Acer Altos 900 Pro User manual

M11A System
User’s Guide

ii
Copyright
Copyright 1996 by this company. 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.
Disclaimer
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.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Pentium Pro is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective holders.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for
future reference.
2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not
use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for
cleaning.
4. Do not use this product near water.
5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table.
The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate
this product where persons will walk on the cord.

iv
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. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed
b. If liquid has been spilled into the product
c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water
d. 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.
e. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged
f. If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance,
indicating a need for service

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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.
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 SVT/SJT, rated
6A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its equivalent. Maximum
length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

vi
FCC Class B Radio Frequency Interference
Statement
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.

vii
About this Manual
Purpose
This user’s guide aims to give you the information you need to
operate the system properly and tells you how to install internal
components.
Manual Structure
This user’s guide consists of three chapters.
Chapter 1 System Board
This chapter describes the system board and all its major
components. It contains the system board layout, jumper
settings, cache and memory configurations, and information on
other internal devices.
Chapter 2 BIOS Utility
This chapter gives information about the system BIOS and tells
how to configure the system by changing the settings of the
BIOS parameters.
Chapter 3 System Utilities
This chapter tells how to use the AFlash BIOS Utility and the
SCSISelect Configuration Utility.

viii
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
Text entered by user Represents text input by the user.
Screen messages Denotes messages that appear
onscreen.
, , , etc. 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.
WARNING
Alerts you to any damage that
might result by not following the
instructions.
CAUTION
Gives precautionary measures to
avoid possible hardware or
software problems.
IMPORTANT
Reminds you to take specific
actions relevant to the
accomplishment of procedures.
TIP
Tells how to accomplish a
procedure with minimum steps
through little shortcuts.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 System Board
1.1 Features ..................................................................1-1
1.2 Major Components...................................................1-2
1.2.1 System Board Layout ................................1-3
1.3 Jumpers and Connectors .........................................1-4
1.3.1 Jumper and Connector Locations ..............1-4
1.3.2 Jumper Settings ........................................1-5
1.3.3 Connector Functions..................................1-8
1.4 ESD Precautions....................................................1-10
1.5 Installing a Pentium Pro CPU.................................1-11
1.5.1 Installation with the Sliding Heat Sink......1-11
1.5.2 Installation with the Hook-Type Heat
Sink.........................................................1-13
1.6 Memory Upgrade...................................................1-15
1.6.1 Rules for Adding Memory........................1-15
1.6.2 Memory Configurations ...........................1-16
1.6.3 Installing a SIMM.....................................1-17
1.6.4 Removing a SIMM...................................1-18
1.6.5 Reconfiguring the System........................1-19
1.7 SCSI Feature.........................................................1-20
1.7.1 Using the SCSI Feature...........................1-20
1.8 Server Management Features (optional)................1-21
1.8.1 ASM Pro..................................................1-21
1.8.2 Remote Diagnostic Management.............1-22

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1.9 Error Messages......................................................1-24
1.9.1 Software Error Messages ........................1-24
1.9.2 System Error Messages ..........................1-24
1.9.3 Correcting Error Conditions.....................1-27
Chapter 2 BIOS Utility
2.1 Entering Setup.........................................................2-2
2.2 Basic System Configuration.....................................2-3
2.2.1 Date and Time ..........................................2-4
2.2.2 Diskette Drives..........................................2-5
2.2.3 IDE Drives.................................................2-6
2.2.4 Onboard IDE.............................................2-7
2.2.5 System Memory........................................2-8
2.2.6 Math Coprocessor.....................................2-8
2.2.7 Video Display............................................2-8
2.2.8 Communication Settings ...........................2-8
2.2.9 Enhanced IDE Features ............................2-9
2.2.10 Large Memory Support Mode..................2-10
2.2.11 Num Lock After Boot...............................2-10
2.2.12 Memory Test...........................................2-10
2.2.13 Auto Configuration Mode.........................2-11
2.2.14 Fast Boot Mode.......................................2-11
2.2.15 Quiet Boot...............................................2-11
2.2.16 Configuration Table.................................2-12
2.3 Advanced System Configuration............................2-13
2.3.1 Shadow RAM ..........................................2-14
2.3.2 L1 & L2 Cache (CPU Cache)...................2-14

