Nec Direction L Series, Direction SPL Series, Direction SP Series User Manual

PROPRIETARY NOTICE AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER

The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materials, is the valuable property of NEC Computer Systems Division, Packard Bell NEC, Inc. (hereinafter “NEC CSD”) and/or its licensors. NEC CSD and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights to this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto, except to the extent said rights are expressly granted to others.

The NEC CSD product(s) discussed in this document are warranted in accordance with the terms of the Warranty Statement accompanying each product. However, actual performance of each such product is dependent upon factors such as system configuration, customer data, and operator control. Since implementation by customers of each product may vary, the suitability of specific product configurations and applications must be determined by the customer and is not warranted by NEC CSD.

To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document is subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this document or portions thereof without prior written approval of NEC CSD is prohibited.

Direction is a trademark of Packard Bell NEC, Inc.

NEC and MultiSync are registered trademarks of NEC Corporation, used under license.

All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

First Printing — April 1998

Copyright 1998

NEC Computer Systems Division

Packard Bell NEC, Inc.

1414 Massachusetts Avenue

Boxborough, MA 01719-2298

All Rights Reserved

		iii
Contents
		Page
Preface.........................................................................................................................		xi
Abbreviations...............................................................................................................		xiii
Section 1	Technical Information
System Board ..............................................................................................................		1-4
Processor ..............................................................................................................		1-4
System Cache/Memory .........................................................................................		1-4
Chipset .................................................................................................................		1-5
PCI Local Bus ......................................................................................................		1-5
Expansion Bus ...............................................................................................		1-6
BIOS ....................................................................................................................		1-6
Plug and Play Support....................................................................................		1-7
CMOS Memory/Real-Time Clock Battery.............................................................		1-8
DMA/IRQ Settings ...............................................................................................		1-8
IDE Ports .............................................................................................................		1-9
I/O Ports...............................................................................................................		1-9
Sound System .......................................................................................................		1-10
U.S. Robotics Modem Board (Optional) ......................................................................		1-10
Diskette Drive..............................................................................................................		1-10
Hard Disk Drive...........................................................................................................		1-11
Cd-Rom/Dvd Drive......................................................................................................		1-11
Zip Drive .....................................................................................................................		1-11
Power Supply ..............................................................................................................		1-11
Power Management .....................................................................................................		1-11
Section 2	Setup Utility
Configuration Information............................................................................................		2-1
When to Use Setup ......................................................................................................		2-1
How to Start Setup ......................................................................................................		2-2
How to Use Setup .......................................................................................................		2-3
Menu Bar..............................................................................................................		2-3
Legend Bar ...........................................................................................................		2-4
Selecting a Menu Item ..........................................................................................		2-4
Displaying a Submenu ...........................................................................................		2-4

iv Contents

Getting Help .........................................................................................................	2-4
Main Menu ..................................................................................................................	2-5
Floppy Options Submenu ......................................................................................	2-6
Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave Submenus...................................................	2-7
Advanced Menu...........................................................................................................	2-9
Resource Configuration Submenu .........................................................................	2-10
Peripheral Configuration Submenu ........................................................................	2-10
Keyboard Configuration Submenu.........................................................................	2-12
Video Configuration Submenu ..............................................................................	2-13
DMI Event Logging Submenu...............................................................................	2-13
Security Menu .............................................................................................................	2-14
Power Menu ................................................................................................................	2-14
Boot Menu ..................................................................................................................	2-15
Hard Drive Submenu.............................................................................................	2-15
Removable Drive Submenu ...................................................................................	2-16
Exit Menu....................................................................................................................	2-16
Section 3 Option Installation
General Rules for Installing Options .............................................................................	3-1
Precautions ..................................................................................................................	3-2
Removing the Access Cover.........................................................................................	3-3
Replacing the Access Cover .........................................................................................	3-4
Expansion Boards ........................................................................................................	3-5
Expansion Slot Locations......................................................................................	3-5
Expansion Board Installation.................................................................................	3-6
Expansion Board Removal ....................................................................................	3-7
DIMM Upgrade...........................................................................................................	3-7
DIMM Removal....................................................................................................	3-9
DIMM Installation ................................................................................................	3-10
Video Upgrade ............................................................................................................	3-11
Data Storage Devices...................................................................................................	3-11
Device Slots..........................................................................................................	3-11
Device Preparation................................................................................................	3-12
Device Cables .......................................................................................................	3-13
Diskette Drive Signal Cable............................................................................	3-13
IDE Signal Cables ..........................................................................................	3-14
System Power Cables .....................................................................................	3-15

