Texas Micro E486C User Manual

User’ s Manual

E486C CPU Card

18203B
November, 1994
© Texas Microsystems, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Printed in USA

Limited Warranty

(a)Texas Micro warrants that the goods sold by it hereunder will be free from defects
in materials or workmanship, under normal use and service, for a period of one year
from date of shipment. Said goods will meet the specifications in effect at the time of
manufacture. T exas Micro’ s sole obligation under this w arranty shall be , at its option,
to repair or replace, without charge, any defective component part of such product,
within a reasonable time period.

(b)Texas Micro shall not be liable under this warranty for (i) the goods that Buyer
alleges are defective and have been repaired or altered by someone other than Texas
Micro’s designated personnel or authorized representative, unless such repair or
alteration was effected pursuant to prior written approval of T exas Micro, or (ii) where
the Buyer fails to notify Texas Micro of any alleged defect within the period of
warranty, or (iii) where the Buyer fails to return defective item to Texas Micro, in
Houston, Texas , freight prepaid or (iv) where equipment has been altered or damaged
in any way which Texas Micro reasonably determines to personally affect the
performance and reliability, or where the equipment has been subject to misuse,
neglect or accident.The rights and remedies granted to Buyer under this paragraph
constitute Buyer’s sole and exclusive remedy against Texas Micro, its officers, agents
and employees for negligence, inexcusable delay, breach of warranty, express or
implied, or for any default whatsoever relating to the condition of the product or Texas
Micro’s duties to eliminate any errors.

This warranty is in lieu of any other warranty, whether expressed, implied or
statutory, including, but not limited to any warranty for fitness of purpose,
merchantability, or freedom from infringement or the like, and any warranty
otherwise arising out of any proposal, specifications or sample. Texas Micro neither
assumes nor authorizes any person to assume for it any other liability.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in this manual is
complete and accurate. However, technical inaccuracies or typographical errors may
be inadvertently included. Texas Micro assumes no responsibility for any errors that
may be contained in this document. Texas Micro, Inc., makes no promise to update or
keep current the information contained in this document. Information in this
document, including product specifications, is subject to change without notice.

2 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

IMPORTANT!

Always use caution when handling/operating your system. Only qualified,
experienced, authorized electronics service personnel should access the unit’s
interior. Use extreme caution when installing/removing components. If you have any

questions, please contact Texas Micro’s Technical Support department at
1-800-627-8700 or 1-713-541-8200 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Central Time, USA. You
will be prompted to press “3” to enter the Technical Support queue.

A LIRE IMPERATIVEMENT

Quand vous manipulez ou utilisez votre système, faites preuve en toutes circonstances
de la plus grande prudence. Seuls des techniciens électroniciens qualifiés et
expérimentés peuvent avoir accès à l’intérieur de votre système. Si vous désirez poser
des questions complémentaires, n’hésitez pas à prendre contact avec le Département
d’assistance technique de Texas Micro au (USA) 1-713-541-8200.

BITTE ZUERST LESEN

Seien Sie immer vorsichtig, wenn Sie mit Ihrem System umgehen oder es bedienen.
Nur qualifiziertes, erfahrenes Personal fär Elektronik sollte am Inneren des Gerätes
arbeiten. Für Ihre Sicherheit sind Hinweise zur V orsicht, Win Sie irgenwelche F ragen
haben, setzen Sie sich bitte nit der Abteilung fr technische Unterstützung von Texas
Micro unter der Rufnummer (USA) 1-713-541-8200 in Verbindung.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 3

FCC Notice

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at the
user’s own expense.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Texas Microsystems, Inc., could
void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

4 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Preface

Texas Micro’ s Model E486C CPU Card is an integrated EISA/AT 33-66 MHz computer
system on a single, full-size EISA/AT form factor that can be inserted into a PCXI
standard passive backplane. The E486C features multi-function I/O control, including
IDE and floppy drive control, plus serial and parallel ports and a PS/2 mouse port. It
can be operated with all AT-compatible accessory cards, such as serial and parallel I/O
cards, video and disk controllers, etc. Features of the E486C include:

• Supported processors: 33 and 50 MHz 486DX, 50 and 66 MHz
486DX2 and DX4-33/99

• External cache support with 256 KBytes of data RAM

• Up to 64 MBytes of DRAM supported in 4MByte x 36 SIMM
modules

• 256 KBytes of flash memory for BIOS and user application field
upgrades

• Auxiliary boot ROM (in instances of Flash programming error or
failure)

• IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) hard drive interface, allowing
control of high-speed, high-capacity disk drives

• 3.5” and 5.25” floppy disk drive controller that allows access to all
PC/AT standard formats, including 360 KBytes, 720 KBytes, 1.2
MBytes and 1.44 MBytes

• One (1) IBM PC/AT-compatible RS232 serial port with internal
baud rate generation

• One (1) serial port configured as RS232, RS422 or RS485

• One (1) parallel port with bi-directional transfer capability or
unidirectional printer-directed output

• One (1) PS/2-compatible bus mouse port

• One (1) AT keyboard connector

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
PC, PS/2 and AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

Phoenix BIOS is a trademark of Phoenix Technologies, Inc.
MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other tradenames referenced are the service mark, trademark or registered trademark of the respective manufacturer.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 5

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

Thank you for purchasing Texas Micro’s E486C CPU Card.
Your E486C User’s Manual is designed to provide easy access to information you need

to operate the E486C CPU Card. It’s also designed to accommodate all levels of users ­from the novice to the experienced professional.

The E486C is configured for operation at the Texas Micro factory. When you receive
your E486C, it’s ready to be installed and used. This manual will guide you step-by­step through the procedures required to operate the E486C.

INEXPERIENCED USERS

Computer novices should use this manual as a training and reference tool as well as
an installation/operation guide. Begin by reading Chapter 1, Getting Started. This
chapter will describe the E486C and its components. It will also provide information
necessary to verify the E486C’s hardware configuration. Continue with Chapters 2,
E486C Installation, and 3, Connecting Peripherals. By completing the steps outlined
in Chapters 1, 2 and 3, you will have prepared the E486C for operation. Proceed with
Chapter 4, Power-up.

Power-up will tell you what happens when power is introduced to the E486C and will
guide you to Chapter 5, Using the Setup Utility, which will tell you how to verify the
E486C’s configuration. After you complete this chapter, you will be ready to place the
E486C into operation. Later, you may decide that you need extra memory. Chapter 6,
Memory Configuration, provides information.

Finally, Chapter 7, General Maintenance, provides guidelines for returning Texas
Micro products for service or repair. If you have any questions, call our Technical
Support Department at 1-800-627-8700.

ADVANCED USERS

The E486C User’s Manual provides a “quickstart” path for advanced users. Read the
QuickStart segment following Chapter 4.

The QuickStart segment will give a short outline of the installation and startup
procedure. It will direct you to check switch and jumper settings as well as the E486C
Setup Utility configuration. Appropriate chapters will be referenced.

Once you’ve verified the hardware configuration, installed the board, introduced
power to the E486C and checked the Setup Utility, you can place the E486C into full
operation. You can then use the manual as a reference guide.

6 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 Getting Started 10

1.1 E486C Components 12

1.2 Before You Install the E486C 13

1.2.1 Checking the Dip Switch Settings 14

1.2.2 Checking the Jumper Block Settings 16

1.3 A Word About the EISA Backplane 19

CHAPTER 2 E486C Installation 22

CHAPTER 3 Connecting Peripherals 24

3.1 Serial Ports 25

3.2 Mouse and Keyboard Connectors 28

3.3 Parallel Port 30

3.4 IDE Hard Drive Header/Connector 31

3.5 Floppy Drive Header/Connector 33

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 7

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 4 Power-up 35

4.1 BIOS 35

4.2 Diagnostics 36

4.3 Rebooting the E486C 36

CHAPTER 5 Using the Setup Utility 42

5.1 Basic Options Menu 45

5.1.1 Time and Date 46

5.1.2 Floppy Disks 47

5.1.3 Fixed Disks 51

5.1.4 Video Adapter 56

5.1.5 Keyboard 58

5.1.6 Shadow RAM 62

5.1.7 Boot Options 64

5.1.8 Password Options 67

5.1.9 Park Hard Drive 70

5.2 Advanced Options 71

5.2.1 Serial Ports 72

5.2.2 Parallel Ports 77

5.2.3 Pointer Device (On-board PS/2 Mouse Port) 82

5.2.4 Cache 83

5.2.5 Base Memory 87

5.2.6 Mixcellaneous 88

5.3 Switch SW1-3 - Reload Default Setup Utility Values 91

8 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 6 Memory Configuration 92

CHAPTER 7 General Maintenance 95

7.1 Return Procedure 96

7.2 Technical Support 96

APPENDIX A Flash Programming Notes 97

APPENDIX B Setup Utility Default Settings 99

APPENDIX C Application Notes 101

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 9

CHAPTER 1 Getting Started

This chapter is designed to provide the novice with enough informa­tion to verify the configuration of the E486C and prepare the board
for installation and operation. Advanced users should read the “A
Word About EISA Backplanes” notice in this section, then skip to
the Quickstart for Advanced Users segment immediately following
Chapter 4.

