Tyan TRINITY KT-A User Manual

Tyan S2390B

Trinity KT-A

Motherboard User’s Manual

Revision 1.00

Copyright © Tyan Computer Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or translated without prior written consent from Tyan
Computer Corp.

All registered and unregistered trademarks and company names contained in this
manual are property of their respective companies including, but not limited to the
following.

A wardBIOS is a trademark of Phoenix Software.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM, PC, AT, PS/2 are trademarks of IBM Corporation.
Duron and Athlon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices.
Trinity KT-A is a trademark of Tyan Computer Corporation.

Information contained in this publication has been carefully checked for accuracy and
reliability. In no event will Tyan Computer be held liable for any direct or indirect,
incidental or consequential damage, loss of use, loss of data, or other malady resulting
from errors or inaccuracies of information contained in this manual. The information
contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

T able of Contents

1. Introduction............................................................................................... 4

Overview ......................................................................................... 4

Icons................................................................................................ 5

Hardware Specifications/Features.............................................. 6

Software Specifications................................................................ 8

T echnical Support......................................................................... 8

Returning Merchandise for Service............................................ 8

2. Board Installation.................................................................................. 10

Unpacking.................................................................................... 10

Installation................................................................................... 1 0

Quick Reference for Jumpers..................................................... 12

Map of Motherboard Jumpers.................................................. 1 3

Setting Jumpers........................................................................... 1 5

Clear CMOS and Reset PW ........................................................ 1 5

Soft Power Connector................................................................. 1 7

Mounting the Motherboard in the Chassis.............................18

Installing Memory ........................................................................1 8

Installing the CPU and Cooling Fan......................................... 21

Connecting IDE and Floppy Drives.......................................... 21

Installing Add on Cards ............................................................ 24

Connecting PS/2, USB, Serial and Parallel Devices................ 25

Connecting the Power Supply ................................................... 2 6

Frequently Asked Questions.................................................... 2 7

3. BIOS Configuration.............................................................................. 28

Main Setup.................................................................................. 3 1

Standard CMOS Features.......................................................... 3 2

Advanced BIOS Features.......................................................... 3 6

Advanced Chipset Features...................................................... 40

Integrated Peripherals................................................................ 4 4

Power Management Setup......................................................... 48

PnP / PCI Configuration............................................................. 5 3

PC Health Status......................................................................... 5 4

Frequency / V oltage.................................................................... 54

Supervisor and User Password................................................. 55

Flash Utility .................................................................................. 55

4. System Resources.................................................................................... 56

Beep Codes..................................................................................... 56

Troubleshooting System Problems............................................. 57

Displayed Error Messages........................................................... 57

Appendix - Glossary...................................................................................... 60

Chapter 1

Introduction

chapter 1

Introduction

Overview

The Trinity KT-A is a quality, high performance motherboard designed for Socket A
AMD Duron™ and Athlon™ microprocessors. The Trinity KT-A utilizes the VIA
KT-133A chipset with AwardBIOS™, can support Duron CPU speeds of 600 MHz
through 800 MHz and Athlon CPU speeds of 750 MHz through 1+ GHz with 200/
266 MHz system bus interface speed. For CPU compatibility information and
updates, check the Tyan website for more details: http://www.tyan.com

The Trinity KT-A motherboard provides high performance capabilities that are ideal
for a wide range of demanding applications such as CAD, CAM, CAE, desktop
publishing, 3D modeling, animation, and video production.

This integrated high-performance system board in an ATX form factor offers more
features and expandability than other ATX boards in its class. Some of the features
included are onboard UltraDMA 33/66/100, and (optionally) onboard digital link sound
with VIA 686B sound chipset utilizing the AC’97 audio codec.

Flexibility and expandability have also been designed into the Trinity KT-A. With I/O
and drive controller support built onboard (along with the many onboard features
previously mentioned), the AGP 1x / 2x / 4x slot, six PCI slots, and ISA slot (shared
with a PCI) are free for more add-on expansion cards.

Remember to take a look at T yan’s website located at http://www.tyan.com. There you
can find information on all of Tyan’s products along with FAQs, distributors list,
drivers, and BIOS setting explanations.

http://www.tyan.com

4

Icons

In order to help you navigate this manual and set up your system, we have added
several icons to our format.