Contents v

Device Cabling......................................................................................................	3-16
Cabling an IDE Device...................................................................................	3-16
Cabling an Accessible 5 1/4-Inch Device ........................................................	3-17
Storage Device Installation....................................................................................	3-18
Removing the Front Panel ..............................................................................	3-18
Removing the CD-ROM/DVD Drive..............................................................	3-18
Installing a 3 1/2-Inch Device .........................................................................	3-19
Installing a 5 1/4-Inch Device .........................................................................	3-23
Replacing the Front Panel...............................................................................	3-24
Adding External Options..............................................................................................	3-25
Parallel Printer ......................................................................................................	3-25
RS-232C Device Connection.................................................................................	3-27
Section 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Maintenance ................................................................................................................	4-2
System Cleaning....................................................................................................	4-2
Keyboard Cleaning................................................................................................	4-3
Mouse Cleaning ....................................................................................................	4-3
Troubleshooting...........................................................................................................	4-5
Diagnosing and Solving Problems .........................................................................	4-5
Beep Codes...........................................................................................................	4-11
CMOS Battery Replacement .................................................................................	4-11
Section 5 Disassembly and Reassembly
Disassembly .................................................................................................................	5-2
System Access Cover............................................................................................	5-2
Expansion Board Removal ....................................................................................	5-2
Front Panel Removal.............................................................................................	5-3
Side Panel Removal ..............................................................................................	5-4
Device Cage Removal ...........................................................................................	5-4
Diskette Drive Removal ........................................................................................	5-4
5 1/4-Inch Device Removal ...................................................................................	5-5
Optional 3 1/2-Inch Hard Disk Drive Removal ......................................................	5-6
Standard 3 1/2-Inch Hard Disk Drive Removal......................................................	5-8
Fan Assembly Removal .........................................................................................	5-8
DIMM Module Removal.......................................................................................	5-9
Power Supply Removal .........................................................................................	5-10

vi Contents

System Board Removal .........................................................................................		5-11
Illustrated Parts Breakdown .........................................................................................		5-11
Appendix A	System Specifications
Appendix B Connector Pin Assignments
Serial Interface Connectors ..........................................................................................		B-4
Parallel Interface Connector .........................................................................................		B-5
Power Supply (Primary)...............................................................................................		B-6
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors.................................................................................		B-6
Front Panel ..................................................................................................................		B-7
Diskette Drive Interface Pin Assignments .....................................................................		B-8
IDE Interface Connectors ............................................................................................		B-9
DIMM Sockets ............................................................................................................		B-10
AGP Connector ...........................................................................................................		B-11
ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pin Assignments...........................................................		B-12
PCI Expansion Bus Connector Pin Assignments...........................................................		B-14
Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connectors .......................................................................		B-15
Appendix C	System Resources
IRQ Settings ................................................................................................................		C-1
Viewing System Resources ..........................................................................................		C-2
Setting the Jumper .......................................................................................................		C-2
Clearing Your Password .......................................................................................		C-3
Recovering the BIOS ............................................................................................		C-4
Figures
Figure 3-1 Releasing the Cover ....................................................................................		3-4
Figure 3-2 Aligning the Tabs........................................................................................		3-4
Figure 3-3 Locating Expansion Slots............................................................................		3-6
Figure 3-4 Removing the Slot Cover ............................................................................		3-6
Figure 3-5 Removing a DIMM.....................................................................................		3-10
Figure 3-6 Installing a DIMM ......................................................................................		3-11
Figure 3-7 Locating Device Slots .................................................................................		3-12
Figure 3-8 System Board Cable Connectors .................................................................		3-13
Figure 3-9 Diskette Drive Signal Cable ........................................................................		3-14

Contents vii

Figure 3-10 IDE Signal Cable ......................................................................................	3-15
Figure 3-11 Power Cable Connectors...........................................................................	3-15
Figure 3-12 Connecting IDE Device Cables .................................................................	3-16
Figure 3-13 Connecting an Accessible 5 1/4-Inch Device .............................................	3-17
Figure 3-14 Releasing the Front Panel ..........................................................................	3-18
Figure 3-15 Removing the Device Cage Screw.............................................................	3-19
Figure 3-16 Locating Device Slots ...............................................................................	3-20
Figure 3-17 Removing the Bracket Screws...................................................................	3-20
Figure 3-18 Aligning the Holes and Tabs......................................................................	3-21
Figure 3-19 Securing the Disk......................................................................................	3-21
Figure 3-20 Inserting the Device ..................................................................................	3-22
Figure 3-21 Removing the Blank Panel ........................................................................	3-22
Figure 3-22 Installing the Device..................................................................................	3-24
Figure 3-23 Locating the Parallel Port..........................................................................	3-26
Figure 3-24 Locating COM1and COM2.......................................................................	3-27
Figure 4-1 Removing the Mouse Ball Cover.................................................................	4-4
Figure 4-2 Locating the Battery ...................................................................................	4-12
Figure 5-1 Removing a Board ......................................................................................	5-3
Figure 5-2 Releasing the Front Panel............................................................................	5-3
Figure 5-3 Locating the Device Cage Screw.................................................................	5-4
Figure 5-4 Locating the Two Diskette Drive Clips .......................................................	5-5
Figure 5-5 Removing the 5 1/4-Inch Device Screws .....................................................	5-6
Figure 5-6 The 3 1/2-Inch Device Bracket Screws .......................................................	5-7
Figure 5-7 Removing the Securing Screw.....................................................................	5-7
Figure 5-8 Removing the Drive ....................................................................................	5-8
Figure 5-9 Removing a DIMM.....................................................................................	5-9
Figure 5-10 Removing the Power Supply Screws .........................................................	5-10
Figure 5-11 Removing the System Board Screw...........................................................	5-11
Figure 5-12 Direction L Series Desktop Illustrated Parts Breakdown ...........................	5-15
Figure 5-13 Direction L Series Minitower Illustrated Parts Breakdown ........................	5-19
Figure 5-14 Direction SPL and SP Series Desktop Illustrated Parts Breakdown ...........	5-23
Figure 5-15 Direction SPL and SP Series Minitower Illustrated Parts Breakdown ........	5-27
Figure B-1 System Board Connectors and Slots ...........................................................	B-2
Figure B-2 System Board External Connectors ............................................................	B-2