First, what is the E486C? It’s an integrated EISA/AT computer sys­tem on a single, full-size EISA/AT form factor that can be inserted
into a PCXI EISA standard passive backplane. The E486C features
multi-function I/O control, including IDE and floppy drive control,
plus serial and parallel ports and a PS/2 mouse port.

Let’s begin by describing some of the E486C’s main components.
Figure 1 is an overall view of the E486C.

10 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 1

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 11

Getting Started

1.1 E486C Components

The E486C contains the components normally found on a plug-in
CPU card: a microprocessor, “headers” and “connectors,” a “dip
switch” block, “jumper” blocks, “SIMM” sockets, etc. Figure 1 pro­vides the location of these components.

The microprocessor is the “brain” of the E486C, where basic
arithmetic, logic and control functions are processed. The E486C
supports a 33-50 MHz 486DX, 50-66 MHz 486DX2 and DX4-33/99
processors.

Headers (also called “header/connector”) are components used to
connect peripherals (via connecting cables) to the E486C. For exam­ple, locate the “IDE Hard Drive” header on the E486C (see Figure

1). This header serves as a hard drive controller; you would use an
appropriate cable to connect an IDE hard drive to this header . Other
headers located on the E486C include:

• a floppy drive header

• a serial port header used to connect serial devices to the

E486C

• a keyboard header

Connectors are also used to connect external components to the
E486C, but, unlike headers, connectors are located on the I/O
bracket at the end of the E486C board (which will make them acces­sible when you install the board, as we will discuss later). These
include a PS/2 mouse port connector , a connector for a PS/2 or an A T
keyboard, and a parallel port connector.

The E486C dip switch block, known as SW1, is located at the top
of the board. It contains four (4) small dip switches, each of which
controls a different function. These switches are discussed in detail
in Section 1.2.1.

12 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Before You Install the E486C

Jumper blocks are small electronic components that contain pins,
or small electronic leads, some of which are connected via jumpers
(or “shunts”), small conductors used to divert electrical current.
These jumper blocks have certain functions, depending on their con­figuration. We’ll also discuss jumper blocks in Section 1.2.2.

SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) sockets are located on the
left side of the E486C Board. SIMM’s are “sticks” of DRAM
(Dynamic Random Access Memory) that can be inserted into these
sockets, providing extra memory. SIMM’s are discussed at length in
“Memory Configuration” on page 92.

1.2 Before You Install the E486C

Now that you’re familiar with some key E486C components, let’s
discuss those components you’ll need to check before you install
your E486C.

First, it is important to protect yourself and your equipment before
you perform any of the following procedures. Never touch the

E486C while it is installed in the chassis and power is ON.

You should check the E486C configuration before you install the
board. However, if the E486C is already installed in your system,
remove power by turning all power switches OFF and disconnecting
all power cords from their power sources. Follow all safety precau­tions outlined by the chassis manufacturer. Only qualified, experi-

enced electronics personnel should access the unit’s interior.

Also, do not touch the E486C unless you are wearing a static­dissipative device such as the grounding wrist strap pro­vided with your E486C. Static electricity can damage sensitive

E486C components.
Before you install the E486C, check the dip switch and jumper set-

tings outlined in Sections 1.2.1 and 1.2.2. Pay particular attention
to the dip switch settings; the jumpers are preconfigured at the fac­tory and are appropriate for most applications. Memory SIMM’s are
also installed at the factory.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 13

Getting Started

1.2.1 Checking the Dip Switch Settings

Locate Switch Block SW1, the four-switch block positioned at the
top of the E486C board. Note that these switches are numbered,
from right to left, one (1) through four (4). Thus, the switch on the
far right side of the block is SW1, position 1, or SW1-1.

CLOSED

OPEN

1-4 1-3 1-2 1-1

SW1-1 is used to set the default monitor type. When SW1-1 is
CLOSED, the E486C is configured to run with a color monitor.
When it is OPEN, SW1-1 is set to the monochrome monitor posi­tion. The E486C is shipped with this switch CLOSED. If you’re
using a color monitor, be sure that SW1-1 is CLOSED. If you’re
using a monochrome monitor, OPEN this switch (of course, make
sure that no power is being fed to the E486C before you touch the
switch).

14 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

SW1

Before You Install the E486C

SW1-2 controls the on-board ROM access. If you OPEN this switch,
the Flash memory (special memory described in Appendix A at the
back of this manual) is enabled and the auxiliary ROM is disabled.
If this switch is CLOSED, the auxiliary ROM is enabled, and the
Flash memory is disabled. The E486C is shipped with this

switch OPEN.
SW1-3 is used in special cases when the CMOS RAM (Complemen-

tary Metallic Oxide Semiconductor Random Access Memory)
becomes corrupted. This condition is usually accompanied by a
“lock-up” of the system. The factory default values for E486C opera­tion must then be reloaded into CMOS RAM. Under normal con-
ditions, SW1-3 should remain in the OPEN position. However,
when factory default values must be reloaded, see Section 5.3 for
proper procedures.

SW1-4 is used to configure the on-board I/O port:

• SW1-4 closed: I/O address is 370h

• SW1-4 open: I/O address is 270h

The default setting is 270h.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 15

Getting Started

1.2.2 Checking the Jumper Block Settings

As discussed earlier, jumper blocks are small components contain­ing electronic leads (called pins) sometimes connected by jumpers
(small conductors). These blocks have specific functions that are
affected by the presence and position of a jumper within the block.
Locations of these blocks are shown in the figure below.

The following paragraphs provide more information about these
jumper blocks. If, after reading the descriptions , you w ant to change
the default jumper settings, do so with caution. Only experienced

electronics personnel should attempt to change these
jumper settings. Make sure that no power is being fed to the
E486C and that you are wearing the provided grounding
wrist strap or other static-dissipative device. If you have ques-

tions, call Texas Micro’s Technical Support Department at 1-800­627-8700 or 1-713-541-8200.

Jumper Blocks JP1, JP2 and JP3 are three-pin blocks used to
select the configuration of COM Port 2, the 10-pin header located at
the top middle of the board (see Section 3.1). Jumpering Pins 2 and
3 of these three blocks will configure COM2 for RS232 operation,
while jumpering Pins 1 and 2 of these blocks will select RS422/485
operation. The default is Pins 2 to 3 jumpered, RS232

operation.

16 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Before You Install the E486C

Jumper Block JP4 is a two-pin block used to connect and enable
the IDE hard drive controller’s activity LED. Pin 1 is the anode; Pin
2 is the cathode.

Jumper Block JP5 determines the host 486 CPU frequency con­figuration and provides an 8.33 MHz oscillator for the EISA bus.
The following illustration outlines possible settings for this block.

JP5

. . . . .

25 MHz

. . . . .

JP5

. . . . .

33 MHz

. . . . .

JP5

. . . . .

50 MHz

. . . . .

Jumper Blocks JP6, JP11, JP12 and JP14 are preset at the fac-

tory and should not be changed.
Jumper Block JP7 is used to buffer the bus clock.

JP7: Pin 1 jumpered to Pin 2 Bus clock unbuffered

Pin 2 jumpered to Pin 3 Bus clock buffered (default)
Use the unbuffered jumper setting if memory parity errors occur in
a fully-loaded backplane.

Jumper Block JP9 determines the type of reset counter the
E486C uses and, if the DS1232 reset counter is used, what the
counter timing will be.
JP9: Pin 1 jumpered to Pin 2 CPU heartbeat (ADS)

Pin 2 jumpered to Pin 3 Free-running clock

(default)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 17

Getting Started

Jumper Block JP15 is used to “unbuffer” IRQ12 (mouse inter­rupt) in certain applications (see Chapter APPENDIX C - Applica­tion Notes for information about Next OS). The default setting (Pin
1 jumpered to Pin 2) is correct for most applications.

Jumper Block JP16 is used to buffer the system clock. This option
is used in instances when the system exhibits DMA failures in a
fully-loaded backplane.

1

System clock
is unbuf­fered
(default)

1

. . .

System clock
is
buffered

. . .

Jumper Block JP17 is used to determine the CPU type.

1

DX4CPU

. . .

. . .

Jumper Block JP18 is used as a clock multiplier.

1

. . .

486CPU

DX2 runs at twice the oscillator frequency:

33 MHz: 66 MHz internally

DX4 runs at three times the oscillator

. . .

