Micronics M6Mi (09-00264-xx) Micronics M6Mi Manual

M6Mi Pentium Pro

PCI/ISA

System Board Manual

Document Number: 06-00264-02, Rev. 3A

May 1997

45365 Northport Loop West, Fremont, CA 94538

Copyright Notices

Copyright  1996, 1997 Micronics Computers, Inc. The information con-

2

tained in the M6Mi PCI/ISA system board manual has 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 and
PCI 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Features 6
Software Compatibility 7
Before You Begin 8

Section 1 - Quick Installation 9

Installing the M6Mi 9

Section 2 - Configuring the M6Mi 11

Static Electricity 11
Office Environment 11
M6Mi System Board 12
M6Mi Back Panel Connections 13
Jumper Settings 13

Section 3 - Installing the M6Mi 17

Introduction 17
System Memory Support 17
Installing the M6Mi 18

Tools Required 18
Equipment Required 18

System Memory 19

SIMMs Supported 19

Adding Memory 19
Memory Configurations 20
Installing the SIMMs 22

Removing SIMMs 22
Installing a CPU 23
Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 24
Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 25

M6Mi System Board Manual

1

Installing a CD-ROM Drive 26
The M6Mi Sound Option 27

Connecting Sound Devices 27
Connecting the Telephony Option 28

Section 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 44
Exit Screen 46

Section 5 - Installing Sound Device Drivers 47

About Device Drivers 47
Installing the Sound Drivers 48

Appendix A - Technical Information 49

Specifications 49
Environmental Specifications 50

Temperature Range 50

Relative Humidity 50
Battery Disposal 51
Technical Support 52
Online Services 53

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix B - Post Messages 55

Appendix C - Beep and POST Codes 57

Appendix D - Hard Disk Drive Types 61

Appendix E - Updating the System BIOS 63

Appendix F - Warranties and Notices 65

Non-Warranty Service 66
FCC Statement 67
Declaration of Conformity 68

Glossary 69

Index 73

M6Mi System Board Manual

3

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen 10
Figure 2.1: M6Mi System Board 12
Figure 2.2: M6Mi Back Panel Connections 13
Figure 3.1: Installing a 72-Pin SIMM 22
Figure 3.2: Installing a PCI Card 24
Figure 3.3: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 25
Figure 3.4: Connecting External Sound Devices 27
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: Security Setup Screen 39
Figure 4.6: Supervisor Password Submenu 40
Figure 4.7: Power Screen 42
Figure 4.8: Boot Screen 44
Figure 4.9: Exit Screen 46

List of Tables

Table 2.1: CPU Speed Selection 13
Table 2.2: CPU Voltage Selection 14
Table 2.3: AT Bus Clock Selection 14
Table 2.4: Clear CMOS Selection 14
Table 2.5: System Power On Selection 15
Table 2.6: Optional Sound Selection 15
Table 2.7: Case and Peripheral Connections 15
Table 3.1: Memory Configurations 20

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the M6Mi system board. The
high-performance M6Mi supports the most advanced
Pentium Pro microprocessor technology for demanding
workstation needs.

Based on the Intel 440FX PCIset, the M6Mi provides the
speed and performance necessary to address the most
intensive computational applications. Enhanced PCI
throughput, Mode 4 IDE and support of Universal Serial
Bus (USB), make this board state-of-the-art. The USB
interface has a maximum bandwidth of 12Mbps and can
connect as many as 127 devices to a host system. USB
supports both standard devices that operate at the full
12-Mbps rate and low-end devices that use only a 1.5­Mbps subchannel.

The M6Mi is designed to fit into the most modern ATX
form factor. The ATX form factor allows critical compo­nents such as floppy drive connectors, chassis fan, CPU
and memory to be strategically located so that full length
cards can be used in all slots.

The M6Mi comes with many features. These include
support for Extended Data Out (EDO) and Fast Page
Mode (FPM) DRAM memory, Error Checking Correc­tion (ECC), the Phoenix Plug and Play BIOS and an
optional feature for integrated 16-bit sound.

For energy efficiency, full support is provided for the
Green PC specification. 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

5

Features

The M6Mi includes the following features:
▲ Single ZIF socket 8

Intel P6, P6S and P6T

VRM header to supply CPU-specific voltages

▲ Intel 440FX PCIset with PIIX3 ISA bridge

SMC FDC37C93X Ultra I/O chip

▲ Three 32-bit PCI slots

Two 16-bit ISA slots

(One shared PCI or ISA slot)

▲ Up to 512K pipelined burst internal Level 2 cache
▲ Maximum memory - 384MB
▲ Supports FPM and EDO memory

ECC support via chipset

▲ Mode 4 enhanced IDE (supports up to four IDE devices)
▲ Two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports for desktop periph-

eral expansion

▲ Creative Labs VIBRA 16C Sound (optional)
▲ Telephony header for desktop video conferencing (op-

tional)

M6Mi System Board Manual6

Software Compatibility

The M6Mi system board has been thoroughly tested for
compatibility with a variety of operating systems and envi­ronments, including:

▲ Microsoft

DOS 5.0
DOS 6.2
Windows 95
Windows NT 3.51
Windows NT 4.0

▲ IBM

OS/2 Warp 3.0
OS/2 Warp 4.0

▲ SCO

UNIXWare 2.1.1
Open Server 5.02
UNIX 3.2, 4.2

▲ Novell NetWare 3.12

Novell NetWare 4.11

M6Mi System Board Manual

7

Before You Begin

This manual will familiarize you with the features, installa­tion and use of your M6Mi. There are several symbols and
conventions used throughout this manual to help draw your
attention to a feature or to focus on important information:

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.