viii Contents

Figure C-1 Locating the Jumper ...................................................................................	C-2
Tables
Table 1-1 L Series System Features..............................................................................	1-2
Table 1-2 SPL Series System Features .........................................................................	1-3
Table 1-3 SP Series System Features............................................................................	1-4
Table 1-4 System Memory Map ...................................................................................	1-7
Table 1-5 Interrupt Level Assignments.........................................................................	1-8
Table 1-6 DMA Assignments .......................................................................................	1-9
Table 2-1 Setup Key Functions ....................................................................................	2-4
Table 3-1 Sample Memory Configurations ...................................................................	3-9
Table 4-1 NEC CSD Service and Information Telephone Numbers ..............................	4-1
Table 4-2 Problems and Solutions ................................................................................	4-5
Table 4-3 Beep Code Descriptions ...............................................................................	4-11
Table 5-1 Disassembly Sequence..................................................................................	5-1
Table 5-2 Direction L Series Desktop Field-Replaceable Parts List...............................	5-12
Table 5-3 Direction L Series Minitower Field-Replaceable Parts List............................	5-16
Table 5-4 Direction SPL and SP Series Desktop Field-Replaceable Parts List...............	5-20
Table 5-5 Direction SPL and SP Series Minitower Field-Replaceable Parts List............	5-24
Table 5-6 Memory Options ..........................................................................................	5-28
Table 5-7 Direction Series Documentation ...................................................................	5-28
Table B-1 System Board Connectors............................................................................	B-1
Table B-2 System Board Internal Connectors...............................................................	B-3
Table B-3 System Board Connector Numbers and Types .............................................	B-3
Table-B-4 RS-232C Serial Port Connector Pin Assignments ........................................	B-4
Table B-5 Parallel Port Connector Pin Assignments .....................................................	B-5
Table B-6 Primary Power Supply Connector Pin Assignments......................................	B-6
Table B-7 Keyboard and Mouse Connector Pin Assignments .......................................	B-6
Table B-8 Front Panel Connector Pin Assignments.......................................................	B-7
Table B-9 Diskette Drive Connector Pin Assignments ..................................................	B-8
Table B-10 IDE/PCI Connector Pin Assignments.........................................................	B-9
Table B-11 DIMM Socket Pin Assignments .................................................................	B-10
Table B-12 AGP Connector Pin Assignments...............................................................	B-11

Contents ix

Table B-13 ISA Expansion Slot Pin Assignments .........................................................	B-12
Table B-14 PCI Expansion Pin Assignments.................................................................	B-14
Table B-15 USB Connectors........................................................................................	B-15
Table C-1 System Board Jumper Settings.....................................................................	C-3

x Contents

xi

Preface

This service and reference manual contains technical information necessary for servicing and repairing Direction L Series, SPL Series, and SP Series systems. The manual includes system setup information, procedures for installing options, and troubleshooting. The manual is written for NEC CSD-trained customer engineers, system analysts, service center personnel, and dealers.

The manual is organized as follows:

Section 1 — Technical Information , provides an overview of the computer features, hardware design, interface ports, and internal devices.

Section 2 — Setup Utility , includes procedures for configuring the system through the Setup utility program

Section 3 — Option Installation, provides installation procedures for adding optional expansion boards, diskette and hard disk storage devices, system memory, and processor updates.

Section 4 — Maintenance and Troubleshooting , includes recommended maintenance information, lists possible computer problems and their solutions, and has battery replacement procedures.

Section 5 — Disassembly and Reassembly , includes computer disassembly and reassembly procedures.

Appendix A — System Specifications , provides a list of the system specifications including dimensions, weight, environment, safety compliance, power consumption, and memory.

Appendix B — Connector Pin Assignments , provides a list of the internal and external system board connector pin assignments.

