6) USB p. 25 Universal Serial BUS Ports 1 & 2 (two 4-pin Female)

7) FLOPPY p. 25 Floppy Drive Connector (34-1 pin block)

8) FAN1 p. 25 CPU Fan Power Lead (3 pins)

9) PRIMARY/SECOND. I D E p. 26 Primary / Secondary IDE Connector (40-1 pin blocks)

10) IDELED p. 26 IDE LED Activity Light (2 pins)

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

12) IR p. 27 Infrared Port Module Connector (5 pins)

13) ATXPWR p. 27 ATX Motherboard Power Connector (20-pin block)

14) MSG.LED (PANEL) p. 28 LED Lead (2 pins)

15) SMI (PANEL) p. 28 SMI Switch Switch Lead (2 pins)

16) PWR.SW (PANEL) p. 28 ATX Power Switch / Soft Power Switch (2 pins)

Board Layout

III. INSTALLATION

17) RESET (PANEL) p. 28 Reset Switch Lead (2 pins)

18)

PWR LED (

19) SPEAKER (PANEL) p. 28 Speaker Connector (4 pins)

PANEL

)

p. 28 System Power LED Lead (3 pins)

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 11

III. INSTALLATION

Installation Steps

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

1. Set Jumpers

2. Install DRAM 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

1. Jumpers

Several hardware settings are made through the use of jumper caps to connect jumper
pins (JP) on the motherboard. See motherboard layout on page 10 for locations of

III. INSTALLATION

Jumpers

jumpers. The jumper settings will be described numerically such as [----], [1-2],
[2-3] for no connection, connect pins 1&2, and connect pins 2&3 respectively. Pin 1
for our motherboards is always on top
motherboard with the keyboard connector away from yourself. A “1” is written be­sides pin 1 on jumpers with three pins. The jumpers will also be shown graphically
such as to connect pins 1&2 and to connect pins 2&3. Jumpers with
two pins will be shown as for Short (On) and for Open (Off). For manufac­turing simplicity, the jumpers may be sharing pins from other groups. Use the dia­grams in this manual instead of following the pin layout on the board. Settings with
two jumper numbers require that both jumpers be moved together. To connect the
pins, simply place a plastic jumper cap over the two pins as diagramed.

WARNING! Computer motherboards and expansion 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.

Pin 1

or on the left

Pin 1

when holding the

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.

12 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

Jumper Settings

1. Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM (CLRTC)

The CMOS RAM is powered by the onboard button cell battery. To clear the
R TC data: (1) Turn off your computer and unplug your AC power, (2) Short the
two points (Labeled: CLRTC), (3) Turn on your computer, (4) Hold down
<Delete> during bootup and enter BIOS setup to re-enter user preferences.

Short small solder points to clear CMOS

CLRTC

2. VGA Interrupt Selection (VIRQ)

These jumpers allow you to set the VGA interrupt method. The default disables
the chipset’ s interrupt routing. Some video capture cards may require that inter ­rupts be assigned by the onboard chipset.

VIRQ

Disable (Default) Enable

VIRQ

Jumpers

III. INSTALLATION

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 13

III. INSTALLATION

Jumpers

III. INSTALLATION

3. CPU Bus Frequency (FS0, FS1, FS2)

This option tells the clock generator what frequency to send to the CPU. 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 frequency (the advertised CPU speed).

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

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

Bus Frequency.

BF2

BF3

BF1

BF0

1
2
3

BF2

BF3

BF1

BF0

1
2
3

BF2

BF3

BF1

BF0

1
2
3

1
2
3

CPU Core:Bus Frequency Ratio

1
2
3

FS2

60MHz

1
2
3

66MHz

1
2
3

75MHz

1
2
3

FS0

FS1

FS2

FS0

FS1

FS2

FS0

FS1

CPU Bus Frequency

BF0

FS2

83MHz

BF1

FS1

BF2

FS0

BF3

BF1

BF0

1
2
3

5.0x(5/1)4.5x(9/2)4.0x(4/1)3.5x(7/2)2.0x(2/1)

BF2

BF3

WARNING! Frequencies above 66Mhz exceed the specifications for the onboard

Intel Chipset and are not guaranteed to be stable.

Intel Pentium II Processor in an SEC Cartridge

(233-333MHz 256/512KB L2 Cache)

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

(BUS Freq.) (Freq. Ratio)

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

Intel Pentium II 300MHz 4.5x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [1-2] [2-3]
Intel Pentium II 266MHz 4.0x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3] [1-2] [2-3]
Intel Pentium II 233MHz 3.5x 66MHz [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2] [2-3] [2-3]

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
processor because it sends a VID signal directly to the onboard power controller.

14 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

2. System Memory (DIMM)

Only Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM’s) can be used with this motherboard.
Four sockets are available for 3.3V olt (power level) Unbuffered Synchronous DRAMs
(SDRAM) or EDO DRAM of either 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128MB to form a memory size
between 8MB to 512MB. One side (with memory chips) of the DIMM module takes
up one Row on the motherboard.

T o 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 the BIOS Chipset Features Setup.

IMPORTANT: Memory speed setup is required through “Auto Configuration” in
BIOS Chipset Features Setup.

Install memory in any combination as follows:

DIMM Location 168-pin DIMM Memory Modules Total Memory
Socket 0 (Rows 0&1) SDRAM/EDO 8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB x1
Socket 1 (Rows 2&3) SDRAM/EDO 8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB x1
Socket 2 (Rows 4&5) SDRAM/EDO 8, 16, 32, 64, 128MB x1

Total System Memory (Max 384MB) =

ASUS Memory Examples:

Parity EDO DIMM (9 chips)

Non-Parity SDRAM DIMM (8 chips)

System Memory

III. INSTALLATION

General DIMM Notes: (not true for all memory modules)

• Four possible memory chips are supported: EDO or SDRAM with and without parity.

• SDRAM chips are generally thinner with higher pin density than EDO chips.

• BIOS shows EDO or SDRAM memory on bootup screen.

• 8 chip/side modules do not support parity, only 9 chip/side modules support parity.

• Single sided modules are usually 16 or 64 MB, double sided are usually 8, 32, or 128MB.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 15

III. INSTALLATION

DIMM Memory Installation Procedures:

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. DRAM
SIMM modules have the same pin contact on both sides. SDRAM DIMM modules
have a different pin contact on each side and therefore have a higher pin density.

III. INSTALLATION

System Memory

168 Pin DIMM Memory Sockets

The Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) memory modules must be 3.3Volt Un­buffered Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Extended Data Output (EDO) . You
can identify the type of DIMM module by the illustration below:

168-Pin DIMM Notch Key Definitions (3.3V)

DRAM Key Position

RFU

Buffered

Unbuffered

20 Pins

Voltage Key Position

5.0V

60 Pins

Reserved

3.3V

88 Pins

Lock

The notch on the DIMM module will shift between left, center, or right to identify
the type and also to prevent the wrong type to be inserted into the DIMM slot on the
motherboard. You must ask your retailer for the specifications before purchasing.
Four clock signals are supported on this motherboard.

16 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

3. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The following items should have been included with your motherboard:

Attach Mount Bridges

(Factory Installed)

Lock Holes

Captive Nut

Pentium II Retention
Mechanism

Pin

Base

Heatsink Support Base/Top Bar

(for Passive Heatsink)

Top Bar

Posts

The following items must be purchased separately from ASUS or a third party vendor:

Intel Pentium II Processor in an SEC Cartridge

(233–333MHz 256/512KB L2 Cache)

AAVID Heatsink

CPU

III. INSTALLATION

Larger Fin should
be on the bottom.

