Abit AB-BE6 User manual

Copyright and Warranty Notice
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on part of the vendor, who assumes no liability or
responsibility for any errors that may appear in this manual.
No warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, is made with respect to
the quality, accuracy or fitness for any particular part of this document. In no event
shall the manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damages arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.
Product names appearing in this manual are for identification purpose only and
trademarks and product names or brand names appearing in this document are
property of their respective owners.
This document contains materials protected under International Copyright Laws. All
rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted or
transcribed without the expressed written permission of the manufacturer and
authors of this manual.
If you do not properly set the motherboard settings causing the motherboard to
malfunction or fail, we cannot guarantee any responsibility.

MN-163-2A1-71 Rev. 1.01
BE6 Motherboard User’s Manual
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION OF BE6 FEATURES 1-1
1-1.Features of This Motherboard 1-1
1-2. Specifications 1-2
1-3. Layout Diagram 1-3
1-4. The System Block Diagram 1-5
CHAPTER 2. INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD 2-1
2-1. Installing the Motherboard to the Chassis 2-2
2-2. Installation of the PentiumII/III, CeleronCPU 2-3
2-3. Installing System Memory 2-3
2-4. Connectors, Headers and Switches 2-6
CHAPTER 3. INTRODUCTION OF THE BIOS 3-1
3-1. CPU Setup [SOFT MENU™II] 3-3
3-2. Standard CMOS Setup Menu 3-8
3-3. BIOS Features Setup Menu 3-11
3-4. Chipset Features Setup Menu 3-17
3-5. Power Management Setup Menu 3-21
3-6. PNP/PCI Configuration 3-28
3-7. Load Setup Defaults 3-30
3-8. Integrated Peripherals 3-31
3-9. Password Setting 3-36
3-10. IDE Hard Disk Detection 3-37
3-11. Save & Exit Setup 3-38
3-12. Quit Without Saving 3-38
APPENDIX A BIOS FLASHING USER INSTRUCTIONS
APPENDIX B INSTALLING THE HIGHPOINT XSTORE PRO
UTILITY
APPENDIX C HARDWARE MONITORING FUNCTION
(INSTALLING THE WINBOND HARDWARE
DOCTOR UTILITY)
APPENDIX D INSTALLING THE DRIVER FOR ULTRA ATA/66
APPENDIX E THE THERMAL CABLE
APPENDIX F TROUBLESHOOTING (NEED ASSISTANCE?)

Introduction of BE6 Features 1-1
User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Introduction of BE6 Features
1-1.Features of This Motherboard
The motherboard is designed for a new generation CPUs. It supports the Intel SLOT1
structure (PentiumII/III and Celeronprocessors), up to 768MB of memory, super I/O, and
Green PC functions. The motherboard provides high performance for server systems and
meets the requirements for desktop system for multimedia in the future.
The BE6 has the HPT366 Ultra ATA/66 Chipset built-in. This means, the BE6 will support
Ultra ATA/66 IDE devices. Ultra ATA/66 is the new standard for IDE devices. It enhances
existing Ultra ATA/33 technology by increasing both performance and data integrity. This
new high-speed interface doubles the Ultra ATA/33 burst data transfer rate to 66.6
Mbytes/sec. The result is maximum disc performance using the current PCI local bus
environment. Another benefit is, you can connect another four IDE devices in your system
either Ultra ATA/33 IDE devices or Ultra ATA/66 IDE devices. You will have more
flexibility to expand your computer system.
The BE6 has built-in hardware monitoring functions (you can refer to Appendix C for
detailed information), they can monitor and protect your computer insuring a safe
computing environment. The BE6 also supports both the PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse
wake up features (you can refer to section 3-8 for detailed information), letting you easily
wake up your system by these devices. The motherboard can provide high performance for
workstations and meets the requirements for desktop systems for multimedia in the future.
Sets You Free From the Y2K Threat
The potential threat of Year 2000 (Y2K) problems are making everyone very nervous. The
Y2K issue applies to almost any device, firmware, or software that operates on or with year
based dates. This problem is caused by a design flaw in the Real Time Clock (RTC) unit.
The RTC only changes the last two digits of the year code, but not the century information.
As a result, when it comes to 12:00 AM January 1, 2000 the RTC will switch from
December 31 11:59 PM 1999 to 12:00 AM January 1 1900.
Y2K compliance deals with the date change over from 31 December 1999 to 1 January 2000,
and with recording and reporting of all dates from the RTC including leap year dates. This
motherboard is free from the Y2K problem because its BIOS are Y2K compliant.

