Nec POWERMATE PRO2180, POWERMATE PRO2200 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 Corporation (NEC) an d/or its licensor s. NEC and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reser ve 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 product(s) discussed in this document ar e warranted in accor dance with the terms of the Warranty Statement accompanyin g 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.

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 is prohibited.

MultiSync and PowerMate are registered trademarks of NEC Technologies, Inc. FastFacts is a trademark of NEC Technologies, Inc. All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or

registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

First Printing — September 1996

NEC Technologies, Inc. NEC Corporation

1414 Massachusetts Avenue 7-1 Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-Ku

Boxborough, MA 01719 Tokyo 108-01, Japan

Using This Guide

Text Conventions...................................................... xii

Related Documents ................................................... xiii

1 Introducing Your Computer

Front Features .......................................................... 1-2

System Controls and Lamps................................. 1-3

IR Window.......................................................... 1-4

Diskette Drive A.................................................. 1-5

CD-ROM Reader................................................. 1-6

Back Features........................................................... 1-8

External Connectors............................................. 1-9

Power Supply Features ........................................ 1-11

Matrox Video Board............................................ 1-12

SCSI Adapter Board............................................ 1-13

Speakers.............................................................. 1-14

Microphone ......................................................... 1-15

2 Using Your Computer

System Operation ..................................................... 2-1

Starting up........................................................... 2-1

Shutting Down..................................................... 2-2

Setting Date and Time.......................................... 2-3

Using System Features......................................... 2-4

Using a Mouse................................................ 2-4

Using Diskettes............................................... 2-6

Diskette Removal............................................ 2-6

Handling Compact Discs................................. 2-8

Loading a CD................................................. 2-9

Removing a CD .............................................. 2-10

Using Your Systems Audio Functions ............. 2-10

Suspend Power ............................................... 2-10

Contents iii

Protection Features .............................................. 2-11

Setting a Password.......................................... 2-11

Using a Password ........................................... 2-12

Productivity.............................................................. 2-14

Saving Your Work............................................... 2-14

Backing Up Your Work ....................................... 2-14

Printing a Document ............................................ 2-15

Changing Video Drivers............................................ 2-16

System Care ............................................................. 2-16

Protecting Your System from Damage.................. 2-17

Keeping Your System in Good Condition ............. 2-18

Cleaning Your Mouse .......................................... 2-19

Moving or Shipping Your System ........................ 2-21

Battery Replacement............................................ 2-22

3 Understanding System Features

System Chassis......................................................... 3-2

System Board Components ....................................... 3-3

Processor............................................................. 3-3

System Memory................................................... 3-4

Interrupt Controller.............................................. 3-4

PCI Local Bus..................................................... 3-6

Flash ROM.......................................................... 3-6

Graphics Features................................................ 3-7

Motion Video Controller ................................. 3-7

Graphics Accelerator ...................................... 3-7

Video Support ................................................ 3-8

Feature Connector........................................... 3-9

High-Speed Communication Ports........................ 3-9

Dual IDE Ports.................................................... 3-9

USB Port............................................................. 3-10

SCSI Port............................................................ 3-10

ZIF Socket........................................................... 3-10

Sound System...................................................... 3-10

Plug and Play Support ......................................... 3-11

Power Saving Feature .......................................... 3-11

iv Contents

4 NEC Drivers and Utilities

The Setup Utility ...................................................... 4-1

When to Use Setup .............................................. 4-2

How to Start Setup .............................................. 4-3

How to Use Setup................................................ 4-4

Main Menu............................................................... 4-5

System Date/Time ............................................... 4-6

Diskette Drive...................................................... 4-6

IDE Devices ........................................................ 4-6

IDE Device Configuration Submenu................ 4-7

IDE Device Configuration............................... 4-7

IDE Translation Mode .................................... 4-8

Language............................................................. 4-10

Boot Options ....................................................... 4-10

Boot Options Submenu ................................... 4-10

Boot Sequence ........................................... 4-10

System Cache ............................................ 4-11

Boot Speed ................................................ 4-11

Num Lock ................................................. 4-11

Speaker ..................................................... 4-11

Setup Prompt............................................. 4-12

Hard Disk Pre-Delay.................................. 4-12

Typematic Rate Programming.................... 4-12

Video Mode......................................................... 4-13

Mouse ................................................................. 4-14

Base Memory ...................................................... 4-14

Extended Memory................................................ 4-14

BIOS Version ...................................................... 4-14

Advanced Menu........................................................ 4-14

Processor Type .................................................... 4-15

Processor Speed................................................... 4-15

Cache Size........................................................... 4-15

Peripheral Configuration...................................... 4-15

Peripheral Submenu........................................ 4-15

Peripheral Configuration Mode .................. 4-16

IDE Interface (Primary and Secondary)...... 4-16

Floppy Interface......................................... 4-16

Contents v

USB Interface............................................ 4-16

Serial Port (1 and 2) Address ..................... 4-16

Serial Port 2 IR Mode................................ 4-17

Parallel Port Address ................................. 4-17

Parallel Port Mode..................................... 4-17

Advanced Chipset Configuration.......................... 4-18

Advanced Chipset Configuration Submenu...... 4-18

Base Memory Size..................................... 4-18

ISa LFB Size............................................. 4-19

ISa LFB Base Address............................... 4-19

Video Palette Snoop................................... 4-19

Latency Timer (PCI Clock)........................ 4-20

Memory Error Detection ............................ 4-20

Onboard Audio.......................................... 4-21

Banks 0 and 1 SIMM Detected .................. 4-21

Power Management Configuration ....................... 4-21

Power Management Submenu ......................... 4-21

IDE Drive Power Down............................. 4-22

VESA Video Power Down ......................... 4-22

Inactivity Timer (Minutes) ......................... 4-22

Hot Key..................................................... 4-23

Auto Start on AC Loss............................... 4-24

Power-on COM1 Ring............................... 4-24

Plug and Play Configuration ................................ 4-24

Plug and Play Submenu .................................. 4-24

Boot with PnP OS...................................... 4-25

ISA Shared Memory Size........................... 4-25

ISA Shared Memory Base Address............. 4-26

Event Logging Configuration ............................... 4-27

Security Menu .......................................................... 4-27

Set User Password and Set

Administrative Password................................... 4-29

Unattended Start.................................................. 4-29

Security Hot Key (CTRL-ALT-).......................... 4-30

Exit Menu ................................................................ 4-30

Exit Saving Changes............................................ 4-30

Exit Discarding Changes...................................... 4-31

vi Contents

Load Setup Defaults ............................................ 4-31

Discard Changes.................................................. 4-31

Flash Utility.............................................................. 4-32

SCSISelect Utility..................................................... 4-33

LANDesk Client Manager......................................... 4-33

PC Health Indicator ............................................. 4-34

Managing Workstations .................................. 4-34

PC Health Meter............................................. 4-34

PC Health Description .................................... 4-35

Inventory............................................................. 4-36

Using DMI .......................................................... 4-37

Heceta Capabilities .............................................. 4-37

Video Drivers ........................................................... 4-38

5 Installing Options

Option Installation Procedures .................................. 5-2

Safety Precautions ............................................... 5-2

Cover Removal/Replacement Procedure .................... 5-4

Removing the System Unit Cover......................... 5-4

Replacing the System Unit Cover......................... 5-7

Expansion Boards..................................................... 5-8

Locating Expansion Slots..................................... 5-8

Installing an Expansion Board.............................. 5-10

Removing an Expansion Board ............................ 5-12

SIMM Upgrade ........................................................ 5-13

Checking System Memory.................................... 5-14

Removing a SIMM .............................................. 5-17

Installing a SIMM ............................................... 5-18

Video Upgrade.......................................................... 5-19

Processor Upgrade.................................................... 5-21

Removing the Processor....................................... 5-21

Installing the Processor ........................................ 5-22

Data Storage Devices................................................ 5-23

Locating Device Slots .......................................... 5-24

Preparing the Device............................................ 5-26

Device Cables...................................................... 5-27

Diskette Drive Signal Cable ............................ 5-28

Contents vii

IDE Signal Cables .......................................... 5-29

SCSI Cable..................................................... 5-30

System Power Cables...................................... 5-30

Cabling Storage Devices ...................................... 5-31

Cabling an IDE or SCSI Device...................... 5-32

Cabling a Diskette Drive................................. 5-33

Installing Storage Devices.................................... 5-33

3 1/2-Inch Drive Installation ........................... 5-34

Removing the Side Panel................................. 5-36

Removing the Front Panel ............................... 5-37

Installing the 5 1/4-Inch Device....................... 5-39

Replacing the Front and Side Panels................ 5-41

Adding External Options........................................... 5-43

Connecting a Parallel Printer................................ 5-43

Connecting an RS-232C Device ........................... 5-44

Connecting a SCSI Device ................................... 5-45

6 Setting System Board Jumpers

Changing Processor Jumper Settings ......................... 6-2

BIOS Recovery......................................................... 6-5

Clearing CMOS........................................................ 6-7

Denying Access to CMOS Setup............................... 6-9

Clearing Your Password ........................................... 6-11

7 24-Hour Information Services

NEC’s Fastfacts Service ........................................... 7-2

NEC Bulletin Board Service...................................... 7-4

America Online Service............................................. 7-6

CompuServe Online Service...................................... 7-7

E-Mail/Fax Technical Support Service...................... 7-8

Internet..................................................................... 7-9

