Acard AEC-6896S User manual

PCI-to-SATA RAID
Controller AEC-6896S/6896
User’s Manual
Copyright © 2003 ACARD Technology Corp.
Release: April 2003
Version 1.0

Copyright and Trademarks
The information of the product in this manual is subject to change without prior
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor, who as-
sumes no liability or responsibility for any errors that may appear in this manual.
ACARD and SCSIDE are the trademarks of ACARD Technology Corp. Microsoft
and the Windows Logo are the registered trademarks, and Windows is the trade-
mark of Microsoft Corporation. All brands and trademarks are the properties of their
respective owners.
This manual contains materials protected under International Copyright Laws. All
rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written per-
mission of the manufacturer and the author. All inquires should be addressed to
ACARD Technology Corp.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................5
1.1 Overview ................................................................ 5
1.2 Features ................................................................. 5
1.3 Specifications........................................................ 5
1.4 Package.................................................................. 6
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation........................7
2.1 Quick Installation .................................................. 7
2.2 The Board Layout.................................................. 7
2.3 Connection of Cable and Power Cord ................ 8
2.4 Compatibility ......................................................... 9
Chapter 3 BIOS Setup ......................................10
3.1 Description of Functions.....................................11
3.1.1 Set RAID Modes............................................................. 11
3.1.2 Build Mirror Disk ........................................................... 12
3.1.3 Quick Erase Disk ........................................................... 12
3.1.4 RAID Mode Help ............................................................ 12
3.1.5 Card Information ........................................................... 12
3.1.6 Set Boot Disk ................................................................. 12
3.2 Setting of RAID Mode ......................................... 12
3.2.1 Stripe Mode.................................................................... 13
3.2.2 Mirror Mode.................................................................... 14
3.2.3 Stripe + Mirror Mode ..................................................... 15
3.2.4 JBOD Mode .................................................................... 15
Chapter 4 System & Driver Installation ..........16
4.1 In Win 2000/XP..................................................... 16
4.1.1 Install the Driver ............................................................ 16
4.1.2 Boot from AEC-6896 ..................................................... 21
4.2 In Win NT.............................................................. 21
4.2.1 Install the Driver ............................................................ 21
4.2.2 Boot from AEC-6896 ..................................................... 22
4.3 In Win 9X/ME........................................................ 22

4.3.1 Install the Driver ............................................................ 22
4.3.2 Boot from AEC-6896 ..................................................... 22
4.4 In Linux ................................................................ 22
Chapter 5 The AEC-68X5 Utility ......................25
5.1 Install the Utility .................................................. 25
5.2 Operate the Utility ............................................... 25
5.2.1 File .................................................................................. 26
5.2.2 Action ............................................................................. 26
5.2.3 Option ............................................................................. 26
5.2.4 About .............................................................................. 26
5.2.5 System Info .................................................................... 27
5.2.6 Event Log ....................................................................... 27
5.2.7 Array Management ........................................................ 27
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting..............................28
Appendix A About RAID...................................29
A-1 RAID 0 (Striping) ................................................ 29
A-2 RAID 1 (Mirroring) .............................................. 29
A-3 RAID 0+1 (Striping/Mirroring) ........................... 30
A-4 JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) .......................... 30
Appendix B Make An Installation Disk ...........31
Appendix C ASPITool32 Manager ...................34

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Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
AEC-6896S is a 64-bit, 33MHz PCI-to-SATA RAID controller while AEC-6896 a
66MHz one. They all have 4 Serial ATA channels, and support RAID 0, 1, 0+1,
JBOD and Normal modes. Their high performance and scalability are fit for servers
and workstations.
1.2 Features
nAn add-on PCI-to-SATA controller
nData transfer rate up to 266MB/s
nSupports up to 4 Serial ATA hard drives
nSupports a large hard drive over 137GB
nHardware RAID 0, 1, 0+1, and JBOD
nWide OS support (Windows, Linux, etc.)
1.3 Specifications
nPower requirement --- Voltage: 3.3V +/–2%
5V +/–2%
Current: 0.5A Max.
nEnvironment --- Operating temperature: 0oC to 70oC
Storage temperature: –20oC to 85oC
nHumidity --- 15% to 90%
nDimensions --- Width: 17.5cm
Height: 8.1cm
nConnectors --- Four 7-pin SATA connectors

