ZEOS Python User Manual

The

COMPLETE

GUIDE TO

HIGH PERFORMANCE

COMPUTING

WITH YOUR

PANTERA

COMPUTER

User’s Guide

R

1

 Copyright 1995

ZEOS International

All rights reserved
Words: Jim Parker

Illustrations: Steve Scofield, Pat Foust

Cover Design by Jean Mueller

ZEOS International, Ltd. shall not be held liable for technical or editorial omissions or errors made herein; nor
for incidental or consequential damages resulting from furnishing, performance, or use of this material. This
document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. No part of this document may be
photocopied or reproduced by mechanical, electronic, or other means in any form without prior written
permission of ZEOS International, Ltd.

Trademark Acknowledgments

Adaptec is the trademark of Adaptec, Inc.
IBM, XT, AT, and OS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Laboratories.
Phoenix is the trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
Quadtel is the trademark of Quadtel Corp., A Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Co.
Intel, 486SX, DX, DX2, DX4, and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation.
XENIX, MS-DOS, GW-Basic, Windows, and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Limitation of remedies and liabilities:

ZEOS’ entire liability and customers’ exclusive and sole remedy for damages from any cause whatsoever
(including without limitation any nonperformance, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty) shall be limited to
returning the products pursuant to the thirty (30) day satisfaction guarantee, or to repair or replace specific
products or services that do not comply with the limited warranty given by ZEOS. Any products or services
repaired or replaced by ZEOS pursuant to this paragraph shall be warranted as of the date of delivery in
accordance with the terms and conditions herein for the duration of the one-year term of Limited Warranty
given by ZEOS. In no event will ZEOS be liable for any damages caused, in whole or in part, by customer, or
for any economic loss, physical injury, lost revenues, lost profits, lost savings or other indirect, incidental,
special or consequential damages incurred by any person, even if ZEOS has been advised of the possibility of
such damage for claims.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages for consumer
products, and some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above
limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
ZEOS provides no warranties whatsoever on software.

700-0196-00 PYTHON

2

Customer Assurance Program

Thirty (30) Day Money-Back Guarantee on Most Products.

Any product (except for software, software disks, related documentation and
consumables) purchased from ZEOS may be returned within thirty days from the
date it was shipped by ZEOS for a full refund of the purchase price excluding
original shipping charges.

Returned products must be in as new condition, in original packing, complete
with all warranty cards, manuals, cables and other materials as originally shipped;
not modified or damaged.

Any returned product must be shipped prepaid and insured. Any return must carry
a ZEOS Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number, obtained from ZEOS,
on the outside of each carton. Returns without RMA numbers will not be
accepted. After thirty days from shipment, all sales are final and credit or refunds
will not be given.

3

ZEOS Computer Systems One Year Limited Warranty

All new ZEOS computer systems come with a One Year Limited Warranty which
provides that the products ZEOS manufactures or assembles, other than items
such as software, disks and related documentation, will remain in good working
condition, free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and
service, for a period of one year from the date of shipment from ZEOS. This
warranty is limited to the original purchaser and is not transferable. During this
one year period, ZEOS will repair or replace, at its option, any defective product
or parts at no additional charge to the customer, provided that the defective
product or part is returned, shipment prepaid, to ZEOS. All replaced products and
parts become the property of ZEOS. Replacement parts shall be similar new or
serviceable used parts. This Limited Warranty does not extend to any products
which have been damaged as a result of accident, misuse, abuse (such as incorrect
voltages, power surges, improper or insufficient ventilation, failure to follow
ZEOS’ provided operating instructions, “acts of God” or other situations beyond
the control of ZEOS), or as the result of service or modification by anyone other
than ZEOS. Non-ZEOS installed parts or components are not covered, nor is
damage to ZEOS provided components covered as a result of their installation.
This warranty does not cover work performed by others, all warranty work must
be performed by ZEOS.

4

5

FCC Compliance Statement

For U.S. and Canadian Users

Warning!

Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15, Subpart B of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures.

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is needed.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will
invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels
which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment.

This equipment is a Class B digital apparatus which complies with the Radio
Interference Regulations, C.R.C., c. 1374.

Cet appareil numèrique de la classe B est conformè au Règlement sur le brouillage
radioèlèctrique, C.R.C., ch. 1374.

Contents

1. The Big Picture ......................................................................... 8

Desktop System At A Glance.................................................. 10

Tower System At A Glance ..................................................... 12

How to Open a Desktop Case................................................. 14

How to Open a Tower Case .................................................... 16

Inside a Desktop Computer..................................................... 18

Inside a Tower Computer ........................................................ 19

2. The Mainboard ........................................................................ 20

Mainboard Features ................................................................ 20

PCI Local Bus 32-Bit High Speed Expansion Slots ............................. 21

Secondary Cache Subsystem ............................................................ 21

Continuous Full-Speed Processing ..................................................... 21

On-Board Peripherals ......................................................................... 22

Serial Ports ........................................................................................ 22

Parallel Port........................................................................................ 23

Mainboard Diagram................................................................. 24

Mainboard Connectors............................................................ 25

Mainboard Jumpers ................................................................ 26

Mainboard Jumpers Described ............................................... 27

FLASH1.............................................................................................. 27

CLR1 .................................................................................................. 27

CLK .................................................................................................... 28

Cache1............................................................................................... 28

P3V and P5V ...................................................................................... 28

CP1 .................................................................................................... 28

3. Using SETUP........................................................................... 29

Main Menu .............................................................................. 30

System Time ...................................................................................... 30

System Date ....................................................................................... 31

Diskette A: ......................................................................................... 31

Diskette B: ......................................................................................... 31

IDE Adapter Sub-menus ..................................................................... 31

Autotype Fixed Disk............................................................................ 31

Video System ..................................................................................... 32

Memory Cache ................................................................................... 33

Memory Shadow ................................................................................ 34

6

Advanced Options................................................................... 35

Integrated Peripherals......................................................................... 35

Advanced Chipset Control .................................................................. 36

Plug & Play O/S.................................................................................. 38

Large Disk Access Mode .................................................................... 38

Security Options...................................................................... 39

Set Supervisor Password ................................................................... 39

Set User Password............................................................................. 39

Password on boot ............................................................................... 40

Diskette access ................................................................................. 40

Fixed disk boot sector ........................................................................ 40

System backup reminder.................................................................... 40

Virus check reminder ......................................................................... 40

Power Options......................................................................... 41

Power Savings .................................................................................... 41

Standby Timer Reset Events .............................................................. 41

Standby Break Events........................................................................ 42

Standby Wakeup Events..................................................................... 42

Exit Menu Options................................................................... 42

4. Expanding Your System ......................................................... 43

Adding an Expansion Board.................................................... 43

How Disk Drives Work............................................................. 45

How a Floppy Drive Works ...................................................... 46

How an IDE Hard Drive Works ................................................ 47

How a CD-ROM Drive Works.................................................. 48

Why Is More RAM Better? ...................................................... 49

Installing SIMMs...................................................................... 50

Adding System Cache Memory .............................................. 52

Installing a New CPU .............................................................. 54

Mainboard Specifications.......................................................... 57

Mainboard Environmental Specifications ................................ 57

9-Pin Serial Port (J2) Pin Assignment..................................... 58

25-Pin Serial Port (J3) Pin Assignment................................... 58

Parallel Port (J4) Pin Assignment............................................ 60

Handy Cheat Sheet..................................................................... 62

Glossary...................................................................................... 64

Index ............................................................................................ 66

7

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

1. The Big Picture

Welcome to the ZEOS User’s Guide! The User’s Guide works with the Getting
Started manual to help keep your system running trouble free, year after year.

The User’s Guide is divided into four chapters, plus technical specifications and
some general information about personal computers.

Chapter 1, The Big Picture gives an overview of a typical desktop and tower
system. It also shows the major components inside the computer case.

Chapter 2, The Mainboard gives detailed information about your mainboard.

Chapter 3, Using SETUP explains how to view and change your system’s BIOS

(Basic Input/Output System) settings by using the SETUP program.

