Micronics Twister AT Pentium User Manual

Twister AT Pentium

System Board Manual

Document Number: 06-00317-01, Rev. 1B

April 1997

45365 Northport Loop West, Fremont, CA 94538-6417

Copyright Notices

Copyright  1997 Micronics Computers, Inc. The information con-
tained in the Twister AT PCI/ISA Pentium Processor 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 Award
Software Inc. All rights reserved.

Trademarks

Award Modular BIOS is a registered trademark of Award Software
Inc. 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.

Twister AT System Board Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Features 6
Software Compatibility 7
Before You Begin 8

Chapter 1 - Quick Installation 9

Installing the Twister AT 9

Chapter 2 - Configuring the Twister AT 13

Static Electricity 13
Office Environment 13
Twister AT System Board 14
Jumper Settings 15

Chapter 3 - Installing the Twister AT 19

Introduction 19
System Memory Support 19
Installing the Twister AT 20

Tools Required 20
Equipment Required 20

System Memory 21

Adding Memory 21

Memory Usage 22
Memory Configurations 24
Installing a CPU 28
Installing the DIMMs 29

Removing DIMMs 29
Installing the SIMMs 30

Removing SIMMs 30

Twister AT System Board Manual

1

Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 31
Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 32

Chapter 4 - The BIOS Setup Utility 33

Configuration 33
Initial Bootup 33
Setup 33
Running the Setup Procedure 35
Standard CMOS Setup 36

BIOS Features Setup 38
Chipset Features Setup 41
Power Management Setup 45
PnP/PCI Configuration Setup 48
Load BIOS Defaults 50
Load Setup Defaults 50
Integrated Peripherals 51
Supervisor Password 54
User Password 54
IDE HDD Auto Detection 55
HDD Low Level Format 56
Save and Exit Setup 57
Exit Without Saving 57

Appendix A - Technical Information 59

Specifications 59
Environmental Specifications 60
Temperature Range 60

Relative Humidity 60
Battery Disposal 61
Support and Information Services 62

Technical Support 62

Online Services 63

2

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix B - Post Messages 65

Appendix C - Updating the System BIOS 69

Appendix D - Warranties and Notices 71

Limited Warranty 71
Non Warranty Service 72
FCC Statement 73

Glossary 74

Index 78

Twister AT System Board Manual

3

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen 10
Figure 2.1: Twister AT System Board 14
Figure 3.1: Installing a 168-Pin DIMM 29
Figure 3.2: Installing a 72-Pin SIMM 30
Figure 3.3: Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 31
Figure 3.4: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 32
Figure 4.1: Power-Up Screen 34
Figure 4.2: Main CMOS Setup Screen 35
Figure 4.3: Standard CMOS Setup Screen 36
Figure 4.4: BIOS Features Setup Screen 38
Figure 4.5: Chipset Features Setup Screen 41
Figure 4.6: Power Management Screen 45
Figure 4.7: PnP/PCI Configuration Screen 48
Figure 4.8: Integrated Peripherals Screen 51
Figure 4.9: IDE HDD Auto Detection Screen 55
Figure 4.10: HDD Low Level Format Screen 56

List of Tables

Table 2.1: System Speed Selection (Intel) 15
Table 2.2: System Speed Selection (Cyrix) 15
Table 2.3: System Speed Selection (AMD) 16
Table 2.4: Clear CMOS Memory Selection 16
Table 2.5: Power Supply Voltage Selection 17
Table 2.6: Flash System BIOS Selection 17
Table 2.7: Connector Settings and Functions 18
Table 3.1: Memory Configurations (SIMMs Only) 24
Table 3.2: Memory Configuration (SIMMs Only) 25
Table 3.3: Memory Configuration (DIMMs Only) 26
Table 3.4: Memory Configuration (SIMMs & DIMMs) 27
Table A.1: Support and Information Services 63

4

Twister AT System Board Manual

Introduction

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Twister AT system board.
The Twister AT is a high-performance Pentium proces­sor solution for desktop systems. Based on the Intel
430TX PCIset, the Twister AT provides enhanced PCI
throughput and performance for today’s demanding ap­plications. The integrated voltage regulator module per­mits compatibility with processors from Intel, Cyrix and
AMD.

Other features of the 430TX PCIset include Advanced
Power Management, Universal Serial Bus support (USB),
Ultra DMA/33 IDE hard drive protocol (up to 33MBytes/
sec transfer rate), concurrent PCI and support for differ­ent memory types, including Synchronous Dynamic RAM
(SDRAM) and Extended Data Out RAM (EDO RAM).

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 12Mbps rate and low-end devices that use only a

1.5Mbps subchannel.

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.

Twister AT System Board Manual

5

Introduction

Features

The Twister AT includes the following features:
▲ Single ZIF socket 7

Intel Pentium

Intel Pentium



75-200MHZ



166-233MHz Processors with MMX



Intel Pentium Overdrive (P54CTB)



6x86

Cyrix

AMD-K5



and AMD-K6



Integrated Voltage Regulator Module

▲ Intel 430TX PCI chipset

Intel PIIX 4

SMC FDC37C66x Ultra I/O chip

▲ 256K or 512K Pipelined Burst Level 2 Cache soldered

onboard.

▲ Five 32-bit PCI slots

Four 16-bit ISA slots

(One is a shared PCI/ISA slot)

▲ Maximum memory - 256MB

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

Four 32-bit 72-pin SIMM sockets

Supports FPM, EDO and SDRAM memory

▲ Two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports (via cable) for

desktop peripheral expansion.

▲ Ultra DMA/33 IDE
▲ Baby AT form factor

Twister AT System Board Manual6

Introduction

Software Compatibility

The Twister AT 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

Twister AT System Board Manual

7

Introduction

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

Common Names

Before You Begin

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

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

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

8

Twister AT 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 Twister AT

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

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 Twister AT 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.

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

7. Install any ISA and/or PCI add-on peripherals.

8. Connect any optional devices.

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

Twister AT System Board Manual

9

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen

10. If necessary, use the arrow keys to move the highlight
to STANDARD CMOS SETUP and press <Enter>.

11. Set the time and date.

12. If necessary, adjust the settings for the floppy drive(s)
and hard drive(s) to match your configuration. If you
are installing one or more IDE drives, the BIOS auto­matically configures your drive(s) for you when the
setting in the Type column is Auto. See Chapter 4 for
additional information and additional instructions.