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2.3.3 Cache Scheme........................................2-14
2.3.4 ECC/Parity Mode Selection.....................2-15
2.3.5 Operation of ECC....................................2-15
2.3.6 Setting for SNA Cards.............................2-16
2.3.7 Memory at 15MB-16MB...........................2-16
2.4 PCI System Configuration......................................2-17
2.4.1 PCI IRQ Setting.......................................2-17
2.4.2 VGA Palette Snoop .................................2-19
2.4.3 Onboard SCSI.........................................2-19
2.5 Power Saving Configuration...................................2-20
2.5.1 Power Management Mode.......................2-21
2.5.2 System Wakeup Events ..........................2-21
2.6 System Security.....................................................2-22
2.6.1 Disk Drive Control ...................................2-22
2.6.2 Onboard Communication Ports................2-24
2.6.3 Onboard PS/2 Mouse (IRQ12).................2-26
2.6.4 Setup Password.......................................2-27
2.6.5 Power On Password................................2-29
2.7 Load Setup Default Settings...................................2-30
2.8 Remote Diagnostic Configuration...........................2-30
2.9 Leaving Setup........................................................2-31
2.10 IDE Hard Disk Types..............................................2-32

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Chapter 3 System Utilities
3.1 AFlash BIOS Utility..................................................3-1
3.1.1 Executing AFlash......................................3-2
3.1.2 Quick Way to Execute AFlash...................3-3
3.2 SCSISelect Configuration Utility...............................3-4
3.2.1 Overview...................................................3-4
3.2.2 Utility Options............................................3-6
3.2.3 Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers .....3-20
3.2.4 Disk Drives Over 1 GByte .......................3-21

xiii
List of Figures
1-1 System Board Layout...............................................1-3
1-2 Jumper and Connector Locations.............................1-4
1-3 USB Bracket Installation...........................................1-9
1-4 Attaching the Sliding Heat Sink to the CPU............1-11
1-5 Installing a CPU with the Sliding Heat Sink.............1-12
1-6 Installing the Hook-Type Heat Sink and Fan...........1-13
1-7 Installing a SIMM ...................................................1-17
1-8 Removing a SIMM .................................................1-18
1-9 Installing the RDM Module .....................................1-22
1-10 Connecting the RDM Cable....................................1-23
3-1 Options Menu Screen...............................................3-6
3-2 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen..........3-7
3-3 Host Adapter SCSI ID Selections .............................3-8
3-4 SCSI Parity Checking Selections..............................3-9
3-5 Host Adapter SCSI Termination .............................3-10
3-6 Boot Device Configuration......................................3-11
3-7 SCSI Device Configuration.....................................3-12
3-8 Advanced Configuration Options............................3-15
3-9 SCSI Disk Utilities Screen......................................3-18

xiv
List of Tables
1-1 Jumper Settings.......................................................1-5
1-2 CN13 Settings for CPU Core/Bus Frequency
Ratio........................................................................1-6
1-3 CN14 Settings for CPU Core Voltage.......................1-7
1-4 Connector Functions................................................1-8
1-5 Memory Configurations..........................................1-16
1-6 System Error Messages.........................................1-25
2-1 Drive Control Settings............................................2-23
2-2 Serial Port 1 Settings .............................................2-24
2-3 Serial Port 2 Settings .............................................2-24
2-4 Parallel Port Settings .............................................2-25
2-5 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings ...................2-26
3-1 Settings for the SCSI Controller and All Devices......3-4
3-2 Individual Settings for SCSI Drives ..........................3-5

