DFI AL171 User manual

1
AL171/AL173
Mini-ITX Industrial Motherboard
User’s Manual
A44200819

2
Copyright
This publication contains information that is protected by copyright. No part of it may be re-
produced in any form or by any means or used to make any transformation/adaptation without
the prior written permission from the copyright holders.
This publication is provided for informational purposes only. The manufacturer makes no
representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and specifi-
cally disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose. The user will assume the entire risk of the use or the results of the use of this docu-
ment. Further, the manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes
to its contents at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions
or changes.
Changes after the publication’s first release will be based on the product’s revision. The website
will always provide the most updated information.
© 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Trademarks
Product names or trademarks appearing in this manual are for identification purpose only and
are the properties of the respective owners.
FCC and DOC Statement on Class B
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reason-
able protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential
installation. 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. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encour-
aged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help.
Notice:
1. The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compli-
ance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
2. Shielded interface cables must be used in order to comply with the emission limits.

3
Copyright.............................................................................................................2
Trademarks........................................................................................................2
FCC and DOC Statement on Class B.....................................................2
Warranty..............................................................................................................4
Static Electricity Precautions......................................................................4
Safety Measures..............................................................................................4
About the Package.........................................................................................5
Optional Items..................................................................................................5
Before Using the System Board...............................................................5
Chapter 1 - Introduction.............................................................................6
Specifications ................................................................................................6
Features..........................................................................................................7
Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation................................................8
Board Layout.................................................................................................8
Block Diagram...............................................................................................8
Mechanical Diagram....................................................................................9
System Memory............................................................................................9
Installing the DIMM Module ........................................................................10
Installing the Heat Sink...........................................................................11
Jumper Settings .........................................................................................12
Clear CMOS Data........................................................................................12
SATA 1/M.2 B Key SATA Signal Select..........................................................13
M.2 Signal Select........................................................................................13
COM1/COM2 RS232/Power Select................................................................14
LCD/Inverter Power Select..........................................................................15
Backlight Power Select................................................................................ 15
Panel Power Select.....................................................................................16
PCIE1/M.2 B Key PCIE Signal Select............................................................16
Rear Panel I/O Ports.................................................................................17
12V DC-in (AL171)/15~36V (AL173)............................................................17
Graphics Interface ...................................................................................... 18
RJ45 LAN Ports...........................................................................................18
USB Ports...................................................................................................19
Audio.........................................................................................................19
I/O Connectors........................................................................................... 20
SATA (Serial ATA) Connectors...................................................................... 20
SATA (Serial ATA) Power Connectors............................................................ 20
S/PDIF Connector.......................................................................................21
Digital I/O and Power Connectors................................................................21
Cooling Fan Connectors...............................................................................22
Front Panel Connector ................................................................................22
COM (Serial) Ports......................................................................................23
LVDS LCD Panel Connector .........................................................................24
LCD/Inverter Power Connector....................................................................24
SMBus Connector .......................................................................................25
Standby Power LED....................................................................................25
Chassis Intrusion Connector........................................................................26
Expansion Slots..........................................................................................26
LPC Connector............................................................................................27
Connecting the EXT-RS232/RS485 Card to the Motherboard .........................27
eDP Connector (optional)............................................................................28
Battery....................................................................................................... 29
Chapter 3 - BIOS Setup............................................................... 30
Overview .....................................................................................................30
Insyde BIOS Setup Utility........................................................................ 31
Main ..........................................................................................................31
Advanced...................................................................................................31
Security......................................................................................................39
Boot...........................................................................................................40
Exit............................................................................................................41
Updating the BIOS....................................................................................42
Notice: BIOS SPI ROM.............................................................................42
Chapter 4 - Supported Software...........................................................43
Appendix A - Troubleshooting Checklist............................................49
Table of Contents

4
Warranty
1. Warranty does not cover damages or failures that arised from misuse of the product,
inability to use the product, unauthorized replacement or alteration of components and
product specifications.
2. The warranty is void if the product has been subjected to physical abuse, improper instal-
lation, modification, accidents or unauthorized repair of the product.
3. Unless otherwise instructed in this user’s manual, the user may not, under any circum-
stances, attempt to perform service, adjustments or repairs on the product, whether in or
out of warranty. It must be returned to the purchase point, factory or authorized service
agency for all such work.
4. We will not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental or consequencial damages to the
product that has been modified or altered.
Static Electricity Precautions
It is quite easy to inadvertently damage your PC, system board, components or devices even
before installing them in your system unit. Static electrical discharge can damage computer
components without causing any signs of physical damage. You must take extra care in han-
dling them to ensure against electrostatic build-up.
1. To prevent electrostatic build-up, leave the system board in its anti-static bag until you are
ready to install it.
2. Wear an antistatic wrist strap.
3. Do all preparation work on a static-free surface.
4. Hold the device only by its edges. Be careful not to touch any of the components, contacts
or connections.
5. Avoid touching the pins or contacts on all modules and connectors. Hold modules or con-
nectors by their ends.
Safety Measures
To avoid damage to the system:
• Use the correct AC input voltage range.
To reduce the risk of electric shock:
• Unplug the power cord before removing the system chassis cover for installation or servic-
ing. After installation or servicing, cover the system chassis before plugging the power
cord.
Important:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your processor, disk drive and other com-
ponents. Perform the upgrade instruction procedures described at an ESD worksta-
tion only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD protection by
wearing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a metal part of the system chas-
sis. If a wrist strap is unavailable, establish and maintain contact with the system
chassis throughout any procedures requiring ESD protection.