1-2 Chapter1
BE6
Please Note
If the operating system or application software cannot handle Year 2000 dates, you will
still be facing the Y2K threat because it is not a hardware problem that relates to the
motherboard itself. According to Award BIOS, it is BIOS source code released after 31
May 1995 complies with all known Y2K issues; however, it may still fail the 2000.exe
test. Award has modified its BIOS source code to accommodate the requirements of
2000.exe. Award BIOS source code issued later than 18 November 1996 passes the
NTSL 2000.exe test program.
1-2. Specifications
1. CPU
!Supports IntelPentiumIII 450 ~ 550 MHz Processor cartridge.
!Supports IntelPentiumII 233 ~ 450 MHz Processor cartridge.
!Supports Intel®Celeron™ 266 ~ 466MHz processors (Based on 66MHz PPGA package)
!Supports 66 and 100MHz CPU external clock speeds
2. Chipset
!Intel®440BX chipset (82443BX and 82371EB)
!HPT366 Ultra DMA66 IDE controller supports four Ultra DMA66 devices
!Supports Ultra DMA/33 IDE protocol
!Supports Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI)
!Accelerated Graphics Port connector supports AGP 1x and 2x mode (Sideband) 3.3V
device
3. Memory (System Memory)
!Three 168-pin DIMM sockets support SDRAM modules
!Supports up to 768MB MAX. (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 MB SDRAM)
!Supports ECC
4. System BIOS
!CPU SOFT MENU™ II, can easily set the processor parameters
!AWARD BIOS
!Supports Plug-and-Play (PnP)
!Supports Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI)
!Supports Desktop Management Interface (DMI)
!Year 2000 compliant

Introduction of BE6 Features 1-3
User’s Manual
5. Multi I/O Functions
!2x Channels of Bus Master IDE Ports supporting up to four Ultra DMA 33/66 devices
!2x Channels of Bus Master IDE Ports supporting up to four Ultra DMA 33 devices
!PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 Mouse Connectors
!1x Floppy Port ( up to 2.88MB)
!1x Parallel Port (EPP/ECP)
!2x Serial Ports
!2x USB Connectors
6. Miscellaneous
!ATX form factor
!One AGP slot, five PCI slots and two ISA slots
!Supports PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse wake-up functions
!Built-in Wake on LAN header
!Built-in IrDA TX/RX header
!Built-in SB-Link™header
!Built-in Wake On Ring header
!Built-in SMBus header
!Hardware monitoring：Included fan speed, voltages, CPU and system environment
temperature
!One Thermal Sensor Cable included
!Board size: 305 * 210mm

1-4 Chapter1
BE6
"
""
"Supports Wake On LAN, Keyboard or Mouse, but your ATX power supply 5V
standby power must be able to provide at least a 720mA current capacity.
Otherwise, the functions may not work normally.
"
""
"PCI slots 4 and 5 use the same bus master control signal.
"
""
"PCI slot 3 shares IRQ signals with the HPT366 IDE controller (Ultra ATA/66). The
driver for HPT 366 IDE controller supports IRQ sharing with other PCI devices.
But if you install a PCI card that doesn’t allow IRQ sharing with other devices into
PCI slot 3, you may encounter some problems. Furthermore, if your Operating
System doesn’t allow peripheral devices to share IRQ signals with each other--
Windows NT for example, you can’t install a PCI card into PCI slot 3.
"
""
"HPT 366 IDE controller is designed to support high-speed mass storage. Thus we
don’t suggest you connect non-disk devices that use ATA/ATAPI interfaces, such as
CD-ROM to HPT 366 IDE connector (IDE3&IDE4).
#Above 66MHz/100MHz bus speeds are supported but not guaranteed due to the PCI and
chipset specifications.
#Sound Blaster™is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. in the United
States and certain other countries. Sound Blaster - LINK™and SB-LINK™ are
trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd.
#Specifications and information contained in this manual are subject to change without
notice.
Note
All brand names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Introduction of BE6 Features 1-5
User’s Manual
1-3. Layout Diagram
Figure 1-2. Motherboard component location

