User manual ACER AA9100B

$FHU $OWRV % System Guide &RS\ULJKW Copyright © 1998 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of this company. 'LVFODLPHU This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Any software described in this manual is sold or licensed "as is". Should the programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer (and not this company, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software. Further, this company reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes. All brand and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. ii ,03257$17 6$)(7< ,16758&7,216 1. 2. 3. Read these instructions carefully. future reference. Save these instructions for Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. Do not use this product near water. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product. Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided. This product should be operated from the type of power indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company. This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the grounding-type plug. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. iii 9. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord. 10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes. 11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. 12. Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. 13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: a. b. c. d. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed If liquid has been spilled into the product If the product has been exposed to rain or water If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service e. f. 14. Replace battery with the same type as the product's battery we recommend. Use of another battery may present a risk of fire or explosion. Refer battery replacement to a qualified serviceman. iv 15. Warning! Battery may explode if not handled properly. Do not recharge, disassemble or dispose of in fire. Keep away from children and dispose of used battery promptly. 16. Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit. It should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type SJT, rated 6A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its equivalent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters). v )&& &ODVV % 5DGLR )UHTXHQF\ ,QWHUIHUHQFH 6WDWHPHQW Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of 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 off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. 3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. 4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help. Notice 1: The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. Notice 2: Shielded interface cables, if any, must be used in order to comply with the emission limits. vi $ERXW WKLV 0DQXDO Getting Started This system guide aims to give you all the necessary information to enable you to operate the Altos 9100B system. Manual Structure This system guide consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 System Housing This chapter describes the assembly and disassembly of the system housing. It also shows you how to install housing components. Chapter 2 System Board This chapter describes the main board. Also, It introduces the system's unique features and powerful architecture. Chapter 3 CPU Board This chapter describes the dual-processor CPU board. It includes the CPU board jumper settings and cache and system memory configurations. Step-by-step instructions tell you how to install the CPUs and memory modules. Chapter 4 BIOS Utility This chapter explains the BIOS parameter functions. It tells how to configure the system by setting the parameters. vii Conventions The following are the conventions used in this manual: Text entered by user Option Items Represents text input by the user. Represents options that you can select on the screen. Represent the actual keys that you have to press on the keyboard. NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional information related to the current topic. CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to avoid possible hardware or software problems. TIP Tells how to accomplish a procedure with minimum steps through little shortcuts. , , , etc. viii 7DEOH RI &RQWHQWV Chapter 1 System Housing Positioning the System Housing................................................ 0-1 Standalone System ...................................................... 0-1 Against a Wall .............................................................. 0-2 Transporting the System ........................................................... 0-3 Features ................................................................................ 0-4 Front Panel ................................................................. 0-4 Rear Panel ................................................................. 0-5 Internal Structure.......................................................... 0-6 Opening the Housing Panels..................................................... 0-7 Upper Front Panel ........................................................ 0-7 Lower Front Panel ........................................................ 0-8 Left Panel ................................................................. 0-9 Installing Disk Drives............................................................... 