Micronics Spitfire EX User Manual

Spitfire EX Pentium II

System Board Manual

Document Number: 06-00302-01, Rev. 2A

August 1997

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

Copyright Notices

Copyright  1997 Micronics Computers, Inc. The information con­tained in the Spitfire EX PCI/ISA/AGP Dual Pentium II system board

2

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, PCI and AGP 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Features 6
Software Compatibility 7
Before You Begin 8

Chapter 1 - Quick Installation 9

Installing the Spitfire EX 9

Chapter 2 - Configuring the Spitfire EX 11

Static Electricity 11
Environment Considerations 11
Spitfire EX System Board 12
Spitfire EX Back Panel Connections 12
Jumper Settings 13

Chapter 3 - Installing the Spitfire EX 19

Introduction 19
System Memory Support 19
Installing the Spitfire EX 20

Tools Required 21
Equipment Required 22

System Memory 21

Adding Memory 21
Memory Configurations 22
Installing DIMMs 25

Removing DIMMs 25
CPU Installation 26

Installing the CPU Retention Mechanism 26

Installing a CPU 28
CPU Installation Overview 30

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

1

CPU Installation (Box version) 31
Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 32
Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 33
Installing an AGP Peripheral Card 34
Installing a CD-ROM Drive 35
Spitfire EX Sound Option 36

Chapter 4 - The BIOS Setup Utility 39

Configuration 39
Initial Bootup 39
Setup 39
Running the Setup Procedure 41
Setting the Main Screen 41
Setting the Advanced Screen 46

Security Screen 49
Power Screen 52
Boot Screen 54
Exit Screen 55

Chapter 5 - Installing Device Drivers 57

About Device Drivers 57
Installing the Sound Drivers 57
Installing the SCSI Drivers 58

Appendix A - Technical Information 59

Specifications 59
Environmental Specifications 61

Temperature Range 61

Relative Humidity 61
Battery Disposal 62
Support and Information Services 63

Technical Support 63

2

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Appendix B - Post Messages 65

Appendix C - Beep and POST Codes 67

Appendix D - Hard Disk Drive Types 71

Appendix E - Updating the System BIOS 73

Appendix F - Warranties and Notices 75

Limited Warranty 75
Non-Warranty Service 76
FCC Statement 77

Glossary 78

Index 82

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

3

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen 10
Figure 2.1: Spitfire EX System Board 12
Figure 2.2: Spitfire EX Back Panel Connections 12
Figure 3.1: Installing a 168-Pin DIMM 25
Figure 3.2: Installing a CPU 30
Figure 3.3: Installing a CPU (Boxed version) 31
Figure 3.4: Installing a PCI Card 32
Figure 3.5: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 33
Figure 3.6: Installing an AGP Peripheral Card 34
Figure 3.7: Connecting External Sound Devices 36
Figure 4.1: Power-Up Screen 40
Figure 4.2: CMOS Main Screen 41
Figure 4.3: IDE Device Submenu 44
Figure 4.4: Advanced Screen 46
Figure 4.5: Security Screen 49
Figure 4.6: Supervisor Password Submenu 50
Figure 4.7: Power Screen 52
Figure 4.8: Boot Screen 54
Figure 4.9: Exit Screen 55

List of Tables

Table 2.1: CPU Speed Selection 13
Table 2.2: Clear CMOS Settings 13
Table 2.3: Soft Power On/Off Setting 14
Table 2.4: Pipelining Mode Settings 14
Table 2.5: Secondary USB Selection 14
Table 2.6: Onboard Sound Selection 15
Table 2.7: Onboard Sound Wavetable Selection 15
Table 2.8: Onboard SCSI Selection 15
Table 2.9: Case and Peripheral Connections 16
Table 3.1: Memory Configurations 22
Table A.1: Support and Information Services 64

4

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Introduction

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Spitfire EX system board.
The Spitfire EX is an advanced dual processor solution
for the industry’s most demanding workstation and server
applications.

Based on the Intel 440LX AGPset, the Spitfire EX
supports the latest advanced processor architecture, the
Pentium II (processor-on-a-cartridge), which provides
the speed and performance necessary to address the most
intensive computational applications. Hardware man­agement support w/ integrated CPU temperature sen­sors, Ultra DMA/33 IDE hard drive protocol (up to
33MBytes/sec transfer rate), SDRAM memory support,
optional Fast/Wide Dual Channel SCSI and 16-bit
Yamaha sound with wavetable synthesis make this board
powerful and feature rich.

