Digital Equipment AlphaPC 164SX User Manual

AlphaPC 164SX Motherboard
DIGITAL UNIX

User’s Ma nual

Order Number: EC–R8P7A–TE

Revision/Update Information:

This is a new document.

November 1997

©Digital Equipment Corporation 1997. All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.

AlphaPC, DECnet, DIGIT AL, DIGITAL Semiconductor , DIGIT AL UNIX, OpenVMS, ThinWire, and the DIGITAL
logo are trademarks of Digital Equipme nt Corporation.

DIGITAL Semiconductor is a Digital Equipment Corporation business.

Cypress and hyper Ca che are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corpo ra tion.

GRAFOIL is a registered trademark of Uni on Ca rbide Corporation.

Linux is a registered trademark of Croce, William R. Dell a, Jr.

Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are re gi stered trademarks and Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.

SMC is a registered trade mark of Standard Microsystem s Corporation.

UNIX is a registered trade m ark in the United States and other countries, licensed ex cl usively through X/Open
Company Limited.

All other trademarks and registered trad em arks are the property o f the ir respective owners.

iii

Contents

1 About This Manual

1.1 Manual Conventions and Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

2 Features

2.1 Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

2.2 Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

2.3 Physical Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

2.3.1 ATX Hole Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2.3.2 ATX I/O Shield Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

3 AlphaPC 164SX Switch Configuration

3.1 Mini-Debugger (CF3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.2 CPU Speed Selection (CF[6:4]) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.3 Fail-Safe Booter (CF7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

4 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

4.1 PCI Bus Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4.2 ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

4.3 SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

4.4 EIDE Drive Bus Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

4.5 Diskette (Floppy) Drive Bus Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4.6 Parallel Bus Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4.7 COM1/COM2 Serial Line Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

4.8 Keyboard/Mouse Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

4.9 SROM Test Data Input Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

4.10 Input Power Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

4.11 Enclosure Fan Power Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

iv

4.12 Microprocessor Fan Power Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

4.13 Soft Power Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

4.14 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

5 Memory and Microprocessor Configuration

5.1 Configuring SDRAM Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

5.2 Upgrading SDRAM Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

5.3 Increasing Microprocessor Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

5.3.1 Preparatory Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

5.3.2 Required Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

5.3.3 Removing the 21164PC Microprocessor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

5.3.4 Installing the 21164PC Microprocessor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

6 Interrupts and ISA Bus Addresses

6.1 Interrupts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

6.2 ISA I/O Address Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

7 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

7.1 Alpha SRM Console Firmware Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

7.2 Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

7.3 Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18

7.3.1 Environment Variable Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18

7.3.1.1 Architecture-Required Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19

7.3.1.2 System-Defined Environment Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20

7.4 Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM . . . . . . 7-22

7.4.1 AlphaBIOS Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22

7.4.2 Starting the AlphaBIOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 -23

7.4.3 Installing Alpha SRM Console Using AlphaBIOS Setup Program. . . . . . . . . 7-24

7.5 Installing the DIGITAL UNIX Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29

7.5.1 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29

8 Troubleshooting

8.1 Hardware Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

8.2 Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

8.3 Post Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

8.4 Fail-Safe Booter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

v

9 Battery Recycle/Disposal Informa tion

A Supporting Products

A.1 Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

A.2 Thermal Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

A.3 Enclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

A.4 Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

B Associated Documentation

vi

Figures

2–1 AlphaPC 164SX Switch/Connector/Component Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

2–2 ATX Hole Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2–3 ATX I/O Shield Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

3–1 AlphaPC 164SX Configuration Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

4–1 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

5–1 Fan/Heat-Sink Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

7–1 AlphaBIOS Boot Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23

7–2 AlphaBIOS Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24

7–3 AlphaBIOS Upgrade Options Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25

7–4 AlphaBIOS Warning Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26

7–5 AlphaBIOS Upgrade SRM Console Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27

7–6 AlphaBIOS Upgrade Complete Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28

vii

Tables

2–1 AlphaPC 164SX Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

2–2 AlphaPC 164SX Switch/Connector/Component List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

2–3 Power Supply DC Current Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

2–4 AlphaPC 164SX Motherboard Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

4–1 PCI Bus Connector Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4–2 ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pinouts (J22, J23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

4–3 SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts (J7 through J10). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

4–4 EIDE Drive Bus Connector Pinouts (J5, J6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

4–5 Diskette (Floppy) Drive Bus Connector Pinouts (J11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4–6 Parallel Bus Connector Pinouts (J13). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4–7 COM1/COM2 Serial Line Connector Pinouts (J3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

4–8 Keyboard/Mouse Connector Pinouts (J4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

4–9 SROM Test Data Input Connector Pinouts (J21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

4–10 Input Power Connector Pinouts (J2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

4–11 Enclosure Fan (+12 V dc) Power Connector Pinouts (J16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

4–13 Soft Power Connector Pinouts (J1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

4–12 Microprocessor Fan Power Connector Pinouts (J14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

4–14 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts (J20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

5–1 AlphaPC 164SX SDRAM Memory Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

6–1 ISA Interrupts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

6–2 ISA I/O Address Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

7–1 AlphaBIOS Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22

8–1 Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

8–2 Post Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

About This Manual 1–1

1

About This Manual

This manual describes the AlphaPC 164SX motherboard, a board for computing
systems based on the DI GITAL Semiconductor Alpha 21164PC microprocessor and
the companion DIGITAL Semiconductor 21174 core logic chip. It describes the

motherboard’s features and how to set its configuration switches. This manual helps
users to install and populate the AlphaPC 164SX motherboard with memory boards
and peripheral cards.

1.1 Manual Conventions and Te rm inology

The following conventions are used in this manual.

Caution: Cautions indicate potential damage to equipment, software, or data.
Note: Notes provide additional information about a topic.
Numbering: All number s are decimal or hex adecima l unle ss oth erwise indic ated. I n

case of ambiguity, a subscript indicates the radix of nondecimal numbers. For
example, 19 is a decimal number, but 19

16

and 19A are hexadecimal numbers.

Extents: Extents are specified by a single number or a pair of numbers in brackets
([ ]) separated by a colon (:), and are inclusive. For example, bits [7:3] specify an
extent including bits 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3. Multiple bit fields are shown as extents.

Register Figures: Register figures have bit and field position numbering starting at
the right (low-order) and increasing to the left (high-order).

Signal Names: All signal names are printed in boldface type. Signal names that
originate in an i ndu stry-st andard spe cificat ion, su ch as PCI or IDE, a re pri nted i n the
case as found in the speci ficati on (usu ally u pper case). Act ive l ow sign als ha ve eit her
a pound sign “#” appended, or a “not” overscore bar; for example, DEVSEL# and

RESET

.

1–2 About This Manual

Manual Conventions and Terminology

Italic Type: Italic type emphasizes important information and indicates complete
titles of documents.

Terms: The following terms are used in this manual:

This term... Refers to...

Alpha SRM console The Alpha SRM Console firmware
DIGITAL UNIX installation guide The DIGITAL UNIX Installation Guide
DIGITAL UNIX The DIGITAL UNIX operating system

Features 2–1

2

Features

Table 2–1 provides an overview of the AlphaPC 164SX motherboard’s features.

Table 2–1 AlphaPC 164SX Features

Feature Description

Microprocessor DIGIT AL Semiconductor Alpha 21 164PC microprocesso r (64-bit

RISC)

Core logic chip DIGITA L Semiconductor 21174 core logic chip, comprising a

single control chip that provides an interface to system memory
and the PCI bus

Synchronous DRAM
(SDRAM) memory

32MB to 512MB memory array -- Two banks of 128-b it memory;

168-pin unbuffered SDRAM DIMMs.
Caching
L1 Icache 16KB, direct-mapped, instruction cache on the CPU chip
L1 Dcache 8KB, direct-mapped, data cache on the CPU chip
L2 backup cache Onboard 1MB, direct-mapped, synchronous SSRAM backup

cache with 128-bit data path
I/O and miscellaneous

support

• 32-bit and 64-bit, 33-MHz PCI

• Two 64-bit and two 32-bit PCI expansion slots

• Cypress CY82C693U–NC chip with a PCI-to-ISA bridge,
PCI EIDE, keyboard, mouse, and time-of-year clock

• Two dedicated ISA expansion slots

• SMC FDC37C669 combination controller chip provides
control for diskettes, two UARTs with modem control, and
parallel port

• 1MB flash ROM

Firmware Alpha SRM Console firmware

2–2 Features

Figure 2–1 shows the AlphaPC 164SX motherboard and its components, and
Table 2–2 describes these components.

