Asus A7N8X-LA (Focus) User manual

Motherboard
A7N8X-LA
User Guide
Explorer

2 Hardware information

3
A7N8X-LA/Explorer specifications summary
Exxxx
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus (FSB)
Memory
Expansion slots
IDE
Audio
LAN
Special Features
Back Panel I/O Ports
Internal I/O
Connectors
Socket A for AMD Duron™/Athlon™/Barton 2800+
266/333 MHz FSB Support
Northbridge: NVIDIA
®
nForce2 IGP
Southbridge: NVIDIA
®
MCP2-T
333/266Mhz
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM Sockets
Max. 2 GB unbuffered PC2700/2100 non-ECC DDR RAM
memory.
3 x PCI
1 x AGP 4X/8X (1.5V only)
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33
Realtek ALC650 6CH with built-in HP amplifier
1 RJ-45 Port
Support 10/100Mbps with Realtek RTL8201BL PHY
Wake-up-On-Ring, Wake-On-LAN, Wake-On-Keyboard,
Wake-On-Mouse, RTC Timer
Support ACPI STR(S3) function
Restart/Off Setup ofAC Recovery from power failure
1 x Parallel
1 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA port
1 x RJ45 port
1 x Audio I/O
4 x USB 2.0
1 x IEEE 1394
20-pin ATX power connector
1 x CPU fan
1 x Chassis fan
1 x Front MIC-IN header
1 x CD_IN header
1 x TV-OUT header
1 x AUX-IN for front LINE-IN
1 x HP-SPEAKER connector
1 x onboard 1394 header
1 x HPANEL header

4 Hardware information
BIOS features
Industry standard
Manageability
Form Factor
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2.0, DMI,
Green
PCI 2.2, USB 1.1/2.0.
DMI 2.0, WOL, WOR, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus
Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in
A7N8X-LA/Explorer specifications summary

5 ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide
Motherboard layout
24.5cm (9.64in)
IDE1
FLOPPY1
A7N8X-LA/Explorer
MCP2-T
Chipset
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP8X1)
nVidia
nForce2 IGP
Chipset
ATX Power Connector
Super
I/O
4Mb
BIOS
PCI 1
PS/2
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
Realtek
RTL8201
TV_OUT
CHA_FAN1
Agere
1394
PHY
Audio
Codec
Below:Mic In
Center:Line Out
Top:Line In
DDR DIMM1 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
01
DDR DIMM3 (64/72 bit, 184-pin module)
4 5
PCI 2
PCI 3
Socket 462
24.5cm (9.64in)
CPU_FAN1
COM1
PARALLEL PORT
VGA
RJ-45
Top:
USB1
USB2
Bottom:
IDE2
1394
Top:
USB1
USB2
Bottom:
J10
BUZZ1
BAT1
J11
USB56 HPANEL
IEEE1394_1
CD1 AUX1
HPSPK1
FP_MIC1

6 Hardware information
System memory
The motherboard has two Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMM sockets that sup-
ports up to 2GB non-ECC PC2700/2100 DDR..
1. Make sure the memory frequency and bus frequency setting in the
BIOS are the same or set to [Auto] ensure system stability.
2. A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one
direction. DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging
the DIMM.
Installing a DIMM
1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.
2. Align a DIMM on the socket. Make sure the notches on the DIMM
exactly match the notches in the socket.
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips lock into
place.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA 184-Pin DDR
DIMM Sockets
80 Pins
104 Pins

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 7
Standard Interrupt Assignments
IRQ Priority Standard Function
0 1 System Timer
1 2 Keyboard Controller
2 N/A Programmable Interrupt
3* 11 Communications Port (COM2)
4* 12 Communications Port (COM1)
5* 13 Sound Card (sometimes LPT2)
6 14 Floppy Disk Controller
7* 15 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9* 4 ACPI Mode when used
10* 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11* 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
12* 7 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 8 Numeric Data Processor
14* 9 Primary IDE Channel
15* 10 Secondary IDE Channel
*These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support
“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments.
Otherwise, conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the
system unstable and the card inoperable.
IRQ assignments for this motherboard
ABCDEFGH
PCI slot 1 shared — — — — — — —
PCI slot 2 — used — — — — — —
PCI slot 3 — — used — — — — —
AGP slot shared — — — — — — —