5
About the Package
The package contains the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged,
please contact your dealer or sales representative for assistance.
• 1 AL171/AL173 motherboard
• 1 COM port cable (Length: 250mm, 1 x COM port)
• 1 Serial ATA data with power cable (Length: 300mm)
The board and accessories in the package may not come similar to the information listed
above. This may differ in accordance to the sales region or models in which it was sold. For
more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your dealer or
sales representative.
Optional Items
• USB port cable (Length: 200mm)
• COM port cable (Length: 250mm, 1 x COM port)
• Serial ATA data with power cable (Length: 300mm)
• LPC EXT-RS232 module (4 x RS232 ports)
• LPC EXT-RS485 module (4 x RS485 ports)
• I/O shield
• Heat sink for 0 to 60°C (Height: 19mm)
• Heat sink for -40 to 85°C (Height: 32mm)
• Thermal solution (For 35W, Height: 37.3mm)
• Thermal solution (For 65W, Height: 72.8mm)
• Thermal solution (For 95W)
The board and accessories in the package may not come similar to the information listed-
above. This may differ in accordance to the sales region or models in which it was sold. For
more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your dealer or
sales representative.
Before Using the System Board
Before using the system board, prepare basic system components.
If you are installing the system board in a new system, you will need at least the following
internal components.
• Memory module
• Storage devices such as hard disk drive, etc.
You will also need external system peripherals you intend to use which will normally include at
least a keyboard, a mouse and a video display monitor.

6
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Introduction www.dfi.com
Specifications
SYSTEM Processor Intel Atom®Processor E3900 Family, BGA 1296
Intel Atom®x7-E3950 Processor, Quad Core, 2M Cache, 1.6GHz (2.0GHz), 12W
Intel Atom®x5-E3940 Processor, Quad Core, 2M Cache, 1.6GHz (1.8GHz), 9.5W
Intel Atom®x5-E3930 Processor, Dual Core, 2M Cache, 1.3GHz (1.8GHz), 6.5W
Intel®Pentium®Processor N4200, Quad Core, 2M Cache, 1.1GHz (2.5GHz), 6W
Memory Two 204-pin SODIMM up to 8GB
Dual Channel DDR3L 1867MHz
BIOS Insyde SPI 128Mbit
GRAPHICS Controller Intel®HD Graphics GT Series
Feature OpenGL 5.0, DirectX 12, OpenCL 2.1
HW Decode: AVC/H.264, MPEG2, VC1/WMV9, JPEG/MJPEG, HEVC/H.265, VP8, VP9, MVC
HW Encode: AVC/H.264, JPEG/MJPEG, HEVC/H.265, VP8, VP9, MVC
Display 1 x VGA/DP++
1 x HDMI/DP++
1 x LVDS/eDP
VGA: resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
LVDS: dual channel 48-bit, resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
HDMI: resolution up to 3840x2160 @ 30Hz
DP++: resolution up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz
eDP: resolution up to 3840x2160 @ 60Hz
Triple
Displays VGA + HDMI + LVDS
VGA + HDMI + eDP
DP + HDMI + LVDS
DP + HDMI + eDP
VGA + DP + LVDS
VGA + DP + eDP
DP + DP + LVDS
DP + DP + eDP
EXPANSION Interface 1 x PCIe x1 (Gen 2)
1 x M.2 B Key
1 x Full-size Mini PCIe (PCIe/USB)
AUDIO Audio
Codec Realtek ALC262-VC2-GR
ETHERNET Controller 2 x Intel®I210IT PCIe (10/100/1000Mbps) or 2 x Intel®I211AT PCIe (10/100/1000Mbps)
REAR I/O Ethernet 2 x GbE (RJ-45)
USB 4 x USB 3.0
Display 1 x HDMI/DP++
1 x VGA/DP++
Audio 1 x Line-out
INTERNAL I/O Serial 2 x RS-232/422/485 (RS-232 with power) (2.0mm pitch)
4 x RS-232 (2.0mm pitch)
USB 4 x USB 2.0 (2.0mm pitch)
1 x USB 2.0 (2.54mm pitch) or 1 x Vertical USB 2.0 (type A) (available upon request)
Display 1 x LVDS LCD Panel Connector
1 x LCD/Inverter Power
1 x eDP LCD Panel Connector
Audio 1 x S/PDIF
1 x Audio (Line-out/Mic-in)
SATA 2 x SATA 3.0 (up to 6Gb/s)
DIO 1 x 8-bit DIO
LPC 1 x LPC (supports LPC EXT-RS232/RS485 module)
SMBus 1 x SMBus
WATCHDOG
TIMER Output &
Interval System Reset, Programmable via Software from 1 to 255 Seconds
SECURITY TPM Available Upon Request
POWER Type Single 12V +/-10% DC (AL171)
Wide Range 15~36V (AL173)
Connector DC-in Jack
Right Angle Connector (4-pin) (available upon request)
Vertical Type Connector (4-pin) (available upon request)
RTC Battery CR2032 Coin Cell
OS SUPPORT
(UEFI ONLY) Microsoft
/Linux Windows 10 (64-bit)
Yocto Project
Fedora 24 (Intel Graphics Driver available)
Ubuntu 15.10 (Intel Graphics Driver available)
ENVIRONMENT Temperature Operating: 0 to 60°C, -40 to 85°C
Storage: -40 to 85°C
Humidity Operating: 5 to 90% RH
Storage: 5 to 90% RH
MECHANICAL Dimensions Mini-ITX Form Factor
170mm (6.7") x 170mm (6.7")
Height PCB: 1.6mm
Top Side: 16.34mm
Bottom Side: 3.30mm

