Acer Altos 9100B User manual

AcerAltos 9100B Series
User’s Guide

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guideii
Document EDITION PART NUMBER DATE
History First Edition 49. AB661.001 June 1998
Copyright
Notice Copyright ©1998 by Acer America Corporation. 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 Acer America Corporation.
Programs Copyright ©1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 Acer America Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A
Trademarks Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated.
Adobe and Acrobat Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
McAfee and VirusScan are registered trademarks of Network Associates, Inc.
MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
Windows, Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98 and DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Disclaimer Acer and its suppliers make no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaim any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Further, Acer 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 revisions or changes. Acer reserves the right
to make changes to the products described in this manual at any time and without notice.

iii
Warranty/Limitation of Liability
Any software described in this manual is licensed “as is” and Acer and its suppliers disclaim any and
all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to any warranty of non-infringement of
third party rights, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Acer does not warrant that the
operation of the software will be uninterrupted or error free. Should the programs prove defective, the
buyer (and not Acer, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary service, repair,
and any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software. Please see the
Acer Limited Product Warranty for details of Acer’s limited warranty on hardware products. IN NO
EVENT SHALL ACER BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS OR DATA, EVEN IF ACER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Software License
Acer grants you a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the software that accompanies
your computer system only on a single computer. You may not (a) make copies of the software except
for making one (1) backup copy of the software which will also be subject to this license, (b) reverse
engineer, decompile, disassemble, translate or create derivative works based upon the software, (c)
export or re-export the software to any person or destination which is not authorized to receive them
under the export control laws and regulations of the United States, (d) remove or alter in any way the
copyright notices, or other proprietary legends that were on the software as delivered to you or (e)
sublicense or otherwise make the software available to third parties. The software is the property of
Acer or Acer’s supplier and you do not have and shall not gain any proprietary interest in the software
(including any modifications or copies made by or for you) or any related intellectual property rights.
Additional restrictions may apply to certain software titles. Please refer to any software licenses that
accompany such software for details.
Join Us to Fight Against Piracy
The Acer Group has been implementing a policy to respect and protect legitimate intellectual property
rights. Acer firmly believes that only when each and every one of us abides by such policy, can this
industry provide quality service to the general public.
Acer has become a member of the Technology Committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Council which
is encouraging the protection and enforcement of legitimate intellectual property rights worldwide.
Moreover, in order to ensure quality service to all of our customers, Acer includes an operating system
in Acer computer systems which is duly licensed by the legitimate proprietors and produced with
quality.
Acer commits itself and urges all of its customers to join the fight against intellectual property piracy
wherever it may occur. Acer will pursue the enforcement of intellectual property rights and will strive
to fight against piracy.

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guideiv
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions carefully. Save them 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
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. 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 the 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.
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

v
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

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidevi
14. Use only the proper type of power supply cord (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.
Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).
15. Replace the 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 service technician.
The battery could explode if not handled
properly. o not recharge, disassemble or
dispose of it in fire. Keep it away from children
and dispose of any used battery promptly.

vii
FCC Class A Radio Frequency
Interference Statement
Note:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
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.

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guideviii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 System Board
1.1 Features.......................................................................................................1-1
1.2 Major Components ....................................................................................1-2
1.3 Layout.........................................................................................................1-3
1.4 Jumpers and Connectors ...........................................................................1-4
1.4.1 Jumper and Connector Locations..................................................1-4
1.4.2 Jumper Settings ...............................................................................1-5
1.4.3 Connector Functions.......................................................................1-6
1.5 Front Panel Connectors .............................................................................1-7
1.6 Installing Optional Components...............................................................1-8
1.6.1 ESD Precautions..............................................................................1-9
1.6.2 Pre-installation Instructions ...........................................................1-9
1.6.3 Post-installation Instructions........................................................1-10
1.7 Video Memory Upgrade .........................................................................1-11
1.7.1 Supported Video Resolutions ......................................................1-12
1.8 Installing Expansion Cards .....................................................................1-14
1.8.1 Installing a PCI Card.....................................................................1-14
1.8.2 Installing an ISA Card ..................................................................1-15
1.9 ASM Pro....................................................................................................1-17
1.10 Remote Diagnostic Management............................................................1-17
1.11 Error Messages.........................................................................................1-18
1.11.1 Software Error Messages..............................................................1-18
1.11.2 System Error Messages.................................................................1-18
1.11.3 Correcting Error Conditions ........................................................1-21