13. Verify that the floppy drive type(s) shown for Drive A
(and Drive B, if installed) are correct. If necessary
change the setting(s) for the floppy drive(s) using the
<Pg Up> and/or <Pg Dn> keys or the <+> and
<–> keys.

14. Verify that the amounts of memory shown in the
Standard CMOS Setup screen correctly reflect the
amount of RAM installed in your system.

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Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

15. Press <ESC> to return to the main setup menu.

16. Use the arrow keys to move the highlight to any of
the other setup options in the main menu that
contain settings you want to review or change (for
information on the various setup options in the main
menu, see Chapter 4). When you are finished, press
<F10> to select Save & Exit Setup. You are now
finished with the BIOS configuration.

Twister AT System Board Manual

11

Chapter 1: Quick Installation

12

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Chapter

2

Configuring the Twister AT

Although the Twister AT 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 Twister AT 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
Twister AT board via one of the solder pads that sur­round its mounting holes. When you remove the Twister
AT 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.

Twister AT System Board Manual

13

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Twister AT System Board

14

Figure 2-1. Twister A T System Board Diagr am

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Jumper Settings

This section provides the jumper settings for the Twister AT system
board.

Table 2-1 lists the system speed settings for the Intel Processors.

CPU Speed (Intel) CPU External

Bus Speed

CPU Frequency

Ratio

JP6 JP7 JP8 JP60 JP4 JP5
75MHz (50 x 1.5) 2-3 2-3 2-3 - 1-2 1-2
90MHz (60 x 1.5) 2-3 2-3 1-2 - 1-2 1-2

100MHz (66 x 1.5) 2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 1-2
120MHz (60 x 2.0) 2-3 2-3 1-2 - 1-2 2-3
133MHz (66 x 2.0) 2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 2-3
150MHz (60 x 2.5) 2-3 2-3 1-2 - 2-3 2-3

166MHz (66 x 2.5)* 2-3 1-2 2-3 - 2-3 2-3

180MHz (60 x 3.0) 2-3 2-3 1-2 - 2-3 1-2
200MHz (66 x 3.0) 2-3 1-2 2-3 - 2-3 1-2
233MHz (66 x 3.5) 2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 1-2

T able 2-1: System Speed Selection (Intel)

Table 2-2 lists the system speed settings for the Cyrix Processors.

CPU Speed (Cyrix) CPU External

Bus Speed

JP6 JP7 JP8 JP60 JP4 JP5

Cyrix PR150+
120MHz (60 x 2.0)

Cyrix PR166+
133MHz (66 x 2.0)

2-3 2-3 1-2 - 1-2 2-3

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 2-3

CPU Frequency

Ratio

Table 2-2: System Speed Selection (Cyrix)

* Default Setting

- Open

Twister AT System Board Manual

15

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Table 2-3 lists the system speed settings for the AMD Processors.

CPU Speed (AMD) CPU External

Bus Speed

JP6 JP7 JP8 JP60 JP4 JP5

AMD-K5-PR75

75MHz (50 x 1.5)

AMD-K5-PR90

90MHz (60 x 1.5)

AMD-K5-PR100

100MHz (66 x 1.5)

AMD-K5-PR120

90MHz (60 x 1.5)

AMD-K5-PR133

133MHz (66 x 2.0)

AMD-K5-PR166

166MHz (66 x 2.5)

AMD-K6-PR166

166MHz (66 x 2.5)

AMD-K6-PR200

200MHz (66 x 3.0)

AMD-K6-PR233

233MHz (66 x3.5)

T ab le 2-3: System Speed Selection (AMD)

2-3 2-3 2-3 - 1-2 1-2

2-3 2-3 1-2 - 1-2 1-2

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 1-2

2-3 2-3 1-2 - 1-2 1-2

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 1-2 2-3

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 2-3 2-3

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 2-3 2-3

2-3 1-2 2-3 - 2-3 1-2

2-3 1-2 2-3 1-2 1-2 1-2

CPU Frequency

Ratio

Table 2-4 lists the 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 1­2 for the system to function properly.)

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

16

Jumper Function Settings

JP1 Normal

Clear CMOS

Table 2.4: Clear CMOS Settings

1-2
2-3

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Table 2-5 lists the available processor supply voltages and the
corresponding jumper settings that select them.

CPU Type Jumper Settings

JP16 JP17 JP18 JP15 JP13 JP12 JP11 JP14

Intel
P54C/CS/CTB/
Cyrix 6x86

Intel P55C MMX/
Cyrix 6x86L

AMD K5 - Close - - Close - - ­AMD K6-166/200 - Close - - - ­AMD K6-233 - Close - - - - Close -

- Close - - - Close - -

- Close - - - - - Close

-

T a ble 2-5: P ow er Supply Voltage Selection

Close

Table 2-6 lists the jumper setting to flash the system BIOS.

- Open

Jumper Function Settings

JP2 Reserved

Normal

Table 2-6: Flash BIOS Selection

1-2
2-3

Twister AT System Board Manual

17

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister AT

Table 2-7 lists all of the connectors and their functions.

Connector Function Notes

J10 USB Connector Port 0
J11 USB Connector Port 1
J13 Secondary IDE Port Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen

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

configuration screen

J15 Primary IDE Port Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen
J16 Floppy Drive Connector
J17 Parallel Port Connector Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen
J18 CPU Fan 1 - +12V Power; 2 - Ground

J19 & J21 PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse

Connector

J22 Serial Port (COM 1) Can be disabled at the CMOS

configuration screen
J23 Sleep Switch 3 - Sleep_REQ; 4 -

FPSleep_Pwr

" Infrared (IR) 6 - +5V; 7 - Key; 8 - Receive

Data; 9 - Ground; 10 - Transmit

Data; 11 - No connect

" HDD LED 13 - +5V; 14 - Key; 15 - HDD

Active; 16 - +5V

" Power LED 18 - Ground; 19 - Key; 20 -

Power_DRV

" Reset Switch 22 - Ground; 23 - FP_Reset
" Speaker 24 - +5V; 25 - Key; 26 -

Speaker Data Connect; 27 - PC

Speaker Output
J24 Keylock Switch 1 - Power; 2 - No Connect;

3 - Ground; 4 - Keyboard Lock;

5 - Ground
J26 AT Power Connector

J100 SCSI LED 1 - NC; 2 - SCSI Active LED In

18

T a ble 2-7: Connector Settings and Functions

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Chapter

3

Installing the Twister AT

Introduction

This section explains how to install the Twister AT
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 Twister AT is augmented by its
support for SDRAM, EDO and FPM DRAM memory.
SDRAM memory is a new, faster memory technology
that features the ability to synchronize all operations
with the processor clock signal, which enables the
coexistence of high-performance and simple user inter­face.