This icon alerts you to particularly important details regarding the setup or
maintenance of your system. This icon often appears next to information

!

important!

that may keep you from damaging your board or system. While we will
often point out the most vital paragraphs in a chapter, you should always
read every word in the text. Failing to do so can lead to exasperation and
expense.

INTRO

1.

2.

3.

procedure

warning

Wherever possible, we have included step-by-step instructions for setting
up your system, which are indicated by this icon. However, it is in your
best interest to read an entire section (and perhaps the entire manual) before
you begin to install your motherboard.

While we have alerted you to potential dangers in several places in the
manual with this icon, these warnings should not be regarded as the whole of
your safety regimen. Never forget that computers are electrical devices, and
are capable of delivering a shock. Prevent damage to yourself and to your
board: always ensure that your system is turned off and unplugged
whenever you are working with it, and that you are equipped with a static
safety device. If a static safety device is not available to you, remember to
touch any unpainted metal surface in your case before handling your board.

S2390B Trinity KT -A

5

Chapter 1

Introduction

Hardware Specifications/Features

Processor Information •Single ZIF Socket A

•AMD Athlon™ 750 MHz to 1 GHz*

•AMD Duron™ 600 MHz to 750 MHz*

•200/266 MHz System Bus Interface Speed

•Auto-detect processor voltage

Expansion Slots •One 1x / 2x / 4x mode AGP v2.0 slot

•Six 32-bit PCI v2.1 compliant slots

•One 16-bit ISA slot (shared w/ a PCI slot***)

•Total seven usable slots

Chipset Information •VIA KT-133A™ chipset

(VT8363 and VT82C686B)

Hardware Monitoring •VIA 686B hardware monitoring chip

•3-pin fan monitoring headers

•Flexible temperature and voltage sensing

•3-pin W ake on LAN header

•3-pin W ake on Ring header

Memory •Three 168-pin 3.3V unbuffered DIMM sockets

•Supports up to 1.5GB

•ECC memory is NOT supported

•Supports PC100 / 133 SDRAM (unregistered,
non-ECC) and VCM SDRAM

Integrated PCI IDE •Dual channel master mode

•Supports up to four Enhanced IDE devices

•Support for PIO Mode 4, UDMA 33/66/100 IDE
ATAPI compliant devices

Integrated I/O •One floppy connector for up to two drives

•Two 9-pin UART serial ports

•One 25-pin ECP / PPP parallel port

•PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports

•Four USB ports^ (two ports via cable; optional)**

http://www.tyan.com

6

Integrated Audio •VIA 686B digital link audio
(Manufacturing Option) •AC’97 audio codec Rev 2.1

•One MIDI / Game port

•Line-in, MIC-in, and Line-out ports

•4-pin CD-ROM audio (ATAPI) header

•4-pin Video-in (ATAPI) header

BIOS •AwardBIOS™ 2 Mbit Flash RAM

•Supports APM 1.2 and ACPI 1.0

•Auto detection of memory size

•Auto configuration of IDE hard disk types

•User settings for hardware monitoring

•Mutliple boot options

•DMI 2.0 compliant

Form Factor •ATX 2.03 (12” x 8.2”)

•Four-layer board

•One 20-pin ATX power connector

•Stacked mouse and keyboard ports

•Stacked two serial ports and one parallel port

•Stacked two USB ports^

•Stacked audio and MIDI / Game ports (optional)

Regulatory •FCC Class B (Declaration of Conformity)

•European Community CE
(Declaration of Conformity)

INTRO

* Check the Tyan website for more CPU compatibility information: www.tyan.com
** Check p.16 for details about the frontside USB header
*** You can only install an ISA card if you did not install a card in the bottom PCI slot
^ Please be sure your chassis supports frontside USB ports before using this feature

S2390B Trinity KT -A

7

Chapter 1

Introduction

Software Specifications

OS •Operates with Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0

and Windows 2000

Technical Support

If a problem arises with your system, you should turn to your dealer for help first.
Your system has most likely been configured by them, and they should have the best
idea of what hardware and software your system contains. Hence, they should be of
the most assistance. Further, if you purchased your system from a dealer near you,
you can actually bring your system in to them to have it serviced, instead of attempt­ing to do so yourself (which can have expensive consequences).

