ASUSTeK COMPUTER PVI-486AP4 User manual

DO
PVI-4836AP4
PCI Bus and VL Bus Mainboard
With PCI IDE Controller

PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
This Product, Including Any Software And Documentation, May Not, In
Whole Or In Part, Be Copied, Photocopied, Translated Or Reduced To
Any Electronic Or Machine-Readable Form Without Prior Written Consent
From ASUSTek Computer Inc., Except For Copies Retained By The
Purchaser For Backup Purposes.
No Warranty Or Representation, Either Expressed Or Implied, Is Made
With Respect To This Documentation, Its Quality, Performance, Merchant-
ability, Or Fitness For AParticular Purpose. As AResult, The Documenta-
tion Is Licensed “As Is,” And The Licensee Will Assume The Entire Risk
As To Its Quality And Performance. This Manual Is Copyrighted By
ASUSTek And Its Documentation Vendor And All Rights Are Reserved.
ASUSTek Reserves The Right To Revise This Manual And Any Accompa-
nying Software And Documentation And To Make Changes In The
Content Without Obligation To Notify Any Person Or Organization Of
The Revision Or Change.
In No Event Will ASUSTek Be Liable For Direct, Indirect, Special, Inciden-
tal, Or Consequential Damages Arising Out Of The Use Or Inability To
Use This Product Or Documentation Even If Advised Of The Possibility
Of Such Damages. In Particular, ASUSTek Shall Not Have Liability For
Any Hardware, Software, Or Data Stored Or Used With The Product,
Including The Costs Of Repairing, Replacing, Or Recovering Such
Hardware, Software Or Data.
Products Mentioned In This Manual Are Mentioned For Identification
Purposes Only. Product Names Appearing In This Manual May Or May
Not Be Registered Trademarks Or Copyrights Of Their Respective
Companies.
©Copyright 1994 ASUSTek Computer Inc.
PVI-486AP4 User's Manual Rev 1.2
|Related Mainboard :PVI-486AP4 P.C.B. Rev 1.6 and up
Related Bios :#401A0-0202 or up (Shown as Power On Boot up
Screen Top-Left Corner)
Date :1994 August, ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Feature Guide ......covvieiveevrnincrernsienne 1-1
How The Manual Is Organized .........c.ccovinieiiiiniciniininn, 1-1
Main Features o.oo1-2
Static Electricity Precautions .........ccccovveiiiivncniniiciene 1-4
Mainboard Layout «coerce1-4
Using Your Mainboard ........ccoeerninniinnns 1-6
Hardware Settings ........ccoccoviineiiiniiiccicniiciens 1-6
The System Configuration Record...1-8
Power Conservation...1-9
Expansion Slots...1-9
System IRQS «ooo1-10
Enhanced IDE Features .......cccccoeiiiieicnniccicniecccccc 1-1
Chapter 2: Upgrade Guide ......oevevniinnscnnirrincnne, 2-1
Installing Expansion Cards .........ccococoiviminniiicnnniniene 2-2
Installation Procedure ..........cocccciiiiiiincninecceecee 2-2
Assigning System IRQS o.com2-4
Selecting IRQ Settings for Edge-Triggered Cards............... 2-5
Upgrading System Memory .....oooevmreecmvvriiiiciieceeinceens 2-8
Configuring System Memory «co.cc,2-9
Installing SIMMS ......cccocoiiiinii cece,2-12
Updating the Flash BIOS ........cccoomiimiiiiiiciiccns 2-14
Installing ACPU Upgrade ......ccocoeeviiiininniiiicnniccicnes 2-16
Installing IDE Hard Disks...2-19
Installing a Primary IDE Hard Disk ......ccocooiiiniinne 2-19
Installing Additional IDE Hard Disks .........cccovvnnnenee 2-20
Installing aSCSI Hard Disk or Other SCSI Device ................ 2-21
SCSI ID Numbers &Termination... 2-21
SCSI Installation Procedure o.oo2-22
Chapter 3: Software Guide......cvcvevvcvrrcsrcrercrernnen 3-1
Award BIOS ooo3-1
Standard CMOS Setup ......ovvvvevecicrcicccreerree eee3-3
BIOS Features Setup ........ccocovvvineiniiiciiiceiecnens 3-8
Chipset Features SEP ........cc..ercerrrmreremeersseessmssessessenns 3-12
Power Management Setup...3-14
PCI Slot Configuration .........ccccveecerienieercnnensenesenenens 3-20

PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Load BIOS Defaults ........cocovvinnrereciciiiirneiviccccnns 3-22
Load Setup Defaults .......c.coveoveeeiiiiiieieiiia, 3-23
Setting Supervisor &User Passwords ......c.ocoveeeiienencnnen 3-24
IDE HDD Auto Detection... 3-25
HDD Low Level Format...3-27
Save And Exit Setup...3-28
Exit Without Saving ..........ccccoviiiiinnirin, 3-28
NCR SCSI BIOS &DIIVerS ....covceiciiiciiiniiciinsrcecsvvvesaessnsans 3-29
Award Flash Memory Writer Utility ......cccooooeveviiinicnccnnes 3-30
Chapter 4: Technical Summary .......cccecvervrnecncesnenne 4-1
Jumper Setting Summary...4-1
Video Display Type: JP1 .......ccccocoeviinnninrceieseenns 4-1
ISA /PCIIRQ Assignments: JP2 —JP11 ..ccccevniinineccccnncns 4-2
Flash Memory Voltage &Write Protection: JP12 ................ 4-3
BIOS Flash Memory Write Protecttion: JP13 .....ccoccocineeee. 4-3
Rev 1.4 CPU Type Selection: JP17 &18-19 ....ccvvvvrirnncecne 4-4
Rev 1.6 CPU Type Selection: JP17 &18-19 ......cccovvvrvrrennee. 4-6
Level 2Cache Size: JP20 = JP21 ..c.coovoreiicrrcecccreccciicieen 4-8
VL-Bus Clock &Wait State Selection: JP22 —JP23 ............ 4-10
CPU External Clock Speed Selection: JP25 —JP26 ............ 4-10
On-board PS/2 Mouse Lead Connector: JP28.................... 4-11
IDE Controller IRQ Selection: JP29 ....cccccoovreecnvrirenenenn 4-11
Rev 1.6 Intel DX4/Cyrix DX2-V Voltage :JP30 ~JP31 .....4-12
Memory SUbSYSteIM .......cccoiiivniiiiriccerc nieces 4-13
CONNECLOTS «voicesrenee caesar seems 4-13
The PCI-SC200 SCSI Interface Card ......cceuvcvvcvceoecrrcacrenennes 4-15
Setting Up the PCI-SC200......cccooccomisiniimmiiinnineinsneneees 4-16
SCSI ID NUIDETS ...oovivimiiecieiiinerciesieneeereerere essen 4-19

1
Feature Guide
This manual explains how to use this system mainboard and in-
stall upgrades. It has an overview of the design and features of the
board and provides useful information if you want to change the
configuration of the board, or asystem it is installed in.
How The Manual Is Organized
This manual is divided into four chapters:
Feature Guide —an overview of the board features
Upgrade Guide —upgrades for the board or system
Software Guide —the Setup Utility and other software &firmware
Technical Summary -technical reference
The manual assumes that your mainboard is already installed in
acomputer system, so we've organized the contents to reflect this.
The first chapter introduces the mainboard’s features and shows
where things are on the board in case you want to install an upgrade.
Chapter 2explains how to install upgrades.
Chapter 3explains the Award BIOS Setup Utility, SCSI BIOS and
the Flash Memory Writer BIOS update utility.
Chapter 4lists settings and specifications and has instructions for
adding cache memory and the optional SCSI interface card.
1-1