Chapter 4, Expanding Your System shows how to add components and
enhancements to your system. These include a video adapter card, a controller
card, an internal modem, a floppy drive, an IDE hard drive, a CD-ROM drive,
memory SIMMs, system cache, and a new CPU.

Mainboard Specifications includes your mainboard specifications, environmental
specifications, plus pin assignments for your serial and parallel ports.

The Handy Cheat Sheet gives a short summary of some of the most needed or
most forgotten commands.

The Glossary gives short definitions of some common computer terms.

8

This page intentionally left blank.

9

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Desktop System At A Glance

Brightness

Power LED

Hard Disk
(HDD) LED

Reset
Button

Keyboard
Lock

Turbo Button
(not used)

Turbo LED
(not used)

Contrast

Monitor Power
Switch

System Unit
Power Switch
(the “ON”
button)

Drive bays with CD­ROM drive and 3.5”
Floppy Drive

Front View

10

AC Power Cable

Cooling Fan

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Mouse Cable
Connector (9-pin
Serial Port COM A)

Video
Connector

110-220V
Switch

AC Power Cable

Parallel Printer Port
Connector (LPT1)

Keyboard Connector

Secondary Serial
Port (25-pin COM B)

Rear View

11

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Tower System At A Glance

Turbo LED
(not used)

Turbo Button
(not used)

Reset
Button

Drive
Bays with

3.5”
Floppy
Drive and
CD-ROM
Drive

Hard Disk (HDD) LED

Power LED

System Unit Power Switch (the “ON” button)

Keyboard Lock

Brightness

Contrast

Monitor Power
Switch

Front View

12

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Keyboard Connector

AC Power Cable

Secondary
Serial Port
(25-pin
COM B)

Rear View

Cooling Fan

AC Power
Cable

Mouse
Cable
Connector
(9-pin
Serial
COM A)

Parallel
Printer Port
Connector
(LPT1)

Video
Connector

13

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

How to Open a Desktop Case

Caution!

Whenever you open the case or work inside the computer there is
danger of static electric shock. These shocks can permanently
damage your equipment. Always ground yourself by touching the
system cabinet before touching any internal component. We
strongly recommend using an antistatic wrist strap attached to
cabinet ground.

To open a desktop case:

1. Turn off the monitor and system unit power. Unplug the AC power cables
and disconnect any other cables attached to the back of the system unit.

2. Remove the plastic bezel from the back of the case by pulling it away
from the case.

3. Unscrew the five mounting screws at the back of the case that hold the
case cover to the system unit chassis.

4. Slide the case cover back and up. Be careful not to snag any cables or
connectors inside the case.

5. Set the case cover aside while you work on your system.

6. When through, reattach the case cover, screws, bezel, and cables in the
reverse order.

The figures opposite show the plastic bezel, screw
locations, and how to remove a desktop PC’s cover.

14

15

Mounting
Screws

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Cover

Chassis

Plastic Bezel

Removing the Cover

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

How to Open a Tower Case

Caution!

Whenever you open the case or work inside the computer there is
danger of static electric shock. These shocks can permanently
damage your equipment. Always ground yourself by touching the
system cabinet before touching any internal component. We
strongly recommend using an antistatic wrist strap attached to
cabinet ground.

Opening a vertical case is almost identical to opening a desktop case.

To open a vertical case:

1. Turn off the monitor and system unit power. Unplug the AC power cables
and disconnect any other cables attached to the back of the system unit.

2. Remove the plastic bezel from the rear of the case by pulling it away
from the case.

3. Unscrew the six mounting screws at the back of the case that hold the
case cover to the system unit chassis.

4. Slide the case cover back and up. Be careful not to snag any cables or
connectors inside the case.

5. Set the case cover aside while you work on your system.

6. When through, reattach the case cover, screws, bezel, and cables in the
reverse order.

The figures opposite show the plastic bezel, screw
locations, and cover motion for a tower case.

16

Mounting Screws

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Cover

Plastic Bezel

Chassis

Removing the Cover

17

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Inside a Desktop Computer

Expansion Slots
(quantity varies
with model)

Expansion Boards

CPU

Floppy Drives,
CD-ROM Drives,
and Tape Backup
Units

Mainboard

Power Supply

Hard Disk Drive

Desktop Interior

The mainboard is the large circuit board at the bottom of the chassis. It is the
heart of your system. All of the other components inside the case work for the
mainboard. The power supply delivers electricity to the mainboard. The disk
drives, keyboard connectors, and other parts of the system unit bring information
to and from the mainboard.

The figure below shows some of the most common components inside the
computer.

18

Inside a Tower Computer

Floppy Drives,
CD-ROM Drives,
and Tape Backup
Units

Power Supply

Mainboard

Expansion Slots
(quantity varies
with model)

Chapter 1 - The Big Picture

Hard Disk Drive

Expansion Boards

CPU

Tower Interior

Tower systems have the same components as desktop systems. The figure above
shows the mainboard and typical components inside a Tower case.

19

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

2. The Mainboard

The mainboard is the largest circuit board in the computer. It contains the central
processing unit (CPU), secondary cache subsystem, expansion slots, ports and
connectors for other computer components, and the system main solid-state
memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory).

Mainboard Features

Your mainboard includes:

• Intel 80486DX, DX2, DX4 or Overdrive P24T and P24D running
at 25, 33, 50, 66, 75, or 100 MHz

• Optional 128K or 512K secondary SRAM system cache, write­back, direct-mapped

• Integrated onboard floppy drive controller

• Two onboard IDE hard drive interface ports supporting up to 4
IDE devices (primary is PCI local bus)

• Bi-directional Parallel Port (configurable through software)

• Two RS232, 16550 high-speed serial ports

• Flexible RAM: four sockets handle mixed SIMM capacities
(512K to 32Mb) and speeds (50, 60, 70ns) in any combination

• 128Mb maximum RAM capacity

• Flash BIOS, relocatable to system RAM to boost performance

• Four 16-bit ISA expansion slots

• Three 32-bit PCI local bus expansion slots

• Clock/calendar with onboard battery backup

• Energy saving, low power “sleep” mode

20

Chapter 2- The Mainboard

PCI Local Bus 32-Bit High Speed Expansion Slots

The three PCI local bus, high speed expansion slots move information at up to
132 MB/s. This offers a high performance, 32-bit interface to support local bus
peripherals such as video cards, LAN adapters and hard disk drives.

Secondary Cache Subsystem

The secondary (Level 2) cache subsystem enhances the performance of the CPU.
The onboard cache controller allows cache memory to provide an ultra high­speed, 12-15-nanosecond buffer between the CPU and conventional (50, 60, or
70ns) RAM. Your system can accommodate three cache configurations: 0K,
128K, or 512K of Level 2 cache.

Continuous Full-Speed Processing

Pantera systems now run continuously at maximum speed, eliminating Turbo
Mode. Because of this, the Turbo button and Turbo LED are not used on Pantera
systems.

21

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

On-Board Peripherals

Your mainboard has all of the standard peripheral interfaces and many extras built
in. This eliminates the need for many peripheral expansion cards and greatly
enhances system reliability.

Integrated onboard peripherals include:

• Two serial ports (16550 UART)

• Parallel port (bi-directional, assigned through SETUP)

• Floppy drive controller (handles floppy drives up to 2.88Mb)

• Two IDE hard drive controller ports each capable of controlling
two hard drives (primary port J8 is PCI local bus)

Serial Ports

Your mainboard has two RS-232C asynchronous serial ports, which are usually
referred to as COM1 or COMA (9-pin) and COM2 or COMB (25-pin) ports. The
serial ports are used to attach mice, serial printers, modems, or other serial
peripheral devices. Both serial ports are 16550 UART compatible for higher data
transfer rates.

You can install up to two additional serial ports (COM3 and COM4)
simultaneously in your system. However, because MS-DOS does not manage
more than two COM ports simultaneously very well, you shouldn’t attempt to
use more than two COM ports at the same time. Specifically, don’t try to use
COM1 and COM3 at the same time, or COM2 and COM4 at the same time.

22

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

Parallel Port

The 25-pin Centronics parallel port is often called the printer port because it is
usually used for printers. However, devices that use this speedy parallel interface
are becoming more common. Your Pantera’s parallel port is also Bi-directional,
allowing data to flow to and from an external device at the same time.

