Acer Altos 900 User manual

AcerAltos 900
User’s Guide

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guideii
Document EDITION PART NUMBER DATE
History First Edition 49.AA983.001 May 1996
Copyright
Notice Copyright ©1996 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 ©1996 Acer America Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A
Trademarks Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated.
Adaptec and the Adaptec logo are registered trademarks of Adaptec, Inc. SCSISelect is a trademark of
Adaptec, Inc.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark and PS/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks and/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.

AcerAltos 900 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
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. 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
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.

v
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
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).

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guidevi
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.

vii
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1System Housing........................................................ 1-1
1.1 Features ......................................................................................................1-1
1.1.1 Front Panel ......................................................................................1-1
1.1.2 Rear Panel........................................................................................1-3
1.2 Getting Started...........................................................................................1-5
1.2.1 Selecting a Site.................................................................................1-5
1.2.2 Unpacking the System....................................................................1-6
1.2.3 Positioning the System...................................................................1-7
1.3 Connecting Components...........................................................................1-9
1.4 Installing Options ....................................................................................1-13
1.4.1 ESD Precautions............................................................................1-13
1.4.2 Opening the System......................................................................1-14
1.4.3 Installing Expansion Boards ........................................................ 1-16
1.4.4 Installing Drives............................................................................1-18
Chapter 2System Board............................................................ 2-1
2.1 Features........................................................................................................2-1
2.2 Major Components .....................................................................................2-2
2.2.1 System Board Layout .....................................................................2-3
2.3 Jumpers and Connectors............................................................................2-4
2.3.1 Jumper and Connector Locations..................................................2-4
2.3.2 Jumper Settings...............................................................................2-5

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guideviii
2.3.3 Connector Functions.......................................................................2-7
2.4 ESD Precautions ..........................................................................................2-8
2.5 Installing a VGA Daughter Board..............................................................2-9
2.6 CPU Upgrade ............................................................................................2-10
2.7 Memory Upgrade......................................................................................2-11
2.7.1 Rules for Adding Memory ...........................................................2-11
2.7.2 Memory Configurations...............................................................2-12
2.7.3 Installing a SIMM..........................................................................2-13
2.7.4 Removing a SIMM ........................................................................2-14
2.7.5 Reconfiguring the System.............................................................2-15
2.8 Second-level Cache Module .....................................................................2-16
2.9 SCSI Feature...............................................................................................2-17
2.9.1 Using the SCSI Feature.................................................................2-17
2.10 Error Messages.........................................................................................2-18
2.10.1 Software Error Messages..............................................................2-18
2.10.2 System Error Messages.................................................................2-18
2.10.3 Correcting Error Conditions ........................................................2-21
Chapter 3BIOS Utility ................................................................3-1
3.1 Entering Setup............................................................................................3-2
3.2 Basic System Configuration ......................................................................3-3
3.2.1 Date and Time.................................................................................3-5
3.2.2 Diskette Drives................................................................................3-6
3.2.3 Hard Disk Drives............................................................................3-6
3.2.4 System Memory ..............................................................................3-8
3.2.5 Math Coprocessor...........................................................................3-8
3.2.6 Video Display..................................................................................3-9
3.2.7 Communication Settings ................................................................3-9
3.2.8 Enhanced IDE Features ................................................................3-10

ix
3.2.9 Large Memory Support Mode.....................................................3-10
3.2.10 Num Lock After Boot................................................................... 3-11
3.2.11 Memory Test.................................................................................3-11
3.2.12 Auto-configuration Mode............................................................3-11
3.2.13 Fast Boot Mode.............................................................................3-11
3.3 Advanced System Configuration...........................................................3-12
3.3.1 Shadow RAM................................................................................3-14
3.3.2 Internal Cache (CPU Cache)........................................................3-14
3.3.3 External Cache..............................................................................3-14
3.3.4 ECC/Parity Mode Selection ........................................................3-15
3.3.5 Memory at 15MB-16MB...............................................................3-15
3.4 PCI System Configuration ......................................................................3-16
3.4.1 PCI IRQ Setting............................................................................. 3-17
3.4.2 VGA Palette Snoop.......................................................................3-18
3.5 Non-PnP ISA Card Configuration........................................................... 3-18
3.5.1 System Resources Used by Non-PnP ISA Cards........................3-20
3.5.2 Expansion ROM Region...............................................................3-20
3.5.3 I/O Region ....................................................................................3-20
3.6 Power-Saving Configuration....................................................................3-21
3.6.1 Power Management Mode...........................................................3-22
3.6.2 System/Wakeup Events...............................................................3-22
3.7 System Security Setup ..............................................................................3-23
3.7.1 Disk Drive Control ....................................................................... 3-23
3.7.2 Onboard Communication Ports ..................................................3-25
3.7.3 Onboard PS/2 Mouse (IRQ12) ....................................................3-27
3.7.4 Setup Password ............................................................................ 3-28
3.7.5 Power On Password.....................................................................3-29
3.8 Load Setup Default Settings.....................................................................3-29
3.9 Leaving Setup ..........................................................................................3-30

