Micronics CYCLONE (09-00321-xx) Micronics Cyclone Manual (Feb '98)

Cyclone Pentium

System Board Manual

Document Number: 06-00339-01, Rev. 1A

February 1998

45365 Northport Loop West, Fremont, CA. 94538-6417

Copyright Notices

Copyright  1998 Micronics Computers, Inc. The information con­tained in the Cyclone PCI/ISA Pentium system board manual has

2

been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. Micronics
assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained
in this document. Micronics makes no commitments to update or to
keep the information in this manual at a current level when changes
are made to the product.

Micronics reserves the right to make improvements to this document
and/or product at any time and without notice. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, trans­lated, or reduced to any medium or machine form without prior,
written consent from Micronics.

Portions of the Manual

Portions of this manual were copied (with permission) from Phoenix
Technologies, Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trademarks

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Cor­poration. Intel, PCI and NLX are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation. All other product names mentioned herein are used for
identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their
respective companies.

Cyclone System Board Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Special Feature 5
Cyclone Features 6
Software Compatibility 7
Before You Begin 8

Chapter 1 - Quick Installation 9

Installing the Cyclone 9

Chapter 2 - Configuring the Cyclone 11

Static Electricity 11
Environment Considerations 11
Cyclone System Board Diagram 12
Riser Card Diagram 13
Jumper Settings 14

Chapter 3 - Installing the Cyclone 19

Introduction 19
System Memory Support 19
Installing the Cyclone 20

Equipment Required 20

System Memory 21

Adding Memory 21
Memory Configurations 22
Installing DIMMs 23

Removing DIMMs 23
Installing a CPU 24
Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 25
Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 26

Cyclone System Board Manual

1

Connecting the Sound 27
Connecting the Graphics 28

Chapter 4 - The BIOS Setup Utility 29

Configuration 29
Initial Bootup 29
Setup 29
Running the Setup Procedure 31
Setting the Main Screen 31
Setting the Advanced Screen 36

Security Screen 39
Power Screen 42
Boot Screen 45
Exit Screen 46

Chapter 5 - Installing Device Drivers 47

About Device Drivers 47
Installing the Sound Drivers 47
Installing the Graphics Drivers 48

Appendix A - Technical Information 49

Specifications 49
Environmental Specifications 51

Temperature Range 51

Relative Humidity 51
Battery Disposal 52
Support and Information Services 53

Technical Support 53

Appendix B - Post Messages 55

2

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix C - Beep and POST Codes 57

Appendix D - Updating the System BIOS 61

Appendix E - Warranties and Notices 63

Limited Warranty 63
Non-Warranty Service 64
FCC Statement 65

Glossary 66

Index 70

Cyclone System Board Manual

3

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen 10
Figure 2.1: Cyclone System Board 12
Figure 3.1: Installing a 168-Pin DIMM 23
Figure 3.2: Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 25
Figure 3.3: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 26
Figure 4.1: Power-Up Screen 30
Figure 4.2: CMOS Main Screen 31
Figure 4.3: IDE Device Submenu 34
Figure 4.4: Advanced Screen 36
Figure 4.5: Advanced Screen Submenu 38
Figure 4.6: Security Screen 39
Figure 4.7: Supervisor Password Submenu 40
Figure 4.8: Power Screen 42
Figure 4.9: Boot Screen 45
Figure 4.10: Exit Screen 46

List of Tables

Table 2.1: System Speed Selection 14
Table 2.2: CPU Voltage Selection 14
Table 2.3: Clear CMOS Settings 15
Table 2.4: Onboard Graphics Settings (W1) 15
Table 2.5: Burst Mode Settings 15
Table 2.6: Onboard Sound Settings 16
Table 2.7: Onboard Wavetable Settings 16
Table 2.8: Cyclone Connector Settings 17
Table 2.9: Riser Card Connector Settings 18
Table 3.1: Memory Configurations 22
Table A.1: Support and Information Services 54

4

Cyclone System Board Manual

Introduction

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Cyclone system board. The
Cyclone is a 32-bit computing solution using the new
NLX form factor, targeted at the industry’s most de­manding workstation applications.

Based on the SIS 5597 chipset, the Cyclone supports the
latest Intel Pentium
and AMD processors. Other features of the SIS 5597
chipset include Universal Serial Bus support, integrated
64-bit graphics and optional onboard sound.

Micronics builds all products to exacting standards, using
the highest quality components available. We are proud
to provide this system board and believe you will be
pleased with your purchase.

Special Feature

 processor with MMX technology

Designed to fit into the new NLX form factor, the
Cyclone system board design comes with a riser card
linked by an edge connector with extended pin-out.
Viewed from the front, the riser card sits along the right
edge of the system board (see Figures 2.1 and 2.2).

The NLX form factor provides easy installation and
removal of the system board and better accessibility to
upgradeable components. These advantages will enhance
serviceability to reduce Total Costs of Ownership (TCO).

Cyclone System Board Manual

5

Introduction

Cyclone Features

The Cyclone includes the following features:
▲ Single ZIF Socket 7 support for:

Intel Pentium

Intel Pentium chip with MMX 166-233MHz

AMD-K5 PR75 to PR200

AMD-K6 166 to 266MHz

▲ Integrated VRM w/ Switching Regulator
▲ Silicon Integrated Systems SIS 5597 chipset

SMC FDC37C669 Enhanced Ultra I/O chip

▲ 512K Pipeline Burst SRAM
▲ Two 32-bit PCI slots

Two 16-bit ISA slots

One is a shared PCI/ISA slot

▲ Two 3.3V unbuffered 168-pin 64-bit DIMM sockets

Maximum memory - 256MB

Supports EDO and SDRAM memory

 chip 75-200MHz

▲ Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol support
▲ SIS 5597 integrated 64-bit graphics with up to 2.5MB

memory using system memory

▲ Yamaha OPL3-SA2 sound (optional)
▲ NLX form factor

6

Cyclone System Board Manual

Introduction

Software Compatibility

The Cyclone system board has been thoroughly tested for
compatibility with a variety of operating systems and envi­ronments, including:

▲ Microsoft -

DOS 6.2x
Windows 95
Windows NT 3.5x
Windows NT 4.0

▲ IBM -

OS/2 Warp 3.0
OS/2 Warp 4.0

▲ SCO -

UNIXWare 2.1.1
Open Server 5.02, 5.04
UNIX 3.2.4.2

Cyclone System Board Manual

7

Introduction

This manual will familiarize you with the features, installa­tion and use of your Cyclone. There are several symbols and
conventions used throughout this manual to help draw your
attention to a feature or to focus on important information:

Common Names

Before You Begin

When you see the Magnifying Glass, it refers
to something you should take a closer look at
before proceeding further.

When you see the Exclamation Mark, it gives
important information on avoiding damage.

DIMM Dual Inline Memory Module
DRAM Dynamic Random Access Memory
EDO Extended Data Out
IDE Integrated Drive Electronics
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
SDRAM Synchronous DRAM
SIMM Single Inline Memory Module
USB Universal Serial Bus
VRM Voltage Regulator Module

8

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter

1

STATIC!

Before
handling
the
Cyclone, be
properly
grounded
by using a
special
wrist or
ankle strap,
or touch a
safely
grounded
object.

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

Quick Installation

We know that many experienced people prefer to read as
little of the documentation as possible. If this sounds like
you, here’s the short form to get up and running quickly.

Installing the Cyclone

1. Make backup copies of your installation and configu­ration diskettes.

2. Ground yourself to prevent damaging static dis­charge by using an antistatic wrist or ankle strap, or
touch a safely grounded metal object.

3. Remove both the system board and Riser card from
its packaging.

4. Configure and verify both the system board and riser
card’s jumper settings (refer to Jumper Settings in
Chapter 2).

5. Mount the riser card onto the chassis.

6. Install the CPU and the system memory.

7. Install the system board into the chassis and make all
necessary case connections.

8. Connect any ISA and/or PCI add-on peripherals to
the slots on the riser card.

9. Connect any optional devices.

10. Turn the computer on and press the <F2> key when
you see the screen shown in Figure 1.1.

11. Set the time and date. Adjust the BIOS settings to
match your configuration. If installing an IDE drive,
select the IDE device you wish to configure. Press
ENTER with Autotype Fixed Disk selected and the

Cyclone System Board Manual

9

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen

BIOS will automatically configure the drive for you
(refer to Chapter 4).