Help resources:

1. See F AQ and beep codes sections of this manual.

2. See T yan website for FAQ, bulletins, driver updates, etc: http://www.tyan.com

3. Contact your dealer or distributor for help BEFORE calling Tyan.

4. Check the Tyan user group: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.tyan

Returning Merchandise for Service

During the warranty period, contact your distributor or system vendor FIRST for any
product problems. This warranty only covers normal customer use and does not cover
damages incurred during shipping or failure due to the alteration, misuse, abuse, or
improper maintenance of products.

For Resellers Only:

A receipt or copy of your invoice marked with the date of purchase is required before
any warranty service can be rendered. Y ou can obtain service by calling the manufac­turer for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. The RMA number
should be prominently displayed on the outside of the shipping carton and the package
should be mailed prepaid to the manufacturer. Tyan will pay to have the board shipped
back to you.

http://www.tyan.com

8

INTRO

S2390B Trinity KT -A

This page left blank intentionally.

9

Chapter 2

Board Installation

chapter 2

Board Installation

Unpacking

The motherboard package should contain the following:

(1) Trinity KT-A mainboard
(1) 34-pin floppy cable pack
(1) 80-pin ATA-100 IDE cable* included
(1) Trinity KT-A User’s Manual
(1) Driver CD

Installation

You are now ready to install your motherboard. The mounting hole pattern of the
Trinity KT-A matches the ATX system board specifications. Your chassis should
support a standard ATX mainboard form factor.

How to install our products right... the first time.

What’s the first thing I should do?

The first thing you should do is read this user’s manual. It contains important
information which will make configuration and setup much easier.

* ATA-100 cables are identical to ATA-66 cables, therefore they are backward

compatible

http://www.tyan.com

10

Here are some precautions you should follow when installing your motherboard:

(1) Ground yourself properly before removing your motherboard
from the antistatic bag. Unplug the power from your computer power
supply and then touch any unpainted metal part on the computer case.
(Or wear a grounded static safety wrist strap.)
(2) Hold the motherboard by its edges and do not touch the bottom of

the board.
(3) Avoid touching motherboard components, IC chips, connectors,
and leads.

(4) Avoid touching pins of memory modules and chips.
(5) Place motherboard on a grounded antistatic surface or on the

antistatic bag.

Having reviewed the precautions above, the next step is to take the motherboard out of
the cardboard box and static bag, hold it by its edges, and place it on a grounded
antistatic surface, component side up. Inspect the board for damage.

DO NOT APPL Y POWER TO THE BOARD IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED!

!

important!

Press down on any of the socket ICs if it appears that they are not properly seated
(the board should still be on an antistatic mat). Do not touch the bottom of the board.
Remember, don’t take any electronic device out of its protective bag until you are
ready to actually install it into the computer case. If you do not ground yourself, you
risk zapping the motherboard or adapter card. Subsequent problems may not arise
immediately because electrostatic discharge damage, unlike physical damage, causes the
device to fail over time.

INSTALL

1.

2.

3.

procedure

Installation Steps

1. Set Jumpers

2. Mount Motherboard in Chassis

3. Install Memory

4. Install CPU & Cooling Fan

5. Connect IDE and Floppy Drives

6. Install Add-on Cards

7. Connect PS/2, USB, Serial and Parallel Devices

8. Connect Power Supply

S2390B Trinity KT -A

11

Chapter 2

Board Installation

Quick References for Jumpers

In this manual, the terms “closed” and “on” are used when referring to jumpers (or
jumper pins) that are active; “open” and “off” are used when referring to jumpers (or
jumper pins) that are inactive. See the Figure 2-1 for examples of “on” and “off” pins
and jumpers. The square pin in the diagram is Pin 1.

Jumpers and pins are connected by slipping the blue plastic jumper connector overtop
of two adjacent jumper pins (indicated by 1-2 or 2-3). The metal rod inside the plastic
shell bridges the gap between the two pins, completing the circuit. See Figure 2-2 for
more example of pin connections.