Common Names

DRAM Dynamic Random Access Memory
ECC Error Checking and Correction
ECP Extended Capabilities Port
EDO Extended Data Out
EPP Enhanced Parallel Port
FPM Fast Page Mode
IDE Integrated Drive Electronics
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
SIMM Single Inline Memory Module
USB Universal Serial Bus
VRM Voltage Regulator Module

8

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section

1

STATIC!

Before
handling the
M6Mi, be
properly
grounded by
using a
special wrist
or ankle
strap, or
touch a
safely
grounded
object.

Section 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.

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

2. Ground yourself to prevent damaging static dis­charge, then remove the M6Mi from its packaging.

3. Configure and verify the system board’s jumper set­tings (refer to Jumper Settings in Section 2).

4. Install the CPU and the system memory (refer to
Section 3).

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

6. Install any ISA and/or PCI add-on peripherals (refer to
Section 3).

7. Now you can connect any optional devices (refer to
Section 3).

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

M6Mi System Board Manual

9

Section 1: Quick Installation

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen

9. 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
BIOS will automatically configure the drive for you
(refer to Section 4).

10. 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 Sec­tion 4).

11. Install your IDE CD-ROM drive and its device
drivers (refer to Section 3).

12. Install the sound controller device drivers (optional).
Refer to Section 5.

10

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

Section

2

Configuring the M6Mi

Although the M6Mi system board is packaged in protec­tive materials, it is important to use care while unpack­ing and setting up.

Static Electricity

The M6Mi is shipped from the factory in an antistatic
bag. To reduce the possibility of damage, it is important
to neutralize any accumulated static charges on your
body before handling the board.

The best way to do this is to ground yourself using a
special wrist or ankle strap. If you do not have a strap, you
should touch both of your hands to a safely grounded
object. After you have grounded yourself, ground the
M6Mi via the solder pads surrounding one of its mount­ing holes. Once the M6Mi is removed from its packag­ing, place it on top of the antistatic bag. Carefully inspect
the board for damage which may 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

11

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

M6Mi System Board

12

Figure 2.1: M6Mi System Board

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

M6Mi Back Panel Connections

Figure 2.2: M6Mi System Back Panel Connections

Jumper Settings

This section gives you the jumper settings used for the M6Mi system
board.

Table 2-1 lists the jumper settings to select the CPU speed.

CPU Speed 150MHz 166MHz 180MHz 200MHz

Jumper

W5 Close Open Close Open
W6 Open Close Open Close
W7 Close Close Close Close
W8 Close Close Close Close
W9 Close Close Open Open

W10 Open Open Close Close

Table 2-1: CPU Speed Selection

M6Mi System Board Manual

13

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

Table 2-2 lists the jumper settings for the CPU Voltage
Identification (VID) selection.

CPU Voltage W1 W2 W3 W4

VID-Enabled (default) Open Open Open Open

Non-VID 2.9V Close Open Open Close
Non-VID 3.1V Close Open Close Close
Non-VID 3.3V Close Close Open Close

Table 2-2: CPU V oltage Selection

Table 2-3 lists the jumper settings for the AT Bus clock.

Jumper Function Settings

W12 Default Close

Table 2-3: AT Bus Clock Selection

Table 2-4 lists the jumper settings to clear the CMOS settings.
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.

Jumper Function Settings

14

W11 Normal (default)

Clear CMOS

Table 2-4: Clear CMOS Selection

M6Mi System Board Manual

1-2
2-3

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

Table 2-5 lists the jumper settings to enable the system power-on setting.

Jumper Function Settings

W13 Normal (default)

Reserved

Table 2-5: System P ower On Selection

Open
Close

Table 2-6 lists the jumper settings to select the optional onboard sound.

Jumper Function Settings

W14 Enable (default)

Disable

T ab le 2-6: Optional Sound Selection

Open
Close

Table 2-7 lists the case and peripheral connections.

Connector Function Notes

J1 Power Module
J9 Floppy Drive Connector

J10 Primary IDE Port

J11 Secondary IDE Port

J12 Keyboard/Mouse Connector PS/2

J14 USB Connectors
J15 Serial Port (COM 2) Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen

J16 Serial Port (COM 1) Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen

J17 Parallel Port Connector Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen

T ab le 2-7A: Case & P eripher al Connections

M6Mi System Board Manual

15

Section 2: Configuring the M6Mi

Connector Function Notes

J28 Power Connector ATX standard
J29 Front I/O Connector

" System Power On/Off 1 - Power; 2 - Ground
" Infrared Port Connector

Note: Do not connect IR
devices to J29 and J30
simultaneously

" Reset Switch 12 - Reset; 13 - Ground
" PC Speaker 14 - Speaker; 17 - +5V DC

" Power-On LED 18 - Positive; 20 - Ground
" Keylock Switch 21 - Keylock; 22 - Ground
" Hard Disk LED 23 - Positive; 24 - Negative
" Turbo LED 25 - Positive; 26 - Ground

