Acer M9N System User manual

M9N System
User’s Guide

ii
Copyright
Copyright 1997 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 II is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
Windows, WindowsNT, Windows 95 are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
Microsoft 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
CD-ROM Safety Warning
DANGER
INVISIBLE RADIATION WHEN OPEN.
AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM.
VORSICHT
UNSICHTBARE LASERSTRAHLUNG WENN GEÖFFNET.
NICHT IN DEN STRAHL SEHEN.
ATTENTION
RADIATION DU FAISCEAU LASER INVISIBLE. EN CAS
D’OUVERTURE. EVITER TOUTE EXPOSITION AUX RAYONS.
VARO
AVATTAESSA OLET ALTTIINA NÄKYMÄTTÖMÄLLE
LASERSÄTEILYLLE ÄLÄ KATSO SÄTEESEEN.
VARNING!
OSYNLING LASERSTRÄLNING NÄR DENNA DEL ÄR ÖPPNAD.
BETRAKTA EJ STRÄLEN.
VARNING
OSYNLING LASERSTRÄLNING NÄR DENNA DEL ÄR ÖPPNAD.
STIRRA EJ IN I STRÄLEN.
ADVARSEL
LASERSTRÄLING VED ÄBNING. SE IKKE IND I STRÄLEN.
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
APPAREIL A LASER DE CLASSE 1
LASER KLASSE 1
LOUKAN 1 LASERLAITE
PRODUIT LASER
CATEGORIE 1

vii
Caution on Lithium Batteries
CAUTION
Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only
with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer.
Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
ADVARSEL!
Lithiumbatteri - Eksplosionsfare ved fejlagtig håndtering.
Udskiftning må kun ske med batteri af samme fabrikat og type.
Léver det brugte batteri tilbage til leverandøren.
ADVARSEL
Eksplosjonsfare ved feilaktig skifte av batteri.
Benytt samme batteritype eller en tilsvarende
type anbefalt av apparatfabrikanten.
Brukte batterier kasseres i henhold til fabrikantens instruksjoner.
VARNING
Explosionsfara vid felaktigt batteribyte.
Anvãnd samma batterityp eller en ekvivalent typ som
rekommenderas av apparattillverkaren.
Kassera anvãnt batteri enligt fabrikantens instruktion.
VAROITUS
Päristo voi räjähtää, jos se on virheellisesti asennettu.
Vaihda paristo ainoastaan laitevalmistajan suosittelemaan tyyppiin.
Hävitä käytetty paristo valmistajan ohjeiden mukaisesti.
VORSICHT!
Explosionsgefahr bei unsachgemäßen Austausch der Batterie Ersatz
nur durch denselben oder einem vom Hersteller empfohlenem
ähnlichen Typ. Entsorgung gebrauchter Batterien nach Angaben des
Herstellers.

viii
FCC Class A Radio Frequency Interference
Statement
WARNING!
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 when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is
likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
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:
If the EUT was tested with special shielded cables, the operator’s
manual for such product shall also contain the following statement or
their equivalent:
Shielded interface cables and/or AC power cord, if any, must be used
in order to comply with the emission limits.

ix
About this Manual
Purpose
This user’s guide aims to give you all the information you need to
operate the system properly.
Manual Structure
This user’s guide consists of five chapters.
Chapter 1 System Board
This chapter describes the system board and all its major
components. It contains the system board layout, jumper
settings, and information on other internal devices.
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 BIOS Utility
This chapter discusses the system BIOS and tells how to
configure the system by setting the BIOS parameters.
Chapter 4 LAN Information
This chapter gives valuable information on LAN drivers.
Chapter 5 System Utilities
This chapter tells how to use the AFlash BIOS Utility and the
SCSISelect Configuration Utility.

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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.
, , , 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 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 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
1.3 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 ESD Precautions......................................................1-7
1.6 Video Memory Upgrade ...........................................1-8
1.7 ASM Pro..................................................................1-9
1.8 Remote Diagnostic Management ...........................1-10
1.8.1 Installing the RDM Module.......................1-10
1.9 Error Messages......................................................1-11
1.9.1 Software Error Messages.........................1-11
1.9.2 System Error Messages...........................1-11
1.9.3 Correcting Error Conditions .....................1-14

