Advantech ASMB-976 Series User manual

User Manual
ASMB-976 Series
Dual LGA 4189 Intel® 3rd Gen
Xeon® Scalable Processor
Server Board with 16 DDR4,
4 PCIe x16, 10 SATA3, 9 USB 3.2
gen1, Dual 10GbE, IPMI

ASMB-976 User Manual ii
Copyright
The documentation and the software included with this product are copyrighted 2022
by Advantech Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved. Advantech Co., Ltd. reserves the right
to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without
notice. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, or transmitted
in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Advantech Co.,
Ltd. The information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable.
However, Advantech Co., Ltd. assumes no responsibility for its use, nor for any
infringements of the rights of third parties that may result from its use.
Acknowledgments
Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel® Corporation.
Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft® Corp.
All other product names or trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Product Warranty (2 years)
Advantech warrants the original purchaser that each of its products will be free from
defects in materials and workmanship for two years from the date of purchase.
This warranty does not apply to any products that have been repaired or altered by
persons other than repair personnel authorized by Advantech, or products that have
been subject to misuse, abuse, accident, or improper installation. Advantech
assumes no liability under the terms of this warranty as a consequence of such
events.
Because of Advantech’s high quality-control standards and rigorous testing, most
customers never need to use our repair service. If an Advantech product is defective,
it will be repaired or replaced free of charge during the warranty period. For out-of-
warranty repairs, customers will be billed according to the cost of replacement mate-
rials, service time, and freight. Please consult your dealer for more details.
If you believe your product to be defective, follow the steps outlined below.
1. Collect all the information about the problem encountered. (For example, CPU
speed, Advantech products used, other hardware and software used, etc.) Note
anything abnormal and list any onscreen messages displayed when the prob-
lem occurs.
2. Call your dealer and describe the problem. Please have your manual, product,
and any helpful information readily available.
3. If your product is diagnosed as defective, obtain a return merchandise authori-
zation (RMA) number from your dealer. This allows us to process your return
more quickly.
4. Carefully pack the defective product, a completed Repair and Replacement
Order Card, and a proof of purchase date (such as a photocopy of your sales
receipt) into a shippable container. Products returned without a proof of pur-
chase date are not eligible for warranty service.
5. Write the RMA number clearly on the outside of the package and ship the pack-
age prepaid to your dealer.
Part No. 2001097601 Edition 1
Printed in January 2022

iii ASMB-976 User Manual
A Message to the Customer
Advantech Customer Services
Each and every Advantech product is built to the most exacting specifications to
ensure reliable performance in the harsh and demanding conditions typical of indus-
trial environments. Whether your new Advantech equipment is destined for the labo-
ratory or the factory floor, you can be assured that your product will provide the
reliability and ease of operation for which the name Advantech has come to be
known. Your satisfaction is our primary concern. Here is a guide to Advantech’s cus-
tomer services. To ensure you get the full benefit of our services, please follow the
instructions below carefully.
Technical Support
We want you to get the maximum performance from your products. So if you run into
technical difficulties, we are here to help. For the most frequently asked questions,
you can easily find answers in your product documentation. These answers are
normally a lot more detailed than the ones we can give over the phone.
So please consult this manual first. If you still cannot find the answer, gather all the
information or questions that apply to your problem, and with the product close at
hand, call your dealer. Our dealers are well trained and ready to give you the support
you need to get the most from your Advantech products. In fact, most problems
reported are minor and are easily solved over the phone.
In addition, free technical support is available from Advantech engineers every
business day. We are always ready to give advice on application requirements or
specific information on the installation and operation of any of our products.
Declaration of Conformity
FCC Class A
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A dig-
ital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to pro-
vide 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. Opera-
tion of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference. In
this event, users are required to correct the interference at their own expense.