ix
Chapter 2 CPU Board
2.1 Layout.........................................................................................................2-2
2.2 Jumpers and Connectors...........................................................................2-3
2.2.1 Jumper Settings...............................................................................2-4
2.2.2 Connector Functions.......................................................................2-4
2.3 Memory Upgrade......................................................................................2-5
2.3.1 Memory Configurations.................................................................2-6
2.3.2 Installing a DIMM ..........................................................................2-6
2.3.3 Removing a DIMM.........................................................................2-8
2.3.4 Reconfiguring the System ..............................................................2-9
2.4 Installing a Pentium II Processor............................................................2-10
2.4.1 Installing the Processor Heatsink and Fan .................................2-11
2.4.2 Installing the Processor Module..................................................2-13
2.5 Uninstalling the Processor ......................................................................2-15
2.5.1 Removing the Processor from the Slot........................................2-15
2.5.2 Removing the Processor Heatsink and Fan................................2-17
2.6 CPU Board Installation ...........................................................................2-19
Chapter 3 B OS Utility
3.1 Entering Setup ...........................................................................................3-2
3.2 System Information ...................................................................................3-3
3.2.1 Processor .........................................................................................3-4
3.2.2 Processor Speed..............................................................................3-4
3.2.3 Bus Frequency.................................................................................3-5
3.2.4 Internal Cache.................................................................................3-5
3.2.5 External Cache................................................................................3-5
3.2.6 Floppy Drive A...............................................................................3-5
3.2.7 Floppy Drive B................................................................................3-5
3.2.8 IDE Primary Channel Master ........................................................3-6
3.2.9 IDE Primary Channel Slave...........................................................3-6

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidex
3.2.10 Total Memory..................................................................................3-6
3.2.11 Serial Port 1......................................................................................3-6
3.2.12 Serial Port 2......................................................................................3-7
3.2.13 Parallel Port .....................................................................................3-7
3.2.14 Pointing Device ...............................................................................3-7
3.2.15 Memory Parity Mode......................................................................3-7
3.3 Product Information ..................................................................................3-8
3.3.1 Product Name .................................................................................3-8
3.3.2 System S/N......................................................................................3-8
3.3.3 Main Board ID.................................................................................3-9
3.3.4 Main Board S/N..............................................................................3-9
3.3.5 System BIOS Version ......................................................................3-9
3.3.6 System BIOS ID...............................................................................3-9
3.3.7 BIOS Release Date...........................................................................3-9
3.4 Disk Drives...............................................................................................3-10
3.4.1 Floppy Drives................................................................................3-12
3.4.2 IDE Drives .....................................................................................3-12
3.5 Power Management.................................................................................3-15
3.5.1 Power Management Mode...........................................................3-15
3.6 Startup Configuration..............................................................................3-17
3.6.1 Fast POST Mode............................................................................3-17
3.6.2 Silent Boot......................................................................................3-18
3.6.3 Num Lock After Boot ...................................................................3-18
3.6.4 Memory Test..................................................................................3-18
3.6.5 Initialize SCSI Before IDE.............................................................3-18
3.6.6 System Boot Drive.........................................................................3-19
3.7 Advanced Configuration.........................................................................3-20
3.7.1 Onboard Devices Configuration..................................................3-21
3.7.2 PnP/PCI System Configuration...................................................3-27
3.7.3 Memory/Cache Configuration....................................................3-31

xi
3.7.4 Non-PnP ISA Device Configuration............................................3-33
3.8 System Security Setup.............................................................................3-36
3.8.1 Disk Drive Control ....................................................................... 3-36
3.8.2 Setup Password ............................................................................3-37
3.8.3 Power-on Password......................................................................3-40
3.9 Date and Time.......................................................................................... 3-41
3.9.1 Date................................................................................................ 3-42
3.9.2 Time...............................................................................................3-42
3.10 Remote Diagnostic Configuration..........................................................3-43
3.11 Load Setup Default Settings ...................................................................3-43
3.12 Abort Settings Change ............................................................................3-44
3.13 Leaving Setup ..........................................................................................3-44
Chapter 4 System Housing
4.1 Positioning the System Housing...............................................................4-2
4.1.1 Standalone System..........................................................................4-2
4.1.2 Against a Wall.................................................................................4-3
4.2 Transporting the System...........................................................................4-4
4.3 Features ......................................................................................................4-5
4.3.1 Front Panel......................................................................................4-5
4.3.2 Rear Panel........................................................................................4-6
4.3.3 Internal Structure............................................................................4-7
4.4 Opening the Housing Panels ....................................................................4-8
4.4.1 Upper Front Panel ..........................................................................4-8
4.4.2 Lower Front Panel ..........................................................................4-9
4.4.3 Left Panel.......................................................................................4-10
4.5 Installing Disk Drives..............................................................................4-11
4.5.1 3.5-inch Floppy Drive...................................................................4-11
4.5.2 5.25-inch Drive..............................................................................4-13