In addition, the Spitfire EX comes with an AGP (Accel­erated Graphics Port) bus slot, a faster bus than the
current 33MHz PCI bus. The AGP bus provides a direct
connection between the graphics subsystem and system
memory.

The Wake-on-LAN and Resume-on-Modem Ring fea­tures offer you a way to access a local-area or wide-area
network or modem to turn on desktop PCs remotely. The
wake-up control located on the Spitfire EX system board
collects input from a Wake-on-LAN enabled adapter
and the PC's power switch. It then routes its output to the
power-supply activation circuitry. You can power up your
PC or multiple PCs from a remote location and manage
networks more efficiently.

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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

5

Introduction

Features

The Spitfire EX includes the following features:
▲ Dual Intel Slot 1

Intel Pentium II chip 233/266/300MHz

Integrated Voltage Regulator Modules

▲ Intel 440LX AGPset

Intel PIIX 4

SMC FDC37C935 Ultra I/O chip

▲ Three 32-bit PCI slots

Two 16-bit ISA slots

(One is a shared PCI/ISA slot)

One AGP slot

▲ Four 3.3V unbuffered 64/72-bit 168-pin DIMM sockets

Maximum memory 512MB for SDRAM

Maximum memory 1GB for EDO

Supports EDO and SDRAM memory simultaneously

ECC support via chipset

▲ Fast/Wide Dual Channel SCSI (optional)
▲ Yamaha OPL3 and OPL4 sound (optional)
▲ Hardware Management - LM78 microprocessor system

hardware monitor w/ LM75 CPU temperature sensors



▲ Ultra DMA/33 IDE support
▲ Wake-on-LAN headers
▲ Extended ATX form factor

6

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Introduction

Software Compatibility

The Spitfire EX 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
UNIX 3.2.4.2

▲ Novell NetWare 3.12

Novell NetWare 4.11

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

7

Introduction

This manual will familiarize you with the features, installa­tion and use of your Spitfire EX. 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

AGP Accelerated Graphics Port
DIMM Dual Inline Memory Module
DRAM Dynamic Random Access Memory
ECC Error Checking and Correction
EDO Extended Data Out
IDE Integrated Drive Electronics
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
SCSI Small Computer System Interface
SDRAM Synchronous DRAM
USB Universal Serial Bus
VRM Voltage Regulator Module

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.

8

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter

1

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 Spitfire EX

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

STATIC!

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

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

3. Remove the Spitfire EX from its packaging.

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

5. Install the CPU and the system memory. Be sure to
attach the Retention Mechanism as described in
Chapter 3.

6. Install the system board in the chassis and make all
necessary case connections.

7. Install any ISA, PCI and/or AGP add-on peripherals
(refer to Chapter 2 for the location of the slots).

8. Connect any optional devices.

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

10. 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 Chapter 4).

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

9

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen

11. 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).

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

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

10

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Chapter

2

Configuring the Spitfire EX

Although the Spitfire EX 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 Spitfire EX 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 anti-static wrist or ankle strap. If you do not have
an anti-static 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
Spitfire EX board via one of the solder pads that surround
its mounting holes. When you remove the Spitfire EX
from its packaging, place it on top of the anti-static 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

11

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Spitfire EX System Board

Figure 2-1: Spitfire EX System Board Diagram

Spitfire EX Back Panel Connections

Figure 2-2: Spitfire EX Back Panel

(Intel Venus I/O Shield Compatible)

12

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Jumper Settings

This section provides the jumper settings for the Spitfire EX system
board.

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

repmuJ

332
662

03

333
663

*Default Setting

)srossecorPletnI(deepSmetsyS

6,lanretxEzHM

6

6,lanretxEzHM0

6

6,lanretxEzHM

6

Table 2-1: System Speed Selection

1

W

4

W

4

W

W

2-14-36-58-7

lanretnIzHM

*

lanretnIzHM66,lanretxEzHM
lanretnIzHM
lanretnIzHM66,lanretxEzHM
lanretnIzHM

lanretnIzHM66,lanretxEzHM004

esolCesolC

3-2

esolC

3-2

esolC

3-2

esolC

3-2

esolCnepO

3-2
3-2nepOesolCesolCesolC

4

nepO
nepO
nepOesolCnepO
nepO

esolC

nepO

nepOnepO

W

4

nepO

esolC

esolC

Table 2-2 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

8W)tluafed(lamroN

SOMCraelC

Table 2-2: Clear CMOS Settings

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

2-1
3-2

13

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Table 2-3 lists the settings for the system power-on setting. When set for
Normal operation the power supply is turned On or Off using a
momentary push-button switch connected to J24. When set for Forced
Cycling the power supply is always turned on, regardless of the push­button connected to J24.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