ii PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Since we are assuming that your mainboard is already installed
in asystem, it was mostlikely set up by your system dealer accord-
ing to the design specifications of your computer. This could mean
that your mainboard’s current settings are not the same as the de-
faults shown in this manual. Your system manual may have addi-
tional information on how the mainboard should be set up.
If you want to change the existing configuration, consult all of
your system documentation. Also be certain that opening up and
working on the system yourself won't violate your system warranty.
Most system vendors do allow you to open the system to install ex-
pansion cards or additional peripheral equipment.
This manual provides all the information you need to upgrade
or change the setup of the board. If you don't feel confident of your
ability to work on the computer yourself, ask your dealer or aquali-
fied technician to do it for you.
Main Features
The PVI-486AP4 has many performance and system features in-
tegrated onto the mainboard, including the following:
*Supports most 486-type CPUs including Pentium OverDrive
CPUs and SL Enhanced versions, both 5-volt and 3.3-volt, from
Intel and compatible vendors. Uses a‘Socket 3’ ZIF (Zero In-
sertion Force) socket for easy installation. Revision 1.6 supports
additional CPUs from AMD and the Cyrix 3.6-volt DX2-V.
¢Uses SL Enhanced CPU power management features with
Power Management control built into the Setup Utility.
*Compatibility with EPA “Energy-Star” specifications and
power management utilities (e.g. Microsoft APM).
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Feature Guide 1
¢Uses 72-pin DRAM modules in multiple configurations up to
128MB, for flexible and economical upgrades.
*High-performance write-through/write-back “Level 2” exter-
nal static RAM cache in three size options: 128KB, 256KB and
512KB, uing 32K8, 64K8 and 128K8 SRAM chips.
¢Triple bus design with 3ISA, 1ISA/VL-Bus and 4PCI expan-
sion slots, some with Bus Master capability.
»Updatable system BIOS stored in ‘Flash ROM’ can be updated
using the Flash Memory Writer Utility.
*On board 32-bit PCI IDE hard disk drive controller that sup-
ports Enhanced IDE features for two IDE devices including
faster data transfer rates and direct support for IDE devices
such as Tape Backup and CD-ROM drives.
*System BIOS support for Enhanced IDE including up to four
IDE hard disks or other IDE devices and support for hard disks
larger than 528MB and up to 8.4GB. When used with asepa-
rate IDE controller card that supports Enhanced IDE, support
for four IDE devices in two channels, faster data transfer rates
and direct support for IDE devices such as Tape Backup and
CD-ROM drives.
eAuto detection of installed IDE hard disk drives with an auto-
detection utility built into the system BIOS.
*On-board NCR SCSI BIOS firmware supports the optional PCI
5C-200 SCSI controller card to connect up to seven internal or
external SCSI devices.
*Support floppy disk with Flash Memory Writer update utility.
*Switch connector for amanual suspend button mounted on a
system case.
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1PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Static Electricity Precautions
Under the right conditions, static electricity will build up. If you
touch the mainboard or other sensitive components, the build-up will
discharge into the components and circuitry. Computer components
are sensitive to damage from static electric discharge. They can be
damaged or destroyed if the discharge is powerful enough. Static
build-up is most likely to occur in dryer and cooler conditions, but
it is always important to be cautious.
To protect the mainboard and other components against damage
from static electric discharge, you should follow some basic precau-
tions whenever you handle them:
1. Use agrounding wrist strap. The strap will have an ‘alligator’
clip at the end of ashielded wire lead. Clip it to agrounded
object. Any static electricity will then harmlessly discharge
through the strap. Put on and connect the strap before you
handle the components.
2. Use an anti-static pad. Put any components on the pad when-
ever you work on them outside the computer. If you don’t
have apad, put the components on the anti-static bag they
came in.
Both the wrist strap and pad are inexpensive and are generally
available from computer supply companies.
Mainboard Layout
The diagram on the next page shows the location of important
components on the mainboard. There are other small diagrams later
in the manual that point out the location of the topic being explained.
Rev 1.6 adds jumpersettings for AMD CPUs and voltage selec-
tion for the Cyrix Cx486DX2-V. See Chapter 4for more information.
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1-4