ASMB-976 User Manual iv
Initial Inspection
Before installing the motherboard, please make sure that the following materials
have been shipped:
1 x ASMB-976 server board
1 x ASMB-976 startup manual
2 x Serial ATA HDD data cables
1 x I/O port bracket
2 x SATA power cable
1 x Warranty card
2 x Heatsink clip for CPU
If any of these items are missing or damaged, contact distributor or sales representa-
tive immediately. We have carefully inspected the ASMB-976 mechanically and elec-
trically before shipment. It should be free of marks and scratches and in perfect
working order upon receipt. When unpacking the ASMB-976, check it for signs of
shipping damage. (For example, damaged box, scratches, dents, etc.) If it is dam-
aged or it fails to meet the specifications, notify our service department or local sales
representative immediately. Also notify the carrier. Retain the shipping carton and
packing material for inspection by the carrier. After inspection, we will make arrange-
ments to repair or replace the unit.
Order Information
‘
Part Number Chipset Memory GbE/10GbE LAN IPMI VGA Chip
ASMB-976-00A1 C621A DDR4 RDIMM 2/- - AST 2510
ASMB-976T2-00A1 C621A DDR4 RDIMM 2/2 Yes AST 2500

v ASMB-976 User Manual
Contents
Chapter 1 Overview...............................................1
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 2
1.2 Features.................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Specifications............................................................................................ 3
Table 1.1: Specifications ............................................................. 3
1.4 Board Layout, Jumpers and Connectors................................................... 5
Figure 1.1 Board Layout .............................................................. 5
Figure 1.2 Rear I/O of full SKU .................................................... 5
Table 1.2: Onboard LAN LED Color Definition ............................ 6
Table 1.3: Onboard LAN LED Color Definition ............................ 6
Table 1.4: Jumpers...................................................................... 7
Table 1.5: Connectors ................................................................. 7
Table 1.6: Onboard LED.............................................................. 9
1.5 Block Diagram........................................................................................... 9
Figure 1.3 Block Diagram ............................................................ 9
1.6 System Memory ........................................................................................ 9
1.7 Memory Installation Procedures.............................................................. 10
Table 1.7: DIMM Configuration with Single CPU....................... 10
Table 1.8: DIMM Configuration with Dual CPU ......................... 11
Table 1.9: DCPMM Population Matrix ....................................... 11
1.8 Processor Installation.............................................................................. 12
Chapter 2 Connections......................................15
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 16
2.2 USB Ports and LAN Port
(USB1~USB10, LAN1~LAN5)................................................................. 16
2.3 VGA Connector (VGA1).......................................................................... 17
2.4 Serial Ports (COM1~2)............................................................................ 17
2.5 PS2 Keyboard and Mouse Connectors (KBMS1) ................................... 18
2.6 CPU Fan Connector (CPUFAN0~1)........................................................ 18
2.7 System Fan Connector (SYSFAN0~6).................................................... 19
2.8 Front Panel Connector (JFP1) ................................................................ 19
2.8.1 Power LED (JFP3) ...................................................................... 20
Table 2.1: ATX Power Supply LED Status ................................ 20
2.8.2 External Speaker (JFP2 pins 1, 4, 7, 10) .................................... 20
2.8.3 HDD LED Connector (JFP1 Pins 2 & 5) ..................................... 20
2.8.4 Reset Connector (JFP1 Pins 9 & 12).......................................... 20
2.9 Case Open (JCASE1)............................................................................. 21
2.10 SATA SGPIO (SGPIO1).......................................................................... 21
2.11 Front Panel LAN Indicator Connector (LANLED1).................................. 22
2.12 SATA and sSATA (SATA0~7, sSATA0~1) ............................................. 22
2.13 M.2 Connector (sSATA3 and PCIe gen3 and PCIe gen4) ...................... 23
2.14 PCIe Expansion Slots ............................................................................. 24
2.15 Auxiliary Power Connector (ATXPWR1/ATX12V1/ATX12V/ATX12V3/
ATX12V4)................................................................................................ 25
2.16 HD Audio Interface Connector (HDAUD1) .............................................. 25
2.17 LPC Connector (LPC1) ........................................................................... 26
2.18 CMOS Clear and ME Update Connector (JCMOS1, JME1) ................... 26
2.19 PMBUS Connector (PMBUS1)................................................................ 27
2.20 Front Panel SMBUS Connector (SMBUS1) ............................................ 27
2.21 BMC IC Socket (CN2)............................................................................. 28
2.22 VOLT1 Connector (VOLT1) .................................................................... 28
2.23 GPIO Connector (GPIO1) ....................................................................... 29

