Micronics Twister LX User Manual

Twister LX Pentium II

System Board Manual

Document Number: 06-00338-01, Rev. 1B

March 1998

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

Copyright Notices

Copyright  1998 Micronics Computers, Inc. The information con­tained in the Twister LX PCI/ISA/AGP 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 Award
Software, Inc. 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.

Twister LX 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 LX 9

Chapter 2 - Configuring the Twister LX 11

Static Electricity 11
Environment Considerations 11
Twister LX System Board 12
Jumper Settings 13

Chapter 3 - Installing the Twister LX 17

Introduction 17
System Memory Support 17
Installing the Twister LX 18

Tools Required 18
Equipment Required 18

System Memory 19

Adding Memory 19
Memory Configurations 20
CPU Installation 22

Installing the CPU Retention Mechanism 22

Installing a CPU 23
CPU Installation Overview 25
CPU Installation (Box version) 26
Installing DIMMs 27

Removing DIMMs 27

Twister LX System Board Manual

1

Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 28
Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 29
Installing an AGP Peripheral Card 30

Chapter 4 - The BIOS Setup Utility 31

Configuration 31
Initial Bootup 31
Setup 31
Running the Setup Program 33
Standard CMOS Setup 34
BIOS Features Setup 36

Chipset Features Setup 40
Power Management Setup 44
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

Chapter 5 - Special Features 59

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) 59
LM79 (Hardware Management) 59
Ultra DMA/33 IDE 60
Universal Serial Bus (USB) 60

2

Twister LX System Board Manual

Appendix A - Technical Information 61

Specifications 61
Environmental Specifications 63

Temperature Range 63

Relative Humidity 63
Battery Disposal 64
Support and Information Services 65

Technical Support 65

Appendix B - Post Messages 67

Appendix C - Beep and POST Codes 69

Appendix D - Updating the System BIOS 73

Appendix E - Warranties and Notices 75

Limited Warranty 75
Non-Warranty Service 76
FCC Statement 77

Glossary 78

Index 82

Twister LX System Board Manual

3

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Power-Up Screen 10
Figure 2.1: Twister LX System Board 12
Figure 3.1: Installing a 168-Pin DIMM 27
Figure 3.2: Installing a PCI Peripheral Card 28
Figure 3.3: Installing an ISA Peripheral Card 29
Figure 3.4: Installing an AGP Peripheral Card 30
Figure 4.1: Power-Up Screen 32
Figure 4.2: Main CMOS Setup Screen 33
Figure 4.3: Standard CMOS Setup Screen 34
Figure 4.4: BIOS Features Setup Screen 36
Figure 4.5: Chipset Features Setup Screen 40
Figure 4.6: Power Management Screen 44
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: CPU Speed Selection 13
Table 2.2: Clear CMOS Settings 13
Table 2.3: Case & Peripheral Connections 14
Table 3.1: Memory Configurations 20
Table 3.1a: Memory Configurations 21
Table A.1: Support and Information Services 66

4

Twister LX System Board Manual

Introduction

Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Twister LX system board.
The Twister LX is an advanced single processor solution
for the industry’s most demanding server and worksta­tion applications.

Based on the Intel 440LX AGPset, the Twister LX
supports the latest advanced processor architecture, the
Pentium
processor introduces a new level of performance for the
business computing environment including enhanced
multimedia and improved Internet and communications
capabilities.

Features of Twister LX include an AGP (Accelerated
Graphics Port) bus slot, Hardware Management support,
Ultra DMA/33 IDE hard drive protocol and SDRAM
memory support and Error Checking and Correction
(ECC) on the L2 cache for improved data integrity and
reliability.