Appendix C — System Resources , includes information on IRQ settings and system board jumpers.

xiii

Abbreviations

A	ampere
AC	alternating current
AT	advanced technology
	(IBM PC)
BBS	Bulletin Board Service
BCD	binary-coded decimal
BCU	BIOS Customized Utility
BIOS	basic input/output system
bit	binary digit
BUU	BIOS Upgrade Utility
bpi	bits per inch
bps	bits per second
C	capacitance
C	centigrade
Cache	high-speed buffer storage
CAM	constantly addressable memory
CAS	column address strobe
CD/ROM	compact disk-ROM
CG	character generator
CGA	Color Graphics Adapter
CGB	Color Graphics Board
CH	channel
clk	clock
cm	centimeter
CMOS	complementary metal oxide
	semiconductor
COM	communication
CONT	contrast
CPGA	ceramic pin grid array
CPU	central processing unit
DAC	digital-to-analog converter
DACK	DMA acknowledge
DC	direct current
DIP	dual in-line package
DLAB	Divisor Latch Address bit
DMA	direct memory access

DMAC	DMA controller
DOS	disk operating system
DRAM	dynamic RAM
ECC	error checking and correction
EDO	extended data output
EGA	Enhanced Graphics Adapter
EPROM	erasable and programmable
	ROM
EVGA	Enhanced Video Graphics
	Array
F	Fahrenheit
FAX	facsimile transmission
FCC	Federal Communications
	Commission
FG	frame ground
FM	frequency modulation
FP	fast page
FRU	field-replaceable unit
GB	gigabyte
GND	ground
HEX	hexadecimal
HGA	Hercules Graphics Adapter
Hz	hertz
IC	integrated circuit
ID	identification
IDE	intelligent device electronics
IDTR	interrupt descriptor table
	register
in.	inch
INTA	interrupt acknowledge
IPB	illustrated parts breakdown
IR	infrared
IRR	Interrupt Request register
ISA	Industry Standard Architecture
ISR	In Service register
I/O	input/output

xiv Abbreviations

IPC	integrated peripheral controller
ips	inches per second
IRQ	interrupt request
K	kilo (1024)
k	kilo (1000)
KB	kilobyte
kg	kilogram
kHz	kilohertz
lb	pound
LED	light-emitting diode
LSB	least-significant bit
LSI	large-scale integration
M	mega
mA	milliamps
max	maximum
MB	megabyte
MDA	Monochrome Display Adapter
MFM	modified frequency modulation
MHz	megahertz
mm	millimeter
ms	millisecond
MSB	most-significant bit
NASC	National Authorized Service
	Center
NC	not connected
NMI	Non-maskable Interrupt
ns	nanosecond
NSRC	National Service Response
	Center
PAL	programmable array logic
PC	personal computer
PCB	printed circuit board
PCI	Peripheral Component
	Interconnect
PDA	personal digital assistant
PFP	plastic flat package
PIO	parallel input/output
pixel	picture element

PLCC	plastic leaded chip carrier
PLL	phase lock loop
p-p	peak-to-peak
PPI	programmable peripheral
	interface
PROM	programmable ROM
QFP	quad flat pack
RAM	random-access memory
RAMDAC RAM digital-to-analog
	converter
RAS	row address strobe
RGB	red green blue
RGBI	red green blue intensity
ROM	read-only memory
rpm	revolutions per minute
R	read
RTC	real-time clock
R/W	read/write
S	slave
SCSI	Small Computer System
	Interface
SG	signal ground
SIMM	single inline memory module
SPM	standard page mode
SRS	Sound Retrieval System
SVGA	Super Video Graphics Array
SW	switch
TAC	Technical Assistance Center
TSC	Technical Support Center
TTL	transistor/transistor logic
tpi	tracks per inch
USB	universal serial bus
V	volt
Vac	volts, alternating current
Vdc	volts, direct current
VESA	video electronics standards
	association

Abbreviations xv

VFC	VESA-compliant feature
	connector
VGA	Video Graphics Array
VRAM	video RAM
W	watt
W	write

Section 1

Technical Information

The Direction™ L Series, SPL Series, and SP Series of desktop and minitower Pentium II systems include the following configurations:

TDirection 233L

TDirection 266L

TDirection 300L

TDirection 333L

TDirection SPL233 with 24x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL266 with 24x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL300 with 24x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL333 with 24x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL233 with 32x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL266 with 32x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL300 with 32x CD-ROM drive

TDirection SPL333 with 32x CD-ROM drive

This section provides an overview of the NEC Direction L Series, SPL Series, and SP Series computers. These systems include the Intel® Pentium® II processor with MMX™ technology. Table 1-1 describes the standard features of the L Series models. Table 1-2 describes the standard features of the SPL Series models. Table 1-3 describes the standard features of the SP Series models.

The subsections that follow provide more detailed information on the system features.