Chapter
11
System Board
System Board 1-1
1.1 Features
This high-performance system board supports the new Intel Pentium
Pro CPU running at 150/180/200 MHz. Designed to work with Intel
chipsets composed of PCI bridge, memory controller, data bus
accelerator, and data buffers, the CPU carries a new generation of
power not present in its predecessors. The CPU also incorporates the
first-level (L1) and second-level (L2) caches, the advanced peripheral
interrupt controller (APIC), and the system bus controller.
The system board utilizes both the ISA and the PCI local bus
architecture. Three ISA and four PCI bus slots reside on the board to
allow installation of either master or slave devices.
The board has three memory banks composed of two 72-pin SIMM
sockets each that support a maximum system memory of 384 MB
using 64-MB SIMMs. The SIMM sockets support both EDO and fast-
page mode SIMMs.
A 50-pin Fast SCSI-II and a 68-pin Wide SCSI interface come with
the system board to connect SCSI devices. Standard I/O features
such as two enhanced IDE drive interfaces, two serial interfaces, one
parallel port interface, a diskette drive interface, and PS/2 mouse and
keyboard connectors reside on the system board.

1-2User’s Guide
1.2 Major Components
The system board has the following major components:
•One zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket for Intel Pentium Pro CPU
•Three memory banks (Bank 1 to Bank 3) composed of six 72-pin
SIMM sockets
•Three ISA and four PCI expansion slots
•256-KB Flash ROM for system BIOS
•50-pin Fast SCSI-II and 68-pin Wide SCSI interfaces
•RDM connectors (optional)
•Enhanced IDE hard disk and diskette drive interfaces
•Power connector for 200-watt switching power supply
•I/O, SCSI, and memory, controller chipsets
•ASM controller chipset (optional)
•USB interface for additional peripheral support (optional)
•External ports:
•PS/2-compatible keyboard port
•PS/2-compatible mouse port

System Board 1-3
1.2.1 System Board Layout
1 Power connector
2 Diskette drive connector
3 IDE 1 connector
4 IDE 2 connector
5 SIMM sockets
6 RDM connectors
7 CPU voltage regulators
8 VRM components
9 Pentium Pro CPU socket
10 Buzzer
11 Narrow SCSI connector
12 Wide SCSI connector
13 ISA bus slots
14 PCI slots
15 BIOS
16 Battery
17 PS/2 mouse connector
18 PS/2 keyboard connector
Figure 1-1 System Board Layout
1
5
2
3
4
9
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
15
14
16
17
18

1-4User’s Guide
1.3 Jumpers and Connectors
1.3.1 Jumper and Connector Locations
Figure 1-2 shows the jumper locations on the system board. The
blackened pin on a jumper represents pin 1.
Figure 1-2 Jumper and Connector Locations
The blackened pin of a jumper or connector
represents pin 1.

System Board 1-5
1.3.2 Jumper Settings
Table 1-1 Jumper Settings
Jumper Setting Function
BIOS Type
J4 1-2*
2-3 Acer BIOS OEM BIOS
Password Security
J5 1-2
2-3* Password check Password bypass
SCSI Selection
J6 Open
1-2 Narrow SCSI Wide SCSI
CPU Bus Frequency
J9 1-2
2-3* 60 MHz (150/180 MHz) 66 MHz (200 MHz)
SCSI Termination
J10 Open
1-2
2-3*
Terminator off for both narrow
and wide SCSI
Terminator on for either narrow
or wide SCSI
SCSI terminator switchable to On
or Off using the SCSI setup utility
Sound Output
J13 1-2*
2-3 Buzzer Speaker
Reset/SMM Switch
JMP1 1-2*
2-3 Enables reset switch Disables reset switch and
enables SMM switch
*Default setting

1-6User’s Guide
Table 1-2 lists the CPU core over bus frequency ratios depending on
CN13 settings.
Table 1-2 CN13 Settings for CPU Core/Bus Frequency Ratio
CN13 Settings CPU Core /
1-5 2-6 3-7 4-8 Bus Freq. Ratio
1111 2
1101 3
1110 4
1100 5
0111 2.5
0101 3.5
0 = Open 1 = Closed