II (processor-on-a-cartridge). The Pentium II

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 LX System Board Manual

5

Introduction

Features

The Twister LX includes the following features:
▲ Single Intel Slot 1



for:

Intel Pentium II chip 233/266/300/333MHz

▲ Integrated Voltage Regulator Module
▲ Intel 440LX AGPset

Intel PIIX 4
National PC87309 Super I/O chip

▲ Four 32-bit PCI slots

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

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

Maximum memory 384MB for SDRAM
Maximum memory 768MB for EDO
ECC support via chipset

▲ Hardware Management - LM79 microprocessor system

hardware monitor

▲ Ultra DMA/33 IDE support
▲ Baby AT form factor

6

Twister LX System Board Manual

Introduction

Software Compatibility

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

▲ Microsoft -

DOS 6.22
Windows NT 3.5x
Windows NT 4.0

▲ IBM -

OS/2 Warp 4.0

▲ SCO -

UNIXWare 2.1.1
Open Server 5.02

▲ Novell -

NetWare 3.12
NetWare 4.11 (IntranetWare)

Twister LX System Board Manual

7

Introduction

This manual will familiarize you with the features, installa­tion and use of your Twister LX. 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.

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
SDRAM Synchronous DRAM
SPD Serial Presence Detect
USB Universal Serial Bus
VRM Voltage Regulator Module

8

Twister LX 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 LX

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

STATIC!

Before
handling the
Twister LX,
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 Twister LX 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 <DEL> 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).

Twister LX 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).

10

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

Chapter

2

Configuring the Twister

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

LX

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 LX System Board Manual

11

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

Twister LX System Board

12

Figure 2-1: Twister LX System Board Diagram

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

Jumper Settings

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

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

repmuJ

)srossecorPletnI(deepSmetsyS

W

3

2-14-36-58-7

3W

W

3

3W

332
662

03

333

*Default Setting

6,lanretxEzHM

6

6,lanretxEzHM0

6

Table 2-1: System Speed Selection

lanretnIzHM

*

lanretnIzHM66,lanretxEzHM
lanretnIzHM
lanretnIzHM66,lanretxEzHM

esolCesolC
esolC

esolC
esolC

nepO

nepO
nepOesolCnepO
nepO

esolC

nepO

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

5W)tluafed(lamroN

SOMCraelC

Table 2-2: Clear CMOS Settings

2-1
3-2

Twister LX System Board Manual

13

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

Table 2-3 lists the connector and peripheral connections.

rotcennoCnoitcnuFsetoN

1JtolSnoisnapxEsuBPGArotcennocnip-2x26

4J-2J)stekcoSMMIDnip-861(MARDdnaODEdereffubnu,tlov3.3

sMMIDMARDS

8J,7JEDIyradnoceSdnayramirP

srotcennoCtroP

9JrotcennoCevirDyppolFsevirdyppolfowtotpustroppuS

31JrotcennoCtroPlellaraP

51J,41JstroPlaireS2MOC&1MOC

91J-61JstolSnoisnapxEsuBICP
62JrotcennoCylppuSrewoPXTA
72JrotcennoClenaPtnorF

"ffO/nOrewoPmetsySXTArof(dnuorG-2;rewoP-1

"troPderarfnI;tcennoCoN-7;CDV5+-6

"DELytivitcAevirD

B/AslennahCISCS,EDI:etoN

rellortnoCevirDnI-ddAdna

DELemasehterahs
"DELnO-rewoPevitisoP-02;dnuorG-81
"hctiwSteseRmetsySteseR-32;dnuorG-22
"rekaepSCPlanretxEtuptuOrekaepS-72;evitisoP-42

secived

)ylppusrewop

EDIowtotputroppushtoB

;dnuorG-9;ataDevieceR-8

tcennoCoN;ataDtimsnarT-01

evitageN-51;evitisoP-61ro31

14

Table 2-3: Connector and Peripheral Connections

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

rotcennoCnoitcnuFsetoN

82JnaFUPC;rewoPV21+-2;dnuorG-1

92JnaFsissahCsutatS-3;rewoPV+21-2;dnuorG-1

rotinoMdeepSnaF-3

)deppotSrogninnuR(

13JerutarepmeTlanretxE

rotcennoCrosneS

23JrosneSnoisurtnIsissahC

rotcennoC

44J-34JstolSnoisnapxEsuBASI

54JDELISCSeciveDISCS-3,2;tcennoCoN-4,1

64JrotcennoCBSU0troPBSU:leveLrewoL
74JrotcennoCBSU1troPBSU:leveLreppU
94JredaeHesuoM2/SP
15JrotcennoCylppuSrewoPTA
25JrotcennoCdraobyeKTA
1UUPCIImuitneP1tolS