18 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

frequency:

33 MHz: 99 MHz internally

A Word About the EISA Backplane

1.3 A Word About the EISA Backplane

The E486C CPU card is designed for use in an EISA (Extended
Industry Standard Architecture) backplane. EISA backplanes are
designed to accommodate the 486 processor, providing fast data
transfers and multiprocessing support. The Texas Micro EISA pas­sive backplane meets the PCXI EISA passive backplane standard.

Only one slot is used for the E486C CPU Card. With this CPU slot
occupied, the remaining expansion slots are available for EISA or
ISA expansion card support. The number of slots that support EISA
bus master cards depends on the capabilities of the CPU card. The
E486C supports six (6) slots as bus masters and the remaining slots
as 32-bit EISA slaves. The CPU occupies Slot 0. The bus masters
occupy Slot 1 through Slot 6 as shown on the backplane (see illus­tration below).

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 19

Getting Started

The Texas Micro EISA passive backplane is designed to operate as
either an EISA or an ISA backplane. All slots (except the CPU slot)
contain an ISA/EISA jumper for choosing the EISA slot-specific
address enable or the ISA address enable. When jumpered to ISA,
the slot is in the ISA address mode, with the signal AEN active to
indicate I/O and DMA cycles. When jumpered to EISA, the slot is in
the EISA address mode, with the signal AENx active, indicating
that a particular slot will respond to I/O cycles.

By design, the ISA addressing mode is a subset of the EISA
addressing mode. Therefore, the default setting for the ISA/

EISA jumper is EISA.

Some ISA cards may experience timing problems with the ISA/EISA
jumper set to EISA. For these cards, set the jumper to ISA.

If possible, reserve the bus mastering slots (Slots 1-6) for EISA bus
mastering cards. If an ISA card is used in a bus mastering slot and
the system does not operate correctly, set the ISA/EISA jumper to
EISA or move the card to a non-mastering slot.

In order to implement the EISA Bus on a passive backplane, it is
necessary to define an extension to the bus. This document defines
two additional connector segments: P3 and P4.

• On slot 0, controller slot(s) P4 is used to route slot-specific

signals to the corresponding slots.

• On all slots, including slot 0, slot(s) P3 is reserved for

future definition for use in multiprocessing systems.

• On all non-slot 0 slots, P4 is a user-definable “P4 Auxiliary

Bus.”

• Two types of extended edge-cards are defined. One is for

slot 0 controller boards with special keying to fit only in
slot 0 controller slots. The other is for P3 or P4 auxiliary
bus boards with a different keying method to fit only into
auxiliary bus slots (non-slot 0 slots).

• A special key is defined to slide into the P3/P4 connector

to implement the two keying methods.

20 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

A Word About the EISA Backplane

As previously mentioned, at least one slot on the backplane must be
defined as a CPU slot or Slot 0 controller slot. There are no specifi­cations for the placement of Slot 0. Lines implemented on the P4
extension of Slot 0 include the following.

ISA AEN ISA Address enable line (goes low on any ISA

operation)
AEN 1..15 Slot-specific Address Enable - EISA Slot 1..15
MREQ0..14 Bus Master Request - Master 0..14 - EISA Slot

1..15

MAK0..14 Bus Master Acknowledge - Master 0..14 -

EISA Slot 1.15
PWRGD Inhibits CPU boot-up until power is stable
KBDCLK Clock line for keyboard
KBDDATA Data for keyboard
KBDLOCK Short to ground to inhibit keyboard operation
MOUSEDATA PS/2-compatible mouse data
MOUSECLK PS/2-compatible mouse clock
SPKR Speaker data - tie speaker between this line and

VCC
RST Short to ground to reset system
GND 6 ground lines to reduce noise/crosstalk

• ISA AEN goes to pin A11 on any ISA-only slots

• AENx goes to pin A11 on slot x

• MREQx goes to pin G19 on slot x + 1

• MAKx goes to pin H19 on slot x + 1

• Jumpers may be used on the backplane to allow any slot

specific AEN to be tied to the ISA AEN line.

• Jumpers may also be used to provide a flexible means of

determining which of the slots in the backplane is the
CPU(Slot 0) slot. They may also be used to re-number
slots; however, these schemes should be simple

Consult your EISA chassis manual for more information on the
EISA backplane.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 21

CHAPTER 2 E486C Installation

Once you have checked all switches and jumper blocks to ensure
they match the desired configuration, you’re ready to install the
E486C into an AT-compatible chassis backplane. However, before
installing the E486C Card, consult the documentation provided
with the chassis.

CAUTION: Always remove power from the system before installing
the E486C. Follow all power-down procedures outlined in the chas­sis’ user’s manual. To ensure no injury occurs, disconnect the power
cord from the power source. Only qualified, experienced electronics
personnel should access the interior of a chassis.

CAUTION: The components of the E486C Card are very sensitive to
static discharge. Therefore, Texas Micro provides a grounding wrist
strap to remove all static electricity before touching the components.
While out of the unit, E486C components should be placed on a
static-dissipative surface or into a static-shielding bag.

22 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

A Word About the EISA Backplane

The procedure for installing the E486C into a Texas Micro chassis is
described below.

1. Remove power from the chassis and disconnect all power cords.

Follow all power-down procedures outlined in your chassis’
user’s guide.

2. Remove the chassis cover, then detach the circuit card hold-

down bracket. This bracket stretches across the tops of the cir­cuit cards and holds them in place.

3. Locate the desired bus location for installation (user’s choice,

although it is suggested that a location providing maximum dis­tance between boards is chosen to allow proper ventilation).

4. Remove the I/O bracket spacer from the rear of the chassis. This

spacer occupies the area where the card’s I/O bracket is
accessed through the back of the chassis.

5. Place the board ends into the appropriate card guide and card-

end slot in the chassis. Lower the E486C into position and care­fully push the card-edge connector into the slot. Ensure that the
I/O bracket is accessible through the back of the chassis.

6. Secure the card-edge I/O bracket to the hold-down lip.

7. Attach any required cables, including the internal system key-

board connector cable to the E486C keyboard connector (see
Section 3.2).

8. After installing the E486C and any other add-in cards desired,

secure all PC boards by appropriately positioning the card hold­down bracket and securing it into place with the hardware pro­vided for this purpose.

9. To install the E486C into a passive backplane not manufactured

by Texas Micro, follow the instructions provided in this manual
and the installation information provided by the backplane
manufacturer.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 23

CHAPTER 3 Connecting

P eripherals

The E486C provides several headers/connectors for attaching
peripheral devices to the board:

• One (1) serial port

• One (1) configurable serial port (RS232 or RS422, 485)

• One (1) PS/2-compatible bus mouse port

• A PS/2 keyboard interface connector

• AT keyboard interface connector

• One (1) parallel port

• An IDE hard drive header/connector

• A floppy drive header/connector

This chapter supplies information and locations for each of these
components. Pinouts of each connector are also included. A pinout
identifies the function of each pin of a connector. Please note that,
while this information is valuable to electronics personnel, it is not
crucial to the everyday operation of the E486C. As long as the
proper cable is used and the connecting plug is properly inserted, a
supported peripheral should be operable when used with the
E486C.

24 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Serial Ports

Please note the following cautions when connecting peripherals to
the E486C CPU.

CAUTION: Always remove power from the system before connecting
peripherals to the E486C. To ensure no personal injury occurs, dis­connect the power cord from the power source. Only qualified,

experienced electronics personnel should access the interior
of a chassis.

CAUTION: The components of the E486C Card are very sensitive to

static discharge. Therefore, Texas Micro provides a grounding wrist
strap to remove all static electricity before touching the components.
While out of the unit, E486C components should be placed on a
static-dissipative surface or into a static-shielding bag.

3.1 Serial Ports

Let’s begin with the two serial ports. Serial ports allow you to con­nect serial devices (a serial mouse, serial printers, etc.) to the
E486C via appropriate serial cables. Serial ports are also known as
COM ports or UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmit­ter) ports.

Note that one serial port (COM1 or UART 1), labeled J3, is located
on the card’s front surface (see Figure 2). If you’ve already installed
your E486C, you must remove the chassis cover to access this port.
Consult your chassis documentation for procedures on removing the
chassis cover, but remember to remove power from the system

and unplug the power cord before you access the interior of
the chassis. Most importantly, only qualified, experienced
electronics personnel should access the interior of a chassis.

Note: The E486C uses type 16450 UART‘s.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 25

Connecting Peripherals

The other serial port, COM2 (or UART 2), labeled J1, is also located
on the card’s front surface (see Figure 2). Again, if you’ve installed
your E486C, accessing this port requires removal of the chassis
cover. Consult your chassis documentation for procedures on remov­ing the chassis cover, but remember to remove power from the

system and unplug the power cord before you access the
interior of the chassis. Most importantly, only qualified,
experienced electronics personnel should access the inte­rior of a chassis.

COM2 can be configured as an RS232 or an RS422/485 serial port
via Jumper Blocks JP1, JP2 and JP3 (see Section 1.2.2). The fac-
tory default is RS232. Be sure to use the proper cable when con­necting a serial device to the E486C (9-pin DB9 interface connector

- Part No. SCF1).
More information about serial ports can be found in Section 5.2.1.