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidexii
4.5.3 Hard Disk ......................................................................................4-14
4.6 Installing a System Board........................................................................4-16
4.7 Installing an Expansion Board................................................................4-17
4.8 Reinstalling a CPU Board........................................................................4-19
4.9 Connecting External Devices ..................................................................4-22
4.9.1 Connecting a Monitor...................................................................4-22
4.9.2 Connecting a Keyboard ................................................................4-23
4.9.3 Connecting a Mouse .....................................................................4-24
4.9.4 Connecting a Printer.....................................................................4-25
4.10 Complete System Connections ...............................................................4-26
Chapter 5 SCS Select Configuration Utility
5.1 SCSISelect Configuration Utility Overview..............................................5-1
5.1.1 Default Values.................................................................................5-1
5.1.2 When to Use the SCSISelect Utility ................................................5-3
5.1.3 Running the SCSISelect Utility........................................................5-3
5.2 SCSISelect Utility Options..........................................................................5-4
5.2.1 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Menu ............................5-5
5.2.2 SCSI Disk Utilities.........................................................................5-19
5.3 Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers..................................................5-21
5.4 Disk Drives Over 1 Gbyte .......................................................................5-22
5.4.1 Extended Translation....................................................................5-22
5.4.2 The DOS 1 Gbyte Limit.................................................................5-22
5.4.3 When to Use Extended Translation.............................................5-23
5.5 SCSI Troubleshooting Checklist..............................................................5-24
5.6 BIOS Startup Messages............................................................................5-25
5.6.1 Device connected, but not ready .................................................5-26
5.6.2 Start unit request failed ................................................................5-27
5.6.3 Disk Drive Configuration Problems............................................5-27

xiii
Appendix A Drive Tray Management System (DTMS)
A.1 Features .....................................................................................................A-1
A.2 Major Components...................................................................................A-2
A.2.1 Backplane Board............................................................................A-2
A.2.2 Hot-swap SCSI Drive Tray ...........................................................A-3
A.3 Jumper Settings.........................................................................................A-4
A.4 Hard Disk ID Setting Options .................................................................A-5
A.5 SCSI Channel Configurations..................................................................A-7
A.5.1 Single-Channel Configuration ......................................................A-7
A.5.2 Dual-Channel Configuration ........................................................A-9
A.5.3 Installing a SCSI Hard Disk........................................................A-10
A.6 Using the Hot-swap Feature..................................................................A-13
NDEX

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidexiv
List of Figures
1-1 System Board Layout.................................................................................1-3
1-2 System Board Jumper and Connector Locations.....................................1-4
1-3 Front Panel Connectors .............................................................................1-7
1-4 Installing a Video Memory Chip ............................................................1-11
1-5 Installing a PCI Card................................................................................1-14
1-6 Installing an ISA Card .............................................................................1-16
2-1 CPU Board Layout.....................................................................................2-2
2-2 Pentium II CPU Board Jumper Locations................................................2-3
2-3 Installing a DIMM......................................................................................2-7
2-4 Removing a DIMM ....................................................................................2-8
2-5 Matching the Fan-Heatsink Clips with the Holes on the Processor.....2-10
2-6 Removing the Thermal Tape Protector ..................................................2-11
2-7 Inserting the Clip Ends into the Processor Holes..................................2-11
2-8 Locking a Wide Clip End ........................................................................2-12
2-9 Locking a Narrow Clip End....................................................................2-12
2-10 Installing a Pentium II Processor Module..............................................2-13
2-11 Securing the Pentium II Processor Module............................................2-14
2-12 Unlocking the Module Latches...............................................................2-15
2-13 Removing the Pentium II Processor Module.........................................2-16
2-14 Releasing the Clip ....................................................................................2-17
2-15 Detaching the Processor Heatsink and Fan ...........................................2-18
2-16 Installing the CPU Board.........................................................................2-19
5-1 Options Menu Screen.................................................................................5-4
5-2 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen......................................5-5
5-3 Host Adapter SCSI ID Selection Screen for AIC-7880 ............................5-7
5-4 SCSI Parity Checking Selection.................................................................5-8
5-5 Host Adapter SCSI Termination Selection for AIC-7880........................5-9
5-6 Boot Device Options Screen....................................................................5-10