Table 2-3a: Connector and Peripheral Connections

;KCOLCMS-3;dnuorG-2;ATADMS-1
tpurretnierutarepmetdraoB-5;CCV-4

;)V3+xorppa(rewoPyrettaB-1

otegatlov1nipotllup(tupnIreggirT-2

)noisurtnietacidni

tupnIlangiSDEL

Twister LX System Board Manual

15

Chapter 2: Configuring the Twister LX

16

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

Chapter

3

Installing the Twister

LX

Introduction

This chapter explains how to install the Twister LX
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 LX is augmented by its
support for EDO and SDRAM memory. The Twister LX
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
synchronized, system wait states are eliminated, thus
providing increased performance over conventional
DRAM.

Twister LX System Board Manual

17

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

Installing the Twister

Installation of the Twister LX system board depends on the
type of case you use. The Twister LX is designed for the
Baby AT form factor and may be installed into most cases.
Install the system board into the chassis using the tools and
equipment required and make all necessary case connec­tions.

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 LX:

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

Equipment Required

LX

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

❏ AT chassis with standard hardware.
❏ A high-quality AT/ATX power supply capable of pro-

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

❏ AT style keyboard and mouse and PS/2 mouse con-

nector via cable.

❏ Eight ohm speaker.
❏ Standard ribbon cables for internal connections.
❏ Standard power cord (grounded).

18

Twister LX 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 Twister

System Memory

System memory is necessary to operate the Twister LX
system board. The Twister LX has three 3.3V unbuffered
64/72-bit, 168-pin DIMM sockets for a maximum of
768MB of EDO memory and 384MB of SDRAM memory.
This section list the rules for adding memory to the
Twister LX, give some examples of common memory
configurations and show how to physically install the
memory.

NOTE: One of the numerous features of Twister LX
allows support for SDRAM with and without SPD
(Serial Presence Detect) support.

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.

LX

one

bank

168-Pin DIMM

Twister LX System Board Manual

19

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

Memory Configurations

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

yromeM0knaB1knaB2knaB

BM846xM1

BM6146xM2
BM6146xM146xM1
BM4246xM246xM1
BM4246xM146xM146xM1
BM2346xM246xM2
BM2346xM4

20

BM0446xM246xM246xM1
BM0446xM446xM1
BM8446xM246xM246xM2
BM8446xM446xM146xM1
BM8446xM446xM2
BM6546xM446xM246xM1
BM4646xM446xM4
BM4646xM8
BM0846xM846xM2
BM0846xM846xM146xM1

Table 3-1: Memory Configurations

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

yromeM0knaB1knaB2knaB

BM6946xM446xM446xM4

BM21146xM846xM446xM2
BM82146xM61
BM82146xM846xM446xM4
BM82146xM846xM8
BM06146xM6146xM4
BM06146xM6146xM246xM2
BM29146xM846xM846xM8
BM29146xM6146xM446xM4
BM29146xM6146xM8
BM42246xM6146xM846xM4
BM65246xM6146xM61
BM65246xM6146xM846xM8
BM02346xM6146xM6146xM8
BM48346xM6146xM6146xM61
BM48346xM2346xM61
BM48346xM2346xM846xM8
BM84446xM2346xM6146xM8
BM21546xM2346xM23
BM21546xM2346xM6146xM61
BM86746xM2346xM2346xM23

Table 3-1a: Memory Configurations

Twister LX System Board Manual

21

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

CPU Installation

The Twister LX is designed to support single 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 Twister LX toward the component side until
they snap into place.