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1.4 Package
When you open the package, please examine the following items.
nAEC-6896S or AEC-6896 × 1
nSerial ATA Cable ×4
nUser’s Manual
nACARD Support CD × 1
nPower Cord for Serial ATA hard drive (optional)

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Chapter 2 Hardware Installation
2.1 Quick Installation
2.2 The Board Layout
The layout of AEC-6896 board is shown as follows.
From this chapter on we simply take AEC-6896 to explain installation, etc.
(1). Be sure that the system power has been off.
(2). Open the housing of PC.
(3). Insert AEC-6896 into an available PCI slot firmly.
(4). Screw AEC-6896 onto the housing.
(5). Connect AEC-6896 to the Serial hard drive with a Serial ATA cable (and an IDE-
to-SATA converter if the hard drive is an IDE one).
(6). Screw the housing and power on the system.
NOTICE: If you use a converter, please connect the large 4-pin power
cord to the hard drive, and the small 4-pin one to the converter.
Figure 2-1

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2.3 Connection of Cable and Power Cord
Connect the Serial ATA cable and the power cord to an IDE hard drive as follows.
(1). Connect AEC-6896 and an IDE-to-SATA converter with the Serial ATA cable.
(2). Connect the converter to the IDE hard drive.
(3). Connect the large 4-pin power cord to the hard drive, and the small 4-pin one to
the converter.
However, if your hard drive is a Serial one, please connect it directly as follows.
(1). Connect AEC-6896 and the Serial hard drive with the Serial ATA cable.
(2). Connect the power cord to the hard drive.
Figure 2-2
SATA Cable
Y-splitter power cord
Converter

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Figure 2-3
NOTICE: The serial ATA cable is used to transfer data of very high
frequency. It is suggested not to connect and disconnect it too often,
because the connectors are easily damaged.
2.4 Compatibility
AEC-6896 is particularly designed for DMA hard drive, and has been fully tested
with the hard drives available in laboratory. It supports various ATA 66/100/133 hard
drives and SATA ones as listed below.
CSeagate
CIBM
CMaxtor
CWestern Digital
For the newest compatibility, please visit http://www.acard.com
SATA Cable
Power Cord

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Chapter 3 BIOS Setup
After installing AEC-6896 and booting the system, you will see the following figure
appear immediately behind the figure of motherboard. The figure indicates your
BIOS version, hard drive information, RAID status, etc.
Figure 3-1
Please press Ctrl + <F1> or <F10> simultaneously to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
Figure 3-2
NOTICE: If a hard drive or array has been set as boot disk, there will be
a * appearing before its model number or its first disk.

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3.1 Description of Functions
On BIOS screen use <á>,<â> to change items, press <Enter> to select and con-
firm, and press <Esc> to cancel or exit (return to previous screen). Meanwhile at the
bottom of the screen, you can see the model numbers of hard drives connected to
the channels, the capacity, the RAID status and class. For example, U5 represents
an Ultra 5 ATA100 hard drive.
3.1.1 Set RAID Modes
In AEC-6896 there are 8 arrays for you to build or change RAID mode on any array.
Move cursor to “Set RAID Mode”, then press <Enter>, and Array 0 to Array 7 will
appear. There are four RAID and one normal (non RAID) modes for selection once
you press <Enter>. Set according to the prompt window. Please refer to 3.2 for the
explanation of each RAID mode. Yet, you are suggested to use the Windows-based
RAID Utility designed for AEC-6896. Its GUI is easy for operation. Please refer to
Chapter 5.
Figure 3-3
NOTICE: You can set a new array from Array 0 to 7. The number is simply
for the system identification. After rebooting, the system will assign the
newly set array a smaller number. It begins with Array 0.

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3.1.2 Build Mirror Disk
When replacing a mirrored hard drive, you can rebuild the hard drive’s data by
“Build Mirror Disk” according to the prompt upon booting. Please see 3.2.2.
3.1.3 Quick Erase Disk
This function allows you to quickly erase the data on a selected hard drive. Beware
that the data and the partitions will be erased.
3.1.4 RAID Mode Help
This function chiefly tells you that RAID 0+1 requires 4 hard drives. If your hard
drives are ATA ones, you are strongly recommended to set the disk jumper as CS
(cable selection).
3.1.5 Card Information
This function indicates the I/O address, ROM address and IRQ number currently
used by AEC-6896.
3.1.6 Set Boot Disk
This function lets you select a hard drive or an array containing OS to boot. But you
need to enter BIOS of the motherboard, then boot “Other Boot Device”. If a hard
drive has been set as boot disk, there will be a * appearing before its model number.
3.2 Setting of RAID Mode
NOTICE: The rebuilding time depends on the size of RAID. You can press
Ctrl + S to stop rebuilding.
AEC-6896 supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and JBOD modes. The hardware setting re-
lated to each RAID mode is briefly described below. Yet, you are suggested to use
the AEC-6896 RAID Utility to set RAID. Please refer to Chapter 5 and Appendix A.