12. After you have configured the Main Setup menu,
make any desired setting configurations in the Ad­vanced and Security menu. When finished, go to the
exit screen, select “Save Changes and Exit” and you are
finished with the BIOS configuration (see Chapter 4).

13. Install the graphics device drivers (optional). Refer to
Chapter 5.

10

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Chapter

2

Configuring the Cyclone

Although the Cyclone system board is packaged in
materials that are designed to protect it from physical
damage and static electricity, it is important to use care
while unpacking the board and setting it up.

Static Electricity

The Cyclone is shipped from the factory in an antistatic
bag. To reduce the possibility of damage from static
discharge, it is important to neutralize any static charges
your body may have accumulated before handling the
board.

The best way to do this is to ground yourself using a
special antistatic wrist or ankle strap. If you do not have
an antistatic strap available, touch both of your hands to
a safely grounded object, such as the power supply or
chassis of a computer that is connected to the power
socket. After you have grounded yourself, ground the
Cyclone board via one of the solder pads that surround
its mounting holes. When you remove the Cyclone from
its packaging, place it on top of the antistatic bag, and
carefully inspect the board for damage which might have
occurred during shipment.

Environment Considerations

Make sure the finished computer system is in an area
with good ventilation. The system should not be in direct
sunlight, near heaters, or exposed to moisture, dust, or
dirt.

Cyclone System Board Manual

11

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Cyclone System Board

Figure 2-1. Cyclone System Board Diagram

Back Panel Connections (optional)

Figure 2-2: Back Panel Connections

12

Cyclone System Board Manual

Riser Card

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Figure 2-3: Cyclone Rise Card Diagram

Cyclone System Board Manual

13

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Jumper Settings

This section provides the jumper settings for the Cyclone system board.
Table 2-1 lists the Intel and AMD CPU speed settings and the jumper

settings that select these speeds.

CPU Speed Bus Speed W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7

75 MHz 50 x 1.5 Open Open Close 2-3 2-3 2-3

90 MHz 60 x 1.5 Open Open Close 1-2 2-3 2-3
100 MHz 66 x 1.5 Open Open Close 2-3 1-2 2-3
120 MHz 60 x 2.0 Close Open Open 1-2 2-3 2-3
133 MHz 66 x 2.0 Close Open Open 2-3 1-2 2-3
150 MHz 60 x 2.5 Close Close Open 1-2 2-3 2-3
166 MHz 66 x 2.5 Close Close Open 2-3 1-2 2-3
180 MHz 60 x 3.0 Open Close Open 1-2 2-3 2-3

200 MHz*

233 MHz 66 x 3.5 Open Open Open 2-3 1-2 2-3
266 MHz 66 x 4.0 Close Open Close 2-3 1-2 2-3

66 x 3.0 Open Close Open 2-3 1-2 2-3

Table 2-1: System Speed Selection

Table 2-2 lists the jumper settings to set the CPU voltage for
the following processors: Intel P54, P55 and AMD K5-166,
K5-200, K6-166, K6-200 and K6-233. NOTE: The AMD

K6-233MHz has two versions of voltages (2.2V and 3.2V).

CPU Voltage W16 W17 W18 W23 W24

3.5V (P54C, P55CTB,
K5-166, K5-200)

2.8V (P55C) Close Open Open Open Open

2.9V (K6-166, K6-200) Open Close Open Open Open

3.2V (K6-233)*

2.2V (K6-233, K6-266)

*Default Setting

14

Table 2-2: CPU Voltage Selection

Cyclone System Board Manual

Open Open Open Close Open

Open Open Close Open Open
Open Open Open Open Close

For jumper
groups W16­W18 and
W23-W24,
make sure
that only

one jumper

out of each
group is set
to ON
before
applying
power.

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Table 2-3 lists the settings to clear the CMOS. With your computer's
power off, close pins 2-3, wait ten seconds and place the jumper back
on pins 1-2. (The jumper must be placed back on pins 1-2 for the
system to function properly.)

NOTE: This will reset all BIOS default settings. Any changes you have
made will be lost.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

11W)tluafed(lamroN

SOMCraelC

Table 2-3: Clear CMOS Settings

2-1
3-2

Table 2-4 lists the settings for the onboard graphics. Disable jumpers
W1 and W22 if you want to use your own VGA card.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

1W

22W

Table 2-4: Onboard Graphics Settings

delbasiDAGVlanretnI

delbasiDAGVlanretnI

NO

)tluafed(delbanEAGVlanretnI

FFO

2-1

)tluafed(delbanEAGVlanretnI

3-2

Table 2-5 lists the settings for the Linear or Interleave Burst Mode.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

01W)DMA,letnI(edoMtsruBevaelretnI

xiryC

T ab le 2-5: Burst Mode Settings

Cyclone System Board Manual

FFO

NO

15

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Table 2-6 lists the settings to enable or disable the optional onboard sound.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

41W)tluafed(dnuoSelbanE

dnuoSelbasiD

T able 2-6: Onboard Sound Selection

2-1
3-2

Table 2-7 lists the settings to enable or disable the optional onboard
wavetable.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

31W)tluafed(elbatevaWelbanE

elbatevaWelbasiD

T able 2-7: Onboard Wa vetable Selection

NO

FFO

16

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Table 2-8 lists the Cyclone connectors and their functions.

rotcennoCnoitcnuFsetoN

3J-2JstekcoSMMIDdereffubnUV3.3
4JrotcennoCnaFUPC
5JrotcennoCsissahC
6J)1MOC(troPlaireSSOMCehttadelbasidebnaC

neercsnoitarugifnoc

7J)2MOC(troPlaireSSOMCehttadelbasidebnaC

neercsnoitarugifnoc

8JrotcennoCtroPlellaraPSOMCehttadelbasidebnaC

neercsnoitarugifnoc
01JrotcennoCerutaeF
11JrotcennoCAGV
21JrotcennoCoiduADCcinosanaP
31JrotcennoCoiduADCIPATA
41JrotcennoCoiduADCimustiM
51JrotcennoCoiduAmedoMlanoitpO
61JrotcennoCoiduAmedoM
71JnIoiduADCIPATA
81JIDIM/troPemaG

tuOeniL,nIeniL,nICIM
02JrotcennoCdraobyeK2/SP
12JrotcennoCesuoM2/SP
22JrotcennoCBSU0troPBSU
32JrotcennoCBSU1troPBSU

T able 2-8: Cyclone Connector Settings

Cyclone System Board Manual

leveLreppU
leveLrewoL

17

Chapter 2: Configuring the Cyclone

Table 2-9 lists the riser card connectors and their functions.

rotcennoCnoitcnuFsetoN

9JrotcennoCEDIyramirP

01JrotcennoCEDIyradnoceS
21JrotcennoCyppolF
41JrotcennoCrewoPXTA
22JDELISCSevitcAISCS-3,2;CN-4,1

tuptuO
43JnaFesaC
63JrekaepSCP;CN-3,2;tuptuOrekaepS-1

dnuorG-4

73JsrotcennoClenaPtnorF

"DELDDHevitisoP-2;evitageN-1
"hctiwSteseRevitageN-5;evitisoP-3
"DELrewoPevitisoP-6;evitageN-4

18

"hctiwSrewoPevitageN-8;evitisoP-7
"hctiwSpeelSevitageN-01;evitisoP-9

T able 2-9: Riser Card Connector Settings

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Chapter

3

Installing the Cyclone

Introduction

This chapter explains how to install the Cyclone system
board, memory, CPU and peripherals.

WARNING: Before installing or removing any peripherals
or components, make sure you have a clear work space and
that you adhere to all antistatic precautions described in
Chapter 1. Micronics recommends that only trained techni­cians install and configure the system board.

Damage which occurs to the board while adding or removing
peripherals or components may void the warranty. If prob­lems arise while installing peripherals, contact the computer
dealer where you purchased the peripheral or Micronics’
Technical Support Department.

System Memory Support

The flexibility of the Cyclone is augmented by its sup­port for EDO and SDRAM memory. SDRAM speed and
synchronous operation have enabled the breakthrough
in memory-systems design needed to meet the demands
of fast high-performance processors.

SDRAM improves bandwidth to main memory because
all address, data and control signals are synchronized
with a system clock. With all operations synchronized,
system wait states are eliminated, thus providing in­creased performance over conventional DRAM.