NEC Technical Support Services .............................. 7-10

viii Contents

8 if You Have a Problem

Problem Checklist..................................................... 8-2

Solutions to Common Problems................................. 8-3

System Problems ................................................. 8-3

Diskette Drive Problems ...................................... 8-5

Monitor Problems................................................ 8-6

Keyboard/Mouse Problems .................................. 8-7

CD-ROM Problems ............................................. 8-7

Speaker Problems ................................................ 8-8

Microphone Problems .......................................... 8-8

Getting Help ............................................................. 8-9

Getting Help from Your Company........................ 8-9

Getting Help from Your NEC Dealer ................... 8-10

Getting Help from NEC's Technical

Support Center ................................................. 8-10

NEC Warranty/Non-Warranty Repair Service...... 8-11

A Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment

Making Your Computer Work for You...................... A-1

Arrange Your Equipment .......................................... A-3

Adjust Your Chair .................................................... A-4

Adjust Your Input Devices........................................ A-6

Adjust Your Monitor ................................................ A-8

Vary Your Workday ................................................. A-10

Pre-Existing Conditions and Psychosocial Factors..... A-11

Checking Your Comfort: How Do You

Measure Up?......................................................... A-12

Checking Your Chair ........................................... A-12

Checking Your Keyboard..................................... A-12

Checking Your Mouse ......................................... A-12

Checking Your Monitor ....................................... A-12

Checking You...................................................... A-13

Contents ix

B System Specifications

Index

List of Tables

Interrupt Level Assignments...................................... 3-5

Navigation Keys ....................................................... 4-4

Hot Key Parameters.................................................. 4-23

Security Passwords................................................... 4-27

Recommended Memory Upgrade Path....................... 5-16

x Contents

Using This Guide

The PowerMate Pro2200/2180 Series User's Guide provides a quick reference to information about your computer.

The guide contains the following information:



Chapter 1, Introducing Your Computer, provides a look at system components. See this chapter to familiarize yourself with your system.

Chapter 2, Using Your Computer, explains how to start



up and shut down your system, use your system components, and care for your system.



Chapter 3, Understanding System Features, provides a quick overview of the various features of your system.

Chapter 4, NEC Drivers and Utilities, describes the



various software drivers shipped with your system. In addition, the Setup Utility and other utilities are explained in detail.

Chapter 5, Installing Options, provides installation



instructions and in some cases, removal procedures for the options.



Chapter 6, Setting System Board Jumpers, provides information on changing jumper settings when reconfiguring your system.



Chapter 7, 24-Hour Information Services, lists the services available to you for information and help and describes how to access the services.

Using This Guide xi

Chapter 8, If You Have a Problem, contains



troubleshooting tips for solving simple problems and provides information on where you can find help when you cannot solve a problem yourself.

Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment,



contains guidelines to help you use your computer productively and safely. This appendix also instructs you on how to set up and use your computer to reduce your risk of developing nerve, muscle, or tendon disorders.

Appendix B, Specifications, provides a technical



description of your computer and its components.

Prolonged or improper use of a computer workstation may pose a risk of serious injury. To reduce your risk of injury, set up and use your computer in the manner described in Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.

WARNING

TEXT CONVENTIONS

This guide uses the following text conventions.



Warnings, cautions, and notes have the following meanings:

W arnings alert you t o situations that coul d result in serious personal injury or loss of life.

xii Using This Guide

WARNING

Cautions indicate situations that can damage the hardware or software.

NOTE

Notes give important information about the

material being described.



Names of keyboard keys are printed as they appear on the keyboard, for example,



Text or keystrokes that you enter appear in boldface type. For example, type



File names are printed in uppercase letters.

Using Your Computer

Now that you are familiar with your system, this chapter provides the information you need to start using your computer. Some of the information provided includes:

System operation



Productivity



Changing video drivers



System care.

SYSTEM OPERATION

In this section you will find information on starting up and shutting down your system, setting the date and time, using system and protection features.

Starting up

Press the power button to start up your system. The power lamp lights green to indicate that the system is on.

When you are starting Windows NT™ 4.0 press

, you'll see several configuration messages display on

Del

the screen at startup. These messages are part of your system's Power-On Self-

Test (POST). Your computer is checking your hardware for any changes since the last startup. One beep indicates that the system has successfully completed the power-on test.

Using Your Computer 2-1

Ctrl-Alt-

If a problem occurs, a series of beeps may sound. If this happens repeatedly after powering on, power off the system and turn to Chapter 8, If You Have a Problem. This chapter provides some helpful hints on obvious system problems.

Shutting Down

Follow these steps to shut down (power off) your computer.

NOTE

You can bypass the POST memory test by

pressing the space bar.

NOTE

If the system displays a message i ndicating that system sett ings have changed, run Setup (see Chapter 4, NEC Drivers and Utilities).

Save your work. See the documentation that comes with your application.

Exit the application program. If you are in Windows,

select File. Select Logoff or Shutdown. Selecting Shutdown gives you a choice of Shutdown or Shutdown/Restart. Select Shutdown again.

Make sure that the hard disk and diskette drives are not

in use. A lit hard disk lamp or diskette drive busy lamp indicates that a drive is in use.

Turn off power to your monitor.

Power off the system by pressing the system unit power

button.

2-2 Using Your Computer

Wait until a program is finished running before powering off the system.

Unless absolutely necessary, never power off the system when the system power lam p is blinking or when the hard di sk lam p or disket te dri ve busy lam p is lit. Inf ormati on on t he hard disk or diskette m ight be lost or damaged.

Setting Date and Time

To set the system date and time within Windows, select the Control Panel and double click on the Date/Time icon.

Set the time by entering the current hour, minutes and seconds in hh:mm:ss, 24-hour format. For example, set 4:30 pm as

Set the date by entering the current day, month and year in mm/dd/yy format. For example, set May 8, l996 as

05/08/96

16:30:00

CAUTION

NOTE

When setting the time and date, enter any

preceding zeros.

Using Your Computer 2-3

Using System Features

The following sections explain how to use and maintain your mouse, load and unload diskettes and CDs (if you have a CD-ROM drive), and use your system’s audio features.

Using a Mouse

Use the mouse (shown in the following figure) to quickly move around on the screen, to select menu items, and to choose functions specific to your software.

Use the mouse to



Click Clicking selects an object on your screen. To “click,” point to the object and press and release the left mouse button.

2-4 Using Your Computer

Mouse

Double click



Some actions require a double click to execute them. To “double click” an object, point to the object and press and release the left mouse button twice.

Press



Pressing a mouse button holds an action until you release a mouse button.



Drag Dragging your mouse attaches your pointer to an object on the screen and allows you to highlight text or move an object. To drag an object, point to the object, press the left mouse button, and move the mouse to the new location.

Typical screen objects that you click or double click are icons, buttons, and menu options.

NOTE

If your mouse pointer disappears, m ove your mouse in wide circles to bring it back into the screen.

Use a mouse pad for best results with your mouse. The mouse pad provides traction for moving the mouse and results in more sensitivity and control of movement. A textured pad provides more traction than a smooth pad.

Keep the mouse pad clean.

Using Your Computer 2-5

Using Diskettes

Follow these steps to insert a 3 1/2-inch diskette in the standard diskette drive.

must f ormat it bef ore storing inf ormati on on it. See your operating system documentation for information about formatting a diskette.

Do not format your hard disk. Formatting the hard disk will erase all preinstalled applications

Diskette Removal

To remove a diskette from the diskette drive, press the release button on the 3 1/2-inch diskette drive.

Holding the diskette at its top edge, insert it, label side up, into the diskette drive.

Insert the diskette all the way into the drive until you hear a click.

NOTE

If your diskett e di d not come form atted, you

2-6 Using Your Computer

Removing a diskette

Do not remove a diskette from the diskette drive when the diskette drive lamp is lit. To do so can damage both the data on the diskette and the drive.

CAUTION

Do not turn off the system power while the disket te is being accessed.

Do not reset the system (except as a last resort) when the diskette drive is in use.

Using Your Computer 2-7

Handling Compact Discs

To protect your CDs from damage, use the following guidelines when you handle them.

Always pick up the disc by its edges.



Avoid touching the side of the disc that has no printing



or writing on it. This is the data side of the disc.

Handling a CD



Do not write on or apply labels to either side of the disc.



Keep the disc away from direct sunlight or high temperatures.



Clean fingerprints or dust from the disc by wiping it with a soft cloth. Gently, brush the cloth from the center of the disc toward the edge.