xv
5-7 SCSI Device Configuration Screen for AIC-7880 .................................. 5-11
5-8 Advanced Configuration Options Screen..............................................5-16
5-9 SCSI Disk Utilities Screen for AIC-7880.................................................5-19
A-1 Backplane Board Components ................................................................A-2
A-2 Hot-swap SCSI Drive Tray Components................................................A-3
A-3 Jumper Settings for 4-pin J3 and J4 .........................................................A-4
A-4 ID Cable Connector Pin Definitions........................................................A-5
A-5 Hard Disk ID Switch Settings
(for backplane versions with 4-on/off switches) .................................A-6
A-6 Single-Channel Configuration .................................................................A-7
A-7 Dual-Channel Configuration...................................................................A-9
A-8 Connecting the Drive Cables (wide SCSI drive)..................................A-10
A-9 Securing a Drive to the Hot-swap Tray................................................A-11
A-10...............................................................Installing the Hot-swap Drive Tray
A-12
List of Tables
1-1 System Board Jumper Settings .................................................................1-5
1-2 Connector Functions .................................................................................1-6
1-3 Video Resolutions....................................................................................1-12
1-4 System Error Messages........................................................................... 1-19
2-1 Settings for CPU Core/Bus Frequency Ration (JP1)...............................2-4
2-2 Conector Functions....................................................................................2-4
2-3 Memory configurations using 100 MHz (registered) SDRAM ..............2-6
3-1 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings .................................................. 3-25
3-2 Drive Control Settings.............................................................................3-37
5-1 Default Settings for SCSI Controller and All Devices ............................5-2
A-1 Terminator Settings for Single-Channel Configuration.........................A-8
A-2 Terminator Settings for Dual-Channel Configuration...........................A-9

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidexvi
About This Manual
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 four chapters and an appendix.
Chapter 1 System Board
This chapter describes the system board and all its major components. It contains
information about the system board layout, jumper and connector locations,
jumper settings, connector functions, and information on installing optional
components. At the end of the chapter you will find an explanation of error
messages and corresponding corrective measures.
Chapter 2 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 3 B OS Utility
This chapter gives information about the system BIOS and tells how to configure
the system by setting the BIOS parameters.
Chapter 4 System Housing
Describes the system housing and tells how to install basic system components
into the housing. It gives brief instructions accompanied by illustrations showing
how to perform the described procedure.
Chapter 5 SCS Select configuration Utility
This chapter describes the SCSISelect configuration utility, which allows you to
change SCSI controller settings without opening the computer or changing
jumpers.

xvii
Appendix A Drive Tray Management System (DTMS)
This appendix describes the backplane board, the Hot-swap SCSI drive tray,
jumper settings, hard disk ID setting options, SCSI channel configuration,
installing the SCSI hard drive, and using the Hot-swap feature.

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guidexviii
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
, , Represents 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 danger that might
result from doing or not doing
specific actions.
CAUTION
Suggests precautionary measures to
avoid potential hardware or
software problems.
IMPORTANT
Reminds you to take specific action
relevant to the accomplishment of
the procedure at hand.
TIP
Tells how to accomplish a procedure
with minimum steps through little
shortcuts.

Chapter 1 – System Board 1-1
Chapter 1 System Board
1.1 Features
The AcerAltos 9100B Series is a dual-processor system board built on an ATX
baseboard that supports the Intel Pentium II CPU processor running at 350/100
MHz and 400/100 MHz. The 9100b Server is based on Intel's 440BX chip set and
takes advantage of 100 MHz Front Side Bus architecture. 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 100 MHz bus
frequency. It also supports synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) DIMMs.
The AcerAltos 9100B Series supports PCI IDE, 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 Ultra Wide
SCSI comes with the AcerAltos 9100B Series 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 40 Mb/s.
The AcerAltos 9100B Series system board 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 network interface controller, and a PCI video controller with 1
Mb of memory.

AcerAltos 9100B Series User’s Guide1-2
The system board supports two server management features, ASM Pro and
Remote Diagnostic Manager (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.
1.2 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
• 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