J30 Infrared Port Connector 1 - Receive Data; 2 - Ground;

J31 CD-ROM Audio Input 1 - Ground; 2 - CD-In Left

J32 Modem/Telephony 1 - No Connect; 2 - MIC Out;

J33 MIC In

6 - Transmit Data; 7 - Ground;
8 - Receive Data; 9 - Ground;
10 - +5V DC

3 - Transmit Data; 4 - +5V DC

Channel; 3 - Ground; 4 - CD-In
Right Channel

3 - Ground; 4 - Speaker In

J34 Audio Line In
J35 Audio Line Out

J36 Speaker Out
J37 External Audio 7-8 - Left Enable; 9-10 - Right

Enable

J38 Game Port/MIDI
J39 Wavetable
J40 CPU Fan 1 - 12+V Power; 2 - Ground

Table 2-7B: Case & P eripherals Connections

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Section

3

Installing the M6Mi

Introduction

This section explains how to install the M6Mi 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 anti-static precautions described in
Section 1. Micronics recommends 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 M6Mi is augmented by its support
for ECC, EDO DRAM memory and FPM DRAM memory.

EDO memory is designed to keep data available to the
processor for an extended period of time. The EDO
memory support extends the performance of conven­tional DRAM memory. The result is an improvement in
memory-access performance on the M6Mi system board.

M6Mi System Board Manual

17

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Installing the M6Mi

Installation of the M6Mi system board depends on the type
of case you use. The M6Mi is designed for the ATX form
factor and must be installed in an ATX chassis. 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.

Tools Required

Micronics recommends using the following tools to install
the M6Mi:

❏ Small Phillips screwdriver
❏ Tweezers or a pair of needle-nose pliers
❏ Tray (to hold loose screws)

Equipment Required

Micronics recommends using the following equipment with
the M6Mi for a typical configuration:

❏ ATX 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.

❏ PS/2 mouse and compatible keyboard.
❏ Eight ohm speaker.
❏ Standard ribbon cables for internal connections.
❏ Standard power cord (grounded).
❏ Heat sink with cooling fan for CPU (required).

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

System Memory

System memory is necessary to operate the M6Mi system
board. The M6Mi has six 32/36-bit SIMM sockets and can
be upgraded to 384 Megabytes of RAM. In addition, sup­port is provided for Error Checking and Correction, Ex­tended Data Out DRAM memory and Fast Page Mode
DRAM memory. This section explains the type of SIMMs
supported, list the rules for adding memory to the M6Mi,
give some examples of common memory configurations and
show how to physically install the new SIMMs.

SIMMs Supported

For long
term
reliability,
Micronics
recom­mends using
SIMMs with
tin-plated
contacts.
The use of
gold-plated
contacts
may conflict
with the tin­alloy on the
SIMM
socket.

The M6Mi supports the following types of 60 or 70ns
SIMMs:

4MB (1Mx32/36)
8MB (2Mx32/36)
16MB (4Mx32/36)
32MB (8Mx32/36)
64MB (16Mx32/36)

Adding Memory

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

❏ Use 70ns or faster SIMMs.
❏ Upgrade SIMMs one bank at a time. Each bank must

contain two SIMMs of the same size and preferably
from the same manufacturer. For example, to add
16MB of memory to the system board, install two 8MB
SIMMs into the same bank.

❏ When installing SIMMs, fill Bank 0, then Bank 1, then

Bank 2.

❏ Install the two types of memory in separate banks. The

memory will default to the speed of the slowest RAM
installed.

M6Mi System Board Manual

19

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Memory Configurations

The following tables list the most common memory con­figurations. The memory available depends on the number
of SIMMs installed.

Memory Bank 0 Bank 1 Bank 2

8MB (2) 1MBx32/36
16MB (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
16MB (2) 2MBx32/36
24MB (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
24MB (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
32MB (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
32MB (2) 4MBx32/36
40MB (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36

There is no
need to set
any jumpers.
When you
reboot, the
size and
type of
memory are
automatically
detected.

40MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
48MB (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
48MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
48MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
56MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
64MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
64MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
64MB (2) 8MBx32/36
72MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
72MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36

T able 3-1: Memory Configurations

20

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Memory Bank 0 Bank 1 Bank 2

80MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
80MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36 (2) 1MBx32/36
80MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
96MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
96MB (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36

96MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
128MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
128MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36
128MB (2) 16MBx32/36
160MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
160MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36 (2) 2MBx32/36
160MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
192MB (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36
192MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36 (2) 4MBx32/36
192MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36
256MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36 (2) 8MBx32/36
256MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 16MBx32/36
384MB (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 16MBx32/36 (2) 16MBx32/36

T able 3-1B: Memory Configurations

M6Mi System Board Manual

21

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Installing the SIMMs

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

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

2. Insert the SIMM at a 45 degree angle.

3. Gently push the SIMM into an upright position until it
locks into place (past the release tabs).

Figure 3-1: Installing a 72-Pin SIMM

Removing SIMMs

To remove SIMMs, follow the steps below:

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

2. With the SIMM free from the release tabs, lift the
module up and place in an anti-static bag or package.

22

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Installing a CPU

The M6Mi is designed to support a variety of Intel Pentium
Pro 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 selection jumpers are set cor­rectly (refer to Section 2 - Jumper Settings).