23

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

Bank 1

Bank 2

Bank 0

Bank 3

slot 6

slot 5

slot 7

slot 4

slot 3

slot 2

slot 1

Mainboard Diagram

16 bit ISA
Expansion
Slots

FLASH1
and
CLR1
Jumpers

PCI
Configuration
Connector
J6

CPU
Clock
Jumper
CLK1

BIOS
Chip

32-bit PCI
Expansion
Slots

Main
Power
Supply
Connectors
PS1

SRAM
Sockets for
System
Cache

25-pin Serial Port
COMB J3

PS2 Secondary
Power Supply
Connector

9-pin Serial Port
COMA J2

Keyboard
Connector
J1

Parallel
Port
J4

Floppy
Connector
J5

Battery
(inside
chip)

Primary
IDE Hard
Drive
Connector
J8

Secondary
IDE Hard
Drive
Connector
J7

SIMM
Sockets for

CPU
(heat
sink not
shown)

RESET
Connector
J9

Keylock
Connector
J10

Internal
Speaker
Connector
J11

HDD LED
Connector
J12

System
RAM

24

25

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

Mainboard Connectors

Connectors are used to attach devices to the mainboard. Attached devices can be
internal like hard disk indicator lights, or external like serial and parallel ports.
The most commonly used connectors are shown in the Mainboard Diagram. The
table below provides a brief summary.

Mainboard Connectors

Connector ID Description

J1 Keyboard connector
PS1 Main power supply connector
PS2 PCI 3.3 volt power supply connector
J2 COMA: communications port A (DB9)
J3 COMB: communications port B (DB25)
J4 Parallel “printer” port connector
J5 Floppy disk drive connector
J6 PCI Configuration connector
J7 Secondary IDE hard drive connector
J8 Primary IDE hard drive connector (PCI local bus)
J9 RESET switch input
J10 KBDLOCK: Keyboard lock input
J11 SPEAKER output
J12 HDD LED: Hard drive LED output

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

SLOT 1

SLOT 2

SLOT 3

SLOT 4

SLOT 5

SLOT 6

SLOT 7

Mainboard Jumpers

26

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

Mainboard Jumpers Described

Jumpers are small groups of pins that can be connected or disconnected with
jumper caps. To connect a jumper, carefully place the jumper cap over the pins
you wish to connect, then gently press down.

The mainboard uses six jumpers, allowing great system flexibility. However, most
system settings are stored in battery-backed CMOS (Complimentary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor) memory. You can use the BIOS SETUP program to change
settings stored in the CMOS. A FLASH programming utility can be used to
upgrade the system BIOS.

Other mainboards use multiple jumpers to configure upgrade options and
parameters mechanically on the board. Pantera mainboards use the SETUP
program and the FLASH programming utility instead, making BIOS changes and
upgrades fast and easy.

FLASH1

The FLASH1 jumper allows or disallows reprogramming of the FLASH BIOS
with the FLASH utility program. The default or normal position is to allow
programming with the FLASH program.

CLR1

The CLR1 jumper holds or resets the CMOS battery backed SETUP memory. You
should not clear the CMOS SETUP memory unless it becomes corrupted and
cannot be reprogrammed with the SETUP program. To clear the CMOS memory,
turn off system power, then momentarily place the jumper in the CLEAR
position, then return the jumper to the NORMAL position. Your system will not
operate with the jumper in the CLEAR position, so be sure to return the CLR1
jumper to the NORMAL position.

(continued next page)

27

Chapter 2 - The Mainboard

Mainboard Jumpers Described (continued)

CLK

The CLK jumper sets the speed of the system clock. It will be set correctly to
work with your system, so don’t change this jumper unless you change CPUs.
When Pin1 and Pin2 are jumpered, CPU clock speed may be 33, 66, or 100
Megahertz. When Pin2 and Pin3 are jumpered, CPU clock speed may be 25, 50,
or 75 Megahertz.

See the diagram, Mainboard Jumpers, for the location of these jumpers.

Cache1

The Cache1 jumper configures the amount of Level 2 cache to be used on your
system. Default setting is for 0K or 128K, but it can be adjusted to accept a set of
chips giving you 512K Level 2 cache. A fast CPU operates more efficiently when
it has a buffer of ultrafast RAM between itself and the main RAM SIMMs. The
mainboard is designed to hold a set of six SRAM chips for its optional Level 2
cache.

P3V and P5V

DX4 CPUs and the newer Pentium chips require less power (3 volts) to operate
than previous SX, DX or DX/2 CPUs (5 volts). The P3V and P5V jumpers allow
you to run either class of chip on your ZEOS Pantera.

Note: If you switch from a 5-volt to a 3-volt CPU, you’ll also need a 3-volt power

supply.

CP1

The CP1 jumper tells the mainboard what kind of CPU (Central Processing Unit)
to expect. It also tells the computer whether or not the CPU has its own math
coprocessor.

28

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

3. Using SETUP

The SETUP program is part of your computer’s Extended BIOS software system.
SETUP works with your system BIOS to make your system more flexible and
adjustable. To run the BIOS SETUP program, press F2 during system boot. Once
inside SETUP, press the right and left arrow keys to reach a section. After that,
use the up and down arrow keys to reach a topic. Topics with subsections are
indicated by an arrowhead on the left side of the screen. To enter a subsection,
highlight a topic, then press the Enter key.

SETUP’s five sections are Main, Advanced, Security, Power, and Exit. Each
section in SETUP contains several system parameters you can alter or experiment
with, although our engineers generally optimize them for the system we ship to
you. When in doubt, you can simply reload the original factory default settings
from ROM by entering SETUP, then pressing the F9 key, or load the most
recently saved settings from battery backed CMOS by pressing F10. Pressing F1
toggles the General Help window, while the right-hand panel describes the
function of the currently highlighted topic.

To change your BIOS settings, first use the arrow keys to highlight the desired
topic, then press the space bar or the <+> or <->key on the numeric keypad to
rotate through the available options. Note that only an item whose label is
surrounded by square brackets may be changed.

Once you’ve finished tinkering, press the Esc key until you reach the Exit menu.
There you can decide if you really want to keep your changes, if you’d prefer to
return to the factory defaults, or if you want to go back to using your previously
saved values. In any case, remember you can always change the BIOS settings
again next time you boot up.

29

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Main Menu

Your system’s BIOS settings are configured at the factory to maximize
performance with the options you ordered. Generally, you need to run SETUP
only if you install new or different hardware (such as a new hard drive), or if the
onboard battery fails.

SETUP’s Main Menu allows you to view and configure several basic parameters,
including System Time and Date, Diskette A and B, System memory amount,
Extended memory amount, and Video system type.

The Main Menu also offers you the following sub-menus:

• IDE Adapter 0 Master (Drive letter, capacity in megabytes)

• IDE Adapter 0 Slave (Drive letter, capacity in megabytes)

• IDE Adapter 1 Master (Drive letter, capacity in megabytes)

• IDE Adapter 1 Slave (Drive letter, capacity in megabytes)

Each of these four IDE Adapter sub-menus lets you view and configure a separate
IDE device attached directly to you mainboard. The sub-menus are described on
the following pages.

In addition, SETUP’s Main Menu lets you view and configure both your
Memory Cache (six SRAM chips, if present), and how your system shadows
(copies) BIOS data to your main RAM SIMMs.

System Time

Sets the real-time clock, using a 24-hour format. During the power-up sequence,
the real time is read and saved in memory for use by the operating system. After
boot up, the operating system updates the system time.

30

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

System Date

Sets the real-time date for month, day, and year. During the power-up sequence,
this information is read and saved in memory for use by the operating system to
determine the current date. After completing the power-up sequence, the operating
system updates the current date.

Diskette A:

Specifies the size and capacity of the floppy-disk drive installed as drive A.
Options are: 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M, and 2.88M.

Diskette B:

Specifies the size and capacity of the floppy-disk drive installed as drive B.