0-10 3.5-inch Drive............................................................. 0-10 5.25-inch Drive ........................................................... 0-12 Hard Disk ............................................................... 0-13 Upgrading to Two Redundant Power Supply Modules ............. 0-15 Removing the Existing Power Supply ......................... 0-15 Installing the Power Supply Modules .......................... 0-19 Installing a System Board ....................................................... 0-22 Installing an Expansion Board ................................................. 0-23 Installing a CPU Board............................................................ 0-25 Connecting External Devices .................................................. 0-28 Connecting a Monitor ................................................. 0-28 ix Connecting a Keyboard .............................................. 0-29 Connecting a Mouse................................................... 0-30 Connecting a Printer................................................... 0-31 Complete System Connections ............................................... 0-32 Chapter 2 System Board Major Components.................................................................... 1-3 System Board Layout................................................................ 1-4 Jumpers and Connectors .......................................................... 1-5 Jumper Settings ........................................................... 1-6 Connector Functions..................................................... 1-6 ESD Precautions....................................................................... 1-8 Video Memory Upgrade ............................................................ 1-9 Supported Video Resolutions........................................ 1-9 Installing Expansion Cards...................................................... 1-12 Installing a PCI Card................................................... 1-12 Installing an ISA Card................................................. 1-12 ASM Pro ................................................................................. 1-14 Remote Diagnostic Management ............................................ 1-15 Installing an RDM Module........................................... 1-15 Error Messages....................................................................... 1-16 Software Error Messages............................................ 1-16 System Error Messages.............................................. 1-16 Correcting Error Conditions ........................................ 1-18 Chapter 3 CPU Board x CPU Board Layout .................................................................... 2-1 CPU Board Jumpers and Connectors........................................ 2-2 Jumper Settings ........................................................... 2-2 Connector Functions..................................................... 2-3 Memory Upgrade ...................................................................... 2-4 Memory Configurations ................................................ 2-4 Installing a DIMM.......................................................... 2-5 Removing a DIMM ....................................................... 2-6 Reconfiguring the System............................................. 2-7 Installing a Pentium II Processor ............................................... 2-8 Installing the Processor Heatsink and Fan .................... 2-8 Installing the Processor Module .................................. 2-11 Uninstalling the Processor....................................................... 2-13 Removing the Processor from the Slot ....................... 2-13 Removing the Processor Heatsink and Fan ................ 2-14 Installing the Termination Board.............................................. 2-16 CPU Board Installation............................................................ 2-17 Chapter 4 BIOS Utility Entering Setup .......................................................................... 3-2 System Information................................................................... 3-3 Processor ..................................................................... 3-4 Processor Speed .......................................................... 3-5 Bus Frequency ............................................................. 3-5 Internal Cache .............................................................. 3-5 External Cache............................................................. 3-5 Floppy Drive A ............................................................. 3-5 xi Floppy Drive B ............................................................. 3-5 IDE Primary Channel Master ........................................ 3-6 IDE Primary Channel Slave.......................................... 3-6 Total Memory ............................................................... 3-6 Serial Port 1 ...................................................................... Serial Port 2 ...................................................................... Parallel Port ................................................................. 3-6 Pointing Device ............................................................ 3-7 Memory Parity Mode .................................................... 3-7 Onboard USB ............................................................... 