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Chapter 2 CPU Board
2.1 Layout......................................................................2-2
2.2 Jumper Locations ....................................................2-2
2.3 Jumper Settings.......................................................2-3
2.4 Memory Upgrade.....................................................2-4
2.4.1 Memory Configurations .............................2-4
2.4.2 Installing a DIMM ......................................2-5
2.4.3 Removing a DIMM ....................................2-6
2.4.3 Reconfiguring the System .........................2-7
2.5 Installing the Processor Heat Sink and Fan..............2-8
2.6 Installing a Pentium II Processor............................2-11
2.7 Removing a Pentium II Processor..........................2-13
2.8 CPU Board Installation...........................................2-14
Chapter 3 BIOS Utility
3.1 Entering Setup.........................................................3-2
3.2 Basic System Configuration.....................................3-3
3.2.1 Date and Time ..........................................3-4
3.2.2 Diskette Drives..........................................3-5
3.2.3 Onboard IDE.............................................3-6
3.2.4 IDE Drives.................................................3-6
3.2.5 Total Memory............................................3-8
3.2.6 Enhanced IDE Features ............................3-8
3.2.7 Num Lock After Boot.................................3-9
3.2.8 Memory Test.............................................3-9
3.2.9 Quiet Boot.................................................3-9
3.2.10 Configuration Table.................................3-10

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3.3 Advanced System Configuration............................3-11
3.3.1 Internal Cache (CPU Cache) ...................3-11
3.3.2 External Cache (CPU Cache)..................3-12
3.3.3 ECC/Parity Mode Selection.....................3-12
3.3.4 Operation of ECC....................................3-13
3.3.5 Memory at 15MB-16MB...........................3-13
3.4 PCI System Configuration......................................3-14
3.4.1 PCI IRQ Setting.......................................3-15
3.4.2 VGA Palette Snoop .................................3-16
3.4.3 Onboard LAN ..........................................3-16
3.4.4 USB Host Controller................................3-17
3.4.5 Onboard SCSI1.......................................3-17
3.4.6 Onboard SCSI2.......................................3-17
3.4.7 PCI IRQ Sharing......................................3-17
3.4.8 Plug & Play OS .......................................3-18
3.4.9 Reset Resources Assignment..................3-18
3.5 Power Saving Configuration...................................3-19
3.5.1 Power Management Mode.......................3-20
3.5.2 Monitored Activities.................................3-21
3.6 System Security.....................................................3-22
3.6.1 Disk Drive Control ...................................3-22
3.6.2 Onboard Communication Ports................3-24
3.6.3 Onboard PS/2 Mouse (IRQ12).................3-26
3.6.4 Setup Password.......................................3-27
3.6.5 Power On Password................................3-29
3.7 Load Setup Default Settings...................................3-30
3.8 Leaving Setup........................................................3-31

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Chapter 4 LAN Information
4.1 DOS and Windows 3.1 Setup for Novell
NetWare Clients ......................................................4-2
4.1.1 Automatic configuration.............................4-2
4.1.2 Test the adapter and install network
drivers.......................................................4-2
4.1.3 Test the adapter with a responder on
the network (optional)................................4-3
4.1.4 Troubleshooting.........................................4-4
4.2 Windows NT - Server or Workstation.......................4-5
4.2.1 Automatic configuration.............................4-5
4.2.2 Install network drivers and test the
adapter......................................................4-5
4.2.3 Troubleshooting.........................................4-6
4.3 Windows 95.............................................................4-8
4.3.1 Automatic Configuration............................4-8
4.3.2 Adapter installation for Windows 95...........4-8
4.3.3 Install PROSet Software and
Test the Adapter........................................4-9
4.3.4 Manually Adding an Adapter....................4-10
4.3.5 Troubleshooting.......................................4-10
4.4 Other Operating Systems and Servers...................4-11
4.5 Installing Multiple Adapters....................................4-12
4.6 Select Duplex Mode (optional)...............................4-13
4.6.1 Configuring for full duplex .......................4-13
Chapter 5 System Utilities
5.1 AFlash BIOS Utility..................................................5-1
5.1.1 Executing AFlash......................................5-2