IDE Adapter Sub-menus

Each of the four IDE Adapter sub-menus allows you to view and change
configurations of the IDE devices attached to your onboard IDE Hard Drive
connectors, J7 and J8. The IDE Adapter sub-menus list the IDE devices that are
currently installed, and allow you to configure devices you are adding to your
system. Your Primary (local bus) hard drive (J8) is listed as IDE Adapter 0

Master. You can attach a second local bus hard drive to the same (J8) cable as
IDE Adapter 0 Slave, then two more devices on the Secondary connector (J7) as
IDE Adapter 1 Master, or IDE Adapter 1 Slave. The Secondary connector (J7) is

not local bus, making it more appropriate for slower IDE devices such as CD­ROM drives and tape backups.

Note: If you attach two drives to a single drive cable, it doesn’t matter whether or

not the Master drive is connected to the end connector. Just be sure that one
drive is configured as Master and the other drive is configured as Slave.

Autotype Fixed Disk

After you press the Enter key, this utility attempts to detect and configure your
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) adapter for each device you attach to it,
assuming it conforms to ANSI (American National Standards Institute) technical
specifications. Drives shipped with ZEOS systems are pre-configured at the
factory, so you shouldn’t have to use the utility unless you’re adding a new IDE
device. This is usually just a matter of attaching the device properly, then running
the Autotype utility within SETUP. If Autotype Fixed Disk is successful, it will

(more settings, next page)

31

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

recognize your new hard drive’s type and display the correct drive parameters. If
the utility can’t recognize your new device, you can select Type USER, then set
Cylinders, Heads, Sectors/Track and Write Precomp according to the information
supplied by the device’s manufacturer.

Note: Don’t alter this parameter unless you change or add a hard drive or other

IDE device.

Write Precomp

Write Precompensation. In older hard drives, this setting tells the drive to apply a
stronger magnetic field to inner tracks of the disk to compensate for magnetic
drift. Your hard disk manufacturer’s documentation should tell you if your drive
requires this setting.
Default: None (Disabled).

Multi-Sector Transfers

Determines the number of sectors per block for multiple sector transfers. Options
are Disabled, 2, 4, 8, and 16. Older hard drives (and even some newer drives)
won’t work properly if the number of sectors is set too high. Default: Disabled.

Note: Before adding a new hard drive or formatting one from Zeos, first disable

Multi-Sector Transfers, then format the drive, then run FDISK. Later, you
can enable Multi-Sector Tranfers again.

LBA Mode Control

Enables or disables Logical Block Addressing, which allows you to use IDE hard
drives with capacities greater than 528 MB (megabytes).
Default: Disabled.

Video System

This option sets the video type. It can be set to Monochrome, CGA 80 x 25 (80
column Color Graphics), or EGA/VGA (Enhanced/Video Graphics Adapter).
Default: EGA/VGA.

32

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Memory Cache

The Memory Cache sub-menu allows you to make detailed changes to your cache
memory configuration. Memory Cache makes certain regions of the SRAM cache
available to code that has been shadowed in conventional RAM, further boosting
system performance.

External Cache

Permits you to enable or disable the external (level two) cache memory, if the
optional SRAM chips are present in your system. Some applications are not
compatible with caching, so this option lets you disable memory caching, if
necessary.
Default: Enabled.

SRAM Speed

This sets the speed of the SRAM chips either to 15ns (nanoseconds) or 20ns. This
must be set to 20ns unless all your SRAM chips operate at 15ns.
Default: 20ns.

Cache Mode

Determines whether the system caches only data reads (Write Through) or if it
caches both reads and writes (Write Back). Write Back gives better performance.
Default: Write Back.

Cache System BIOS area

Determines whether the System BIOS code can be cached in the SRAM chips.
This boosts system performance.
Default: Enabled.

Cache Video BIOS area

Determines whether Video BIOS code may be cached in SRAM. This boosts
video performance.
Default: Enabled.

(more settings, next page)

33

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Cache Memory Regions

Allows you to choose which specific shadowed BIOS memory regions will be
cached in SRAM.
Default: All specific regions are Disabled.

Memory Shadow

BIOS shadowing copies data from portions of the computer’s slower ROM (Read­Only Memory) chips into much faster RAM chips in system memory. Because the
BIOS data can be read more quickly by the CPU, system performance improves
noticeably. The Memory Shadow sub-menu lets you make specific additional
regions of your upper memory available for BIOS shadowing, besides those
memory regions already reserved for basic system and video BIOS code.

System Shadow

This setting is not adjustable. System shadow is always Enabled.

Video Shadow

Enables or disables copying of the video BIOS into upper memory RAM.
Shadowing the video BIOS code improves video performance.
Default: Enabled.

Shadow Memory Regions

Allows you to enable which specific memory regions (other than System and
Video) will be shadowed in upper RAM memory. If enabled, ROM data in the
specified region is copied to shadow RAM.
Default: All specific regions are Disabled.

34

35

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Advanced Options

Warning!

Setting these items incorrectly could disable your system. Never needlessly change
from the defaults.

The Advanced Menu lets you view and change the following settings: Integrated
Peripherals, Advanced Chipset Control, Plug & Play O/S, and Large Disk Access
Mode.

Integrated Peripherals

This sub-menu lets you view and configure the I/O addresses and interrupts
(IRQs) of COMA and COMB, as well as the I/O addresses and IRQs for your
integrated onboard serial and parallel ports.

COM port

When either of the two COM ports is set to Auto, the system will automatically
configure the IRQs for both ports. Otherwise, this option allows you to manually
configure or disable the IRQ and I/O address settings for both the 9-pin (COM A)
and the 25-pin (COM B) serial ports.

LPT Port

Sets or disables LPT port address and IRQ. The Auto setting configures the
address and IRQ automatically. Otherwise you can choose either 278 or 378 as
the LPT port address (both addresses use IRQ 7).
Default: Auto.

LPT Mode

Sets the parallel “printer” port to operate in Output Only or Bi-directional mode.
Bi-directional mode sends data to and from a peripheral device at the same time.
Default: Output Only.

Diskette Controller

Enables/Disables the onboard floppy disk controller , at connector J5.
Default: Enabled.

(more settings, next page)

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Local Bus IDE Adapter

Enables or disables the Primary onboard IDE Adapter (J8).
Default: Primary.

Alternate IDE Adapter

Enables or disables the Secondary onboard IDE Adapter (J7).
Default: Secondary.

Advanced Chipset Control

This sub-menu accesses several features of the mainboard’s chipset.

Warning!

You should never change Advanced Chipset Control settings unless
you’re thoroughly familiar with how they affect your system.

DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) Speed

Always set the DRAM speed to the slowest speed of all your installed memory
SIMMs. Your mainboard supports 60ns or 70ns memory SIMMs.

Pipelined CAS (Column Address Strobe)

When Enabled, this removes an extra clock cycle between CAS [3,0] and CAS
[7,4] for interleaved DRAM designs.
Default: Disabled.

Fast Page Write

When enabled, this improves performance when writing data sequentially to main
system memory (RAM).
Default: Disabled.

Fast Page Data Read

When enabled, this improves performance when reading data sequentially from
main system memory (RAM).
Default: Disabled.

Fast Page Code Read

When enabled, this improves performance when executing code sequentially in
main system memory (RAM).
Default: Disabled.

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Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

PCI Posted Write Buffers

When enabled, this improves performance when the CPU or the PCI bus accesses
memory destined for the ISA bus.
Default: Disabled.

CPU to PCI Bursting

When enabled, this improves performance on PCI systems when back-to-back
CPU memory writes occur.
Default: Disabled.

CPU to PCI Byte Merging

When enabled, this improves performance on PCI systems when back-to-back
CPU memory writes occur to the A000h or B000h segment.
Default: Disabled.

IRQ 12

Connects IRQ 12 either to 8742 ABFULL output (for the PS/2 mouse) or to the
ISA bus.
Default: ISA Bus.

16 bit I/O Recovery

Inserts additional ISA clock cycles between back-to-back Input/Output operations.
Default: 0.

8 bit I/O Recovery

Inserts additional ISA clock cycles between back-to-back Input/Output operations.
Default: 0.