26 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 2

Serial Ports

RS422/ 485 Pinout

Pin Description

1 /Z Output (TX-)
2 /B Receive (RX-)
3 Y Output (TX+)
4 Not Connected
5 Not Connected
6 A Receive (RX+)
7 Not Connected
8 Not Connected
9 GND (Signal Ground)
10 VCC +5

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 27

RS232 Pinout

Pin Description

1 DCD (Data Carrier Detect)
2 DSR (Data Set Ready)
3 RX (Receive Data)
4 RTS (Request To Send)
5 TX (Transmit Data)
6 CTS (Clear To Send)
7 DTR (Data Terminal Ready)
8 RI (Ring Indicator)
9 GND (Signal Ground)
10 VCC +5

Connecting Peripherals

3.2 Mouse and Keyboard Connectors

The E486C provides connectors for a PS/2-compatible bus mouse
and keyboard. These connectors are located on the I/O bracket on
the right edge of the E486C, above the 25-pin parallel port. Figure 3
provides illustrations of these connectors.

The top connector is used to link a PS/2 mouse to the E486C. Plug
the mouse connector cable into the mouse port for operation (Note:

Follow the instructions included with your mouse to load mouse
drivers and configure the system for mouse operation).

The bottom connector is used for a PS/2 keyboard. If you wish to use
an AT keyboard in the PS/2 connector, you must connect a mini-DIN
9/6 pin male/female adapter cable between the PS/2 connector and
the AT keyboard. Do not connect two keyboards at the same time.

If you are running the E486C in a Texas Micro EISA chassis, you
can also connect your AT keyboard to the system via the chassis’ AT
keyboard connector. Consult your system documentation for more
information.

28 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 3

Mouse and Keyboard Connectors

PS/2-compatible Bus Mouse Connector

Pin Number Description

1 MOUSEDATA
2 NC (Not Connected)
3 GND (Signal Ground)
4 VCC (Fuse)
5 MOUSECLK (Mouse Clock)
6 NC (Not Connected)
7 GND (Signal Ground)
8 GND (Signal Ground)
9 GND (Signal Ground)

PS/2 Keyboard Connector

Pin Number Description

1 KYBDDATA
2 NC (Not Connected)
3 GND (Signal Ground)
4 VCC (Fuse)
5 KYBDCLK (Keyboard Clock)
6 NC (Not Connected)
7 GND (Signal Ground)
8 GND (Signal Ground)
9 GND (Signal Ground)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 29

FIGURE 4

Connecting Peripherals

3.3 Parallel Port

The parallel port (Connector J9) is normally used for connecting a
printer to the E486C. This port is a 25-pin connector located on the
right edge of the E486C (see Figure 4). Connect the 25-pin female D­sub miniature printer cable to this port for printer operation (for
maximum safety, remove system power and disconnect the power
cord).

More information on parallel ports and their configuration can be
found in Section 5.2.2.

Pin Number Description

1 -Strobe
2 + Data Bit 0
3 + Data Bit 1
4 + Data Bit 2
5 + Data Bit 3
6 + Data Bit 4
7 + Data Bit 5
8 + Data Bit 6
9 + Data Bit 7
10 - Acknowledge
11 + Busy
12 + Paper End
13 + Select
14 - Auto Feed
15 - Error
16 - Init. Printer
17 - Select Input
18-25 Ground

30 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

IDE Hard Drive Header/Connector

3.4 IDE Hard Drive Header/Connector

Two (2) Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) hard disk drives can be
attached to the E486C board via J2 and a 40-conductor cable of a
maximum length of two (2) feet. The pinout of J2, a 40-pin connec­tor, is provided in Figure 5.

If the E486C has been installed, accessing this header requires
removal of the chassis cover. Consult your chassis documentation
for procedures on removing the chassis cover, but remember to

remove power from the system and unplug the power cord
before you access the interior of the chassis. Only qualified,
experienced electronics personnel should access the inte­rior of a chassis.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 31

FIGURE 5

Connecting Peripherals

Pin Number Description

1 Reset, output
3 + Data 7, input/output
5 + Data 6, input/output
7 + Data 5, input/output
9 + Data 4, input/output
11 + Data 3, input/output
13 + Data 2, input/output
15 + Data 1, input/output
17 + Data 0, input/output
19 Ground
21 No connection
23 -I/O Write, output
25 -I/O Read, output
27 No connection
29 No connection
31 +IRQ14, input
33 +ADDR1, output
35 +ADDR0, output
37 -CS0, output
39 Activity Light, output

32 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Pin Number Description

2 Ground
4 + Data 8, input/output
6 + Data 9, input/output
8 + Data 10, input/output
10 + Data 11, input/output
12 + Data 12, input/output
14 + Data 13, input/output
16 + Data 14, input/output
18 + Data 15, input/output
20 No connection
22 Ground
24 Ground
26 Ground
28 +ALE, output
30 Ground
32 I/O CS16, output
34 No connection
36 +ADDR2, output
38 CS1, output
40 Ground

Floppy Drive Header/Connector

3.5 Floppy Drive Header/Connector

Two floppy disk drives can be attached to the E486C at J4 with a
34-conductor flat cable no more than three (3) feet in length. Two
connectors are spaced the desired distance at the drive end of the
cable, with Conductors 10 through 16 separated from the remainder
of the cable and twisted 180° between the two drive connectors.

The two installed drives may be any combination of 360 KByte and

1.2 MByte 5.25” drives or 720 KByte and 1.44 MByte 3.5” drives.
Both drives should be jumper-configured as Drive 1. DOS controls
the floppy disk drives; therefore, consult the DOS manual for
detailed information on disk operations. Consult Figure 6 for the J4
pinout. Note: All inputs are terminated with 1ΚΩ pull-up resistors.

If the E486C has been installed, accessing this header requires
removal of the chassis cover. Consult your chassis documentation
for procedures on removing the chassis cover, but remember to

remove power from the system and unplug the power cord
before you access the interior of the chassis. Only qualified,
experienced electronics personnel should access the inte­rior of a chassis.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 33

FIGURE 6

Connecting Peripherals

Pin Description

1 Ground
3 Ground
5 Ground
7 Ground
9 Ground
11 Ground
13 Ground
15 Ground
17 Ground
19 Ground
21 Ground
23 Ground
25 Ground
27 Ground
29 Ground
31 Ground
33 Ground

34 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

*

Pin Description

2 Disk speed change, output
4 No connection
6 No connection
8 Index detect, input, active low
10 Motor enable Drive A, output, active low
12 Select Drive B, output, active low
14 Select Drive A, output, active low
16 Motor enable Drive B, output, active low
18 Head step pulse, output, active low
20 Head step pulse, output, active low
22 Write data, output, active low
24 Write gate, output active low
26 Track 0 detect, input, active low
28 Write protect sense, input, active low
30 Read data, input, active high
32 Head select, output
34 Diskette change detect, input, active low

CHAPTER 4 P ower-up

After all jumpers and switches have been checked, the E486C has
been installed and all desired peripheral devices have been con­nected to the board, the E486C is ready for power-up.

To power-up the E486C, simply connect all required power cables
and turn the system on. Consult your chassis documentation for
more information on power cable connection. However, before you
power-up your system, ensure that the operating system you will be
using is available on either Drive C or a diskette in Drive A.

4.1 BIOS

When you power the system up, the E486C BIOS (Basic Input Out­put System, a collection of driver and initialization software stored
in on-board EPROM, or Electronically Programmable Read-Only
Memory) will perform checks and diagnostics, then search for an
operating system. The BIOS will not search for an operating system
on drives other than C or A. Also, if a diskette that does not contain
the operating system is engaged in Drive A, an error message
(“Non-system disk or disk error”) will be displayed. Remove the dis­kette and strike any key to “boot” (restart) the system.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 35

Power-up

4.2 Diagnostics

Upon power-up, the BIOS performs initialization routines, calculat­ing memory size and configuration data to load into CMOS (Compli­mentary Metallic Oxide Semiconductor) memory. The BIOS then
performs internal diagnostics to compare the E486C’s current phys­ical configuration with the configuration information recorded in
CMOS memory during setup. F ollowing this verification, the E486C
copies its BIOS into RAM and deactivates the EPROM, resulting in
a significant increase in system performance. If inconsistencies
exist, BIOS error messages are displayed.

Some errors noted during power-up may be quickly corrected by ver­ifying the setup information (see Chapter 5). Errors of greater com­plexity or a more technical nature may require the aid of trained
technical personnel. Contact Texas Micro’s Technical Support
Department at 1-800-627-8700 for assistance. Upon completion of
the power-on diagnostics tests, the E486C loads the operating sys­tem from disk or other mass-storage device. However, if CMOS
RAM contents are incorrect, the E486C will prompt you to invoke
the Setup Utility (see Chapter 5).