Pentium II Processor Passive Heatsink

Heatsink bottom Groove
for the Support Top Bar

Elan Vital Heatsink

The heatsinks shown are only recommendations. Check with your vendor for other
compatible heatsinks if you wish. The procedures shown in this manual are for in­stalling the AAVID heatsink with fan. The procedures for installing the Elan Vital
heatsink with fan is also similar as that for the AA VID heatsink. The Elan Vital heatsink,
however, comes with a lever to clamp the heatsink into the SEC cartridge. Mount the
heatsink in the orientation shown then flip the lever from “Unlock” to “Lock.”

WARNING! Be sure that sufficient air circulation is available across the

processor’s heatsink by regularly checking that your CPU fan is working. With­out sufficient circulation, the processor could overheat and damage both the pro­cessor and the motherboard. You may install an auxiliary fan, if necessary.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 17

III. INSTALLATION

The Motherboard As Shipped

The ASUS P2L97A is shipped with the attach mount bridges already installed.

SEC slot for the
Pentium II processor

III. INSTALLATION

CPU

NOTE: Encircled items are points where the
attach mount bridges are factory-installed

Installing the Pentium II Processor

1. Mount the Pentium II Retention Mechanism: The retention mechanism is

designed to fit into the SEC slot only one way. Be sure to align the notch in the
mechanism with the small rib on one side of the slot and that the mechanism is
properly seated on the board. Then, screw the captive nuts in place.

TIP: Orient the mechanism’s lock holes toward the motherboard’s chipset (see

motherboard layout for the location of the Intel 440LX AGPset).

WARNING! Do not overtighten the captive nuts. Doing so could damage your

motherboard. Tighten captive nuts to no more than 6±1 inch/pound.

Lock holes

Captive nut

18 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

Captive nut

III. INSTALLATION

2. Mount the Heatsink: Place the SEC cartridge face down on a flat surface and lay

the heatsink flush on the back (metal side) of the SEC cartridge. Be sure that the
heatsink is firmly pressed against the SEC cartridge. When correctly installed,
no light must be showing through between the thermal pad of the heatsink and
the SEC cartridge.

WARNING! If the heatsink is not mounted tightly against the SEC cartridge,

the CPU will overheat. You may install an auxiliary fan to provide adequate
circulation across the processor’s passive heatsink.

Push each end of the clamps until they lock

Lock

The thermal pad & SEC cartridge should not have a gap!

SEC Cartridge with Heatsink (Top View)

Lock

3. Insert the SEC Cartridge: Push the SEC cartridge’s two locks inward (the

preceding picture shows the locks in the outward position and inward in the
picture below). With the heatsink facing the motherboard’s chipset, press the
cartridge gently but firmly until it is full inserted.

CPU

III. INSTALLATION

Push lock inward

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 19

III. INSTALLATION

III. INSTALLATION

4. Secure the SEC Cartridge: Secure the SEC cartridge in place by pushing the

SEC cartridge locks outward so that the lock shows through the retention
mechanism’s lock holes.

CPU

20 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

4. Expansion Cards

WARNING! 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.

First read your expansion card documentation for hardware and software settings
that may be required to set up your specific card.

Expansion Card Installation Procedure

1. Read the documentation for your expansion card.

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. Keep the bracket for possible
future use.

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

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

7. Replace the computer system’s cover.

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

9. 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.

Both ISA and PCI expansion cards may require to use IRQs. System IRQs are avail­able 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 Microsoft Diagnostics (MSD.EXE) utility located in the Win­dows 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.

Expansion Cards

III. INSTALLATION

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 21

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 section
of the BIOS setup utility can be used to assign which IRQs are being used by legacy
cards. For older legacy cards that do not work with the BIOS, you may 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 contains a card requiring an IRQ. T o install a PCI card, you
need to set the INT (interrupt) assignment. Since all the PCI slots on this mother-

III. INSTALLATION

DMA Channels

board use an INTA #, set the jumpers on your PCI cards to INT A.

Assigning DMA Channels for ISA Cards

III. INSTALLATION

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).

22 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

5. External Connectors

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

clearly distinguished from jumpers as indicated in the motherboard layout. Placing
jumper caps over these jumpers 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 46cm (18in), with the second drive connec­tor no more than 15cm (6in) from the first connector.

1. PS/2 Keyboard Connector (6-pin Female)
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.

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

2. PS/2 Mouse Connector (6-pin Female)

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 the BIOS SOFTWARE.

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

Connectors

III. INSTALLATION

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 23

III. INSTALLATION

3. Parallel Printer Connector (25-pin Female)

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

Parallel (Printer) Port (25-pin Female)

III. INSTALLATION

Connectors

4. Serial Port COM1 Connectors (One 9-pin Male)

One serial port can be used for pointing devices or other serial devices. See
“Onboard Serial Port” in Chipset Features Setup of the BIOS SOFTWARE.

Serial Port COM 1 (9-pin Male)

5. Monitor (VGA) Output Connector (One 15-pin Female)

This connector is for a VGA-compatible device.

VGA Port (15-pin Female)

24 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

6. Universal Serial BUS Ports 1 & 2 (Two 4-pin Female Sockets)

Two USB ports are available for connecting USB devices.

USB 1

Univeral Serial Bus (USB) 2

7. 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).

NOTE: Orient the red stripe to Pin 1

Pin 1

Floppy Disk Drive Connector

8. CPU Fan Power Lead (3-pin FAN1)

These connectors support cooling fans of 500mA (6W) or less. Orient the fans
so that the heatsink fins allow airflow to go across the onboard heatsink 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.

Ground

Ground

+12V

Connectors

III. INSTALLATION

12Volt Cooling Fan Power

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 25

CPU Fan Power

III. INSTALLATION

Connectors

III. INSTALLATION

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 . Refer to the documentation
of your hard disk for the jumper settings. (Pin 20 is removed to prevent inserting

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

NOTE: Orient the red stripe to Pin 1

Pin 1

Secondary IDE Connector

Primary IDE Connector

IDE Connectors

10. IDE activity LED (2-pin IDELED)

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

IDELED

(IDE Signal)
(+5V)

+

IDE Activity LED

11. Wake on LAN Connector (3-pin WOL_CON)

This connector coonects to LAN cards with a Wake On LAN output. When the
system is in soft-off mode, LAN activity will power on the system.

+5-Volt Standby

PME

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

Wake on LAN Connector

Ground

26 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

12. 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.

s

+5V

NC

Infrared Module Connector

+5V

Front View

IRRX

IRTX

NC

Ground

For the infrared feature to be available,
you must connect the optional infrared
(IrDA) module to the motherboard

IRTX

Ground

Back View

IRRX

13. ATX Power Supply Connector (20-pin ATXPWR)

This connector connects to a 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 : Be sure that the ATX power supply can take at least 10mA load
on the 5-volt standby lead (5V SB). You may experience difficulty in powering
on your system without this.

Connectors

III. INSTALLATION

ATX Power Connector

+12.0 Volts

+5V Standby

Power Good

Ground

5.0 Volts
Ground

+5.0 Volts

Ground

+3.3 Volts
+3.3 Volts

+5.0 Volts
+5.0 Volts

-5.0 Volts
Ground
Ground
Ground
Power Supply On
Ground

-12.0 Volts
+3.3 Volts

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 27

III. INSTALLATION

Connectors

III. INSTALLATION

14. Message LED Lead (MSG LED)

This indicates whether a message has been received from a fax/modem. The
LED will remain lit when there is no signal and blink when there is data transfer
or waiting in the inbox).

15. SMI Suspend Switch Lead (SMI)

This allows the user to manually place the system into a suspend mode or “Green”
mode where system activity will be instantly decreased to save electricity and
expand the life of certain components when the system is not in use. This 2-pin
connector (see the figure below) connects to the case-mounted suspend switch.
If you do not have a switch for the connector , you may use the “Turbo Switch”
since it does not have a function. SMI is activated when it detects a short to open
moment and therefore leaving it shorted will not cause any problems. May re­quire one or two pushes depending on the position of the switch. Wake-up can
be controlled by settings in the BIOS but the keyboard will always allow wake­up (the SMI lead cannot wake-up the system).