8 Hardware information
PCI slots
There are three 32-bit PCI slots on this motherboard. The slots support
PCI cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that
comply with PCI specifications. The following figure shows a LAN card
installed on a PCI slot.
AGP slot
This motherboard has an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot that
supports +1.5V AGP cards. When you buy anAGP card, make sure that
you ask for one with +1.5V specification. Note the notches on the card
golden fingers to ensure that they fit the AGP slot on your motherboard.
Install only 1.5V AGP cards on this motherboard!
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Accelerated
Graphics Port (AGP8X)
AGP Card without Retention Notch

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 9
Jumpers
1. Clear RTC RAM ( 2-pin CLRTC1)
This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in
CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system
setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The RAM
data in CMOS, that include system setup information such as system
passwords, is powered by the onboard button cell battery.
To erase the RTC RAM:
1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
2. Short the two pads to clear CMOS.
3. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
4. Hold down the <F11> key during the boot process and enter BIOS
setup to re-enter data.
Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on J10
jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot
failure!
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Clear RTC RAM
CLRTC1
Normal Clear CMO
S
(Default)
23
12

10 Hardware information
2. Clear Password ( 2-pin J11)
This jumper allows you to clear the password in CMOS. Set to pins
(2-3) to clear the password and set to pins (1-2) for default normal
setting.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Clear Password Setting
J11
Normal Clear Passwor
d
(Default)
23
12

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 11
Connectors
This section describes and illustrates the internal connectors on the
motherboard.
Always connect ribbon cables with the red stripe to Pin 1 on the
connectors. Pin 1 is usually on the side closest to the power connector
on hard drives and CD-ROM drives, but may be on the opposite side
on floppy disk drives.
1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1)
This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cable. After
connecting one end to the motherboard, connect the other end to the
floppy drive. (Pin 5 is removed to prevent incorrect insertion when
using ribbon cables with pin 5 plug).
A7N8X-LA
NOTE: Orient the red markings o
n
the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1
A7N8X-LA Floppy Disk Drive Connector
PIN 1
FLOPPY1

12 Hardware information
2. IDE connectors (40-1 pin IDE1, IDE2)
This connector supports the provided UltraDMA/133/100/66 IDE hard
disk ribbon cable. Connect the cable’s blue connector to the primary
(recommended) or secondary IDE connector, then connect the gray
connector to the UltraDMA/133/100/66 slave device (hard disk drive)
and the black connector to the UltraDMA/100/66 master device. It is
recommended that you connect non-UltraDMA/133/100/66 devices to
the secondary IDE connector. If you install two hard disks, you must
configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its jumper
accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper
settings. BIOS supports specific device bootup. If you have more than
two UltraDMA/133/100/66 devices, purchase another UltraDMA/133/
100/66 cable. You may configure two hard disks to be both master
devices with two ribbon cables – one for the primary IDE connector
and another for the secondary IDE connector.
1. Pin 20 on each IDE connector is removed to match the covered
hole on the UltraDMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect
orientation when you connect the cables.
2. The hole near the blue connector on the UltraDMA/133/100/66
cable is intentional.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA IDE Connectors
NOTE: Orient the red marking
s
(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.
IDE2
PIN 1
IDE1

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 13
3. ATX power connectors (20-pin ATXPWR1)
These connectors connect to an ATX 12V power supply. The plugs
from the power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one
orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the
connectors completely fit.
Make sure that your ATX 12V power supply can provide 8A on the
+12V lead and at least 1A on the +5-volt standby lead (+5VSB). The
minimum recommended wattage is 230W, or 300W for a fully
configured system. The system may become unstable and may
experience difficulty powering up if the power supply is inadequate.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA ATX Power Connector
ATXPWR1
+3.3VDC
-12.0VDC
COM
PS_ON#
COM
COM
COM
-5.0VDC
+5.0VDC
+5.0VDC
PWR_OK
+12.0VDC
+3.3VDC
+3.3VDC
COM
+5.0VDC
COM
+5.0VDC
COM
+5VSB