2-8 Using Your Computer

Cleaning a CD

Av oid using benzene, pai nt thinner, recor d cleaner, static repellent, or any other chemical on the disc. Chemicals and cleaners can damage the disc.

CAUTION

Loading a CD

To insert a CD into the CD-ROM reader, follow these steps:

Press the open/close button. A CD tray will emerge from the reader door.

Remove the CD from its protective case. Hold the CD by its center hole and outer edges to avoid touching its surface.

Place the CD, printed side up, into the circular area of the tray.

Press the open/close button again. The reader automatically pulls in the tray.

Using Your Computer 2-9

Removing a CD

To remove a CD, simply press the open/close button and remove the CD when the tray slides out. Press the open/close button again to close the reader door.

Using Your Systems Audio Functions

Multimedia systems come with all the audio functions and components you need to produce output close to concert hall performance.

The integrated audio components in multimedia systems provide support for the four major sound standards including Adlib, Sound Blaster™ Pro 2.0, Windows Sound System™, and MPU-401 to provide all the functionality required for your multimedia applications.

Suspend Power

You can manually initiate a Suspend power-saving mode instantly by pressing the suspend button (dependent on operating system support) on the front of your unit. Pressing the suspend button is a convenient way of conserving energy when you are going to be away from your system for a short period of time.

The suspend button i s below the reset button. Tak e care to av oid pressing the reset but ton by accident . Accidently pressing the reset but ton can result i n the loss of data.

2-10 Using Your Computer

CAUTION

Suspend mode provides the greatest power savings by putting the system in a maximum power shutdown. When the system goes into Suspend mode, it saves data and system status and then shuts off power to all possible components. Suspend mode lets you save power without first saving your work.

A blinking power lamp indicates your system is in a powersaving mode. Press a key or move your mouse to resume system operation to where you left off.

Protection Features

Your system’s security features provide protection against unauthorized access to your system and data. This protection includes a user and administrator password.

When you start up your system for the first time, you are asked to enter a system password. The following section explains the password procedure.

Setting a Password

Use the following procedure to set a password.

Turn on or reboot your system. Setup displays the

following message:

Press <F1> to enter SETUP

Press F1. Setup's Main Menu window appears.

Using your arrow keys, select Security from the menu

bar. The Security menu appears. Select “Set Administrator Password.” with the arrow

keys and press

. (Once you enable the

Enter

Administrator Password, the “Set User Password” can be enabled.)

Using Your Computer 2-11

NOTE

requires that a password be entered before ent ering the Setup Utility.

Enabling t he Admini strator Password feat ure

Setup displays a dialog box with the following prompts:

Enter new password: [ ] Confirm new password: [ ]

Type your password (passwords are not case sensitive)

and press

again.

Enter

Use the arrow keys to select Exit.

. Reenter your password and press

Enter

Select Exit Saving Changes. Press

At the prompt, to confirm exiting setup, press

Your password takes affect the next time you power on the system. You must enter a password the next time you power on.

Using a Password

After you set your password in Setup and reboot the system, a password prompt appears each time you power on the system.

To use your password, type the password at the password prompt and press

Enter

2-12 Using Your Computer

NOTE

For security, characters you enter do not appear on your screen. Enter your password carefully.

If you enter the password incorrectly, your system does not boot. You have three chances to enter the correct password. After the third unsuccessful attempt, you must reboot your system and try again.

NOTE

If you f orget your password, you must clear the password by setting a jumper on the system board (see “Clearing Your Password” in Chapter 6. Once you clear the password, you can boot your system and set a new password in Setup.

Dual password security provides two levels of password security. An administrator password allows access to the system’s Setup utility for system configuration. A user password allows system boot-up only after the entry of a password.

Using Your Computer 2-13

PRODUCTIVITY

The following sections explain how to use your system to maximize your productivity effectively.

Saving Your Work

Save your work often! The time you take to periodically save your data file as you work can save you time in the end! Prevent losing a whole day's work or more when the unexpected happens, such as losing power due to a power outage.

Some applications provide automatic save options for specified intervals of time as you work. For example, you might want to save your work every 10 minutes. This reduces the amount of lost information should you lose your power or experience some other problem.

In Windows programs, you can select a save option from the File menu. If you are creating a new file, you'll need to specify a name for your file and a location to store it (drive and directory).

Always save your work before you exit an application. See the application's documentation for available save options.

Backing Up Your Work

Back up your work on a regular basis! Backup procedures are important for the efficient and effective use of your computer. Protect your program and data files with regular backup procedures.

Make backup copies of your program and data files that are on diskette and on the hard disk.

The standard practice for diskette backup is to copy each diskette, store the original in a safe place, and use the copy as your working diskette. See your operating system documentation for information about copying diskettes.

2-14 Using Your Computer

Printing a Document

Before you can print out a document, you must

connect a printer to your computer



set up the printer.



If you have not connected a printer, see “Connecting a Parallel Printer,” in Chapter 5.

If you did not choose a printer when you initially set up your computer, you'll need to do that before you can print (see your Windows documentation). If you are using a nonWindows program, you'll need to set up a printer driver for that program. See your printer documentation for printer setup information.

Once your program is set up to work with your printer, printing a file within a Windows application is easy:

Turn on your printer power.

Be sure you have paper in your printer. See your printer

documentation to load paper. Check that the printer is “online” or “selected.” See your

printer documentation for information about choosing the online mode.

Select Print from the File menu of your Windows

application. A Print dialog box appears. Select how many print copies you want and the range of

pages. To print one copy of all the pages, simply click OK.

Using Your Computer 2-15

CHANGING VIDEO DRIVERS

The following procedure provides instructions on how to change your video drivers.

From the Main program window, double click the MGA

Control Panel/Display icon. Click on List All Modes. You get a list of all the modes

available for your video board. To modify colors or your desktop, select Color Palette

and Desktop Area to change your selections.

.For the best display, be sure you select the monitor type. The driver is set at 60 Hz refresh rate. If your monitor is capable of higher refresh rates, select the Control Panel/MGA Monitor icon to change the setting to your monitor type or to an equivalent monitor.

NOTE

If your monitor is flickering or you change your moni tor, check that the Moni t or ty pe param eter is set correctly for your monitor.

SYSTEM CARE

Your system is a durable, dependable computer built for lots of use. With protective measures and proper care, you can prevent problems and promote the successful operation and long life span of your computer.

2-16 Using Your Computer

Protecting Your System from Damage

There are several ways that you can protect your system from possible damage. NEC strongly recommends the following protective measures:

Connect a surge suppressor between your computer and



a grounded wall outlet. A surge suppressor protects your system from sudden transient increases and decreases in electrical power.

Be sure to connect all peripherals, such as your monitor and printer, to the surge protector. The surge protector should be the only device that you plug into the wall outlet.

Avoid repeated power-on cycles as this subjects the



system components to temperature variations and stress.



Disconnect your system from telephone and power lines when an electrical storm threatens. If you have a fax/modem, lightning can travel in on the phone line and damage both the fax/modem and the system unit. Lightening can also travel in on power lines and damage your monitor and system unit.



Be sure that system power is off before you connect or disconnect a cable. Never make cable changes when the system power is on. To do so could damage your system and its peripherals.



Use Setup options to protect against viruses (see “Security Menu” in Chapter 4). Use appropriate virus detection software regularly to protect your system from computer viruses.

If you plan to use software programs other than NEC supplied software, NEC strongly recommends that you take the necessary steps, such as virus checks, to protect your system.

Using Your Computer 2-17

Place your computer away from direct sunlight and



extreme hot and cold temperatures. The recommended operating environment is from 50°F

to 95°F (10°C to 35°C). The recommended non-operating environment (shipping

or storage) is from 14°F to 158°F (10°C to 70°C). After turning off power, wait about five seconds for the



hard disk to spin down before you power on again.



Be sure that nothing is placed on top of your system power cables.

Prevent dust from entering your system by covering it



when it is not in use.

Keeping Your System in Good Condition

Maintain the condition of your system by periodically following the general procedures listed next.

For safety, power off and unplug your system, monitor, and any external options before cleaning them.

2-18 Using Your Computer

WARNING

Clean the outside of the computer with a soft clean cloth.



You can remove stubborn stains with a cloth slightly dampened with a mild detergent. Never use a strong cleaner or solvent on any part of the system.

Keep food and liquids away from your computer.



Periodically clean the keyboard with a vacuum cleaner



brush attachment. Do not use any liquid cleaners on the keyboard as they can damage the keyboard.

If an object, such as a paper clip, falls into the keyboard, turn the keyboard over and gently shake it.



Clean the monitor screen with a glass cleaner and wipe it with a clean, lint-free cloth. Or use wet/dry cleaning pads manufactured for monitor screens.

Cleaning Your Mouse

.Under normal conditions, your mouse has a self-cleaning mechanism that prevents a buildup of dust or lint around the mouse ball and tracking mechanism. Periodically, however, you might need to wipe the mouse ball clean.