The SDRAM memory technology extends the perfor­mance of conventional DRAM memory with its syn­chronized operation and burst mode. The result is an
improvement in memory-access performance on the
Twister AT system board.

Twister AT System Board Manual

19

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Installing the Twister AT

Installation of the Twister AT system board depends on
the type of case you use. The Twister AT is designed for the
Baby AT form factor and may be installed into most cases.

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 Twister AT:

❏ 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 Twister AT for a typical configuration:

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

continuous power within a 5 volt range. A power filter
may be used with a noisy AC power source.

❏ AT style keyboard and PS/2 mouse connector via

cable.

❏ Eight ohm speaker (standard in most cases).
❏ Standard ribbon cables for internal connections.
❏ Standard power cord (grounded).
❏ Heat sink with cooling fan for CPU (required for all

Pentium class processors).

20

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

System Memory

System memory is necessary to operate the Twister AT
system board. The Twister AT supports DIMM modules
and/or SIMM modules for a maximum of 256MB of
memory. There are two 168-pin 3.3V unbuffered DIMM
sockets. Each DIMM socket provides a 64-bit wide data
path. There are four 72-pin SIMM sockets. Each SIMM
socket provides a 32-bit wide data path.

Support is provided for EDO, SDRAM and FPM DRAM
memory. This section list the rules for adding memory to
the Twister AT, 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 and SIMMs. If you follow these rules, your
upgrade should be trouble-free:

❏ Use 70ns or faster DIMMs and SIMMs.

NOTE: For long term reliability, Micronics recommends
using DIMMs with gold-plated contacts and SIMMs with
tin-plated contacts.

❏ SIMM memory modules support FPM and EDO

DRAM memory types. DIMM memory modules sup­port FPM, EDO and SDRAM (unbuffered) memory
types.

❏ Singled-sided and double-sided memory modules are

supported.

❏ The same type and size of memory for every bank

recommended. 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.

Twister AT System Board Manual

21

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Memory Usage

The following information lists sample configurations
for utilizing both SIMM and DIMM memory modules:

SIMM Configurations

S3

S1

D1
D2

S3
S1

D1

D2

DIMM Configurations

S3

S1

D1
D2

S4

S2

or

S4

S2

S4
S2

or

S3

S1

22

S4

S2

D1

D2

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

SIMM and DIMM Configurations

S3
S1

D1

D2

S4
S2

or

S3

S1

D1
D2

S = SIMM
D = DIMM

S4

S2

NOTE:

DIMM socket 1 is a shared socket with SIMM sockets 3 and

4. A shared socket means that either SIMMs or DIMMs may
occupy, but not together. Therefore, if you are using a
DIMM in DIMM socket 1, you may not use SIMM sockets
3 and 4 at the same time.

Twister AT System Board Manual

23

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Memory Configurations

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

Memory

Size

8MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 - - - ­16MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 - - - ­16MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­24MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - ­32MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 - - - ­32MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - ­40MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­48MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­64MB 8Mx32 8Mx32 - - - ­64MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­72MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 - ­80MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 -- -­96MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 - -

128MB 16Mx32 16Mx32 - - - -

SIMM 1 SIMM 2 SIMM 3 SIMM 4 DIMM 1 DIMM 2

128MB 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 - ­136MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 - ­144MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 - ­160MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 - ­256MB 32Mx32 32Mx32 - - - -

T a ble 3-1: Memory Configurations (SIMMs Only)

24

Twister AT System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Memory

Size

24MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­32MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­48MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­48MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - ­64MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - ­80MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­96MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - -

96MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­128MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­144MB 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 1Mx32 - ­160MB 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 2Mx32 - ­192MB 8Mx32 8Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 - ­192MB 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 4Mx32 - ­192MB 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 - -

SIMM 1 SIMM 2 SIMM 3 SIMM 4 DIMM 1 DIMM 2

256MB 16Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 16Mx32 - ­256MB 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 8Mx32 - -

T a ble 3-2: Memory Configurations (SIMMs Only)

Twister AT System Board Manual

25

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Memory

Size

8MB - - - - 1Mx64 ­16MB - - - - 2Mx64 ­16MB - - - - 1Mx64 1Mx64
24MB - - - - 1Mx64 2Mx64
32MB - - - - 4Mx64 ­32MB - - - - 2Mx64 2Mx64
40MB - - - - 1Mx64 4Mx64
48MB - - - - 2Mx64 4Mx64
64MB - - - - 8Mx64 ­64MB - - - - 4Mx64 4Mx64
72MB - - - - 1Mx64 8Mx64
80MB - - - - 2Mx64 8Mx64
96MB - - - - 4Mx64 8Mx64

SIMM 1 SIMM 2 SIMM 3 SIMM 4 DIMM 1 DIMM 2

26

128MB - - - - 8Mx64 8Mx64
256MB - - - - 16Mx64 16Mx64

T a ble 3-3: Memory Configurations (DIMMs Only)

Twister AT System Board Manual

Memory

Size

8MB

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Bank 0 Bank 1

SIMM 1 SIMM 2 SIMM 3 SIMM 4 DIMM 1 DIMM 2

- - 1Mx64 -

- - 2Mx64 -

to

256MB

24MB

to

256MB

1Mx32 1Mx32

to

16Mx32 16Mx32

in any

combination

1Mx32 1Mx32

16Mx32 16Mx32

in any

combination

- - 4Mx64 -

- - 8Mx64 -

- - 1Mx64 1Mx64

- - 1Mx64 2Mx64

- - 1Mx64 4Mx64

- - 1Mx64 8MBx64

- - 2Mx64 2Mx64

- - 2Mx64 4Mx64

- - 2Mx64 8Mx64

- - 4Mx64 4Mx64

- - 4Mx64 8Mx64

- - 8Mx64 8Mx64

- 1Mx64

to

- 2Mx64

- 4Mx64

- 16Mx64

NOTE:

❏ Use the same type and size of memory for every bank.
❏ When mixing different memory types, the memory will default

T a ble 3-4: Memory Configurations (Mixing SIMMs & DIMMs)

to the speed of the slowest RAM installed.