WARNING: Pentium Pro 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

23

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

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 into place.

6. Replace the computer cover.

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

24

Figure 3-2: Installing a PCI Card

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Installing an ISA Peripheral Card

Micronics ISA slots accommodate all standard ISA periph­erals. Follow the steps below to install a PCI 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 into place.

6. Replace the computer cover.

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

Figure 3-3: Installing an ISA P eripheral Card

M6Mi System Board Manual

25

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Installing a CD-ROM Drive

If you are installing a CD-ROM drive, Micronics recom­mends the installation of an IDE CD-ROM drive. The

instructions below will help you with the installation, but also
refer to the documentation that accompanied your CD-ROM
drive.

Before starting the setup and installation, make sure your
computer is off and the power cord is disconnected from
the wall outlet. Your CD-ROM drive kit should contain
the following items for a successful installation:

❏ CD-ROM Drive with installation hardware
❏ Interface Cable
❏ CD Audio Cable

1. Connect the ribbon cable as described in the CD­ROM’s documentation, making sure the red stripe on
the cable is aligned with pin 1 of the connectors.

2. Connect the audio cable to the CD-ROM drive's
audio connector.

3. Connect the other end of the audio cable to the MPC­2 compatible CD-ROM audio connector on the M6Mi
system board (J31).

4. Connect the power supply cable to the CD-ROM
drive's power connector.

Try to avoid
excessive
twists or
bends in the
cables that
might
damage
them or
interfere with
other
peripherals
in your
computer.

5. Install the CD-ROM device drivers. CD-ROM drives
require device drivers to access the drive and are
generally provided by the manufacturer of the CD­ROM drive. Usually one device driver is added to the
CONFIG.SYS file and one to the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file.

6. If you are using the CD-ROM drive in an MS-DOS
environment, the utility MSCDEX.EXE must also be
added to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Consult your
DOS manual for more information.

26

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

The M6Mi Sound Option

You can connect external sound devices to your M6Mi
system board to take advantage of the optional sound
support (refer to Figure 2.1). The sound option includes 16­bit stereo sound, a game/MIDI port and computer tele­phony support. See Section 5 for information on installing
sound device drivers.

Connecting Sound Devices

Figure 3-4: Connecting External Sound Devices

M6Mi System Board Manual

27

Section 3: Installing the M6Mi

Game Port

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

Speaker Out

You may connect 4 or 8 ohm external speakers or head­phones to the audio controller.

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.

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.

MIC IN

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

Connecting the Telephony Option

The M6Mi system board can be upgraded to include a
header for computer telephony (pronounced teh - leh' ­fuh - nee) support. Telephony allows you to increase your
communications productivity. You can integrate facsimile
technology, sound and desktop video conferencing. The
telephony option is enabled by connecting your modem
cable to header J32.

28

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Section

4

The BIOS Setup Utility

Configuration

After the M6Mi 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.

It is recommended you keep the computer cover off the
first time you boot the system. This will make it easier to
correct any difficulties that might arise.

Initial Boot Up

Power up the M6Mi. 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 Appendices B and/or C
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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

29

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

After the system is turned on and goes through a memory
test, the Power-Up screen (Figure 4-1) will appear on
your monitor:

Figure 4-1: Power-Up Screen

When “Press <F2> to enter SETUP” appears at the
bottom of the screen, press the <F2> key to begin the
Setup procedure. The CMOS Main Screen (Figure 4-2)
should appear and the prompt should be on the time
line. The Setup procedure can only be activated during
the boot sequence.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Running the Setup Procedure

The M6Mi 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 (Figure 4-2) is used to set the
time and date, to set the floppy drive types, to configure
the hard disks and to configure the video. This section
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

M6Mi System Board Manual

31

Section 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.

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, 1.44MB, 1.2MB,
720KB, and 360KB floppy drives.

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).

Numlock

Setting this to ON activates Numlock upon boot. Setting
this to Auto (default) activates Numlock if the BIOS
detects a numeric keyboard. It may also be set to OFF.

External Cache

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

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Video BIOS

The Video BIOS category allows you to Shadow or Shadow
& Cache the video BIOS. Choosing Shadowed & Cached
(default) caches the shadowed video BIOS for even higher
performance. Choosing Shadowed copies the video BIOS
into RAM for faster execution. To disable the Video BIOS
category, select Disabled.

System BIOS

The System BIOS category allows you to Shadow or Shadow
& Cache the system BIOS. Choosing Shadowed & Cached
(default) caches the shadowed system BIOS for even higher
performance. Choosing Shadowed copies the system BIOS
into RAM for faster execution. To disable the System BIOS
category, select Disabled.

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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

33

Section 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), 1-39, 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 Disabled
(default), 2 Sectors, 4 Sectors, 8 Sectors and 16 Sectors.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 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 Disabled.