7
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Introduction www.dfi.com
Features
• Watchdog Timer
The Watchdog Timer function allows your application to regularly “clear” the system at the set
time interval. If the system hangs or fails to function, it will reset at the set time interval so
that your system will continue to operate.
• DDR3L
DDR3L is a higher performance DDR3 SDRAM interface providing less voltage and higher
speed successor. DDR3L SDRAM modules support 1867MHz for DDR modules. DDR3L delivers
increased system bandwidth and improved performance to provide its higher bandwidth and its
increase in performance at a lower power.
• Graphics
The integrated Intel®HD graphics engine delivers an excellent blend of graphics performance
and features to meet business needs. It provides excellent video and 3D graphics with out-
standing graphics responsiveness. These enhancements deliver the performance and compat-
ibility needed for today’s and tomorrow’s business applications. Supports 1 x VGA/DP++, 1 x
HDMI/DP++ and 1 x LVDS/eDP interfaces for triple display outputs.
• PCI Express
PCI Express is a high bandwidth I/O infrastructure that possesses the ability to scale speeds
by forming multiple lanes. The PCI Express architecture also supports high performance graph-
ics infrastructure by enhancing the capability of a PCIe x1.
• Serial ATA
Serial ATA is a storage interface that is compliant with SATA 1.0a specification. With speed of
up to 6Gb/s (SATA 3.0), it improves hard drive performance faster than the standard parallel
ATA whose data transfer rate is 100MB/s.
• Gigabit LAN
Two Intel®I210IT PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controllers or two Intel®I211AT PCI Express
Gigabit Ethernet controllers support up to 1Gbps data transmission.
• Audio
The Realtek ALC262-VC2-GR audio codec provides 4-channel High Definition audio output.
• Wake-On-LAN
This feature allows the network to remotely wake up a Soft Power Down (Soft-Off) PC. It is
supported via the onboard LAN port or via a PCI LAN card that uses the PCI PME (Power Man-
agement Event) signal. However, if your system is in the Suspend mode, you can power-on
the system only through an IRQ or DMA interrupt.
• Wake-On-USB (optional)
This function allows you to use a USB keyboard or USB mouse to wake up a system from the
S3 (STR - Suspend To RAM) state.
• ACPI STR
The system board is designed to meet the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
specification. ACPI has energy saving features that enables PCs to implement Power Manage-
ment and Plug-and-Play with operating systems that support OS Direct Power Management.
ACPI when enabled in the Power Management Setup will allow you to use the Suspend to RAM
function.
With the Suspend to RAM function enabled, you can power-off the system at once by pressing
the power button or selecting “Standby” when you shut down Windows® without having to
go through the sometimes tiresome process of closing files, applications and operating system.
This is because the system is capable of storing all programs and data files during the entire
operating session into RAM (Random Access Memory) when it powers-off. The operating ses-
sion will resume exactly where you left off the next time you power-on the system.
• RTC Timer
The RTC installed on the system board allows your system to automatically power-on on the
set date and time.
• Power Failure Recovery
When power returns after an AC power failure, you may choose to either power-on the system
manually or let the system power-on automatically.
• USB
The system board supports the new USB 3.0. It is capable of running at a maximum transmis-
sion speed of up to 5 Gbit/s (625 MB/s) and is faster than USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/s, or 60 MB/s)
and USB 1.1 (12Mb/s). USB 3.0 reduces the time required for data transmission, reduces
power consumption, and is backward compatible with USB 2.0. It is a marked improvement in
device transfer speeds between your computer and a wide range of simultaneously accessible
external Plug and Play peripherals.