Feature Guide 1
PVI-486AP4 Layout (Rev 1.3)
1. PGACPU 6. SIMM sockets
2. Level 2 cache 7. IDE hard disk connector
3. ISA/VL-Bus slot 8. Power supply connector
4. ISA slots 9. Keyboard connector
5. PClslots
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1PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Using Your Mainboard
In addition to the operating instructions in your system manual,
there are afew additional things specific to the mainboard you will
need to know. These have to do with the hardware settings on the
mainboard and the system configuration record.
Hardware Settings
There are anumber of hardware settings on the board. They
specify configuration options for various features. The settings are
made using something called a‘jumper’. Ajumper is aset of two or
more metal pins in aplastic base attached to the mainboard. Aplas-
tic jumper ‘cap’ with ametal plate inside fits over two pins to create
an electrical contact between them. The contact establishes ahard-
ware setting.
Some jumpers have two pins, others have three or more. The
jumpers are sometimes combined into sets called jumper ‘blocks’,
where all the jumpers in the block must be set together to establish a
hardware setting. The next figures show how this looks.
JWU
Jumpers and caps
il iy
Jumper cap 3-pin jumper 2-pin jumper Jumper block
1-6

Feature Guide 1
Setting options for most jumpers are printed on the board in a
stylized bird's-eye view, with which pins to connect for each setting
marked by abar connecting two pins. For example,if ajumper has
three pins, connecting, or ‘shorting’, the first and second pins creates
one setting and shorting the second and third pins creates another.
The same type of diagrams are used in this manual. The jumpers are
always shown from the same point of view as shown in the whole-
board diagram in this chapter. The next figures show what the
manual diagrams look like and what they represent.
Jumper diagrams
Jumpers are shown like this
,== l=
=—(14
Jumper caps like this Jumper settings like this
Td
O=| Jumpers in 1Some jumpers are oriented
OG=o| ablock’ vertically; if the pin
oo Oposition needs to be
shown, Pin 1is marked.
1-7

1PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
The System Configuration Record
All personal computers use aBIOS (Basic Input Output System)
as the basic software that tells the computer how to function. In or-
der for the BIOS to function, there has to be arecord of the computer’s
hardware and configuration settings for it to refer to. This record is
created by using asoftware program that is permanently stored in
the BIOS ROM chip on the mainboard. The program is called the
CMOS Setup Utility.
The system configuration record the utility creates is also stored
on the mainboard. Unlike the utility program, the record is not re-
corded permanently. The memory it gets stored in must be main-
tained by battery power when the computeris turned off. If battery
support fails, the record will be lost and you will have to recreate it.
When you buy your computer, the system configuration record
will already be set. The settings will be optimized for your computer
hardware and may vary from the basic defaults. You should run the
Setup Utility when you first use your computer. Write down the set-
tings. Thereis an explanation of how to run the Setup Utility in Chap-
ter 3.
Important:
In some circumstances it is possible the configuration record may
be corrupted or lost. If this happens, your computer will not work
properly the next time you turn it on. This is not aserious problem.
To fix it, run the Setup Utility and re-enter your configuration from
your written record. When you restart the computer, it will work
normally.
1-8