3-7 Product Information .................................................................. 3-8 Product Name .............................................................. 3-8 System S/N ................................................................. 3-8 Main Board ID .............................................................. 3-9 Main Board S/N ............................................................ 3-9 System BIOS Version................................................... 3-9 System BIOS ID ........................................................... 3-9 BIOS Release Date ...................................................... 3-9 Disk Drives ............................................................................. 3-10 Floppy Drives ............................................................. 3-12 IDE Drives......................................................................... Power Management ................................................................ 3-16 Power Management Mode.......................................... 3-16 Startup Configuration .............................................................. 3-18 Fast POST Mode........................................................ 3-18 Silent Boot......................................................................... Num Lock After Boot .................................................. 3-19 3-19 3-12 3-6 3-6 xii Memory Test .............................................................. 3-19 Initialize SCSI Before IDE .......................................... 3-19 System Boot Drive ..................................................... 3-20 Boot from IDE CD-ROM ............................................. 3-20 Advanced Configuration.......................................................... 3-21 Onboard Devices Configuration.................................. 3-22 PnP/PCI System Configuration................................... 3-28 Memory/Cache Configuration ..................................... 3-33 Non-PnP ISA Device Configuration ............................ 3-35 System Security Setup............................................................ 3-39 Disk Drive Control ...................................................... 3-39 Setup Password.......................................................... 3-40 Power-on Password.................................................... 3-43 Date and Time ........................................................................ 3-44 Date .......................................................................... 3-45 Time .......................................................................... 3-45 Remote Diagnostic Configuration............................................ 3-46 Load Setup Default Settings.................................................... 3-47 Abort Settings Change ............................................................ 3-48 Leaving Setup......................................................................... 3-49 xiii Chapter 0 System Housing This installation guide describes the features of the system housing and tells you how to install the basic system components such as disk drives, system board, or expansion boards. Descriptive illustrations accompany the installation procedures. If you receive a complete system, the basic components are already installed. Positioning the System Housing Standalone System For a standalone system, rotate the legs outward to stabilize the housing. Getting Started 0-1 Against a Wall Figure A Fans Figure B Fans 5~10 cm Fans Facing a Wall When standing the housing with the fans facing a wall, leave a space of 5~10 cm from the wall to allow air circulation, then position the legs as in Figure A. Fans Facing Out When standing the housing with the fans facing out, you can put the system close to the wall and position the legs as in Figure B. 0-2 Altos 9100B System Guide Transporting the System The housing has a handle on top and two wheels behind the feet to facilitate moving to short distances. Rotate the feet inward before moving the housing. When transporting the housing, pull out the handle, at the same time lifting the unit front a few inches from the floor. Slide the housing forward with the wheels supporting the rear. System Housing 0-3 Features Front Panel Power Switch 5.25-inch Drive Bay Power LED 3.5-inch Drive Hard Disk Drive LED Keylock RDM LED SCSI Hard Disk Drive Trays 0-4 Altos 9100B System Guide Rear Panel Power Supply Bays Power Socket 1 Power Socket 2 Keyboard Port Video Port RJ-45 Connector USB Connector Mouse Port Parallel Port Expansion Slots SCSI Expansion Slot System Housing 0-5 Internal Structure The following figure shows the housing internal structure and some of the basic system components. Power Supply Metal Plate (covering two redundant power supply modules) CPU Board Expansion Slot Brackets 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch Drive Bays System Board Backplane Board SCSI Drive Trays 0-6 Altos 9100B System Guide Opening the Housing Panels Upper Front Panel Hold the left edge of the upper front panel to open it and gain access to the diskette drive bays. The housing keys are inside the front panel. System Housing 0-7 Lower Front Panel Unlock the housing with the key. Pull the lower panel to access the drive trays. You cannot remove the key after you have unlocked the housing. You can remove it only when you lock the housing again. 