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

Retention
Base

22

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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.

Installing a CPU

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.

Twister LX System Board Manual

23

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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).

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).

24

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

CPU Installation Overview

3

CPU Installation

Overview

1. Mount the Retention
Mechanism for the
CPU.

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

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

5

Figure 3-1: Installing a CPU

Twister LX System Board Manual

25

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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

26

4

3

1

2

Install to
system board

Figure 3-2: Installing a CPU (Boxed version)

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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 3-3: 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.

Twister LX System Board Manual

27

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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.

28

Figure 3-4: Installing a PCI Card

Twister LX System Board Manual

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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 fully inserted.

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

Twister LX System Board Manual

29

Chapter 3: Installing the Twister LX

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 soft­ware drivers.

30

Figure 3-6: Installing an AGP Peripheral Card

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Chapter

4

The BIOS Setup Utility

Configuration

After the Twister LX 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 LX. 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 “Press DEL to enter Setup” 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

Running the Setup Program

The Twister LX 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.

Figure 4-2: CMOS Main 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 pre­compensation time (PRECOMP), read/write head land-

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

ing zone (LANDZ), number of sectors per track (SEC­TOR), and HDD mode (MODE). NOTE: We recommend

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

Virus Warning

When enabled, the system BIOS will report a warning
message if a program attempts to write to the boot sector
or partition table of the hard disk drive.

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 Enabled.

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 Enabled, drive A: becomes drive B: and drive
B: becomes drive A:.

Boot Up Floppy Seek

When set to Enabled (default), 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.

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 On.

Boot Up System Speed

Select the system boot up speed. The default setting is
High.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Gate A20 Option

Gate A20 refers to the way the system addresses memory
above 1MB (extended memory). When set to Fast
(default), the system chipset controls Gate A20. When
set to Normal, a pin in the keyboard controller controls
Gate A20. Setting Gate A20 to Fast improves system
speed, particularly with OS/2 and Windows.

Typematic Rate Setting

This selection enables or disables the Type Rate and
Typematic Delay options that control the speed at which
a keystroke is repeated.

Typematic Rate/Typematic Delay

Typematic Rate selects the typematic rate at which
characters repeat when a key is held down. The default
setting is 6 (Chars/Sec). Typematic Delay controls the
gap between key compression and appearance of the
characters on the screen. The default setting is 250
(Msec).

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.

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.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

OS Select for DRAM>64MB

This selection allows you to select the amount of memory
installed for your operating system. The default setting is
Non-OS2. Select OS2 only when running OS/2 operat­ing systems with greater than 64MB of system memory.

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 50ns. NOTE: Before changing this selection,
verify the speed of the DRAM currently installed.

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Twister LX System Board Manual

An incorrect
DRAM
Timing
setting
could cause
the system
to lock up.
Clear the
CMOS and
run the
Setup
program
again.

Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

MA Wait State

Select the wait state before the beginning of a memory
read. The default settings is Slow.

EDO RAS# To CAS# Time

This field applies only if EDO DRAM is installed in the
system. It lets you insert a timing delay between the CAS
and RAS strobe signals, used when DRAM is written to,
read from, or refreshed. The default setting is 3.

EDO RAS# Precharge Time

The precharge time is the number of cycles it takes for the
RAS to accumulate its charge before DRAM refresh. If
insufficient time is allowed, refresh may be incomplete
and the DRAM may fail to retain data. This field applies
only if EDO DRAM is installed in the system. The
default setting is 3.

EDO DRAM Read Burst

Set the timing for burst-mode reads from DRAM. The
lower the timing numbers, the faster the system addresses
memory. This field applies only if EDO DRAM is in­stalled in the system.

EDO DRAM Write Burst

Set the timing for burst-mode writes from DRAM. The
lower the timing numbers, the faster the system addresses
memory. This field applies only if EDO DRAM is in­stalled in the system.