Figure 2–1 AlphaPC 164SX Switch/Connector/Component Location

XU59

Q8

J1

J2

J3

J4

J5 J6

J7 J8 J9

J10

J11

J13

21164PC

U31

J14

J16

J15

J17

J18

J19

J20

J21

SW1 J22

J23

Q5

Q4

Q7

XB1

X2

X1

X3

U47

U39

21174

U33

U30

U46

U45

U25

U27

U23

U24

U17

U18

U12

U13

U7

U5

U3

U4

U1

U28

U32

U10 U11

U20 U21 U22

U48

U49

U50

U52

U51

U53

U54

U55

U40

U41 U42

U43

U44

U2

U8

U9

U6

U16

U14

U15

U19

U26

U29

U34

U35

U36

U37

U38

U56

Features 2–3

Table 2–2 AlphaPC 164SX Switch/Connector/Component List

Item No. Description Item No. Description

XB1 RTC battery (CR2032) J20 LEDs/speaker/buttons connectors
J1 Soft power connector J21 SROM test port connector
J2 Input power (+3V, +5V, -5V, +12V,

-12V)

J22 ISA slot 1

J3 COM1/COM2 (DB9) connectors J23 ISA slot 0
J4 Keyboard/mouse connectors SW1 Configuration switchpack
J5 EIDE drive 2/3 connector U48 System clock PLL (CY2081)
J6 EIDE drive 0/1 connector U10, U11,

U20, U22

L2 cache data SRAMs

J7 SDRAM DIMM 0 [0:63] connector U21 L2 cache tag SRAM
J8 SDRAM DIMM 1 [64:128] connector U33 DIGITAL Semiconductor 21174

core logic chip

J9 SDRAM DIMM 2 [0:63] connector U19, U26,

U29

Memory address/control buffers

J10 SDRAM DIMM 3 [64:128] connector U1, U3, U4,

U5, U7,
U12, U13,
U17, U18,
U23, U24,
U25, U27

Data switches

J11 Diskette (floppy) drive connector U40 to U43 Interrupt shift registers
J13 Parallel I/O connector U30 Flash ROM (1MB)
J14 Microprocessor fan/fan sense connector U46 PCI-ISA Bridge (CY82C693U-NC)
J15 PCI slot 3 (32-bit) U36 to U38 IDE buffers
J16 Fan power, enclosure (+12V) U47 Combination controller

(FDC37C669)

J17 PCI slot 2 (32-bit) U2, U28,

U32

Reg-reg cache isolate logic

J18 PCI slot 1 (64-bit) U31 Microprocessor, socketed

(DS Alpha 21164PC)

J19 PCI slot 0 (64-bit) U45 Microprocessor clock synthesizer

(MC12439)

2–4 Features

Power Requirements

2.1 Power Requirements

The AlphaPC 164SX motherboard has a total power dissipation of 90 W, excluding

any plug-in PCI and ISA devices. Table 2–3 lists the power requirement for each dc
supply voltage.

The power supply must be ATX-compliant.

Caution: Fan sensor required. The 21164PC microprocessor cooling fan must

drive an RPM indicator signal. If the airflow stops, the sensor on the
motherboard detects that the RPM has stopped, and resets the system.

2.2 Environmental Requirements

The 21164PC microprocessor is cooled by a small fan blowing directly into the
chip’s heat sink. The AlphaPC 164SX motherboard is designed to run efficiently by
using only this f an. Add it ion al fans may be necessa ry d epe ndi ng upon cabinetry and
the requirements of plug-in cards.

The AlphaPC 164SX motherboard is specified to run within the environment listed
in Table 2–4.

1

Values indicated are for an AlphaPC 164SX motherboard with an Alpha 21164PC microprocessor
operating at 400 MHz, with 128MB SDRAM, excluding adapter cards and disk drives.

Table 2–3 Power Supply DC Current Requirements

Voltage/Tolerance Current

1

+3.3 V dc, ±5% 5.0 A
+5 V dc,

±5% 12.0 A

–5 V dc,

±5% 0.0 A

+12 V dc,

±5% 1.0 A

–12 V dc,

±5% 100.0 mA

Features 2–5

Physical Paramete rs

2.3 Physical Parameters

The AlphaPC 164SX motherboard is an ATX-size printed-wiring board (PWB) with
the following dimensions:

• Length: 30.48 cm (12.0 in ±0.0005 in)

• Width: 24.38 cm (9.6 in ±0.0005 in)

• Height: 6.00 cm (2.4 in)

Table 2–4 AlphaPC 164SX Motherboard Environmental Requirements

Parameter Specification

Operating temperature 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°F)
Storage temperature –55°C to 125°C (–67°F to 257°F)
Relative humidity 10% to 90% with maximum wet bulb temperature

28°C (82°F) and minimum dew point 2°C (36°F)

Rate of (dry bulb) temperature change 11°C/hour

±2°C/hour (20°F/hour ±4°F/hour)

2–6 Features

Physical Parameters

2.3.1 ATX Hole Specification

Figure 2–2 shows the ATX hole specification for the AlphaPC 164SX.

Figure 2–2 ATX Hole Specification

.800

TYP Between
Connectors

.650

.500

.400

4.900

1.612

.600

.625

9.600

8.950

6.100

ISA Connector
(2 Places)

PCI Connector
(4 Places)

1.300

11.100

12.000

FM-06122.AI4

Features 2–7

Physical Paramete rs

2.3.2 ATX I/O Shield Requirements

Figure 2–3 shows the ATX I/O shield dimensions for the AlphaPC 164SX.

Figure 2–3 ATX I/O Shield Dimensions

11.15

15.47

4.35

17.95

22.95

23.96

29.10

33.10

9.25

3.58

2.45

5.00 TYP

R 1.00

21.36

16.05

68.4

64.9

24.7

16.7

35.5

43.5

74.8

78.2

85.4

87.2

94.4

98.9

64.91

60.26

51.27

42.28

40.48

34.13

25.14

16.15

14.35

8.00

0.99

9.98

11.78

18.13

19.93

28.92

37.91

44.26

46.06

55.05

64.04

70.39

72.19

81.18

90.17

95.40

14.96

R 1.00

7.19 TYP

FM-05986.AI4

AlphaPC 164SX Switch Configuration 3–1

3

AlphaPC 164SX Switch Configuration

The AlphaPC 164SX motherboard has a switchpack located at SW1, as shown

previously in Figure 2–1. These swit che s set the hardware conf iguration. Figure 3–1
shows these switch config ura ti ons.

3.1 Mini-Debugger (CF3)

The Alpha SROM Mini-Debugger is stored in the flash ROM and is enabled/
disabled by switch CF3. The default position for this switch is on (see Figure 3–1).
When this switch is off, it causes the SROM initialization to trap to the Mini­Debugger after all initialization is complete, but before starting the execution of the
system flash ROM code.

3.2 CPU Speed Selection (CF[6:4])

The clock synthesizer at U45 makes it possible to change the frequency of the
microprocessor’s clock output. The switch configuration is set in SW1, CF[6:4].
These three switches set the speed at power-up as listed in Figure 3–1. The
microprocessor frequency divided by the ratio determines the system clock
frequency.

3.3 Fail-Safe Booter (CF7)

The fail-safe booter provides an emergency recovery mechanism when the primary
firmware image cont ai ned in flash memory has bee n c orr upt ed. When flash memory
has been corrupted, and no image can be loaded safely from the flash, you can run
the fail-safe booter and boot another image from a diskette that is capable of repro­gramming the flash.

Refer to Se ction 8.4 for mo re information .

3–2 AlphaPC 164SX Switch Configuration

Fail-Safe Booter (CF7)

Figure 3–1 AlphaPC 164SX Configuration Switches

CF Bit: 400 MHz 533 MHz

41 1
51 0
61 1

CF0
CF1
CF2
CF3

CF4
CF5
CF6
CF7

01

Reserved.

Fail-Safe Booter: 0: Fail Safe

1: Alpha SRM Console

Note:

All other combinations
are reserved.

Note: Switch defaults are in bold.

Reserved. This must remain CF0=1, CF1=0.

Mini-Debugger: 0 enables Mini-Debugger

1 disables Mini-Debugger

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts 4–1

4

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

This chapter lists the pinouts of the AlphaPC 164SX connectors (see Table 4–1
through Table 4–14). See Figure 2–1 for connector locations.

4.1 PCI Bus Connector Pinouts

Table 4–1 shows the PCI bus connector pinouts.

Table 4–1 PCI Bus Connector Pinouts

(Sheet 1 of 2)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal
32-Bit and 64-Bit PCI Connectors (J15, J17, J18, J19)

A1 TRST# A2 +12V A3 TMS A4 TDI
A5 Vdd A6 INTA A7 INTC A8 Vdd
A9 —A10Vdd A11 — A12 Gnd

A13 Gnd A14 — A15 RST# A16 Vdd
A17 GNT# A18 Gnd A19 — A20 AD[30]
A21 +3V A22 AD[28] A23 AD[26] A24 Gnd
A25 AD[24] A26 IDSEL A27 +3V A28 AD[22]
A29 AD[20] A30 Gnd A31 AD[18] A32 AD[16]
A33 +3V A34 FRAME# A35 Gnd A36 TRDY#
A37 STOP# A38 STOP# A39 +3V A40 SDONE
A41 SBO# A42 Gnd A43 PAR A44 AD[15]
A45 +3V A46 AD[13] A47 AD[11] A48 Gnd
A49 AD[09] A50 Not used A51 Not used A52 C/BE#[0]
A53 +3V A54 AD[06] A55 AD[04] A56 Gnd
A57 AD[02] A58 AD[00] A59 Vdd A60 REQ64#
A61 Vdd A62 Vdd B1 -12V B2 TCK
B3 Gnd B4 TDO B5 Vdd B6 Vdd
B7 INTB B8 INTD B9 PRSNT1# B10 —

4–2 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

PCI Bus Connector Pinouts

B11 PRSNT2# B12 Gnd B13 Gnd B14 —
B15 Gnd B16 CLK B17 Gnd B18 REQ#
B19 Vdd B20 AD[31] B21 AD[29] B22 Gnd
B23 AD[27] B24 AD[25] B25 +3V B26 C/BE#[3]
B27 AD[23] B28 Gnd B29 AD[21] B30 AD[19]
B31 +3V B32 AD[17] B33 C/BE#[2] B34 Gnd
B35 IRDY# B36 +3V B37 DEVSEL# B38 Gnd
B39 LOCK# B40 PERR# B41 +3V B42 SERR#
B43 +3V B44 C/BE#[1] B45 AD[14] B46 Gnd
B47 AD[12] B48 AD[10] B49 Gnd B50 Not used
B51 Not used B52 AD[08] B53 AD[07] B54 +3V
B55 AD[05] B56 AD[03] B57 Gnd B58 AD[01]
B59 Vdd B60 ACK64# B61 Vdd B62 Vdd