Cyclone System Board Manual

19

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Installing the Cyclone

Installation of the Cyclone system board depends on the
type of case you use. The Cyclone is designed for the new
NLX form factor and must be installed in an NLX chassis.

There are no tools required to install the Cyclone system
board. The dockable system board simply slides into the
chassis and inserts into the chassis riser card (refer to
“Installing the Cyclone” in Chapter 1 for step by step
instructions). A special I/O shield is provided and attaches
to the system board via the jack screws on the parallel and
serial connectors.

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with installing a system board,
Micronics highly recommends that you read the computer user’s
manual or contact your dealer’s technical support department.

Equipment Required

You cannot
use a riser
card other
than the
one
supplied
with the
Cyclone
system
board.

Micronics recommends using the following equipment with
the Cyclone for a typical configuration:

❏ NLX chassis with standard hardware.
❏ A high-quality ATX power supply capable of providing

continuous power within a 3 volt range. A power filter
may be used with a noisy AC power source.

❏ Standard PS/2 style mouse and keyboard.
❏ Eight ohm speaker.
❏ Standard ribbon cables for internal connections.
❏ Standard power cord (grounded).
❏ I/O Shield (included).

20

Cyclone System Board Manual

For long term
reliability,
Micronics
recommends
using
DIMMs with
gold-plated
contacts.
The use of
tin-plated
contacts
may conflict
with the gold
alloy on the
DIMM
socket.

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

System Memory

System memory is necessary to operate the Cyclone system
board. The Cyclone has two 3.3V unbuffered
64-bit, 168-pin DIMM sockets for a maximum of 256MB of
memory. Support is provided for EDO and SDRAM
memory. This section list the rules for adding memory to
the Cyclone, give some examples of common memory
configurations and show how to physically install the
memory.

Adding Memory

The following is a list of rules to follow when installing
DIMMs. If you follow these rules, your upgrade should be
trouble-free:

❏ Use 10ns or faster SDRAM or 70ns or faster EDO

DIMMs.

❏ DIMM memory modules support EDO and SDRAM

(unbuffered) memory types.

❏ Singled-sided and double-sided memory modules are

supported.

❏ Upgrade DIMMs one bank at a time. Start with Bank

0, then Bank 1 (one DIMM per bank).

❏ Different memory types and sizes in separate banks

will cause the performance of the memory to run at
the speed of the slowest RAM installed and/or cause
operating system stability problems.

one

bank

168-Pin DIMM

Cyclone System Board Manual

21

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Memory Configurations

The following table lists the most common memory con­figurations. The memory available depends on the
number of DIMMs installed.

Memory DIMM 0 DIMM 1

16MB 2MBx64
32MB 4MBx64
32MB 2MBx64 2MBx64
48MB 2MBx64 4MBx64
64MB 8MBx64
64MB 4MBx64 4MBx64

22

80MB 2MBx64 8MBx64

96MB 4MBx64 8MBx64
128MB 8MBx64 8MBx64
128MB 16MBx64
256MB 16MBx64 16MBx64

Table 3-1: Memory Configurations

Cyclone System Board Manual

Install
DIMMs one
bank at a
time. Start
with Bank
0, then
Bank 1
(one DIMM
per bank).

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Installing DIMMs

To install the DIMMs, locate the memory banks on the
system board and perform the following steps:

1. Hold the DIMM so that the notched edge is aligned
with the notch on the DIMM socket (Figure 3-2).

2. Insert the DIMM at a 90 degree angle.

3. Gently push the DIMM straight down until it locks
into place (past the release tabs).

Figure 3-1: Installing a 168-Pin DIMM

Removing DIMMs

To remove DIMMs, follow the steps below:

1. With both thumbs (or fingers), press the release tabs
away from the socket.

2. With the DIMM free from the release tabs, lift the
module up and place in an antistatic bag or package.

Cyclone System Board Manual

23

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Installing a CPU

The Cyclone is designed to support single Pentium
processors. Follow the steps below to install a processor:

1. Turn off the computer and remove its cover.

2. Locate the ZIF socket illustrated in Figure 2-1.

3. Lift the lever of the socket.

4. Locate pin 1 on the processor and pin 1 on the socket
(refer to Figure 2-1). Gently place the processor into
the socket, making sure pin 1 on the processor and
pin 1 on the socket are aligned.

5. Push the lever down until it locks into place.

6. Make sure the speed and the voltage selection
jumpers are set correctly (refer to Chapter 2 - Jumper
Settings).

WARNING: Pentium processors require a heat-sink with a
cooling fan. Failure to provide adequate cooling of the
processor may seriously affect system performance or cause
permanent damage to the processor.

NOTE: The heatsink mounting spring can be directly mounted
on the ZIF Socket 7.

24

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Installing a PCI Peripheral Card

Micronics PCI slots accommodate all PCI peripherals
that meet the PCI 2.1 specifications. Follow the steps
below to install a PCI card:

1. Turn the computer system off and remove its cover.

2. Choose an unused PCI slot and remove the slot
cover.

3. Insert the card with the bottom edge level to the slot.

Never insert the card at an angle.

4. Carefully push the card straight down, making sure
the card is fully inserted.

5. Replace the screw which holds the card in place.

6. Replace the computer cover.

7. Refer to the PCI card’s documentation additional
instructions regarding installation and software driv­ers.

Figure 3-2: Installing a PCI Card

Cyclone System Board Manual

25

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Installing an ISA Peripheral Card

Micronics ISA slots accommodate all standard ISA pe­ripherals. Follow the steps below to install an ISA card:

1. Turn the computer system off and remove its cover.

2. Choose an unused ISA slot and remove the slot
cover.

3. Insert the card with the bottom edge level to the slot.

Never insert the card at an angle.

4. Carefully push the card straight down, making sure
the card is inserted fully.

5. Replace the screw that holds the card in place.

6. Replace the computer cover.

7. Refer to the ISA card’s documentation for additional
instructions regarding installation and software driv­ers.

26

Figure 3-3: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Connecting the Sound (optional)

You can connect external sound devices to your Cyclone
system board to take advantage of the optional sound
support (refer to Figure 2.2). The sound option includes
16-bit stereo sound and a game and MIDI port. See
Chapter 5 for information on installing sound device
drivers.

Connecting Sound Devices

Figure 3-4: Connecting External Sound Devices

Game/MIDI

You can use the Game/MIDI Port connector to connect
an IBM PC compatible joystick or MIDI instrument.

MIC IN

The MIC IN jack will accommodate a 300-600 ohm
microphone.

Cyclone System Board Manual

27

Chapter 3: Installing the Cyclone

Line In

You may connect an external mono or stereo audio
source to the audio controller, such as a tape player or
radio. Use the appropriate converter cable to interface
to your external equipment.

Line Out

The Line Out jack allows you to connect the audio output
of the audio controller to your home stereo, VCR, or
amplified speakers.

Connecting the Graphics (optional)

The Cyclone comes with a VGA video connector. The 64­bit graphics processor supports up to 4MB of memory
shared with the system. The graphics processor provides
high-speed acceleration in all graphic modes and sup­ports up to 1280x1024 resolution.

Connecting the Video Cable

1. Turn the computer system off.

2. Locate the monitor's power switch and make sure it
is turned OFF.

3. If you have not already done so, plug the 15-pin
connector end of your video cable into the video
socket on the back of your monitor. Then tighten the
two thumbscrews on the cable connector.

4. Plug the other end of the video cable into the video
socket on the Cyclone and tighten the thumbscrews
(see Figure 2.1).

See Chapter 5 for information on installing video device
drivers.

28

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Chapter

4

The BIOS Setup Utility

Configuration

After the Cyclone system board and all hardware is
installed, the system is ready for configuration. Before
turning on the computer, make sure all cables are cor­rectly connected and all jumpers are correctly set.

We recommend that you keep the computer cover off the
first time you boot the system. This makes it faster and
easier to correct any difficulties that might arise.

Initial Boot Up

Power up the Cyclone. If the system does not properly
boot, check all your cables and peripherals for bad
connections. You may also get beep codes or error
messages. If this occurs, consult Appendix B for a guide
to possible solutions.

After the system properly boots, it is ready to be config­ured. The following information explains the proper
procedures for BIOS configuration.

Setup

The Setup program is used to configure the computer’s
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). The computer’s
BIOS is responsible for configuring the system board and
providing hardware information to the operating system.
In order for the computer to run properly, run the Setup
procedure after first installing the system board and
whenever you make a hardware change to the system.