Using Your Computer 2-19

Use these steps to clean your mouse:

Power off your computer and any peripherals attached

to it. Invert the mouse. Locate the mouse ball cover.

Mouse ball cover

Rotate the ball cover clockwise and remove the cover.

Turn the mouse over so that the cover and ball fall into

your palm. Gently push the ball out of the large opening in the side

of the ball cover. Clean the mouse as follows.



2-20 Using Your Computer

Use tap water, or tap water and a mild detergent to clean the mouse ball.

Use a clean, lint-free cloth to dry the ball. Blow into the mouse socket to remove remaining dust

or lint.

Gently put the ball back into the mouse ball cover.

Fit the ball cover back into the mouse and turn the cover

counterclockwise until it locks in place.

Moving or Shipping Your System

Use these steps to prepare your system for moving or shipping:.

Back up your hard disk files onto diskettes or tape

cartridges. Be sure to take precautions for storing and transporting

diskettes or cartridges so that they are not exposed to magnetic fields or electrical impulses.

Remove any diskette from the diskette drive. If you have

a CD in the CD-ROM reader, remove the CD. Turn off the system unit and any external options

connected to it. Unplug the system unit power cable from the wall outlet

or surge suppressor, then from the unit. Unplug any external options from the wall outlets or

surge suppressor, then disconnect them from the system unit.

Pack the system components in the original shipping

materials and cartons. If these are not available, be sure to use adequate packing materials to protect the components.

To set up your system, follow the steps on the PowerMate Pro2200/2180 Quick Setup Sheet that comes with your computer.

Using Your Computer 2-21

Battery Replacement

All system boards use a battery to maintain system configuration. Some system boards use a 3-volt lithium battery. If your system uses this type of battery (see the following figure) and it fails to maintain system configuration information, replace it with an identically rated battery from the same manufacturer.

Removing the battery from the system board causes the computer to lose system configuration information. If you can, run the Setup Utility and print out or write down your system configuration settings. Then you can restore your system to its current settings.

CAUTION

The batt ery can explode i f it is incorrect ly replac ed or impr operly discarded. Use only the same batt ery or an equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer when replacing the battery.

Lithium acts as a catalyst when exposed to water and causes spontaneous combustion on contact. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

2-22 Using Your Computer

WARNING

If you need to replace the battery, follow these steps:

Turn off and unplug the computer and any external

components connected to it. Remove the system unit cover. Observe all safety

precautions when removing the cover. Locate the battery socket on the system board. You may

have to remove any expansion boards in the way.

NOTE

This procedure i s for system boards using the

3-volt lithium battery shown in the following figure.

Locating the battery socket on the system board

Using Your Computer 2-23

Carefully lift the battery clip until there is enough space

to slide the battery out of the socket.

To maintain a tight battery contact with the socket, do not over-bend the battery clip.

CAUTION

Removing the battery

Remove the battery and discard in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Carefully lift the clip on the battery socket.

With the positive (+) side facing up, slide the new battery into the socket.

Replace any removed expansion boards.

2-24 Using Your Computer

Replace the system unit cover.

Connect external peripherals and power cables

10.

Run the Setup Utility to reconfigure your system parameters.

Using Your Computer 2-25

Understanding System

Features

The PowerMate Pro2200 is a 200-MHz Pentium Pro-based system. The PowerMate Pro2180 is a 180 MHz Pentium Pro-based system. The Pro2200 system comes standard with an Intel Pentium Pro™ 200 MHz processor and the Pro2180 comes standard with an Intel Pentium Pro 180 MHz processor. Both systems come with a 3 1/2-inch diskette drive, 2.1 GB IDE (2.0 GB SCSI configuration) hard disk, 16-megabyte (MB) random access memory (RAM), and a 2 MB Matrox video board.

Multimedia configurations come with the above features and an eight-speed CD-ROM reader, 20 watt (W) external speakers and microphone. The SCSI multimedia configuration comes with 32 MB of RAM memory, a 2.0 GB SCSI hard disk, an Adaptec SCSI controller board, and a 4 MB Matrox video board.

All of the systems ship with the following software.



Microsoft® Windows NT™ 4.0 and Healthy Environment Help file installed



Matrox Windows NT 4.0 video drivers installed



Crystal audio drivers/business audio mixer and input installed (multimedia configurations only)

Understanding System Features 3-1

Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows NT



installed McAfee VirusScan for Windows NT (1 diskette)



LanDesk Client Manager installed



Microsoft Windows NT Bus Master IDE driver installed



NEC 8X CD-ROM drivers installed (multimedia configurations only)

Adaptec 7800 Manager Set drivers installed (SCSI



configuration only)

You can order Puma TranXit for Windows NT from a coupon (if diskettes are not included with your system).

SYSTEM CHASSIS

The chassis provides an enclosure for the system board, power supply, seven PCI/ISA expansion slots and six storage device slots. The expansion slots include three 8/16-bit ISA slots, one shared PCI/ISA slot, and three 32-bit PCI slot.

The six storage device slots accommodate up to four accessible devices and two internal hard disk drive devices. The accessible devices include the standard one-inch high 3 1/2-inch 1.44-MB diskette drive and up to three 1.6-inch high 5 1/4-inch storage devices. The internal device slots support up to two 1-inch high 3 1/2-inch hard disks.

The following figure shows the front panel features and the locations of the accessible storage devices in a system.

3-2 Understanding System Features

SYSTEM BOARD COMPONENTS

Your PowerMate Pro2200/2180 system board has the following components.

System chassis features

Processor

Processing for your system is provided by the 200-MHz Intel® Pentium™ Pro or 180-MHz Intel Pentium Pro central processing unit (CPU). The Pentium Pro integrates the 256 KB secondary cache and cache controller to free up space on the system board and further improve system performance. In addition, the integrated math coprocessor significantly increases the speed of floating point operations. The system comes equipped with the latest 387pin zero-insertion-force (ZIF) socket for easy processor upgrades with future Pentium Pro OverDrive™ processors.

Understanding System Features 3-3

System Memory

The system comes with 16 MB (32 MB SCSI configuration) of system memory. Four sockets on the system board support up to 256 MB of high-speed memory using industry-standard tin-plated single in-line memory modules (SIMM).

fast page mode (FPM) SIMMs into the SIMM sockets.

To optimize the 64-bit memory path, install memory in matching pairs. The system supports the following 72-pin SIMM sticks:



NOTE

You may install AVL approv ed, 60- ns, pari ty,

1-MB by 32- or 36-bit SIMM (4-MB stick) 2-MB by 32- or 36-bit SIMM (8-MB stick)



4-MB by 32- or 36-bit SIMM (16-MB stick) 8-MB by 32- or 36-bit SIMM (32-MB stick)



16-MB by 32- or 36-bit SIMM (64-MB stick)

Interrupt Controller

The interrupt controller operates as an interrupt manager for the entire system environment. The controller accepts requests from peripherals, issues interrupt requests to the processor, resolves interrupt priorities, and provides vectors for the processor to determine which interrupt routine to execute. The interrupt controller has priority assignment modes that can be reconfigured at any time during system operations.

3-4 Understanding System Features

The interrupt levels are described in the following table. Interrupt-level assignments 0 through 15 are in order of decreasing priority. See Chapter 4, NEC Drivers and Utilities, for information on changing the interrupts using Setup.

Interrupt Level Assignments

Interrupt Priority Interrupt Device

NMI I/O channel check IRQ00 Reserved, Interval Timer IRQ01 Reserved, Keyboard buffer full IRQ02 Reserved, Cascade interrupt from slave IRQ03 Serial Port 2 IRQ04 Serial Port 1 IRQ05 User (audio on multimedia configurations) IRQ06 Diskette Drive Controller IRQ07 Parallel Port 1 IRQ08 Real-time clock IRQ09 User (audio on multimedia

configurations) IRQ10* User (SCSI board for SCSI configurations) IRQ11* Video Board IRQ12 On-board mouse port (available if no PS/2

mouse) IRQ13 Reserved, Math Coprocessor IRQ14 Primary IDE IRQ15 Secondary IDE if present, or else user available

*These slots are selected and used by the installed expansion boards.

Understanding System Features 3-5

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-based 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.

The PCI bus contains two embedded PCI devices, the PCI local bus IDE interface and the PCI video/graphics controller.

Flash ROM

NEC’s Flash ROM allows fast, economical BIOS upgrades. NEC Flash ROMs are reprogrammable system and video EPROMs.

With NEC’s Flash ROM, a ROM BIOS change:



is fast and easily done using a Flash utility



eliminates the expensive replacement of ROM BIOS chips, and reduces system maintenance costs



reduces inadvertent system board damage that can take place when replacing ROMs



facilitates adopting new technology while maintaining corporate standards



gives network administrators company-wide control of BIOS revisions.

Information on how to use the Flash utility is provided in Chapter 4, NEC Drivers and Utilities.