Twister AT System Board Manual

27

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Installing a CPU

The Twister AT is designed to support Intel Pentium,
Cyrix and AMD processors. Follow the steps below to
install a processor:

1. Turn off the computer and remove its cover.

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

3. Lift the lever of the socket.

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

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

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

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

NOTE: The heat sink mounting spring can be directly
mounted on the ZIF socket 7.

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Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Installing the DIMMs

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

1. Hold the DIMM so that the notched edge is aligned
with the notch on the DIMM socket (Figure 3-2).
NOTE: If notched edges do not match, you are
probably using the incorrect type of DIMM (unbuf­fered).

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.

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Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

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 3-2: 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.

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Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

Installing a PCI Peripheral Card

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

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

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

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

Never insert the card at an angle.

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

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

6. Replace the computer cover.

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

Figure 3-3: Installing a PCI Card

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Chapter 3: Installing the Twister AT

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 in place.

6. Replace the computer cover.

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

Figure 3-4: Installing an ISA P eripheral Card

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Chapter

4

The BIOS Setup Utility

Configuration

After the Twister AT 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 Twister AT. 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.

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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 “To enter Setup before boot, press CTRL-ALT­ESC or DEL key” appears at the bottom of the screen,
press the <DEL> 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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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Figure 4-2: Main CMOS Setup Screen

Running the Setup Program

The Twister AT system board has six primary CMOS
configuration screens: main setup menu, Standard CMOS
Setup, BIOS Features Setup, Chipset Features Setup,
PNP/PCI Configuration and Integrated Peripherals screen.

In addition, there are four screens containing options that
do not have to be set unless you want to: the Power
Management Setup screen, the Supervisor Password, the
User Password and the IDE HDD Auto Detection screen.
The main menu screen also contains the following op­tions: Load BIOS Defaults, Load Setup Defaults, HDD
Low Level Format, Save & Exit Setup and the Exit
Without Saving.

To select any of these screens or options, use the arrow
keys (<↑←↓→>) to move the highlight to the desired
item and press <Enter>. NOTE: A brief description of

each highlighted selection appears at the bottom of the screen.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Standard CMOS Setup

The STANDARD CMOS SETUP allows checking or
modification of general configuration information. To
access the STANDARD CMOS SETUP screen, high­light this option on the main menu screen and press
<Enter>.

Figure 4-3. Standard CMOS Setup Screen

Date and Time

To set the date, use <→/←↑/↓> arrow keys to highlight
the date and follow the same procedure to set the time.

Hard Disks Setup

The BIOS supports up to four IDE drives. You can specify
the physical and electronic properties of the disk drives
installed. Relevant specifications include the type, num­ber of cylinders (CYLS), heads (HEAD), write pre-

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

compensation time (PRECOMP), read/write head land­ing zone (LANDZ), number of sectors per track
(SECTOR), and HDD mode (MODE). NOTE: We rec-

ommend that you select type Auto for all drives.

Diskette A or B

To configure a floppy drive added to or removed from
your computer, use <→/←↑/↓> arrow keys to select the
desired drive. Use the <PU/PD/+/-> arrow 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.

Video

Select the type of video card installed into your system.
The default setting is EGA/VGA.

Halt On

During the Power-On Self-Test (POST), the system
stops if the BIOS detects a hardware error. The default
setting is All Errors.

Base/Extended/Other Memory

A small section in the lower right corner of the screen
displays important information about your system that
includes the base, extended and other memory sizes.
They are updated automatically by the Setup program
according to the status detected by the BIOS self-test.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

BIOS Features Setup

This feature allows you to set the Award enhanced BIOS
options of your choice. To access the BIOS FEATURES
SETUP screen, highlight this option on the main menu
screen and press <Enter>.

Figure 4-4: BIOS Features Setup Screen

CPU Internal Cache

This selection enables the internal CPU. The default
setting is Enabled.

External Cache

The External Cache selection enables or disables the
external (L2) cache and the onboard secondary cache.
The default setting is Enabled.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Quick Power-On Self-Test

When enabled, this selection will reduce the amount of
time required to run the Power-On Self-Test (POST). A
quick POST skips certain steps. We recommend that you
disable quick POST. The default setting is Disabled.

Boot Sequence

Boot Sequence selects the order in which the system
searches for a boot disk. The default setting is A, C, SCSI.

Swap Floppy Drive

This selection can be set to remap the floppy drives.
When set to Enable, drive A: becomes drive B: and drive
B: becomes drive A:.

Boot Up Floppy Seek

When set to Enabled, the BIOS tests (seeks) floppy drives
to determine whether they have 40 or 80 tracks. Drives
with 720KB, 1.2MB and 1.44MB capacity all have 80
tracks. The default setting is Disabled.

Boot Up Numlock Status

Toggle between On and Off to control the state of the
NumLock key when the system boots. When toggled On,
the numeric keypad generates numbers instead of con­trolling cursor operations. The default setting is Off.

Security Option

This selection determines whether the password will be
asked for in every system boot or only when entering into
the Setup (default) program.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

Alters the VGA palette setting while graphic signals pass
through the feature connector of the VGA card and are
processed by the MPEG card. Enable this option only if
you have MPEG connections through the VGA feature
connector; this means you can adjust PCI/VGA palettes.
The default setting is Disabled.

OS Select for DRAM>64MB

This selection allows you to select the amount of memory
installed for your operating system. Select NON-OS2
(default) if your operating system has less than 64MB of
memory. If your operating system has more than 64MB
of memory installed, select the OS2 setting.

Video BIOS Shadow

Enabling this selection allows you to shadow the BIOS on
the video card for faster video performance. Some video
cards do not support video BIOS shadowing. Disable this
option if problems occur.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Chipset Features Setup

The Chipset Features Setup allows you to program the
Intel 430TX PCI chipset features. To access the CHIPSET
FEATURES SETUP screen, highlight this option on the
main menu screen and press <Enter>.