Cyclone System Board Manual

29

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

When the system is turned on, it performs a memory test,
and a BIOS identification and system information screen
is displayed on your monitor, as shown in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1: Power-Up Screen

When “Press <F2> to enter Setup” appears at the
bottom of the screen, press the <F2> key to start the
Setup program. The main CMOS Setup utility screen
(Figure 4-2) appears. Note that the Setup program can
only be activated during the boot sequence.

30

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Running the Setup Procedure

The Cyclone system board has six primary CMOS con­figuration screens: Main Screen, Advanced Screen,
Security Screen, Power Screen, Boot Screen and Exit
Screen. To toggle between the screens, press the right
arrow <→> and the left arrow < ←> keys.

Setting the Main Screen

The CMOS Main screen is used to set the time and date,
to set the floppy drive types, to configure IDE hard disks
and to configure the video. This chapter explains how to
configure each of these categories. To move between the
categories, use the up and down arrow <↑/↓> keys.

Figure 4-2: CMOS Main Screen

Cyclone System Board Manual

31

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

System Time and Date

To set the Time, use the <-> key to decrease the number
and the <+> key to increase the number. To move the
prompt forward, use the <Tab> key; to move the prompt
backward, use the <Shift-Tab> key. To set the Date,
use the up and down arrows<↑/↓> to highlight the
System Date and follow the same procedure used to set
the Time.

Legacy Diskette A or B

To configure a floppy drive added to or removed from
your computer, use the up and down arrow keys <↑/↓>
to select the desired drive. Use the <+/-> keys to change
the setting until it matches the floppy drive you installed.
The BIOS supports 2.88MB, 1.44/1.25MB, 1.2MB,
720KB, and 360KB floppy drives.

NOTE: The 1.25MB, 3 1/2” option references a 1024
byte/sector Japanese media format. Support for this for­mat requires a 3 1/2” 3-Mode floppy disk drive.

Primary and Secondary IDE Devices

If you are setting up a SCSI hard disk, select None in the
IDE Device parameters (see your SCSI card manual for
more details). To install an IDE device, select the device
to configure and press ENTER. An IDE Device submenu
will appear (see Figure 4-3).

Memory Cache

This selection allows you to enable the external memory
cache. For optimal performance, select Enabled (de­fault).

32

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Boot Options

This selection controls the system bootup options. Press
the ENTER key to enter the Boot Options submenu. You
can set the power-on state for the Numlock feature.
Setting Numlock to Auto (default) activates Numlock if
the BIOS detects a numeric keyboard. Setting the Floppy
Check selection for Enabled (default) will check for the
floppy disk type on bootup.

System Memory

The System Memory category identifies the size of the
base memory. It cannot be changed.

Extended Memory

The Extended Memory category automatically detects
the amount of memory installed above the amount in the
System Memory category. Because the BIOS automati­cally calculates the amount of memory installed in your
system, you cannot change this category without adding
or removing memory.

Cyclone System Board Manual

33

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Figure 4-3: IDE Device Submenu

Type

This category selects the drive type installed in the
system. The options are Auto (default), User and None.
If Autotype Fixed Disk does not find your drive’s param­eters, fill this information in manually under the User
category. This information may be in the manual which
came with your system. If not, contact your dealer or the
hard drive manufacturer to fill in this category. If you are
using a SCSI hard drive, select None and refer to the
documentation which came with the SCSI adapter.

Multiple-Sector Transfers

This category determines the number of sectors per block
for multiple sector transfers. The options are Auto,
Disabled (default), 2 Sectors, 4 Sectors, 6 Sectors, 8
Sectors and 16 Sectors.

34

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

LBA Mode Control

Enabling this selection causes LBA (Logical Block Ad­dressing) to be used in place of Cylinders, Heads and
Sectors. The default setting is Disabled.

32-Bit I/O

This category allows you to enable the 32-bit I/O function
of the PCI IDE controller. Select Disabled if your drive
will not run at this speed. The default setting is Enabled.

Transfer Mode

This category sets the transfer speeds for IDE devices.
The options are: Standard (default), Fast PIO 1, Fast PIO
2, Fast PIO 3 and Fast PIO 4 . The Fast PIO options are
for higher speed devices, with Fast PIO 4 being the fastest
mode.

Ultra DMA Mode

This option will enable or disable the Ultra DMA/33
feature. Ultra DMA/33 is a hard drive interface protocol
that increases the burst data transfer rate to 33MBytes
per second.

Cyclone System Board Manual

35

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Setting the Advanced Screen

To move to the Advanced screen, use the left and right
arrow keys <←/→> keys until you see the screen below.

Figure 4-4: Advanced Screen

Peripheral Configuration

To configure an I/O device, press ENTER. The Periph­eral Configuration submenu appears (see Figure 4-5).

USB Device

Use this selection to enable or disable support for USB
devices.

Local Bus IDE Adapter

Enables or disables the integrated Local Bus IDE adapter.
The IDE controller may be set for Primary, Both (default)
or Disabled.

36

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

PS/2 Mouse

When disabled, this selection prevents the PS/2 mouse
from functioning and frees up IRQ12. Selecting Enabled
(default) allows the operating system to determine whether
to enable or disable the mouse.

Video Share Memory

Sets the amount of memory to assign for video memory.
The default is 1MB.

Integrated Sound Card

Enable or disable the optional integrated sound interface.
The default setting is Enabled.

Secured Setup Configuration

Select Yes if you want the system settings to be secured
from change by a Plug and Play operating system. The
default setting is No.

Large Disk Access Mode

If you are using a Microsoft operating system (MS-DOS,
Windows or NT) or any other form of DOS (Novell DOS
or PC-DOS), set to DOS (default). If you are using other
operating systems such as OS/2 or Unix, set to OTHER.

Plug and Play OS

This selection, when set to Yes (default), allows the
system to work with a Plug and Play operating system
such as Windows 95. NOTE: This selection should be set
to No when using Windows 3.1 or Windows NT.

PCI Configuration

Use this selection for additional setup menus to configure
IRQ’s for legacy ISA devices.

Cyclone System Board Manual

37

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Reset Configuration Data

Select Yes to reset Extended System Configuration Data
(ESCD) when you exit Setup. This selection allows the
PnP BIOS to detect your PCI and ISA PnP devices and
reallocate resources to them. The default setting is No.

Figure 4-5: Advanced Screen Submenu

Serial Port A and Serial Port B

Serial Port A and B may be configured using the following
options: Disabled (No configuration), Enabled (User
configuration), Auto (BIOS configuration) and O/S Con­trolled (O/S configuration. You can also set the Base I/O
Address and Interrupt. NOTE: When set for Enabled, the
grayed out options are available.

Parallel Port

The parallel port may be configured using the following
options: Disabled (No configuration), Enabled (User
configuration), Auto (BIOS configuration) and PnP
O/S (O/S configuration). You can also set the parallel
port mode, Base I/O Address, Interrupt, DMA Channel

38

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

and EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) type . NOTE: When
set for Enabled, the grayed out options are available.

Floppy Disk Controller

The selection allows you to enable or disable the floppy
disk controller. The default is Enabled.

DMA Clock Select

The selection allows you to select the DMA clock for 1
Bus Clock or 1/2 Bus Clock.

Security Screen

The Security screen controls access to the computer.
The security screen allows for settings of two passwords.
The Supervisor Password allows access to the system and
Setup. The User Password allows access to the system,
but not to all Setup features.

Figure 4-6: Security Setup Screen

Cyclone System Board Manual

39

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Set User Password

This selection controls access to the Setup utility. Press
the ENTER key to enter the User Password submenu.
The following screen appears:

Figure 4-7: Supervisor Password Submenu

Type the password and press the ENTER key. Retype the
password and press the ENTER key again. Write down
the password somewhere safe so it will not be forgotten.
The password may be disabled by setting the new pass­word to nothing (pressing the ENTER key without first
typing a password).

NOTE: After a password is entered, it is saved immediately.
All other changes may still be discarded (see Exit Screen).

Set Supervisor Password

This selection controls access to the Setup utility. Follow
the same procedure used to set the User Password.

WARNING: If you forget the Supervisor Password, it cannot
be disabled without discharging the CMOS.

40

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Password on Boot

When enabled, the system requires a password upon
power up. Either the Supervisor or User Password may be
entered. The default setting is Disabled.