ASMB-976 User Manual vi
2.24 Intel Virtual RAID (VROC1)..................................................................... 29
2.25 NVMe RAID LED Control (PEHP1)......................................................... 30
Chapter 3 AMI BIOS............................................ 31
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 32
3.2 BIOS Setup ............................................................................................. 33
3.2.1 Main Menu .................................................................................. 33
3.2.2 Advanced BIOS Features Setup................................................. 34
3.2.3 Platform Configuration ................................................................ 54
3.2.4 Socket Configuration .................................................................. 62
3.2.5 Server Management ................................................................... 82
3.2.6 Security....................................................................................... 88
3.2.7 Boot ............................................................................................ 92
3.2.8 Save & Exit ................................................................................. 93
Chapter 4 Chipset Software Installation Utility 95
4.1 Before Beginning .................................................................................... 96
4.2 Introduction ............................................................................................. 96
4.2.1 Main Menu .................................................................................. 96
Chapter 5 Graphic Setup ................................... 97
5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 98
5.2 Windows Series Driver Setup ................................................................. 98
Chapter 6 LAN Configuration & USB 3.0.......... 99
6.1 LAN Configuration................................................................................. 100
6.1.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 100
6.1.2 Features.................................................................................... 100
6.1.3 Installation................................................................................. 100
6.1.4 Windows Series Driver Setup (LAN)......................................... 100
6.2 USB 3.2 gen1........................................................................................ 101
6.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 101
6.2.2 Windows Series Driver Setup ................................................... 101
6.3 SATA & PCIe SSD RAID ...................................................................... 101
Appendix A Programming the Watchdog Timer103
A.1 Watchdog Timer Overview.................................................................... 104
A.2 Programming the Watchdog Timer ....................................................... 104
Appendix B I/O Pin Assignments ....................... 107
B.1 USB3.2 gen1 Header(USB3_34, USB3_56, USB3_78) ....................... 108
Table B.1: USB Header ........................................................... 108
B.2 VGA Connector (VGA1)........................................................................ 108
Table B.2: VGA Connector ...................................................... 108
B.3 RS-232 Interface (COM2) ..................................................................... 109
Table B.3: RS-232 Interface .................................................... 109
B.4 External Keyboard Connector (KBMS1) ............................................... 109
Table B.4: External Keyboard Connector ................................ 109
B.5 CPU and System Fan Power Connector (CPUFAN0~1,

vii ASMB-976 User Manual
SYSFAN0~SYSFAN6) .......................................................................... 110
Table B.5: Fan Power Connector............................................. 110
B.6 Power LED (JFP3) ................................................................................ 110
Table B.6: Power LED ............................................................. 110
B.7 External Speaker Connector (JFP2) ..................................................... 110
Table B.7: External Speaker Connector .................................. 110
B.8 Reset Connector (JFP1) ....................................................................... 111
Table B.8: Reset Connector..................................................... 111
B.9 HDD LED Connector (JFP1) ................................................................. 111
Table B.9: HDD LED Connector .............................................. 111
B.10 ATX Soft Power Switch (JFP1) ............................................................. 111
Table B.10:ATX Soft Power Switch .......................................... 111
B.11 Front Panel SMBus Connector (SMBUS1) ........................................... 112
Table B.11:Front Panel SMBus Connector (SMBUS1)............. 112
B.12 USB/LAN Ports (IPMI_LAN5_USB3_12) .............................................. 112
Table B.12:USB Port................................................................. 112
Table B.13:Giga LAN 10/100/1000 Base-T RJ-45 Port ............ 112
B.13 Audio Connector (HDAUD1) ................................................................. 113
Table B.14:Front Panel Audio Connector ................................. 113
B.14 Alarm Board Connector (VOLT1).......................................................... 113
Table B.15:Alarm Board Connector .......................................... 113
B.15 Case Open Connector (JCASE1) ......................................................... 113
Table B.16:Case Open Connector............................................ 113
B.16 Front Panel LAN LED Connector (LANLED1)....................................... 114
Table B.17:LAN LED Connector ............................................... 114
B.17 SATA SGPIO (SGPIO1/SGPIO2) ......................................................... 114
Table B.18:SATA SGPIO Connector ........................................ 114
B.18 LPC Connector (LPC1) ......................................................................... 115
Table B.19:LPC Connector (LPC1)........................................... 115
B.19 Clear CMOS and Update ME Connector (JCMOS1, JME1) ................. 115
Table B.20:Clear CMOS and Update ME Connector (JCMOS1,
JME1) ..................................................................... 115
B.20 PMBUS Connector (PMBUS1).............................................................. 116
Table B.21:PMBUS Connector (PMBUS1) ............................... 116
B.21 GPIO Connector (GPIO1) ..................................................................... 116
Table B.22:GPIO Connector (GPIO1)....................................... 116