1-6 Chapter1
BE6
1-4. The System Block Diagram
Figure 1-3. System diagram of the 440BX chipset

Installing the Motherboard 2-1
User’s Manual
Chapter 2. Installing the Motherboard
This BE6 motherboard not only provides all standard equipment for classic personal
computers, but also provides great flexibility for meeting future upgrade demands. This
chapter will introduce step by step all the standard equipment and will also present, as
completely as possible, future upgrade capabilities. This motherboard is able to support all
IntelPentiumII/III processors and IntelCeleronprocessor now on the market. (For
details, see specifications in Chapter 1.)
This chapter is organized according the following features:
2-1 Installing the Motherboard to the Chassis
2-2 Installation of the PentiumII/III, CeleronCPU
2-3 Installing System Memory
2-4 Connectors, Headers and Switches
$$$$
$$$$$$$$
$$$$ Before Proceeding with the Installation $$$$
$$$$$$$$
$$$$
Before you install or unplug any connectors or add-on cards, please remember to turn the
ATX power supply switch off (fully turn the +5V standby power off), or take the power cord
off. Otherwise, you may cause the motherboard components or add-on cards to malfunction
or be damaged.
%
%%
%
User Friendly Instructions
Our objective is to enable the novice computer user to perform the installation by himself.
We have attempted to write this document in a very clear, concise and descriptive manner to
help overcome any obstacles you may face during installation. Please read our instructions
carefully and follow them step-by-step.

2-2 Chapter2
BE6
2-1. Installing the Motherboard to the Chassis
Most computer chassis will have a base on which there will be many mounting holes that
allows the motherboard to be securely attached and at the same time, prevents short circuits.
There are two ways to attach the motherboard to the base of chassis:
!with studs
!or with spacers
Please refer to the figure 2-1 that shows the studs and spacers, they may have several types,
but all look like the figures below:
In principle, the best way to attach the
motherboard is with studs, and only if
you are unable to do this should you
attach the board with spacers. Take a
careful look at the motherboard and
you will see many mounting holes on
it. Line these holes up with the
mounting holes on the base. If the
holes line up, and there are screw holes
this means you can attach the motherboard with studs. If the holes line up and there are only
slots, this means you can only attach the motherboard with spacers. Take the tip of the
spacers and insert them into the slots. After doing this to all the slots, you can slide the
motherboard into position aligned with theslots. After the motherboard has been positioned,
check to make sure everything is OK before putting the casing back on.
Figure 2-2 shows you the way to affix the motherboard using studs or spacers:

Installing the Motherboard 2-3
User’s Manual
Note
If the motherboard has mounting holes, but they don’t line up with the holes on the base
and there are no slots to attach the spacers, don’t worry, you can still attach the spacers
to the mounting holes. Just cut the bottom portion of spacers (the spacer may be a little
hard to cut off, so be careful of your hands). In this way you can still attach the
motherboard to the base without worrying about short circuits. Sometimes you may
need to use the plastic springs to isolate the screw from the motherboard PCB surface,
because the circuit wire may be near by the hole. Be careful, don’t let the screw contact
any printed circuit wire or parts on the PCB that are near the fixing hole, otherwise it
may damage the board or cause board malfunctioning.
2-2. Installation of the Pentium