Feature Guide 1
Power Conservation
This mainboard incorporates the latest power conservation
technology, and meets the USA Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) “Energy Star” specifications. The BIOS Setup Utility controls
the board's power management system. For more information see the
section on Power Management Setup in Chapter 3. To take advan-
tage of its energy saving capabilities, the mainboard must have an SL
Enhanced or compatible CPU installed.
The power management system provides several power saving
modes and includes aconnector for amanual Suspend Mode switch
that mounts on the system case. If your case has one of these, you can
Suspend the system at anytime by pressing the button.
Expansion Slots
There three types of expansion slot on this mainboard. Three of
the slots are industry-standard ISA slots in which you can use any
ISA expansion card. There is afourth ISA slot thatis the upper part
of the one VL-Bus local bus slot. The VL-Bus slot shares aslot posi-
tion with Slot 4of the four PCI local bus slots.
The VL-Bus and PCi loval bus slots are either bus Master or Slave
as listed below:
VL-Bus Slot —Slave only, Bus Master cards will not work correctly.
PCI Slot 1—always Bus Master-capable
PCI Slot 2—Master whenVL slot is not used, Slave when used
PCi Slot 3 & Slot 4~always Slave
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1PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
System IRQs
Later in the manual you'll see something called an “IRQ” men-
tioned several times. If you're not familiar with these, this is ashort
explanation of what they are and why you may need to know about
them if you upgrade your system.
An IRQ, or interrupt request, is the process whereby an input or
output device tells the CPU to temporarily interrupt whatever it is
doing and immediately process something from the source of the
interrupt. When finished the CPU goes back to what it was already
processing. This happens very quickly. There are 16 IRQs, IRQ 0
through IRQ 15, in the ISA bus design. Devices that need an IRQ line
to operate generally must have the use of that line exclusively.
Many expansion cards require the use of an IRQ line to operate,
for example, network interface cards and sound cards. When you
install acard that uses an IRQ, it will have adefault IRQ setting that
you might need to change if that IRQ is already in use. There are dif-
ferent ways of setting an IRQ assignment, with jumpers being the
most common.
Both the ISA bus and the PCI bus use the same set of system IRQs.
For the PCI bus there is an additional consideration. On the PCI bus,
you must assign an IRQ to the PCI slot you will install an IRQ-using
card in. There are two methods of generating an IRQ on the PCI bus,
level-triggering (level-sensitive) and edge-triggering. Most PCI ex-
pansion cards use the level-triggered design. Some very few cards
may use the edge-triggered design instead. The mainboard design
therefore provides the means to set the IRQ assignment for aPCI slot
for either type of card. This is explained in detail in Chapters 2&3.
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Feature Guide 1
Enhanced IDE Features
This mainboard has several feature enhancements for IDE hard
disk drives and support for other IDE devices.
The original IDE implementation was limited to two hard disk
drives with relatively slower data transfer rates. While this solution
is simple and reliable, it has some limitations that have become more
significant as the performance level of other system components and
overall system performance have increased dramatically with the
advent of new microprocessor, expansion bus and operating system
technologies.
In response to these demands, the IDE specification has been
updated to increase its capabilities and provide improved perfor-
mance. Together these are referred to as ‘Enhanced IDE’. Enhanced
IDE features comprise the following:
*Support for IDE hard disk drives larger than the former 528MB
limit imposed by various technicalfactors.
¢Support for IDE devices other than hard disk drives, includ-
ing IDE Tape Backup and CD-ROM drives.
*Support for two IDE channels with two devices per channel,
allowing the use of four IDE devices in one system.
*Support for faster data transfer rates, particularly with IDE
controller cards that have aPCI local bus interface.
This mainboard either directly supports or allows the use of these
new features. The features also depend on your having an IDE con-
troller card that supports Enhanced IDE. If you use acontroller that
does not have this support these features will not be available.
1-11

1PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Large IDE Hard Disks
For IDE hard disk drives, the BIOS provides three modes to sup-
port both normal IDE hard disks and also drives larger than 528MB:
Normal -for IDE drives smaller than 528MB
Large —for drives larger than 528MB that do not use LBA. These
can only be used with the MS-DOS operating system.
LBA —for drives larger than 528MB and up to 8.4 GB (Clgabytes)
that use Logic Block Addressing mode.
Other IDE Devices
Enhanced IDE allows the use of IDE devices other than hard
disks. Two devices that previously required non-standard or adapted
interfaces and are now available as standard IDE devices are Tape
Backup and CD-ROM drives. These will now be able to take
adavantage of the ease of installation, lower cost and in some cases
superior performance of Enhanced IDE, putting an end to the sys-
tem configuration complications created by their earlier interfaces.
To use IDE devices other than hard disks with this mainboard you
may need to install adevice driver in your system software configu-
ration. Refer to the documentation that comes with any device you
will install for instructions about this and any otther installation re-
quirements.
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Feature Guide 1
Dual IDE Channel Support
If you have acontroller card with the support and interface con-
nectors for it, you can connect up to four IDE peripheral devices to
your system. With the Enhanced IDE features you can select two
devices to each connector. All devices are categorized the same way
IDE hard disks have been, with one device set as the “Master” de-
vice and the second as the “Slave” device.
Faster Data Transfer
Enhanced IDE includes ascheme to support asignificant increase
in the rate of data transfer from the IDE device to the rest of the sys-
tem compared to the previous standard. One aspect of this scheme
is support for the Mode 3timing scheme. If you use both acontrol-
ler and hard disks that support Mode 3operation with this
mainboard you can increase the data transfer rate up to as much as
11MB per second.
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2
Upgrade Guide
This section explains how to install options on your mainboard.
It covers the most likely and technically accessible upgrades you
might want to do, including adding expansion cards, increasing sys-
tem memory, changing the CPU chip and adding IDE hard disks.
Installing upgrades will either improve the performance of your
computer, or add some additional capabilities to it. You can install
upgrades yourself, or have your dealer or aqualified computer tech-
nician do it for you.
Itis also possible to increase the size of the Level 2cache, but since
this is amuch more technically demanding upgrade that you are both
less likely to undertake and in most cases would probably require at
least partially disassembling your system, the technical reference in-
formation about it is it Chapter 4. It is probably best to have aquali-
fied technician perform the upgrade for you if you want to upgrade
the cache.
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2PVI-486AP4 User's Manual
Installing Expansion Cards
There many ISA, VL-Bus and PCI expansion cards you can install
in your system to expand its capabilities. Any card you get will come
with instructions on how to configure and install it. For your refer-
ence, we have included abrief decsription here of how to install acard
in your system case. This is followed by an explanation of this
mainboard’s requirements for installing expansion cards that use an
interrupt request line (IRQ). Please review the IRQ information care-
fully if you are installing this type of card. If you're more familiar with
this topic, there is achart-based synopsis of the required procedures
at the end of this section.
Installation Procedure
Expansion cards often require pre-installation configuration and
sometimes post-installation software setup. Check your card docu-
mentation for instructions on this. Once you have configured an ex-
pansion card you want to install, the installation procedure is fairly
simple. Your system manual should have instructions for installing
expansion cards specific to the design of your system case. The pro-
cedure here covers the basics for your reference.
Before you start, always make sure the computer is turned off.
You should also make sure to observe standard static electricity dis-
charge precautions. You can damage your expansion card, the
mainboard, or both by not being careful about this.
The basic procedure for installing expansion cards is the same for
all three types. The components on ISA and VL-Bus cards will face
to the right as you view the computer from the front. PCI card com-
ponentsface to the left. Please note that PCI Slot 4and the combined
ISA /VL-Bus slot share the same mounting bracket position, so you
can only use one of these slots, not both.
2-2

Upgrade Guide p
The basic procedure is as follows:
1. Open the system case to gain access to the expansion slots.
2. Remove the slot-cover corresponding to the slot you want plan
to use. Put the slot-cover retaining screw aside and store the
slot cover in case you need it later.
3. Remove the card from its protective packaging if you haven't
already.
4. Align the card’s slot connectors to the slot. Keep the card ata
90° angle to the mainboard. Insert the card into the slot by
pressing it firmly downward. If thereis alot of resistance, make
sure the slot connectors are lined up correctly. PCI cards require
very little pressure to insert.
5. Attach the card's mounting bracket to the case using the slot
cover screw you put aside in Step 2.
6. Close the case, turn on the computer and check to see if the
card is working properly, and do any software set up required.
Use the screw to
’secure the card to
Remove the slot
.the case
retaining screw M
&slot cover SX go
T7
ww /
The component side of the card should face right (or
up) for an ISA card and left (or down) for aPCI card
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2-3