0-8 Altos 9100B System Guide Left Panel Pull on the key to swing the left panel open. If necessary, you may use a screwdriver to pry open the panel. System Housing 0-9 Installing Disk Drives Turn off the power switch and unplug the power cord before installing or removing diskette drives. 3.5-inch Drive 1. 2. Open the lower front panel. Remove the upper panel including its frame by pressing the latch underside and pulling the panel out. 0-10 Altos 9100B System Guide 3. 4. Remove the screw attaching the 3.5-inch drive frame to the housing. Secure a 3.5-inch drive on the frame with four screws. 5. Insert the drive into the drive bay and secure it with a screw. 6. Connect the diskette drive cables. System Housing 0-11 5.25-inch Drive You may install a CD-ROM, digital audio tape (DAT), hard disk, diskette drive or any other 5.25-inch device into the drive bay. 1. 2. 3. Open the lower front panel. Remove the upper panel including its frame by pressing the latch underside and pulling the panel out. Secure the drive guides on the sides of a 5.25-inch drive. 4. Insert the drive into the drive bay. 5. Connect the signal and power cables to the drive. 0-12 Altos 9100B System Guide Hard Disk 1. Pull out a drive tray. 2. Place a hard disk on the tray and secure it with four screws. System Housing 0-13 3. Insert the tray back into the housing. Make sure to push back the drive tray handle in place before pushing the tray in completely. The tray does not fit in if the handle is not in place. 4. Connect the hard disk cables. If you installed a SCSI backplane board into the housing, see the backplane board manual for hard disk installation instructions. 0-14 Altos 9100B System Guide Upgrading to Two Redundant Power Supply Modules Follow the instructions in this section when you want to upgrade to two 420W redundant power supply modules. To reduce the risk of electric shock, make sure to disconnect all power supply cables from the wall socket before opening the system housing. Removing the Existing Power Supply 1. 2. 3. Unplug the AC power cable from the wall socket, then remove the plastic fan cover on the rear panel. Open and remove the lower front and left doors. See the Opening the Housing Panels section for more information. Remove the three screws that secure the right door. DO NOT open the RIGHT door at this moment! Doing so will damage the power sharing board and cables attached to its inner side. 4. Unplug the connectors - from the power supply to the power sharing board - from the power sharing board to the system board - from the power sharing board to the disk drives - from the fans to the system board Remember where you unplugged each connector. You will have to reconnect them later. System Housing 0-15 5. When finished disconnecting all the cables attached to the inner side of the right door, open and remove the right door. Be careful when opening and removing the right door to avoid damaging the power sharing board attached to its inner side. 6. Remove the screws that secure the power supply holding plate. 0-16 Altos 9100B System Guide 7. 8. Slide the holding plate to the right for about an inch. Pull out the lower part of the holding plate and unhook the upper part from the housing roof. You may need to pull the plate downward to remove it easier. System Housing 0-17 9. Remove the screws that secure the metal cover of the upper power supply bay to the rear panel. 10. Remove the screws that secure the power supply module. In the process, make sure to support the module with your hand. 0-18 Altos 9100B System Guide Installing the Power Supply Modules 1. After you have removed all the screws that secure the existing power supply module to the lower bay, carefully move the module to the upper power supply bay. When in place, secure the first power supply with screws. 2. 3. 4. 5. Get the second redundant power supply ready. Firmly hold the power supply and align it to the lower bay. When in place, secure the second power supply with screws. 6. Reinstall the right door but do not close it completely. System Housing 0-19 7. Connect all the power supply cables to the connectors on the power sharing board. Make sure to connect the connectors of power supply 1 to the three upper connectors on the power sharing board. Connect the connectors of power supply 2 to the three lower connectors on the power sharing board. The power connectors are foolproof and connect only in one direction. If a connector does not fit in completely, reverse its orientation then try to reconnect. Cable connections for power supply 1 Power sharing board Cable connections for power supply 2 8. Arrange all the cables from the power sharing board and fans to facilitate connection to the system board and disk drives. Do not let power cables block the housing exhaust and fans. Close the right door completely and secure it with the screws that you removed earlier. 9. 10. Reconnect the fan connectors. 11. Reconnect the system board power connectors. 0-20 Altos 9100B System Guide 12. Reconnect the disk drives power connectors. 13. Reinstall the holding plate by inserting the upper part to the rail on the inner side of the housing roof, then fitting in the lower part. 14. Slide the holding plate to the left until it fits completely and the screw holes match. 15. Secure the holding plate with the screws that you removed earlier. 16. Reinstall the left door and close it. 17. Close the lower front door and lock the system housing. 