1-2 Technical Information

Table 1-1 L Series System Features

Feature	Direction 233L	Direction 266L	Direction 300L	Direction 333L
Processor	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II
	233-MHz MMX	266-MHz MMX	300-MHz MMX	333-MHz MMX
System	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB
RAM
Secondary	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline
Cache	burst	burst	burst	burst
Chipset	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX
Graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics
	board	board	board	board
Video	4 MB SGRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM
Memory
Sound	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval
	System®	System	System	System
Hard Disk	3.2 GB - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB
CD-ROM	24x	24x	24x	24x
Drive
Power	235 W	235 W	235 W	235 W
Supply

Technical Information	1-3

Table 1-2 SPL Series System Features

Feature	Direction SPL233	Direction SPL266	Direction SPL300	Direction SPL333
Processor	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II
	233-MHz MMX	266-MHz MMX	300-MHz MMX	333-MHz MMX
System	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB
RAM
Secondary	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline
Cache	burst	burst	burst	burst
Chipset	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX
Graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics
	board	board	board	board
Video	4 MB SGRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM
Memory
Sound	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval
	System	System	System	System
Hard Disk	3.2 GB - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB
CD-ROM	24x	24x	24x	24x
Drive
Power	235 W	235 W	235 W	235 W
Supply

1-4 Technical Information

Table 1-3 SP Series System Features

Feature	Direction SPL233	Direction SPL266	Direction SPL300	Direction SPL333
Processor	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II	Intel Pentium II
	233-MHz MMX	266-MHz MMX	300-MHz MMX	333-MHz MMX
System	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB	32 MB to 192 MB
RAM
Secondary	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline	512 KB, pipeline
Cache	burst	burst	burst	burst
Chipset	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX	Intel 440LX
Graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics	AGP graphics
	board	board	board	board
Video	4 MB SGRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM	4 MB WRAM
Memory
Sound	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval	Sound Retrieval
	System	System	System	System
Hard Disk	3.2 GB - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB	3.2 - 9 GB
CD-ROM	32x	32x	32x	32x
Drive
Power	235 W	235 W	235 W	235 W
Supply

SYSTEM BOARD

The system board contains most of the components that provide system functions. The following subsections provide a description of these components.

Processor

Depending on the model, the system board uses a 233-MHz, 266-MHz, 300-MHz, or 333MHz Intel Pentium II processor with MMX technology. The MMX processor improves audio, video, and 3D graphics performance.

The processor is packaged in a Single Edge Contact (SEC) cartridge and the cartridge plugs into the system board’s slot 1.

System Cache/Memory

To utilize the processor’s power, the system features an optimized 64-bit memory interface and provides support for a second level cache to compliment the processor’s internal cache.

Technical Information	1-5

High-performance features include:

Tpipeline 32-bit addressing

T64-bit data

T512-KB of pipeline burst secondary cache; direct mapped write-back and write-through organization.

Depending on the model, the system comes with 32 to 192 MB of main system memory. Three sockets on the system board support up to 384 MB of high-speed memory using industry-standard gold-plated dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs).

The system supports 60-ns Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

The system supports the following 60-ns configurations:

T1-Mbit by 64 or 72 (8-MB DIMM)

T2-Mbit by 64 or 72 (16-MB DIMM)

T4-Mbit by 64 or 72 (32-MB DIMM)

T8-Mbit by 64 or 72 (64-MB DIMM)

T16-Mbit by 64 or 72 (128-MB DIMM).

Chipset

The Intel 440LX chipset provides DMA, memory, and bus control. The chipset includes the following chips:

TIntel 82443LX PCI/A.G.P. (PAC) ¾ provides bus-control signals, address paths, and data paths for transfers between the processor’s host bus, PCI bus, Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), and main memory.

TIntel 82371AB PCI/ISA IDE Xccelerator (PIIX4) ¾ implements the PCI-to-ISA bridge, PCI IDE functionality, Universal Serial Bus (USB) host/hub functions, and enhanced power management.

PCI Local Bus

The 32-bit industry-standard PCI bus is a highly-integrated input/output (I/O) interface that offers the highest performance local bus available for the Pentium II processor. The PCI bus supports burst modes that send large chunks of data across the bus, allowing fast displays of high-resolution images.

The high-bandwidth PCI local bus eliminates data bottlenecks found in traditional systems, maintains maximum performance at high clock speeds, and provides a clear upgrade path to future technologies.

1-6 Technical Information

The PCI bus contains two embedded PCI devices: the PCI local bus IDE interface and the PCI video/graphics controller. The PCI bus also contains a connector for attaching the bus expansion board.

Expansion Bus

The expansion bus contains one ISA slot, three PCI slots, one PCI/ISA slot, and one AGP video slot. The PCI ISA IDE Xccelerator chip (PIIX4) provides the logic that enables the ISA bus functions. With 24-bit memory addressing, a 16-bit data path, and an eight MHz clock, the ISA bus is designed to support all peripherals compatible with the IBM® AT™ standard. For PCI functions, the Xcelerator chip provides 32-bit memory addressing, 32-bit data path, and a 33-MHz clock speed.