64-Bit PCI Connectors Only (J18, J19)

A63 Gnd A64 C/BE#[7] A65 C/BE#[5] A66 Vdd
A67 PAR64 A68 D[62] A69 Gnd A70 D[60]
A71 D[58] A72 Gnd A73 D[56] A74 D[54]
A75 Vdd A76 D[52] A77 D[50] A78 Gnd
A79 D[48] A80 D[46] A81 Gnd A82 D[44]
A83 D[42] A84 Vdd A85 D[40] A86 D[38]
A87 Gnd A88 D[36] A89 D[34] A90 Gnd
A91 D[32] A92 — A93 Gnd A94 —
B63 — B64 Gnd B65 C/BE#[6] B66 C/BE#[4]
B67 Gnd B68 D[63] B69 D[61] B70 Vdd
B71 D[59] B72 D[57] B73 Gnd B74 D[55]
B75 D[53] B76 Gnd B77 D[51] B78 D[49]
B79 Vdd B80 D[47] B81 D[45] B82 Gnd
B83 D[43] B84 D[41] B85 Gnd B86 D[39]
B87 D[37] B88 Vdd B89 D[35] B90 D[33]
B91 Gnd B92 — B93 — B94 Gnd

Table 4–1 PCI Bus Connector Pinouts

(Sheet 2 of 2)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts 4–3

ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pinouts

4.2 ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pinouts

Table 4–2 shows the ISA expansion bus connector pinouts.

Table 4–2 ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pinouts (J22, J23)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 Gnd 2 IOCHCK# 3 RSTDRV 4 SD7
5 Vdd 6 SD6 7 IRQ9 8 SD5
9 –5V 10 SD4 11 DRQ2 12 SD3
13 –12V 14 SD2 15 ZEROWS# 16 SD1
17 +12V 18 SD0 19 Gnd 20 IOCHRDY
21 SMEMW# 22 AEN 23 SMEMR# 24 SA19
25 IOW# 26 SA18 27 IOR# 28 SA17
29 DACK3# 30 SA16 31 DRQ3 32 SA15
33 DACK1# 34 SA14 35 DRQ1 36 SA13
37 REFRESH# 38 SA12 39 SYSCLK 40 SA11
41 IRQ7 42 SA10 43 IRQ6 44 SA9
45 IRQ5 46 SA8 47 IRQ4 48 SA7
49 IRQ3 50 SA6 51 DACK2# 52 SA5
53 TC 54 SA4 55 BALE 56 SA3
57 Vdd 58 SA2 59 OSC 60 SA1
61 Gnd 62 SA0 63 MEMCS16# 64 SBHE#
65 IOCS16# 66 LA23 67 IRQ10 68 LA22
69 IRQ11 70 LA21 71 IRQ12 72 LA20
73 IRQ15 74 LA19 75 IRQ14 76 LA18
77 DACK0# 78 LA17 79 DRQ0 80 MEMR#
81 DACK5# 82 MEMW# 83 DRQ5 84 SD8
85 DACK6# 86 SD9 87 DRQ6 88 SD10
89 DACK7# 90 SD11 91 DRQ7 92 SD12
93 Vdd 94 SD13 95 MASTER# 96 SD14
97 Gnd 98 SD15 —— ——

4–4 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts

4.3 SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts

Ta ble 4–3 shows the SDRAM DIMM connector pins.

Table 4–3 SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts (J7 through J10)1

(Sheet 1 of 2)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 Gnd 2 DQ0 3 DQ1 4 DQ2
5 DQ3 6 +3V 7 DQ4 8 DQ5
9 DQ6 10 DQ7 11 DQ8 12 Gnd
13 DQ9 14 DQ10 15 DQ11 16 DQ12
17 DQ13 18 +3V 19 DQ14 20 DQ15
21 CB0 22 CB1 23 Gnd 24 NC
25 NC 26 +3V 27 WE

28 DQMB0

29 DQMB1 30 S0

31 NC 32 Gnd
33 A0 34 A2 35 A4 36 A6
37 A8 38 A10 39 A12 40 +3V
41 +3V 42 CK0 43 Gnd 44 NC
45 S2

46 DQMB2 47 DQMB3 48 NC
49 +3V 50 NC 51 NC 52 CB2
53 CB3 54 Gnd 55 DQ16 56 DQ17
57 DQ18 58 DQ19 59 +3V 60 DQ20
61 NC 62 NC 63 CKE1 64 Gnd
65 DQ21 66 DQ22 67 DQ23 68 Gnd
69 DQ24 70 DQ25 71 DQ26 72 DQ27
73 +3V 74 DQ28 75 DQ29 76 DQ30
77 DQ31 78 Gnd 79 CK2 80 NC
81 NC 82 SDA 83 SCL 84 +3V
85 Gnd 86 DQ32 87 DQ33 88 DQ34
89 DQ35 90 +3V 91 DQ36 92 DQ37
93 DQ38 94 DQ39 95 DQ40 96 Gnd
97 DQ41 98 DQ42 99 DQ43 100 DQ44
101 DQ45 102 +3V 103 DQ46 104 DQ47
105 CB4 106 CB5 107 Gnd 108 NC
109 NC 110 +3V 111 CAS

112 DQMB4

113 DQMB5 114 S1 115 RAS

116 Gnd
117 A1 118 A3 119 A5 120 A7
121 A9 122 BA0 123 A13 124 +3V

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts 4–5

EIDE Drive Bus Connector Pinouts

4.4 EIDE Drive Bus Connector Pinouts

Table 4–4 shows the EIDE drive bus connector pinouts.

1

Pins 1 through 84 are on the front side and pins 85 through 168 are on the back side.

2

The AlphaPC 164SX uses BA1 as both BA1 and ADDR12. Therefore, four-bank DIMMs using ADDR[11:0]
are the maximum size. (Two-bank DIMMs can use ADDR[12:0].

3

Pull-down.

125 CK1 126 BA1

2

127 Gnd 128 CKE0

129 S3

130 DQMB6 131 DQMB7 132 PD

3

133 +3V 134 NC 135 NC 136 CB6
137 CB7 138 Gnd 139 DQ48 140 DQ49
141 DQ50 142 DQ51 143 +3V 144 DQ52
145 NC 146 NC 147 PD 148 Gnd
149 DQ53 150 DQ54 151 DQ55 152 Gnd
153 DQ56 154 DQ57 155 DQ58 156 DQ59
157 +3V 158 DQ60 159 DQ61 160 DQ62
161 DQ63 162 Gnd 163 CK3 164 NC
165 SA0 166 SA1 167 SA2 168 +3V

Table 4–4 EIDE Drive Bus Connector Pinouts (J5, J6)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 RESET 2 Gnd 3 IDE_D7 4 IDE_D8
5 IDE_D6 6 IDE_D9 7 IDE_D5 8 IDE_D10
9 IDE_D4 10 IDE_D11 11 IDE_D3 12 IDE_D12
13 IDE_D2 14 IDE_D13 15 IDE_D1 16 IDE_D14
17 IDE_D0 18 IDE_D15 19 Gnd 20 NC (key pin)
21 MARQ 22 Gnd 23 IOW

24 Gnd

25 IOR

26 Gnd 27 CHRDY 28 BALE
29 MACK 30 Gnd 31 IRQ 32 IOCS16
33 ADDR1 34 NC 35 ADDR0 36 ADDR2
37 CS0

38 CS1 39 ACT 40 Gnd

Table 4–3 SDRAM DIMM Connector Pinouts (J7 through J10)

1

(Sheet 2 of 2)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

4–6 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

Diskette (Floppy) Drive Bus Connector Pinouts

4.5 Diskette (Floppy) Drive Bus Connector Pinouts

Table 4–5 shows the diskette (floppy) drive bus connector pinouts.

4.6 Parallel Bus Connector Pinouts

Table 4–6 shows the parallel bus connector pinouts.

Table 4–5 Diskette (Floppy) Drive Bus Connector Pinouts (J11)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 Gnd 2 DEN0 3 Gnd 4NC
5 Gnd 6 DEN1 7 Gnd 8 INDEX
9 Gnd 10 MTR0 11 Gnd 12 DR1
13 Gnd 14 DR0 15 Gnd 16 MTR1
17 Gnd 18 DIR 19 Gnd 20 STEP
21 Gnd 22 WDATA 23 Gnd 24 WGATE
25 Gnd 26 TRK0 27 Gnd 28 WRTPRT
29 ID0 30 RDATA 31 Gnd 32 HDSEL
33 ID1 34 DSKCHG —— ——

Table 4–6 Parallel Bus Connector Pinouts (J13)

Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 STB 2 PD0 3 PD1 4 PD2
5 PD3 6 PD4 7 PD5 8 PD6
9 PD7 10 ACK 11 BUSY 12 PE
13 SLCT 14 AFD 15 ERR 16 INIT
17 SLIN 18 Gnd 19 Gnd 20 Gnd
21 Gnd 22 Gnd 23 Gnd 24 Gnd
25 Gnd — — —— ——

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts 4–7

COM1/COM2 Serial Line Connector Pinouts

4.7 COM1/COM2 Serial Line Connector Pinouts

Table 4–7 shows the COM1/COM2 serial line connector pinouts.

4.8 Keyboard/Mouse Connector Pinouts

Table 4–8 shows the keyboard/mouse connector pinouts.