9W)tluafed(lamroN

gnilcyCdecroF

Table 2-3: Soft Power On/Off Setting

nepO
esolC

Table 2-4 lists the settings for the Host Bus Agents Pipelining mode.
Host Bus Agents are devices connected to the CPU local bus, which
include the CPU and the 440LX chipset. Pipelining allows for the
overall task of these devices to be divided into smaller overlapping tasks,
and provides fast throughput for sequential processes.

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

2WdevreseR

)tluafed(lamroN

Table 2-4: Pipelining Mode Settings

2-1
3-2

Table 2-5 lists the settings to enable the Secondary USB connector.
NOTE: Jumpers W6 and W7 must be set to the same position.

14

repmuJnoitcnuFsgnitteS

7W-6WBSUyradnoceS

1Jotdetuor)1troP(

BSUyradnoceS

Table 2-5: Secondary USB Selection

2-1
3-2

)tluafed(21Jotdetuor)1troP(

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

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

Jumper Function Settings

W10 Enable/Disable Sound via

Close
BIOS (default)
Disable Sound via Hardware

Table 2-6: Onboard Sound Selection

Open

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

Jumper Function Settings

W11 Enable/Disable Wavetable

via BIOS (default)
Disable Wavetable via
Hardware

Close
Open

Table 2-7: Onboard Sound Wavetable Selection

Table 2-8 lists the settings to enable or disable the optional onboard
SCSI.

Jumper Function Settings

W12 Enable/Disable SCSI via

BIOS (default)
Disable SCSI via
Hardware

Table 2-8: Onboard SCSI Selection

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Close
Open

15

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Table 2-9 lists the connectors and their functions.

Connector Function Notes

J1 AGP Bus Expansion Slot 62 x 2-pin connector

J2-J5 DRAM (168-pin DIMM

Sockets)

J7, J8 Primary and Secondary

IDE Port Connectors

J9 Floppy Drive Connector Supports up to two floppy

J10 Add-In Drive Controller

Activity LED Connector

J11 PS/2 Keyboard Connector

PS/2 Mouse Connector

J12 USB Connector Lower Level: USB Port 1

J13, J14 Serial Ports COM A & COM B

J15 Parallel Port Connector Upper Level
J16-J18 PCI Bus Expansion Slots
J19-J20 ISA Bus Expansion Slots

J23 ATX Power Supply

J24 Front Panel I/O Connector

" System Power On/Off 1 - Power; 2 - Ground
" Infrared Port 6 - +5V DC; 7 - No Connect;

" Drive Activity LED

Note: IDE, SCSI Channels
A/B and Add-In Drive
Controller share the same
LED

" Power-On LED 18 - Ground; 20 - Positive

3.3 volt, unbuffered EDO and
SDRAM DIMMs

Both support up to two IDE
devices

drives
1 - Activity LED Input; 2 - No

Connect
Lower Level

Upper Level

(available when W6 & W7 are
set to 2-3)
Upper Level: USB Port 0

8 - Receive Data; 9 - Ground;
10 - Transmit Data; 11 - No
Connect

13 or 16 - Positive; 15 ­Negative

16

" System Reset Switch 22 - Ground; 23 - Reset

" External PC Speaker

Note: To use the onboard
PC Speaker, jumper pins
26 and 27 on J24

Table 2-9: Connector Settings and Functions

24 - +5V DC (signal return);
26 - Onboard PC Speaker
Signal; 27- External PC
Speaker Signal

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

Connector Function Notes

J25 Primary CPU Cooling Fan

Connector

J26 Secondary CPU Cooling

Fan Connector

J27 Chassis Cooling Fan 1 - Ground; 2 - +12V Power; 3 - Fan

J28 I2C Bus Connector 1 - I2C Data; 2 - Ground; 3 - I2C Clock;

J29 Chassis Intrusion Sensor

Connector

J31 CD-ROM Audio

(ATAPI Interface)

J32 Modem/Telephony (ATAPI

Interface)