BIOS

The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is stored in the Intel PA28FB200BX Flash EPROM. The Flash EPROM is reprogrammable and allows fast, economical BIOS upgrades.

The system memory map in shown in Table 1-4.

				Technical Information 1-7
		Table 1-4 System Memory Map
	Memory Address	Size		Function
	100000-18000000	384 MB		Extended Memory
	FC000-FFFFF	16 KB		Boot Block
	FA000-FBFFF	8	KB	ECSD (Plug and Play configuration and DMI)
	F9000-F9FFF	4	KB	Reserved for BIOS
	F8000-F8FFF	4 KB		OEM Logo or Scan User Flash
	E8000-E7FFF	64 KB		POST BIOS
	E0000-E7FFF	32 KB		POST BIOS (available as UMB)
	C8000-DFFFF	96 KB		Available High DOS memory (open to ISA
				and PCI bus)
	A0000-C7FFF	160 KB		Video memory and BIOS
	9FC00-9FFFF	1 KB		Extended BIOS Data (movable by memory
				managers)
	80000-9FBFF	127	KB	Extended conventional memory
	00000-7FFFF	512	KB	Conventional memory

Plug and Play Support

The system comes with Plug and Play BIOS technology. Plug and Play eliminates complicated setup procedures for installing Plug and Play expansion boards.

To add a Plug and Play expansion board, simply power off the system, install the board, and power on the system. There are no jumpers to set and no system resource conflicts to resolve. Plug and Play automatically configures the board for the system. The system also supports non-Plug and Play boards.

Plug and Play is controlled by the Plug and Play BIOS and the system’s operating system. The Plug and Play BIOS is stored in the Intel PA28FB200BX Flash EPROM on the system board.

The Plug and Play BIOS adds several steps to the POST process. During POST, the Plug and Play evaluates the configuration of installed boards and assigns available system resources to the devices. On completion of Plug and Play POST, the operating system checks to see if there are any additional resources required, then assigns available resources to the devices.

1-8 Technical Information

CMOS Memory/Real-Time Clock Battery

The 82371AB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4) on the system board stores system information in non-volatile CMOS memory. The chip also contains the system’s real-time clock. Both are maintained by a 3-volt coin cell lithium battery on the system board. The battery is replaceable.

DMA/IRQ Settings

The system automatically configures interrupts requests (IRQ), direct memory access (DMA) channels, and other parameters when adding PCI boards with minimal user intervention.

Table 1-5 and Table 1-6 list system IRQ and DMA default settings.

	Table 1-5 Interrupt Level Assignments
IRQ	System Resource
NMI	I/O channel check
00	Reserved, internal timer
01	Reserved, keyboard buffer full
02	Reserved, cascade interrupt from slave PIC
03	COM2*
04	COM1*
05	LPT2 (Plug and Play option)/Audio/User available
06	Diskette drive
07	LPT1*
08	Real-time clock
09	Reserved
10	User available
11	Windows Sound System*/User available
12	Onboard mouse port (if present, else user available)
13	Reserved, math coprocessor
14	Primary IDE (if present, else user available)
15	Secondary IDE (if present, else user available)

* Default; setting can be changed.

Technical Information	1-9

	Table 1-6 DMA Assignments
DMA	Resource
00	Audio
01	Audio/Parallel port
02	Diskette drive
03	ECP parallel port/Audio
04	Reserved, cascade channel
05	Available
06	Available
07	Available

IDE Ports

The system board provides two IDE ports:

Ta fast IDE port (the primary channel)

Ta standard IDE port (the secondary channel).

Each port supports two devices for a total of four IDE devices. The system board allows the connection of an IDE CD-ROM drive for system configuration flexibility without the addition of a controller.

The fast IDE port features an enhanced IDE interface which supports up to 10 MB per second 32-bit wide data transfers on the high-performance PCI local bus. (Standard IDE supports 2 MB to 3 MB per second on the ISA bus.) The standard hard disk and Zip drive (in some systems) are connected to the fast IDE port (primary channel) for high performance. The CD-ROM drive is attached to the standard IDE port (secondary channel).

I/O Ports

The system board features an enhanced parallel port, two buffered high-speed serial ports, and two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports.

The enhanced parallel port supports Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) and Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) modes for devices that require ECP or EPP protocols. These protocols allow high-speed bi-directional transfer over a parallel port and increase parallel port functionality by supporting more devices.

The two buffered high-speed serial ports use a fast 16550 UART which supports transfer rates up to 19.2 kilobytes (KB) per second. These ports allow the installation of high-speed serial devices for faster data transfer rates.

1-10 Technical Information

The two USB ports allow additional new plug and play serial devices without removing the system cover. Simply plug the USB device into the port. The speed varies between

12 megabits per second (Mbps) for printers and 1.5 Mbps for mice and keyboards. Up to 127 USB devices can be connected to the computer.