Figure 4-5: Chipset Features Setup Screen

Auto Configuration

Auto Configuration selects predetermined optimal val­ues of the chipset parameters. When Disabled, chipset
parameters revert to setup information stored in CMOS.
Many fields in this screen are not available when Auto
Configuration is Enabled.

DRAM Timing

This selection configures the DRAM read/write timing
for maximum performance. The options are 60ns (de­fault) and 70ns. NOTE: Before changing this selection,
verify the speed of the DRAM currently installed.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

WARNING: An incorrect setting could cause the system to
lockup. You will need to clear the CMOS and run the Setup
program again.

DRAM R/W Leadoff Timing

Select the combination of CPU clocks the DRAM on
your board requires before each memory read/write.
Changing the value from the setting determined by the
board manufacturer for the installed DRAM may cause
memory errors.

DRAM Read Burst (EDO/FP)

Sets the timing for reads from EDO or FPM memory. The
lower the timing numbers, the faster the system addresses
memory. Selecting timing numbers lower than the in­stalled DRAM is able to support can result in memory
errors.

DRAM Write Burst Timing

Sets the timing for writes to memory. The lower the
timing numbers, the faster the system addresses memory.
Selecting timing numbers lower than the installed DRAM
is able to support can result in memory errors.

Fast EDO Leadoff

Select Enabled only when using EDO DRAMs with
either synchronous cache or in a system without cache.

Refresh RAS# Assertion

Select the number of clock cycles in which the RAS# is
asserted for refresh cycles.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Fast RAS to CAS Delay

When DRAM is refreshed, both rows and columns are
addressed separately. This selection allows you to deter­mine the timing of the transition from RAS to Column
Address Strobe (CAS).

Fast MA to RAS# Delay

The values in this field are preset based on the DRAM
installed. Do not change the values unless you change
the specifications of the installed DRAM or the installed
CPU.

SDRAM (CAS Lat/RAS-to-CAS)

This selection sets the CAS latency and RAS-to-CAS
delays. The default setting is 2/2.

SDRAM Speculative Read

You can enable or disable the system chipset’s ability to
speculate on a DRAM read address, thereby reducing
read latencies. The default setting is Disabled.

System BIOS Cacheable

Selecting Enabled allows caching of the system BIOS
ROM at F0000h-FFFFFh, resulting in better system
performance. However, if any program writes to this
memory area, a system error may result.

Video BIOS Cacheable

Selecting Enabled allows caching of the video BIOS
ROM at C0000h to C7FFFh, resulting in better video
performance. However, if any program writes to this
memory area, a system error may result.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

8-Bit/16-Bit I/O Recovery Time

The I/O recovery mechanism adds bus clock cycles be­tween PCI-originated I/O cycles to the ISA bus. This
delay takes place because the PCI bus is so much faster
than the ISA bus. These two fields let you add recovery
time (in bus clock cycles) for 16-bit and 8-bit I/O.

Memory Hole at 15M-16M

You can reserve this area of system memory for the ISA
adapter ROM. When this area is reserved, it cannot be
cached.

PCI Passive Release

When Enabled, CPU to PCI bus accesses are allowed
during passive release. Otherwise, the arbiter only ac­cepts another PCI master access to local DRAM.

PCI Delayed Transaction

The chipset has an embedded 32-bit posted write buffer
to support delay transaction cycles. Select Enabled to
support compliance with PCI specification version 2.1.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Power Management Setup

The Power Management Setup option controls the power
management functions of the system. To access the
POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP screen, highlight
this option on the main menu screen and press <En­ter>.

Figure 4-6: Power Management Screen

Power Management

This selection allows you to select the type (or degree) of
power saving for Sleep, Standby and Suspend modes.
The options are: Maximum Power Savings, User De­fined and Minimum Power Savings.

Max Saving Maximum power savings. Inactivity period is

1 minute in each mode.

User Define Set each mode individually. Select time-out

periods in the PM Timers section.

Min Saving Minimum power savings. Inactivity period is

1 hour in each mode (except the hard drive).

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

PM Control By APM

When enabled, power management is controlled by the
Advanced Power Management (APM) feature, which
gives better power savings. The default setting is YES.

Video OFF Method

This selection defines the video off method in standby
mode. The following table describes each option:

SYNC+Blank System turns off vertical and horizontal

DPMS Support Select this option if your monitor supports the

Blank Screen System only writes blanks to the video buffer.

synchronization ports and writes blanks to the
video buffer.

Display Power Management Signaling
(DPMS) standard of the Video Electronics
Standards Association (VESA). Use the
software supplied for your video subsystem to
select video power management values.

Sleep Mode

After the selected period of system inactivity (1 minute
to 1 hour), the CPU clock runs at slower speed while all
other devices still operate at full speed.

Standby Mode

After the selected period of system inactivity (1 minute
to 1 hour), the fixed disk drive and the video shut off
while all other devices still operate at full speed.

Suspend Mode

After the selected period of system inactivity (1 minute
to 1 hour), all devices except the CPU shut off.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

HDD Power Down

After the selected period of drive inactivity (1 to 15
minutes), the hard disk drive powers down while all other
devices remain active.

VGA Active Monitor

Select whether or not video activity restarts the global
timer for Standby Mode.

IRQ 8 Clock Event

Sets the monitoring of IRQ8 (Real Time Clock) so that
it does not awaken the system from Suspend Mode.

Reload Global Timer Events

You can disable monitoring of common interrupt re­quests so they do not awaken the system from, or reset
activity timers for Standby mode.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

PnP/PCI Configuration Setup

The PnP/PCI Configuration Setup option sets the vari­ous system functions and internal addresses of PnP and
PCI devices and onboard PCI IDE controller. To access
the PnP/PCI CONFIGURATION SETUP screen, high­light this option on the main menu screen and press
<Enter>.

Figure 4-7: PnP/PCI Configuration Screen

PnP OS Installed

When set to Yes, this selection allows the system to work
with a Plug and Play (PnP) operating system such as
Windows 95. The PnP BIOS will configure only PCI and
ISA Plug and Play cards needed to boot the system, and
allow the operating system or device drivers to configure
the remaining cards. The default setting is No.