Fixed Disk Boot Sector

This selection allows the boot sector of the fixed disk to
be write protected. The default setting is Normal. When
set for Write Protected, it serves as a form of virus
protection. If the passwords are enabled, this option may
only be changed by the Supervisor.

Diskette Access

This selection allows floppy disk access with an option of
the supervisor or user. Selecting Supervisor gives floppy
disk access to the supervisor only. Selecting User (de­fault) gives floppy disk access to both the user and the
supervisor. If the passwords are enabled, this option may
only be changed by the Supervisor.

Cyclone System Board Manual

41

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Power Screen

The Power Screen controls the power management func­tions of the system. To move to the Power Screen, use the
left and right arrow <←/→> keys until it appears. To
move between the categories, use the up and down arrow
keys <↑/↓>.

Figure 4-8: Power Screen

Power Savings

This selection allows you to change the system power
management settings. Maximum Power Savings con­serves the greatest amount of system power. Maximum
Performance conserves power but allows greatest system
performance. To alter these settings, choose Customize
(default). To turn off power management, choose Dis­abled.

42

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Standby Time-out

The Standby Time-out selection sets the amount of time
that elapses for the system to enter Standby Mode.
Standby Mode turns off various devices in the system,
including the display screen, until you start using the
system again. The options are Off (default), 1 min., 2
min., 4 min., 6 min., 8 min., 12 min. or 16 min.

Auto Suspend Time-out

The Standby Time-out selection sets the amount of time
that elapses for the system to enter Suspend Mode. The
options are Off (default), 5 min., 10 min., 15 min., 20
min., 30 min., 40 min. or 60 min. Before making changes,
"Customized" must be selected in the Power Manage­ment Mode selection.

Hard Disk Time-out

This selection sets the amount of time that elapses before
the hard disk enters spin-down mode to conserve power.
Before making changes, "Customized" must be selected
in the Power Management Mode selection. The options
are Disabled (default), 10 sec., 15 sec., 30 sec., 45 sec., 1
min., 2 min., 4 min., 6 min., 8 min., 10 min. and 15 min.

Resume On Modem Ring

When this feature is turned On, the system will wake up
from Suspend mode when an incoming call is detected on
your modem. Before making changes, “Customized” must
be selected in the Power Management Mode category.
The default setting is Off. NOTE: This option does not
require a special modem.

Cyclone System Board Manual

43

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Modem IRQ

Select an IRQ setting for the Modem On Ring selection.

Resume On Time

When this feature is turned On, the system counts down
to zero and awakes from Standby or Suspend mode.
Before making changes, “Customized” must be selected
in the Power Management Mode category. The default
setting is Off.

Power-On Modem Ring

When enabled, this selection allows the system to power
up when an incoming call is detected on your external
modem. The default setting is Disabled.

Programmable Power On

When this selection is enabled, you can set the date and
time for the system to wake up. The default setting is
Disabled. Before making changes, "Customized" must be
selected in the Power Management Mode selection.

Resume Date and Time

Set the date and time when the system is to wake up. The
Programmable Power On selection must be enabled.

Activity Event

Selecting this option opens the submenu to configure
IRQ’s for an Activity Event. Selecting an IRQ causes the
system to wake up from a power savings mode if any
activity occurs at that IRQ.

44

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Boot Screen

The Boot screen allows you to configure the power up
system configuration settings. To move to the Boot
Screen, use the left and right arrow <←/→> keys until
it appears. To move between the categories, use the up
and down arrow keys <↑/↓>.

Figure 4-8: Boot Screen

Boot Device Priority

This selection allows you to configure the boot order for
the diskette drive (default), hard drive or CD-ROM.

Hard Drive

This selection lists the available bootable devices.

Cyclone System Board Manual

45

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Exit Screen

After you complete configuring the BIOS, select the Exit
screen. To move to the Exit Screen, use the left and right
arrow <←/→> keys until it appears. To move between
the categories, use the up and down arrow keys <↑/↓>.

Figure 4-10: Exit Screen

Choose “Save Changes and Exit” and reboot the com­puter. Your computer is ready for use.

46

Cyclone System Board Manual

Chapter 5: Installing Device Drivers

Chapter

5

Installing Device Drivers

This chapter explains how to install the software device
drivers and utilities necessary to utilize the sound and
graphics support. Other drivers and utilities are available
through our online services.

About Device Drivers

Device drivers are necessary for the computer system to
communicate with devices such as CD-ROM drives,
sound controllers, graphics adapters or devices that are
not natively supported by the system BIOS. Once started,
device drivers remain active in the background of the
computer system. Usually a device driver is added to the
CONFIG.SYS file, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file or both.

Installing the Sound Drivers

Once you have connected your external sound devices,
you can install the sound drivers. NOTE: If you are
installing a CD-ROM drive, it is recommended you
install it before setting up the sound devices. See Install­ing a CD-ROM Drive in Chapter 3.

1. Follow the instructions in Chapter 3 on connecting
external sound devices.

2. If you previously installed another sound card, re­move it and all associated files. If you are using Win­dows 3.1x, you must also remove all associated files
from the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files. (For more
information, please contact the sound driver manu­facturer.)

3. Start your computer system.

Cyclone System Board Manual

47

Chapter 5: Installing Device Drivers

4. Insert the sound driver CD into your CD-ROM drive.

5. If you are using Windows 95, you will be prompted to
install the drivers the first time you boot the system.

6. If you are using Windows NT, refer to the README
file on the CD for instructions on how to install sound
drivers.

7. Once the software is copied, the install program auto­matically updates the system files.

Installing the Graphics Drivers

Windows 95

1. Start Microsoft Windows 95. The New Hardware
Found screen appears.

2. Insert the Cyclone Drivers and Utilities CD into
your CD-ROM drive.

3. From the New Hardware Found screen, select the
Driver From Disk Provided by Hardware Manufac­turer option. Click on Next.

4. Type in the driver location: D:\ (where D is the CD­ROM drive letter). Click on OK.

5. Windows 95 copies the Cyclone video drivers and
utilities to your hard drive.

48

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Appendix

A

Specifications

Part Number: Cyclone - 09-00339-xx

Riser Card - 09-00345-xx

Processor: Single ZIF Socket 7 support for:

Intel Pentium chip - 75-200MHz
Intel Pentium chip w/ MMX
166/233MHz
AMD-K5 PR75 to PR200
AMD-K6 166 to 266MHz
Integrated VRM/Switching Regulator

CPU Clock Select: Frequency synthesizer chip

Support for 50, 60 & 66MHz CPU
bus

Chipset: SIS 5597

SMC FDC37C669x Ultra I/O chip

Form Factor: NLX form factor (9”x10”)

Four layer board

Expansion: Two 32-bit PCI slots

Two 16-bit ISA slots
(One is a shared PCI/ISA slot)
Riser Card

BIOS: Phoenix 4.06 BIOS on 2MB Flash

PCI auto configuration
Plug and Play ready
Auto detection of memory size
Auto detection of EDO and SDRAM
memory.
Auto detection of IDE hard disk types
Soft Power Down
Wake-On-Ring (w/external modem)
DMI 2.0 / SMI
Multi-boot II

Cyclone System Board Manual

49

Appendix A: Technical Information

Memory Capacity: Maximum memory - 256MB

Two unbuffered 64/72 bit, 168-pin DIMM sockets
Supports EDO and SDRAM memory

Keyboard/Mouse: PS/2 style keyboard and mouse connectors

External Cache: 512K Pipeline Burst SRAM

Graphics: SIS 5597 chipset

Up to 2.5MB using system memory
Maximum Resolution: 1024x768x256

Sound: Yamaha OPL3-SA2
(Optional) Sound Blaster compatible 16-bit stereo sound

Yamaha OPL4ML wavetable synthesis (optional)
4-pin CD-ROM audio header (MPC-2)
4-pin modem header (ATAPI)
4-pin Line-in header (ATAPI)
Sound drivers (Windows 95 and Windows NT)

I/O Ports: Two high speed serial ports (16550 compatible)

One 25-pin Parallel Port with ECP and EPP
Two USB connectors

Floppy Port: Supports 720K - 2.88MB formats

Auto detection of add-in floppy controllers

PCI IDE Ports: Ultra DMA/33 IDE

Mode 4 Enhanced IDE w/ Bus Mastering
Two 40-pin IDE connectors (Primary and
Secondary IDE).
Multiple sector transfer support
Auto detection of add-in IDE board

50

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Environmental Specifications

The environment in which the Cyclone is located is critical.
Micronics recommends the following environmental specifica­tions:

Temperature Range

Operating: 50 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 40 degrees
Celsius).