Figure 2-1 Figure 2-2

2 pin jumpers

off on

3 (or more) pin jumpers

1-2 2-3 open

1
2
3

1
2
3

1
2
3

The tables and maps on the following pages will help you set the jumpers for CPU speed,
Infrared, and external connector pin assignments, among others. The miniature motherboard
maps will help you locate the jumpers on your board. A full-page map of the motherboard
can be found on the next two pages.

12

http://www.tyan.com

Map of Motherboard Jumpers

Mic*
Line-in*
Line-out*

Keyboard

Video-in

FAN1

JP1

Mouse

2 USB Ports

COM1 Port

Printer Port

AMD Athlon™ Socket A 500 MHz to 1 GHz

COM2 Port

Game Port*

WOM1

WOL1

VIA KT-133A

1 AGP 1x / 2x / 4x

Power Supply

Temperature
Monitor

3 DIMM Sockets

JP19

VIA 686B

Southbridge

Internal
Buzzer

JP26
P-IDE

Battery

FAN2

INSTALL

FDD

S-IDE

JP18

JP21

J1

CD Audio-in

JP24

6 32-bit PCI slots

ISA slot

11

1

11

JP22

BIOS

The tiny “1”s next to jumpers of 3 pins or more indicate the position of pin 1 for that
jumper.

* Optional feature

S2390B Trinity KT -A

13

J2

Chapter 2

Board Installation

Map of Trinity KT Features

PS/2 Mouse &

Keyboard ports

2 USB ports

Parallel, COM1, COM2 ports

Socket A Type for

Athlon™ CPU

ATX Power
Supply Header

3 DIMM slots

Internal

Buzzer

Floppy connector

Primary IDE

Secondary IDE

Battery

Video-InCD Audio

Joystick port*, mic*, line-in*, line-out*

ISA
slot

* Optional feature

AGP

1x / 2x / 4x

slot

Award BIOS

VIA KT-133A chipset6 PCI slots

http://www.tyan.com

14

1. Setting Jumpers

Note: There are no Jumper settings for CPU bus speed or clock multiplier on the

Trinity KT-A board. The Trinity KT-A is designed to automatically detect the
socketed Duron™ / Athlon™ CPU and its proper speed settings.

!

important!

1-A. J1 External Pin Assignments

VCC 1 2 Power LED+

LED

HDD

LED 3 4 Sleep LED+

Ground 5 6 Switch

Reset

Switch

Switch 7 8 Ground
IR +5V 9 1 0 NO CONNECT

NO CONNECT 1 1 12 VCC
IR RX 13 14 NO CONNECT

Infrared

IR GND 15 16 NO CONNECT
IR TX 17 18 Ext ernal Speaker

LEDs

Pwr/Slp

Power

Switch

Speaker

WOM1,
WOL1

JP22

JP21

(clear CMOS)

J1

1-B. Power LED (JP22)

Pin 1 2 3

+5 VSB

LED YEL

Ground

VCC

LED GRN

Jumper JP22 is a 3-pin ACPI LED
header. If you need a 2-pin Power
LED header, use jumper J1 above.

1-C. Clear CMOS and Reset Password (JP21)

lamroNraelC

12PJ

2-13-2

If you have been locked out of your system because you forgot your password or set
the CMOS incorrectly, follow the instructions below.

1. Power off the system, and disconnect the power supply.

2. Set jumper JP21 to pins 2 and 3

3. Wait for 10 seconds, then return jumper JP21 to pins 1 and 2.

4. Power on the system again.
By following this procedure, you will erase your password and reset the CMOS to the
BIOS defaults.

INSTALL

1-D. Wake-On Modem Connector (optional) (WOM1)

Pin 1 2 3

+5 VSB Gro und WOR

1-E. Wake-On LAN Connector (optional) (WOL1)

Pin 1 2 3

+5 VSB Gro und WOL

S2390B Trinity KT -A

15

Chapter 2

Board Installation

1-F. Fan Connectors (FAN1, FAN2)

Pin123

Ground +12V Speed

Fan1 is for the CPU fan. The Fan2 connector is for the Chassis Fan.

1-G. CD Audio Connector (CD1)

Pin1234

CD-L Ground Ground CD-R

FAN1

1-H. Video-In (VIDEO1)

Video-in ATAPI Header for external multimedia
devices.