16. ATX Power Switch / Soft Power Switch (PWR SW)

The system power is controlled by a momentary switch connected to this lead.
Pushing the button once will switch the system between ON and SLEEP. Push­ing the switch while in the ON mode for more than 4 seconds will turn the
system off. The system power LED shows the status of the system’s power.

17. Reset Switch Lead (RESET)

This 2-pin connector connects to the case-mounted reset switch for rebooting
your computer without having to turn off your power switch This is a preferred
method of rebooting in order to prolong the life of the system’s power supply.

18. System Power LED (PWR LED)

This 3-pin connector connects the system power LED, which lights when the
system is powered on and blinks when it is in sleep mode.

19. Speaker Connector (SPEAKER)

This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker.

Power LED

PLED

Message LED

SMI Lead

Speaker Connector

GND

MLED

GND

GND

+5V

GND

GND

3VSB

Reset Switch

ATX Power Switch

SPKR

GND

System Panel Connections

28 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

III. INSTALLATION

Power Connection Procedures

1. After all jumpers and connections are made, close the system case cover.

2. Be sure that all switches are off (in some systems, marked with

3. Connect the power supply cord into the power supply located on the back of
your system case according to your system user’s manual.

4. Connect the power cord into a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector.

5. You may then turn on your devices in the following order:
a. Your monitor
b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain)
c. Your system power. For ATX power supplies, you need to switch

on the power supply as well as press the ATX power switch on the
front of the case.

6. The power LED on the front panel of the system case will light. For ATX power
supplies, the system LED will light when the ATX power switch is pressed. The
monitor LED may light up after the system’s if it complies with “green” stan­dards or if it has a power standby feature. The system will then run power-on
tests. While the tests are running, additional messages will appear on the screen.
If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you turn on the
power, the system may have failed a power-on test. Recheck your jumper set­tings and connections or call your retailer for assistance.

).

Power Connections

III. INSTALLATION

7. During power-on, hold down <Delete> to enter BIOS setup. Follow the instruc­tions in the next section, BIOS SOFTWARE.

* Powering Off your computer: You must first exit or shut down your operating

system before switching off the power switch. For ATX power supplies, you
can press the ATX power switch after exiting or shutting down your operating
system. If you use Windows 95, click the Start button, click Shut Down, and
then click Shut down the computer?. The system will give three quick beeps
after about 30 seconds and then power off after Windows shuts down.

NOTE: The message “You can now safely turn off your computer” will not
appear when shutting down with ATX power supplies.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 29

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Support Software

NOTE: This motherboard has onboard SCSI and therefore requires a 2Mbit flash

ROM. This flash ROM requires PFLASH2.EXE as opposed to PFLASH.EXE as
used by other ASUS motherboards with 1Mbit flash ROM.

PFLASH2.EXE - This is the Flash Memory W riter utility that updates the BIOS by
uploading a new BIOS file to the 2Mbit programmable flash ROM chip on the moth­erboard. To determine the BIOS version, check the last four numbers of the code
displayed on the upper left-hand corner of your screen during bootup. Larger num­bers represent a newer BIOS file. This file works in DOS or Windows mode.

NOTE: The following screen contents in this user's manual are provided as ex-

amples only and may not reflect the screen contents displayed on your system.

Flash Memory Writer Utility

Flash Memory Writer

IV. BIOS

IMPORTANT! If “unknown” is displayed after Flash Type -- , the memory chip

is either not programmable or is not supported with the PnP BIOS and therefore
cannot be programmed by the Flash Memory Writer utility.

Main Menu

1. Save Current BIOS To File

This option allows you to save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS in case you
need to reinstall it. It is recommended that you save PFLASH2 and the BIOS file to
a bootable floppy diskette.

2. Update BIOS Main Block From File

This option updates the BIOS from a file on the disk. The file can be either a new
file or a backup file created by the “Save Current BIOS To File” option. If the boot
block in the file is different from the current boot block, this option will not update
the main block. Instead, it will display the following messages.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual30

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

3. Advanced Features

This option displays the Advanced Features screen for clearing the PnP configura­tion record and updating the motherboard BIOS.

Advanced Features Menu

1. Clear PNP ESCD Parameter Block

This option erases the Plug-and-Play (PnP) configuration record.

2. Update BIOS Including Boot Block and ESCD

This option updates the boot block, the baseboard BIOS, and the PnP extended sys­tem configuration data (ESCD) parameter block from a new BIOS file.

IV. BIOS

Flash Memory Writer

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 31

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Managing and Updating Your Motherboard’s BIOS

Upon First Use of the Computer System

1. Create a bootable system floppy diskette by typing [FORMAT A:/S] from the
DOS prompt without creating “AUTOEXEC.BAT” and “CONFIG.SYS” files.

2. Copy PFLASH2.EXE to your new diskette.

3. Run PFLASH2.EXE from your new diskette and select option 1 “Save Current
BIOS to File.” Enter the “Current BIOS Revision:” for the file name.

Updating BIOS Procedures (only when necessary)

1. Download an updated ASUS BIOS file from the Internet (WWW or FTP) or a
BBS (Bulletin Board Service) (see ASUS CONT ACT INFORMATION on page
3 for details) and save to the disk you created earlier.

2. Boot from the disk you created earlier.

3. At the “A:\” prompt, type PFLASH2 and then press <Enter>.

4. Enter 2 “Update BIOS Main Block From File” from the Main Menu or option 2
“Update BIOS Including Boot Block and ESCD” from the Advanced Features
Menu if prompted by option 2 of the Main Menu.

5. The program displays a second screen prompting you for the name of the BIOS
file. Type in the complete file name and extension of the new BIOS, and then
press <Enter>. The utility then updates the BIOS file from disk.

Updating BIOS

IV. BIOS

WARNING! If you encounter problems while updating the new BIOS, DO NOT

turn off your system since this might prevent your system from booting up. Just
repeat the process, and if the problem still persists, update the original BIOS file
you saved to disk above. If the Flash Memory Writer utility was not able to
successfully update a complete BIOS file, your system may not be able to boot
up. If this happens, your system will need service.

6. After successfully updating the new BIOS file, exit the Flash Memory Writer

7. Hold down <Delete> to enter BIOS setup. You must select “Setup Default” to

utility and then reboot.

effect the new BIOS, after which you may set the other items from the Main
Menu.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual32

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

6. BIOS Setup

The motherboard supports two programmable Flash ROM chips: 5-Volt and 12­Volt. Either of these memory chips can be updated when BIOS upgrades are re­leased. Use the Flash Memory W riter utility to download the new BIOS file into the
ROM chip as described in detail in this section.

All computer motherboards provide a Setup utility program for specifying the sys­tem configuration and settings. If your motherboard came in a computer system, the
proper configuration entries may have already been made. If so, invoke the Setup
utility , as described later , and take note of the configuration settings for future refer ­ence; in particular, the hard disk specifications.

If you are installing the motherboard, reconfiguring your system or you receive a
Run Setup message, you will need to enter new setup information. This section
describes how to configure your system using this utility.

The BIOS ROM of the system stores the Setup utility. When you turn on the com­puter, the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. This ap­pears during the Power-On Self Test (POST). Press <Delete> to call up the Setup
utility . If you are a little bit late pressing the mentioned key(s), POST will continue
with its test routines, thus preventing you from calling up Setup. If you still need to
call Setup, reset the system by pressing <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing
the Reset button on the system case. You can also restart by turning the system off
and then back on again. But do so only if the first two methods fail.