DRAM Data Integrity Mode

Select Parity or ECC (error-correcting code), according
to the type of installed DRAM.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

CPU-To-PCI IDE Posting

Select Enabled to post write cycles from the CPU to the
PCI IDE interface. IDE accesses are posted in the CPU to
PCI buffers, for cycle optimization.

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.

Video RAM Cacheable

Enable or disable the caching of the video RAM. The
default settings is Disabled.

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.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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.

Delay 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.

AGP Aperture Size (MB)

Select the size of the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
aperture. The aperture is a portion of the PCI memory
address range dedicated for graphics memory address
space. Host cycles that hit the aperture range are for­warded to the AGP without any translation.

SDRAM RAS-to-CAS Delay

This field lets you insert a timing delay between the CAS
and RAS strobe signals, used when DRAM is written to,
read from, or refreshed. Fast gives faster performance and
Slow gives more stable performance. This field applies
only when synchronous DRAM is installed in the system.

SDRAM RAS Precharge Time

If an insufficient number of cycles is allowed for the RAS
to accumulate its charge before DRAM refresh, the
refresh may be incomplete and the DRAM may fail to
retain data. This field applies only when synchronous
DRAM is installed in the system.

SDRAM CAS Latency Time

When synchronous DRAM is installed, the number of
clock cycles of CAS latency depends on the DRAM
timing. Do not reset this field from the default value
specified.

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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

User Define Set each mode individually. Select time-out

Min Saving Minimum power savings. Inactivity period is

44

1 minute in each mode.

periods in the PM Timers section.

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.

Video OFF After

Select the mode in which you want the monitor to blank.
The default setting is Standby.

Modem Use IRQ

Select an IRQ setting to be used by the modem if Resume
by Ring is enabled.

Doze 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.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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.

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.

Throttle Duty Cycle

This option allows you to select the percentage of time
that the CPU clock runs when the system enters Doze
Mode.

ZZ Active in Suspend

When enabled, the ZZ signal is active during Suspend
mode.

VGA Active Monitor

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

Resume By Ring

When this feature is turned on, the system will wake up
when an incoming call is detected on your modem. You
must set up the Mode Use IRQ selection.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

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 LX’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 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

PCI IDE Map To

Select PCI IDE IRQ mapping or PC AT (ISA) interrupts.

Used Memory Base Address

Select a base address for the memory area used by any
peripheral that requires high memory.

Used Memory Length

Select a length of memory area specified by any periph­eral that requires high memory. NOTE: This option is
available only if Used Memory Base Address is not set at
N/A.

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 Keyboard Support

Select Enabled if your system contains a Universal Serial
Bus (USB) controller and you have USB keyboard.

KBC Input Clock

This selection allows you to set the clock speed for the
keyboard controller. The default setting is 8MHz.

Onboard FDC Controller

Select Enabled (default) 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.

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Chapter 4: The BIOS Setup Utility

Onboard Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2

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

UR2 Mode

The second serial port offers the following Infrared inter­face modes: Standard, HPSIR: IrDA-compliant serial
infrared port, and ASK-IR: Amplitude shift keyed infra­red port. Standard mode is the default.

Onboard Parallel Port

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

Parallel Port Mode

Select an operating mode for the onboard parallel (printer)
port. Select SPP (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 port. The default setting
is channel 3.

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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 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 power-on 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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Chapter 5: Special Features

Chapter

5

Special Features

The Twister LX achieves high reliability and high perfor­mance with numerous features.

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

With the introduction of the Pentium II and the 440LX
AGPset, graphics took the next step onto the AGP
freeway. The AGP bus is
faster than the current
33MHz PCI bus. It pro­vides a direct connection
between the graphics
subsystem and system
memory. AGP, with dual
528MB/s data path, sur­passes PCI’s 132MB
bottleneck.

LM79

A highly integrated Data Acquisition system for hard­ware monitoring of servers, Personal Computers, or
virtually any microprocessor based system. In a PC, the

LM79 can be used to
monitor power supply
voltages, temperatures,
and fan speeds. It pro­vides the hardware sup­port for remote manage­ment software, (e.g.,

Intel’s LANDesk) to keep
maintenance costs to a minimum while providing real
time remote management.