DMA (Direct Memory Access) Aliasing

Enables/disables ISA Aliasing. Used if the ISA bus has a device attached to I/O
ports 90h, 94h-96h, 98h, 9Ch-9Eh.
Default: Enabled.

(more settings, next page)

37

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Plug & Play O/S

Enables/disables Plug & Play option. Pick Yes if your system software supports
Plug & Play peripheral devices.
Default: No.

Large Disk Access Mode

Configures the mainboard to expect either a DOS or “other” drive geometry. The
Other setting is for operating systems such as UNIX or Novell Netware.
Default: DOS.

38

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Security Options

The Security Menu allows you to password-protect system access, a way of
safeguarding information. When passwords are enabled, users must type the
proper password to access the protected part of the system.

Note: 1. It’s easy to forget a password, so we strongly recommend writing down your

passwords and storing them in a secure place.

2. If you type the User password on entering SETUP, you cannot change the

Supervisor Password or Diskette Access settings.

Warning!

If you forget the password, your system will not operate. You will have to completely
clear the CMOS memory and reenter your entire system configuration. Write down
your password and store it in a safe place.

The following security items are available:

• Set Supervisor Password

• Set User Password

• Password on Boot

• Diskette Access

• Fixed disk boot sector

• System Backup Reminder

• Virus Check Reminder

Set Supervisor Password

Allows you to enter a system supervisor password. This password controls access
to all features of your system.

Set User Password

Accessible only after Supervisor Password is enabled, this allows you to enter a
system user password. You can’t use the User Password to alter the Supervisor
Password in SETUP.

(more settings, next page)

39

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Password on boot

When enabled, the system asks you for a password on boot. The system will boot
only after the correct supervisor or user password is entered.
Default: Disabled.

Diskette access

Active only when a Supervisor password is enabled, this specifies which level of
password (Supervisor or User) is required on bootup to use the floppy disk drives.
This can prevent unauthorized transfer of data.
Default: Supervisor.

Note: All diskette drive access can be denied (including system diskettes) by 1)

setting a Supervisor password, 2) setting Password on Boot to Disabled,
then 3) setting Diskette Access to Supervisor.

Fixed disk boot sector

When enabled, write protects the boot sector on your hard drive to protect against
viruses.
Default: Disabled.

System backup reminder

When enabled, this periodically displays a boot reminder message to back up your
system. Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Disabled.
Default: Disabled.

Virus check reminder

When enabled, this periodically displays a boot reminder message to scan for
viruses. Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Disabled.
Default: Disabled.

40

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Power Options

The Power menu lets you tell your system to enter a low-power Standby mode
when it is idle for a specified time. Standby minimizes your system’s energy
consumption while allowing you to resume work within moments.

Power Savings

Lets you choose the how to conserve power used by your CPU, your fixed disk
drives, and your monitor. Settings: Customize (default), Maximum, Medium,
Minimum, and Disabled. This allows you to opt for one of three preset
configurations, customize the Standby settings yourself, or disable power savings
altogether. The list below describes what each setting controls:

• Standby Timeout controls how long (1 minute to 4 hours, or
Disabled) your system must be idle before it enters Standby
mode.

• Standby CPU Speed
High, Medium, Low) during Standby.

• Fixed Disk Timeout
Disabled) an idle system waits before stopping the hard disk
motor.

• CRT

can be set to OFF in Standby or always ON.

dictates the level of CPU activity (Max,

controls how long (1-16 minutes, or

Standby Timer Reset Events

When enabled, these two settings prevent the system from entering Standby mode
while you’re using the keyboard or the mouse.

Keyboard

Keeps system from entering Standby mode while you’re using the keyboard.
Default: Enabled.

Mouse

Keeps system from entering Standby mode while you’re using the mouse.
Default: PS/2 (IRQ12).

41

(more settings, next page)

Chapter 3 - Using SETUP

Standby Break Events

When set to Auto, this enables the system to resume full speed operation for as
long as the specified IRQ is active. For example, this would allow you to “wake
up” a remote computer via its modem, which uses an IRQ. You can set this
parameter for 16 hardware IRQs, from IRQ0 to IRQ15.
Default: IRQ1 is set to Auto, the rest are Disabled.

Standby Wakeup Events

When enabled, these return the system to full speed when you begin using the
keyboard or the mouse. It takes about six seconds for the CPU and the monitor to
wake up, and a few moments for the hard drive to resume full speed from a
standstill.

Keyboard

Returns the system to full speed when you begin using the keyboard.
Default: Enabled.

Mouse

Returns the system to full speed when you begin using the mouse.
Default: PS/2 (IRQ12).

Exit Menu Options

Offers Exit and Save options for the SETUP program.

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Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

4. Expanding Your System

Adding an Expansion Board

The four ISA and three PCI expansion slots on your mainboard are designed to
accept a wide variety of add-on cards (many available from ZEOS). Scanners,
tape backup units, video capture devices, and many other devices come on
expansion cards, which communicate with the CPU via standard expansion slots.
Often, adding these components is as easy as opening the case, slipping the new
card into an empty slot, then connecting the external component (if there is one)
to the card.

To add an expansion board:

1. Turn off the monitor and system unit power, then unplug the AC power
cords from the wall outlet.

2. Open the system unit case (see How to Open a Desktop Case, earlier).

3. Find an empty expansion slot or, if you are replacing an expansion card
already in your system (such as when upgrading your video card), locate
the old card.

4. Unscrew the mounting screw and remove the blank bracket by sliding it
up. If you are removing an old expansion card, carefully lift it straight up
(sometimes you have to wiggle it a little).

5. Set any jumpers or switches on the new card. See the card’s
documentation for the correct jumper settings.

6. Slide the new card into the slot. Press down firmly, so the edge connector
slides completely into the slot.

7. Screw in the mounting screw.

(more steps, next page)

43

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Adding an Expansion Board (continued)

Mounting screw

Expansion slot

Inserting a Card

8. Connect any internal cables to the expansion card.

9. Close the system unit case, and turn on the power.

Many expansion cards require you to run diagnostic or installation software
before the new board will work properly. Your expansion card’s installation
manual should have detailed instructions.

44

45

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

How Disk Drives Work

There are three main types of disks for storing files - floppy, hard, and compact
disks.

Floppy disks are small, relatively slow, portable disks. Most people use floppy
disks to transfer files or install new programs onto their hard drives. Floppy disks
fit into the floppy disk drives mounted in your system unit. Although there are
some combination drives, most floppy disk drives are designed to hold only one
size of disk.

Hard, or fixed disks, are permanently mounted inside your system unit case. They
are very fast, hold a lot of files, and are not removable without disassembling
your system.

Compact disks fit into CD-ROM drives. Compact disks can store very large
amounts of information.

Floppy, hard, and CD-ROM disk drives all fit into the drive bays in your system
unit. This chapter shows how some of the most common drives connect to the
mainboard. Most drives have two connections - a power connection and a data
connection. For detailed installation and configuration information, always check
the disk drive’s documentation.

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

How a Floppy Drive Works

Floppy drives have two primary connectors, a ribbon cable called the data cable,
and a power connection to the power supply. The ribbon cable connects the back
of the floppy drive with the floppy controller port J5 on the mainboard. Data
ribbon cables often have two connectors. If you have more than one floppy drive
on your system, they often share the same ribbon cable.

The data cable also has a red stripe. Whenever connecting or disconnecting the
ribbon cable, be sure to attach the cable connectors so the red stripe is pointing
toward pin 1 of the connector. Pin 1 is often labelled with a small triangle or filled
in corner.

Floppy Drive

Primary Floppy
Drive Connector

DC Power from
Power Supply

Second Floppy
Drive Connector

Floppy Drive
Ribbon Data
Cable

Red Stripe
(Pin 1)

Red Stripe
(Pin 1)

Pin 1 notch on
mainboard connector

Mainboard

Floppy Drive Connectors

46

Pin 1
Mark on
Cable
Connector

Floppy Drive Cable
Connector
J5

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

How an IDE Hard Drive Works

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives are the most common hard drives
and are the most likely to be installed on your system. IDE devices have most of
the electronics or “smarts” built into the drive, rather than installed on a separate
controller card or on the motherboard. IDE hard drives have two main
connections – a ribbon cable called the data cable and a power connection to the
power supply. The ribbon cable attaches to the back of the drive and connects to
the IDE controller port J7 or J8 on the mainboard. Whenever connecting or
disconnecting the ribbon cable, be sure to attach the data cable so the red stripe
points toward pin 1 on the connector.