When you invoke Setup, the CMOS SETUP UTILITY main program screen will
appear with the following options:

IV. BIOS

BIOS Setup

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 33

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Load Defaults

The “Load BIOS Defaults” option loads the minimum settings for troubleshooting.
“Load Setup Defaults”, on the other hand, is for loading optimized defaults for
regular use. Choosing defaults at this level, will modify all applicable settings.

A section at the bottom of the above screen displays the control keys for this screen.
Take note of these keys and their respective uses. Another section just below the
control keys section displays information on the currently highlighted item in the list.

Standard CMOS Setup

This “Standard CMOS Setup” option allows you to record some basic system hard­ware configuration and set the system clock and error handling. If the motherboard
is already installed in a working system, you will not need to select this option
anymore. However, if the configuration stored in the CMOS memory on the board
gets lost or damaged, or if you change your system hardware configuration, you will
need to respecify the configuration values. The configuration values usually get lost
or corrupted when the power of the onboard CMOS battery weakens.

Standard CMOS

IV. BIOS

The precedong screen provides you with a list of options. At the bottom of this screen
are the control keys for this screen. Take note of these keys and their respective uses.

User-configurable fields appear in a different color. If you need information on the
selected field, press <F1>. The help menu will then appear to provide you with the
information you need. The memory display at the lower right-hand side of the screen
is read-only and automatically adjusts accordingly.

Details of Standard CMOS Setup:

Date

T o set the date, highlight the “Date” field and then press either <Page Up>/<Page Down>
or <+>/<–> to set the current date. Follow the month, day and year format. Valid values
for month, day and year are: Month: (1 to 12), Day: (1 to 31), Y ear: (up to 2079)

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual34

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Time

T o set the time, highlight the “Time” field and then press either <Page Up>/<Page Down>
or <+>/<–> to set the current time. Follow the hour, minute and second format. Valid
values for hour, minute and second are: (Hour: (00 to 23), Minute: (00 to 59), Second:

(00 to 59). Press <Enter> twice if you do not want to modify the current time.
NOTE: You can bypass the date and time prompts by creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT

file. For information on how to create this file, please refer to the MS-DOS manual.

Hard Disks

This field records the specifications for all non-SCSI hard disk drives installed in
your system. The onboard PCI IDE connectors provide Primary and Secondary
channels for connecting up to four IDE hard disks or other IDE devices. Each chan­nel can support up to two hard disks; the first of which is the “master” and the
second is the “slave”.

Specifications for SCSI hard disks need not to be entered here since they operate
using device drivers and are not supported bythe BIOS. If you install other SCSI
controller cards, refer to their respective documentations on how to install the re­quired SCSI drivers.

For IDE hard disk drive setup, you can:

• Use the Auto setting for detection during bootup.

• Use the IDE HDD AUTO DETECTION in the main menu to automatically
enter the drive specifications.

• Enter the specifications yourself manually by using the “User” option.

The entries for specifying the hard disk type include CYLS (number of cylinders),
HEAD (number of read/write heads), PRECOMP (write precompensation), LANDZ
(landing zone), SECTOR (number of sectors) and MODE. The SIZE field auto­matically adjusts according to the configuration you specify. The documentation
that comes with your hard disk should provide you with the information regarding
the drive specifications.

The MODE entry is for IDE hard disks only , and can be ignored for MFM and ESDI
drives. This entry provides three options: Normal, Large, LBA, or Auto (see be-
low). Set MODE to the Normal for IDE hard disk drives smaller than 528MB; set
it to LBA for drives over 528MB that support Logical Block Addressing (LBA) to
allow larger IDE hard disks; set it to Large for drives over 528MB that do not sup-
port LBA. Large type of drive can only be used with MS-DOS and is very uncom­mon. Most IDE drives over 528MB support the LBA mode.

IV. BIOS

Standard CMOS

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 35

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Auto detection of hard disks on bootup

For each field: Primary Master, Primary Slave, Secondary Master, and Secondary
Slave, you can select Auto under the TYPE and MODE fields. This will enable auto
detection of your IDE hard disk during bootup. This will allow you to change your
hard disks (with the power off) and then power on without having to reconfigure
your hard disk type. If you use older hard disks that do not support this feature, then
you must configure the hard disk in the standard method as described earlier by the
“User” option.

NOTE: After the IDE hard disk drive information has been entered into BIOS, new
IDE hard disk drives must be partitioned (such as with FDISK) and then formatted
before data can be read from and write on. Primary IDE hard disk drives must have
its partition set to active (also possible with FDISK).

NOTE: SETUP Defaults are noted in parenthesis next to each function heading.

Drive A / Drive B (None)

These fields record the types of floppy disk drives installed in your system. The
available options for drives A and B are: 360KB, 5.25 in.; 1.2MB, 5.25 in.; 720KB,

3.5 in.; 1.44MB, 3.5 in.; 2.88MB, 3.5 in.; None

Standard CMOS

IV. BIOS

To enter the configuration value for a particular drive, highlight its corresponding
field and then select the drive type using the left- or right-arrow keys.

Floppy 3 Mode Support (Disabled)

This is the Japanese standard floppy drive. The standard stores 1.2MB in a 3.5inch
diskette. This is normally disabled but you may choose from either: Drive A, Drive

B, Both, and Disabled

Video (EGA/VGA)

Set this field to the type of video display card installed in your system. The options
are EGA/VGA, CGA 49, CGA 80, and Mono (for Hercules or MDA).

If you are using a VGA or any higher resolution card, choose EGA/VGA.

Halt On (All Errors)

This field determines which types of errors will cause the system to halt. Choose from
All Errors; No Err ors; All,But Keyboard, All,But Diskette; and All,But Disk/Key.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual36

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

BIOS Features Setup

This “BIOS Features Setup” option consists of configuration entries that allow you
to improve your system performance, or let you set up some system features accord­ing to your preference. Some entries are required by the motherboard’s design to
remain in their default settings.

A section at the lower right of the screen displays the control keys you can use. T ake
note of these keys and their respective uses. If you need information on a particular
entry, highlight it and then press <F1>. A pop-up help menu will appear to provide
you with the information you need. <F5> loads the last set values, <F6> and <F7>
loads the BIOS default values and Setup default values, respectively.

NOTE: SETUP Defaults are noted in parenthesis next to each function heading.

Details of BIOS Features Setup

CPU Internal Core Speed

This function is reserved for future use and is currently disabled.

Virus Warning (Disabled)

This field protects the boot sector and partition table of your hard disk against acci­dental modifications. Any attempt to write to them will cause the system to halt and
display a warning message. If this occurs, you can either allow the operation to
continue or use a bootable virus-free floppy disk to reboot and investigate your
system. This setting is recommended because conflicts with new operating sys­tems. Installation of new operating systems require that you disable this to prevent
write errors.

IV. BIOS

BIOS Features

CPU Level 1 Cache / CPU Level 2 Cache (Enabled)

These fields allow you to choose from the default of Enabled or choose Disabled to
turn on or off the CPU’s Level 1 and Level 2 built-in cache.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 37

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

BIOS Update (Enabled)

This functions as an update loader integrated into the BIOS to supply the processor
with the required data. The BIOS will load the update on all processors during
system bootup in the default position of Enabled.

CPU Fast String (Enabled)

Leave on default setting of Enabled for best performance.

Deturbo Mode (Disabled)

When Enabled, FLUSH# signal is held asserted to disable caching and the P6 bus
pipeline will be stalled. This allows software to run at a reduced-speed. The default
is set to Disabled to allow maximum processing speed.

Quick Power On Self Test (Enabled)

This field speeds up the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine by skipping retesting a
second, third, and forth time. Setup default setting for this field is Enabled. A
complete test of the system is done on each test.