ASMB-976 User Manual viii

Chapter 1
1Overview

ASMB-976 User Manual 2
1.1 Introduction
The ASMB-976 serverboard is the most advanced Intel Xeon Processor Scalable
Family series board for server-grade IPC applications that require high-performance
computing power & multi-expansion slots. This serverboard supports Intel Xeon Pro-
cessor Scalable Family series processor and DDR4 ECC-REG 2400/2666/2933/
3200 MHz memory up to 2048 GB. ASMB-976 provides four PCIe x16, and seven
PCIe x8 slots in PCIe Gen4.0 high speed. In addition, the ASMB-976T2 has dual
Gigabit and dual 10GbE Ethernet LAN ports that eliminate network bottlenecks. A
fifth RJ-45 LAN connector (LAN5) is dedicated for IPMI function that allows remote
control management. One RJ-45 LAN jack (LAN 4) from 10GbE port can also be
used as IPMI LAN. High reliability and outstanding performance makes ASMB-976
the ideal platform for industrial server/networking applications.
By using the Intel C621A chipset, the ASMB-976 offers a variety of features such as
9 x USB3.2 gen1 and 1 x USB 2.0 connectivity, 10 x onboard SATA III and 2 x M.2
(SATA/PCIe x4 from PCH + PCIe x4 from CPU0) interface. The 10 x SATA ports sup-
port software RAID 0, 1, 10 and 5 (Windows only*), and with the latest Intel RSTe
(Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise) it provides a compelling RAID solution for
NVMe SSDs via Intel VROC (Virtual RAID on Chip) HW key.
These powerful I/O capabilities ensure even more reliable data storage capabilities
and high-speed I/O peripheral connectivity.
1.2 Features
General
Intel Xeon Processor Scalable Family support: ASMB-976 is equipped with
single CPU socket to support Intel Xeon Platinum/Gold/Silver series up to 40-
core processors.
High performance I/O capability: 2 x 10GbE (T2 SKU Only) + 2 x GbE LAN, 4
x PCIe x16 slot (x16 link) + 7 x PCIe x8 slot (x8 link), 10 x SATA and 2 x M.2
connectors, 9 x USB 3.2 gen1 and 1 x USB 2.0 (1 x Type-A).
Outstanding industrial features: ASMB-976 provides industrial features like
long product lifecycle, reliable operation under wide temperature range, watch-
dog timer, etc.
IPMI 2.0 support: ASMB-976I/ASMB-976T2 equipped with ASPEED 2500
BMC chip supports IPMI 2.0 (Intelligent Platform Management Interface 2.0) via
sharing LAN port.
KVM over IP: KVM over IP function allows BIOS level remote control of ASMB-
976T2 sku system through your own computer.
Note! 1. IPMI module will be included in ASMB-976T2 SKU.
2. One USB 2.0 ports (1*Type- A) and nine USB 3.2 gen1 ports (6
ports from on-board 20-pin header and 1 port from Type-A).
3. Please refer to the release note of each Linux OS for Intel's C621A
chipset SATA RAID function support.

3 ASMB-976 User Manual
Chapter 1 Overview
1.3 Specifications
Table 1.1: Specifications
Processor
CPU
Dual Intel LGA4189 Xeon processor sockets
Supports Intel 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable family, up to 40 cores
Supports the TDP of processor up to 270W (Please consider
extended air thermal solution while using CPU > 205W TDP)
System Memory
Memory Capacity
Supports DDR4 memory bus
Total 16 memory slots provided
Supports up to 2 TB memory
1 DIMM slot per channel, 8 channels per processor
Memory Type Supports DDR4 400/2666/2933/3200 MHz RDIMM/LRDIMM modules
DIMM Sizes Each memory slot supports 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB
(LRDIMM) memory modules
Memory Voltage 1.2 V
Error Detection Corrects single-bit errors (Using ECC memory)
Detects double-bit errors (Using ECC memory)
On-Board Devices
Chipsets Intel C621A PCH
Network controllers
2 x Intel X550 10GbE and 2 x Intel I210 Gigabit Ethernet Con-
troller connected to PCH
Above network supports 10 GbE Base-T and 100/1000 Base-T,
with RJ-45 output
VGA ASPEED AST2500/2510 controller with 64 MB VGA memory provides
basic 2D VGA function.
EC ITE IT8528E chip provide motherboard keyboard mouse, RS-232,
parallel port and hardware monitor functions
BMC One Realtek 8201F Gigabit PHY connected to AST2500 for BMC
remote management (ASMB-976T2 SKU)
Input/Output
Storage
Total 10 x SATA ports and 1 x M.2 (SATA/PCIe x4 gen3 compat-
ible from PCH) provide 6 Gb/s and 8 Gb/s, and 1 x M.2 (PCIe x 4
gen4 compatible from CPU) provide 16 Gb/s
RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 supports (Windows only. For Linux support
please refer to note item 3 of chapter 1.1)
LAN
4 x RJ-45 LAN ports (2 x 10GbE + 2 x 10/100/1000 Base-T LAN)
1 x RJ-45 Dedicated IPMI LAN port (10/100/1000 Base-T)
for IPMI only, there is no regular LAN function (ASMB-
976T2 SKU)
USB
2 x USB 3.2 gen1 ports at rear window
3 x USB 3.2 gen1 internal header (6 ports)
1 x USB 2.0 internal Type-A port
1 x USB 3.2 gen1 internal Type-A port
Graphics 1 x VGA port.
Serial Port/Header 1 x RS232 port at rear window, 1 x internal header (2 x 5P pitch:
2.50 mm), both ports are RS-232 (5V)
Keyboard/Mouse PS/2 keyboard and mouse internal header (onboard)