18. Reinstall the plastic fan cover on the rear panel. 19. Reconnect the AC power cables. System Housing 0-21 Installing a System Board The housing accommodates various system board sizes. You can rearrange the pegs on the system board plate to fit the board that you wish to install. 1. 2. 3. If you have not done so, open the housing following the steps in the Opening the Housing Panel section. When ready, align the system board holes to the pegs with the external ports facing the rear of the housing. Secure the board with eight screws. 0-22 Altos 9100B System Guide Installing an Expansion Board 1. Remove an expansion slot bracket cover. Save the screw to secure the expansion board. System Housing 0-23 2. 3. Align an expansion board with the open slot and insert the golden fingers into the expansion bus connector. Secure the board with a screw. 0-24 Altos 9100B System Guide Installing a CPU Board If your system board does not include a CPU socket, follow these steps to install a CPU board. 1. 2. Locate the CPU board connector in the system board. Insert the board into the connector. Make sure that the board is properly seated in the connector. 3. Secure the board with a screw. System Housing 0-25 4. 5. Align the plastic support bar with the board edge. Insert the right end of the plastic bar to the hole on the side of the backplane board and the left end to the hole on the rear panel. Left End Right End 0-26 Altos 9100B System Guide 6. Insert the left end of the metal support bar tabs to the holes on the rear panel and align the right end to the screw holes on the side of the backplane board. Secure the metal bar with two screws. 7. System Housing 0-27 Connecting External Devices Connecting a Monitor 0-28 Altos 9100B System Guide Connecting a Keyboard System Housing 0-29 Connecting a Mouse 0-30 Altos 9100B System Guide Connecting a Printer System Housing 0-31 Complete System Connections 0-32 Altos 9100B System Guide Chapter 1 System Board The system board is a dual-processor system board built on an ATX baseboard that supports the Intel Pentium II CPU processor running at 266/66 MHz, 300/66 MHz, 333/66 MHz, 350/100 MHz, 400/100 MHz, and future Intel Pentium II processors. It contains an exclusive connector for the CPU board that carries two slots for the Pentium II CPU modules. The host bus interface supports a Pentium II processor with 66 or 100 MHz bus frequency. It also supports synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) DIMMs. The system board supports PCI IDE, universal serial bus (USB) host/hub, and enhanced power management. It also supports Ultra DMA/33 synchronous DMA-compatible devices. A 50-pin Fast SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) and a 68-pin Wide SCSI comes with the system board to connect SCSI devices. Wide SCSI supports 16-bit transfers while fast SCSI uses a 8-bit bus that doubles the clock rate to support data rates of 20 Mb/s. The system board also supports the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, and other standard features such as two UART NS16C550 serial ports, one parallel port with Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)/Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) features, a diskette drive interface, and two embedded hard disk interfaces. The board also includes a built-in 10/100 Mb/s Intel 82557 LAN chip. BIOS Utility 1-1 The system board supports two optional features, ASM Pro and the remote diagnostic management (RDM), that allow better server management. ASM Pro detects problems in CPU thermal condition, CPU working voltage detection (±12V/±5V/3.3V/1.5V), and PCI bus utilization calculation. It also detects if the CPU fan or the chassis fan malfunctions. RDM allows execution of the RDM diagnostic program from a remote RDM station to fix detected problems or to reboot the system. This system is fully compatible with MS-DOS V6.X, DOS/V, IBM OS/2 Warp, Novell Netware, Novel SFT III, SCO UNIX, and Windows NT. 1-2 Altos 9100B System Guide Major Components The system board has the following major components: · · · · · · · · · · · CPU board slot Two ISA and five PCI bus slots 256-KB Flash ROM for system BIOS System clock/calendar with battery backup One 50-pin Fast SCSI and two 68-pin Wide SCSI interfaces One RDM interface with two 24-pin connectors IDE hard disk and diskette drive interfaces Onboard 1-MB Video DRAM Power connector for two redundant 420-watt SPS Super I/O, SCSI, VGA, memory, and Advanced Server Management (ASM) controller chipsets External ports: · · · · · · PS/2-compatible keyboard port (optional AT-keyboard port) PS/2-compatible mouse port Parallel port Video port RJ-45 connector Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector BIOS Utility 1-3 System Board Layout 19 21 22 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mouse port Keyboard port Parallel port Video port RJ-45 connector USB connector LAN controller PCI slots ISA slots Flash ROM BIOS SCSI chipsets 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Wide SCSI connectors CPU board connectors Narrow SCSI connector Diskette drive connector PCI chipset Video controller Battery System Chipset FDC37C935 IDE connector Video DRAM Video DRAM upgrade sockets 1-4 Altos 9100B System Guide Jumpers and Connectors Jumpers are prefixed "JP". Connectors are prefixed "CN". The blackened pin of a jumper or connector represents pin 1. BIOS Utility 1-5