4.3 Rebooting the E486C

If you wish to reboot the E486C, three (3) methods are acceptable:

1. Cycle power off and on.

2. Press and hold the CTRL, ALT and DEL keys.

3. Depress the system’s reset switch.

Using any of these methods to reboot the E486C will result in sys­tem memory data loss. Therefore, it is suggested that, where possi­ble, all processing be completed before reboot.

Next, you need to check all the configuration settings for the board
before you begin using it. Turn to Chapter 5 for information on the
E486C Setup Utility.

36 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

QuickStart for
Advanced Users

This segment of the manual provides a “quickstart” feature for
advanced computer users. Included are procedures for:

• checking dip switch default settings

• checking jumper block default settings

• installing the E486C

• connecting peripherals to the E486C

• powering the system up

• accessing the Setup Utility

To configure the E486C Board, perform the following:

1. Check dip switch settings.

Locate Switch Block SW1. The following are default settings.

• SW1-1 CLOSED - color monitor

• SW1-2 OPEN - flash ROM access

• SW1-3 OPEN - board uses setup configuration you provide

through the Setup Utility (see Chapter 5)

• SW1-4 OPEN - I/O address is 270h

See Section Chapter 1.2.1 for more information.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 37

Power-up

2.

Check jumper defaults.
Locate the E486C jumper blocks. The defaults for these blocks

are as follows:
JP1, JP2, JP3 - COM2 configured for RS232 connection:

JP1 - Pins 2 and 3 connected.
JP2 - Pins 2 and 3 connected.

JP3 - Pins 2 and 3 connected.
JP4 - IDE activity LED connector (no jumper installed).
JP5 - depends on CPU type.
JP7 - Bus clock is buffered.
JP9 - Configured for ADS CPU heartbeat.
JP15 - see Appendix C - “Next OS”
JP16 - system clock is unbuffered.
JP17 - depends on CPU type (see Section 1.2.2).
JP18 - DX4 runs at twice the oscillator frequency.
See Section 1.2.2 for more information.

38 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Rebooting the E486C

3.

Install the E486C.
To install the E486C:

• Remove power from the system by turning all power

switches OFF and disconnecting the power cord from the
power source. Only qualified, experienced electronics per­sonnel should access the interior of a chassis.

• Remove static electricity by wearing a static-dissipative

device (such as a grounding wrist strap). Place the board
on static-dissipative surfaces ONLY.

• Remove the I/O bracket spacer from the rear of the

chassis.

• Carefully lower and push the board into the platform slot.

Ensure that the I/O bracket is accessible through the back
of the chassis.

• Secure the card-edge I/O bracket to the hold-down lip.

• Attach any required cables, including the internal system

keyboard connector cable, to the E486C keyboard connec­tor (see Section 3.2).

4. Connect peripherals to the E486C.

Before you connect any peripherals to the E486C, make sure
that no power is being applied to the E486C Board and the
peripherals.

CAUTION: Always remove power from the system and peripher­als before connecting the peripherals. To ensure no injury occurs,
disconnect all power cords from their power sources. Only quali­fied, experienced electronics personnel should access the interior
of a chassis.

CAUTION: The components of the E486C Card are very sensi­tive to static discharge. Therefore, Texas Micro recommends
using a grounding wrist strap to remove all static electricity
before touching the components . While out of the unit, the compo­nents should be placed on a static-dissipative surface or into a
static-shielding bag.

Consult Chapter 3 for connector locations and pinouts.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 39

Power-up

5.

Power the system up.
The BIOS will perform power-on checks, operate diagnostics

and invoke the internal setup routine. It will then direct the
media device to search for and load the operating system, first
on Drive A, then on Drive C. Other drives will not be searched.

6. Access the Setup Utility.

During the memory test, press <S> to enter the on-board Setup
Utility. After the memory test, the Setup Utility will be dis­played. V erify the settings in the Setup Utility to configure your
board properly. Read the “A Word About EISA Configuration”
notice on the next page, then turn to Chapter 5 for procedures.

After completing this step, configure the EISA for operation by
loading the EISA Configuration Utility software provided with
the E486C. Procedures for using this software are provided in
the E486C EISA Configuration Utility Manual.

40 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

A Word About
EISA
Configuration

The E486C CPU card is designed for use in an EISA (Extended
Industry Standard Architecture) backplane. EISA backplanes are
designed to accommodate the 486 processor, providing fast data
transfers and multiprocessing support. Special EISA Setup Utility
diskettes are provided for configuring your E486C to take full
advantage of EISA capabilities.

Procedures for configuring your E486C using the special EISA dis­kettes are provided in the accompanying EISA Configuration Utility
User’s Guide documentation. Included are steps to take whenever
you want to add an additional board (EISA or ISA) to the system.

Texas Micro recommends that you use the provided EISA Setup
Utility diskettes to configure the E486C. However, some configura­tion options are selected by use of the Setup Utility. These options
include the size/type of floppy and fixed disks your system contains,
customized hard drive table entry and shadowing of option ROM’s.
It is recommended that the Setup Utility be configured first. Then,
if possible, copy the EISA Configuration Utility to a fixed disk
(where it will run faster than it will off a floppy disk). Finally, run
the EISA configuration program to complete E486C configuration.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 41

CHAPTER 5 Using the Setup

Utility

After all switches and jumpers have been checked, the E486C has
been installed, peripherals have been connected and power has
been turned on, you are ready to access the E486C Setup Utility.

The E486C Setup Utility is a special set of commands residing in
EPROM and used to set the computer time, date and configuration
data. The Setup Utility can be accessed in two (2) ways:

• By pressing <S> during memory tests, or

• By pressing F2 when prompted by the BIOS during the

power-up operation. This occurs if the BIOS encounters
errors when trying to use the Setup Utility information (if
desired, the user may press the F1 key to instruct the
BIOS to continue its diagnostics checks and attempt to
load the operating system).

42 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

The E486C Setup Utility begins by displaying the screen pictured in
Figure 7. This screen is comprised of three (3) components:

• Options Menu

• Summary information

• Hot key descriptions

The Options Menu is located on the left side of the screen. This
menu contains a list of system parameters you can modify to meet
your system requirements. Use the UP/DOWN ARROW keys to
move the cursor up and down the list. When the cursor is on the
desired item, press the <ENTER> key to modify settings for that
specific topic.

The “summary information” area displays current system settings
and is located to the right of the Options Menu.

“Hot key” descriptions appear at the bottom of the screen. Press any
of these keys to perform its assigned function.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 43

FIGURE 7

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time ................................................10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory..................................640K

Extended Memory...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑↓ (select) Enter (execute) F5 (color on/off) ESC (save/reboot)

44 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Basic Options Menu

5.1 Basic Options Menu

Locate the “Basic Options” menu. This list outlines all the parame­ters you can change through the Setup Utility. This menu is pic­tured below.

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Note the “Advanced Options” item. Choosing this item will cause a
new menu of options to be displayed. We’ll discuss this menu in
Section 5.2. For now, let’s concentrate on each of the Basic Options
menu items. Remember, use the UP/DOWN ARROW keys to high­light an item, then the <ENTER> key to select that item.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 45

FIGURE 8

Using the Setup Utility

5.1.1 Time and Date

This option allows you to set the time and date in the battery­backed clock/calendar, which is used to set the DOS time and date
before the operating system is loaded. The on-board battery is capa­ble of saving CMOS RAM contains and maintaining time of day for
approximately 100,000 hours.

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date

Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Spacebar (change) Enter (execute)

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Time: 09:43:02

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Date: Aug 30, 1993

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Weekday: Monday

Base Memory..................................640K

Extended Memory...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Set Time and Date

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

46 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

5.1.2 Floppy Disks

FIGURE 9 - A

Basic Options Menu

This feature allows you to configure the floppy drive subsystem. The
first menu asks if you want to enable the E486C on-board controller.
In addition, the Setup Utility will request the drive types for floppy
drives A: and B:. Finally, you will be asked if you want to enable or
disable floppy drive configuration errors. If disabled, this option
allows you to run the system without a floppy disk drive.

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date

Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Weekday..........................................Monday

Onboard Floppy Controller

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory..................................640K

Extended Memory...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Off
On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 47

FIGURE 9 - B

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date

Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Select Drive A: Type

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Not Installed

1

5

/

Inch, 360 KB

4

1

5

/

Inch, 1.2 MB

4

1

3

/

Inch, 720 KB

2

1

3

/

Inch, 1.44 MB

2

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Base Memory..................................640K

Extended Memory...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

48 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 9 - C

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date

Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Select Drive B: Type

Drive A .............................................3

Drive B .............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1 ......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2 ......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Not Installed

1

5

/

Inch, 360 KB

4

1

5

/

Inch, 1.2 MB

4

1

3

/

Inch, 720 KB

2

1

3

/

Inch, 1.44 MB

2

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 49

FIGURE 9 - D

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time ................................................10:18:28

Date.................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date

Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Floppy Configuration Errors

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Off
On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory ..................................640K

Extended Memory ...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

50 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Basic Options Menu

5.1.3 Fixed Disks

This option allows the user to configure the fixed (hard) disk sub­system. When you select this field, you will be asked whether you
want to turn the E486C IDE controller on or off. In addition, the
Setup Utility will request the drive type for hard disk 1 (drive C:)
and hard disk 2 (drive D:).