3-6 Understanding System Features

Graphics Features

The system features a PCI local bus motion video playback controller and graphics accelerator.

Motion Video Controller

The motion video controller is supported on 16 and 32 MB multimedia configurations. The video controller integrates a Windows graphical user interface (GUI) engine and motion video playback hardware.

MPEG is a compression/decompression standard developed by a professional video group called the Motion Picture Experts Group. MPEG produces full-screen, 30-framesper-second (fps), broadcast-quality digital video. This basically means viewing movies on your computer. Support includes:



MPEG-1 Video for Windows.



Graphics Accelerator

The graphics accelerator is specifically designed for graphics-intensive operations, text and color pixel amplification, and scrolling. The graphics accelerator provides 64-bit, ultra-high performance for demanding True Color, High Color, and pseudocolor GUI and computeraided design (CAD) applications.

The accelerator minimizes bus traffic by off-loading the tasks normally performed by the processor. The dedicated bit-block transfer (BitBLT) engine maximizes performance by speeding the movement of large blocks of image data in video memory.

Understanding System Features 3-7

Video Support

Your system comes in two configurations of standard video. The nonmultimedia and multimedia configurations have a 2 MB board installed that is upgradeable to 4 MB with the 2 MB upgrade module. The SCSI multimedia configuration has a 4 MB board installed that is upgradeable to 8 MB with the 4 MB upgrade module. The video hardware system supports the following resolutions, colors, and refresh rates:

1600 by 1200 pixels, 256 colors, 60-78 Hz



1280 by 1024 pixels, 256 colors, 60-110 Hz



1024 by 768 pixels, 256/65K colors, 60-120 Hz



640 by 480 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-200 Hz.

With 4 MB of video WRAM, the system supports the following additional resolutions, colors, and refresh rates:

1600 by 1200 pixels, 256/65K colors, 60-78 Hz



1280 by 1024 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-110 Hz

1024 by 768 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-120 Hz.



640 by 480 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-200 Hz.

For 8 MB of video WRAM, the system supports the following resolutions, colors and refresh rates.



1600 by 1200 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-78 Hz 1280 by 1024 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-110



1024 by 768 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-120 Hz. 640 by 480 pixels, 256/65K/16.7M colors, 60-200 Hz.



3-8 Understanding System Features

Feature Connector

In addition to the standard VGA connector, the system provides a VESA-compliant feature connector on the video board.

High-Speed Communication Ports

Your system features an enhanced parallel port and buffered high-speed serial port.

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 bidirectional transfer over a parallel port and increase parallel port functionality by supporting more devices.

The buffered high-speed serial port 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.

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

Dual IDE Ports

The system board in your system provides two internal IDE ports:



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

a primary IDE port a secondary IDE port.

Understanding System Features 3-9

USB Port

SCSI Port

Both the primary and secondary IDE ports feature an enhanced IDE interface which supports up to 10 MB per second 32-bit wide data transfers on the high-performance PCI local bus.

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) port allows you to add new serial devices without opening up the system, simply plug them into the port. The USB determines system resources for each peripheral and assigns them without user intervention. Up to 127 devices can be daisy chained to a single PC. .

The small computer system interface (SCSI) board installed in SCSI configurations provide the highest performance SCSI I/O technology to the fast PCI local-bus. The SCSI port connects the hard disk in SCSI configurations and is compatible with all SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 peripherals. The BIOS-resident SCSISelect configuration utility eliminates the need to set jumpers or terminators when adding peripherals. Settings are controlled through the keyboard. See Chapter 4, NEC Drivers and Utilities, for information on using SCSISelect.

ZIF Socket

Your computer comes with the latest 387-pin ZIF socket for upgradeability all the way to the next generation of Pentium Pro OverDrive™ processors.

Sound System

The sound system in multimedia models provides compatibility with Sound Blaster Pro™, Sound Blaster™

2.0, Ad Lib™, MPU-401, and Microsoft® Windows Sound System™ for PC sound applications.

3-10 Understanding System Features

For detailed sound specifications, see the “System Specifications” later in this chapter.

Plug and Play Support

Your computer comes with a Plug and Play BIOS which supports Plug and Play technology. Plug and Play eliminates complicated setup procedures for installing Plug and Play expansion boards.

With Plug and Play technology, you add a Plug and Play expansion board simply by powering off the system, installing the board, and powering on the system. There are no jumpers to set and no system resource conflicts to resolve. Plug and Play automatically configures the board for your system.

Your system also supports non-Plug and Play boards.

Power Saving Feature

A suspend button lets you quickly put the system into a full power reduction mode of operation. This is a convenient way to save power when you need to be away from your computer for a short period of time. Press a key or move the mouse and your system quickly returns to full power and to where you left off.

Understanding System Features 3-11

NEC Drivers and

THE SETUP UTILITY

Utilities

This chapter provides information on the NEC utilities and drivers that ship with your system. The following topics are covered in this chapter.

Setup Utility



Flash Utility SCSISelect Utility



Video Drivers

The Setup utility program allows you to enter system configuration information and control special features of the system.

NOTE

correct system parameters for your configuration. Unless you add optional har dware, you do not need to run Setup to oper ate your system . However , you might wish to run the Setup utility to set features that customize your system, such as security features.

Your system ships from the factory with the

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-1

System configuration information is stored in nonvolatile memory. A nonvolatile memory device retains its data when system power is turned off. Nonvolatile memory in your system 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 (see “Battery Replacement” in Chapter 2).

NOTE

down your current Setup parameters and store the information in a safe place. This lets you restore your system to the current parameters if you ever need to replace the battery.

When to Use Setup

The Setup utility lets you view and set system parameters. Use the Setup utility program:

NEC recommends that you print out or write



to set the time and date.



to update or check system parameters when you add or remove expansion options.



to change or set power management features.



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

4-2 NEC Drivers and Utilities

to check the installation of optional memory by



comparing the amount of memory installed with the amount of memory displayed by Setup.



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

to configure system connections for peripherals such as



your diskette drive, hard disks, and devices connected to the printer port and serial ports.

to customize your system with security features such as



passwords, diskette drive restriction, virus check reminder and system backup reminder.



to set system parameters in the event that you need to replace the complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) battery.

How to Start Setup

To start the Setup utility, follow these steps:

Turn on or reboot the system.

Press

after POST, but before the system boots up, to

start the memory test. There are about five seconds to press

before system

boot continues. Setup’s Main Menu appears and looks similar to the

following screen.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-3

Main Advanced Security Exit

System Date June 26 1996 F1 Help System Time 08:12:20 ESC Exit Enter Select Floppy Options Press Enter

Primary IDE Master ST32140A Primary IDE Slave Not Installed Secondary IDE Master NEC Secondary IDE Slave None

Language English (US) F5 Setup Defaults Boot Options Press Enter F6 Previous Defaults F10 Save & Exit Video Mode EGA/VGA Mouse Installed

Base Memory 640 Extended Memory 15360 BIOS Version XX.XX

Previous Item

↑

Next Item

↓

Select Menu

←→

How to Use Setup

Use the keys shown on the right of the Setup menu to make your selections or exit the current menu. The following table describes the navigation keys and their alternates.

Main Menu

Key

F1 Provides help for the parameter field

Esc Exits the menu. Enter Executes Command or Selects

↓ or ↑ arrow keys

4-4 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Navigation Keys

Function

being displayed.

submenu. Moves cursor up and down.

Navigation Keys

Key Function

MAIN MENU

← or → arrow keys

F5 Loads the Default Configuration values

F6 Selects the Previous Value for the field. F10 Loads the Previous Configuration

Selects next menu.

for this menu.

values for this menu.

To display a submenu, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the submenu you want. Then press

Enter

The following is a list of available options when you select the Main Menu in the legend bar. Other Main Menu options are available by selecting submenus.

NOTE

See How to Start Set up for a l ook at a typic al

Main menu screen.

Use the arrow keys to select one of the following Main Menu options and press

to select a submenu. Items

Enter

with grayed-out text are not available. Explanations of each menu item follow.



System Date/Time



Diskette Drive IDE Devices



Language

 

Boot Options

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-5

Video Mode

 

Mouse Base Memory



Extended Memory



BIOS Version



System Date/Time

Use this menu to set the current time and date. The settings remain in memory even after you turn off the system power.

To set the date, highlight “date” and press current day, month, and year in dd/mm/yyyy format.

To set the time, highlight “time” and press current hour, minute, and seconds in hh:mm:ss, 24-hour format. For example, type

Diskette Drive

This menu selects the type of diskette drive in your system. Unless you are changing your hardware, you do not need to change the diskette drive (floppy) A or B settings.

If you add an optional 5 1/4-inch diskette drive to your system, select “Floppy B” and change the parameter to “1.2 MB, 5.25 inch.”