Table 4–7 COM1/COM2 Serial Line Connector Pinouts (J3)

COM1 Pin
(Top) COM1 Signal

COM2 Pin
(Bottom) COM2 Signal

1 DCD1 1 DCD2
2 RxD1 2 RxD2
3 TxD1 3 TxD2
4 DTR1 4 DTR2
5 SG1 5 SG2
6 DSR1 6 DSR2
7 RTS1 7 RTS2
8 CTS1 8 CTS2
9 RI1 9 RI2

Table 4–8 Keyboard/Mouse Connector Pinouts (J4)

Keyboard Pin
(Top) Keyboard Signal

Mouse Pin
(Bottom) Mouse Signal

1 KBDA TA 1 MSDATA
2NC 2NC
3Gnd 3 Gnd
4 Vdd 4 Vdd
5 KBCLK 5 MSCLK
6NC 6NC

4–8 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

SROM Test Data Input Connector Pinouts

4.9 SROM Test Data Input Connector Pinouts

Table 4–9 shows the SROM test data input connector pinouts.

4.10 Input Power Connector Pinouts

Table 4–10 shows the input power connector pinouts.

4.11 Enclosure Fan Power Connector Pinouts

Table 4–11 shows the enclosure fan power connector pinouts.

1

This pinout is ATX-compliant.

Table 4–9 SROM Test Data Input Connector Pinouts (J21)

Pin Signal Description

1NC —
2SROM_CLK_L Clock out
3 Gnd —
4NC —
5TEST_SROM_D_L SROM serial data in
6NC —

Table 4–10 Input Power Connector Pinouts (J2)

1

Pin Voltage Pin Voltage Pin Voltage Pin Voltage

1 +3.3 V dc 2 +3.3 V dc 3 Gnd 4+5 V dc
5Gnd 6+5 V dc 7Gnd 8 P_DCOK
9 5 V SB 10 +12 V dc 11 +3.3 V dc 12 –12 V dc
13 Gnd 14 PS_ON 15 Gnd 16 Gnd
17 Gnd 18 –5 V dc 19 +5 V dc 20 +5 V dc

Table 4–11 Enclosure Fan (+12 V dc) Power Connector Pinouts (J16)

Pin Voltage

1 Gnd
2 +12 V dc
3 Gnd

AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts 4–9

Microprocessor Fan Power Connector Pinouts

4.12 Microprocessor Fan Power Connector Pinouts

Table 4–12 shows the microprocessor fan power connector pinouts.

4.13 Soft Power Connector Pinouts

Table 4–13 shows the soft power connector pinouts.

Table 4–13 Soft Power Connector Pinouts (J1)

4.14 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts

J20 is a multipurpose connector that provides pins for the following functions:

• System speaker

• LEDs for power and the EIDE drive

• Buttons for reset and halt

Table 4–14 shows the multipurpose connector pinouts, and Figure 4–1 shows the
connector layout.

Table 4–12 Microprocessor Fan Power Connector Pinouts (J14)

Pin Signal Description

1 +12 V dc —
2 FAN_CONN_L Fan connected
3 Gnd —

Pin Signal Description

1 Input System power on/off
2 Gnd —

Table 4–14 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts (J20)

(Sheet 1 of 2)

Pin Signal Description

1 Gnd —
2 HALT_BUTTON Halt system

3 Gnd —
4 RESET_BUTTON Reset system

4–10 AlphaPC 164SX Connector Pinouts

Multipurpose Connector Pinouts

Figure 4–1 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts

5 HD_PU Hard drive power-up
6 HD_LED Pull-up to Vdd

7 — No connection

8 POWER_LED_L Pull-up to Vdd
10, 12, 14, 16 Gnd —

9 SPKR Speaker output
15 Vdd —
11, 13 — No connection

Table 4–14 Multipurpose Connector Pinouts (J20)

(Sheet 2 of 2)

Pin Signal Description

12
3

4
56
78

910

11 12
13 14

15 16

HALT_BUTTON
RESET_BUTTON

HD_LED
POWER_LED_L

HD_PU

SPKR

Vdd

J20

Memory and Microprocessor Configuration 5–1

5

Memory and Microprocessor Configuration

For higher system speed or greater throughput, SDRAM memory can be upgraded
by replacing DIMMs with those of greater size.

When configuring or upgrading SDRAM, observe the following rules:

• Each DIMM must be a 168-bit unbuffered versio n and have a frequency of

100 MHz.

• Each bank consists of two DIMMs and must be fully populated.

• Both DIMMs in the same bank must be of equal size.

5.1 Configuring SDRAM Memory

Although not an exhaustive list, Table 5–1 lists the tested SDRAM memory
configurations ava ilable. As additiona l configurati ons become available, the y will be
posted in online revisions of this manual on the DIGITAL Semiconductor World
Wide Web Internet site. See Appendix B for the URL.

For a list of vendors who supply components and accessories for the
AlphaPC 164SX, see Appendix A.

Refer to Fig ure 2–1 for DIMM connector locations.

Note: 1Mb × 72 and 1Mb × 64 DIMMs are not supported.

5–2 Memory and Microprocessor Configuration

Upgrading SDRAM Memory

5.2 Upgrading SDRAM Memory

You can upgrade memory in the AlphaPC 164SX by adding more DIMMs or

replacing the ones you have with a greater size. Refer to Figure 2–1 for DIMM
connector locations.

Use the following general guidelines:

1. Observe antistatic precautions. Handle DIMMs only at the edges to prevent
damage.

2. Remove power from the system.

3. Align the DIMM so that the notch in the DIMM matches the key in the socket.

4. Firmly push the DIMM st ra ight into the conn ect or. Ensure that the DIMM snaps
into the plastic locking levers on both ends.

5. Restore power to the system.

1

64-bit-wide DIMMs can also be used.

Table 5–1 AlphaPC 164SX SDRAM Memory Configurations

Total Memory Bank 0 (J7 and J8)1Bank 1 (J9 and J10)

1

32MB 2Mb × 72 —
64MB 2Mb

× 72

4Mb

× 72

2Mb

× 72

—

96MB 4Mb

× 72 2Mb × 72

128MB 4Mb

× 72

8Mb

× 72

4Mb

× 72

—

160MB 8Mb

× 72 2Mb × 72

192MB 8Mb

× 72 4Mb × 72

256MB 8Mb

× 72

16Mb

× 72

8Mb

× 72

—

512MB 16Mb

× 72 16Mb × 72

Memory and Microprocessor Configuration 5–3

Increasing Microprocessor Speed

5.3 Increasing Microprocessor Speed

This section describes how to complete the following actions to increase
microprocessor speed:

• Replace the DIGITAL Semiconductor 21164PC microprocessor with an Alpha

chip that has a higher speed rating.

• Reconfigure the clock divisor switches.

5.3.1 Preparatory Information

Caution: Static-Sensitive Component – Due to the sensitive nature of electronic

components to static electricity, anyone handling the microprocessor
must wear a properly grounded antistatic wriststrap. Use of antistatic
mats, ESD approved workstations, or exercising other good ESD prac­tices is recommended.

A DIGITAL Semiconductor 21164PC microprocessor with a higher speed rating is
available from your local distributor. See Appendix A for information about
supporting products.

When replacing the microprocessor chip, also replace the thermal conducting
GRAFOIL pad. See Appendix A for information about the parts kit, which includes
the heat sink, GRAFOIL pad, two hex nuts, heat-sink clips, 52-mm fan, and four
screws.

5.3.2 Required Tools

The following tools are required when replacing the microprocessor chip:
A TS30 manual nut/torque driver (or equivalent) with the following attachments is

required to affix the heat sink and fan to the microprocessor’s IPGA package:

• 1/4-inch hex bit

• 3/8-inch socket with 1/4-inch hex drive

• #2 Phillips-head screwdriver bit

5–4 Memory and Microprocessor Configuration

Increasing Microprocessor Speed

5.3.3 Removing the 21164PC Microprocessor

Remove the microprocessor currently in place at location U31 by performing the
following steps:

1. Unplug the fan power/sensor cable from connector J14 (see Figure 2–1).

2. Remove the four 6–32 × 0.625-inch screws that secure the fan to the heat sink.

3. Remove the fan.

4. If the sink/chip/fa n clip is us ed, remove it by unhoo king its end s from around t he
ZIF socket retainers.

5. Using a 3/8-inch socket , remove t he two nuts securi ng th e heat sink t o the micro ­processor studs.

6. Remove the heat sink by gently lifting it off the microprocessor.

7. Remove and discard the GRAFOIL heat conduction pad.

8. Thoroughly clean the bottom surface of the heat sink before affixing it to the
new microprocessor.

9. Lift the ZIF socket actuator handle to a full 90° angle.

10. Remove the microprocessor chip by lifting it straight out of the socket.

5.3.4 Installing the 21164PC Microprocessor

Install the new microprocessor in location U31 by performing the following steps:

Note: Install the heat sink on ly after the mi crop roces sor ha s been a ss embled t o

the ZIF socket.

1. Observe antistatic precautions.

2. Lift the ZIF socket actuator handle to a full 90° angle.

3. Ensure that all the pins on the microprocessor package are straight.

4. The ZIF socket and microprocessor are keyed to allow for proper installation.
Align the microprocessor, with its missing AD01 pin, with the corresponding
plugged AD01 position on the ZIF socket. Gently lower into position.

5. Close the ZIF socket actuator handle to its locked position.

6. Install the heat sink and heat-sink fan as directed in the following steps. A heat­sink/fan kit is available from the vendor listed in Appendix A. Refer to
Figure 5–1 for heat-sink and fan assembly details.