The combination of the enhanced parallel port, buffered serial ports, and USB ports ensure optimum performance for future peripheral devices and operating systems.

Sound System

The system board features Yamaha OPL® YMF715 audio chip. It integrates a 16-bit audio codec, OPL3 FM synthesis and DAC, 3D enhanced stereo controller, and an interface for MPU401 and a joystick. The chip also provides the following features.

TStereo analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters

TAnalog mixing, anti-aliasing, and reconstruction filters

TSupport for 16-bit address decode

TADPCM, A-law or μlaw digital audio compression/decompression

TFull digital control of all mixer and volume control functions

T Sound Blaster® and Windows Sound System™ compatibility

The system board provides connectors for the optional OPL4-ML wavetable synthesizer. The OPL4-ML integrates the OPL3 audio system, general MIDI processor and wavetable ROM. It provides FM synthesis and 24 distinct voices for music playback.

U.S. ROBOTICS MODEM BOARD (OPTIONAL)

Two modem boards are available: the U.S. Robotics® x2-capable Winmodem and the U.S. Robotics x2-capable Sportster. Each modem board contains fax and modem capabilities. The Winmodem provides fax and modem capabilities. The Sportster provides modem, fax, full-duplex speakerphone, and voicemail capabilities. Each board provides receive transfer rates of 56 Kbps (kilobytes per second) for data and 14.4 Kbps for fax.

DISKETTE DRIVE

The system comes standard with a 1.44-MB high-density diskette drive preinstalled in the 3 1/2-inch accessible device slot (drive A). The drive is connected to the system board via a two-connector cable.

Technical Information 1-11

HARD DISK DRIVE

The system supports up to three IDE hard drives, the standard hard drive, and two optional hard drives (if a Zip drive does not come standard with the system).

CD-ROM/DVD DRIVE

The drive can be used to load programs from a CD or it can be used to play audio CDs. The drive operates at different speeds depending on whether the CD contains music or data. The drive is fully compatible with Kodak Multisession Photo CDs™ and standard CDs.

The drive is connected to the secondary IDE/PCI port on the system board.

ZIP DRIVE

Some systems come with the Iomega® Zip 100 ATA drive. The Zip drive provides removable 100-MB data disks and has a data transfer rate up to 1.4 MB per second.

POWER SUPPLY

The 235-watt power supply is mounted inside the system unit. It supplies power to the system board, option boards, diskette drives, hard drives, keyboard, and mouse. A fan inside the power supply provides system ventilation. The power supply has several cables for attaching to the various devices requiring power.

POWER MANAGEMENT

The Advanced Power Management (APM) program, located on the 82371AB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4) chip, reduces system power consumption when there is no activity detected from the keyboard, mouse, diskette drive, CD-ROM drive, or hard disk drive after a predefined period of time. As soon as activity is detected, the system resumes where it left off.

In the CMOS Setup utility, an inactivity timer is available for setting the length of time before the sytem enter a low-power mode.

Section 2

Setup Utility

This section describes the Setup utility program that allows the system configuration information to be viewed and changed.

NOTE: The system ships from the factory with the correct system parameters for the configuration. Unless setting the time and date, setting security features, customizing the system, or adding optional hardware, Setup does not need to be run.

CONFIGURATION INFORMATION

System configuration information is stored in nonvolatile memory. A nonvolatile memory device retains its data when system power is turned off.

Nonvolatile memory is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip backed up by a battery on the system board. The battery supplies continuous power to CMOS memory and maintains configuration information when system power is off.

WHEN TO USE SETUP

The Setup utility allows the user to view and set system parameters. Use the Setup utility program:

Tto set the time and date.

Tto update or check system parameters when adding or removing expansion options.

Tto change or set power management features.

Tto correct a hardware discrepancy when the Power-On Self-Test (POST) displays an error message and a prompt to run Setup.

Tto check the installation of optional memory by comparing the amount of memory installed with the amount of memory displayed by Setup.

Tto change certain system operating parameters, such as boot device sequence and keyboard parameters.

Tto configure system connections for peripherals such as the diskette drive, hard disks, and devices connected to the printer port and serial ports.

2-2 Setup Utility

Tto customize the system with security features such as passwords.

Tto set system parameters after replacing the CMOS battery.

HOW TO START SETUP

To start the Setup utility, follow these steps:

1.Turn on or reboot the system.

2.Press F2 after POST begins, but before the system boots up. You have about five seconds to press F2.

Setup’s Main Menu window appears similar to the following screen.

NOTE: The screen shown is typical of a system. The actual settings on the Main Menu depend upon the hardware installed in the system.

Setup Utility 2-3

HOW TO USE SETUP

The Setup utility has a Main Menu window and five top-level menus with submenus. The Main Menu window contains the following areas:

TA title line ¾ the top line of the Main Menu. This line displays the Setup utility name and copyright message.