An “Auto ID” feature is invoked if you press F2 while the “Hard
Disk 1” menu is displayed. This option will analyze your hard drive
and provide a drive type ID, gleaned from the standard hard drive
parameter table (HDPT), that most closely matches the characteris­tics of your hard drive.

Note: This option is also available for the “Hard Disk 2” menu.

To accept this drive type ID, press ENTER. Pressing the PgUp key
will invoke a search through the HDPT for the next closest match.

If you continue to press the PgUp key, the menu will eventually dis­play the user-configurable types “46” and “47.” Types 46 and/or 47
will also be offered if no HDPT match is found when the “Auto ID”
feature is invoked. These types allow you to set the hard disk config­uration fields to match the particular characteristics of your hard
disks.

If you want to change any of the fields offered by type 46 or 47, press
ENTER to accept the values shown. Again, invoke the “Fixed Disks”
option from the “Basic Options” menu, then re-enter the “Set Hard
Drive” menu. You may now set the fields of this menu to the desired
values.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 51

FIGURE 10 - A

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks

Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A .............................................3

Drive B .............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1 ......................................SCSI Installed

Onboard IDE Interface

Off
On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Hard Disk 2 ......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

52 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 10 - B

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks

Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A .............................................3

Drive B .............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1 ......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2 ......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter ..................................VGA/EGA

Set Hard Disk 1 Type

Type...............................44

Cylinders..................... 820

Heads.............................. 6

Landing Zone.............. 820

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Write Precomp ...............-1

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Sectors..........................17

Size............................... 40

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

Pg Up (next) Pg Down (previous) F2 (Auto ID) Enter (execute)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 53

FIGURE 10 - C

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks

Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A .............................................3

Drive B .............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1 ......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2 ......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Drive Reports:

Cylinders ................1053

Set Hard Disk 1 Type

Heads...........................2

Sectors.......................40

Type ..............................47

Drive Table Match:

Cylinders..................... 699

Type............................17

Heads.............................. 7

Cylinders ..................977

Landing Zone.............. 700

Heads...........................5

Landing Zone: ..........977

Write Precomp............256

Write Precomp..........300

Sectors.......................... 17

Sectors.......................17

Size............................... 40

Size ............................40

USER CONFIGURABLE PARAMETERS

Auto ID

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

ENTER (Accept) Pg Up (Next match) ESC (Exit)

54 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 10 - D

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks

Fixed Disks

Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

ENTER (Accept) ESC (Exit)

Time................................................ 10:18:28

Date ................................................ Aug 30, 1993

Weekday......................................... Monday

Auto ID

Drive A ............................................ 3

Drive B ............................................ Not Installed

Hard Disk 1 ..................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2 ..................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter ................................. VGA/EGA

Drive Reports:

Cylinders.................1053

Heads ...........................2

Sectors........................40

Optional user configurable:

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Type ............................47

Base Memory.................................. 640K

Extended Memory........................... 3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock.................. Off‘

Cylinders.................1053

Heads ...........................2

Landing Zone:.........1053

Write Precomp............ -1

Sectors........................40

Size.............................41

Password Protection ....................... None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:.................. On

Floppy:....................... On

Video: ........................ On

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 55

5.1.4 Video Adapter

FIGURE 11 - A

Using the Setup Utility

This feature allows you to specify the type of video adapter installed
in your system. In addition, video configuration errors can be dis­abled, allowing you to run your system without a video adapter.

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks

Video Adapter

Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory..................................640K

Extended Memory...........................3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Select Video Adapter Type

VGA/EGA
CGA 40 x 25
CGA 80 x 25
Monochrome

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

56 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 11 - B

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks

Video Adapter

Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A.............................................3

Drive B.............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Video Configuration Errors

Off

VGA/EGA

On

CGA 40 x 25
CGA 80 x 25

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Monochrome

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock ..................Off‘

Password Protection........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video:.........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 57

Using the Setup Utility

5.1.5 Keyboard

This option provides several functions. The first menu allows you to
enable or disable keyboard configuration errors. If you choose to dis­able this option, you can run your system without a keyboard.

The next two menus offer you the ability to set the “Typematic”
delay and rate. “Typematic delay” refers to the period that elapses
between the time a key is held down until it begins to repeat. “Type­matic rate” refers to the rate at which the character will repeat.

Note: Occasionally, .exe programs and TSR’s that set the Typematic
functions are run from the autoexec.bat file. If used, these programs
have precedence over the Setup Utility’s “Typematic” functions.

58 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 12 - A

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter

Keyboard

Shadow RAM
Boot Options
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Weekday..........................................Monday

Keyboard Configuration Errors

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Off
On

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Video Adapter .................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory.................................. 640K

Extended Memory........................... 3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 59

FIGURE 12 - B

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter

Keyboard

Shadow RAM
Boot Options

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Keyboard Typematic Delay

250 msec

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter .................................VGA/EGA

Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Base Memory.................................. 640K

Extended Memory........................... 3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

60 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 12 - C

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter

Keyboard

Shadow RAM
Boot Options

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Keyboard Typematic Rate

24 chars/sec

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter .................................VGA/EGA

Password Options
Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Base Memory.................................. 640K

Extended Memory........................... 3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 61

Using the Setup Utility

5.1.6 Shadow RAM

This option requires you to specify where the optional ROM-BIOS
code is to be located. When you select this option, a memory map
that displays memory in 16 KByte blocks is displayed. If a ROM is
found within that 16 KByte location, the Setup Utility will display
the word “ROM” or “SHADOW,” where:

• ROM - the system will execute code directly from the

EPROM on the option card, or

• SHADOW - the system will copy the code from the

EPROM into DRAM at the same address, allowing code to
run from the DRAM on the CPU card (dramatically
improving the performance of the system).

A window will also appear to the right of the map. This window dis­plays the following for each option ROM found in the system:

• Starting address of the option ROM

• Length of the option ROM

• Current status (ROM or SHADOW)

This window allows you to toggle between running the option ROM
from the EPROM in which it resides (by selecting ROM), or direct­ing the system to copy it into shadow RAM at power-up (by selecting
SHADOW).

62 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 13

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard

Shadow RAM

Boot Options
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Spacebar (change) Enter (execute)

SHADOW

SHADOW
SHADOW

Shadow RAM Definitions

F000-FFFF (CPU BIOS)

E000-EFFF

DC00
D800
D400
D000

CC00
C800
C400
C000

Address: C000:0

Shadow Select

Length: 32K

Status: SHADOW

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 63

Using the Setup Utility

5.1.7 Boot Options

This function is a series of windows that allows you to set the fol­lowing items:

• Boot Drive Sequence - you can specify the sequence in

which drives are accessed (useful when attempting to load
an operating system)

• Set status of NumLock key at boot - if a 101-key keyboard

is installed, this option directs the BIOS to enable or dis­able the NumLock key before booting.

64 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 14 - A

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date

Weekday..........................................Monday

Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM

Boot Options

Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Drive A .............................................3

Drive B .............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Set Boot Drive Access

Drive A: then C:
Drive C: then A:
Drive A: Only
Drive C: Only

Base Memory...................................640K

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 65

FIGURE 14 - B

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM

Boot Options

Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Time ................................................ 10:18:28

Date................................................. Aug 30, 1993

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A............................................. 3

Drive B............................................. Not Installed

Hard Disk 1...................................... SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2...................................... Not Installed

Video Adapter .................................VGA/EGA

Base Memory.................................. 640K

Set status of NumLock at Boot

Off
On

Set Boot Drive Access

Drive A: then C:
Drive C: then A:
Drive A: Only
Drive C: Only

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Extended Memory........................... 3072K

Floating Point Unit........................... Not Present

Fast Boot......................................... No

Boot Drive Sequence ...................... Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock..................Off‘

Password Protection........................ None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:....................... On

Video:......................... On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

66 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Basic Options Menu

5.1.8 Password Options

This feature allows you the option of having no password protection,
requiring a password to enter the Setup Utility, or requiring a pass­word to enter Setup and boot. The password is entered from this
menu, and you are prompted to enter it again for verification. The
password may consist of from one to 12 characters. Letters A to Z
(case-sensitive) and numbers 0 to 9 are accepted. If a password is
already entered, you must know the password in order to change it.
Note that Switch SW1-3 will delete all password protection.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 67