Most drives also have configuration jumpers at the back of the drive for setting
drive identification and resistors. See your hard drive user’s guide for complete
information.

Keyboard
Connector
J1

Parallel Port
J4

Floppy
Connector
J5

SIMM Sockets
for System RAM

Red Stripe
(pin 1)

Front of

Computer

Primary IDE Hard
Drive Connector
J8

Secondary IDE Hard
Drive Connector
J7

Hard Drive Connectors

47

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

How a CD-ROM Drive Works

CD-ROM drives are capable of reading information from compact discs, or CD’s.
The “ROM” in CD-ROM stands for Read Only Memory. Compact discs are read­only, meaning, you can read information from them, but cannot write files or
information onto them like a floppy disk or hard disk drive. With the right
software, you can even “read” music by playing audio compact discs on your CD­ROM drive. Compact disks can store large amounts of information. One compact
disk can store as much information as 500 floppy disks.

There are many types of CD-ROM drives. Most have three primary connectors, a
power connector, a data cable connector, and an audio connector.

The power connector is just like the DC power connector on floppy drives and
hard disk drives. It accepts DC power from the computer’s internal power supply.

The data cable is a flat ribbon cable that connects the drive with some type of
controller. Some drives use a dedicated controller card inserted into one of the
expansion slots on the mainboard. Your IDE CD-ROM drive connects to the 16­bit IDE controller port on the mainboard (J7) or to an IDE controller card inserted
into one of the expansion slots. Still other drives use a CD-ROM controller port
mounted on a sound card in one of the expansion slots.

Most CD-ROM drives also have an audio connector where you can connect
headphones or computer speakers. If your system has a sound card and speakers
installed, the CD-ROM drive’s audio connector probably can be connected to the
sound card.

For detailed information about your CD-ROM drive, check the manufacturer’s
documentation.

48

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Why Is More RAM Better?

System memory is often called RAM or Random Access Memory. RAM is the
“thinking space” available to your applications. Usually, the more system RAM
you have, the faster your system will run. Many software applications simply run
much faster and more efficiently when more RAM is available.

You add RAM by inserting Single In-line Memory Modules (SIMMs) into SIMM
sockets on the mainboard. Your computer’s mainboard will hold up to four
SIMMs of 32-bit RAM. Slots must be filled in sequence from 1 to 4, but
otherwise your system is remarkably flexible about RAM speeds and capacities.
50ns, 60ns and 70ns SIMMs can be added in any order, as long as the BIOS
SETUP is set for the slowest SIMM present. SIMM capacities can vary, too, all
the way from small 512K SIMMs up to 32Mb SIMMs. The mainboard will
support up to 128Mb of RAM.

Note: SIMMs MUST ALWAYS BE INSTALLED IN SEQUENCE FROM BANK 0 TO

BANK 3, BUT THEY DON’T NEED TO BE THE SAME SPEEDS OR
CAPACITIES.

49

50

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Installing SIMMs

When installing SIMMs, use 70ns or faster memory chips for maximum system
performance. Faster and slower memory chips may be intermixed. However,
always set the CPU/DRAM Speed option in SETUP to the slowest chip speed
installed. Remember, larger numbers are slower than smaller numbers (70ns
SIMMs are slower than 60ns SIMMs). For best results, use SIMMs from the same
manufacturer.

Caution!

Electrostatic Discharge can result in permanent damage to the
equipment. Always ground yourself by touching the system cabinet
before beginning the following procedure. We strongly recommend
using an antistatic wrist strap attached to cabinet ground.

To Install SIMMs:

1. Remove system cover (see How to Open a Desktop Case, earlier).

2. Remove any SIMMs you are replacing with new SIMMs by gently
pulling the metal socket clips away from the SIMM to release the SIMM
from the socket. Hold them out while you are tilting the SIMM away
from the metal clips. Carefully lift the SIMM up and out.

Caution!

Never use force to remove the module out of the socket. Failure to
properly release the retainer clips may break the socket, causing
expensive damage which is not covered by your warranty.

3. Grasping a new SIMM by the edge, remove it from the antistatic bag.

4. Insert the bottom edge into the socket slot. Press down firmly on the
SIMM while maintaining the proper angle of insertion.

(more steps, next page)

51

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Installing SIMMs (continued)

Retaining Clip

SIMM Sockets

5. Ensure the SIMM seats correctly. If not, remove and repeat
Step 5.

Retaining clip

6. Gently push the top edge toward the retainer clips until the clips snap into
place.

7. Reinstall system cover.

After completing the installation, your ROM BIOS will determine the amount of
memory installed; however you may need to change the CPU/DRAM Speed
option in your system SETUP program. Refer to Using SETUP earlier for detailed
instructions.

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Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Adding System Cache Memory

Secondary cache memory can speed up memory intensive applications and greatly
enhance your CPU’s performance.

You add cache memory by adding a set of SRAM memory chips into the
secondary system cache sockets on the mainboard. Your system mainboard will
hold either 128K or 512K of Level 2 cache in a set of six small chips.

Although installing secondary cache memory is easy and straightforward, a few
simple precautions will ease the installation. Before you begin, make note of your
system’s current BIOS settings. You can read and change them via the SETUP
screen by pressing F2 at boot. Copy the BIOS settings to a piece of paper.

Caution!

All computer chips are extremely sensitive to static electricity. Be
sure to use an antistatic wrist band and ground yourself by touch­ing the computer case before you touch the mainboard or handle
any chips.

To install secondary cache memory:

1. Turn off the system power and unplug the AC power cord. Remove
system cover (see How to Open a Desktop/Tower Case, earlier).

2. Locate the secondary system cache memory SRAM sockets. The next
figure shows where to find the sockets on the mainboard.

3. If you are upgrading your system cache memory, remove the SRAM
chips you are replacing by gently pulling them out of their sockets, taking
care not to bend their pins.

4. Grasping each new SRAM chip by the edge, remove it from the antistatic
bag and press it into its socket.

(more steps, next page)

53

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

BANK 3

BANK 2

BANK 1

BANK 0

Pin 1

TAG SRAM Sockets

Main RAM
sockets

Pin 1

Tips: 1) Leave pins
nearest pin 1 open if
SRAMs don’t fill
sockets. 2) Be sure
pins are socketed
correctly!

DATA SRAM
Sockets

Cache Memory Location

Caution!

Static RAM is extremely sensitive to static electricity, which can
permanently damage your equipment. Use an anti-static wrist strap
attached to cabinet ground. Be sure to ground yourself by touching
the system cabinet before beginning this procedure.

Front of

Computer

5. Reinstall system cover, plug in AC power, and turn on the computer as
you normally would.

6. Make sure the External Cache option on the Memory Control Menu of the
Advanced System Setup Menu is Enabled. Also check your system BIOS
settings to be sure they haven’t changed. If any settings have changed,
reenter the correct values, then reboot.

54

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

Installing a New CPU

Caution!

Static electricity can permanently destroy your CPU. Always
ground yourself by touching the system cabinet before beginning
the following procedure. We strongly recommend using an antistatic
wrist strap attached to cabinet ground.

To install a new CPU:

1. Open the case and locate the CPU socket on the mainboard. If you need
help see How to Open a Desktop Case and Mainboard Diagram, earlier.

2. Lift up the ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket arm to the open position.
This will loosen the pressure on the pins of the old CPU chip. Carefully
lift the old CPU and heat sink out of the socket.

3. Important: You must align the new CPU over the socket on the board

exactly like the old CPU. Make absolutely sure the Pin-1 notch on the
CPU chip aligns with Pin-1 on the ZIF socket.

4. Place the new CPU into the socket and press gently. Be careful not to
bend any pins on the CPU. Once the CPU is firmly seated in the socket,
carefully lower the ZIF arm back down to the closed position.