Transfer Mode

This category sets the transfer speeds for IDE devices. The
Standard option is the default setting. The Fast PIO 1, Fast
PIO 2, Fast PIO 3 and Fast PIO 4 options are for higher
speed devices.

Smart Monitoring

This feature will monitor your hard drive and report any
problems detected. The default setting cannot be changed.

M6Mi System Board Manual

35

Section 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

Serial Port A

Serial Port A may be configured using the following op­tions: Disabled (No configuration), Enabled (User configu­ration), Auto (BIOS configuration) and PnP
O/S (O/S configuration).

Serial Port B

Serial Port B may be configured using the following options:
Disabled (No configuration), Enabled (User configura­tion), Auto (BIOS configuration) and PnP
O/S (O/S configuration).

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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).

Floppy Disk Controller

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

Integrated PCI IDE

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

Integrated Sound

Enables or disables the integrated sound interface. The
default setting is Enabled.

Plug & Play O/S

This selection, when set to Yes, allows the system to work
with a Plug and Play operating system such as Windows 95.
The default setting is No.

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.

PCI Configuration

Use this selection for additional setup menus to configure
PCI devices.

M6Mi System Board Manual

37

Section 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.

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 DOS operating system (MS-DOS, Novell
DOS or PC-DOS), set to DOS (default). If you are using
anything else, set to OTHER.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Security Screen

The Security screen (Figure 4-5) 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 4-5: Security Setup Screen

Set Supervisor Password

This selection controls access to the Setup utility. Press the
ENTER key to enter the Supervisor Password submenu.
The screen on the following page appears.

M6Mi System Board Manual

39

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Figure 4-6: 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).

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

Set User Password

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

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

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 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.

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 (default) gives
floppy disk access to the supervisor only. Selecting User
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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

41

Section 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 (Figure
4-7). To move between the categories, use the up and
down arrow keys <↑/↓>.

Figure 4-7: P o wer Screen

Power Management

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. To turn
off power management, choose Disabled (default).

Standby Timeout

The Standby Timeout selection sets the amount of time
that elapses for the system to enter Standby Mode. Standby

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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., 80
min., 12 min. or 16 min.

Auto Suspend Timeout

The Standby Timeout 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

43

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Boot Screen

The Boot screen allows you to configure the power-up
system configuration settings.

Figure 4-8: Boot Screen

Boot Sequence

This selection will read the diskette drive (default) and
the hard drive in sequence on boot.

Setup Prompt

If this selection is enabled, the message "Press F2 to enter
Setup" is displayed on boot. The default setting is En­abled.

POST Errors

If this selection is enabled (default) and an error occurs
on boot, the BIOS will display a SETUP entry or resume
prompt. If this selection is disabled, the system will always
attempt to boot.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Floppy Check

This selection checks for the existence of a floppy drive.
The default setting is Enabled.

M6Mi System Board Manual

45

Section 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Exit Screen

After you complete configuring the BIOS, select the Exit
screen.

Figure 4-9: Exit Screen

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

46

M6Mi System Board Manual

Section

5

Section 5: Installing Sound Device Drivers

Installing Sound Device Drivers

This section explains how to install the sound drivers
necessary to utilize the onboard sound support. Prior to
installing any drivers, follow the instructions in Section 3
on how to install a CD-ROM drive and how to connect
external sound devices.

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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

47

Section 5: Installing Sound Device Drivers

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 Section 3.

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

2. If you previously installed another sound card, remove
it and all associated files from your AUTOEXEC.BAT
and CONFIG.SYS 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.

4. Insert the sound driver disk into your floppy drive.

5. If you are using Windows 3.1x, go to the Program Man­ager File menu, click on Run and type A:\SETUP.

6. If you are using Windows 95, refer to the Windows 95
user’s manual for instructions on how to install sound
drivers.

7. If you are using OS/2, refer to the README file on
the OS/2 disk for instructions on how to install sound
drivers.

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

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Appendix

A

Technical Information

Specifications

Part Number: 09-00264-01

Processor: Single ZIF socket 8

Intel Pentium Pro processor 150, 166,
180 and 200MHz processors.
VRM header to supply CPU-specific
voltages.

Chipset: Intel 440FX PCIset.

Intel PIIX 3.
SMC FDC37C93X Ultra I/O chip

CPU Clock Select: Frequency synthesizer chip.

Support for 60 and 66MHz CPU bus

Form Factor: ATX footprint

Expansion: Three 32-bit PCI slots

Two 16-bit ISA slots
(One shared PCI/ISA slot)

BIOS: Phoenix 4.0X Plug and Play BIOS on

1MB Flash.
Auto-detection of memory size
Auto-detection of EDO memory
Auto-configuration of IDE hard disk
types.
BIOS supports PIIX3 Bus Master IDE

RAM Capacity: Maximum memory - 384MB

Supports EDO memory

Keyboard/Mouse: PS/2 compatible.

Internal Cache: 16K on-chip data cache (write back)

M6Mi System Board Manual

49

Appendix A: Technical Information

256K/512K Level 2 cache in CPU
package.

