Acer V55LA User manual

V55LA System
User’s Guide

Copyright
Copyright ã 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 ma es 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 ma e changes from time to time in the contents
hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revision or
changes.
Intel is a registered trademar of Intel Corporation.
Pentium and IntelDX4 are trademar s of Intel Corporation.
ii

Other brand and product names are trademar s and/or registered trademar s of their
respective holders.
iii

IMPORTANT SAFET
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for
future reference.
2. Follow all warnings and instructions mar ed 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 bac or bottom are
provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product
and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be
bloc ed or covered. The openings should never be bloc ed 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 mar ing 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.
iv

9. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate
this product where persons will wal on the cord.
10. If an extension cord is used with this product, ma e sure that the
total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension
cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also,
ma e sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall
outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.
11. Never push objects of any ind 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 shoc . Never spill liquid
of any ind 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 ris s. 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 wor 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
v

14. Replace battery with the same type as the product's battery we
recommend. Use of another battery may present a ris 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 eyboard/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 all the necessary information to
enable you to operate the system properly.
Manual Structure
This user’s guide consists of two 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.
viii

Conventions
The following are the conventions used in this manual:
Text entered by user Represents text input by the user.
Screen messages Denotes actual messages that
appear on the screen.
a, e, s, etc. Represent the actual eys that you
have to press on the eyboard.
NOTE
Gives bits and pieces of additional
information related to the current
topic.
WARNING
Alerts you to any damage that
might result from doing or not doing
specific actions.
CAUTION
Gives precautionary measures to
avoid possible hardware or
software problems.
IMPORTANT
Reminds you to do specific actions
relevant to the accomplishment of
procedures.
TIP
Tells how to accomplish a
procedure with minimum steps
ix

through little shortcuts.
x

Table of Contents
C apter 1 System Board
1.1 Major Features...........................................................1-2
1.1.1 Layout.........................................................1-3
1.1.2 Slot Board...................................................1-4
1.2 Jumpers and Connectors...........................................1-5
1.2.1 Jumper and Connector Locations...............1-5
1.2.2 Jumper Settings..........................................1-6
1.2.3 Connector Functions...................................1-9
1.3 ESD Precautions......................................................1-11
1.4 Memory Upgrade.....................................................1-12
1.4.1 Installing a SIMM.......................................1-14
1.4.2 Removing a SIMM.....................................1-15
1.4.3 Reconfiguring the System.........................1-16
1.5 IDE Hard Dis Support.............................................1-16
1.6 CPU Installation.......................................................1-17
1.7 Video Memory Upgrade...........................................1-18
1.8 Second-level Cache Configuration...........................1-19
1.9 Audio Features.........................................................1-20
1.9.1 Installing the Audio-I/O Board...................1-21
1.9.2 Audio-I/O Board Features.........................1-22
1.9.3 WaveTable Daughterboard (Optional).......1-23
1.9.4 Audio-I/O Devices.....................................1-25
1.10 Error Messages........................................................1-26
1.10.1 Software Error Messages..........................1-26
xi

1.10.2 System Error Messages............................1-26
1.10.3 Correcting Error Conditions.......................1-29
C apter 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 Dis ette Drives............................................2-5
2.2.3 IDE Drives...................................................2-6
2.2.4 System Memory..........................................2-8
2.2.5 Math Coprocessor.......................................2-8
2.2.6 Video Display..............................................2-8
2.2.7 Communication Settings.............................2-9
2.2.8 Enhanced IDE Features..............................2-9
2.2.9 Num Loc After Boot.................................2-10
2.2.10 Memory Test.............................................2-11
2.2.11 Auto Configuration Mode...........................2-11
2.2.12 Fast Boot Mode.........................................2-11
2.2.13 Quiet Boot.................................................2-12
2.2.14 Configuration Table...................................2-12
2.3 Advanced System Configuration..............................2-13
2.3.1 Shadow RAM............................................2-14
2.3.2 Internal Cache (CPU Cache).....................2-14
2.3.3 External Cache..........................................2-14
2.3.4 ECC/Parity Mode Selection.......................2-15
2.3.5 Memory at 15MB-16MB............................2-15
2.3.6 Plug and Play OS......................................2-15
xii

2.4 Power Saving Configuration.....................................2-16
2.4.1 Power Management Mode........................2-17
2.4.2 Monitored Activities...................................2-18
2.5 System Security Setup.............................................2-19
2.5.1 Dis Drive Control.....................................2-19
2.5.2 Onboard Communication Ports.................2-21
2.5.3 Onboard PS/2 Mouse (IRQ 12).................2-24
2.5.4 Crystal Audio Chip....................................2-24
2.5.5 Setup Password........................................2-25
2.5.6 Power On Password.................................2-26
2.6 PCI System Configuration........................................2-27
2.6.1 PCI IRQ Setting.........................................2-27
2.6.2 PCI IRQ Sharing.......................................2-28
2.6.3 VGA Palette Snoop...................................2-28
2.7 Load Setup Default Settings.....................................2-29
2.8 Leaving Setup..........................................................2-30
2.9 IDE Hard Dis Types...............................................2-31
xiii