II/III, Celeron

CPU
The installation method for the CPU is printed on the package of the retention mechanism
that comes with the motherboard. You can refer to it while you install the CPU. This
motherboard also supports the Celeron®PPGA processor. If you want to install the Celeron®
PPGA processor, you have to use an additional adapter that allows you to use a Celeron®
PPGA processor in a slot 1 board. For this ABIT makes the SlotKETadapter.
Note:
!Installing a heat sink and cooling fan is necessary for proper heat dissipation from
your CPU. Failing to install these items may result in overheating and damage of
your CPU.
!Please refer to your boxed processor installation or other documentation attached
with your CPU for detailed installing instructions.
2-3. Installing System Memory
This motherboard provides three 168-pin DIMM sites for memory expansion. The DIMM
sockets support 1Mx64 (8MB), 2Mx64 (16MB), 4Mx64 (32MB), 8Mx64 (64MB), 16Mx64
(128MB), and 32Mx64 (256MB) or double sided DIMM modules. Minimum memory size
is 8MB and maximum memory size is 768MB SDRAM. There are three Memory module
sockets on the system board. (Total six banks)

2-4 Chapter2
BE6
In order to create a memory array, certain rules must be followed. The following set of rules
allows for optimum configurations.
!The memory array is 64 or 72 bits wide. (depending on with or without parity)
!Those modules can be populated in any order.
!Supports single and double density DIMMS.
Table 2-1. Valid Memory Configurations
Bank Memory Module Total Memory
Bank 0, 1
(DIMM1) 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB 8MB ~ 256MB
Bank 2, 3
(DIMM2) 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB 8MB ~ 256MB
Bank 4, 5
(DIMM3) 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB 8MB ~ 256MB
Total System Memory 8MB ~ 768MB
Generally, installing SDRAM modules to your motherboard is an easy thing to do. You can
refer to figure 2-3 to see what a 168-pin PC100 SDRAM module looks like.
Unlike installing SIMMs, DIMMs may
be "snapped" directly into the socket.
Note: Certain DIMM sockets have minor
physical differences. If your module
doesn't seem to fit, please do not force it into the socket as you may damaged your memory
module or DIMM socket.
The following procedure will show you how to install a DIMM module into a DIMM socket.
Step 1. Before you install the memory
module, please place the computer power
switch in the off position and disconnect
the AC power cord from your computer.
Step 2. Remove the computer’s chassis
cover.
Step 3. Before touching any electronic
components, make sure you first touch
an unpainted, grounded metal object to
discharge any static electricity stored on
your clothing or body.
Figure 2-3 PC100 Module and Component Mark
Figure 2-4. Memory module installation

Installing the Motherboard 2-5
User’s Manual
Step 4. Locate your computer’s 168-pin memory expansion DIMM socket.
Step 5. Insert the DIMM module into the expansion socket as shown in the illustration.
Note how the module is keyed to the socket. You can refer to figure 2-4 for the
details. This insures the DIMM module will be plugged into the socket in one way
only. Firmly press the DIMM module into the DIMM socket, making certain the
module is completely seated in the DIMM socket.
Step 6. Once the DIMM module has been installed, the installation is complete and the
computer’s cover can be replaced. Or you can continue to install other devices and
add-on cards that are mentioned in the following section.
Note
When you install a DIMM module fully into the DIMM socket, the eject tab should be
locked into the DIMM module very firmly and fit into its indention on the both sides.

2-6 Chapter2
BE6
2-4. Connectors, Headers and Switches
Inside the case of any computer several cables and plugs have to be connected. These cables
and plugs are usually connected one-by-one to connectors located on the motherboard. You
need to carefully pay attention to anyconnection orientation the cables may have and, if any,
notice the position of the first pin of the connector. In the explanations that follow, we will
describe the significance of the first pin.
We will show you all connectors, headers and switches here, and tell you how to connect
them. Please pay attention and read the whole section for necessary information before
attempting to finish all of the hardware installation inside the computer chassis.
Figure 2-5 shows you all of the connectors and headers thatwe’ll discuss in the next section,
you can use this diagram to visually locate each connector and header we describe.
All connectors, headers and switches mentioned here, will depend on your system
configuration. Some features you may (or may not) have and need to connect or configure
depending on the peripheral. If your system doesn't have such add-on cards or switches you
can ignore some special feature connectors.
Figure 2-5. All Connectors and Headers for the BE6
First, Let’s see the headers that BE6 uses, and what their functions are.