5. Attach the heat sink to the new CPU. If your new CPU is exactly the
same size as your old CPU, you can reuse your old heat sink. If your new
CPU is not the same size as your old one, you must use

TIP: If you’re inserting a 486 CPU, avoid the
ZIF socket’s outer row of pin holes.

(more steps, next page)

55

Chapter 4 - Expanding Your System

the heat sink supplied with your new CPU.

If your heat sink is a peel and stick type, peel off the adhesive layer and

stick the heat sink onto the new CPU. If your heat sink uses a retaining
clip, place the heat sink on the chip, then slide the retaining clip over the
heat sink until it snaps onto the sides of the CPU.

6. Set the CLK jumper to match the speed of your new CPU. If you need
help with this jumper, see Mainboard Jumpers Diagram, earlier.

7. Close case and boot as you normally would.

CPU
(heat sink

ZIF Release Lever.
When fully raised
(pointing straight up),
CPU chip can be
removed or inserted.

not shown)

Pin 1

ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket

Inserting a CPU

Front of

Computer

56

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57

Mainboard Specifications

Mainboard Specifications

CPU Intel 80486DX, Intel 486DX2, Intel

DX4 or Intel Overdrive processors,
P24T or P24D

Clock rate 33MHz, 50MHz, 66MHz, 75MHz,

100MHz
Chipset Intel “Aries” chipset
ISA bus speed 8.25 MHz for 33MHz systems

8.33 MHz for 25MHz systems

PCI local bus speed up to 133 MB/s (33MHz)

up to 100 MB/s (25MHz)
RAM Types 512K, 1, 2, 4, 16,

32MB x36 or x32 SIMMs
RAM Speeds 50, 60, 70ns
RAM Capacity 128Mb

RAM Configurations Various (minimum: one 4Mb

SIMM)
Data Path 8, 16, 32, 64-bits
Expansion Slots (7) Four 16-bit ISA

Three 32-bit PCI local bus
Secondary Cache Mapping Direct-mapped
Secondary Cache Write policy Write-back
Secondary Cache Capacity 0KB (standard), 128KB, 512KB
Secondary Cache Type 128KB or 512KB SRAM (sets of

six)
Secondary Cache Speed 15ns/20ns

Mainboard Environmental Specifications

Operating Temperature 0°C to 40°C
Storage Temperature -20°C to 60°C
Operating Humidity Up to 100% non-condensing

58

Mainboard Specifications

9-Pin Serial Port (J2) Pin Assignment

Header Pin
Number

1 1 DCD, Data Carrier Detect
2 6 DSR, Data Set Ready
3 2 RXD, Receive Data
4 7 RTS, Request to Send
5 3 TXD, Transmit Data
6 8 CTS, Clear To Send
7 4 DTR, Data Terminal Ready
8 9 RI, Ring Indicator
9 5 GND, Ground

DB9 Connector
Pin Number

Signal

25-Pin Serial Port (J3) Pin Assignment

Header Pin
Number

1 8 DCD, Data Carrier Detect
2 3 RXD, Receive Data
3 2 TXD, Transmit Data
4 20 DTR, Data Terminal Ready
5 7 GND, Ground
6 6 DSR, Data Set Ready
7 4 RTS, Request to Send
8 5 CTS, Clear to Send
9 22 RI, Ring Indicator

DB25 Connector
Pin Number

Signal

59

Mainboard Specifications

9-Pin Serial Port (J2) Pin Assignment

5 - GND, Ground
4 - DTR, Data Terminal Ready

3 - TXD, Transmit Data
2 - RXD, Receive Data
1 - DCD, Data Carrier Detect

9 - RI, Ring Indicator
8 - CTS, Clear To Send
7 - RTS, Request to Send

6 - DSR, Data Set Ready

25-Pin Serial Port (J3) Pin Assignment

8 - DCD, Data Carrier Ready
7 - GND, Ground

6 - DSR, Data Set Ready
5 - CTS, Clear to Send
4 - RTS, Request to Send
3 - RXD, Receive Data
2 - TXD, Transmit Data

22 - RI, Ring Indicator
20 - DTR, Data Terminal Ready

Mainboard Specifications

Parallel Port (J4) Pin Assignment

Header Pin
Number

Parallel Port
Connector Pin

Signal

Number

1 1 STB, Strobe
3 2 PD0, Data Bit 0
5 3 PD1, Data Bit 1
7 4 PD2, Data Bit 2
9 5 PD3, Data Bit 3
11 6 PD4, Data Bit 4
13 7 PD5, Data Bit 5
15 8 PD6, Data Bit 6
17 9 PD7, Data Bit 7
19 10 ACK, Acknowledge
21 11 Busy, Busy
23 12 PE, Paper Empty
25 13 SLCT, Select
2 14 AFD, Auto Feed
4 15 ERR, Error
6 16 INIT, Initialize
8 17 SLIN, Select Input
10 18 GND, Ground
12 19 GND, Ground
14 20 GND, Ground
16 21 GND, Ground
18 22 GND, Ground
20 23 GND, Ground
22 24 GND, Ground
24 25 GND, Ground

60

Mainboard Specifications

Parallel Port (J4) Pin Assignment

1 - STB, Strobe
2 - PD0, Data Bit 0
3 - PD1, Data Bit 1
4 - PD2, Data Bit 2
5 - PD3, Data Bit 3
6 - PD4, Data Bit 4
7 - D5, Data Bit 5
8 - PD6, Data Bit 6
9 - PD7, Data Bit 7
10 - ACK, Acknowledge
11 - Busy, Busy
12 - PE, Paper Empty
13 - SLCT, Select

14 - AFD, Auto Feed
15 - ERR, Error
16 - INIT, Initialize
17 - SLIN, Select Input
18 - GND, Ground
19 - GND, Ground
20 - GND, Ground
21 - GND, Ground
22 - GND, Ground
23 - GND, Ground
24 - GND, Ground
25 - GND, Ground

61

Handy Cheat Sheet

Here are some of the most often needed or forgotten notes.

CTRL-ALT-DEL........................................................... Warm Reboot

Reset button, or

Power button................................................................... Cold Reboot

F2 during power up ..................................................... Access SETUP

CTRL-BREAK, or

CTRL-C........................... Pause or Break an application or batch file

DOS Commands

COPY [filename] [drive:][path][newfilename] .................copies a file

FORMAT [drive:] ........................................ erases and formats a disk

DIR [drive:][path] ......... lists the files in a certain drive and directory

DEL [filename] ............................................................... deletes a file

MD[newdirectory]............................................makes a new directory

RD[directoryname].......... removes and erases an empty, old directory

RENAME [oldfilename][newfilename] .........................renames a file

CHKDSK [drive:] ............................ displays a status report for a disk

CD[path].............................................changes to a different directory

CLS ...........................................................................clears the screen

Common DOS file extensions

.BAK.................................................................................. backup file

.BAT ..................................................................................... batch file

.COM...............................................................command program file

.EXE...............................................................executable program file

.SYS ...................................................................................system file

.INI............................................................ Windows initialization file

.PIF............................................... Windows program information file

README files ...............................text files with special instructions

62

Handy Cheat Sheet

Windows Shortcuts

Ctrl-C .......................................................................copy to clipboard

Ctrl-V ............................................... paste or copy from the clipboard

Ctrl-X ......................................................delete and copy to clipboard

Alt-Tab ............................................toggle between open applications

Alt-Esc ................................................. jump to next open application

Wildcards - wildcards are special characters that can represent any other valid
numbers, letters, or symbols in a file name.

The asterisk represents any number of other characters.

*

For example:
*.BAK would represent any file with the extension BAK.
GONOW.* would represent all files named GONOW with any

extension.

The question mark represents one single character.
For example:

?

GONOW.?XE would represent any file named GONOW with
an extension ending in XE.

?ONOW.EX? would represent any five character filename
ending in ONOW with EX as the first two characters of its
extension.

63

Glossary

This glossary provides general definitions of key terms. For an expanded list look in
standard reference books on computers.

Address - A number or expression representing the
physical location of a device or a piece of data.

Application Program - A word processor,
spreadsheet, desktop publisher or other program that
allows interaction with the user.