Resources Controlled By

The Twister AT’s Plug and Play BIOS can automatically
configure all the boot and Plug and Play-compatible

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

devices. If you select Auto (default) all the interrupt
request (IRQ) and DMA assignment fields disappear, as
the BIOS automatically assigns them.

Reset Configuration Data

Select Enabled 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
Disabled.

IRQ n Assigned To

When resources are controlled manually, assign each
system interrupt as one of the following types, depend­ing on the type of device using the interrupt:

Legacy ISA Devices compliant with the original PC

AT bus specification, requiring a specific
interrupt (such as IRQ4 for COM 1) or
older ISA cards that use jumpers to ad­just resources.

PCI/ISA PnP Devices compliant with the Plug and

Play standard, whether designed for PCI
or ISA bus architecture.

DMA n Assigned To

When resources are controlled manually, assign each
system DMA channel as one of the following types,
depending on the type of device using the interrupt:

Legacy ISA Devices compliant with the original PC

AT bus specification, requiring a specific
DMA channel or older ISA cards that
use jumpers to adjust resources.

PCI/ISA PnP Devices compliant with the Plug and

Play standard, whether designed for PCI
or ISA bus architecture.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Load BIOS Defaults

This selection loads the BIOS default values that would
allow safe booting of the system in the event of a BIOS
configuration memory loss. To select LOAD BIOS
DEFAULTS, highlight this option on the main menu
screen and press <Enter>. Press <Y> or <N> when
the program prompts you with the Load BIOS Defaults
question.

Load Setup Defaults

This selection allows automatic configuration of all the
options in the Standard CMOS Setup, BIOS Features
Setup and Chipset Features Setup with the setup de­faults. If problems are encountered after loading the
setup defaults, reboot the system and load the BIOS
defaults. To select LOAD SETUP DEFAULTS, high­light this option on the main menu screen and press
<Enter>. Press <Y> or <N> when the program
prompts you with the Load Setup Defaults question.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Integrated Peripherals

This option sets the addresses of I/O subsystems that
depend on the integrated peripherals controller in your
system. To access the INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS
screen, highlight this option on the main menu screen
and press <Enter>.

Figure 4-8: Integrated Peripherals Configuration Screen

IDE HDD Block Mode

Block mode is also called block transfer, multiple com­mands, or multiple sector read/write. If your IDE hard
drive supports block mode (most new drives do), select
Enabled (default) for automatic detection of the optimal
number of block read/writes per sector the drive can
support.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO

The four IDE PIO (Programmed Input/Output) fields
allow you to set a PIO mode (0-4) for each of the four IDE

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

devices that the onboard IDE interface supports. Modes
0 through 4 provide successively increased performance.
In Auto (default) mode, the system automatically deter­mines the best mode for each device.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA

Set the UDMA (Ultra DMA/33) mode for the specified
onboard IDE interface. Ultra DMA/33 is a hard drive
interface protocol that increases the burst data transfer
rate to 33MBytes per second. NOTE: Your hard drive
and operating environment must both support the
UDMA mode.

On-Chip Primary/Secondary PCI IDE

The integrated peripheral controller contains an IDE
interface with support for two IDE channels. Select
Enabled to activate each channel separately.

USB Support

Select Enabled (default) if your system contains a Uni­versal Serial Bus (USB) controller, and you have USB
peripherals and an operating system that supports USB.

Onboard FDC Controller

Select Enabled to use the floppy disk controller installed
on the system board. If you install an add-in controller
or the system has no floppy drive, select Disabled
(default).

Onboard UART 1/2

Select a logical COM port name and matching address
for the first and second serial ports.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Onboard UART 2Mode

Set the Infrared mode for the second serial port. The
options are: HPSIR - IRDA compliant serial infrared
port, and ASKIR - amplitude shift keyed infrared port.

IR Duplex Mode

Select the value required by the IR device connected to
the IR port. The options are: Full Duplex Mode - permits
simultaneous two-direction transmission, and Half Du­plex Mode - permits transmission in one direction only at
a time.

Onboard Parallel Port

Select an address and interrupt for the physical parallel
(printer) port.

Parallel Port Mode/Type

Select an operating mode for the onboard parallel (printer)
port. Select Normal (default) unless your hardware and
software require one of the other modes offered in this
field.

ECP Mode Use DMA

Select a DMA channel for the parallel port when using
ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) mode.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Supervisor Password

The Supervisor Password utility allows you to setup,
change or disable the password stored in the BIOS. The
Supervisor Password allows access to the system and
Setup. To setup or change a password, highlight the
SUPERVISOR PASSWORD option on the main menu
screen and press <Enter>.

The password can be no more than eight characters long.
The program will prompt you to confirm the new pass­word before exiting and enabling the utility. To disable
the password, press <Enter> when the program prompts
you to enter the new password.

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

User Password

The User Password utility allows you to setup, change or
disable the password stored in the BIOS. Follow the
same procedure used to setup the Supervisor Password.
The User Password allows access to the system, but will
not allow you to modify the CMOS settings.

NOTE: The User Password can only be set after setting
the Supervisor password.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

IDE HDD Auto Detection

The IDE HDD Auto Detection option provides auto
configuration of the hard drive installed in your system.
To access the IDE HDD Auto Detection screen, high­light this option on the main menu screen and press
<Enter>.

Figure 4-9: IDE HDD Auto Detection Screen

The IDE HDD Auto Detection option provides auto
configuration of the hard drive installed in your system.
It supports LBA, Large and Normal modes.

If your hard disk drive’s capacity is under 528MB, select
Normal mode. NOTE: It is recommended that you select
Normal mode for your hard disk drive if you will be using
UNIX. If the system’s hard disk drive has a capacity of
over 528MB and supports LBA functions, you may
enable either the LBA mode or the Large Mode.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

HDD Low Level Format

Micronics recommends that only trained technicians use this
utility. This selection allows you to perform a low level

format of your hard disk drive. To select the HDD LOW
LEVEL FORMAT option, highlight this option on the
main menu screen and press <Enter>.

Figure 4:10: HDD Low Level Format Screen

The selections available are: Low Level Format Utility,
Select Drive Bad Track List and Preformat.