Non -Operating: 50 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 60 degrees
Celsius).

Shipping: -22 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 to 60 degrees
Celsius).

Relative Humidity

Operating: 20% to 80%.
Non-Operating: 5% to 90%.

Cyclone System Board Manual

51

Appendix A: Technical Information

Battery Disposal

WARNING:

Please do not open battery, dispose of in fire, recharge, put in
backwards or mix with used or other battery types. The battery
may explode or leak and cause personal injury.

52

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Support and Information Services

Micronics offers a variety of support and information
services to help you get the most from your product. The
following services are available:

▲ Technical Support
▲ Electronic Bulletin Board Service (BBS)
▲ Return Materials Authorization (RMA)
▲ Fax-On-Demand
▲ World Wide Web
▲ Customer Service

Refer to Table A-1 for details on these services.

Technical Support

If you need technical assistance, our Technical Support
Engineers will be glad to help you. You can contact us via
telephone, fax or BBS. Before calling Technical Support
please have the following information ready:

❏ The model name and 09 part number of your

Micronics product, which is silk screened on the face of
the Cyclone system board.

❏ Your computer information such as CPU type, operating

system, amount of installed memory and other peripher­als installed in your computer.

❏ Try to call from the location of your computer.

NOTE: For Return Material Authorization purposes, please
keep a copy of your product receipt.

Cyclone System Board Manual

53

Appendix A: Technical Information

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54

Table A-1: Support and Information Services

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix B: POST Messages

Appendix

B

POST Messages

The following table lists the Power On Self Test (POST)
messages, possible causes and solutions.

Message Possible Cause Solution

DISKETTE DRIVE A
FAILURE

DISKETTE DRIVE B
FAILURE

EXTENDED RAM
FAILED AT
OFFSET: nnnn

FAILING BITS: nnnn

FIXED DISK X
FAILURE (where X
=0 or 1)

FIXED DISK
CONTROLLER
FAILURE

INCORR E C T DR I V E
A TYPE

INCORR E C T DR I V E
B TYPE

INVALID NVRAM
MEDIA TYPE

KEYBOARD
ERROR, or
KEYBOARD
CONTROLLER
ERROR

KEYBOARD
ERROR nn

KEYBOARD
LOCKED

Drive A failed or is
missing.

Drive B failed or is
missing.

Extended memory not
working or configur ed
properly.

Memory failure in
System, Extended, or
Shadow memo ry.

The hard disk is not
configured or working
properly.

The control ler card has
failed.

Floppy dri ve A: not set
correctly in Setup.

Floppy dri ve A: not set
correctly in Setup.

NVRAM chip is bad. Requires repair of system

The keyboard or
keyboard controller
failed.

A key is jammed or was
held down during boot.

Keyswitch on the front of
the case is locked.

Check Setup and cable
connections.

Check Setup and cable
connections.

Replace defective
memory.

Replace defective
memory.

Rerun SETUP and check
connections, or replace
hard disk.

Check configuration and
connections, or replace
controller card.

Run Setup.

Run Setup.

board.
Check connections. You

may have to replace the
keyboard or controller.

Make sure the keys are
not jamm ed or dirty.

Unlock the keyswitch.

Cyclone System Board Manual

55

Appendix B: POST Messages

Message Possible Cause Solution

MONITOR TYPE
DOES NOT MATCH
CMOS

OPERATING
SYSTEM NOT
FOUND

PARITY CHECK 1
nnnn

PARITY CHECK 2
nnnn

PREVIOUS BOOT
INCOMPLETE ­DEFAULT
CONFIGURATION
USED

REAL TIME CLOCK
ERROR

SHADOW RAM
FAILED AT OF F SET

SYSTEM BATT ERY
IS DEAD

SYSTEM CACHE
ERROR - CACHE
DISABLED

SYSTEM CMOS
CHECKSUM BAD ­RUN SETUP

SYSTEM RAM
FAILED AT
OFFSET: nnnn

SYSTEM TIMER
ERROR

Monitor type not
correctly ident ified in
Setup.

Operating system
cannot be located on
Drive C: or Drive A:

Parity error found in the
system bus.

Parity error found in the
I/O bus.

Previous POST did not
complete successfully.

Real-time clock failed
BIOS test .

Shadow RAM faile d. May require repair of

System battery died. Replace the system

External (L2) c ache
failed BIOS test.

System CMOS has been
corrupted or modified
incorrectly.

System RAM failed. Replace de fective RAM.

Timer test fail ed. Requires repair of system

Run Setup and ent er
correct monitor type.

Check Setup to see if
Drive A: and C: are
properly configured, or
put a bootable disk in
Drive A:

Check Setup. B oard
repair may be required.

Check Setup. B oard
repair may be required.

Run Setup, load default
BIOS settings, make any
necessary adjustments,
and save the changes

May require battery
replacement or board
repair.

system board.

battery and run Setup to
reconfigure t he s ystem.

System will still run, but
slower. Replac e cache
at convenience.

Run Setup and
reconfigure t he s ystem.

board.

56

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Appendix

C

Beep and POST Codes

Beep codes are a series of beeps sent through the speaker
which indicate a problem during the Power On Self Test
(POST). If text appears on the video screen, the Cyclone
has completed POST; any other tone from the speaker
indicates something other than a POST error. These
tones are not described in the tables on the following
pages.

The beep error codes are a series of beeps. The duration
of the beep tones are constant, but the length of the
pauses between the beeps varies. For example: a 1-3-3
beep code will sound like one beep, a pause; three beeps
consecutively, another pause and then three more beeps.

One beep code is often misunderstood. If a video card is
not installed or is failing, the system board will generate
a long-short-long-short beep code. This is often inter­preted as a 1-2-1 beep code. But POST errors always vary
in the length of the pause and not the duration of the beep
tone.

Another way of identifying a POST error is to use a device
called a POST card. This peripheral card is inserted into
one of the ISA slots and has an LED (or LCD) read out
showing the contents of port 80h.

The following tables list all beep codes and POST rou­tines.

Cyclone System Board Manual

57

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

02 Verify Re al M ode.
04 Get CPU type.
06 Initialize system hardware.
08 Initialize chip s et regis t ers w ith initial POST values.
09 Get in POST R eg.
0A Initialize C PU registers.

0C Initialize cache initial POST values.
OE Initialize I/O.
OF Initialize the localbus IDE.

10 Initialize Pow er M anagement.

11 Load alternate regi s t ers with initial POS T va l ues.

12 Jump to UserPatch0.

14 Initialize keyboard controller.

16 2-2-3 BIOS ROM check su m .

18 8254 timer initialization.

1A 8237 DMA contr o ller init ializat i on.
1C Reset Pr og rammable Interrupt Controller.

20 3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh.

22 3-1-3 Test 8742 Keybo ard Controller.

24 Set ES segment register to 4 GB.

28 Autosize DRAM.

2A Clear 512K bas e RAM.
2C 3-4-1 Test 512K base ad dress lines.

2E 3- 4- 3 Test 512K base memory .

32 Test CPU bus-clock frequency.

34 Test CMOS RAM.

35 Initialize altern at e c hipset registers.

37 Reinitialize the c hipset (MB only).

38 Shadow system BIOS ROM.

39 Reinitialize th e c ac he (MB only).

3A Autosize cache.
3C Configure advanced chi pset registers.
3D Load alt er nate regis t e rs with CMOS v al ues.

40 Set initial CPU speed.

42 Initialize interrupt vectors.

44 Initialize BIOS interrupts.

46 2-1-2-3 Check ROM copyright not i c e.