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guidex
Chapter 4SCSISelect Configuration Utility..............................4-1
4.1 The SCSISelect Configuration Utility........................................................4-1
4.1.1 Default Values.................................................................................4-1
4.1.2 When to Use the SCSISelect Utility ................................................4-3
4.1.3 Running the SCSISelect Utility........................................................4-3
4.2 SCSISelect Utility Options..........................................................................4-4
4.2.1 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Menu ............................4-5
4.2.2 SCSI Disk Utilities.........................................................................4-19
4.3 Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers..................................................4-22
4.4 Disk Drives Over 1 Gbyte .......................................................................4-23
4.4.1 Extended Translation....................................................................4-23
4.4.2 The DOS 1 Gbyte Limit.................................................................4-24
4.4.3 When to Use Extended Translation.............................................4-24
4.5 SCSI Troubleshooting Checklist..............................................................4-26
4.6 BIOS Startup Messages............................................................................4-26
4.6.1 Device connected, but not ready .................................................4-28
4.6.2 Start unit request failed ................................................................4-28
4.6.3 Disk Drive Configuration Problems............................................4-29
Chapter 5EISA Configuration Utility (ECU)..............................5-1
5.1 EISA Configuration Utility........................................................................5-1
5.1.1 Functions..........................................................................................5-1
5.1.2 Making Menu Selections.................................................................5-2
5.1.3 Getting Help....................................................................................5-3
5.2 Starting the ECU ........................................................................................5-4
5.3 ECU Main Menu ........................................................................................5-5
5.3.1 Main Menu Selections.....................................................................5-6
5.4 Configuring Your Computer for the First Time....................................5-12
5.5 Adding or Removing Boards ...................................................................5-15
5.6 Configuring Memory...............................................................................5-19

xi
5.7 Viewing or Editing Configuration Details..............................................5-22
5.8 What To Do If Your Nonvolatile Memory Is Invalid.............................5-25
Appendix A System Resources...............................................A-1
A.1 Memory Map ............................................................................................A-1
A.2 System I/O Address Map........................................................................A-2
A.3 Interrupt Channels ...................................................................................A-4
A.4 Basic System Configuration (1/2) ...........................................................A-5
A.5 Basic System Configuration (2/2) ...........................................................A-5
A.6 Advanced System Configuration (1/1) ..................................................A-6
A.7 PCI System Configuration .......................................................................A-7
A.8 System Security.........................................................................................A-8
A.9 EISA Configuration Utility ......................................................................A-9
Index

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guidexii
List of Figures
1-1 System Unit Front Panel............................................................................1-2
1-2 System Unit Rear Panel .............................................................................1-4
1-3 Positioning the System (Bottom View).....................................................1-7
1-4 System Housing Vents...............................................................................1-8
1-5 Connecting the Keyboard..........................................................................1-9
1-6 Connecting a Mouse ................................................................................1-10
1-7 Connecting a Monitor..............................................................................1-11
1-8 Connecting a Printer................................................................................1-12
1-9 Opening the System.................................................................................1-14
1-10 Inside Components..................................................................................1-15
1-11 Removing a Bracket.................................................................................1-16
1-12 Installing a Board.....................................................................................1-17
1-13 Detaching the Drive Frames from the Housing ....................................1-18
1-14 Securing the Diskette Drive to the Upper Drive Frame........................1-19
1-15 Securing the Diskette Drive to the Lower Drive Frame .......................1-20
1-16 Installing a 3.5-inch Diskette Drive ........................................................1-21
1-17 Connecting the 3.5-inch Diskette Drive Cables .....................................1-22
1-18 Installing a 5.25-inch Drive......................................................................1-23
1-19 Connecting the 5.25-inch Drive Cables ..................................................1-24
1-20 Installing a Fixed Disk Drive...................................................................1-25
1-21 Connecting the Fixed Disk Drive Cables ...............................................1-26
2-1 System Board Layout.................................................................................2-3
2-2 Jumper Locations.......................................................................................2-4
2-3 JP13, JP14, JP15, and JP16 Settings............................................................2-6
2-4 Installing a VGA Daughter Board ............................................................2-9
2-5 Installing an Intel Pentium Processor.....................................................2-10
2-6 Installing a SIMM.....................................................................................2-13
2-7 Removing a SIMM ...................................................................................2-14