1-I. FSB jumpers (JP19, JP26)

If you have a non-retail/engineering sample CPU,

JP19

you can alter the front side bus setting by using these
jumpers in conjunction with each other.

zHM001zHM331
91PJ
62PJ

nepoesolc
esolcnepo

CD1,
VIDEO1

JP24

J2

1-J. Front Side USB Header (J2)*

Certain computer chassis allow for two front-end USB port connections. This board
provides a front side USB header should you decide to set up a USB connector at the
front side of your computer. Check with your chassis vendor for details.

1-K. EXTSMI Server Management Connector (JP1)

The EXTSMI (External System Management Interface) connector JP1 is used by some
plug-in cards. Certain applications associated with these plug-in cards use the interface
for hardware control and queries.

1-L. Power Management (JP18)

STR is part of the ACPI system, which provides energy saving functions for the
computer. If this jumper is set to NOT ENABLED (close pins 2-3) which is the
default setting, the system will default to S1 state, even if the BIOS has ACPI
functions enabled. If the jumper is ENABLED (close pins 1-2), and ACPI functions
are enabled in the BIOS, the system will go to energy saving S3 state (hibernation),
saving the system’s state into volatile memory.

JP1

JP26

JP18

FAN2

1-M. Sleep Button (JP24)

The sleep button jumper is connected to the front panel sleep button (if one exists).
The purpose of this jumper is to provide for manual activation of the BIOS power­saving state.

* Please be sure that your chassis supports frontside USB ports before using this feature

http://www.tyan.com

16

Soft Power Connector

The Soft Power Connector is part of jumper block J1 (pins 6-8). The Trinity KT-A
uses the chipset for power management, including turning on and off the system. If the
Power Button Function option in the BIOS Power Management Menu is set to On/Off
(which is the default), pressing the power button once after the BIOS has booted up
will turn the system on and off. If the Power Button Function option is set to
Suspend, pressing the power button once will wake the system or send it to Suspend
mode. In this case, you cannot turn the system off unless you shut down through the
Windows operating system or you hold the power button down for four seconds.

Hardware Reset Switch Connector Installation

The Reset switch on your case’s display panel provides you with the Hardware Reset
function, which is the same as power on/off. The system will do a cold start after the
Reset button is pushed.

CMOS RTC

The Real Time Clock (RTC) circuit, which provides the date and time for the system is
integrated into the KT-133A chipset. If the external battery for the RTC is low, it will
prevent your system from POSTing, and you will not get a display. Normally the life
span of an external battery is 2 years. If yours is running low, you will need to replace
it with a new 3V lithium battery (Sony CR2032).

Flash EEPROM

The Trinity KT-A uses flash memory to store BIOS firmware. It can be updated as
new versions of the BIOS become available. Y ou can upgrade your BIOS easily using
the Flash Utility (see page 55).

INSTALL

S2390B Trinity KT -A

17

Chapter 2

Board Installation

2. Mounting the Motherboard in the Chassis

Follow the instructions provided by the case manufacturer for proper installation
guidelines. Tyan recommends that you make use of all mounting holes to screw down
the motherboard. The adapter cards and the screws holding them down will keep your
board flat. The fastening screws should not short / touch any of the traces on the
motherboard. Make certain that you do not overtighten the screws, as that will damage
the motherboard and possibly break internal traces in the surrounding area. The hole
you should use is located at the top-center of the board where the adapter cards are
fastened to the case.

3. Installing Memory

Since T yan boards are manufactured with performance in mind, you should use add-in
components that match. Some DIMM modules may seem to be high quality because of
name or feel but that does not guarantee real-world usability. Some cheaper or OEM
memory may have brand-name components, but they may contain inferior or substan­dard parts which do not meet the critical tolerances our products require. Because of
this, your memory may not work correctly in a Tyan board though it may work well in
a competitor’s board. This is because many of our competitors do not adhere to the

Figure 2-3

18

http://www.tyan.com

strict tolerances required for high performance. If you buy a Tyan board, you are
getting the best system available. To make installation easy and trouble free, get high
quality parts. For a list of recommended memory vendors, please visit Tyan’s website
at www.tyan.com - go to the “Memory Support” area in the Support Section. The
website memory compatibility lists include DIMMs that have proven to be very stable
on our boards and perform extremely well.