TThe menu bar ¾ the line under the Setup title line. The menu bar contains five top-level menus to set system parameters.

TA Main Menu summary window ¾ the area on the left side of the screen. This area provides a summary of Main Menu Setup parameters. Some Main Menu parameters can be set from this window or they can be set from submenus.

TThe help and navigation window ¾ the area on the right side of the screen. This area provides help information for the Setup option currently selected. The navigation keys provide a summary of commands available for making selections.

TThe General Help window ¾ a window that appears any time during Setup after pressing F1. This help window provides general information about using Setup.

The following subsections describe how to use the Main Menu window to set system parameters.

Menu Bar

The menu bar at the top of the Main Menu window lists these menus:

TMain ¾ Use the Main menu for basic system configuration. For example, select “Main” to set the system time, system date, diskette drive, and hard drive parameters. Use this menu to check memory parameters.

TAdvanced ¾ Use the Advanced menu to set serial port and printer port addresses and interrupts, and to enable/disable the system’s IDE and diskette drive interfaces.

The Advanced menu also provides submenu items for setting keyboard features, video configurations, and DMI event logging.

TSecurity ¾ Use this menu to set User and Supervisor Passwords and the Unattended Start feature.

TPower — Use the Power menu to set power management parameters.

TBoot — Use this menu to set boot options.

TExit ¾ Exits the Setup utility with various save or discard options.

2-4 Setup Utility

A Maintenance Menu appears when the system is in configure mode. See Appendix C for information on putting the system in configure mode. This menu allows you to change the processor speed and to clear user and supervisor passwords.

To select an option from the menu bar, use the left and right arrow keys. See “Exiting Setup” in this section for a description on exiting the Main Menu.

Legend Bar

Use the keys listed in the legend bar on the bottom of the Setup menu to make the selections or exit the current menu. Table 2-1 describes the legend keys and their alternates.

Table 2-1 Setup Key Functions

Key	Function
F1	Provides help for the parameter field being displayed.
Esc	Exits the menu.
← or → arrow keys	Selects next menu.
− or ↓ arrow keys	Moves cursor up and down for item selection.
Enter	Executes a command or selects submenu.

Selecting a Menu Item

To select a menu item, use the up/down arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired field. Then press Enter. The Exit Saving Changes command in the Exit Menu saves the values currently displayed in all the menus.

Displaying a Submenu

To display a submenu, use the up/down arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired submenu. Then press Enter. A pointer (a right-pointing triangle) marks all selectable submenus.

Getting Help

A Field Help window or Item Specific Help window on the right side of each menu displays the help text for the currently selected Setup option. It updates as the cursor moves to each new field.

Pressing F1 on any menu brings up the General Help window that describes the legend keys and their functions.

Press Esc to exit the current window.

Setup Utility 2-5

MAIN MENU

This section describes the Main Menu parameters. Other menu parameters are available by selecting submenus. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to a parameter and press Enter to select a submenu. Items with lighter text are not available.

TProcessor Type

This field displays your computer’s processor type.

TProcessor Speed

This field displays your processor’s speed.

TCache RAM

This field displays the size of your system’s L2 (external) cache.

TTotal Memory

This field displays the total amount of memory installed on your system board.

TBIOS Version

This field displays your system’s BIOS version number.

TLanguage

This field displays the current default language used by the BIOS. Depending on the system you purchased, you may choose a different display language from among the options listed below.

¾English (US) (default)

¾Italiano

¾Français

¾Deutsche

¾Español

2-6 Setup Utility

TSystem Time and Date

These two fields specify the correct time and date. To change them, press Tab to highlight the field you want to change, then press the + or – keys to change the setting.

THard Disk Predelay

This option keeps BIOS from searching for a drive until the specified predelay time has passed. This allows certain drives time to spin up before being detect by the BIOS.

Floppy Options Submenu

This submenu can be used to configure your system’s floppy disk drives. To enter the submenu, highlight the Floppy Options field, then press Enter. You’ll see the following options:

TDiskette A:/B:

These fields specify the capacity and physical size of Diskette Drive A and B (if included). To change these, highlight the field for the drive, press Enter and select from the following options:

¾Disabled

¾360KB, 5.25 inch

¾1.2MB, 5.25 inch

¾720KB, 3.5 inch

¾1.44/1.25 MB, 3.5 inch (default for Drive A)

¾2.88 MB, 3.5 inch.

If you add an optional 5.25-inch diskette drive to your system, select Floppy B and change the parameter to 1.2 MB, 5.25 inch.

TFloppy Write Protect

This option enables or disables write protection for the diskette drive(s). Choose the desired setting to enable or disable (default) this option.

To return to the Main Menu, press Esc.

TIDE Devices

The next four entries, Primary IDE Master and Slave, and Secondary IDE Master and Slave refer to settings for IDE devices. These fields report the presence of, and identification for as many as four physical IDE devices, two on each PCI/IDE connector.