J33 Game Port/MIDI

MIC In, Line In, Line Out

J34 Audio Line In (ATAPI) 1 - Line-In Left Channel; 2 - Ground;

J36 SCSI Channel A Cable

Connector

J37 SCSI Channel A Cable

Connector

J38 SCSI Channel B Cable

Connector

J39 Wake-On-LAN Connector 1 - +5V Standby Power Output;

J40 Auxiliary Audio Line-In

(ATAPI)
U1 Pentium II CPU Primary
U2 Pentium II CPU Secondary

W5 Reserved

1 - Ground; 2 - +12V Power; 3 - Fan
Speed Monitor

1 - Ground; 2 - +12V Power; 3 - Fan
Speed Monitor

Speed Monitor

4 - +5V Power; 5 - Temperature Alert
1 - Battery Power; 2 - Trigger Input

1 - CD-In Left Channel; 2 - Ground;
3 - Ground; 4 - CD-In Right Channel

1 - Speaker Input; 2 - Ground;
3 - Ground; 4 - Amplified MIC Output

Upper Level
Lower Level

3 - Ground; 4 - Line-In Right Channel
8-bit cable

16-bit (Wide SCSI)

16-bit (Wide SCSI)

2- Ground; 3 - LAN-Wakeup Signal
Input

1 - Line-In Left Channel; 2 - Ground;
3 - Ground; 4 - Line-In Right Channel

Table 2-9a: Connector Settings and Functions

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

17

Chapter 2: Configuring the Spitfire EX

18

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Chapter

3

Installing the Spitfire EX

Introduction

This chapter explains how to install the Spitfire EX
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
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 Spitfire EX is augmented by its
support for EDO and SDRAM memory . The Spitfire EX
supports ECC (with 72-bit DIMMs) via the chipset.

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 in
synch, system wait states are eliminated, thus providing
increased performance over conventional DRAM.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

19

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Installing the Spitfire EX

Installation of the Spitfire EX system board depends on the
type of case you use. The Spitfire EX 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 Spitfire EX:

❏ 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 Spitfire EX 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).

20

Spitfire EX 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 Spitfire EX

System Memory

System memory is necessary to operate the Spitfire EX
system board. The Spitfire EX has four 3.3V unbuffered
64/72-bit, 168-pin DIMM sockets for a maximum of 1GB
of memory. Support is provided for EDO and SDRAM
memory. This section list the rules for adding memory to
the Spitfire EX, 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 60ns or faster EDO

DIMMs.

❏ DIMM memory modules support EDO and SDRAM

(unbuffered) memory types.

❏ Singled-sided and double-sided memory modules are

supported.

❏ 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.

168-Pin DIMM

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

21

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Memory Configurations

DIMM memory configuration is auto-banking and there­fore does not need to be installed in any particular order.
The following table lists the most common memory
configurations.

Memory Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4

8MB 1Mx64
16MB 2Mx64
16MB 1Mx64 1Mx64
24MB 2Mx64 1Mx64
24MB 1Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
32MB 2Mx64 2Mx64
32MB 4Mx64
32MB 1Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
40MB 2Mx64 2Mx64 1Mx64
40MB 2Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
40MB 4Mx64 1Mx64
48MB 2Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64
48MB 2Mx64 2Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
48MB 4Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
56MB 4Mx64 2Mx64 1Mx64
56MB 4Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
64MB 2Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64

Table 3-1: Memory Configurations

22

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Memory Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4

64MB 4Mx64 4Mx64
64MB 8Mx64
80MB 4Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64
80MB 4Mx64 4Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
80MB 8Mx64 2Mx64
80MB 8Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
96MB 4Mx64 4Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64
96MB 4Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64

96MB 8Mx64 2Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
112MB 4Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64 2Mx64
112MB 8Mx64 4Mx64 2Mx64
112MB 8Mx64 4Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
128MB 16Mx64
128MB 4Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
128MB 8Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
128MB 8Mx64 8Mx64
160MB 16Mx64 2Mx64 1Mx64 1Mx64
160MB 8Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
160MB 16Mx64 4Mx64

Table 3-1a: Memory Configurations

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

23

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Memory Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4

192MB 16Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
192MB 8Mx64 8Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
192MB 8Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64
224MB 16Mx64 8Mx64 2Mx64 2Mx64
224MB 16Mx64 8Mx64 4Mx64
256MB 16Mx64 16Mx64
256MB 16Mx64 8Mx64 4Mx64 4Mx64
256MB 16Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64
256MB 8Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64
288MB 16Mx64 16Mx64 4Mx64
320MB 16Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64

24

384MB 16Mx64 16Mx64 16Mx64
384MB 16Mx64 16Mx64 8Mx64 8Mx64
448MB 16Mx64 16Mx64 16Mx64 8Mx64
512MB 16Mx64 16Mx64 16Mx64 16Mx64

1GB 32Mx64 32Mx64 32Mx64 32Mx64

Table 3-1b: Memory Configurations

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

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 3-1).