To install your DIMMs, line your module up so that the pins fit into the slot. There
is only one way that your DIMM can fit properly. Make sure that the short row of
pins is lined up with the short gap in the DIMM slot. Figure 2-3 (previous page)
shows how to sit the DIMM into its slot. To insert the DIMM, push down vertically
on the module with even force, as shown in the photo. Do not shove one end in first;
doing so will bend the DIMM pins.

To lock the DIMM into place, push the plastic clips on either end of the slot onto the
notches in the ends of the DIMM (see Figure 2-4 below). In some cases, pushing the
memory module into the DIMM slot will move the plastic clips inward, automatically
locking the module into place. To remove your DIMM, simply pull the clips back, and
pull up on the module.

INSTALL

Figure 2-4

Place the DIMMs in an anti-static bag as soon as you remove them to avoid static
damage.

S2390B Trinity KT -A

19

!

important!

Chapter 2

Board Installation

The Trinity KT-A uses a 64-bit data path from memory to CPU and can accommodate
up to 1.5GB of SDRAM. The 168-pin DIMMs (Dual In-line Memory Modules) must
be of the 3.3V, unbuffered variety. The position of the notch in the SDRAM key
position will tell you whether or not a DIMM is unbuffered (see the Figure 2-5
below). All installed memory will be automatically detected, so there is no need to set
any jumpers.

EEPROM

Buffered

Unbuffered

168-pin DIMM

RFU

Figure 2-5

Some details of memory installation:

• The mainboard supports 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, and 256MB unbuffered SDRAM.

• ECC, registered memory is NOT supported.

The table below shows some of the possible memory configurations. Not all
possible configurations are listed.

1knaBMMID2knaBMMID3knaBMMIDlatoT

1xBM231xBM230BM46

0

1xBM461xBM23

0

46

1xBM

046

1xBM461xBM821BM291

0

1xBM8211xBM821

0

1xBM8211xBM652

0

1xBM2151xBM215

1xBM215

1xBM231xBM23

0BM69

BM23

1x

1xBM46
1xBM

1xBM8211xBM46

1xBM8211xBM821BM652

1xBM6521xBM652

1xBM2151xBM215BM6351

1xBM46

0

1xBM46

0

0BM483

0

46

69

182BM
1

82

BM

BM

BM

BM291

BM652

BM215

BM4201

warning

Warning! DO NOT use registered DIMMs! (Check with your memory dealer
for more information). See www.tyan.com for the latest memory compatibility

information.

20

http://www.tyan.com

4. Installing the CPU and Cooling Fan

Socket A type Duron™ and Athlon™
processors can be used on the Trinity
KT-A. Remember:

• The CPU is a sensitive electronic
component and it can easily be
damaged by static electricity. Do
not touch the CPU pins with your
fingers.

• Before the CPU is installed, the
mainboard must be placed on a flat
surface. Y ou should be able to
insert the CPU into the socket
with minimal, but firm pressure.
Do not press down hard on the
CPU.

Pin 1 on the CPU is denoted by a small dot on one of the corners and Pin 1 on the ZIF
socket is denoted by an angled corner (see Figure 2-6). Never force a CPU into a
socket. Forcing a CPU to seat will bend the pins on the CPU and possibly damage the

motherboard.
Push down lightly on the CPU, and lower the arm on the ZIF socket to secure the

CPU. A squeaking noise is normal as the arm lowers. After the CPU is securely seated,
install the appropriate cooling device. Tyan strongly recomends a heatsink / fan
combination. Consult with your case manufacturer for other cooling options.

Pin 1

Figure 2-6

INSTALL

Locate the cooling fan connector (e.g. FAN1) on the motherboard. Plug the CPU’s
cooling fan cable into the cooling fan connector on the board. There will be a plastic clip
assembly similar to that of the ATX power connector that will force you to connect
the fan cable correctly (see Figure 2-7 below).

5. Connecting IDE

and Floppy Drives

The colored stripe on a ribbon cable
should face toward the ATX Power
Connector on the motherboard. In
Figure 2-8 (next page), you can see
how the IDE cables should look when
they are connected to your hard
drive. Notice how Pin 1 (denoted by
a colored stripe) is connected so that

S2390B Trinity KT -A

21

Figure 2-7