Memory and Microprocessor Configuration 5–5

Increasing Microprocessor Speed

Figure 5–1 Fan/Heat-Sink Assembly

a. Put the GRAFOIL thermal pad in place. The GRAFOIL pad is used to

improve the thermal conductivity between the chip package and the heat
sink by replacing micro air pockets with a less insulative material. Perform
the following steps to position the GRAFOIL pad:

1. Perform a visual inspection of the package slug to ensure that it is free of
contamination.

2. Wearing clean gloves, pick up the GRAFOIL pad. Do not perform this
with bare hands because skin oils can be transferred to the pad.

3. Place the GRAFOIL pad on the gold-plated slug surface and align it with
the threaded studs.

Screw, 6–32 × 0.625 in
Qty 4
Torque to 3

±1 in-lb

Fan

Clip, Heat-Sink/Chip/Fan

Nut, Hex,
Aluminum
Flats, Qty 2
Torque to15

±2 in-lb

Heat Sink, with Fan
Mounting Holes

Thermal Pad

Alpha 21164PC

Airflow

5–6 Memory and Microprocessor Configuration

Increasing Microprocessor Speed

b. Attach the microprocessor heat sink. The heat-sink material is clear

anodized, hot-water -seal ed, 6061-T6 aluminum. The nut material is 201 1 -T3
aluminum (this grade is critical). Perform the following steps to attach the
heat sink:

1. Observe antistatic precautions.

2. Align the heat-sink holes with the threaded studs on the ceramic package.

3. Handle the heat sink by the edges and lower it onto the chip package,
taking care not to damage the stud threads.

4. Set a calibrated torque driver to 15 in-lb, ±2 in-lb, (2.3 Nm , ±0.2 Nm).
The torque driver should have a mounted 3/8-inch socket.

5. Insert a nut i nto the 3/8-inch sock et , pl ac e on one of the studs, and tighten
to the specified torque. Repeat for the second nut.

6. If the sink/chip/fan clip is used, properly install it by positioning it over
the assembly and hooking its ends around the ZIF socket retainers.

c. Attach the heat-sink fan assembly:

1. Place the fan assembly on top of the heat sink, aligning the fan mounting
holes with the corresponding threaded heat-sink holes. Align the fan so
that the fan power/sensor wires exit the fan closest to connector J14 (see
Figure 2–1). Fan airflow must be directed into the heat sink (fan label fac­ing down toward the heat sink).

2. Using a calibrated torque driver set to 3 in-lb, ±1 in-lb, secure the fan to
the heat sink with four 6–32 × 0.625-inch scre ws.

3. Plug the fan power/sensor cable into connector J14.

Note: When installing the microprocessor, you must change the frequency of

its clock output by setting the system clock divisor switches, as
described in Section 3.2.

Interrupts and ISA Bus Addresses 6–1

6

Interrupts and ISA Bus Addresses

This section lists the system and I/O interrupt assignments. It also lists the physical
AlphaPC 164SX I/O space assignments.

6.1 Interrupts

Table 6–1 lists each AlphaPC 164SX ISA interrupt and its source.

Table 6–1 ISA Interrupts

(Sheet 1 of 2)

Interrupt Number Interrupt Source

IRQ0 Internal timer 1
IRQ1 Keyboard
IRQ2 Interrupt from controller 2
IRQ3 COM2
IRQ4 COM1
IRQ5 Available
IRQ6 Diskette (floppy)
IRQ7 Parallel port
IRQ8#

1

Reserved
IRQ9 Available
IRQ10 USB
IRQ11 Available
IRQ12 Mouse

6–2 Interrupts and ISA Bus Addresses

ISA I/O Address Map

6.2 ISA I/O Addre ss Ma p

Table 6–2 lists the AlphaPC 164SX ISA I/O space address mapping.

1

The # symbol indicates an active low signal.

IRQ13 Available
IRQ14 EIDE
IRQ15 EIDE

Table 6–2 ISA I/O Address Map

Range (hex) Usage

000-00F 8237 DMA #1
020-021 8259 PIC #1
040-043 8253 timer
060-061 Ubus IRQ12 and NMI control
070 CMOS RAM address and NMI mask register
080-08F DMA page registers
0A0-0A1 8259 PIC #2
0C0-0DF 8237 DMA #2
2F8-2FF Serial port—COM2

370-377 Secondary diskette (floppy)
3BC-3BF Parallel port—LPT1
3F0-3F7 Primary diskette (floppy)
3F8-3FF Seria l port—COM1

Table 6–1 ISA Interrupts

(Sheet 2 of 2)

Interrupt Number Interrupt Source

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–1

7

Alpha SRM Console Firmware

The Alpha SRM Console firmware initializes the system and enables you to install
and boot the DIGITAL UNIX operating system. This firmware resides in the flash
ROM on the AlphaPC 164SX motherboard.

7.1 Alpha SRM Console Firmware Conventions

The following conventions are used in this section:

Convention Description

>>>

Alpha SRM Console prompt.

Backslash (\) at the end of a line Continuation symbol to continu e long command s

on the next line.

_>

Continuation line prompt.
Maximum command length 255 characters.
Multiple contiguous spaces or tabs Treated as a single space.
Command abbreviations Allowed, if not ambiguous.
Command qualifiers or options Prefix with a space and a dash (-).
Numbers Hexadecimal, unless otherwise specified.

(Registers, such as R0–R31, are shown in

decimal notation.)

7–2 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Alpha SRM Console Firmware Conventions

The following ta ble lis ts Alpha SRM Console sp ecial ke ys and t heir fun ctions. Th ese
special keys, also referred to as shortcut keys, provide command recall, line editing,
and basic input/output control flow.

Shortcut Key Function

Enter

Terminate the command line input.

Backspace or
Delete

Delete one character to the left of the cursor.

Ctrl/A

Toggles insert/overstrike mode. (Overstrike is the default.)

Ctrl/B
Up arrow
Down arrow

Recall previous commands. (The last 16 commands are
stored.)

Ctrl/C

Terminate the foreground process.

Ctrl/D
Left arrow

Move the cursor one position to the left.

Ctrl/E

Move the cursor to the end of the line.

Ctrl/F
Right arrow

Move the cursor one position to the right.

Ctrl/H

Move the cursor to the beginn ing of the line.

Ctrl/O

Suppress or resume (toggle) console output.

Ctrl/Q

Resume the flow (XON) of data to the console.

Ctrl/R

Retype the current command line.

Ctrl/S

Stop the flow (XOFF) of data to the console.

Ctrl/U

Delete the entire line.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–3

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

7.2 Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

This section describes the following basic Alpha SRM Console commands that are
necessary to boot the DIGITAL UNIX operating system:

• arc

• boot

• deposit

• examine

• fwupdate

• set

• show

The Alpha SRM Console offers additional commands. For a complete list of Alpha
SRM Console commands, enter

help at the Alpha SRM Console prompt (>>>).

7–4 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

arc

Loads and runs the AlphaBIOS firmware update utility from a
diskette.

Syntax

arc
nt

Arguments

None

Options

None

Description

None

Examples

Either of the following commands load and run the AlphaBIOS
firmware update utility from a diskette:

>>>arc

or

>>>nt

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–5

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

boot

Initializes the processor, loads a program image from the specified
boot device, and transfers control to the loaded image.

Syntax

boot [-file <filename>] [-flags
<longword>[,<longword>]]
[-protocols <enet_protocol>] [-halt]
[<boot_device>]

Arguments

<boot_device>

A device path or list of devices fr om which the firmware wil l attempt
to boot. Use the set bootdef_dev command to set an
environment variable that specifies a default boot device.

Options

boot Command Option Description

-file <filename>

Specifies the name of a file to load into the system. Use
the set boot_file command to set the
environment variable that specifies a default boot file.

-flags
<longword> [,<longword>]

Specifies additional information for the operating
system. For DIGITAL UNIX systems, the following
values may be used:

i = Interactive boot
s = Boot to single user
a = Autoboot to multiuser

Use the set boot_osflags command to set an
environment variable that specifies a default boot flag
value.

-protocols
<enet_protocol>

Specifies the Ethernet protocols that will be used for a
network boot. Values may be mop or bootp.

-halt

Forces the bootstrap operation to halt and invoke the
console program after the image is loaded and the p age
tables and other data structures are set up.

7–6 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Description

The boot command in itializes the pro cessor, loads a program ima ge
from the specified boot device, and transfers control to th at image. If
you do not specify a boot device in the command line, the default
boot device is used. The default boot device is determined by the
value of the bootdef_dev environment variable.

If you specify a list of devices, a bootstrap is attempted from each
device in the order in which the device is listed. Then control passes
to the first successfully booted image. In a list, always enter network
devices last because net work bootst raps t ermi nate o nly if a fata l er ror
occurs or if an image is successfully loaded.

The -flags option can pass additional information to the operating
system about the boot that you are requesting. On an OpenVMS
system, the -flags option specifies the system root number and
boot flags. If you do not specify a boot flag qualifier, the default bo ot
flag’s value specified by the boot_osflags environment variable is
used.

The -protocols option allows selection of either the DECnet
MOP or the TCP/IP BOOTP network protocols. The keywords mop
and bootp are valid arguments for this option. It is possible to set the
default protocol for a port by setting the environment variable
ewa0_protocols or era0_protocols to the appropriate protocol.

Explicitly stating the boot flags or the boot device overrides the
current defa ult va lue f or the cu rrent boot r eq uest, b ut does not chang e
the corresponding environment variable.