ASMB-976 User Manual 4
Power Connector
CPU Power 4 x 8-pin SSI EPS 12V power connector for CPU & Memory power
(12V)
PCIe slot power 2 x 8-pin power connector for PCIe slot 12V input
Expansion Slots
PCI-express
4 x PCIe x16 slot (Gen4 x16 link)
–PCIEX16_SLOT3 (from CPU 0)
–PCIEX16_SLOT5 (from CPU 0)
–PCIEX16_SLOT7 (from CPU 1)
–PCIEX16_SLOT9 (from CPU 1)
4 x PCIe x8 slot (Gen4 x8 link)
–PCIEX8_SLOT1 (from CPU0)
–PCIEX8_SLOT2 (from CPU1)
–PCIEX8_SLOT4 (from CPU1)
–PCIEX8_SLOT6 (from CPU0)
–PCIEx8 SLOT8 (from CPU0)
–PCIEx8 SLOT10 (from CPU1)
–PCIEx8 SLOT11 (from CPU1)
System BIOS
BIOS Type 256 Mb SPI Flash EEPROM with AMI BIOS
PC Health Monitoring
Voltage Monitors for CPU Cores, +3.3V, +5V, +12V, +5V Standby, VBAT
FAN
Two 4-pin headers for CPU cooler and five 4-pin headers for
system fans, and two 8-pin headers for external fans
All fans with tachometer status monitoring (except SYSFAN6)
Thermal control for all fan connectors
Temperature Monitoring for CPU (PECI)
Monitoring for System (EC)
Other Features
(Case Open)
Chassis intrusion detection
Chassis intrusion header
Operating Environment/Compliance
RoHS RoHS Compliant 6/6 Pb Free
Environmental Spec.
Operating Temperature: 0 to 40° C
Non-operating Temperature: -40 to 85° C
Operating Relative Humidity: 10% to 90% (non-condensing)
Non-operating Relative Humidity: 10% to 95% (non-condensing)
Table 1.1: Specifications

5 ASMB-976 User Manual
Chapter 1 Overview
1.4 Board Layout, Jumpers and Connectors
Connectors on the ASMB-976 are linked to external devices such as hard disk
drives. In addition, ASMB-976 has a number of jumpers that are used to configure
the system for specific applications.
The tables below list the functions of each jumper and connector. Later sections in
this chapter give instructions for setting jumpers. Chapter 2 gives instructions for con-
necting external devices to ASMB-976.
Figure 1.1 Board Layout
Figure 1.2 Rear I/O of full SKU

ASMB-976 User Manual 6
Table 1.2: Onboard LAN LED Color Definition
10/100/1000 Mbps LAN Mbps LAN Link/Activity LED Scheme
LAN1 & LAN2 (1G)
Left LED Right LED
10 Mbps Link
Active
Off
Off
Green
Blinking green
100 Mbps Link
Active
Amber
Amber
Green
Blinking green
1000 Mbps Link
Active
Green
Green
Green
Blinking green
No Link Off Off
Table 1.3: Onboard LAN LED Color Definition
10/100/1000 & 10G bps LAN Mbps LAN Link/Activity LED Scheme
LAN3 & LAN4 (10G)
Left LED Right LED
100M bps Link
Active
Off
Off
Green
Blinking green
1G bps Link
Active
Amber
Amber
Green
Blinking green
10G bps Link
Active
Green
Green
Green
Blinking green
No Link Off Off