FIGURE 15 - A

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options

Weekday..........................................Monday

Password Protect Options

Drive A.............................................3

Drive B.............................................Not Installed

Hard Disk 1......................................SCSI Installed

Hard Disk 2......................................Not Installed

None
Setup Only
Setup and System Boot

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Password Options

Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

68 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 15 - B

Basic Options Menu

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Basic Options

Time.................................................10:18:28

Date .................................................Aug 30, 1993

Time and Date
Floppy Disks
Fixed Disks
Video Adapter
Keyboard
Shadow RAM
Boot Options

Weekday..........................................Monday

Drive A.............................................3

Password Edit

1

/2Inch, 1.44 MB

Drive B.............................................Not Installed

New Password

Hard Disk 1......................................SCSI Installed

................... *****

Hard Disk 2......................................Not Installed

Video Adapter..................................VGA/EGA

Password Options

Password Edit
Advanced Options
Park Hard Drive

Base Memory...................................640K

Extended Memory............................3072K

Floating Point Unit............................Not Present

Fast Boot..........................................No

Boot Drive Sequence.......................Drive A: then C:

101-Keyboard NumLock...................Off‘

Password Protection ........................None

Boot Errors: Keyboard:...................On

Floppy:........................On

Video: .........................On

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 69

Using the Setup Utility

5.1.9 Park Hard Drive

When enabled, this feature allows you to park the heads on each
hard drive and protect the drives whenever it is necessary to move
or transport the computer. The menu will display a “Continue
Park?” prompt. Press “Yes” to park the hard drives, “No” to discon­tinue this feature.

Before moving your system, it is recommended that
you park the heads on each hard drive.

NOTICE: Power off the system when done.
Continue Park? Yes No

Hard Disk Head Parking Utility

70 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Advanced Options

5.2 Advanced Options

Choosing the “Advanced Options” item from the “Basic Options”
menu will cause a new menu of options to be displayed. We’ll dis­cuss these options in the following sections. The Advanced Options
menu is displayed below.

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 71

Using the Setup Utility

5.2.1 Serial Ports

You can select the port addresses for Serial Port 1 (UART1) and
Serial Port 2 (UART2) using this option. The choices are as follows:

• 3F8

• 2F8

• 3E8

• 2E8

• Disabled

Note: 3F8 and 3E8 must use IRQ4, and 2F8 and 2E8 must use

IRQ3. These items are not user-selectable.
If Serial Ports 1 and 2 are give the same base port address,

a window will prompt you to enter a key that will solve the
conflict. You cannot further configure the system until the
serial ports no longer share the same address.

The E486C uses type 16450 UART’s.

You can also specify IRQ “trigger” types. For ISA standard IRQ
types, select the “Edge-triggered” option. If multiple devices are
sharing the same IRQ, select the “Level-triggered” option.

72 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 16 - A

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address ...................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Select Serial Port 1 Address

03F8h, IRQ4
02F8h, IRQ3
03E8h, IRQ4
02E8h, IRQ3
Disabled

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 73

FIGURE 16 - B

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Set Serial #1 IRQ Trigger

Edge
Level

74 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 16 - C

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode............................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache ...........Enable

Cache Recovery ..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst............................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Select Serial Port 2 Address

03F8h, IRQ4
02F8h, IRQ3
03E8h, IRQ4
02E8h, IRQ3
Disabled

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 75

FIGURE 16 - D

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode ...........................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address ....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache...........Enable

Cache Recovery..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst ...........................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Set Serial #2 IRQ Trigger

Edge
Level

76 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Advanced Options

5.2.2 Parallel Ports

Use this feature to select an address for the on-board parallel port.
Standard addresses include:

• 3BC

• 378

• 278

• Disabled

Once you enable a port address, you may choose between IRQ5,
IRQ7 and NO IRQ. As with the serial ports, you can also specify
IRQ “trigger” types. For ISA standard IRQ types, select the “Edge­triggered” option. If multiple devices are sharing the same IRQ,
select the “Level-triggered” option. The parallel port can also be con­figured as standard AT-compatible or bi-directional.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 77

FIGURE 17 - A

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports

Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface .................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address ...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address ...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache........... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Select Parallel Port Address

Disabled
03BCh
0378h
0278h

78 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 17 - B

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports

Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Select Parallel Port IRQ

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Disabled

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

No IRQ

Select Parallel Port Address

03BCh

IRQ5

0378h

IRQ7

0278h

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 79

FIGURE 17 - C

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports

Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Set Parallel IRQ Trigger

Edge
Level

80 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 17 - D

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports

Parallel Ports

Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Set Parallel Port Mode

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Select Parallel Port IRQ

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Select Parallel Port Address

Bidirectional
Compatible

Disabled

No IRQ

03BCh

IRQ5

0378h

IRQ7

0278h

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 81

FIGURE 18

Using the Setup Utility

5.2.3 Pointer Device (On-board PS/2 Mouse Port)

The E486C has a standard PS/2 mouse interface mounted on the I/
O bracket. This option allows you to enable this interface. When
enabled, the mouse port uses IRQ12.

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 50MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports

Pointer Device

Cache
Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode ...........................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address ....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache...........Enable

Cache Recovery..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst ...........................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Onboard PS/2 Mouse Port

Off
On

82 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Advanced Options

5.2.4 Cache

The E486C contains a secondary DRAM, write-back cache as well as
internal 8 KByte cache. This option allows you to enable both
caches; however, the internal cache must be enabled before the sec-

ondary cache can be used.

Cache wait states are provided in the following table.

CPU Speed/Type Cache Recovery Cache Write Hit Cache Read Burst

33 MHz DX 0 Wait States 0 Wait States 2-1-1-1
50 MHz DX 1 Wait State 1 Wait State 3-2-2-2

66 MHz DX2 0 Wait States 0 Wait States 2-1-1-1

The Setup Utility also allows you to define one non-cacheable block.
After the cache enable options are configured, the “Non-Cacheable
Memory Block” window appears, and the “Block Size” column is
highlighted. To increment the block size, press the Page Up key;
press the Page Down key to decrement. The block size options for
the E486C are 512K, 1M, 2M, 4M, 8M and DISABLED.

Once the block size is selected, press the right arrow key to high­light the “Start Addr” column. This column is used to select the
start address for the non-cacheable memory block. As with the
“Block Size” column, press the Page Up key to increment, Page
Down to decrement. The increment unit is the block size selected
earlier.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 83

FIGURE 19 - A

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device

Cache

Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Internal 486 Cache

Disable
Enable

84 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 19 - B

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device

Cache

Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller.............. On

Onboard IDE Interface.................... On

Onboard Pointer Device.................. Off

Serial Port 1 Address...................... 03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address...................... 02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address....................... 03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode........................... Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.................... 0270H

Internal 486 Cache.......................... Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache .......... Enable

Cache Recovery.............................. 1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit............................... 1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst........................... 3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

External DRAM Cache

Disable
Enable

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 85

FIGURE 19 - C

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device

Cache

Base Memory Size
Miscellaneous

Basic Options

Pg Up (incr) Pg Down (decr) ↑↓ (select) Enter (execute)

Onboard Floppy Controller ..............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address.......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode ...........................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address ....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache...........Enable

Cache Recovery..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit ...............................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst ...........................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

Non-Cacheable Memory Block

Block Size Start Addr End Addr

512K 00100000 0017FFFF

86 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 20

Advanced Options

5.2.5 Base Memory

The E486C base memory can be set to either 640 KBytes (the usual
amount of memory for an AT-compatible computer) or 512 KBytes.
Since some add-on cards are mapped to the 512 - 640 KByte region,
this option allows you to configure the system to run these cards in
the 512 - 640 KByte area.

Note: If the 512 KByte option is chosen, memory addresses 8000:0
through 9000:FFFF are mapped to the ISA bus.

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache

Base Memory Size

Miscellaneous
Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode............................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache ...........Enable

Cache Recovery ..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst............................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 87

Set Base Memory Size

640K Base Memory
512K Base Memory

Using the Setup Utility

5.2.6 Miscellaneous

This menu selection provides access to the following.
16-bit Data Staggering Option - This option should be enabled to

reduce data bus noise. However, since data staggering introduces a
delay in 32-bit operations, some devices may have timing difficul­ties. Data staggering should be disabled in such cases.

A20 Option - The default selection is “Compatible A20” and should
be the selection used under most circumstances. However, should
rebooting or “warm booting” problems arise when running the
iRMX™ operating system, using the “Fast A20” option should pro­vide normal booting performance.

Additional options and menus will appear under “Miscellaneous” if
certain optional “BIOS extensions” have been installed in BIOS
memory. Once such extension is the Serial Redirection BIOS. When
installed, menus will appear that will permit selection of a serial
port, baud rate and other options pertaining to that BIOS exten­sion. Any installed BIOS extension will be accompanied with docu­mentation covering options available under this Miscellaneous
selection.