IDE Devices

The standard hard disk drive (drive C:) shipped with the system is configured as “Primary IDE Master.” This field reports the presence of, and identification string reported by, up to four physical IDE drives (two on each PCI/IDE connector). When the cursor is placed on one of these fields and selected by pressing the Submenu appears allowing the drive parameters to be set.

13:30:00

Enter

. Type the

Enter

. Type the

Enter

for 1:30 P.M.

key, the IDE Device

4-6 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Jumper settings on the IDE device must be set to the master or slave device (see the documentation that comes with the device).

IDE Device Configuration Submenu

The Hard Disk Submenu lets you check or change the following hard disk drive parameters.

IDE Device Configuration



 Number of Cylinders  Number of Heads  Number of Sectors  Maximum Capacity

IDE Translation Mode



Multiple Sector Setting

 

Fast Programmed I/O Modes

IDE Device Configuration

The system is shipped with default as “Auto Configured” selected in this submenu. The system then automatically detects the hard disk type and sets the remaining parameters.

If your IDE hard disk does not feature auto IDE type detection or your IDE hard disk was formatted on another system with parameters different than those reported by the drive, you need to select “User Definable,” and set the “Number of Cylinders,” “Number of Heads,” “Number of Sectors,” and Maximum Capacity.”

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-7

IDE Translation Mode

The IDE Translation Mode parameter controls the way in which the BIOS interacts with the drive in terms of drive geometry. Proper choice is dependent upon the drive’s size, capabilities, and the operating system (OS) used. The following choices are available.

Standard CHS − is the translation mode that has been in



use for years. Its use limits IDE capacity to a maximum of 528 MB regardless of the size of the drive used.

Logical Block − mode overcomes the 528 MB maximum



size limitations imposed by the Standard CHS mode. It should be used only when the drive supports logical block addressing (LBA), and the OS supports LBA, or uses the BIOS to access the disk.



Extended CHS − mode also overcomes the 528 MB maximum size limitations imposed by the Standard CHS mode. It can be used with drives which are larger than 528 MB, but does not support the LBA mode.



Auto Detected (default) − allows the BIOS to examine the drive and determine the optimal mode. the first choice is to utilize Logical Block mode if it is supported by the drive. The second choice is to utilize Extended CHS mode in the drive topology allows. If neither of the above two methods are possible, then Standard CHS mode is used.

4-8 NEC Drivers and Utilities

When set to Auto Detected the BIOS will detect what the drive is capable of, not the translation mechanism which was used to format the drive.

If a drive i s run i n a mode other than the mode i n which it was partitioned and formatted, unpredictable results may occur, including data loss.

Different OS have different abilities regarding IDE translation modes:

UNIX − does not currently support either LBA or ECHS



and must utilize the Standard CHS method. UNIX can support drives larger than 528 MB, but does so in its own way.

OS/2 2.1 and OS/2 WARP − can support LBA, ECHS,



or Standard CHS methods. Note that LBA support may require a switch setting on an OS/2 driver in order to operate in the mode.

CAUTION

OS/2 2.0 and Novel Netware − can support either,



ECHS or Standard CHS methods, but not LBA.



DOS and Windows − can support LBA, ECHS, or Standard CHS methods. If the “Fast 32-bit IDE” option of Windows is utilized, make sure to use the Standard CHS setting only, unless a version of WDCDRV.386 is being used which supports this advanced geometry.

You will get better performance not using “Fast 32-bit IDE” if using a drive which employs Mode 3 PIO or greater on the PCI interface, unless using a version of WDCDRV.386 which supports these advanced modes.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-9

Language

The installed language will appear in the Setup and BIOS text strings. English (US) is the default in the U. S. and Canada.

Boot Options

When the cursor is placed in the Boot Option field, you can select it by pressing appears allowing parameters which affect the boot process to be set.

Boot Options Submenu

The Boot Options Submenu lets you check or change the following bootup parameters.



Boot Sequence



System Cache



Boot Speed



Num Lock



Speaker



Setup Prompt Hard Disk Pre-Delay

 

Typematic Rate Programming

. The Boot Options Submenu

Enter

Boot Sequence

The BIOS attempts to load the operating system in the sequence listed here. The defaults are as follows.



First boot device − floppy disk



Second boot device − hard drive



Third boot device − CD-ROM drive Fourth boot device − disabled



4-10 NEC Drivers and Utilities

System Cache

Boot Speed

The default for the System Cache field is “Enabled.” This field controls both the primary and secondary caches. Setting the system cache to “Disabled” will hurt performance, but might be required when running software which utilizes software timing loops and needs to be slowed down to execute properly.

Boot speed refers to the system CPU cycles. The default boot speed is “Turbo.” “De-turbo” mode slows the CPU by disabling the system cache and adding increased refresh cycles.

NOTE

“De-turbo” does not reduce the CPU speed to 8 MHz. If “De-turbo” is selected it will automatically “Disable” the System Cache.

Num Lock

Speaker

The Num Lock field turns controls whether the NumLock key on the keyboard will be “On” or “Off” at bootup. The default is “Off.”

The Speaker field allows you to turn the onboard speaker (for multimedia systems) on or off. The options are “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default for the Speaker field is “Enabled.”

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-11

Setup Prompt

The Setup Prompt field allows you to disable the “Press <F1> Key To Enter Setup” message displayed during POST. It does not control access, just the message. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Enabled.”

Hard Disk Pre-Delay

The Hard Disk Pre-Delay field causes the BIOS to wait a specified time before accessing the first hard disk drive. Setting a pre-delay provides the system with some time to identify any additional drives before the standard hard drive initializes. The default is “Disabled.” The delay times are as follows.

3 seconds

 

6 seconds



9 seconds



12 seconds



15 seconds 21 seconds

 

30 seconds



Disabled (default)

Typematic Rate Programming

The parameter controls whether the default of user configuration values are used for Typematic Rate Delay and Typematic Rate.

Default − sets the Typematic Delay to 500 msec and



Typematic Rate to 15.



Override − provides the following two options. These options allow you to customize the values.

4-12 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Typematic Rate Delay The Typematic Rate Delay field controls how long it takes

for the keyboard auto-repeat function to start when a keyboard key is held down. The delay times are as follows.

250 msec (default)



500 msec



750 msec 1000 msec



Typematic Rate

The Typematic Rate Delay field controls the speed characters repeat when you hold down a keyboard key. The higher the number the faster the repeat. The delay times are as follows:



6 char/sec (default)



8 char/sec

Video Mode



10 char/sec 12 char/sec



15 char/sec



20 char/sec



24 char/sec



30 char/sec.

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. The system has a video controller, the default is “EGA/VGA.”

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-13

Mouse

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. The system supports a PS/2 mouse. If the mouse is not installed the field will not be displayed. The default is “Installed.”

Base Memory

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. The system uses 640 KB of base memory.

Extended Memory

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. Displays the amount of system memory above 1 MB.

BIOS Version

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. Reports the BIOS identification string.

ADVANCED MENU

Selecting “Advanced” from the menu bar on the Main Menu displays a menu with the following options. Use the arrow keys to select an item from the Advanced menu and press

Enter

. Explanations of each topic follow.



Processor Type



Processor Speed Cache Size

 

Peripheral Configuration



Advanced Chipset Configuration



Power Management Configuration



Plug and Play Configuration Event Logging Configuration



4-14 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Setting items in this menu to incorrect values can cause your system to malfunction.

Processor Type

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. The processor is Pentium Pro processor that is backward compatible with 8086, 80286, I386, and Intel 486 processors.

Processor Speed

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. The 2200 processor operates at an internal speed of 200 MHz and an external speed of 66 MHz. The 2180 processor operates at an internal speed of 180 MHz and an external speed of 66 MHz.

CAUTION

Cache Size

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only.

Peripheral Configuration

When the cursor is placed in the Peripheral Configuration field, you can select it by pressing Submenu appears for setting parameters which affect the IDE devices, diskette drive, serial ports, and parallel port.

Peripheral Submenu

The Peripheral Submenu lets you check or change the following peripheral parameters.

Enter

. The Peripheral

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-15

Peripheral Configuration Mode

The Peripheral Configuration Mode fields control whether the onboard resources are manually or automatically set up. The options are as follows.

Auto (default) − automatically configures the IDE



devices, diskette drive, serial ports, and parallel port during power up.

Manual − provides the following options. This selection



allows you to customize the peripheral ports.

IDE Interface (Primary and Secondary)

The Primary and Secondary IDE Interface fields enable the IDE interface connectors on the system board. These fields can be either “Auto” detected or “Disabled.” The default is “Auto.”

Floppy Interface

The Floppy Interface field enables the diskette drive interface connector on the system board. This field can be either “Auto” detected or “Disabled.” The default is “Auto.”

USB Interface

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface field enables or disables the USB interface ports on the system board. The options are “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Enabled.”

Serial Port (1 and 2) Address

The serial ports 1 and 2 may be “Auto” detected or “Disabled.” The default is “Auto.” When “Auto” is selected, the first free COM port is assigned.