See the Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands
section in this chapter for more information about environment
variables.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–7

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Examples

boot Command Example Description

>>>boot

Boots the system fr om the default boot device.

>>>boot ewa0

Boots the system from Ethernet port ewa0.

>>>boot -file dec2.sys ewa0

Boots the file named dec2.sys from Ethernet
port ewa0.

>>>boot -protocol bootp ewa0

Boots the system using the TCP/IP BOOTP
protocol from Ethernet port ewa0.

>>>boot -flags 0,1

Boots the system fro m t he defau l t b oot dev ice
using flag setting 0,1.

>>>boot -halt dka0

Loads the bootstrap image from disk dka0,
halts the bootstrap operation, and invokes the
console program. Subsequentl y, you can enter
continue to transfer contro l to the operating
system.

7–8 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

deposit

Writes data to the specified address.

Syntax

deposit [-{b,w,l,q,o,h}] [{physical, virtual, gpr,
fpr, ipr}] [-n <count>] [-s <step>]
[<device>:]<address> <data>

Arguments

<device>:
The optional device name (or address space) selects the device to

access. The following platform-independent devices are supported:

• pmem

Physical memory.

• vmem

Virtual memory. All access and protection checking occur.
If the access is not allo wed to a program running with the
current processor status (PS), the console issues an error
message. If memory mapping is not enabled, virtual
addresses are equal to physic al addresses.

<address>
An address that specifies the offset within a device into which data is
deposited. The address may be any legal symbolic address.

Valid symbolic addresses are shown in the following table.

Symbolic
Address Description

gpr-name

Represents general-purpose register.

ipr-name

Represents internal processor register.

PC

Program counter.

+

The location immediately following the last location referenced by
examine or deposit.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–9

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

<data>

The data to be deposited.

Options

-

The location immediately preceding the last location referenced by

examine or deposit.

*

The location last referenced by examine or deposit.

@

The location addressed by the last location referenced by examine or
deposit.

deposit Command Option Description

-b

Specifies data type is byte.

-w

Specifies data type is word.

-l

Specifies data type is longword.

-q

Specifies data type is quadword.

-o

Specifies data type is octaword.

-h

Specifies data type is hexword.

-physical

References physical address space.

-virtual

References virtual address space.

-gpr

References general-purpose register address space.

-fpr

References floating-point register address space.

-ipr

References internal processor register address space.

-n <count>

Specifies the number of consecutive locations to
examine.

-s <step>

Specifies the address increment as a hexadecimal value.
This option allows you to override the increment that is
normally derived from the data size.

Symbolic
Address Description

7–10 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Description

The deposit command wr ites data to t he speci fied addres s, s uch as
a memory location, register, device, or file. The defaults for address
space, data size, and address are the last specified values. After
initializa tion, the defa ult for address space is phys ical memory; for
data size, the default is a quadword; and for address, the default is
zero.

An address or device can be specified by concatenating the device
name with the address. For example, use pmem:0 and specify the
size of the address space to be written. If a conflicting device,
address, or data size is specified, the console ignores the command
and issues an error response.

Examples

deposit Command Example Description

>>>d -n 1ff pmem:0 0

Clears the first 512 bytes of physical
memory.

>>>d -l -n 3 pmem:1234 5

Writes the value 5 into four longwords,
starting at physical memory address 1234.

>>>d -n 8 r0 ffffffff

Loads GPRs R0 through R8 with -1.

>>>d -l -n 10 -s 200 pmem:0 8

Writes the value 8 in the first longword of
the first 17 pages in physical memory.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–11

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

examine

Displays the contents of the specified address.

Syntax

examine [-{b,w,l,q,o,h,d}] [-{physical, virtual,
gpr, fpr, ipr}] [-n <count>] [-s <step>]
[<device>:]<address>

Arguments

<device>:

The optional device name (or address space) selects the device to
access.

<address>

The address specifies the first location to examine within the current
device. The address can be any legal address specified.

Options

examine Command Option Description

-b

Specifies data type is byte.

-w

Specifies data type is word.

-l

Specifies data type is longword.

-q

Specifies data type is quadword.

-o

Specifies data type is octaword.

-h

Specifies data type is hexword.

-d

Specifies the data displayed is the decoded macro
instruction. The Alpha instruction decode (-d) does not
recognize machine-specific PALcode instructions.

-physical

References physical address space.

-virtual

References virtual address space.

-gpr

References general-purpose register address space.

-fpr

References floating-point register address space.

7–12 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Description

The examine command di splays the contents of th e specified
address, such as a memory location, register, device, or file. The
defaults for addr ess space, dat a size, and address are the last specif ied
values. After initialization, the default for address space is physical
memory; for data size, the default is a quadword; and for address, the
default is zero.

An address or device can be specified by concatenating the device
name with the address. For example, use pmem:0 and specify the
size of the address space to be displayed. If a conflicting device,
address, or data size is specified, the console ignores the command
and issues an error response.

The display line consists of the dev ice name , the hexad ecimal addres s
(or offset within the device), and the examined data (also in
hexadecimal).

The examine command s upport s the s ame opti ons as the deposit
command. Additionally, the examine command supports instruc tion
decoding with the -d option, which disassembles instructions
beginning at the current address.

-ipr

References internal processor register address space.

-n <count>

Specifies the number of consecutive locations to
examine.

-s <step>

Specifies the address increment as a hexadecimal value.
This option allows you to override the increment that is
normally derived from the data size.

examine Command Option Description

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–13

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Examples

examine Command
Example Display Description

>>>e r0 gpr: 0 (R0) 0000000000000002

Examines the
contents of R0,
using a symbolic
address.

>>>e -g 0 gpr: 0 (R0) 0000000000000002

Examines the
contents of R0,
using address
space.

>>>e grp:0 gpr: 0 (R0) 0000000000000002

Examines the
contents of R0,
using a device
name.

>>>examine -n 5 r7 gpr: 38 (R7) 0000000000000000

gpr: 40 (R8) 0000000000000000
gpr: 48 (R9) 0000000000000000
gpr: 50 (R10) 000000007FFBF800
gpr: 58 (R11) 000000007FF781A2
gpr: 60 (R12) 0000000000000000

Examines the
contents of R7
and the next five
registers.

>>>examine ipr:11 ipr 11 (KSP) FFFFFFFF8228DFD0

Examines the
contents of
internal
processor
register 11.

7–14 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

fwupdate

Loads and runs the AlphaBIOS firmware update utility from a
diskette.

Syntax

fwupdate

Arguments

None

Options

None

Description

The fwupdate command script is used to load and run the
AlphaBIOS firmware update utility from a diskette. The file
fwupdate.exe is extracted from a diskette with a FAT file structure.
This executable is then loaded to physical address 900000 and is
executed in PALmode.

Examples

The following fwupdate command script loads and runs the
AlphaBIOS firmware update utility from a diskette:

>>>fwupdate

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–15

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

set

Sets or modifies the value of an environment variable.

Syntax

set <envar> <value> [-default] [-integer] [-string]

Arguments

<envar>

The environment variable to be assigned a new value.

<value>

The value tha t is assi gned to t he envir onment var iable. I t can be either
a numeric value or an ASCII string.

Options

Description

The set command is used to set or modify the value of an
environment variable. Environment variables are used to pass
configuration information between the console and the operating
system. See Section 7.3 for more information about environment
variables.

set Command Option Description

-default

Restores an environment variable to its default v a lue.

-integer

Creates an environment variable as an integer.

-string

Creates an environment variable as a string.

7–16 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

Examples

set Command Example Description

>>>set bootdef_dev ewa0

Modifies the default boot device to ewa0.

>>>set auto_action boot

Attempts to boot the operating system following an
error, halt, or power-up.

>>>set boot_osflags 0,1

Modifies the default boot flags to 0,1.

>>>set foobar 5

Creates an environment variable called foobar and
gives it a value of 5.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–17

Basic Alpha SRM Console Command Descriptions

show

Displays the current value of the specified environment variable or
information about the system.

Syntax

show [{config, device [device_name], iobq, hwrpb,
map, memory, pal, version, <envar>...}]

Arguments

Options

None

Description

The show command displays information about the system and the
current value of a specified environment variable. See

Section 7.3

for more information about environment variables.

show Command Argument Description

config

Displays the current memory configuration, PCI logical
slots, and ISA logical slots.

device [device name]

Displays the devices and controllers in the system.
Specifying a device name returns information on that
device only.

iobq

Displays the input/output counter blocks.

hwrpb

Displays the hardware restart parameter block.

map

Displays the system virtual memory map.

memory

Displays the memory module con f iguration.

pal

Displays the version of DIGITAL UNIX PALcode.

version

Displays the version of the console.

<envar>

Displays the current value of a specified environment
variable.

7–18 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands

Examples

7.3 Environment Va riables for Alpha SRM Console
Commands

This section describes environment variables that are used to define the system
operational state and to pass information between the firmware and the operating
system.

7.3.1 Environment Variable Descriptions

Environment variables are classified as either Alpha SRM Console architecture­required or system-defined.

show Command Example Description

>>>show device
dka0.0.0.6.0 DKA0 RZ26L 441A
dka400.4.0.6.0 DKA400 RRD43 3213
dva0.0.0.0.1 DVA0
ewa0.0.0.12.0 EWA0 08-00-2B-E2-1C-25
pka0.7.0.6.0 PKA0 SCSI Bus ID 7

Lists device information, such as
system designation, drive model,
or Ethernet address.

>>>show memory
48 Meg of System Memory

Lists system random-access
memory (RAM) size.