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Chapter 5: Special Features

Ultra DMA/33 IDE

A hard drive interface protocol that
increases the burst data transfer rate
to 33MBytes per second. Prior to this
protocol, Mode-4 protocol has been
the fastest at 16.6MB per second. This new protocol is
supported by Intel’s 430TX and 440LX PCIsets.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

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 set-

tings, DMA chan­nels and I/O addresses. With USB, you can attach and
detach peripherals without opening the computer or
even shutting it down.

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Appendix

A

Specifications

Part Number: 09-00338-xx

Processor: Single Intel Slot 1 for

Intel Pentium II 233, 266, 300,
333MHz.
Integrated VRM

CPU Clock Select: Support for 66 MHz CPU bus

Chipset: Intel 440LX AGPset

Intel PIIX 4
National PC87309 Enhanced Super
I/O chip.

Form Factor: Baby AT footprint (10.8” x 8.6”)

Four layer board
20-pin ATX power connector
12-pin AT power connector

Expansion: Three 16-bit ISA slots

Four 32-bit PCI slots
(One is a shared PCI/ISA slot)
One AGP slot

BIOS: Award BIOS on 2MB Flash

APM 1.2
PCI auto configuration
Auto detection of memory size
Auto detection and display of EDO
and SDRAM memory.
Auto detection of IDE hard disk types
Soft Power Down (for ATX power
supply)
Instant On and Quick Boot
Multi-boot II
DMI 2.0/SMI/ACPI

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Keyboard/Mouse: AT keyboard connector

PS/2 mouse 8-pin header via cable connector

Memory Capacity: Three 3.3V unbuffered 64-bit DIMM sockets

Maximum memory - 768MB for EDO
Maximum memory - 384MB for SDRAM
Supports EDO and SDRAM simultaneously
ECC supported via chipset when using parity

Hardware LM79 Microprocessor System Hardware Monitor
Management: CPU Temperature Sensor

CPU Fan Speed Monitoring (3-pin header)
Chassis Intrusion (2-pin header)
Chassis Fan Speed Monitoring (3-pin header)

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

One 25-pin Parallel Port (ECP and EPP)
IrDA compliant IR header
Two USB headers (optional USB cable w/bracket)

Floppy Port: Supports 360K - 2.88MB formats

Auto detection of add-in floppy controllers

PCI IDE Ports: Ultra DMA/33 IDE

Two 40-pin IDE connectors
(Primary and Secondary IDE).
Multiple sector transfer support
Auto detection of add-in IDE board
Supports all ATAPI devices

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Appendix A: Technical Information

Environmental Specifications

The environment in which the Twister LX 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%.

Twister LX System Board Manual

63

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.

64

Twister LX 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, 09 part number and serial number of

your Micronics product, which is silk screened on the
face of the Twister LX 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.

Twister LX System Board Manual

65

Appendix A: Technical Information

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66

Table A-1: Support and Information Services

Twister LX 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 jamm ed or dirty.

Unlock the keyswitch.

Twister LX System Board Manual

67

Appendix B: POST Messages

Message Possible Cause Solution

MONITOR TYPE
DOES NOT MATCH
CMOS

OPERATING
SYSTEM NOT
FOUND

PARITY CHECK 1
nnnn

PARITY CHECK 2
nnnn

PREVIOUS BOOT
INCOMPLETE ­DEFAULT
CONFIGURATION
USED

REAL TIME CLOCK
ERROR

SHADOW RAM
FAILED AT OF F SET

SYSTEM BATT ERY
IS DEAD

SYSTEM CACHE
ERROR - CACHE
DISABLED

SYSTEM CMOS
CHECKSUM BAD ­RUN SETUP

SYSTEM RAM
FAILED AT
OFFSET: nnnn

SYSTEM TIMER
ERROR

Monitor type not
correctly ident ified in
Setup.