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5.1.2 Quick Way to Execute AFlash...................5-3
5.2 SCSISelect Configuration Utility...............................5-4
5.2.1 Overview...................................................5-4
5.2.2 Utility Options............................................5-6
5.2.3 Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers......5-20
5.2.4 Disk Drives Over 1 GByte .......................5-21

xvi
List of Figures
1-1 System Board Layout...............................................1-3
1-2 System Board Jumper and Connector Locations......1-4
1-3 Installing a Video Memory Chip................................1-8
1-4 Installing the RDM Module.....................................1-10
2-1 CPU Board Layout...................................................2-2
2-2 Pentium II CPU Board Jumper Locations.................2-2
2-3 Installing a DIMM.....................................................2-5
2-4 Removing a DIMM...................................................2-6
2-5 Matching the Fan-Heat Sink Clips with the Holes
on the Processor......................................................2-8
2-6 Inserting the Clip Ends to the Processor Holes.........2-9
2-7 Locking a Wide Clip End........................................2-10
2-8 Locking a Narrow Clip End.....................................2-10
2-9 Installing the Pentium II Retention Mechanism.......2-11
2-10 Installing a Pentium II Processor............................2-12
2-11 Securing the Pentium II Processor.........................2-12
2-12 Unlocking the Module Latches................................2-13
2-13 Removing the Pentium II Processor.......................2-13
2-14 Installing the CPU Board........................................2-14
5-1 Options Menu Screen...............................................5-6
5-2 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen..........5-7
5-3 Host Adapter SCSI ID Selections.............................5-8
5-4 SCSI Parity Checking Selections .............................5-9
5-5 Host Adapter SCSI Termination.............................5-10

xvii
List of Figures (continued)
5-6 Boot Device Configuration......................................5-11
5-7 SCSI Device Configuration.....................................5-12
5-8 Advanced Configuration Options............................5-15
5-9 SCSI Disk Utilities Screen......................................5-18
List of Tables
1-1 System Board Jumper Settings...................................5
1-2 Connector Functions ...................................................6
1-3 System Error Messages ............................................12
2-1 Settings for CPU Core/Bus Frequency Ratio
(JP1)........................................................................2-3
2-2 ITP Debug Port (JP2)...............................................2-3
2-3 Clock Settings (JP5).................................................2-3
2-4 Memory Configurations............................................2-4
3-1 Drive Control Settings............................................3-23
3-2 Serial Port 1 Settings .............................................3-24
3-3 Serial Port 2 Settings .............................................3-24
3-4 Parallel Port Settings..............................................3-25
3-5 Parallel Port Operation Mode Settings....................3-26
5-1 Settings for the SCSI Controller and All Devices......5-4
5-2 Individual Settings for SCSI Drives ..........................5-5

Chapter
11
System Board
System Board 1-1
1.1 Features
The M9N is a dual-processor system board that supports the Intel
Pentium II CPU. It contains an exclusive connector for the CPU
board that carries two slots for the Pentium II CPU modules.
This high-performance 64-bit system board utilizes both the ISA and
the PCI local bus architecture. Two ISA and five PCI bus slots reside
on the board to allow installation of either master or slave devices.
A 50-pin Fast SCSI-II interface and two 68-pin Wide SCSI interfaces
come with the system board to connect SCSI devices. External I/O
interfaces include a parallel port and a video port, RJ-45 and USB
connectors, and keyboard and mouse ports.
The system board supports two optional features, the ASM Pro and
the remote diagnostic management (RDM), that allow better server
management. The 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. The RDM allows execution of the RDM
diagnostic program from a remote RDM station to fix detected
problems or to reboot the system.

1-2User’s Guide
1.2 Major Components
The system board has the following major components:
•CPU board slot
•Two ISA and five PCI bus slots (one PCI slot may include an
optional RAID port)
•256-KB Flash ROM for system BIOS
•System clock/calendar with battery backup
•50-pin Fast SCSI-II and two 68-pin Wide SCSI interfaces
•Two 24-pin RDM interfaces
•IDE hard disk and diskette drive interfaces
•Onboard VRAM and VRAM sockets for video memory upgrade
•Power connector for both standard 420-watt SPS and 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
•Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector

System Board 1-3
1.3 Layout
Figure 1-1 shows the system board components.
1 Keyboard port
2 Mouse port
3 Parallel port
4 Video port
5 RJ-45 connector
6 USB connector
7 CPU board slot
8 PCI slots
9 ISA slots
10 Flash ROM BIOS
11 RAID port (optional)
12 Wide SCSI connector 2
13 Wide SCSI connector 1
14 Narrow SCSI connector
15 Diskette drive connector
16 EIDE connector
17 Battery
18 RDM connectors
19 Power connectors
20 Video RAM
21 Power connector
22 Video RAM upgrade sockets
Figure 1-1 System Board Layout
3
5
1
2
7
8
9
19
18
17
21
22
15
14
12
13
10
16
4
6
20
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