>>>show *
(refer to Section 7.3)

Lists all environment variables
and their settings.

>>>show boot*
(refer to Section 7.3)

Lists all environment variables,
beginning with boot.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–19

Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands

7.3.1.1 Architecture-Required Environment Variables

The following table shows common Alpha SRM Console architecture-required
environment variables and their descriptions. For a complete list, enter show * at
the Alpha SRM Console prompt.

Architecture-Required Environment
Variable Description

auto_action

When used with the set or show command, this
variable modifies or displays the console action
that follows an error, halt, or power-up. The
action can be halt, boot, or restart. The default is
halt.

boot_file

When used with the set or show command, this
variable modifies or displays the file name to be
used when a bootstrap requires a file name. The
default is null.

boot_osflags

When used with the set or show command, this
variable modifies or displays the additional
parameters to be passed to sy stem software. The
default is 0.

bootdef_dev

When used with the set or show command, this
variable modifies or displays the default device
or device list from which the system will attempt
to boot. If the system software is preloaded, the
variable is preset to point to the device containing
the preloaded software. The default is null.

7–20 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands

7.3.1.2 System-Defined Environment Variables

The following table shows common Alpha SRM Console system-defined
environment variables and their descriptions. For a complete list, enter show * at
the Alpha SRM Console prompt.

System-Defined
Environment Variable Description

console

When used with the set command, this variable modifies
the console output to either the serial port or the graphics
controller.

control_scsi_term

This variable is unused in the motherboard system .

ewa0_mode

This variable determines if the AUI (ThinWire) or the
twisted-pair Ethernet ports will be enabled. AUI is the
default. (Autosensing is not supported.)

os_type

When used with the set or show command, this variable
modifies or displays the specified firmware that will be
loaded on the next power cycle. Specify the value osf or

UNIX to select the Alpha SRM Console.

pci_parity

This variable controls PCI parity checking. The possible
values are:

on = Parity checking is enabled.
off = Parity checking is disabled; this is the

default.

sniff = Parity checking is enabled or disabled

depending on the PCI device.

oem_string

When used with the set or show command, this variable
modifies or displays a text string that identifies the product
name in the Alpha SRM Console banner.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–21

Environment Variables for Alpha SRM Console Commands

language n

The language environment variable assigns language n to
the system (wher e n is the option number of a language listed
in the menu that follows). Use the following procedure to
select the language:

1. At the Alpha SRM Console prompt, enter the following
commands:

>>>set language 0
>>>init

The following menu and prompt are displaye d:

n

Language

n

Language

=======================================

0 none (display menu) 40 Français (Suisse Romande)
30 Dansk 42 Italiano
32 Deutsch 44 Nederlands
34 Deutsch (Schweiz) 46 Norsk
36 English (American) 48 Portugues
38 English (British/Irish) 4A Suomi
3A Español 4C Svenska
3C Français 4E Vlaams
3E Français (Canadian)

(1..16):

2. Enter the number that corresponds to the language that you
want to use. The following example shows how to assign
the English (American) language to the system:

(1..16):36

3. When you receive a message to reset the system, power
cycle the system.

System-Defined
Environment Variable Description

7–22 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

7.4 Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update

the Flash ROM

Use the AlphaBIOS firmware update utility to update the firmware in a flash ROM.

7.4.1 AlphaBIOS Conventions

AlphaBIOS uses universally accepted keys and key combinations for navigating the
interface and selecting items. If you are familiar with MS-DOS or Microsoft
Wind ows keyboard conventions, na vig ati ng Al phaBI OS is s impl e. Use t he keys and
key combinations shown in Table 7–1 when navigating and selecting items in

AlphaBIOS.

Two levels of keyboard help are available:

• Press F1 once to display explanations of the keystrokes available for the

currently displayed part of AlphaBIOS.

• Press F1 twice to displ ay expla nati ons of the keys troke s avail able fo r na vigati ng

throughout AlphaBIOS.

Table 7–1 AlphaBIOS Keys

Key or Key Combination Description

Tab Move highlight forward between fields of a dialog.
Shift + Tab Move highlight backwards between fields of a dialog.
↓ or ↑ Move highlight withi n a menu, or cycle thr ough avai lable fiel d

values in a dialog window.

Alt + ↓ Drop down a menu of choices from a drop-down listbox. A

drop-down listbox can be reco gnized by the symbol ⇓.

Home Move to the b eginning of a tex t -entry field.
End Move to the end of a text-entry field.
← or → Move to the left or right in a text-entry field.
Esc Discard changes and back up to previous screen.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–23

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

7.4.2 Starting the AlphaBIOS

To start the AlphaBIOS, follow this procedure:

1. Insert the AlphaBIOS diskette into diskette drive A.

2. At the Alpha SRM Console prompt, enter the following command:

>>>fwupdate

Note:

Because th e firmware update utility reinitializes some system compo­nents, it may appear as if your system is restarting.

Figure 7–1 shows an example of the AlphaBIOS Boot screen with the “Press
<F2> to enter SETUP” message at the bottom.

Figure 7–1 AlphaBIOS Boot Screen

3. Press F2 to start the AlphaBIOS setup program.

Press <F2> to enter SETUP

digital

AlphaBIOS Version 5.60

Please select the operating system to start:

Windows NT Workstation 4.00

Press Enter to choose.

7–24 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

7.4.3 Installing Alpha SRM Console Using AlphaBIOS Setup Program

Figure 7–2 shows an example of the AlphaBIOS Setup screen. Select the
AlphaBIOS Upgrade... option by using the arrow or Tab keys.

Figure 7–2 AlphaBIOS Setup Screen

Press Enter to begin installing the SRM Console firmware image.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–25

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

Figure 7–3 shows an example of the AlphaBIOS Upgrade Options screen. If more
than one image is found, the new image's name is displayed. If the name of the new
image is not SRM Console, use the down arrow key to cycle through the available
field values until SRM Console is displayed.

Figure 7–3 AlphaBIOS Upgrade Options Screen

Press Enter to continue th e installation.

7–26 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

Figure 7–4 shows an examp le of the AlphaBI OS screen that warns you that you have
selected to switch the operating system.

Figure 7–4 AlphaBIOS Warning Screen

Press Enter to continue th e installation.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–27

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

A screen similar to Figure 7–5 is displayed. The version numbers shown on your
screen may be different than those shown in Figure 7–5.

Figure 7–5 AlphaBIOS Upgrade SRM Console Screen

Press F10 to continue the i nstallation.

7–28 Alpha SRM Console Firmware

Using the AlphaBIOS Firmware Update Utility to Update the Flash ROM

Figure 7–6 shows an example of the AlphaBIOS Upgrade Complete screen.

Figure 7–6 AlphaBIOS Upgrade Complete Screen

To load the SRM Console, power-cycle the system.

Alpha SRM Console Firmware 7–29

Installing the DIGITAL UNIX Operating System

7.5 Installing the DIGITAL UNIX Operating System

Note: DIGITAL UNIX Version 4.0D is the minimum revision required for the

AlphaPC 164SX motherboard system.

This section supplements the DIGITAL UNIX Installation Guide for installing the
DIGITAL UNIX operating system on an AlphaPC 164SX motherboard system.

Note: If you already have a pre vious version of DIGITAL UNIX installed, see

the DIGITAL UNIX Installation Guide for information on how to
upgrade to a new version of the oper ating sy stem . Be sure to revi ew the
preinstallation tasks, which are covered in the DIGITAL UNIX
Installation Guide.

7.5.1 Requirements

You n eed the following hardware and software to install the DIGITAL UNIX
operating system on an AlphaPC 164SX motherboard system:

• A minimum of 32MB of main memory; 64MB is recommended

• A 1GB (or larger) SCSI or EIDE hard disk capable of storing the supported

software subsets

• Supported load devices

– SCSI CD–ROM drive capable of reliably reading in 512-byte block mode

or

– EIDE (ATAPI) CD–ROM drive

or

– A network interface

• A console terminal with ASCII capability or a supported graphics display

console

• DIGITAL UNIX Version 4.0D or higher Operating System Volume 1 compact

disc

• Alpha SRM Console Version 4.9 or higher

Troubleshooting 8–1

8

Troubleshooting

This chapter contains information about troubleshooting hardware and software
during AlphaPC 164SX startup.

8.1 Hardware Startup

Use the following troubleshooting steps if video is not working on your system. If
you still have no video after reviewing these steps, please call your system vendor.

Troubleshooting Steps: No Video

1. Check the connection to the ac outlet.

2. Check the voltage setting on the power supply (115 V ac in the U.S.).

3. Check that the frequency/switch selection matches the speed of the Alpha chip.

4. Check that the CPU fan is connected and spinning.

5. Ensure that the flash ROM update procedure was performed correctly. If you
have a terminal attached to COM1, check the output for error messages after
verifying that the flash ROM update procedure was performed correctly.

6. Reseat the video card and ensure that it is connected to the monitor.

7. Reseat the DIMMs.

8. Replace the DIMMs.

8–2 Troubleshooting

Beep Codes

8.2 Beep Codes

The beep codes provide error information about the AlphaPC 164SX system.

Table 8–1 lists and describes the beep codes.

8.3 Post Codes

The post codes indicate the progress of the SROM and SRM Console firmware.
Table 8–2 lists and describes the post codes.

1

One beep and a pause, followed by two beeps and a pause, followed by three beeps.

Table 8–1 Beep Codes

Beep Code Description

1–2–31 This sequence represents the fail-safe booter startup.
4 No valid header found in ROM; loading entire ROM.
5 No memory found.
6 Checksum error detected when image was read back from memory.