Onboard Sound: 16-bit sound controller based on

Creative Labs Vibra 16C chipset.
Sound Blaster Compatible 16-bit stereo
Wavetable upgradeable
Header for audio/telephony interface

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

Enhanced Parallel Port with ECP and EPP support
Infrared support for IrDA and ASK-IR
Two USB ports for desktop peripheral expansion

Floppy Port: Supports two floppy drives

(2.88MB, 1.44MB, 1.2MB, 720K, 360K).

PCI IDE Ports: Supports up to four IDE devices

Mode 4 Enhanced IDE with Bus Mastering
Multiple sector transfer support
Auto detection of add-in IDE board

Environmental Specifications

The environment in which the M6Mi is located is critical.M i cronics
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%.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

51

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.

❏ 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.

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M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Service Hours Country Telephone Number

Technical Suppo rt - Live phone help
from Technical Suppo rt Enginee rs

Electronic Bulletin Board Service
(BBS) - Information on software
upgrades, new releases and other
helpful information

RMA (Return Materials Authorization)

- Return products for repair

Fax-On-Demand - Automated system
for product literature, technical
bulletins and other helpf ul in formati on

World Wide Web - Product
information, technical support, press
releases and other helpful information

Customer Service - Order Micronics
and Orchid products

M-F: 7:00am to

5:00pm (PST)

24 hours a day

7 days a week

"

M-F: 8:00am to

4:45pm (PST)

24 hours a day

7 days a week

24 hours a day

7 days a week

"

M-F: 8:00am to

5:00pm (PST)

USA

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

France

Europe

France

Germany

Taiwan

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

UK

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

USAUK(510) 651-6837

14400 baud rate, Parity=N,
Data Bits=8, Stop Bits=1
YMODE M and ZMOD EM
(recommended file transfer
protocols)
[phone]

USA [phone]

[phone] (Fax)

USA [phone]

USA

http://www.micronics.com

http://www.mcrni.com

USA

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)
[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

UK

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)
[phone]
[phone] (Fax)
[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

T a ble A-1: Support and Information Services

M6Mi System Board Manual

53

Appendix A: Technical Information

54

M6Mi 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 Caus e 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

INCORRECT DRIV E
A TYPE

INCORRECT DRIV E
B TYPE

INVAL ID NV R A M
MEDIA TYPE

KEYBOARD
ERRO R, or
KEYBOARD
CONTROLLER
ERROR

KEYBOARD
ERROR nn

KEYBOARD
LOCKED

Drive A failed or is
missing.

Drive B failed or is
missing.

Extende d m em ory not
working or conf igured
properly.

Memory failure in
System, Extended, or
Shadow memory.

The hard dis k is not
confi gured or working
properly.

The controller card has
failed.

Floppy dr ive A: not set
correctly in Setup.

Floppy dr ive A: not set
correctly in Setup.

NVRAM chip is bad. Requires repair of system

The keybo ard or
keyboard controller
failed.

A key is jamm ed 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
contro ller card.

Run Setup.

Run Setup.

board.
Check connections. You

may have to replace the
keyboard or controller.

Make sure the keys are
not jammed or dirty.

Unlock the keyswitch.

M6Mi System Board Manual

55

Appendix B: POST Messages

Message Possible Cause Solution

MONI TOR TYPE
DOES NOT M ATCH
CMOS

OPERATING
SYSTEM NOT
FOUND

Monitor type not
correctly identified in
Setup.

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

Run Setup and enter
correct monitor type.

Check Se tu p to se e if
Drive A: an d C: are
properl y configured, o r
put a boota bl e disk in
Drive A:

PARITY CH ECK 1
nnnn

PARITY CH ECK 2
nnnn

PREVIOUS BOO T
INCOMP LETE ­DEFAULT
CONFIGURATIO N
USED

REAL TIME CLOCK
ERROR

SHADOW RAM
FAILED AT OFFSET

SYSTEM BATTERY
IS DEAD

SYSTE M CACHE
ERROR - CA CHE
DISABLED

SYSTEM CMOS
CHECKSUM BAD ­RUN SETUP

Parity err or found in the
system bu s.

Parity err or found in the
I/O bus.

Previous POST did not
complete su ccessfully.

Real-time clock failed
BIOS test.

Shadow RAM failed. May require repair of

System battery died. Replace the system

External (L2) cache
failed BIOS test.

System CMOS has been
corrupt ed or m odified
incorr ectly.

Check Setup. Board
repair may be required.

Check Setup. Board
repair may be required.

Run Setup, load default
BIOS settings, make any
necess ary adjustment s,
and save the changes

May require battery
replacem ent or board
repair.

system board.

battery and run Setup to
reconfigure the syste m .

System wi ll st i l l run, but
slower. Repl ace cache
at co nvenienc e.

Run Setu p and
reconfigure the syste m .

SYSTEM RAM
FAILED AT
OFFSET: nn nn

SYSTEM TIMER
ERROR

56

System RAM failed. R ep la ce def e ctive RAM.

Timer test failed. Requires repair of system

board.

M6Mi 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 M6Mi 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 1-3­3 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

57

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps P OST Routi n e Descri ptio n

02 Verify Real Mode.
04 Get CPU type.
06 Initialize system hardware.
08 Initialize chipset registers with initial POST values.
09 Get in POST Reg.

0A Initialize CPU registers.