7 ASMB-976 User Manual
Chapter 1 Overview
Table 1.4: Jumpers
Label Function Default
JCMOS1 CMOS Clear 1-2
JME1 ME update 1-2
JWDT1 Watch Dog Reset 1-2
PSON1 AT(1-2) / ATX(2-3) 2-3
JCASE1 Chassis case open alarm 1-2
JTHR_SEL On board(1-2)/external thermistor(2-3) 1-2
Keep CMOS data/
disable ME update/
Clear CMOS data/
Enable ME update/
Table 1.5: Connectors
Label Function
ATX12V1/V2 SSI EPS 12V auxiliary power connector (for CPU0) and memory
ATXV3/V4 SSI EPS 12V auxiliary power connector (for CPU1) and memory
ATXPWR1 SSI EPS 24-pin main power connector (for system)
BH2 For optional battery kit
BIOS_SKT1 BIOS SPI ROM
CN2 BMC IC socket for IPMI function (ASMB-976T2 SKU only)
COM2 Serial port: RS-232
CPU0 Intel LGA4189 CPU0 socket
CPU1 Intel LGA4189 CPU1 socket
CPUFAN0 CPU0 fan connector (4-pin)
CPUFAN1 CPU1 fan connector (4-pin)
DIMMA1 Channel A1 DIMMA1 of CPU0
DIMMB1 Channel B1 DIMMB1 of CPU0
DIMMC1 Channel C1 DIMMC1 of CPU0
DIMMD1 Channel D1 DIMMD1 of CPU0
DIMME1 Channel E1 DIMME1 of CPU0
DIMMF1 Channel F1 DIMMF1 of CPU0
DIMMG1 Channel G1 DIMMG1 of CPU0
DIMMH1 Channel H1 DIMMH1 of CPU0
DIMMI1 Channel I1 DIMMI1 of CPU1
DIMMJ1 Channel J1 DIMMJ1 of CPU1
DIMMK1 Channel K1 DIMMK1 of CPU1
DIMML1 Channel L1 DIMML1 of CPU1
DIMMM1 Channel M1 DIMMM1 of CPU1
DIMMN1 Channel N1 DIMMN1 of CPU1
DIMMO1 Channel O1 DIMMO1 of CPU1
DIMMP1 Channel P1 DIMMP1 of CPU1
EC_SMBUS1 For EC debug
123
123

ASMB-976 User Manual 8
EX_THR1 Connector for external thermistor
GPIO1 GPIO function for customize usage
HDAUD1 Audio header
JFP1/JFP2/JFP3 Front panel pin header
KBMS1 For additional keyboard/mouse
LAN1_2, LAN3_4 RJ-45 LAN connector
LANLED1 LAN LED extension connector
LPC1 LPC port for debug & TPM module
SSATA4, SSATA5 SATA port 4/5 for M.2 2242 SATA SSD
PMBUS1 PMBUS connector to communicate with power supply
PEHP1 NVMe RAID LED control
SATA0~SATA7 Serial ATA0~7
SSATA0~SSATA2 sSATA port 0~2
SGPIO1 Supports Serial_Link interface for onboard SATA connections
SLOT1 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU0
SLOT2 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU1
SLOT3 PCIE x 16 slot of CPU0
SLOT4 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU1
SLOT5 PCIE x 16 slot of CPU0
SLOT6 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU0
SLOT7 PCIE x 16 slot of CPU1
SLOT8 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU0
SLOT9 PCIE x 16 slot of CPU1
SLOT10 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU1
SLOT11 PCIE x 8 slot of CPU1
SLOT12V1/V2 For PCIe slot 12V input only
SMBUS1 Front panel SMBus header
SPI_CN1 Connector for BIOS update tool
SPI_SKT1 EC EEPROM
SYSFAN0-SYSFAN7 System FAN connector
SYS_LED1 System LED connector
USB3_34, USB3_56,
USB3_78 USB 3.2 gen1 port 3,4,5,6,7,8 (20 pin header)
USB3_9 USB 3.2 gen1 port 9 (Type A)
USB2_10 USB 2.0 port 10 (Type-A)
LAN5_USB3_12 RJ-45 LAN port + USB 3.2 gen1 port x 2 connectors
LAN1~LAN4 RJ-45 LAN port
VOLT1 Voltage display
VROC1 Intel Virtual RAID (VROC) key
VGA1_COM1 VGA and COM connector
COM2 Serial port: RS-232
Table 1.5: Connectors