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 anti-static bag or package.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

25

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

CPU Installation

The Spitfire EX is designed to support single or dual
Pentium II processors. The Pentium II processor comes
installed in a Single Edge Contact (SEC) cartridge that
connects into "Slot 1" on the system board.

A Retention Mechanism is supplied to anchor the pro­cessor to the system board. Attach the Retention Mecha­nism before inserting the processor.

Installing the CPU Retention Mechanism

Before you begin, verify that your Retention Mechanism
Kit contains the following items:

❏ Retention Base (black plastic module)
❏ Support Bridges with Studs (plastic

mounts)

Support Bridge
with Studs

Follow the steps below to install the kit:

1. Locate the four Retention Base holes (near each end
of the Slot 1 socket). Insert the two Support Bridges
with studs (plastic mounts) from the bottom side of
the Spitfire EX toward the component side until
they snap into place.

(Orient the loops toward
the outer edges of the
system board)

Retention
Base

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

2. Place the Retention Base over the Slot 1 connector
and insert it down into the Support Bridges with
studs. Note the “Keyed” location of both Slot 1 and
the Retention Base.

Keyed

Retention Base

3. Using a screwdriver, tighten all four
sides of the Retention Base.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

27

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Installing a CPU

If you are installing a single CPU, the

Terminator

Card

Primary CPU slot must be used. You
must also install a terminator card in
the Secondary slot.

Secondary Slot

Follow the steps below to install the Pentium II processor:

1. Locate the Slot 1 connector (refer to Figure 2-1).

2. If you are installing the boxed version of the Pentium
II processor, follow the instructions in the section
“CPU Installation (Boxed version).”

3. If you are installing the optional Heat Sink Support,
continue to step 4; if not, go to step 5.

4. The Heatsink components consist of a top bar, base
and two pins. Gently insert the Heatsink base into
the holes next to the Slot 1 socket. Push down until
the base snaps into place.

Top Bar

Pin

Base

Pin

5. Gently insert the processor cartridge down into the
Retention Module, making sure the connector on
the processor cartridge and the Slot 1 connector are
aligned (refer to the keyed location on the previous
page).

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

6. Push the processor cartridge down until it snaps into
place.

7. Lock the processor cartridge into place by pushing
outward on the tabs located on both sides of the
processor cartridge. The processor cartridge is locked
when the tabs snap into the holes on the side of the
Retention Mechanism.

8. After the processor cartridge is locked into place,
connect the Heatsink’s top bar to the base.

9. Lock the base into place by inserting a pin down into
the base on both sides.

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

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

29

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

CPU Installation Overview

CPU Installation

Overview

1. Mount the Retention
Mechanism for the
CPU.

2. Mount the (optional)
heatsink support base
onto the system board.

3

3. Slide the CPU into the
Retention Mecha­nism.

4

4. Lock the CPU into the
Retention mechanism
using the tabs.

5. Slide in the Heat Sink
Top Bar, then insert
the pins to lock it in
place.

1

2

30

5

Figure 3-2: Installing a CPU

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

CPU Installation (Boxed version)

A boxed version of the CPU is offered through Intel. This
packaging uses an active cooling fan. The mounting
hardware is described below. For detailed instructions,
please refer to the documentation that is supplied with
your CPU.

NOTE: Make sure the speed selection jumpers are set
correctly (refer to Chapter 2 - Jumper Settings).

3

4

Figure 3-3: Installing a CPU (Boxed version)

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

3

1

2

Install to
system board

31

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

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.

32

Figure 3-4: Installing a PCI Card

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

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.

Figure 3-5: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

33

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Installing an AGP Peripheral Card

Micronics AGP slot can accommodate all AGP periph­erals that meet the Intel AGP bus specifications. Follow
the steps below to install an AGP card:

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

2. Locate the AGP slot (J1) 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 AGP card’s documentation for addi­tional instructions regarding installation and soft-

ware drivers.