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Figure 3-4
Select any array in “Set RAID Modes”, then press <Enter> to select a RAID mode.
After selection, the screen will prompt “Please select disks to create array”, and the
cursor will move to the display area of hard drive at the bottom of the screen. Use
<á>,<â> to select hard drives. Green highlighted items can be selected but purple
ones cannot. Purple items are used in another array. After selecting the hard drive,
press <Esc> to return to the dialog box of “Set RAID Mode” and continue.
3.2.1 Stripe Mode
This mode needs a pair of hard drives at least. After selection, you have to to deter-
mine the hard drives’ stripe block size. That depends on the size of files the array
intends to access in order to use the hard drives fully. For example, you can select
a larger stripe size for the array whose image files you will frequently access. If
there isn’t any special use, you are suggested to set as 64K.
Figure 3-5

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Figure 3-7
3.2.2 Mirror Mode
This mode needs a pair of hard drives for each array. If the two hard drives you have
chosen contain the same data, or different data that you don’t want to keep, you can
select “Create Only”. But if not, please choose one of them as the source hard drive
(label is disk0 or disk1), and copy the data from the source one to another.
Figure 3-6
When one of the hard drives in mirror array is damaged, you have to power off, then
change the bad hard drive. Upon booting anew, the screen will prompt you to use
“Build Mirror Disk” in BIOS to rebuild. Please notice that if you connect the newly
removed hard drive back to AEC-6896, in the channel display area at the bottom of
BIOS screen, the hard drive will be added to a new array (its number is different
from the original mirror array). After choosing “Build Mirror Disk”, you will find the
prompt: problem mirror array as shown below. If you want to update the hard drive’s
contents in the array, click 1 to change to Non RAID, then combine it with another
correct hard drive into Mirror Array according to the instructions on the screen. If
you want to reserve the hard drive’s contents, click 2 to cancel the RAID setting so
as to add the array you want to reserve.

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3.2.3 Stripe + Mirror Mode
This mode needs four hard drives. If your hard drives are ATA ones, you are sug-
gested to set the disk jumper as CS. Besides, you have to select stripe block size,
too.
3.2.4 JBOD Mode
This mode means to add all selected hard drives and make them become a big one.
Data will be automatically saved into the next hard drive when the present hard
drive is used up.

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Chapter 4 System & Driver Installation
Driver installation varies somewhat in different operating systems. You can install
the driver of AEC-6896 in an existing OS, or install a new OS to the hard drive
connected to AEC-6896. The second method is to boot from AEC-6896.
4.1 In Win 2000/XP
Please follow the steps given below to install the driver of AEC-6896.
(1). After installing AEC-6896, boot the computer and enter Windows XP.
(2). The system will detect a new device and require a directory to access. Select
“Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”. Then click “Next”.
Here we only take Windows XP as an example to explain.
4.1.1 Install the Driver
Figure 4-1

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(3). Follow the wizard. Windows XP will require the driver’s location. Select
“Include this location in the search”.
(4). Select “Browse” to find the driver’s directory of AEC6896.inf such as A:\WinXP.
Figure 4-2
(5). After the wizard finds the driver, click “Next” to install it.
Figure 4-3

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(6). Click “Continue Anyway” to continue the installation.
Figure 4-4
(7). Follow the directions. The system will complete the setup automatically.
Figure 4-5

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(8). After setup, please boot the system again, and click “My Computer”.
Figure 4-6
(9). Find “View system information”, and double click it.
Figure 4-7

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(10). In “System Properties”, click “Hardware” and then “Device Manager”.
(11). Under “SCSI and RAIDControllers”,double click“ACARD AEC-6896PCI RAID
Controller” to see if the card has been installed successfully.
Figure 4-8
Figure 4-9