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

Parity error found in the
system bus.

Parity error found in the
I/O bus.

Previous POST did not
complete successfully.

Real-time clock failed
BIOS test .

Shadow RAM faile d. May require repair of

System battery died. Replace the system

External (L2) c ache
failed BIOS test.

System CMOS has been
corrupted or modified
incorrectly.

System RAM failed. Replace defective RAM.

Timer test fail ed. Requires repair of system

Run Setup and ent er
correct monitor type.

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

Check Setup. B oard
repair may be required.

Check Setup. B oard
repair may be required.

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

May require battery
replacement or board
repair.

system board.

battery and run Setup to
reconfigure t he s ystem.

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

Run Setup and
reconfigure t he s ystem.

board.

68

Twister LX 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 Twister
LX 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.

Twister LX System Board Manual

69

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 ters with initial POST values.

09 Get in POST Reg .
0A Initialize CPU reg is te rs .
0C Initialize cache initial POST values.
OE Initialize I/O.
OF Initialize the localbus IDE.

10 Initialize Power Management.

11 Load alternate r eg isters with initial POST values.

12 Jump to UserPatch0.

14 Initialize keyboa rd controller.

16 2-2-3 BIOS ROM checksum .

18 8254 timer initialization .
1A 8237 DMA cont roller initialization.
1C Reset Programma bl e Interrupt Controller.

20 3-1-1 Test DRAM refr es h.

22 3-1-3 Test 8742 Keyboar d Controller.

24 Set ES segment register to 4 GB.

28 Autosize DRAM.
2A Clear 512K base RAM.
2C 3-4-1 Test 512K base address lines.
2E 3-4-3 Test 512K base memory.

32 Test CPU bus-clock frequency.

34 Test CMOS RAM.

35 Initialize alternate c hipset registers.

37 Reinitialize the chip s et (MB only ).

38 Shadow system BIOS ROM.

39 Reinitialize the cac he (MB only).
3A Autosize cache.
3C Configure advance d c hipset registers.
3D Load alternate r egisters with CMOS values.

40 Set initial CPU speed.

42 Initialize interrupt vec tors.

44 Initialize BIOS interrupts.

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

47 Initialize manager for PCI Option ROMs.

48 Check vide o configuration again st CMOS.

49 Initialize PCI bus an d devices.

70

Twister LX 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 s peed.
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 register s .

68 Enable external and CPU caches.
6A Display external cache size.
6C Display shadow message.
6E Display non-disposable segments.

70 Display error messages.

72 Check for configuration errors.

74 Test real-time clock.

76 Check for keyboard errors.
7C Set up hardware interrupt vectors.
7E Test coprocessor if present.

80 Disable onboard I/O ports.

82 Detect and install extern al RS232 ports .

84 Detect and install extern al parall el ports .

86 Re-initialize on-board I/O ports.

88 Initialize BIOSData Area.
8A Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.
8C Initialize floppy controller.

90 Initialize hard-disk controller.

91 Initialize localbus hard-disk controller.

92 Jump to UserPatch2.

93 Build MPTABLE for multi - pr ocessor boar ds.

94 Disable A20 address line.

96 Clear huge ES segment register.

98 Search for option ROMs.
9A Shadow option ROMs.

Twister LX System Board Manual

71

Appendix C: Beep and POST Codes

Code Beeps POST Routine Descriptio n

9C Set up Power Management.
9E Enable hardware interrupts.
A0 Set time of day.
A2 Check k ey lock.
A4 Initialize type matic rate.

A8 Erase F2 prompt.
AA Scan for F2 keystroke.
AC Enter SETUP.
AE Clear in-POST flag.

B0 Check for errors.

B2 POST done - prepare to boot operating system .

B4 One beep.

B6 Check password (optional).

B8 Clear global descriptor table.
BC Clear parity checkers.
BE Clear screen (optional).

BF Check virus and backup reminders.