HDD Sequence SCSI/IDE First (IDE)

When using both SCSI and IDE hard disk drives, IDE is always the boot disk using drive
letter C (default setting of IDE). This feature allows a SCSI hard disk drive to be the boot
disk when set to SCSI. This allows multiple operating systems to be used on both IDE and
SCSI drives or the primary operating system to boot using a SCSI hard disk drive.

Boot Sequence (C,A)

BIOS Features

IV. BIOS

This field determines where the system looks first for an operating system. Options
are C,A; A,CDROM,C; CDROM,C,A; D,A; E,A; F,A; C only; LS/ZIP, C; and A,C.
The setup default setting is to check first the hard disk and then the floppy disk
drive, that is, C, A.

Boot Up Floppy Seek (Disabled)

When enabled, the BIOS will seek drive A once.

Floppy Disk Access Control (R/W)

This allows protection of files from the computer system to be copied to floppy
disks by allowing the setting of Read Only to only allow reads from the floppy disk
drive but not writes. The setup default R/W allows both reads and writes.

IDE HDD Block Mode Sectors (HDD MAX)

This field enhances hard disk performance by making multi-sector transfers instead
of one sector per transfer. Most IDE drives, except older versions, can utilize this
feature. Selections are HDD MAX, Disabled, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32.

Security Option (System)

When you specify a Supervisor Password and/or User Password (explained later in
this section), the Security Option field determines when the system prompts for the
password. The default setting is System, where the system prompts for the User

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual38

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Password every time you start your system. The other option is Setup, where the
system goes through its startup routine unless the Setup utility is called, when the
system prompts for the Supervisor Password.

PS/2 Mouse Function Control (Auto)

The default of Auto allows the system to detect a PS/2 mouse on bootup. If detected,
IRQ12 will be used for the PS/2 mouse. IRQ12 will be reserved for expansion cards
if a PS/2 mouse is not detected. Enabled will always reserve IRQ12, whether on
bootup a PS/2 mouse is detected or not.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop (Disabled)

Some display cards that are nonstandard VGA such as graphics accelerators or MPEG
V ideo Cards may not show colors properly. The setting Enabled should correct this
problem. Otherwise leave this on the setup default setting of Disabled.

OS/2 Onboard Memory > 64M (Disabled)

When using OS/2 operating systems with installed DRAM of greater than 64MB,
you need to set this option to Enabled otherwise leave this on Disabled.

MPS 1.4 Support (Disabled)

MPS 1.4 is Intel’s Multi-Processor Specification. Some MP operating systems still
does not support it. Currently, Novell Netware 4.11 SMP (Green River) uses MPS

1.4 for its multi-processor kernel. When Enabled, this adds eight extended entries in
the interrupt table. Leave to Disabled if your OS does not support MPS 1.4.

......................................................................................................................................

Video ROM BIOS Shadow (Enabled)

This field allows you to change the video BIOS location from ROM to RAM. Relocat­ing to RAM enhances system performance, as information access is faster than the ROM.

C8000-CBFFF to DC000-DFFFF (Disabled)

These fields are used for shadowing other expansion card ROMs. If you install other
expansion cards with ROMs on them, you will need to know which addresses the
ROMs use to shadow them specifically. Shadowing a ROM reduces the memory
available between 640K and 1024K by the amount used for this purpose.

Boot Up NumLock Status (On)

This field enables users to activate the Number Lock function upon system boot.

Typematic Rate Setting (Disabled)

When enabled, you can set the two typematic controls listed next.

IV. BIOS

BIOS Features

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) (6)

This field controls the speed at which the system registers repeated keystrokes.
Options range from 6 to 30 characters per second. Setup default setting is 6; other
settings are 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 24, and 30.

Typematic Delay (Msec) (250)

This field sets the time interval for displaying the first and second characters. Four
delay rate options are available: 250, 500, 750, and 1000.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 39

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Chipset Features Setup

This “Chipset Features Setup” option controls the configuration of the board’ s chipset.
Control keys for this screen are the same as in the previous screen.

NOTE: SETUP Defaults are noted in parenthesis next to each function heading.

Details of Chipset Features Setup

EDO Auto Configuration (60ns DRAM)

The default setting of 60ns DRAM sets the optimal timings for items 2 through 5 for
60ns DRAM modules. If you are using 70ns DRAM modules, you must change this
item to 70ns DRAM. See section III for DRAM installation information.

Chipset Features

IV. BIOS

SDRAM Configuration (12ns SDRAM)

Leave on default setting for 83 MHz SDRAMs; set to 10ns SDRAM for 100MHz SDRAMs.

SDRAM RAS to CAS Delay (Auto)

Leave on default setting.

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time (Auto)

Leave on default setting.

MA Wait State (Auto)

Leave on default setting.

SDRAM Banks Close Policy (Arbitration)

Leave on default setting.

16-bit I/O Recovery Time (1 BUSCLK)

Timing for 16-bit ISA cards. Set to 4 BUSCLK if you experience problems with your cards.

8-bit I/O Recovery Time (1 BUSCLK)

Timing for 8-bit ISA cards. Set to 8 BUSCLK if you experience problems with your cards.

Graphics Aperture Size (64MB)

Leave on default setting.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual40

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Video Memory Cache Mode (UC)

USWC (uncacheable, speculative write combining) is a new cache technology for the
video memory of the processor . It can greatly improve the display speed by caching the
display data. You must leave this on the default setting of UC (uncacheable) if your
display card cannot support this feature, otherwise your display may not show properly .

PCI 2.1 Support (Enabled)

This function allows you to enable or disable PCI 2.1 features. Leave on the default
Enabled setting for PCI 2.1 compliancy.

Memory Hole At 15M–16M (Disabled)

Enabling this feature reserves 15MB to 16MB memory address space to ISA expan­sion cards that specifically require this setting. This makes the memory from 15MB
and up unavailable to the system. Expansion cards can only access memory up to
16MB. The default is Disabled.

DRAM are xx bits wide

If all your DRAM modules have parity chips (e.g., 8 chips + 4 parity chips), they
are considered 36bits. This motherboard sums the memory per bank and therefore
two modules will give 72bits and the following will be displayed:

If your DRAM modules do not have parity chips (e.g., 8 chips), they are considered
32bits and the following will be displayed instead:

Data Integrity Mode (Non-ECC)

Non-ECC has byte-wise write capability but no provision for protecting data integ­rity in the DRAM array. EC-Only data errors are detected but not corrected. ECC
allowas a detection of single-bit and multiple-bit errors and recovery of single-bit
errors. (See section III for more information on DRAM memory modules.)

....................................................................................................................................

Onboard FDC Controller (Enabled)

When Enabled, this field allows you to connect your floppy disk drives to the onboard
floppy disk drive connector instead of a separate controller card. If you want to use a
different controller card to connect the floppy disk drives, set this field to Disabled.

IV. BIOS

Chipset Features

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 41

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Onboard FDC Swap A & B (No Swap)

This field allows you to reverse the hardware drive letter assignments of your floppy
disk drives. Two options are available: No Swap and Swap AB. If you want to switch
drive letter assignments through the onboard chipset, set this field to Swap AB.

Onboard Serial Port 1 (3F8H/IRQ4)

Settings are 3F8H/IRQ4, 2F8H/IRQ3, 3E8H/IRQ4, 2E8H/IRQ10, and Disabled for
the onboard serial connector.

Onboard Serial Port 2 (2F8H/IRQ3)

Settings are 3F8H/IRQ4, 2F8H/IRQ3, 3E8H/IRQ4, 2E8H/IRQ10, and Disabled for
the onboard serial connector.

Onboard Parallel Port (378H/IRQ7)

This field sets the address of the onboard parallel port connector. You can select
either: 3BCH / IRQ 7, 378H / IRQ 7, 278H / IRQ 5, Disabled. If you install an I/O card
with a parallel port, ensure that there is no conflict in the address assignments. The PC
can support up to three parallel ports as long as there are no conflicts for each port.