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

10 Initialize Power Management.

11 Load alternate registers with initial POST values.

12 Jump to UserPatch0.

14 Initial ize key boa rd contr oller .

16 2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum.

18 8254 timer initialization.

1A 8237 DMA controller initialization.

1C Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller.

20 3-1-1 Test DRAM refresh.

22 3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller.

24 Set ES segment register to 4 GB.

28 Autosize DRAM.

2A Clear 512K base RAM.

2C 3-4-1 Test 512K base address lines.

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

32 Test CPU bus-clock frequency.

34 Test CMOS RAM.

35 Initialize alternate chipset registers.

37 Reinitialize the chipset (MB only).

38 Shadow system BIOS ROM.

39 Reini tial ize the cac he (M B only) .

3A Autosize cache.

3C Configure advanced chipset registers.

3D Load alternate registers with CMOS values.

40 Set initial CPU speed.

42 Initialize interrupt vectors.

44 Initialize BIOS interrupts.

46 2-1-2-3 Check ROM copyright notice.

47 Initi alize manager for PCI Option ROMs.

48 Check video confi gur ati on against CMOS .

49 Initi alize PCI bus and devices.

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M6Mi 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 interrupt s.
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 registers.
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 vectors.
7E Test coprocessor if present.
80 Disable onboard I/O ports.
82 Detect and install external RS232 ports.
84 Detect and install external parallel ports.
86 Re-initialize on-board I/O ports.
88 Initialize BIOSData Area.
8A Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.
8C Initialize floppy controll er.
90 Initialize hard-disk controller.
91 Initialize localbu s hard-disk controll er .
92 Jump to UserPatch2.
93 Build MPTABLE for multi-processor boards.
94 Disable A20 address line.
96 Clear huge ES segment register.
98 Search for option ROMs.
9A Shadow option ROMs.

M6Mi System Board Manual

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 typematic 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 scr een (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 option ROM error.
D8 Shutdown error.
DA Ex tended Block Move.

DC Shutdown 10 error.

The following are for boot block in Flash 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 co mplete 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 w as read OK.

60

M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix D: Hard Disk Drive Types

Appendix

D

Hard Disk Drive Types

The following table lists the hard disk types supported by
the M6Mi.

Type Cylinders Heads Write

Precomp

1 306 4 128 17 10
2 615 4 300 17 21
3 615 6 300 17 32
4 940 8 512 17 65
5 940 6 512 17 99
6 615 4 none 17 21
7 462 8 256 17 32
8 733 5 none 17 31

9 900 15 none 17 117
10 820 3 none 17 21
11 855 5 none 17 37
12 855 7 none 17 52
13 306 8 128 17 21
14 733 7 none 17 44
15 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
16 612 4 0 17 21
17 977 5 300 17 42
18 977 7 none 17 59
19 1024 7 512 17 62
20 733 5 300 17 31
21 733 7 300 17 94
22 733 5 300 17 31
23 306 4 0 17 10
24 612 4 305 17 21
25 612 2 300 17 10
26 614 4 none 17 21
27 820 6 none 17 42
28 977 5 none 17 42
29 1218 15 none 36 336
30 1224 15 none 17 159

Sectors Size

M6Mi System Board Manual

61

Appendix D: Hard Disk Drive Types

Type Cylinders Heads Write

Precomp

31 823 10 512 17 71
32 809 6 128 17 42
33 830 7 none 17 50
34 830 10 none 17 72
35 1024 5 none 17 44
36 1024 8 none 17 71
37 615 8 128 17 42
38 1024 8 none 26 109
39 925 9 none 17 72

Sectors Size

62

M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix E: Updating the System BIOS

Appendix

E

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 MS-DOS 6.X
diskette.

2) Reboot your system with the MS-DOS 6.X diskette
in the A: drive. To make sure a clean DOS environ­ment is loaded, press the F5 key while “Starting MS­DOS” is displayed. After the system has rebooted,
the cursor will appear at the A:> prompt.

3) Now you can run the FLASH utility. The filename
will be either “FSH” (or FSH20, FSH20G, etc.) or
“PHLASH.” Type this filename at the A:> prompt
(but don’t include its extension), followed by a space
and the BIOS ROM image’s filename. This file will
be included in the download and has a file length of
about 131K. For example, to update the M6Mi to
BIOS version 01, you would type:

PHLASH M6Mi_01.ROM [ENTER]

4) Once the FLASH process has begun, select [Y]es, if
prompted, to allow auto-sensing of the part (the
FLASH chip itself).

5) 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 the BIOS is somehow erased or does not seem to
accept the upgrade, you can purchase a new BIOS from
MicroNiche Information Systems (800-733-9188). There
is a $30.00 fee plus shipping charges for this service. (Price
and availability subject to change.)

M6Mi System Board Manual

63

Appendix E: Updating the System BIOS

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.

64

M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix F: Warranties and Notices

Appendix

F

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, but if for

M6Mi System Board Manual

65

Appendix F: Warranties and Notices

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.

66

M6Mi System Board Manual

Appendix F: 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

67

Appendix F: Warranties and Notices

Declaration of Conformity

Application of Council Directives 89/336/EEC. Standards to
which the conformity is declared:

EN55022 EN50082-1

Manufacturer's Name: Micronics Computers, Inc.