WARNING: This utility should not be run on an IDE or
EIDE hard drive unless the manufacturer of the hard drive
instructs you to do so.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Save and Exit Setup

This selection saves the changes you have made in the
setup program, then exits and reboots the system. After
making all modifications in the setup program, exit to the
main menu screen. Highlight the SAVE AND EXIT
SETUP option and press <Enter>. Press <Y> to con­firm the changes made and <N> or <ESC> if addi­tional modifications are needed before exiting the setup
program.

Exit Without Saving

This selection abandons all previous settings, then exits
and reboots the system. From the main menu screen
highlight the EXIT WITHOUT SAVING option and
press <Enter>. Press <Y> and the system will exit the
setup program, then reboot without saving any of the
changes made.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Appendix

A

Specifications

Part Number: 09-00317-xx

Processor: Single ZIF socket 7

Intel Pentium
Intel Pentium
w/ MMX
Pentium

™ 6x86

Cyrix
AMD-K5™ and AMD-K6™
Integrated VRM

Chipset: Intel 430TX PCI chipset

Intel PIIX 4
SMC FDC37C66x Ultra I/O chip

CPU Clock
Select: Support for 50, 60 & 66MHz CPU bus

Form Factor: Baby AT

Expansion: Five 32-bit PCI slots

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



75-200MHz (P54C)



166-233MHz Processors

™ (P55C).



Overdrive (P54CTB)

BIOS: Award BIOS w/ 1MB Flash

PCI auto configuration
APM 1.2
Auto-detection of memory size
Auto-detection and display of EDO and
SDRAM memory.
Auto-configuration of IDE disk drives
Multi-Boot
DMI

Memory : Maximum Memory - 256MB

Four 72-pin SIMM sockets
Two 3.3V unbuffered 168-pin DIMM
sockets.

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Supports FPM, EDO and SDRAM memory

Keyboard/Mouse: AT style keyboard and PS/2 mouse connector via

cable.

Internal Cache: 256K or 512K Pipelined Burst Level 2 cache

soldered onboard.

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

Enhanced 15-pin parallel port w/ EPP and ECP
Ultra DMA/33 IDE
IrDA compliant IR header
Two USB ports via cable w/ bracket

Floppy Port: Supports two floppy drives

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

PCI IDE Ports: Two 40-pin IDE connectors

(Primary and Secondary IDE).
Multiple sector transfer support
Auto detection of add-in IDE board

Environmental Specifications

The environment in which the Twister AT 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%.

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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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61

Appendix A: Technical Information

Support and Information Services

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

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

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

Technical Support

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

❏ The model name and 09 part number of your Micronics

product, which is silkscreened on the face of the Twister
AT 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.

62

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix A: Technical Information

Service Hou rs Coun tr y Telephone Num ber

Technical Support - Live phone help
from Technical Support Engineers

Electronic Bulletin Board Service
(BBS) - In formation 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

24 hours a day

M-F: 8:00am to

24 hours a day

24 hours a day

M-F: 8:00am to

5:00pm (PST)

7 days a week

"

4:45pm (PST)

7 days a week

7 days a week

"

5:00pm (PST)

USA

France

USAUK(510) 651-6837

USA [phone]

USA [phone]

USA

Europe

USA

France

Germany

Taiwan

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

UK

[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)
[phone]

UK

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

T ab le A-1: Support and Information Services

Twister AT System Board Manual

63

Appendix A: Technical Information

64

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix B: POST Messages

essage

ossible Cause

Solutio

,

y

q

y

y

,

y

y

y

y

y

y

g

y

g

g

g

y

j

g

y

y

g

g

y

Appendix

B

POST Messages

During the Power-On Self Test (POST), the BIOS either
sounds a beep code or displays a message when it detects
a correctable error. Currently the only beep code indi­cates that a video error has occurred and the BIOS
cannot initialize the video screen to display any addi­tional information. The beep code consists of a single
long beep followed by two short beeps.

M

BIOS ROM
CHECKSUM ERROR

- SYSTEM H ALTED

CMOS BATTERY
FAILED

CMOS CHECKSUM
ERROR-DEFAULTS
LOADED

DISKETTE DRIVES
OR TYPES
MISMATCH ERROR

DISPLAY SWITCH IS
SET INCORRECTLY

KEYBOARD ERROR
OR NO KEYBOARD
PRESENT

P

The checksum of the
BIOS code in the BIOS
chip is incorrect
indicating the BIOS code
ma

have become

corrupt.
CMOS batter

longer f unctional.
Checksum of C M OS is

incorrect
loads the defaul t
equipment confi gur ation.

T

pe of diskett e drive
installed in the s
different from the CMOS
configuration.

The display switch on
the s
set to either
monochrome or color.
This messa
the switch is set to a
different settin
indicated in Setup.

Cannot i ni tialize th e
keyboard.

is no

so the system

stem is

stem board can be

e indicates

than

Re

uires a BIOS

replaceme nt.

Requires a batter
replaceme nt.

This error ma
been caused b
weak batt er
the bat ter
if necessary.

Run Setup to
reconfi
type correctly.

Determine which
settin
either turn off the
s

stem and change the

umper, or enter Setup
and chan
selection.

Make sure the
ke

board is attached
correctl
are pressed durin
POST. Check the Halt
On confi
Setup. Ma
replaceme nt of
keyboard.

have

. Check

and replace

ure the dri ve

is correct. Then

e the Video

and no keys

urati on i n

require

n

a

Twister AT System Board Manual

65

Appendix B: POST Messages

essage

ossible Cause

Solutio

y

y

g

j

)

y

y

,

y

,

)

y

g

g

g

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

M

KEYBOARD IS
LOCKED OUT ­UNLOCK THE KEY

FLOPPY DISK(s
FAILE D

HARD DISK INSTALL
FAILUR E

HARD DISK(s
DIAGNOSTICS
FAILED

PRIMARY MASTER
HARD DISK FAILED

PRIMARY SLAVE
HARD DISK FAILED

SECONDARY
MASTER HARD
DISK FAILED

SECONDARY
MASTER HARD
DISK FAILED

P

This message usuall
indicates that one or
more ke

s have been
pressed durin
keyboard tests.

Cannot find or initialize
the flopp
control ler or t h e driv e.

Cannot find or initialize
the hard drive controller
or the drive.