The serial COM port and addresses are as follows. When an option is selected for one serial port, the selection is not available for the second port.

4-16 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Disabled

 

COM1, 3F8h, IRQ4 COM2, 2F8h, IRQ3



COM3, 3E8h, IRQ4



Auto (default)



Serial Port 2 IR Mode

The Serial Port 2 IR Mode field allows you to dedicate Serial Port 2 for Infra-red applications. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Disabled.”

Parallel Port Address

The parallel ports may be “Auto” detected or “Disabled.” The default is “Auto.” When “Auto” is selected, the first free LPT port is assigned. The parallel port address options are as follows.



Disabled



LPT3, 3BCh, IRQ7



LPT1, 378h, IRQ7 LPT2, 278h, IRQ7

 

Auto

Parallel Port Mode

The Parallel Port Mode field options are as follows.



Compatible (default) − sets the parallel port to the standard AT compatibility.

Bi-directional − sets the parallel port to input/output mode only.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-17

ECP − sets the parallel port to the Enhanced Capabilities



Port (ECP) mode.



EPP − sets the parallel port to the Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) mode.

Advanced Chipset Configuration

The Advanced Chipset Configuration allows parameters that affect system performance to be changed. Place the cursor in the Advanced Menu field and select the Advanced Chipset Configuration by pressing Chipset Configuration appears.

Advanced Chipset Configuration Submenu

The Advanced Chipset Configuration Submenu lets you check or change the following chipset parameters.



Base Memory Size



ISA LFB Size



ISA LFB Base Address Video Palette Snoop

 

Latency Timer (PCI Clocks)



Memory Error Detection



Onboard Audio



Banks 0 and 1 SIMM Detected

. The Advanced

Enter

Base Memory Size

The Base Memory Size field controls the mapping of addresses between “512 KB” and “640 KB.” The two choices are described as follows.



512 KB − directs address mapping between 512 KB and 640 KB to the ISA bus.

4-18 NEC Drivers and Utilities

640 KB (default) − directs address mapping between



512 KB and 640 KB to the system DRAM. Unless using an ISA expansion board that requires access to this address range, this field should not be changed.

ISA LFB Size

The ISA Video Linear Frame Buffer (LFB) Size provides a mechanism for creating a hole in the system memory map. Address accesses made to this hole will be directed to the ISA bus instead of main memory.

This “Disabled” setting should not be changed unless you are using an ISA board which has memory greater than 64K, needs to be accessed by the CPU, and you are not using the Plug and Play run-time utilities. The following choices are available.



Disabled (default)



1 MB

ISA LFB Base Address

This field cannot be entered, it is an information field only. If the ISA LFB field is “Disabled” this field does not appear.

The ISA Video LFB Base Address field displays “15 MB” (the starting address of the ISA memory hole) if “1 MB” is chosen as the ISA LFB Size parameter.

Video Palette Snoop

The Video Palette Snoop field enables card “snoop” (also called RAMDAC shadowing) write cycles to the ISA video card’s palette registers. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled,” the default is “Disabled.”

This should only be set to “Enabled” if all of the following conditions occur.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-19

An ISA card connects to a PCI Graphics card via the



VESA compatible feature connector. The ISA card connects to a color monitor.



The card uses the RAMDAC on the PCI card.



The palette snooping feature is broken on the PCI card.



Latency Timer (PCI Clock)

The Latency Timer (PCI CLOCK) field controls the length of time an agent on the PCI bus can hold the bus when another agent has requested the bus. Value choices range between 0 and 256, the default value is 66.

In general this should not be changed. If there are latency sensitive cards in the system (such as audio cards and/or network cards with small buffers) this can be set to a lower value to reduce latency.

If there are no latency sensitive cards in the system, but I/O intensive applications are being run, this can be increased to slightly improved performance.

Memory Error Detection

Memory Error Detection s

or correction. This field will appear when either ECC or Parity SIMMs are detected. Parity and ECC (36-bit) SIMMs may be configured to run as either one. The default is “Disabled.” The following choices are available.



Disabled (default)



Parity



ECC

4-20 NEC Drivers and Utilities

ets the type of error detection

Onboard Audio

Disable the onboard audio (if present) on the system board. The default is “Enabled” on multimedia systems.

Banks 0 and 1 SIMM Detected

These fields cannot be entered, it is an information field only. These fields display either “Fast Page Mode,” “EDO Mode,” or “None installed” depending upon what the BIOS detects.

Power Management Configuration

When the cursor is placed in the Power Management Configuration field, you can select it by pressing The Power Management Submenu appears for setting parameters which affect the power saving features.

Power Management Submenu

The Power Management Submenu lets you check or change the Advanced Power Management parameter. Selecting the Advanced Power Management field enables or disables power management support in BIOS.

Enter

Power management reduces the amount of energy used after specified periods of inactivity. The Advanced Power Management menu offers you the choice of operating the system in a full on state or standby state with partial power reduction when idle.

NOTE

This fi eld must be enabl ed to be Energy Star Compliant.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-21

Enabled (default) − allows the BIOS to work with the



OS and reduce power consumption when idle. This selection allows you to customize the following power management fields.



Disabled − keeps the computer in a full on state and eliminates the following power management options.

IDE Drive Power Down

The IDE Drive Power Down field controls whether or not a spin down command will be issued to the IDE drives when the system goes into low power mode. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Enabled.”

VESA Video Power Down

The VESA Video Power Down field controls the VESA power management command issued to the graphics card when the system goes into low power mode. Settings are dependent upon the VESA mode(s) supported by your graphic card. The following choices are available.

 Disabled  Standby  Suspend  Sleep (default)

Inactivity Timer (Minutes)

The Inactivity Timer (Minutes) field controls the number of minutes that the system will detect no user activity before going into low power mode. Minutes range between 0 and 255; the default value is 10 minutes.

4-22 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Hot Key

The Hot Key field is used to define a key which, when entered, will cause the BIOS to put the OS into power management mode. Use this field to choose an alphabetic character. Press

CTRL

–

ALT

– user

defined alphabetic character when not in Setup to use

the feature. Typically, there is some delay before the system enters power management mode and the speaker issues two tones.

If there is a User Password in effect the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock lamps on the keyboard flash in sequence, indicating that the system is in Secure Mode. (See Set User Password field in the Security Menu.)

In this case, the password has to be entered before you regain control of the system. This password is not echoed to the screen. The following table describes how the Powerdown Hot Key interacts with the Security Hot Key.

Hot Key Parameters

HOT KEY FUNCTION Powerdown Hot Key

Enabled Only

Security Hot Key Enabled Only

Both Hot Keys Enabled

System powers down. Powers up when any key/mouse activity is detected.

System secure immediately. Keyboard lamps blink. Input accepted when password typed.

System secure immediately. System powers down. Keyboard lamps blink. Input accepted when password typed. Powers up when any key/mouse activity is detected.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-23

Auto Start on AC Loss

This field allows you to return to the last known state of the computer in the event of a power loss. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Enabled.”

Power-On COM1 Ring

If a telephony device is installed, this field enables the system to power on upon an incoming call. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Disabled.”

Plug and Play Configuration

When the cursor is placed in the Peripheral Configuration field, you can select it by pressing Play Submenu appears for setting PCI/ISA Plug and Play expansion board parameters.

Plug and Play Submenu

The Plug and Play Submenu lets you check or change the Configuration Mode parameters.

. The Plug and

Enter

Use the Configuration Mode field to choose the method on how information about the legacy ISA expansion boards (ISA boards which do not have Plug and Play capabilities) is conveyed to the BIOS. The information allows the BIOS to set up PCI and ISA Plug and Play expansion boards without conflicting with the legacy ISA cards. The choices are as follows.



Use ICU − The BIOS depends upon the information provided by run-time Plug and Play software (Configuration Managers and ICU). When “Use ICU” is chosen, the BIOS depends on run-time software to ensure that there are no conflicts between ISA boards with plug and play capabilities and those without.

4-24 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Use Setup Utility (default) − The BIOS depends upon



the information provided by you in the following fields to prevent conflicts between the Plug and Play and ISA legacy boards. You should not install and use run-time Plug and Play software such as Configuration Managers and the ISA Configuration Utility (ICU).

Boot with PnP OS

The Boot with PnP OS field enables the system to boot with an operating system capable of managing Plug and Play add-in cards. The choices are as follows.

 None  Other  Windows95 (default)

ISA Shared Memory Size

The ISA Shared Memory Size field is used to set a block of system memory which will not be shadowed. (Shadowing is a technique which copies a block of memory from an address in the expansion board’s ROM to the same address in the system memory to allow faster access to the code and achieve higher performance.)

If “Disabled,” all upper memory is shadowed and ISA Shared Memory Base Address field is not displayed. This field provides the following choices.

When a value other than “Disabled” is selected, a block is unshadowed and the ISA Shared Memory Base Address field will appear.