47 Initialize manager for PCI Option ROMs.

48 Check v ideo configuration against CMOS.

49 Initialize PCI bus and devices.

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Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

4A Initialize all video adapters in system.
4C Shadow video BIOS ROM.
4E Display copyright notice.
50 Display CPU type and speed.
51 Initialize EISA board.
52 Test keyboard.
54 Set key click if enabled.
56 Enable keyboard.
58 2-2-3-1 Test for unexpected interrupts.
5A Display prompt “Press F2 to enter SETUP”.
5C Test RAM between 512 and 640k.
60 Test extended memory.
62 Test extended memory address lines.
64 Jump to UserPatch1.
66 Configure advanced cache register s .
68 Enable external and CPU caches.
6A Display external cache size.
6C Display shadow message.
6E Display non-disposable segments.
70 Display error messages.
72 Check for configuration errors.
74 Test real-time clock.
76 Check for keyboard errors.
7C Set up hardware interrupt vect or s.
7E Test coprocessor if present.
80 Disable onboard I/O ports.
82 Detect and install extern al RS232 ports .
84 Detect and install extern al parall el ports .
86 Re-initialize on-board I/O ports.
88 Initialize BIOSData Area.
8A Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.
8C Initialize floppy controller.
90 Initialize hard-disk controller.
91 Initialize localbus hard-disk controller.
92 Jump to UserPatch2.
93 Build MPTABLE for multi - pr ocessor boar ds.
94 Disable A20 address line.
96 Clear huge ES segment register.
98 Search for option ROMs.
9A Shadow option ROMs.

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59

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

9C Set up Power Management.
9E Enable hardware interrupts.
A0 Set time of day.
A2 Check key lock.
A4 Initialize typ ematic rate.
A8 Erase F2 prompt.
AA Scan for F2 keystroke.
AC Enter SETUP.
AE Clear in-POST flag.
B0 Check for errors.
B2 POST done - prepare to boot operating system.
B4 One beep.
B6 Check password (optional).
B8 Clear global descriptor table.
BC Clear parity checkers.
BE Clear screen (optional).
BF Check virus and backup reminders .
C0 Try to boot with INT 19.
D0 Interrupt handler error.
D2 Unknown interrupt error.
D4 Pending Interrupt.
D6 Initialize optio n RO M error.
D8 Shutdown error.
DA Extended Block Move.

DC Shutdown 10 error .

The following are for boot bl ock in Flas h ROM:
E2 Initialize the chipset.
E3 Initialize refresh counter.
E4 Check for Forced Flash.
E5 Check HW status of ROM.
E6 BIOS ROM is OK.
E7 Do a complete RAM test.
E8 Do OEM initialization.
E9 Initialize interrupt controller.
EA Read in the bootstrap code.
EB Initialize all vectors.
EC Boot the Flash program.
ED Initialize the boot device.
EE Boot code was read OK.

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Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix D: Updating the System BIOS

Appendix

D

If you
encounter
any
problems
during this
process, or
if you have
questions
about the
procedure,
please call
Technical
Support.

Updating the System BIOS

The Micronics system boards are designed so that the
BIOS can be reprogrammed using a BIOS file. You can
easily FLASH a BIOS by following the steps below:

1. After downloading the appropriate BIOS file from
our BBS or Website, extract it to a bootable DOS
diskette.

2. Reboot your system with the DOS diskette in the A:
drive. To make sure a clean DOS environment is
loaded, press the F5 key while “Starting MS-DOS”
is displayed. After the system has rebooted, the
cursor will appear at the A:> prompt.

3. Now you can run the FLASH utility from the bootable
floppy disk. Refer to the README.TXT file in­cluded with the BIOS update for detailed instruc­tions.

4. After the update process has completed and the
system reboots, verify that the new BIOS version
appears on-screen. If you have problems during this
process, or if you have questions about the proce­dure, please call Technical Support.

NOTE: If you prefer to send your system board in for the
upgrade, the RMA department offers this service free of
charge if your system board is under warranty.

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61

Appendix D: Updating the System BIOS

62

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

Appendix

E

Limited Warranty

Except as described below, Micronics warrants the prod­ucts to be free from defects in material and workmanship
in normal use for a period of one (1) year from date of
purchase. Should any product fail to perform according to
this warranty at any time during the warranty period,
except as provided below, Micronics or its authorized
service centers will, at Micronics’ option, repair or replace
the product at no additional charge.

The warranty does not cover loss or damage which occurs
in shipment or which is due to: (1) improper installation
or maintenance, misuse, neglect or any cause other than
ordinary commercial application, including without limi­tation, accidents or acts of God; (2) adjustment, repair, or
modification by other than a Micronics authorized service
center; (3) improper environment, excessive or inad­equate heating or air conditioning, or electrical power
failures, surges or other irregularities; (4) any statement
about the product other than those set forth in this
warranty; or (5) nonconformity to models or samples
shown to the purchaser. Any models or samples were for
the sole purpose of suggesting the character of the product
and are not intended to form the basis of the bargain.

A receipt or copy of the invoice with the date of purchase
from a Micronics reseller is required before any warranty
service can be rendered. Service can be obtained by
calling Micronics for a Return Merchandise Authoriza­tion (RMA) Number.

The RMA Number should be prominently displayed on
the outside of the shipping carton of the returned product.
Returned product should be shipped prepaid or hand
carried to Micronics. The purchaser assumes risk of loss or
damage in transit, and unless otherwise agreed to in
writing by Micronics, will pay inbound shipping charges.

The exclusive remedy of the purchaser under this war­ranty above will be repair or replace at Micronics’ option,

Cyclone System Board Manual

63

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

but if for any reason that remedy should fail of its essential
purpose, the exclusive remedy of the purchaser shall then
be actual damages up to amounts paid for the defective
product by the purchaser. This limited warranty shall be
deemed to “fail of its essential purpose” if, after repeated
efforts, Micronics is unable to make the product operate as
warranted. Micronics’ liability for damages to the pur­chaser for any cause whatsoever; regardless of the form of
action and whether in contract or in tort, shall be limited
to the purchase price in effect when the cause of action
arose for the product that is the basis of the claim.

Micronics will not be liable for any lost profits or any
indirect, special incidental or consequential damages in
connection with the product, even if Micronics has been
advised of the possibility of such damages.

Micronics makes no warranties or representations as to
performance of products or as to service to distributor or
to any person, except as set forth in Micronics; limited
warranty accompanying delivery of product.

Micronics disclaims all other warranties whether oral,
written, expressed, or implied, including without limita­tion, the warranties of design, merchantability, or fitness
for a particular purpose, if applicable, or arising from a
course of dealing, usage or trade practice.

Non-Warranty Service

After the one year warranty service is no longer in effect,
repair service is still available for Micronics products. For
more information, contact Micronics’ RMA department
at [phone]. The RMA department is open be­tween 8:30 A.M. and 4:45P.M. Pacific Standard Time.

64

Cyclone System Board Manual

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

FCC Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply
within 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 used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Interfer­ence to radio or television reception can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on. You are encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:

▲ Reorient the receiving antenna.
▲ Increase the separation between the equipment and

the receiver.

▲ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit

different from that to which the receiver is con­nected.

▲ Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

To meet FCC requirements, shielded cables are required.

NOTE: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by
Micronics could void your authority to operate the equipment.

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65

Glossary

Glossary

16550 UART - A high speed chip for
controlling serial ports. Although un­necessary for a mouse, it is required for
modems that are 14,400 baud or faster.

APM - An acronym for Advanced
Power Management.

The APM speci­fication defines a layer of software
that supports power management
in computers with power manage­able hardware.

Asynchronous - Operations that do
not require the clocks of communicat­ing devices to be coordinated. See Syn­chronous.

Bidirectional Parallel Port - A type of
parallel port that can send and receive
information.

BIOS - An Acronym for Basic Input/
Output System. Configures the system
board and provides hardware informa­tion to the operating system.

Bit - A contraction of Binary digit.
The smallest unit of information in a
binary number system. A bit repre­sents a choice between either zero or
one.

Boot - To start up the computer and
load the operating system software. See
cold boot and warm boot.

Bus Mastering - The ability of a
peripheral card to control the bus with­out requiring intervention of the CPU.

Byte - A group of adjacent bits treated
as a unit. Eight bits are typically con­sidered one byte. Also called a charac­ter.

Cache - A process where information
is copied from the slower memory
(DRAM) to the faster memory
(SRAM). Information that is likely to
be read or edited is stored in the cache
providing significant performance in­creases.

Cache Hit - The percentage of request
for data from memory that can be
served from the cache.

Cache Miss - A memory access which
cannot be supplied from cache.

Cold Boot - Starting the computer by
turning on the power or pressing the
RESET button. A cold boot makes the
processor execute all of the diagnostics.
See boot and warm boot.

CPU - An acronym for Central Pro­cessing Unit. A CPU performs arith­metic calculations, makes logical
decisions, and directs the operation of
the computer in conjunction with the
operating system.