34

Figure 3-6: Installing an AGP Peripheral Card

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

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
MPC-2 compatible CD-ROM audio connector on
the Spitfire EX system board (see Figures 2.1 and

2.2).

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

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.

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Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Spitfire EX Sound Option

You can connect external sound devices to your Spitfire
EX 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

36

Figure 3-6: Connecting External Sound Devices

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

Game Port

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

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 600 ohm micro­phone.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

37

Chapter 3: Installing the Spitfire EX

38

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Chapter

4

The BIOS Setup Utility

Configuration

After the Spitfire EX 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 Spitfire EX. 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

39

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.

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Running the Setup Procedure

The Spitfire EX system board has six primary CMOS
configuration screens: Main, Advanced, Security, Power,
Boot and Exit. 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
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

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41

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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.

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.

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43

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 (de­fault), Disabled, 2 Sectors, 4 Sectors, 6 Sectors, 8 Sectors
and 16 Sectors.

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Spitfire EX 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. LBA Mode Control support drives larger than
500MB. The default setting is Enabled.

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.

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.

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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

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). NOTE: When set for Enabled,
the grayed out options are available.

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). NOTE: When set for Enabled,
the grayed out options are available.

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 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). 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.

Integrated PCI IDE

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

Integrated PCI SCSI

Enables or disables the integrated PCI SCSI adapter. The
default setting is Enabled.

Integrated Sound

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

LM78

Enable or disable the integrated LM78 microprocessor
system hardware monitor. The LM78 can be used to
monitor temperatures, power supply voltages and fan
speeds.

Use MP Specification

This selection allows you to select the 1.1 (default) or 1.4
multiprocessor specification.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Plug & Play O/S

This selection allows your system to work with a Plug and
Play operating system such as Windows 95. The default
setting is No. NOTE: This selection should be set to No
when using Windows 3.1 or Windows NT.

Reset Configuration Data

Select Yes to reset Extended System Configuration Data
(ESCD) when you exit Setup. This selection allows the
PnP BIOS to re-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
IRQ’s for legacy ISA devices.

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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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

DRAM Type

The DRAM type can be set for Non-Parity (default),
Parity or ECC. Selecting ECC will detect the parity error
and allow the system to correct the error, if ECC memory
is in place on the system.

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 4-5: 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

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Chapter 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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Spitfire EX 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.

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.

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51

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 4-7: 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.
To turn off power management, choose Disabled (de­fault).

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Spitfire EX 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 Suspend 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.

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.

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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 feature will set the search order for the types of
bootable devices.

Hard Drive

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

Floppy Check

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

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

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 4-9: Exit Screen

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

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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Spitfire EX 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 optional
sound and SCSI 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 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.

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57

Chapter 5: Installing Device Drivers

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 Windows NT, refer to the Windows
NT user’s manual for instructions on how to install
sound drivers.

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

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

Installing the SCSI Drivers

Refer to the “Adaptec 7800 Family Manager Set User’s
Guide” for information on installing and configuring
drivers for your operating system.

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Appendix

A

Specifications

Part Number: 09-00302-xx

Processor: Intel Pentium II chip

233/266/300MHz.

Dual Intel Slot 1
Integrated VRMs

CPU Clock Select: Support for 66MHz CPU bus

Chipset: Intel 440LX AGPset

Intel PIIX 4
SMC FDC37C935 Ultra I/O chip

Form Factor: Extended ATX form factor

Six layer board
Stacked I/O connectors (Intel Venus
I/O Shield compatible).
20-pin ATX power connector

Expansion: Three 32-bit PCI slots

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

BIOS: Phoenix 4.06 BIOS on 2MB Flash

APM 1.2
PCI auto configuration
Auto detection of memory size
Auto detection and display of ECC,
EDO and SDRAM memory.
Auto detection of IDE hard disk types
Soft Power Down
Instant On and Quick Boot
Multi-boot II
DMI 2.0/SMI/ACPI
Wake on LAN, WFM 1.0

Keyboard/Mouse: PS/2 style keyboard and mouse

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Memory Capacity: Four 3.3V unbuffered 64/72-bit DIMM sockets

Maximum memory - 1GB for EDO
Maximum memory - 512KB for SDRAM
Supports EDO and SDRAM memory
simultaneously.
ECC supported via chipset when using 72-bit
DIMMs.