xiii
2-8 Installing a Synchronous Cache Module ............................................... 2-16
4-1 Options Menu Screen................................................................................4-4
4-2 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen......................................4-5
4-3 Host Adapter SCSI ID Selection Screen for AIC-7880............................4-6
4-4 SCSI Parity Checking Selection ................................................................4-7
4-5 Host Adapter SCSI Termination Selection for AIC-7880 .......................4-9
4-6 Boot Device Options Screen....................................................................4-10
4-7 SCSI Device Configuration Screen for AIC-7880 .................................. 4-11
4-8 Advanced Configuration Options Screen..............................................4-16
4-9 SCSI Disk Utilities Screen for AIC-7880.................................................4-20
5-1 ECU Main Menu........................................................................................5-5
5-2 Important EISA Configuration Information............................................5-6
5-3 Add or Remove Boards.............................................................................5-8
5-4 View or Edit Details ..................................................................................5-9
5-5 Examine Switches or Print Report .........................................................5-10
5-6 Save and Exit............................................................................................5-11
5-7 Examine Switches or Print Report .........................................................5-12
5-8 Save and Exit............................................................................................5-14
5-9 Add or Remove Boards...........................................................................5-16

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guidexiv
List of Tables
1-1 Features and Functions of the Front Panel.............................................1-1
1-2 Features and Functions of the Rear Panel ..............................................1-3
2-1 Jumper Settings ........................................................................................2-5
2-2 Connector Functions..................................................................................2-7
2-3 Memory Configurations..........................................................................2-12
2-4 System Error Messages............................................................................2-19
3-1 Drive Control Settings.............................................................................3-24
3-2 Serial Port 1 Settings................................................................................3-25
3-3 Serial Port 2 Settings................................................................................3-25
3-4 Parallel Port Settings................................................................................3-26
3-5 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings...................................................3-27
4-1 Default Settings for SCSI Controller and All Devices.............................4-2
5-1 Keyboard Function Keys ...........................................................................5-2
A-1 System Memory Map................................................................................A-1
A-2 System I/O Address Map........................................................................A-2
A-3 Interrupt Channels....................................................................................A-4
A-4 Basic System Configuration (1/2)............................................................A-5
A-5 Basic System Configuration (2/2)............................................................A-5
A-6 Advanced System Configuration (1/1)...................................................A-6
A-7 PCI System Configuration........................................................................A-7
A-8 System Security.........................................................................................A-8
A-9 EISA Configuration Utility (ECU)...........................................................A-9

Introduction 1
Introduction
The AcerAltos 900 is a high performance, entry-level server that can be used as a
departmental file server, application server, or communication gateway. It
supports a variety of operating systems, including Novell NetWare, SCO UNIX,
and Microsoft Windows NT.
The AcerAltos 900 server combines high performance with high expandability
while incorporating the latest technological advances. These features include:
• IntelPentiumProcessor
• 512 KB Pipeline Burst write back second level cache
• 16 MB or 32 MB of system RAM, expandable to 192 MB
• Total of seven I/O expansion slots: 3 EISA, 4 PCI
• Integrated Fast SCSI-2 controller, on the PCI bus
• Integrated SVGA controller with 1 MB of video memory
• Two 16550-compatible UART serial ports
• One parallel port that supports EPP/ECP features
• 200 MB/64-bit wide interface between the processor and memory
• Three 5.25-inch externally accessible half-height drive bays
• Three 3.5-inch half-height drive bays (two external and one internal)
• 200 watt power supply

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guide2
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
a, e, s, etc. 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 damage 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 Housing 1-1
Chapter 1 System Housing
1.1 Features
This chapter contains the following information:
• Features and functions of the front and rear panels
• Getting started
• Installing options
1.1.1 Front Panel
Table 1-1Features and Functions of the Front Panel
Feature Function
Speed Indicator LED Unused LED location. Not implemented
Fixed Disk Drive LED Indicates fixed disk drive activity for fixed drives
Power LED Indicates that power is applied to the system
3.5-inch Diskette Drive Accommodates a 3.5-inch diskette
Drive Bays Holds the diskette drives and fixed disk drives
Power Button Turns the system on or off
Reset Button Resets the system unit

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guide
1-2
1Speed Indicator LED (Not Used) 53.5-inch Diskette Drive
2Fixed Disk Drive LED 6Power Button
3Power LED 7Reset Button
45.25-inch Drive Bay
Figure 1-1 System Unit Front Panel

Chapter 1 - System Housing 1-3
1.1.2 Rear Panel
Table 1-2 Features and Functions of the Rear Panel
Feature Function
Power Socket Connects the power cable
Parallel Port Connects a parallel printer
Serial Ports Connects serial peripherals
SCSI Port Connects peripheral devices for high-speed,
parallel data transfer
Safety Latch Locks chassis
Keyboard Connector Connects a PS/2-compatible keyboard
Mouse Connector Connects a PS/2-compatible mouse

AcerAltos 900 User’s Guide
1-4
1Safety Latch 6Video Port
2Power Socket 7Power Supply Outlet
3Serial 1 Port 8Serial 2 Port
4SCSI Port 9Keyboard Connector
5Parallel Port 10 Mouse Connector
Figure 1-2 System Unit Rear Panel