Bus - A group of electronic paths used
to send data between parts of the sys­tem. On a system board, the bus con­nects the peripheral cards with the mi­croprocessor via the expansion slots.

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Cyclone System Board Manual

DIMM - An acronym for Dual Inline
Memory Module. A small printed cir­cuit board containing memory chips.

Glossary

Disk Drive - A hardware device which
provides for the storage of data on dis­kettes or hard metal disks that have a
magnetic coating. A disk drive func­tions by spinning at high speed while
moving a device called the read/write
head across the disk’s surface in order
to read or write data in magnetic code.

DMI - An acronym for Desktop Man­agement Interface. DMI makes hard­ware inventory easier. It defines a for­mat of a management agent for desk­top systems. Its layered-model architec­ture allows a wide range of software and
hardware components to pass informa­tion about themselves to an asset man­agement system.

DRAM - An acronym for Dynamic
Random Access Memory. A type of
memory chip that only keeps its
memory if supplied with regular clock
pulses and a chance to regularly refresh
its data. It is slower and more cost ef­fective than SRAM. See SRAM.

ECP - An acronym for Expanded
Capabilities Port. A standard set by
Hewlett Packard and Microsoft Corpo­ration to expand the capabilities of the
parallel port.

EPROM - Acronym for Erasable Pro­grammable Read Only Memory. A
type of ROM chip that can be pro­grammed with relatively simple tools
that will retain its data until erased. It
can only be erased by exposing the cir­cuitry in the chip to ultraviolet light.
See also Flash ROM.

Feature Connector - A point-to-point
channel used to transfer video signals
between two video controllers, typically
between the display adapter and a video
capture adapter.

Flash ROM - A type of ROM chip that
will retain its data until erased. It can
be erased or reprogrammed by supply­ing it with +12V of voltage. See ROM
and EPROM.

Gigabyte - A disk storage capacity mea­surement. Approximately one thousand
megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.

IDE - An acronym for Integrated
Device Electronics. A standard for
communicating between a hard drive
and a computer.

Internal Cache - Cache which is built
into the CPU. See Cache.

EDO Memory - An acronym for Ex­tended Data Out. A DRAM perfor­mance feature that permits multiple bit
of data in a single row to be accessed
quickly.

EPP - An acronym for Enhanced Par­allel Port. A standard which increases
the capabilities of the parallel port.

Cyclone System Board Manual

ISA - An acronym for Industry Stan­dard Architecture. A well-established
bus standard that originated with the
IBM AT. See PCI and VESA Local Bus.

NLX - A system board size measuring
approximately 9” x 10”. The NLX de­sign allows better access to upgradeable
components inside the system.

67

Glossary

NS - An acronym for Nanosecond. One
billionth of a second. Measure of the
access time of RAM.

Parallel Port - A connection for a
printer or similar peripheral. Generally,
parallel ports are output only. See Bi­directional Parallel Port and ECP.

Parity - Logic that detects the presence
of an error in memory. Generally, a
single parity bit is used for each byte (8
bits) of data. The most commonly used
forms of parity are even parity, odd par­ity and checksums.

PCI - An acronym for Peripheral Com­ponent Interconnect. A high perfor­mance 32-bit or 64-bit bus developed
by Intel Corporation. PCI is
designed to be independent of the hard­ware architecture to ensure compatibil­ity with future computer systems. See

VESA Local Bus and ISA.

Pentium - A high performance 64-bit
CISC processor designed and manufac­tured by Intel Corporation.

Pipeline - In DRAMs and SRAMs, a
method for increasing the performance
using multistage circuitry to stack or
save data while new data is being ac­cessed.

Plug and Play - A standard developed
to ensure easy installation of peripher­als. Theoretically, a newly installed card
will automatically configure itself and
work properly without requiring jumper
configuration or device drivers.

POST - An acronym for Power On Self
Test. A diagnostic program that is run
whenever the system is cold booted.

RAM - An acronym for Random
Access Memory. A type of memory that
is used as the “working memory” of a
computer system. See DRAM and
SRAM.

ROM - An acronym for Read Only
Memory. A type of memory that retains
its data without requiring power. Once
written, it cannot be modified. See
EPROM and Flash ROM.

Serial Port - A communications port
used to connect peripherals such as
modems and mice.

Setup - A program that allows you to
make changes to the system configura­tion.

Shadow RAM - A technique used to
load a duplicate copy of BIOS from
slower ROM into faster RAM. This
enhances system performance because
it provides higher access speed to the
BIOS.

SIMM - An acronym for Standard
Inline Memory Module. A small printed
circuit board containing memory chips.

SDRAM - An acronym for Synchro­nous Dynamic Random Access
Memory or Synchronous DRAM. A
DRAM designed to deliver bursts of
data at very high speed using automatic
addressing, multiple page interleaving
and a synchronous (or clocked) inter­face.

SRAM - An acronym for Static Ran­dom Access Memory. A type of memory
that can retain data without requiring

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Cyclone System Board Manual

Glossary

a regular clock signal. Although they
are faster than DRAM, they hold less
data and are more expensive.

Synchronous Cache - A type of cache
that uses a clock signal to latch the in­puts and the data output. This struc­ture spreads the cache access across two
or three cycles while maintaining a
bandwidth of one access per cycle.
Improves performance by 5-10%.

Ultra DMA/33 IDE - A hard drive in­terface protocol that increases the burst
data transfer rate to 33MBytes per sec­ond.

Unbuffered DIMMs - The unbuffered
DIMM modules do not use any buffer
logic chips, thus achieving faster opera­tion due to the elimination of the
propagation delay of the logic buffer.
This increase in speed comes at the cost
of reducing the maximum number of
modules on the same system board.

VESA Local Bus (VL-Bus) - A high
performance bus designed by VESA. A
32-bit version of the ISA bus which op­erates at the speed of the computer’s
CPU. See PCI and ISA.

VGA Feature Connector - A point-to­point channel used to transfer video sig­nals between two video controllers, typi­cally between the display adapter and a
video capture adapter.

VRM - Voltage Regulator Module.
Supplies CPU specific voltages for the
Secondary CPU.

Warm Boot - Restarting the system by
simultaneously pressing the <Ctrl>,
<Alt> and <Delete> keys.

Write-Back Cache - Upon a cache hit,
the cache is updated and the main
memory is not affected. Upon a cache
miss, only the main memory is updated.

USB - An acronym for Universal Se­rial Bus. The simple and flexible way
to connect devices to your desktop or
notebook PC. USB allows virtually un­limited PC expansion with no more
hassles over add-in cards, dip switches,
jumper cables, software drivers, IRQ
settings, DMA channels and I/O ad­dresses. With USB, you can attach and
detach peripherals without opening the
computer or even shutting it down.
VESA - An acronym for Video Elec­tronics and Standards Association.

Cyclone System Board Manual

69

Index

Index

B

Battery Disposal - 52
POST Messages - 55
BIOS

Configuration - 29
Setup - 29

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 54

C

Configuring the Cyclone- 11
CPU

Installation - 24

D

70

Diagram

Cyclone - 12
Riser Card - 13

Device Drivers - 47

E

Extended Data Out (EDO) Memory - 19, 21
Environmental Specifications - 51

G

Graphics Drivers - 48

Cyclone System Board Manual

H

Help

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 54
Telephone Numbers - 54
Troubleshooting - 55, 57

I

Installation

CPU - 24
Installing the Cyclone - 19
ISA Peripheral Card - 26
PCI Peripheral Card - 25
Quick Installation - 9

J

Jumper Settings - 14

Index

M

Memory

Configurations - 22
Installing - 23
Removing - 23
Supported - 19, 21

O

Online Services - 54

P

POST Messages - 55

Cyclone System Board Manual

71

Index

R

Riser Card - 5, 13

S

SDRAM Memory - 19, 21
Specifications - 49
System BIOS - 29, 61

T

Technical Specifications - 49
Technical Support - 53
Troubleshooting -55, 57

U

Updating the System BIOS - 61
Utility Programs

Utility Programs
Advanced Screen - 36
Advanced Screen Submenu - 38
BIOS Setup - 29
Boot Screen - 45
Exit Screen - 46
IDE Device Submenu - 34
Main Screen - 31
Security Screen - 39

W

World Wide Web - 54

72

Cyclone System Board Manual