The s
specific disk dia
routines. This messa
appears if one or more
hard disks return an
error when runnin
diagnostics.

POST detects an error
in the primar
IDE hard drive.

POST detects an error
in the secondar
IDE hard drive.

POST detects an error
in the primar
hard dr ive.

POST detects an error
in the secondar
IDE hard drive.

the

drive

stem may run

nostic

the

master

master

slav e IDE

slave

Be sure no ob
resting on the keyboard.

Make sure the controller
is installed co r rectly. If
no flopp

driv es are

installed

be sure the
Diskette Drive selection
in Setup is set to None
or Auto.

Make sure the controller
is installed co r rectl
no hard driv es ar e
installed

be sure the
Hard Drive selection in
Setup is set to None.

Rerun S etu p an d check
connections. Ma

e

require a har d dis k
repla cem ent.

require a

Ma
repla cem ent of the
primar

master hard

disk.

require a

Ma
repla cem ent of the
secondar
disk.

Ma
repla cem ent of the
primary hard disk.

Ma
repla cem ent of the
secondar
disk.

master hard

require a

require a

slave hard

n

ects are

. If

66

Twister AT System Board Manual

g

y

g

y

y

y

g

y

y

,

y

y

g

g

,

g

,

Appendix B: POST Messages

Message Pos si bl e Cau se Sol ut io n

MEMORY TEST
FAILED

MEMORY PARITY

ERROR AT........

PRESS F1 TO
DISABLE NMI
REBOOT

OVERRIDE
ENABLED ­DEFAULTS LOADED

F2 TO

If POST detects an
error durin
testing, additional
information appears

iving specifics about
the t
the m emory error .

Indicates a memor
parity erro r at a spe c ifi c
location.

The BIOS de t e c te d a
nonmaskable Interrupt
condition during boot.

If the s
boot usin
CMOS confi
the BIOS can override
the curre n t
configuration.

memor

pe and l oc a t i o n of

stem cannot

the current

uration

Ma
of defective memory.

You can use this
location alon
memor
s
replace the defective
memory chips.

Reboot the s
the NMI enabled.

The BIOS c on t a i ns a s et
of defaults desi
the most stable
minimal-performance
system operations.

require replacement

with the

map for your

stem to find and

stem with

ned for

Twister AT System Board Manual

67

Appendix B: POST Messages

68

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix C: Updating the System BIOS

Appendix

C

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 or Windows 95 diskette.

2) If you are using MS-DOS 6.X, reboot your system
with the bootable diskette in the A: drive. To make
sure a clean DOS environment is loaded, press the
F5 key while "Starting MS-DOS" is displayed. After
the system has rebooted, the cursor will appear at
the A:\> prompt.

3) If you are using Windows 95, press F8 when you see
"Starting MS Windows 95.” Select the option "Safe
Mode Command Prompt."

4) 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.

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

5) After the FLASH screen appears, select [Y]es to
save the current BIOS or [N]o if you do not want to
save the current BIOS. NOTE: It is recommended
that you save the current BIOS.

6) When prompted, select [Y]es to reprogram the
BIOS.

7) After the update process has completed, you will be
prompted to power off or reset your system. Once
the system reboots, verify that the new BIOS version
appears on the screen. NOTE: After reprogram­ming the BIOS, you may need to enter Setup and
reset your settings.

Twister AT System Board Manual

69

Appendix C: Updating the System BIOS

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.)

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

70

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix D: Warranties and Notices

Appendix

D

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,

Twister AT System Board Manual

71

Appendix D: 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.

72

Twister AT System Board Manual

Appendix D: 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.

Twister AT System Board Manual

73

Glossary

Glossary

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

APM - An acronym for Advanced
Power Management.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 sys-

tem board. The buffered DIMMs come
with standard DRAM chips for 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.

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.

74

Twister AT System Board Manual

Glossary

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.

DMI - An acronym for Desktop Man­agement Interface.

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

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

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.

FPM - An acronym for Fast Page
Mode. A timing option that permits
several bits of data in a single row on a
DRAM to accessed at an accelerated
rate.

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

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

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

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

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

EPROM - Acronym for Erasable Pro­grammable Read Only Memory. A
type of ROM chip that can be pro­grammed with relatively simple tools

Twister AT System Board Manual

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

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

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

75

Glossary

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SDRAM - 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.

76

Twister AT System Board Manual

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

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

A measurement for very large

limited 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.

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
CPU.

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

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

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 - An acronym for Universal Se­rial Bus. The simple and flexible way
to connect devices to your desktop or
notebook PC. USB allows virtually un-

Twister AT System Board Manual

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.

77

Index

Index

B

Battery Disposal - 61
POST Messages - 65
BIOS

Configuration - 33
Setup - 33, 35

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 63

C

Configuring the Twister AT - 13

D

Diagram (Twister AT) - 14

78

E

Extended Data Out (EDO) Memory - 19, 21
Environmental Specifications - 60

F

Fast Page Mode (FPM) Memory - 19, 21

H

Help

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 63
Telephone Numbers - 63
Troubleshooting - 65

Twister AT System Board Manual

I

Installation

CPU - 28
Installing your Twister AT - 19
ISA Peripheral Card - 32
PCI Peripheral Card - 31
Quick Installation - 9

J

Jumper Settings - 15

M

Twister AT System Board Diagram - 14
Memory

Adding - 21
Configurations - 24
Removing - 29, 30
Supported - 19

Index

O

Online Services - 63

P

POST Messages - 65

S

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) Memory - 19, 21
Specifications - 59
System BIOS - 33, 69

Twister AT System Board Manual

79

Index

T

Technical Specifications - 59
Technical Support - 62
Troubleshooting - 65

U

Updating the System BIOS - 69
Utility Programs

BIOS Features Setup - 38
Chipset Features Setup - 41
Exit Without Saving - 57
HDD Low Level Format - 56
IDE HDD Auto Detection - 55
Integrated Peripherals - 51
Load BIOS Defaults - 50
Load Setup Defaults - 50
PnP/PCI Configuration Setup - 48
Power Management Setup - 45
Save and Exit Setup - 57
Standard CMOS Setup - 36
Supervisor Password - 54
User Password - 54

80

W

World Wide Web - 63

Twister AT System Board Manual