List of Figures
1-1 System Board Layout.................................................1-3
1-2 2-PCI/3-ISA Slot Board (for des top systems)...........1-4
1-3 3-PCI/5-ISA Slot Board (for minitower systems).........1-4
1-4 System Board Jumper and Connector Locations.......1-5
1-5 20-Pin Multifunction Connector (CN19)...................1-10
1-6 Installing a SIMM......................................................1-14
1-7 Removing a SIMM....................................................1-15
1-8 Installing a Pentium CPU..........................................1-17
1-9 Installing a Video Memory Chip................................1-18
1-10 Audio Connectors Onboard......................................1-20
1-11 Installing the Audio-I/O Board...................................1-21
1-12 Audio-I/O Board........................................................1-22
1-13 WaveTable Daughterboard......................................1-23
1-14 Installing the WaveTable Daughterboard.................1-24
1-15 Audio I/O External Devices.......................................1-25
xiv

List of Tables
1-1 System Board Jumper Settings..................................1-6
1-2 SW2 Settings 1 and 2.................................................1-8
1-3 SW2 Settings 3 and 4.................................................1-8
1-4 SW2 Setting 5............................................................1-8
1-5 SW2 Setting 6............................................................1-8
1-6 Connector Functions..................................................1-9
1-7 Memory Configurations (64-bit)................................1-12
1-8 Memory Configurations (32-bit)................................1-13
1-9 IDE Hard Dis Configuration....................................1-16
1-10 Second-level Cache Configurations.........................1-19
1-11 System Error Messages...........................................1-27
2-1 Drive Control Settings..............................................2-20
2-2 Serial Port 1 Settings................................................2-21
2-3 Serial Port 2 Settings................................................2-22
2-4 Parallel Port Settings................................................2-22
2-5 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings.....................2-23
xv

C h a p t e r
1
System Board
The V55LA is a high-performance system board with a 64-bit
architecture. It supports the Intel 54C, 54CTB, 54CS, 54CT, and
55C C Us running at 75/90/100/120/133/150/166/200 MHz. It also
supports Cyrix M1 and AMD K5 C Us. The system board utilizes the
eripheral Component Interconnect ( CI) local bus architecture that
maximizes the system performance by enabling high-speed
peripherals to match the speed of the microprocessor with its 120 MB
or 132 MB per second transfer rate in burst mode.
The board incorporates a Sound Blaster ro-compatible audio
subsystem that consists of CD-audio, WaveTable, and fax/modem
line-in interfaces. A standard 1-MB video DRAM comes onboard and
is upgradable up to 2 MB. Two DRAM banks composed of four 72-pin
sockets come with the board to support single- and double-density
SIMMs for a maximum system memory of 128 MB. The SIMM sockets
accommodate both the standard page mode and extended data output
(EDO) type SIMMs. The board supports a standard 256-KB
asynchronous second-level cache. The board also supports a 256-KB
pipeline burst mode cache a manufacturing option.
The system board includes a 188-pin connector for the slot board that
contains the CI and ISA bus slots. The two onboard CI-enhanced
IDE interfaces with a zero-wait state and 16.6 MB per second transfer
rate support up to four IDE devices. Onboard I/O interfaces comprise
of two UART 16550 serial ports, a parallel port with EC /E feature,
and S/2 keyboard and mouse ports.
System Board 1-1

1.1 Major Features
The system board has the following major features:
·A zero-insertion force (ZIF) socket for Intel 54C, 54CTB,
54CS, 55C, Cyrix M1, and AMD K5
·Two DRAM banks composed of four 72-pin SIMM sockets that
support 4/8/16/32-MB 60/70ns SIMMs
·256-KB write-back pipeline burst or asynchronous second-level
cache
·128/256-KB boot block mode Flash ROM for system BIOS, VGA
BIOS, and n ESCD
·Two CI-enhanced IDE interfaces that support up to four IDE
devices
·System clock/calendar with 256-byte CMOS RAM
·Interfaces for CD-audio, fax/voice modem, and WaveTable
support
·Standard 1-MB video DRAM onboard plus two upgrade sockets
for up to 2-MB video memory
·188-pin connector for CI/ISA slot board
·Feature socket for multimedia or Ethernet solution
·External ports:
·S/2 keyboard and mouse ports
·Two buffered high-speed serial ports
·One EC /E high-speed parallel port
·Video port
1-2User’s Guide

1.1.1 Layout
Figure 1-1 shows the locations of the system board major
components.
1 Battery
2 Tag SRAM
3 Pipeline burst second-level cache
4 Pentiu CPU socket
5 CPU voltage regulators
6 SIMM sockets
7 Buzzer
8 Switch 2 (SW2)
9 Video RAM upgrade sockets
10 Video RAM
11 VIdeo port
12 Parallel port
13 BIOS
14 Serial port 2
15 Slot board connector
16 Serial port 1
17 Mouse port
18 Keyboard port
19 RJ-45 connector
Figure 1-1 Syste Board Layout
System Board 1-3

1.1.2 Slot Board
The system board comes with a slot board already installed. The slot
board carries the CI and ISA bus slots for system enhancements and
future expansion.
The slot board may vary in size and layout depending on your system
housing. Figures 1-2 and 1-3 show the two kinds of slot boards.
Figure 1-2 2-PCI/3-ISA Slot Board (for desktop syste s)
1-4User’s Guide

Figure 1-3 3-PCI/5-ISA Slot Board
(for initower syste s)
1.2 Jumpers and Connectors
1.2.1 Jumper and Connector Locations
Figure 1-4 shows the jumper and connector locations on the system
board.
Figure 1-4 Syste Board Ju per and Connector Locations
The blackened pin of a ju per represents
pin 1.
System Board 1-5