Installing the Motherboard 2-7
User’s Manual
CON1: ATX Power Input Connector
Caution
If the power supply connectors are not properly attached to the CON1 power supply, the
power supply or add-on cards may be damaged.
Attach the connector from the power supply
to the CON1 connector here. Remember you
have to push the connector from the ATX
power supply firmly to the end with the
CON1 connector, insuring that you have a
good connection.
Note: Watch the pin position and the
orientation
FAN1, FAN2 & FAN3: FAN header
Attach the connector from the individual
CPU fan to the header named FAN2, and
attach the connector from the chassis fan to
FAN1 or & FAN3 header.
You must attach the CPU fan to the
processor, or your processor will work
abnormally or may be damaged by
overheating. Also, if you want the computer
case’s internal temperature to be kept steady
and not too high, you had better connect the
chassis fan to reach this goal.
Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation

2-8 Chapter2
BE6
IR1: IR Header (Infrared)
There is a specific orientation for pins 1
through 5, attach the connector from the IR
KIT or IR device to the IR1 header (left row
only) This motherboard supports standard
IR transfer rates.
Note: Watch the pin position and the
orientation
SB-Link: SB-Link™Header If your PCI audio adapter supports this
feature, then you can connect the specific
cable from the audio adapter to this header.
SB-LINK™combines Intel's PC-PCI and
"Serialized IRQ" protocols. These
technologies can be found in Intel's TX, LX,
BX and newer core logic chipsets. This
technology provides the DMA and IRQ
signals present in ISA Bus today, but not
available on the PCI Bus. The SB-LINK™
serves as a bridge between the motherboard and PCI sound card to deliver Sound card for
real-mode DOS games. Check to see if your card supports this.
Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation
WOR1: Wake On Ring Header If you have an internal modem adapter that
supports this feature, then you can connect
the specific cable from the internal modem
adapter to this header. This feature lets you
wake up your computer via remote control
through the modem.
Note: Watch the pin position and the
orientation

Installing the Motherboard 2-9
User’s Manual
WOL1: Wake on LAN Header If you have a Network adapter that supports
this feature, then you can connect the
specific cable from the network adapter to
this header. This feature lets you wake up
your computer via remote control through a
local area network. You may need a specific
utility to control the wake up event, like
using the Intel®LDCM®utility or other
similar utilities.
Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation
SMB1: System Management Bus Connector
This connector is reserved for system
management bus (SMBus). The SMBus is a
specific implementation of an I2C bus. I2C is
a multi-master bus, which means that
multiple chips can be connected to the same
bus and each one can act as a master by
initiating a data transfer. If more than one
master simultaneously tries to control the
bus, an arbitration procedure decides which
master gets priority.
Note: Watch the pin position and the orientation
CON2 header:
This header is for you to connect an
additional thermistor to detect the CPU
temperature. You can attach one end of the
two-threaded thermal cable that comes with
the motherboard to CON2 header, then tape
the other end of thermal cable on CPU’s heat
sink.
Generally speaking, the location you tape
the thermistor should be as near the CPU
chipset as possible and avoid having it near the CPU FAN.

2-10 Chapter2
BE6
CCMOS1: CMOS Discharge Jumper Jumper CCMOS1 discharge CMOS
memory. When you install the motherboard,
make sure this jumper is set for normal
operation (pin 1 and 2 shorted). See figure
2-6.
Normal Operation (Default) Discharge CMOS
Figure 2-6. CCMOS1 jumper setting
Note
Before you clear the CMOS, you have to turn the power off first (including the +5V
standby power). Otherwise, your system may work abnormally or malfunction.
PN1 and PN2 Headers
PN1 and PN2 areforswitches and indicators
for the chassis’s front panel, there are
several functions that come from these two
headers. You have to watch the pin position
and the orientation, or you may cause
system malfunctions. Figure 2-7 shows you
the PN1 and PN2 functions of the pins.
Figure 2-7. The definition of PN1 and
PN2 pins