Fast/Wide SCSI: Adaptec 7895 Dual SCSI
(optional) Channel A - 50-pin & 68-pin SCSI connectors

Channel B - 68-pin SCSI connector

Onboard Sound: Yamaha OPL3 and OPL4
(optional) Sound Blaster compatible 16-bit stereo

Line In, Line Out, MIC and Game/MIDI ports
4-pin CD-ROM audio header (ATAPI)
4-pin CD-ROM modem audio header (ATAPI)
4-pin Line In header (ATAPI)
4-pin Aux 2 (ATAPI)
Built-in wavetable synthesis
Sound drivers

Hardware LM78 Microprocessor System Hardware Monitor
Management: (requires a fan with an RPM signal).

LM75 CPU Temperature Sensors (2)

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

Enhanced 25-pin Parallel Port with ECP and EPP
IrDA compliant IR header
Two USB ports

Floppy Port: Supports 360K - 2.88MB formats

Auto detection of add-in floppy controllers
Multiple sector transfer support

PCI IDE Ports: Ultra DMA/33 IDE

Two 40-pin IDE connectors (Primary/Secondary)
Multiple sector transfer support
Auto detection of add-in IDE board

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Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Wake-on-LAN: Wake-on-LAN header (for remote monitoring)

(Must use a Wake-on-LAN supported Ethernet
adapter).

Environmental Specifications

The environment in which the Spitfire EX 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%.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

61

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.

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Spitfire EX 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 Micron-

ics product, which is silk screened on the face of the
Spitfire EX system board.

❏ Your computer information such as CPU type, operat-

ing 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

63

Appendix A: Technical Information

Service Hours Country Telephone Number

Technical Support - Live phone help
from Technical Support Engineers

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 helpful
information

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

7 days a week

M-F: 8:00am to

5:00pm (PST)

"

day

"

USA

France

USAUK(510) 651-6837

USA [phone]

USA [phone]

USA

Europe

USA

France

Taiwan

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

UK

[phone]
[phone] (Fax)

14400 baud rate, Parity=N,
Data Bits=8, Stop Bits=1
YMODEM and ZMODEM
(recommended file transfer
protocols)
[phone]

[phone] (Fax)

http://www.micronics.com
http://www.mcrni.com

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

UK

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

64

Table A-1: Support and Information Ser vices

Spitfire EX 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 configured
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 jammed or dirt y.

Unlock the keyswitch.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

65

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 OFFSET

SYSTEM BATT ERY
IS DEAD

SYSTEM CACHE
ERROR - CACHE
DISABLED

SYSTEM CMO S
CHECKSUM BAD ­RUN SETUP

SYSTEM RAM
FAILED AT
OFFSET: nnnn

SYSTEM TIMER
ERROR

Monitor type not
correctly identified in
Setup.

Operating syst em
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 failed. 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 defective RAM.

Timer test failed. Requires repair of system

Run Setup and enter
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. Board
repair may be required.

Check Setup. Board
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 ru n Setup to
reconfigure t he system.

System will still run, but
slower. Replace cache
at convenience.

Run Setup and
reconfigure t he system.

board.

66

Spitfire EX 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 Spitfire
EX 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

67

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps POST Routine Description

02 Verify Real Mode.
04 Get CPU type.
06 Initialize system hardware.
08 Initialize chipset regis t ers w ith 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 loca lbus IDE.

10 Initialize Power Management.

11 Load alternate regis t ers w ith initial PO ST v alues.

12 Jump to UserPatch0.

14 Initialize keyboard controller.

16 2-2-3 BIOS ROM check sum .

18 8254 timer initialization.
1A 8237 DMA c on trolle r initializa tio n.
1C Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller.

20 3-1-1 Test DRAM ref resh.

22 3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller.

24 Set ES segment regi st er 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 c hipset registers.

37 Reinitialize the chips et (MB only ).

38 Shadow system BIOS ROM.

39 Reinitialize the cac he (MB 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 Initialize manag er for PCI Opt ion ROMs.

48 Check vide o configuration again s t CMO S.

49 Initialize PCI bus and devices.

68

Spitfire EX 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 Tes t RAM between 512 and 640k.
60 Test extended memory.
62 Test extended memory address lines.
64 Jump to UserPatch1.
66 Configure advanced cache regist er 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 vectors.
7E Test coprocessor if present.
80 Disable onboard I/O ports.
82 Detect and install external RS232 por ts.
84 Detect and install external paral lel por ts.
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 con troller.
92 Jump to UserPatch2.
93 Build MPTABLE for multi - pr oc essor boar ds.
94 Disable A20 address line.
96 Clear huge ES segment register.
98 Search for option ROMs.
9A Shadow option ROMs.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

69

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 Cle ar 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 option ROM error.