AUTOEXEC.BAT File - An MS-DOS batch file
containing commands which execute automatically
when you turn on your computer.

Batch File - A file containing several commands that
execute in sequence as a group, or batch. MS-DOS
batch files must have a filename extension of .BAT.

Boot - Short for Bootstrap. Transfer of a disk
operating system program from storage on floppy
disk or hard disk drive to computer’s working
memory.

Boot Disk - A disk with an operating system installed
which loads the system on power up.

Character - Anything that can print in a single space
on the page or the screen. Includes numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, and graphic symbols.

Command Processor - The part of an operating
system that processes commands entered by you. The
command processor in MS-DOS is contained in the
COMMAND.COM file.

CPU - Central Processing Unit. The piece of hardware
which interprets instructions, performs the tasks you
indicate, keeps track of stored data, and controls all
input and output operations.

Crash - A malfunction in the computer hardware or
software, usually causing loss of data.

Cursor - The arrow, vertical I-beam or other screen
object that shows where you can click to select
something onscreen. See Insertion point.

Diagnostics - The tests and procedures the computer
performs to check its internal circuitry and set up its
configuration. See POST.

DIP Switches - Small switches on a piece of hardware
such as a CPU, a printer, or an option card. DIP switch
settings control various functions and provide a
system with information about itself. DIP stands for
Dual In-Line Package.

Directory - A list of the files stored on a disk or a
part of a disk. Often depicted onscreen by a small
folder.

Disk Drive - The physical device which allows the

computer to read from and write to a disk. A floppy

disk drive has a disk slot into which you insert

floppy disks. A hard disk drive is permanently fixed

inside the system unit.

DMA - Direct Memory Access. Process where a hard

drive, LAN adapter or other device transfers data

directly to/from system RAM, bypassing the CPU.

DOS - Disk Operating System. A computer program

which continuously runs and mediates between the

computer user and the Application Program, and

allows access to disk data by disk filenames. The

Disk Operating System controls the computer’s input

and output functions. See Operating System.

File - A group of related pieces of information called

records, or entries, stored together on disk. Text files

consist of words and sentences. Program files consist

of codes and are used by computers to interpret and

carry out instructions.

Floppy disk - a flat piece of flexible plastic coated

with magnetic material and used to store data

permanently.

Format - To prepare a new disk (or erase an old one)

so it can receive information. Formatting a disk

divides it into tracks and sectors which create

addressable locations on it.

Hard Disk Drive - Commonly called rigid disk

drives, or fixed disk drives. Unlike floppy disks, hard

disks are fixed in place inside the system unit. They

can process data faster and store many more files than

floppy disks.

Hardware - Any physical component of a computer

system, such as a monitor, printer, keyboard, or CPU.

IDE - Integrated Drive Electronics. An IDE drive has

the controller electronics built into the drive itself

and is connected directly to the mainboard or to an

adapter card.

Insertion Point - A blinking vertical marker which

shows where you can type words or numbers.

Sometimes called Text Cursor. See Cursor.

Jumper - A small electrical connector that alters

some of the computer’s functions. Short (makes a

connection) or Non-Short (no connection).

Kilobyte (KB) - A unit used to measure storage space

(in a computer’s memory or on a disk). One kilobyte

equals 1024 bytes.

64

65

Glossary

LED - Light Emitting Diode. A diode that
illuminates when electricity passes through it, like
the indicator lights on the front panel of the
computer.

Local Bus - A set of addresses, data, and control
signals that interface directly with the host CPU.
Mainboard - also Motherboard. A printed circuit
board into which other circuit boards can be
plugged. Usually, it contains the CPU, connectors
for memory (SIMMs), secondary cache, adapter
sockets and expansion slots for add-on devices.

Memory - Computer chips that make data quickly
available to the CPU. They can store data
permanently (ROM) or temporarily (RAM).

MHz - 1 Megahertz = one million (Mega) cycles per
second (Hertz).

Operating System - A body of programs, such as
MS-DOS, that coordinate the activities of a
computer. It determines how programs run and
supervises all input and output.

PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect. PCI is an
industry standard for local bus peripheral
expansion.

Parallel Port - also Printer Port. A 25-pin Input/
Output connector usually used for printers.

Peripheral - A device (such as, a printer or a
modem) connected to a computer that depends on
the computer for its operation.

Port - A physical input/output socket on a computer
where you can connect a peripheral.

POST - Power-On Self Test. An initial diagnostic
test a computer performs to check its hardware.

RAM - Random Access Memory. Small chips or
modules that provide the CPU rapid access to data.
Software programs and files reside in RAM while
being used. RAM is called volatile memory because
it “evaporates” when you turn off the power. Also
DRAM.

Read - To copy data from one area to another. For
example, when you open a text file stored on disk,
the computer reads the data from the disk and
displays it on the screen.

Reset - To reload a computer’s operating system so
you can retry a task or begin using a different
operating system. Resetting clears RAM.

ROM - Read Only Memory. A portion of memory
that can only be read and cannot be used for
temporary storage. ROM retains its contents even

when you turn off the power.
SETUP - This refers (usually) to the program that is

used to load the CMOS data base with input from the
user. SETUP sets the date, time, and configuration of
disk drives installed on the system.

Software - The programs that enable your computer
to perform the tasks and functions you indicate.
Application programs are software.

SRAM - Static RAM. Memory chips that do not
require refresh circuitry, as do conventional RAM
chips. SRAMs operate in the 10-30 nanosecond
range, which is faster than RAM chips. SRAM is
often used as a buffer between fast CPUs and RAM.

Subdirectory - A directory within another directory.
System Disk - A disk that contains the operating

system. A Boot Disk.

Write - To store data on a disk.
Write-Protect - To prevent a floppy disk from being

overwritten by placing a write-protect tab over the
notch on the side of the floppy disk (5.25") or setting
the write-protect switch (3.5"). When a floppy disk is
write-protected, you cannot erase, change, or record
over its contents.

ZEOS - Greek god of computers.

Index

A

Advanced Chipset Control 36
Advanced SETUP Menu 35
Alternate IDE Adapter 36

B

BIOS 29

C

Cache memory, how to install

how to install 52

CD-ROM Drive 48
CLK 28
CLR1 jumper 27
Com Port A: in SETUP 38
COMA and COMB 35
CPU, how to install 54
CPU to PCI Bursting 37
CPU to PCI Byte Merging 37
Customer Assurance Program 3

D

Desktop System

diagram 10
how to open 14
internal diagram 18

Disk Drives 45
Diskette Access 40
Diskette access 40
Diskette Controller 35
Diskette Drive A: in SETUP 31
Diskette Drive B: in SETUP 31
DMA Aliasing 37
DRAM Speed 36

E

Expansion Board, how to install 43
External Cache 33

F

Fast Page Code Read 36

Fast Page Data Read 36

Fast Page Write 36

Fixed disk boot sector 40

FLASH1 jumper 27

Floppy Drive 46

H

Hard Drive 47

I

I/O Recovery

16 bit 37
8 bit 37

Integrated Peripherals 35

IRQ 12 37

J

Jumpers

Described 27
Mainboard 26

L

Large Disk Access Mode 38

Local Bus IDE Adapter 36

LPT Mode 35

LPT Port 35

M

Mainboard

Environmental specs 57
Jumpers 27
Jumpers Diagram 26
Specifications 57

Memory Shadow 34

66

Index

P

Parallel Port

features 23

Password 39
Password on Boot 40
PCI Local Bus 21
PCI Posted Write Buffers 37
Pinouts, Serial and Parallel 58
Pipelined CAS 36
Plug & Play O/S 38
Power Savings 41

R

RAM, how to add 49

S

Secondary Cache Subsystem 21
Security 39
Serial Port, features 22
Set Supervisor Password 39
Set User Password 39
SETUP 29
Shadow Memory Regions 34
SIMMs, how to install 50
System Backup Reminder 40
System Date 31
System Shadow 34
System Time 30

V

Video Shadow 34
Virus Check Reminder 40

T

Tower System

diagram 12
how to open 16
internal diagram 19

700-0196-00 PYTHON

67

Late Changes

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There are no corrections at this time.