Parallel Port Mode (ECP+EPP)

This field allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port. The setting
Normal, allows normal-speed operation but in one direction only; EPP allows bidi-
rectional parallel port operation at maximum speed; ECP allows the parallel port to
operate in bidirectional mode and at a speed faster than the maximum data transfer
rate; ECP+EPP allows normal speed operation in a two-way mode.

Chipset Features

IV. BIOS

ECP DMA Select (3)

This selection is available only if you select ECP or ECP+EPP in the

Parallel Port Mode. Select either DMA Channel 1, 3, or Disable.
UART2 Use Infrared (Disabled)

When enabled, this field activates the onboard infrared feature and sets the second
serial UART to support the infrared module connector on the motherboard. If your
system already has a second serial port connected to the onboard COM2 connector, it
will no longer work if you enable the infrared feature. By default, this field is set to
Disabled, which leaves the second serial port UAR T to support the COM2 serial port
connector . See IrDA-compliant infrared module connector under section III.

Onboard PCI IDE Enable (Both)

You can select to enable the primary IDE channel, secondary IDE channel, both, or
disable both channels (for systems with only SCSI drives).

IDE 0 Master/Slave PIO/DMA Mode, IDE 1 Master/Slave PIO/DMA Mode (Auto)

Each channel (0 and 1) has both a master and a slave making four IDE devices
possible. Because each IDE device may have a different Mode timing (0, 1, 2, 3, 4),
it is necessary for these to be independent. The default setting of Auto will allow
auto-detection to ensure optimal performance.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual42

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Power Management Setup

This “Power Management Setup” option allows you to reduce power consumption.
This feature turns off the video display and shuts down the hard disk after a period
of inactivity.

NOTE: SETUP Defaults are noted in parenthesis next to each function heading.

Details of Power Management Setup

Power Management (User Define)

This field acts as the master control for the power management modes. Max Saving
puts the system into power saving mode after a brief period of system inactivity;
Min Saving is almost the same as Max Saving except that this time the system inac­tivity period is longer; Disable disables the power saving features; User Define al­lows you to set power saving options according to your preference.

IMPORTANT: Advanced Power Management (APM) should be installed to keep
the system time updated when the computer enters suspend mode activated by the
BIOS Power Management. For DOS environments, you need to add the statement,
DEVICE=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE, in you CONFIG.SYS. For W indows 3.x and W in­dows 95, you need to install Windows with the APM feature. A battery and power
cord icon labeled “Power” will appear in the “Control Panel.” Choose “Advanced”
in the Power Management Field.

Video Off Option (Suspend -> Off )

This field determines when to activate the video off feature for monitor power
management. The settings are Always On and Suspend -> Off.

IV. BIOS

Power Management

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 43

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Video Off Method (DPMS OFF)

This field defines the video off features. The following options are available: DPMS
OFF, DPMS Reduce ON, Blank Screen, V/H SYNC+Blank, DPMS Standby, and
DPMS Suspend. The DPMS (Display Power Management System) features allow
the BIOS to control the video display card if it supports the DPMS feature. Blank
Screen only blanks the screen (use this for monitors without power management or

“green” features. If set up in your system, your screen saver will not display with
Blank Screen selected). V/H SYNC+Blank blanks the screen and turns off vertical
and horizontal scanning.

.......................................................................................................................................

PM Timers

This section controls the time-out settings for the Power Management scheme. The
fields included in this section are “HDD Power Down”, which places the hard disk
into its lowest power consumption mode, and the Doze, Standby and Suspend sys­tem inactivation modes.

The system automatically “wakes up” from any power saving mode when there is
system activity such as when a key is pressed from the keyboard, or when there is
activity detected from the enabled IRQ channels.

HDD Power Down (Disable)

Shuts down any IDE hard disk drives in the system after a period of inactivity . This

Power Management

IV. BIOS

time period is user-configurable to 1–15 Min or Disable. This feature does not
affect SCSI hard drives.

Suspend Mode (Disable)

Sets the period of time after which each of these modes activate: 1 Min, 2 Min, 4
Min, 8 Min, 10 Min, 20 Min, 30 Min, 1 Hour, 2 Hour, and 4 Hour.

.......................................................................................................................................

Power Up Control

This section determines the ways the system can be controlled when it is started or
restarted, when modem activity is detected, or when power to the computer is inter­rupted and reapplied. The Soft-Off mode refers to powering of f the system through
a momentary button switch (ATX switch) or through the software as opposed to
disconnecting the AC power by way of a rocker switch or other means.

PWR Button < 4 Secs (Soft Off)

When set to Soft Off, the ATX switch can be used as a normal system power-off
button when pressed for less than 4 seconds. Suspend allows the button to have a
dual function where pressing less than 4 seconds will place the system in sleep
mode. No Function disables the ATX switch function when the button is pressed
under 4 seconds. Regardless of the setting, holding the ATX switch for more than 4
seconds will power off the system.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual44

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

PWR Up On Modem Act (Enabled)

This allows either settings of Enabled or Disabled for powering up the computer (turns
the ATX power supply on) when the modem receives a call while the computer is off.
NOTE: The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and appli­cations are fully running, thus connection cannot be made on the first try. Turning
an external modem off and then back on while the computer is off causes an initializa­tion string that will also cause the system to power on.

AC PWR Loss Restart (Disabled)

This allows you to set whether you want your system to boot up after the power has
been interrupted. Disabled leaves your system off after reapplying power and En-
abled boots up your system after reapplying power.

Automatic Power Up (Disabled)

This allows you to have an unattended or automatic power up of your system. You may
configure your system to power up at a certain time of the day by selecting Everyday,
which will allow you to set the time or at a certain time and day by selecting By Date.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 45

IV. BIOS

Power Management

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

PNP and PCI Setup

This “PNP and PCI Setup” option configures the PCI bus slots. All PCI bus slots on
the system use INTA#, thus all installed PCI cards must be set to this value.

NOTE: SETUP Defaults are noted in parenthesis next to each function heading.

Details of PNP and PCI Setup

PNP OS Installed (No)

This field allows you to use a Plug-and-Play (PnP) operating system to configure
the PCI bus slots instead of using the BIOS. Thus interrupts may be reassigned by
the OS when Yes is selected. When a non-PnP OS is installed or to prevent reassign-

Plug & Play / PCI

IV. BIOS

ing of interrupt settings, select the default setting of No.
Slot 1 (RIGHT) IRQ to Slot 4/5 (LEFT) IRQ (Auto)

These fields set how IRQ use is determined for each PCI slot. The default setting for
each field is Auto, which uses auto-routing to determine IRQ use. The other options are
manual settings of NA, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 or 15 for each slot.

PCI Latency Timer (32 PCI Clock)

The default setting of 32 PCI Clock enables maximum PCI performance for this
motherboard.

IRQ xx Used By ISA (No/ICU)

These fields indicate whether or not the displayed IRQ for each field is being used
by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. Two options are available: No/ICU and Yes. The
first option, the default value, indicates either that the displayed IRQ is not used or
an ISA Configuration Utility (ICU) is being used to determine if an ISA card is
using that IRQ. If you install a legacy ISA card that requires a unique IRQ, and you
are not using an ICU, you must set the field for that IRQ to Yes. For example: If you
install a legacy ISA card that requires IRQ 10, then set IRQ10 Used By ISA to Yes.

......................................................................................................................................

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual46

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

DMA x Used By ISA (No/ICU)

These fields indicate whether or not the displayed DMA channel for each field is
being used by a legacy (non-PnP) ISA card. A vailable options include: No/ICU and
Yes. The first option, the default setting, indicates either that the displayed DMA
channel is not used or an ICU is being used to determine if an ISA card is using that
channel. If you install a legacy ISA card that requires a unique DMA channel, and
you are not using an ICU, you must set the field for that channel to Yes.