 Disabled (default)  16 KB  32 KB  48 KB

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-25

 64 KB  80 KB  96 KB

NOTE

If a val ue of “96 KB” is select ed, t hen the I SA Shared Memory Base Address field c an only be set to C8000h; if “80 KB,” then a value of C8000 or CC000h, etc.

ISA Shared Memory Base Address

The ISA Shared Memory Base Address field is only displayed when an ISA Shared Memory Size has be selected. The choices are as follows.

C8000h (default)



CC000h



D0000h

  



Available interrupt requests (IRQ) between IRQ3 through IRQ15 will be displayed. Interrupts consumed by on-board resources will not be visible.

NOTE

Card.” One must remain available for a PCI expansion board.

4-26 NEC Drivers and Utilities

D4000h D8000h DC000h

All but one IRQ can be set to “Used By ISA

Event Logging Configuration

When set to Enabled, keeps track of system events.

SECURITY MENU

There are two types of passwords available: “User Password” and “Administrative Password.” The user passwords can be used to access the Setup Utility, the keyboard upon initial boot and the keyboard when used in conjunction with the Security Hot Key. The Administrative Password is used to control access to the Setup Utility. The following table describes the interaction between these passwords.

Security Passwords

PASSWORD ENABLED

User Password Only

Administrative Password Only

Both User and Administrative Passwords

No Passwords Enabled

PASSWORD AT BOOT

Yes No Yes Yes Yes

No Yes Yes No No

Yes No No (User)

No No Yes No No

ACCESS SETUP

ACCESS ALL SETUP FIELDS

Yes (Admin)

SET UNATTENDED START

Yes Yes

SET SECURITY HOT KEY

If the Administrative Password is in effect and Setup is entered with the User Password, only the following fields may be changed.



System Date



System Time User Password



NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-27

Security Hot Key

 

Unattended Start Power Management Hot Key



NOTE

You can enter the Setup program wi th either a User or Supervisor password. However, more Setup choices are available with the Supervisor password.

The Security Submenu lets you check or change the following password parameters.

NOTE

If neither the User or Administrative P assword is “Enabled,” the Unattended St art and S ecuri ty Hot Key fields are not displayed.



User Password This field allows you to enable a user level password

during POST and to enter Setup. When both the “User Password is” and “Administrative Password is” are “Enabled,” only the Administrative Password gives you full access to all Setup fields. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Disabled.”

4-28 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Administrative Password



This field allows you to enable an administrative level password during POST and to enter Setup. When both the “User Password is” and “Administrative Password is” are “Enabled,” only the Administrative Password gives you full access to all Setup fields. This field can be either “Enabled” or “Disabled.” The default is “Disabled.”

Set User Password and Set Administrative Password

Enable either or both the User or Administrative Passwords and a dialog box with the following prompts appears. Passwords are not case sensitive.

To set a password, type the password and press Reenter your password and press

If there is already a User or Administrative Password, then a dialog box with the following prompts appears.

Unattended Start

The Unattended Start field controls the point at which the User Password is required. The Unattended Start field can only be set if a User Password is in effect.

Disabled (default) − prompts the user for the password before the system boots. The text string prompt “Enter Password (1)” is displayed.

Enter

Enter new password: [ ] Confirm new password: [ ]

Enter current password: [ ] Enter new password: [ ] Confirm new password: [ ]

Enter

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-29

Enabled − completely boots the system (including running CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT), then locks the keyboard. The User Password must be entered to unlock it. The BIOS does not provide any prompt string.

Security Hot Key (CTRL-ALT-)

The Security Hot Key field is used to lock the keyboard when you step away from the system. When you press

CTRL

–

– alpha-numeric key (the alpha-numeric key

ALT

is defined by the user) the system enters secure mode (locks the keyboard).

When this Hot Key combination is entered the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock lamps on the keyboard will flash in sequence, indicating that the system is in secure mode.

EXIT MENU

Selecting “Exit” from the menu bar displays the following exit options. Click on a topic for a description of the Exit Menu options. Note that must select one of the items from the menu or menu bar to exit.

does not exit this menu. You

Esc



Exit Saving Changes Exit Discarding Changes

 

Load Setup Defaults



Discard Changes.

Exit Saving Changes

After making your selections on the Setup menus, always select “Exit Saving Changes” to make them operative.

When “Exit Saving Changes,” has been selected, the program displays this message:

4-30 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Exit Saving Changes? Press Enter to Continue Press ESC to Abort

To save the changes and exit Setup press to return to the Exit submenu without affecting your changes.

Exit Discarding Changes

Use this option to exit Setup without recording any changes you may have made. After you select “Exit Discarding Changes, the program displays this message:

Exit Discarding Changes? Press Enter to Continue Press ESC to Abort

To exit Setup without saving the changes press

to return to the Exit submenu without affecting your

Esc

changes.

Load Setup Defaults

To load all the default Setup values in the Setup menus, select “Load Setup Defaults” from the Exit Submenu. Reloading the defaults does not affect the any set passwords. The program displays this message:

Load Setup Defaults? Press Enter to Continue Press ESC to Abort

Enter

. Press

Enter

Esc

. Press

To load the defaults shipped with the system press Press your changes.

Discard Changes

To undo any changes you have made in the Setup menus since Setup was last saved, select “Discard Changes.” The program displays this message:

to return to the Exit submenu without affecting

Esc

Discard Changes? Press Enter to Continue Press ESC to Abort

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-31

Enter

To reset all changes made in the current session of Setup, press without affecting your changes.

FLASH UTILITY

Check the NEC Bulletin Board Service (BBS) for available updates to your system BIOS. You can obtain information to update your system with the latest BIOS version from the NEC Bulletin Board Service.

Update the BIOS from the BIOS flash diskette as follows.

Enter

. Press

to return to the Exit submenu

Esc

Write down the Setup parameters currently set on the system.

Turn off the system. Insert the flash diskette in drive A, and turn on the

system. When the flash upgrade menu appears, choose “Update

Flash Memory Area from a file.” When the menu asks you to enter a path/filename, use

the arrow keys to select the “.bio” file, and press The utility asks for a confirmation that you want to load

the new flash into memory. Select “Continue with Programming.”

After the upgrade completes, remove the upgrade disk.

Reboot the system and start the Setup program. Press

> to reset the BIOS defaults. Then, use the copy of

the Setup selections you made at the beginning of this procedure to set the options.

See “NEC Bulletin Board Service” in Chapter 7, for information about using the bulletin board (available in the U.S. and Canada).

4-32 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Enter

SCSISelect UTILITY

Select the SCSISelect utility at boot up. Press soon as you see the SCSI utility information on the screen. When the BIOS information appears, you have gone past the window and must reboot.

The SCSISelect utility sets termination. In addition, from the SCSISelect utility you can

format a new SCSI drive.



configure the host adapter. set a new SCSI ID.



To set a new SCSI ID, select the SCSI Device Configuration menu. With the arrow keys, select Send Start Unit Command. Change the unit ID number from no to yes.

The ID for the SCSI adapter board is 7 and the installed SCSI hard drive is 0.

LANDESK CLIENT MANAGER

LANDesk Client Manager is provided with your PowerMate system. With Client Manager you can

Ctrl-A



review system inventory.



view DMI-compliant component information.



back up and restore system configuration files. troubleshoot.



receive notice of system events.



transfer files to and from client workstations.



remotely reboot client workstations.

There are two main components of Client Manager: PC health indicator and inventory.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-33

PC Health Indicator

PC health indicator consists of three parts:

Managing workstations



PC Health meter



PC health description.



Managing Workstations

Client Manager sets up a connection to all the workstations running on the network to allow the administrator to monitor the functions of each workstation.

The monitoring is in real time so that if an unhealthy workstation is fixed, you can refresh the screen to view the new correct PC health. You can also set the monitor to report only unhealthy workstations.

PC Health Meter

The PC Health meter is a traffic signal that provides a visual indicator of workstation health.

A red light means that a critical system event has occurred. You are required to fix the problem immediately.

A yellow light or noncritical system event requires that you monitor the situation. It may be a problem that could get worse and become a critical event.

A green light means everything is working fine with the system.

4-34 NEC Drivers and Utilities

PC Health Description

The description of PC health is determined by monitoring various system components for threshold levels. Some of the components that are monitored:



drive space prediction of hard drive failure



free virtual memory



temperatures



power supplies



fans chassis opened



GDI non-critical boot failure



boot virus detection.

Once a threshold level has been passed on a workstation, you can request notification of the problem and have it written into a log file.

NEC Drivers and Utilities 4-35

Inventory

Client Manager Inventory views the hardware and software components of your workstation. The inventory consists of the following categories:

workstation summary



basic hardware



drives



memory audio



keyboard/mouse



video



system resources



I/O ports



operating system



network applications



system files



user information.

You can also view the current system configuration, edit user information, and create or restore file snapshots.

4-36 NEC Drivers and Utilities

Nec POWERMATE PRO2180, POWERMATE PRO2200 user Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Using This Guide

Using Your Computer