Table 8–2 Post Codes

(Sheet 1 of 3)

Source

Post Code
(hex) Description

SROM 00 Firmware initialization is complete

01 CPU speed detected
02 CPU speed converted
03 Configuration jumpers read
04 Bcache configuration value computed
05 Bcache control value computed
0C Memory sized and memory bank 0 written
0D Enable Dcache
13 All of memory rewritten (go od data parity written)
14 Memory errors cleared; start reading system ROM
15 Loading ROM without SROM decompression
16 Loading ROM using SROM decompression
17 System ROM loaded to memory
18 Icache flush code written to memory
19 CPU errors cleared; jump to system code
20 IS A bus reset

Troubleshooting 8–3

Post Codes

3A Jump to Mini-Debugger
3F Fatal error. Second code identifies source of error:

05 = No memory found
06 = Checksum error detected when image was read back

from memory

SRM
Console

FF
FE

Starting console

Idle PCB initialization
FD Semaphore initialization
FC Heap initialization
FB Heap initialization
FA Heap initialization
F9 Driver structure initialization
F8 Idle process PID initialization
F7 File s ys tem initialization
F6 Timer data structures initialization
F5 Lowering IPL
F4 Entering idle loop
F3 Creating task to deallocate dead PCBs
F2 Creating polling task
F1 Creating timer task
F0 Creating power-up task
EF Configuring memory
EE Phase 1 driver startup
ED Configuring the PCI/ISA bus
EC Phase 3 driver startup
EB Switching stdin/out/err to console terminal device
EA Phase 4 driver startup
E9 Building per CPU slot in the HWRPB
E8 SCSI class driver initialization
E7 Phase 5 driver startup

Fail-safe
booter

FD
FC

I/O bus initialization

I/O initialization complete
FB UART initialization

Table 8–2 Post Codes

(Sheet 2 of 3)

Source

Post Code
(hex) Description

8–4 Troubleshooting

Fail-Safe Booter

8.4 Fail-Safe Booter

The fail-safe booter provides an emergency recovery mechanism when the primary
firmware image cont ai ned in flash memory has bee n c orr upt ed. When flash memory
has been corrupted, and no image can be loaded safely from the flash, you can run
the fail-safe booter and boot another image from a diskette that is capable of repro­gramming the flash.

Starting the Fail-Safe Booter

You can start the fail-safe booter in one of two ways:

• If the primary firmware image is unavailable when the system is powered on or

reset, the fail-safe booter runs automatically. When the fail-safe booter runs, the
system emits a series of beeps through the speaker as beep code 1-2-3; that is,
one beep and a pause, followed by two beeps and a pause, followed by three
beeps. After the diskette activity light flashes, insert the AlphaPC 164SX SRM
Console Firmware diskette. The fail-safe booter will load and run the
AlphaBIOS firmware update utility from this diskette. Proceed to Section 7.4
and follow the procedure for updating your flash ROM.

• You can also start the fail-safe booter manually as follows:

1. Power off your system.

2. Slide switch CF7 to off, as described in Section 3.3.

3. Power on your system.

4. Insert th e Al phaPC 16 4SX SRM Con sol e Fi rmware diskette into the diske tt e
drive.

5. Proceed to Section 7.4 and follow the procedures.

BF Fail-safe booter is scanning the diskette
1 Fail-safe booter is loading the AlphaBIOS
2 Fail-safe booter is loading the Debug Monitor
3 Fail-safe booter is loading the SRM console
4 Fail-safe booter is loading the Linux mini-loader

Table 8–2 Post Codes

(Sheet 3 of 3)

Source

Post Code
(hex) Description

Battery Recycle/Disposal Information 9–1

9

Battery Recycle/Disposal Information

NOTICE

Recycle or dispose of batteries promptly in accordance with your organization’s
environmental policies. If this is a LITHIUM battery, the following additional
precautions may apply:

• Replace batteries correctly to prevent possible explosion.

• Replace batteries with the same or equivalent type.

• Prior to disposal or recycling, protect all batteries against accidental short cir-

cuiting by affixing nonconductive tape across battery terminals or conductive
surfaces.

• Keep batteries away from small children.

Supporting Products A–1

A

Supporting Products

This appendix lists sources for components and accessories that are not included
with the AlphaPC 164SX. For the latest information, visit the Alpha website at
URL: http://www .alpha.digital.com. Click on Motherboard Products. The
hardware compatibility list (HCL) is also available at this location.

A.1 Memory

Dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) are available from:

Micron Semiconductor Products, Inc.
8000 South Federal Way
Mail Stop 607
Boise, ID 83706
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

PN MT9LSDT272AG-66CL2 (2Mb × 72)
PN MT18LSDT472AG-66CL2 (4Mb × 72)

Dataram

P.O. Box 7528
Princeton, NJ 08543
Phone: 1-800-DATARAM (328-2726), ext. 239
PN 60057 (8Mb × 72)
PN 60061 (16Mb × 72)

A–2 Supporting Prod uct s

Memory

Viking Components

attn: Carl Johnson, OEM Development Executive
30200 Avenida de la Banderas
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: [phone], ext. 316
Fax: [phone]
PN VE2641U4SN3-DC01 (2Mb × 64)

PN VE8641U4SN3-DC01 (8Mb × 64)
PN VE16642U4SN3-DC01 (16Mb × 64)
PN VE2721U4SN3-DC01 (2Mb × 72)
PN VE4721U4SN3-DC01 (4Mb × 72)
PN VE8721U4SN3-DC01 (8Mb × 72)
PN VE16722U4SN3-DC01 (16Mb × 72)

NEC Electronics, Inc.

The Meadows Building, 4th Floor
161 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01701
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
PN MC-452AA724F-A10 (2Mb × 72)
PN MC-454AC724F-A10 (4Mb × 72)
PN MC-458AA724F-A10 (two-bank, 8Mb × 72)
PN MC-4516AC724F-A10 (two-bank, 16Mb × 72)
PN MC-458CA724F-A10 (four-bank, 8Mb × 72)
PN MC-4516CC724F-A10 (four-bank, 16Mb × 72)

Samsung America, Inc.

3655 N. First Street
San Jose, CA 95134
Phone: [phone]
PN KM374S203ATN-G0 (2Mb × 72)
PN KM374S403ATN-G0 (4Mb × 72)

Supporting Products A–3

Thermal Products

Kingston Technology Company

17600 Newhope Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: [phone]

PN KTV164SX/16 (2Mb × 64)
PN KTV164SX/32 (4Mb × 64)
PN KTV164SX/64 (8Mb × 64)
PN KTV164SX/128 (16Mb × 64)
PN KTV164LX/16 (2Mb × 72)
PN KTV164LX/32 (4Mb × 72)
PN KTV164LX/64 (8Mb × 72)
PN KTV164LX/128 (16Mb × 72)

A.2 Thermal Products

Components included in this heat-sink and fan solution are heat sink, GRAFOIL
pad, two hex nuts, heat-sink clips, 52-mm fan, and four screws. These are available
from:

United Machine and Tool Design

River Road
Fremont, NH 03044
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
PN 70-33148-01

A.3 Enclosure

An enclosure, suitable for housing the AlphaPC 164SX and its power supply, is
available from:

Axxion Group Corporation

7801 Trade Center Avenue
El Paso, TX 79912
Phone: [phone]
PN DL17

A–4 Supporting Prod uct s

Power Supply

A.4 Power Supply

An ATX form-factor power supply, suitable for use with the AlphaPC 164SX

(+3.3 V, +5 V, –5 V, +12 V, –12 V), is available from:

Quantum Power Labs, Inc.

1410 Gail Borden Place C-4
El Paso, TX 79935
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
PN AP2-5300FRV (300 W)

Antec, In c.

2859 Bayview Drive
Fremont, CA 94538
Phone: [phone], ext. 312
PN PP-253V (250 W)

Associated Documentation B–1

B

Associated Documentation

You can order the following associated documentation directly from the vendor.

Title Vendor

Alpha AXP Architecture Reference Manual

PN EY–T132E–DP

Call your local distributor or call
Butterworth-Heinemann (Digital Press)
at 1-800-366-2665

Alpha Architecture Handbook

1

PN EC–QD2KB–TE

See previous entry

DIGITAL Semiconductor Alpha 21164PC
Microprocessor Hardware Reference Manual
PN EC–R2W0A–TE

Digital Equipment Corporation
DIGITAL Semiconductor
77 Reed Road
Hudson, MA 01749 USA

Online, World Wide Web access at URL:

http://www.digital.com/semiconductor

DIGITAL Semiconductor Alpha 21164PC
Microprocessor Data Sheet
PN EC–R2W1A–TE

See previous entry

DIGITAL Semiconductor 21174 Core Logic
Chip Technical Reference Manual
PN EC–R12G B–TE

See previous entry

PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.1
PCI Multimedia Design Guide, Revision 1.0
PCI System Design Guide
PCI-to-PCI Bridge Architecture Specification,
Revision 1. 0
PCI BIOS Specification, Revision 2.1

PCI Special Interest Group
U.S. 1–800–433–5177
International 1–503–797–4207
Fax [phone]

B–2 Associated Documentation

1

This handbook provides information subsequent to the Alpha AXP Architectur e Refer ence M anual.

CY82C693U hyperCache/Stand-Alone PCI
Peripheral Controller with USB Data Sheet

Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
3901 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134
Phone: [phone]

Super I/O Floppy Disk Contro ller with Inf rared
Support (FDC37C669) Data Sh eet

Standard Microsystems Corporation
80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Title Vendor