D8 Shutdown error.
DA Extended Block Move.
DC Shutdown 10 error.

The following are for boot bl oc k in Flas h ROM:
E2 Initialize the c hipset.
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 inte rrupt controller.

EA Read in the bootstrap code.
EB Initia lize all vectors.
EC Boot the Flash program.
ED Initialize the boot device.
EE Boot code was read OK.

70

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Appendix D: Hard Disk Drive Types

Appendix

D

Hard Disk Drive Types

The following table lists the IDE hard disk types sup­ported by the Spitfire EX.

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

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

71

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

72

Spitfire EX 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 MS­DOS 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 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

73

Appendix E: Updating the System BIOS

74

Spitfire EX 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,

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

75

Appendix F: 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.

76

Spitfire EX 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.

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

77

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.

AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port. A
faster bus than the current 33MHz PCI
bus, which will connect the graphics
controller to system memory through
the chipset.

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.

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

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.

Buffered DIMMs - The 168-pin buff­ered DIMM modules use buffer logic
chips on their control lines to reduce
loading on the system board. This buff­ering action increases the maximum
number of modules on the same sys­tem board. The buffered DIMMs come
with standard DRAM chips for either
5V or 3.3V operation.

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 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.

78

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

Glossary

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.

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

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.

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 is logic de­signed to correct memory errors. The
number of errors that can be corrected
depends upon the algorithms used, and
the number of error correction bits
(non-data bits) present.

ECP - An acronym for Expanded
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 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.

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

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

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.

79

Glossary

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.

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

LM75 - The LM75 is a temperature
sensor. The host can query the LM75
at any time to read the temperature.
Its 3.0V to 5.5V supply voltage range,
low supply current and I2C interface,
make it ideal for a wide range of appli­cations.

LM78 - The LM78 is a highly inte­grated Data Acquisition system for
hardware monitoring of servers, per­sonal computers or virtually any micro­processor based system. In a PC, the
LM78 can be used to monitor tempera­tures, power supply voltages and fan
speeds.

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.

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.

80

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

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.

Glossary

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.

SCSI - Small Computer System Inter­face. A bus interface standard that de­fines physical and electrical character­istics for hardware devices. SCSI pro­vides a standard interface that enables
many different kinds of devices, such
as disk drives and CD-ROM drives to
interface with the host computer.

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.

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

or three cycles while maintaining a
bandwidth of one access per cycle.
Improves performance by 5-10%.

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.

USB - 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.

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

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

Small Computer System Interface ­See SCSI.
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

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

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.

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

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.

81

Index

Index

B

Battery Disposal - 62
POST Messages - 65
BIOS

Configuration - 39
Setup - 39

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 64

C

Configuring the Spitfire EX- 11
CPU

Box Version - 31
Installation - 26
Overview 30
Retention Mechanism - 26

82

D

Diagram (Spitfire EX) - 12

E

Extended Data Out (EDO) Memory - 19, 21
Environmental Specifications - 61
Error Checking (ECC) - 19, 21

H

Help

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 64
Telephone Numbers - 64
Troubleshooting - 65, 67

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

I

Installation

AGP Peripheral Card - 34
CPU - 26
Installing the Spitfire EX - 19
ISA Peripheral Card - 33
PCI Peripheral Card - 32
Quick Installation - 9

J

Jumper Settings - 13

M

Spitfire EX System Board Diagram - 12
Memory

Configurations - 22
Installing - 25
Removing - 25
Supported - 19, 21

Index

O

Online Services - 64

P

POST Messages - 65

S

Specifications - 59
Synchronous DRAM Memory - 19, 21
System BIOS - 39, 73

Spitfire EX System Board Manual

83

Index

T

Technical Specifications - 59
Technical Support - 63
Troubleshooting - 65, 67

U

Updating the System BIOS - 73
Utility Programs

Advanced Screen - 46
BIOS Setup - 39
Boot Screen - 54
Exit Screen - 55
IDE Device Submenu - 44
Main Screen - 41
Security Screen - 49

W

Wake-on-LAN - 5
Warranties - 75
World Wide Web - 64

84

Spitfire EX System Board Manual