C0 Try to boot with INT 19.

D0 Interrupt handler error.

D2 Unknown interrupt error.

D4 Pending Interrupt.

D6 Initialize option ROM error.

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

The following are for boot bl ock in Flas h ROM:
E2 Initialize the chipset.
E3 Initialize refresh counter.
E4 Check for Forced Flash.
E5 Check HW status of ROM.
E6 BIOS ROM is OK.
E7 Do a complete RAM test.
E8 Do OEM initializa tion.
E9 Initialize inte rrupt controller.

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

72

Twister LX System Board Manual

Appendix D: Updating the System BIOS

Appendix

D

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

Updating the System BIOS

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

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

Twister LX System Board Manual

73

Appendix D: Updating the System BIOS

74

Twister LX System Board Manual

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

Appendix

E

Limited Warranty

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

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

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

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

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

Twister LX System Board Manual

75

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

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

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

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

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

Non-Warranty Service

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

76

Twister LX System Board Manual

Appendix E: Warranties and Notices

FCC Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply
within the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interfer­ence in a residential installation. This equipment gener­ates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Interfer­ence to radio or television reception can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on. You are encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:

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

the receiver.

▲ Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit

different from that to which the receiver is con­nected.

▲ Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

To meet FCC requirements, shielded cables are required.

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

Twister LX 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.

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

Baby AT - A system board size measur­ing approximately 10.8” x 8.6”.

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.

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.

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

78

Twister LX System Board Manual

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

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

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

Glossary

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

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.

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

ECC - An acronym for Error Check­ing and Correction. ECC 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.

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
that will retain its data until erased. It
can only be erased by exposing the cir­cuitry in the chip to ultraviolet light.
See also Flash ROM.

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

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

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.

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

Twister LX 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.

79

Glossary

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.

LM79 - The LM79 is a highly inte­grated Data Acquisition system for
hardware monitoring of servers, per­sonal computers or virtually any micro­processor based system. In a PC, the
LM79 can be used to monitor tempera­tures, power supply voltages and fan
speeds.

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
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.

80

Twister LX System Board Manual

Glossary

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

Serial Presence Detect - Some
SDRAM modules have an onboard
EEPROM which contains critical con­figuration information about the mod­ule. This feature, known as Serial Pres­ence Detect (SPD), allows the
platform's chipset and BIOS to quickly
determine the type of memory installed
in the system, resulting in optimal sys­tem performance.

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

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

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

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

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%.

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 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.

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.

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.

Twister LX System Board Manual

81

Index

Index

B

Battery Disposal - 60
POST Messages - 63
BIOS

Configuration - 37
Setup - 37

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 62

C

Configuring the Twister LX- 11
CPU

Box Version - 30
Installation - 20
Overview 29, 30
Retention Mechanism - 26

82

D

Diagram (Twister LX) - 12

E

Extended Data Out (EDO) Memory - 19, 21
Environmental Specifications - 59
Error Checking (ECC) - 19, 21

H

Help

Bulletin Board System (BBS) - 62
Telephone Numbers - 62
Troubleshooting - 63, 65

Twister LX System Board Manual

I

Installation

CPU - 24
Installing the Twister LX - 20
AGP Peripheral Card - 33
ISA Peripheral Card - 32
PCI Peripheral Card - 31
Quick Installation - 9

J

Jumper Settings - 13

M

Twister LX System Board Diagram - 12
Memory

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

Index

O

Online Services - 62

P

POST Messages - 63

S

Specifications - 57
System BIOS - 37, 71

Twister LX System Board Manual

83

Index

T

Technical Specifications - 57
Technical Support - 61
Troubleshooting - 63, 65

U

Updating the System BIOS - 71
Utility Programs

Utility Programs
Advanced Screen - 44
BIOS Setup - 37
Boot Screen - 52
Exit Screen - 53
IDE Device Submenu - 42
Main Screen - 39
Security Screen - 47

W

World Wide Web - 62

84

Twister LX System Board Manual