ISA MEM Block BASE (No/ICU)

This field allows you to set the base address and block size of a legacy ISA card that
uses any memory segment within the C800H and DFFFH address range. If you
have such a card, and you are not using an ICU to specify its address range, select a
base address from the six available options; the ISA MEM Block SIZE field will
then appear for selecting the block size. If you have more than one legacy ISA card
in your system that requires to use this address range, you can increase the block
size to either 8K, 16K, 36K, or 64K. If you are using an ICU to accomplish this task,
leave ISA MEM Block BASE to its default setting of No/ICU.

SYMBIOS SCSI BIOS (Auto)

The default uses Auto settings for the onboard SCSI BIOS. If you do want to use the
onboard SCSI BIOS, choose Disabled.

USB IRQ (Enabled)

When USB devices are connected to the onboard Universal Serial Bus (USB) con­nector, the resource settings or IRQs for these devices are, by default, automatically
assigned by the BIOS. The option allows you to enable or disable the function.
Leave on Enabled to use the onboard USB connector.

IV. BIOS

Plug & Play / PCI

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 47

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Load BIOS Defaults

This “Load BIOS Defaults” option allows you to load the troubleshooting default
values permanently stored in the BIOS ROM. These default settings are non-opti­mal and disable all high performance features. To load these default settings, high­light “Load BIOS Defaults” on the main screen and then press <Enter>. The system
displays a confirmation message on the screen. Press <Y> and then <Enter> to
confirm. Press <N> and then <Enter> to abort. This feature does not affect the
fields on the Standard CMOS Setup screen.

Load Setup Defaults

This “Load Setup Defaults” option allows you to load the default values to the sys­tem configuration fields. These default values are the optimized configuration set­tings for the system. To load these default values, highlight “Load Setup Defaults”
on the main screen and then press <Enter>. The system displays a confirmation
message on the screen. Press <Y> and then <Enter> to confirm. Press <N> and
then <Enter> to abort. This feature does not affect the fields on the Standard CMOS
Setup screen.

Load Defaults

IV. BIOS

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual48

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

Supervisor Password and User Password

These two options set the system passwords. “Supervisor Password” sets a pass­word that will be used to protect the system and the Setup utility; “User Password”
sets a password that will be used exclusively on the system. By default, the system
comes without any passwords. To specify a password, highlight the type you want
and then press <Enter>. A password prompt appears on the screen. Taking note that
the password is case sensitive, and can be up to 8 alphanumeric characters long, type
in your password and then press <Enter>. The system confirms your password by
asking you to type it again. After setting a password, the screen automatically re­verts to the main screen.

To implement password protection, specify in the “Security Option” field of the
BIOS Features Setup screen when the system will prompt for the password. If you
want to disable either password, press <Enter> instead of entering a new password
when the “Enter Password” prompt appears. A message confirms the password has
been disabled.

NOTE: If you forget the password, see Clear Time Clock (Jumpers) in section III
for procedures on clearing the CMOS.

IV. BIOS

Passwords

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 49

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

IDE HDD Auto Detection

This “IDE HDD Auto Detection” option detects the parameters of an IDE hard disk
drive, and automatically enters them into the Standard CMOS Setup screen.

Up to four IDE drives can be detected, with parameters for each listed inside the
box. To accept the optimal entries, press <Y> or else select from the numbers dis­played under the OPTIONS field (2, 1, 3 in this case); to skip to the next drive, press
<N>. If you accept the values, the parameters will appear listed beside the drive
letter on the screen. The process then proceeds to the next drive letter. Pressing

Hard Disk Detect

IV. BIOS

<N> to skip rather than to accept a set of parameters causes the program to enter
zeros after that drive letter.

Remember that if you are using another IDE controller that does not feature En­hanced IDE support for four devices, you can only install two IDE hard disk drives.
Your IDE controller must support the Enhanced IDE features in order to use Drive E
and Drive F. The onboard PCI IDE controller supports Enhanced IDE, with two
connectors for connecting up to four IDE devices. If you want to use another con­troller that supports four drives, you must disable the onboard IDE controller in the
Chipset Features Setup screen.

When auto-detection is completed, the program automatically enters all entries you
accepted on the field for that drive in the Standard CMOS Setup screen. Skipped
entries are ignored and are not entered in the screen.

If you are auto-detecting a hard disk that supports the LBA mode, three lines will
appear in the parameter box. Choose the line that lists LBA for an LBA drive. Do
not select Large or Normal.

The auto-detection feature can only detect one set of parameters for a particular IDE
hard drive. Some IDE drives can use more than one set. This is not a problem if the
drive is new and empty.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual50

IV. BIOS SOFTWARE

IMPORTANT: If your hard disk was already formatted on an older previous system,
incorrect parameters may be detected. You will need to enter the correct parameters
manually or use low-level format if you do not need the data stored on the hard disk.

If the parameters listed differ from the ones used when the disk was formatted, the
disk will not be readable. If the auto-detected parameters do not match the ones that
should be used for your disk, do not accept them. Press <N> to reject the presented
settings and enter the correct ones manually from the Standard CMOS Setup screen.

Save & Exit Setup

Select this option to save into the CMOS memory all modifications you specified
during the current session. To save the configuration changes, highlight the “Save
& Exit Setup” option on the main screen, type “Y”, and then press <Enter>.

Exit Without Saving

Select this option to exit the Setup utility without saving the modifications you specify
during the current session. To exit without saving, highlight the “Exit Without Sav­ing” option on the main screen and then press <Enter>.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 51

IV. BIOS

Save & Exit

V. DESKTOP MANAGEMENT

Desktop Management Interface (DMI)

Introducing the ASUS DMI Configuration Utility

This motherboard supports DMI within the BIOS level and provides a DMI Con­figuration Utility to maintain the Management Information Format Database (MIFD).
DMI is able to auto-detect and record information pertinent to a computer’s system
such as the CPU type, CPU speed, and internal/external frequencies, and memory
size. The onboard BIOS will detect as many system information as possible and
store those collected information in a 4KB block in the motherboard’ s Flash EPROM
and allow the DMI to retrieve data from this database. Unlike other BIOS software,
the BIOS on this motherboard uses the same technology implemented for Plug and
Play to allow dynamic real-time updating of DMI information versus creating a new
BIOS image file and requiring the user to update the whole BIOS. This DMI Con­figuration Utility also allows the system integrator or end user to add additional
information into the MIFD such as serial numbers, housing configurations, and ven­dor information. Those information not detected by the motherboard BIOS and has
to be manually entered through the DMI Configuration Utility and updated into the
MIFD. This DMI Configuration Utility provides the same reliability as PnP updat­ing and will prevent the refreshing failures associated with updating the entire BIOS.

System Requirements

The DMI Configuration Utility (DMICFG2.EXE) must be used in real mode in
order for the program to run, the base memory must be at least 180K. Memory
managers like HIMEM.SYS (required by windows) must not be installed. You can
boot up from a system diskette without AUT OEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files,
“REM” HIMEM.SYS in the CONFIG.SYS, or press <F5> during bootup to bypass
your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.

DMI Introduction

V. DMI

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual52

V. DESKTOP MANAGEMENT

Using the ASUS DMI Configuration Utility

Edit DMI (or delete)

Use the ←→ (left-right) cursors to move the top menu items and the ↑↓ (up-down)
cursor to move between the left hand menu items. The bottom of the screen will
show the available keys for each screen. Press enter at the menu item to enter the
right hand screen for editing. “Edit component” appears on top. The reversed color
field is the current cursor position and the blue text are available for editing. The
orange text shows auto-detected information and are not available for editing. The
blue text “Press [ENTER] for detail” contains a second pop-up menu is available,
use the + - (plus-minus) keys to change the settings. Enter to exit and save, ESC to
exit and not save.

