AlphaPC AlphaPC 164LX Reference guide

26 March 1997 – Subject to Change EC–R2RZA–TE
AlphaPC
164LX Digital Semiconductor
AlphaPC 164LX Motherboard
Product Brief
By offering a pace-setting performance alternative to x 86 and RISC platforms, the
AlphaPC 164LX provides an easy, cost-effective solution for companies entering
the high-performance PC market.
Alpha PCs are designed with standard PC components such as SDRAM DIMMs, PCI
option cards, power supplies, enclosures, and the Windows NT operating system.
Using standard PC components allows Alpha PCs to be produced at a competitive
cost while still maintaining leadership performance.
The AlphaPC 164LX is perfect for performance-focused applications such as
mechanical CAD, graphics and animation, and desktop publishing. Alpha provides
a rich complement of over 2500 committed Windows NT applications.
The AlphaPC 164LX motherboard integrates Digital Semiconductor’s engineering
excellence, quality, and performance, keeping Alpha systems ahead of the
competition.
Features
• AlphaPC 164LX supports the Digital
Semiconductor 21164 Alpha microproc-
essor that operates at speeds of 466,
533, and 600 MHz.
• Digital Semiconductor 21174 core logic
chip interfaces to the CPU, system
memory, L3 cache, and PCI bus.
• Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)
memory subsystem includes:
–32MB to 512MB memory
–Two banks of 128-bit memory
–168-pin unbuffered SDRAM DIMMs
• L3 cache subsystem supports:
–128-bit data path
–Synchronous SRAMs (SSRAMs)
–2MB cache size, using 128K X 18
SSRAMs
• PCI bus support (33 MHz):
–Two 64-bit slots and two 32-bit slots
–PCI-to-ISA bridge using an Intel
82378ZB Saturn I/O chip
–PCI IDE using CMD PCI0646
• ISA provides an expansion bus with two
dedicated ISA expansion slots and the
following system support functions:
–SMC FDC37C935 combination
controller chip provides diskette
control, two UARTs with modem
control, parallel port, mouse control,
keyboard control, and time-of-year
clock
–1MB of flash ROM
Applications
The AlphaPC 164LX enables OEMs to create AlphaPC systems for the high-
performance PC market. This ATX motherboard fits into standard ATX enclosures and
utilizes standard ATX power supplies. OEMs can position these systems in multiple
markets such as CAD, financial analysis, and Internet servers.
TM
Hardware Features
Software Features
• Windows NT Alpha BIOS firmware,
which supports installation of Windows
NT 4.0. (Windows NT operating system
purchased separately.)
Documentation
• AlphaPC 164LX Motherboard User’s
Manual
Warranty
•Three years

26 March 1997 – Subject to Change 2
For More Information
To learn more about the availability of the
AlphaPC 164LX, contact your local
semiconductor distributor. To learn more
about Digital Semiconductor’s product
portfolio, visit the Digital Semiconductor
World Wide Web Internet site:
http://www.digital.com/semiconductor
or you can contact the Digital
Semiconductor Information Line:
United States and Canada
1–800–332–2717
Outside North America
1–510–490–4753
For technical support, contact the Digital
Semiconductor Customer Technology
Center:
Phone (U.S. and international)
1–508–568–7474
Fax
1–508–568–6698
While DIGITAL believes the information in this publication
is correct as of the date of publication, it is subject to change
without notice.
© Digital Equipment Corporation 1997.
All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.
AlphaPC, DIGITAL, Digital Semiconductor, the
AlphaGeneration design mark, and the DIGITAL logo are
trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Digital Semiconductor is a Digital Equipment Corporation
business.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. SMC is
a registered trademark of Standard Microsystems
Corporation. Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
AlphaPC 164LX Kit includes:
Product Order Number
AlphaPC 164LX Motherboard with 2MB L3
cache for Windows NT (no CPU) 21A04-C0
AlphaPC 164LX Documentation
Windows NT Alpha BIOS Firmware
Alpha microprocessor options:
Product Order Number
21164 Alpha microprocessors:
•466MHz
•533MHz
•600MHz
• 21164-IB
• 21164-P8
• 21164-MB
AlphaPC 164LX Characteristics
Characteristic Specification
Power supply Standard ATX 3.3-V PC power supply
Operating temperature range 10°C to 40°C (50°F to 104°F)
Storage temperature range –55°C to 125°C (–67°F to 257°F)
Size 30.48 cm X 24.38 cm (12.0 in X 9.6 in)
Other Digital Semiconductor Products
Product Order Number
Motherboard Software Developer’s Kit (SDK)
and Firmware Update Available Summer, 1997