88 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

FIGURE 21 - A

Advanced Options

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size

Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode............................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache ...........Enable

Cache Recovery ..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst............................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

16-Bit Data Staggering Option

Enabled
Disabled

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 89

FIGURE 21 - B

Using the Setup Utility

Texas Microsystems, Inc. Setup Utility

Model E486C-DX 33MHz BIOS Version 3.0.1.0

Advanced Options

Serial Ports
Parallel Ports
Pointer Device
Cache
Base Memory Size

Miscellaneous

Basic Options

↑(Previous) ↓ (Next) Enter (execute) Esc (quit/save)

Onboard Floppy Controller...............On

Onboard IDE Interface.....................On

Onboard Pointer Device...................Off

Serial Port 1 Address.......................03F8h, IRQ4, Edge

Serial Port 2 Address.......................02F8h, IRQ3, Edge

Parallel Port Address .......................03BCh, IRQ7, Edge

Parallel Port Mode............................Compatible

Flash I/O Port Address.....................0270H

Internal 486 Cache ..........................Enable

External 256K DRAM Cache ...........Enable

Cache Recovery ..............................1 Wait State

Cache Write Hit................................1 Wait State

Cache Read Burst............................3-2-2-2 Burst Cycle

A20 Option

Compatible A20
Fast A20

90 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Switch SW1-3 - Reload Default Setup Utility Values

5.3 Switch SW1-3 - Reload Default Setup Utility
Values

Occasionally, you may encounter a situation when the CMOS RAM
(Complementary Metallic Oxide Semiconductor Random Access
Memory) becomes corrupted. This condition is usually accompanied
by a “lock-up” of the system. The factory default Setup Utility val­ues for E486C operation must then be reloaded into CMOS RAM.

Under normal conditions, SW1-3 should remain in the
“OPEN” position. However, when factory default values must be

reloaded, follow these procedures:

1. Remove power from the system and place SW1-3 in the

“CLOSED” position.

2. Restore power to the system. The message “System Switch 3 is

ON - Default System Configuration Loaded” will appear on the
screen.

3. After waiting a few seconds, remove power from the system,

place SW1-3 in the OPEN position and restore power.

Depending on the specifics of the system, the E486C may boot. If it
does, you can modify the setup after pressing CTRL, ALT and S
simultaneously during memory tests. If the E486C cannot boot, the
messages “Invalid Configuration Information” and “Please Run
Setup Program” and the prompts “Strike F1 to continue” and
“Strike F2 for Setup” will appear on the screen. Strike the F2 key to
recall the Setup Utility and reset the parameters as needed. Press
the ESC key to save the setup parameter values and reboot the
system.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 91

CHAPTER 6 Memory

Configuration

The E486C supports up to 64 MBytes of on-board memory in vari­ous configurations. Memory can be added to the E486C through the
installation of SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules).

Three SIMM types (256 KByte, 1 MByte and 4 MByte x 36, 70ns)
are supported by the E486C. These SIMM’s may be installed in
Banks 1, 2 3, or 4 (see next page).

CAUTION: Before installing SIMM’ s, remove power from the system
by disconnecting the power cord from the power source. After power
has been removed, remove the E486C Card. Only qualified, experi­enced electronics personnel should access the interior of a chassis.
The components of the E486C Card are very sensitive to static dis­charge. Texas Microsystems provides a grounding wrist strap to
remove all static electricity before touching the components. While
out of the unit, E486C components should be placed on a static-dis­sipative surface or into a static-shielding bag.

E486C system memory decoding is handled automatically through
the initialization software. F or proper operation, you must configure
system memory using the BIOS Setup Utility (see Chapter 5).

92 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

Switch SW1-3 - Reload Default Setup Utility Values

B1

B2

B3

B4

SIMM slot assignments

Table 1: Valid DRAM Configurations

B1 B2 B3 B4 Total

256K - - - 1M
256K 256K - - 2M
256K 256K 256K - 3M
256K 256K 256K 256K 4M
256K 256K 256K 256K 8M

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 93

Memory Configuration

Table 1: Valid DRAM Configurations

B1 B2 B3 B4 Total

1M - - - 4M
1M 1M - - 8M
1M 1M 256K 256K 10M
1M 1M 1M - 12M
1M 1M 1M 1M 16M
2M 2M 2M 2M 32M*
4M - - - 16M
4M 4M - - 32M
4M 4M 4M - 48M
4M 4M 4M 4M 64M

* Valid only when using “double-bank” SIMM’s

94 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

CHAPTER 7 General

Maintenance

As with any electronic hardware, an adequate maintenance pro­gram will enhance the E486C’s ability to provide dependable perfor­mance. In general terms, maintenance includes periodic inspection
of the E486C to ensure that it is clean and free from signs of dirt,
dust, wear and stress. However, the E486C should be cleaned by a
Texas Micro Service Representative only.

CAUTION: Always remove power from the system prior to inspect­ing the E486C Card. Disconnect the power cord from the power
source. Only experienced electronics personnel should access the
chassis’ interior.

CAUTION: No moisture or condensation may come in contact with
the E486C electronic components or cables/connectors. Damage to
sensitive components may occur.

Inspect all cables and connectors to verify that they are securely
fastened to their connecting component(s). Worn or stressed cables
and connectors must be replaced. All peripheral equipment used
with the E486C should be properly maintained. Malfunctioning
equipment should be immediately replaced to prevent damage to
the E486C CPU.

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 95

General Maintenance

7.1 Return Procedure

In instances where Texas Microsystems products require service,
the factory must be contacted and a Return Goods Authorization
(RGA) must be obtained. When requesting an RGA number,
please provide the product serial number . When authorization
is given, a Return Goods Authorization number will be issued. This
RGA number , along with the product serial number, must appear on
all packing materials and correspondence to ensure proper han­dling. In all instances, including return for w arranty repair, an RGA
must be obtained and noted, or the factory will be unable to accept
delivery.

7.2 Technical Support

Texas Microsystems provides on-line technical support available
during weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Central Time) for your
convenience. Our staff of trained professionals welcomes the oppor­tunity to answer your questions and assist you with your technical
requirements. Just call us toll-free at:

1-800-627-8700

To expedite your request, please have available the Texas Microsys­tems product model and serial number.

96 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

APPENDIX A Flash

Programming
Notes

NOTE: This section provides information on flash programming and
is intended for programmers and advanced users.

The E486C features “flash memory,” special EEPROM memory that
can be erased and reprogrammed. The E486C supports up to 256
KBytes of flash memory for BIOS and user application field
upgrades. Flash memory is divided into 64 KByte segments addres­sable through a hardware register. The register value is defined in
the Setup Utility.

NOTE: The default I/O address for the “config” register is 270h (see
Paragraph 1.2.1).

User software must be aware of the flash memory size:

Flash device size Flash memory size

512 KBits 64 KBytes
1 MBite 128 KBytes
2 MBitss 256 KBytes

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 97

Flash Programming Notes

Bits 3 and 4 of the config register control the upper two address
lines of the Flash memory. The 1 MBit device requires manipulation
of Bit 4 only. Bit 4 must be 0 to program the lower 64 KBytes, or 1 to
program the upper 64 KBytes.

The 2 MBit flash requires manipulation of Bits 3 and 4. Bit 4 func­tions as explained above, but Bit 3 must be 0 to read or write to the
lower half of the 2 MBit device or 1 to read or write to the upper
half. Since only two bits of the config register are required for Flash
access, it is necessary to read the stored config register value and
toggle only the flash address bits to preserve the other configuration
bits.

98 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual

APPENDIX B Setup Utility

Default Settings

The following table represents the factory-default configuration set­tings for the E486C CPU Card. For more information on these
options, see Chapter 5, Using the Setup Utility.

Setup Item Default Setting

Time 00:00:00
Date Jan 01, 1993
Weekday Friday
Drive A: 51/4 Inch, 1.2 MB
Drive B: Not Installed
Hard Disk 1 Not Installed
Hard Disk 2 Not Installed
Video Adapter VGA/EGA
Keyboard Typematic Settings Keyboard Controller defaults

E486C CPU Card User’s Manual 99

Setup Utility Default Settings

Setup Item Default Setting

Base Memory Dynamic
Extended Memory Dynamic
Floating Point Unit Dynamic
Fast Boot Off
Boot Drive Sequence Drive A: then C:
101-Keyboard NumLock Off
Password Protection None
Password None
Boot Errors: Keyboard On
Boot Errors: Floppy On
Boot Errors: Video On
Floppy Controller Off
IDE Interface Off
Onboard Pointer Device Off
Serial Port 1 Disabled
Serial Port 2 Disabled
Parallel Port Disabled
Flash I/O Port Address Switch #2 Off = 270H On = 370H
Internal 486 Cache Enabled
External DRAM Cache Disabled

100 E486C CPU Card User’s Manual