14 Hardware information
4. CPU and Chassis Fan Connectors
(3-pin CPU_FAN1, CHA_FAN1)
The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~740mA (8.88W
max.) or a total of 1A~2.22A (26.64W max.) at +12V. Connect the fan
cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the
black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector.
Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Lack of
sufficient air flow within the system may damage the motherboard
components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on
the fan connectors!
5. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD1, AUX1)
These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound
sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA 12-Volt Cooling Fan Power
CHA_FAN
1
CPU_FAN
1
GND
Rotation
+12V
GND
Rotation
+12V
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Internal Audio Connectors
AUX1 (White
)
CD1 (Black)
Right Audio Channel
Left Audio Channel
Ground
Right Audio Channel
Left Audio Channel
Ground

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 15
6. USB header (10-1 pin USB56)
If the USB ports on the rear panel are inadequate, a USB header is
available for additional USB ports. The USB header complies with USB
2.0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. This
speed advantage over the conventional 12 Mbps on USB 1.1 allows
faster Internet connection, interactive gaming, and simultaneous
running of high-speed peripherals.
If your package came with a USB 2.0/GAME module, connect the USB
cable to this header. The module has two USB 2.0 ports that support
the next generation USB peripherals such as high resolution cameras,
scanners, and printers.
You must install the driver before you can use the USB 2.0 capability.
NEVER connect a 1394 cable to the USB_56 connector. Doing so will
damage the motherboard!
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA USB 2.0 Header
USB56
USB+5V USB_P6- USB_P6+ GND NC
USB+5V
USB_P5-
USB_P5+
GND
1

16 Hardware information
7. IEEE 1394 connectors (10-1 pin IEEE1394_1)
This connector is for a 10-to-6-pin 1394 serial connector cable that
connect to a 1394 module. Attach the 10-1 pin cable plug to this
connector, and the 6-pin cable plug to the 1394 module. You may also
connect a 1394-compliant internal hard disk to this connector.
NEVER connect a USB cable to any of the IEEE 1394 connectors.
Doing so will damage the motherboard!
8. Backpanel I/O Shield
The following backpanel I/O ports connect to various devices and
peripherals:
01 PS/2 mouse 07 Microphone jack
02 Parallel port 08 USB 2.0 connectors
03 IEEE 1394 connector 09 USB 2.0 connectors
04 RJ-45 connector 10 VGA connector
05 Line In jack 11 Serial connector
06 Line Out jack 12 PS/2 Keyboard
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA IEEE-1394 Connectors
IEEE1394_
1
1
TPA0- GND TPB0- +12V GND
TPA0+
GND
TPB0+
+12V
01
12
05
06
07
08
04
02
11 10
03
09

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 17
9. HP Speaker connector (3-pin HPSPK1)
The HPSPK1 connector allows the onboard audio to interface with a
voice modem card with a similar connector. It also allows the sharing of
mono_in (such as a phone) and a mono_out (such as a speaker)
between the audio and a voice modem card.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA HP Speaker Connector
HPSPK
1
HPO_L
SPO_R
AGND_A
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Front Microphone Connector
FP_MIC
1
MIC Power MIC Input Ground
10.Front Microphone connector (3-pin FP_MIC1)
The front panel microphone connector supports the case-mounted
front panel microphone jack.

18 Hardware information
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA TV Out Connector
1
TV_OU
T
11. TV-out connector (6-1 pin TV_OUT)
This connector is for an optional TV-out module that allows you to
connect output to a television set.

ASUS A7N8X-LA/Explorer motherboard user guide 19
12.System panel connector (8-pin HPANEL)
This connector accommodates several system front panel functions.
• System Power LED Lead (3-1 pin PLED)
This 3-1 pin connector connects to the system power LED. The LED
lights up when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the
system is in sleep mode.
• ATX Power Switch Lead (2-pin PWR)
This connector connects a switch that controls the system power.
Pressing the power switch turns the system between ON and SLEEP,
or ON and SOFT OFF, depending on the BIOS or OS settings.
Pressing the power switch while in the ON mode for more than 4
seconds turns the system OFF.
• IDE LED Lead (2-pin HDLED)
This 2-pin connector connects to IDE power LED. The LED blinks
when there is disk activity.
• Reset Switch (2-1 pin RESET)
This 2-pin connector supports the case-mounted reset switch for
rebooting the system without turning off the power switch.
A7N8X-LA
A7N8X-LA Front Panel Audio Connector
HPANEL
PLED- PWR PLED+
Ground GNDReset
HDLED+
HDLED-
Power LED
Reset SW
ATX Powe
r
Switch*
HDLED