Manufacturers Address: 221 Warren Avenue

Fremont, California 94539
USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Type of Equipment: Pentium Pro 150/166/200

Mid Tower Personal Computer

Model Name: M6Mi

Tested by: Rockford Engineering Services, Inc.

9959 Calaveras Road
Sunol, CA. 94586-0543
USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Test Engineers John Y. Chan/Micronics

(EN55022)
Paramjeet Singh/RES
(EN50082-1)

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the specified equip­ment conforms to the directives and standards listed above.

Ming Ming Hsu
Vice President of Engineering
May 29, 1996

68

M6Mi System Board Manual

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.

486DX - A type of 32-bit CPU with a
built-in math-coprocessor and inter­nal cache.

486DX2 - A 486DX CPU where the
internal speed of the CPU operates at
twice the external speed.

486DX4 - A 486DX CPU where the
internal speed of the CPU operates at
three times the external speed.

486SX - A 486DX CPU with no math­coprocessor.

ATX - A system board size measuring
approximately 12” x 9.6”.

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 - 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.

Bus Mastering - The ability of an 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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

69

Glossary

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.

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.

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.

ECC - An acronym for Error Check­ing and Correction. ECC enables par­ity checking and can detect and cor­rect memory errors on the system
board.

EISA - An acronym for Extended In­dustry Standard Architecture. EISA
is a bus design standard which is fully
backward compatible with the ISA
bus. Although it is a 32-bit bus, it only
runs at 8MHz. See PCI, VESA Local

Bus and ISA.

EPP - An acronym for Enhanced Par­allel Port. A standard which increases
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.

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.

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

EDO Memory - An acronym for Ex­tended Data Out. A type of DRAM
with built-in cache for enhanced per­formance.

70

M6Mi System Board Manual

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.

Glossary

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

and EISA.

Parallel - A form of data transmission
in which the data is sent one byte at a
time over several wires that each carry
one byte. In parallel transmission, all
the bytes arrive simultaneously, as op­posed to serial transmission in which
bits arrive one by one.

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

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 EISA, VESA Local Bus and ISA.

Pentium - A high performance 64-bit
CISC processor designed and manu­factured by Intel Corporation. As of
this writing, Pentium is the highest
performing X86 processor available.

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 - A type of data transmission
in which the data is sent one bit at a
time over a single wire. See Parallel.

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.

M6Mi System Board Manual

71

Glossary

SRAM - An acronym for Static Ran­dom Access Memory. A type of
memory that can retain data without
requiring a regular clock signal. Al­though they are faster than DRAM,
they hold less data and are more ex­pensive.

Synchronous - Protocols that require
the clocks of communicating ma­chines or devices to be coordinated.

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%.

Terabyte - A measurement for very
large storage capacity. One Terabyte
is equivalent one-thousand gigabytes,
one-million megabytes, or
1,099,511,627,766 bytes.

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.

Write-Through Cache - Upon a
cache hit, the cache and the main
memory are updated. Upon a cache
miss, only the main memory is up­dated.

VESA - An acronym for Video Elec­tronics and Standards Association.

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, EISA and

ISA.

VGA - An acronym for Video Graph­ics Array. A standard for monitor dis­plays.

VRM - An acronym for Voltage Regu­lator Module. A power module that
regulates voltage to the CPU.

72

M6Mi System Board Manual

Index

A

ATX

Chassis - 18
Form Factor - 5
Power Supply - 18

B

Back Panel Connections - 13
Battery Disposal - 51
Beep and POST Codes - 57
BIOS

Configuration - 29
Setup - 29

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 53

Index

C

Configuring the M6Mi - 11

D

Diagram (M6Mi) - 12

E

Extended Data Out (EDO) Memory - 17, 19
Environmental Specifications - 50
Error Checking (ECC) - 17, 19

M6Mi System Board Manual

73

Index

F

H

I

Fast Page Mode (FPM) Memory - 17, 19

Hard Disk Drive Types - 61
Help

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 53
Telephone Numbers - 53
Troubleshooting - 55, 57

Installation

CD-ROM Drive - 26
CPU - 23
Installing your M6Mi - 17
ISA Peripheral Card - 25
PCI Peripheral Card - 24
Quick Installation - 9
Sound Drivers - 48

74

J

Jumper Settings - 13

M

M6Mi Back Panel Connections - 13
M6Mi System Board Diagram - 12
Memory

Configurations - 20
Installing - 22

M6Mi System Board Manual

Removing - 22
Supported - 17, 19

O

Online Services - 53

P

POST Messages - 55

S

Sound Option - 27
Specifications - 49
System BIOS

Configuring - 29
Updating - 63

Index

T

Technical Specifications - 49
Technical Support - 52
Telephony Option - 28
Troubleshooting - 55, 57

U

Updating the System BIOS - 63
Utility Programs

Advanced Screen - 36
BIOS Setup - 29
Boot Screen - 44
Exit Screen - 46

M6Mi System Board Manual

75

Index

W

Main Screen - 31
Power Screen - 42
Security Screen - 39

World Wide Web - 53

76

M6Mi System Board Manual