9 ASMB-976 User Manual
Chapter 1 Overview
1.5 Block Diagram
Figure 1.3 Block Diagram
1.6 System Memory
ASMB-976 has sixteen 288-pin memory slots for DDR4 2400/2666/2933/3200 MHz
memory modules with maximum capacity of 2 TB (Maximum 128G (LRDIMM) for
each DIMM). ASMB-976 supports registered DIMMs memory module.
Table 1.6: Onboard LED
LED Description LED Definition
5V_LED1 Power on LED Off:
Power off
On (Green):
System is On
5VSB_LED1 Standby LED Off:
No input AC Power
On (Green):
System is ON, in sleep mode,
or in soft-off mode
LED3
BMC heartbeat LED
(ASMB-976T2 SKU
Only)
Blinking (Green):
controller is working normally

ASMB-976 User Manual 10
1.7 Memory Installation Procedures
Memory performance is affected by different DIMM configurations. To reach optimal
memory interleaving, be sure to install identical DIMM types with the same size,
speed, and number of ranks on those memory slots corresponding to the correct pro-
cessor.
The following table indicates recommended DIMM configurations with a single and
dual processor. Base on the guideline, you may adjust your memory configuration
according to your PCIe expansion card configuration.
The 3rd Gen Xeon Scalable (Silver-4xxx, Gold-5xxx/6xxx, Platinum-8xxx) processors
support Optane DC persistent memory module (DCPMM).
Table 1.7: DIMM Configuration with Single CPU
Channel DIMMA1 DIMMB1 DIMMC1 DIMMD1 DIMME1 DIMMF1 DIMMG1 DIMMH1
Quantity
of
memory
installed
1
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
2
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
4
V V V V
V V V V
V V V V
V V V V
6
V V V V V V
V V V V V V
V V V V V V
V V V V V V
8 V V V V V V V V
Note! 3, 5, 7 DIMMs are not recommended DIMM population.

11 ASMB-976 User Manual
Chapter 1 Overview
AD: App Direct Mode; MM: Memory Mode; AD+MM: Mixed Mode.
DRAM: RDIMM, 3DS RDIMM, LRDIMM, 3DS LRDIMM
Any capacity of DCPMM is allowed
Table 1.8: DIMM Configuration with Dual CPU
Channel DIM-
MA1
DIMM
B1
DIM-
MC1
DIM-
MD1
DIMM
E1
DIMM
F1
DIM-
MG1
DIMM
H1
DIM-
MI1
DIM-
MJ1
DIM-
MK1
DIM-
ML1
DIM-
MM1
DIMM
N1
DIM-
MO1
DIM-
MP1
Quantity
of
memory
installed
2
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
V V
4
VVVV
VVVV
V V V V
V V V V
V V V V
VVVV
VVVV
V V V V
V V V V
8
VVVVVVVV
V V V V V V V V
VVVVVVVV
V V V V V V V V
12
VVV VVV VVV VVV
V VVV VVV VVV VV
VV VVV VVV VVV V
VVV VVV VVV VVV
16VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Note! 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 DIMMs are not recommended DIMM population when
dual CPU were installed.
Table 1.9: DCPMM Population Matrix
Symmetric Population within CPU0
mode DIMMA1 DIMMB1 DIMMC1 DIMMD1 DIMME1 DIMMF1 DIMMG1 DIMMH1
1LM +AD
MM 1/2 perf (1) DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM
1LM +AD
MM 1/2 perf (2) DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM
Symmetric Population within CPU1
mode DIMMI1 DIMMJ1 DIMMK1 DIMML1 DIMMM1 DIMMN1 DIMMO1 DIMMP1
1LM +AD
MM 1/2 perf (1) DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM
1LM +AD
MM 1/2 perf (2) DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM DCPMM DRAM

ASMB-976 User Manual 12
1.8 Processor Installation
The ASMB-976 is designed for Intel Xeon processor scalable family.
1. Remove dust cover.
2. Install CPU on CPU clip and align pin 1 mark.