If the user has made changes, ESC will prompt you to answer Y or N. Enter Y to go
back to the left-hand screen and save, enter N to go back to left-hand screen and not
save. If editing has not been made, ESC will send you back to the left hand menu
without any messages.

Notes

A heading, *** BIOS Auto Detect *** appears on the right for each menu item on the left
that has been autodetected by the system BIOS.
A heading, *** User Modified *** will appear on the right for menu items that has been
modified by the user.

V. DMI

Using DMI Utility

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 53

V. DESKTOP MANAGEMENT

Save MIFD

Y ou can save the MIFD (normally only saved to flash ROM) to a file by entering the
drive and path here. If you want to cancel save, you may press ESC and a message
“Bad File Name” appears here to show it was not saved.

Load MIFD

You can load the disk file to memory by entering a drive and path and file name
here.

Load BIOS Defaults

Using DMI Utility

V. DMI

You can load the BIOS defaults from a MIFD file and can clear all user modified
and added data. You must reboot your computer in order for the defaults to be saved
back into the Flash BIOS.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual54

VI. ASUS PCI SCSI Cards

Symbios SCSI BIOS and Drivers

Aside from the system BIOS, the Flash memory chip on the motherboard also con­tains the Symbios SCSI BIOS. This Symbios SCSI BIOS works in conjunction with
the optional ASUS PCI-SC200 controller card to provide Fast SCSI-2 interface when
using compatible SCSI devices or the ASUS PCI-SC860 SCSI controller cards to
provide Ultra-Fast SCSI-2 interface when using Ultra-Fast SCSI-2 devices.

All SCSI devices you install on your system require driver software to function.
The Symbios SCSI BIOS directly supports SCSI hard disks under the DOS, Win­dows and OS/2 environments. It also uses device drivers from the DOS floppy disk
included in the ASUS PCI-SC200 and ASUS PCI-SC860 controller card packages
to support hard disks and other SCSI devices working under DOS, Microsoft Win­dows, Microsoft W indows NT, Novell NetWare and IBM OS/2. These drivers pro­vide higher performance than the direct BIOS support. To use these drivers, you
must install them into your system and add them to your system configuration files.
Driver support for SCSI devices used with SCO UNIX is also provided. These
drivers are included in the second SCO UNIX floppy disk. Windows 95 support is
also available using the device drivers included within the Windows software. The
ASUS PCI-SC200 and ASUS PCI-SC860 are Plug and Play adapters that are auto
detected by BIOS and current operating systems that support Plug and Play features.

(SCSI BIOS)

VI. ASUS SCSI Cards

For information about these drivers and their usage, view the Readme files included
in the driver packages.

ASUS PCI-SC200 & PCI-SC860 SCSI Cards

The ASUS PCI-SC200 or the ASUS PCI-SC860 may be bundled with your mother ­board or purchased separately . Both cards provide the option of connecting internal
or external SCSI devices for a total of 7 devices on each SCSI card.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 55

VI. ASUS SCSI Cards

Setting Up the ASUS PCI-SC200 & PCI-SC860

VI. ASUS PCI SCSI Cards

(Setup)

There are two jumper settings you may need to make on the ASUS PCI-SC200 to set
it up. One setting assigns the PCI INT interrupt, the other sets the card’ s termination.
The ASUS PCI-SC860 has no jumper settings but you should read the “Terminator
Requirements.”

Setting the INT Assignment for the ASUS PCI-SC200

You must use PCI INT A setting in order to properly assign the ASUS PCI-SC200’s
interrupt. On the ASUS PCI-SC200, you assign the INT by setting jumper JP1 or
JP2. The default setting for the card already is INT A, so you do not need to change
the setting to use the ASUS PCI-SC200 with this motherboard.

JP 1JP

2

INT A (Def)

JP 1JP

2
1
2
3

INT B

JP 1JP

2
1
2
3

INT C

JP 1JP

1
2
3

2

1
2
3

INT D

Interrupt Settings (A, B, C, or D)

Terminator Requirements for SCSI Devices

SCSI devices are connected together in a “chain” by cables. Internal devices con­nect to the ASUS PCI-SC200 or ASUS PCI-SC860 with a fifty-pin flat ribbon cable.
External devices connect to the external port with a SCSI-2 cable. If there are more
than one internal or external devices, additional devices are connected with cables
to form a “daisy chain.” T erminating the devices on the ends of the SCSI Bus “chain”
is necessary for SCSI devices to work properly . Termination of the devices between
the ends must be Disabled.

56 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual

VI. ASUS PCI SCSI Cards

Terminator Settings for the ASUS PCI-SC860

Many SCSI devices including the ASUS PCI-SC860 use a set of onboard active
resistors to terminate the devices at the ends automatically. Automatic termination
requires that the SCSI devices be connected in a straight linear connection or “chain.”
Connect SCSI devices to one or two of the SCSI connectors in a linear “chain” for
auto termination of the ASUS PCI-SC860 to be effective. Other formations will
cause your SCSI devices to not mount properly . You must use the end of the ribbon
cable when using the internal connector(s) to keep a linear path.

Additional Note: The Symbios Logic SCSI Configuration Utility is a powerful
tool. If, while using it, you somehow disable all your controllers or cannot enter
the configuration utility, pressing “Ctrl-A” after memory count during reboot
allows you to recover and reconfigure.

Terminator Settings for the ASUS PCI-SC200

(Jumpers)

VI. ASUS SCSI Cards

The ASUS PCI-SC200, on the other hand, has “active” termination that you must
set using jumper JP5. There are two settings, “terminated” and “not terminated,” as
shown below.

JP
5

Terminated (Default) Not Terminated

Terminator Setting (Terminated / Not Terminated)

JP
5

Decide whether or not you need to terminate the ASUS PCI-SC200 based on its
position in the SCSI chain. Only the devices at each end of the chain need to be
terminated. If you have only internal or only external devices connected to the
ASUS PCI-SC200, then you must terminate the ASUS PCI-SC200. If you have
both internal and external devices connected, you must not terminate the card. See
the following example which illustrates this concept.

ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual 57

VI. ASUS SCSI Cards

(SCSI ID Numbers)

VI. ASUS PCI SCSI Cards

SCSI Device 1

SCSI Device 2

Termination Required
(JP5 Open)

No Termination Required
(JP5 Short)

SCSI Device 3

SCSI Device 2

Termination Required
(End Device)

SCSI Device 4

Termination Required
(End Device)

Termination Required
(End Device)

SCSI Device 1

SCSI ID Numbers for SCSI Devices

All SCSI devices, including the ASUS PCI-SC200 and ASUS PCI-SC860 interface
card must have a SCSI identification number that is not in use by any other SCSI
device. There are eight possible ID numbers, 0 through 7. The ASUS PCI-SC200 and
ASUS PCI-SC860 cards have fixed SCSI IDs of 7. The SCSI ID serves two purposes:

• It uniquely defines each SCSI device on the bus.

• It determines which device controls the bus when two or more devices try to use
it at the same time.

SCSI IDs on one channel do not interfere with the IDs on another channel. This ap­plies to two SCSI host adapters that implement different buses as well as dual channels
on a single host adapter. You can connect up to seven SCSI devices to the interface
card. You must set a SCSI ID number (ID 0 to ID 6) for each device. SCSI devices
vary in how they set the ID number. Some use jumpers, others have some kind of
selector switch. Refer to the manual for any device you install for details on how to set
its ID number.

SCSI ID Priority

The ASUS PCI-SC200 and ASUS PCI-SC860 are 8bit single-channel SCSI cards.
SCSI ID 7 has the highest priority, and SCSI ID 0 has the lowest priority.

58 ASUS P2L97A User’s Manual