www.dfi.com
8
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation
Board Layout
Buzzer
S/PDIF
1
eDP (optional)
29
30
2
1
1
2-
(JP9)
(JP10)
1
1
1
COM 6
9
6
1
6
1
COM 1
9111
9911 99
COM 5
COM 4
COM 3COM 2
Nuvoton
6116D
Standby
Power LED
1
SATA 0
1
4
1
SATA 1
SATA 3.0
1
4
USB 8 or
Vertical USB
(optional)
1102USB 6/7
1102
USB 4/5
51
USB 2.0
PTN
3460
Mini PCIe
5
2
5
22
5
22222
3
3
(JP8)
9
9
USB 0/1 USB 3.0
110
9
2
Front Audio
Realtek
ALC262-VC2-GR
M.2 B Key
Battery
Clear CMOS Data (JP6)
11
1
Intel
Atom
1 1
PCIE1/M.2 B Key PCIE
Signal Select (JP3)
12
SATA 1/M.2 B Key SATA
Signal Select (JP4)
M.2 Signal
Select (JP1)
1
12
1
Chassis Intrusion
2
333
10 10
8
33
2
3
DC-in
4-pin Vertical Type (optional)
4-pin
Right Angle
(optional)
VGA or DP++ (optional)
Chrontel
CH7517
LAN 1
LAN 2
Line-out
HDMI or
DP++ (optional)
USB 2/4 USB 3.0
Asmedia
ASM1442
DDR3L_1 SODIMM
DDR3L_2 SODIMM
Intel
I211AT or
I210IT
Intel
I211AT or
I210IT
LAN
AN
AN 1
1
1
L
L
LAN 1
LA
LAN
AN 2
2
2
L
LAN 2
Li
Lin
L
Li
in
Lin
ne
ne-
e-
Line-
L
L
Li
Li
L
L
Li
i
L
o
ou
ut
ut
t
o
Line-out
PCIE1 (PCIe x1)
LPC
1
14
11
SPI Flash
BIOS
1
1
5
SMBus
2
11
1
5
6
COM 1 RS232/Power
Select (JP2) COM 2 RS232/Power Select (JP5)
SATA Power 0
1
LCD/
Inverter
Power
2
40
1
39
SATA Power 1
LVDS Panel Power Select
(JP8)
LVDS Backlight Power
Select (JP9)
LCD/Inverter Power Select
(JP10)
LVDS LCD Panel
PTN 3460
Front Panel
Digital I/O Power
Digital I/O
System
Fan 1 System Fan 2
8
2
4
2
13
Block Diagram
Intel Atom
®
Processor
E3900 Series
Fan Control
Case open
H/W Monitor
Super IO
with WDT
M.2
Digital I/O 8-bit
DDR3L 1867MHz
SODIMM
Channel A
GLAN I211AT
GLAN I211AT
PCIe x1
PCIe x1
USB x4
SATA 3.0
PCIe x1
Full-size
Mini PCIe
LPC Bus
TPM (Opt.)
HD Audio
(Line-out, Mic-in, S/PDIF)
CH7517
DDI
VGA
SMBus
SMBus
SPI
SATA x1
DDR3L 1867MHz
SODIMM
Channel B
PCIe x1/
SATA 3.0
SATA 3.0/
DP (Opt.)
ASM1442
DDI
HDMI
DP (Opt.) SATA x1
USB HSIC
USB2517 USB 5x
PCIe x1
PCIe x1
USB 2.0
USB 3.0
RS-232/422/485 2x
RS-232 4x
GLAN I210IT (Opt.)
GLAN I210IT (Opt.) PCIe x1
PCIe x1/
PTN3460
eDP
LVDS
eDP (Opt.)

www.dfi.com
9
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation
Chapter 2
System Memory
Features
• Two 204-pin SODIMM up to 8GB
• Dual Channel DDR3L 1867MHz
Important:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your board, processor, disk drives, add-in
boards, and other components. Perform installation procedures at an ESD workstation
only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD protection by wear-
ing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a metal part of the system chassis. If
a wrist strap is unavailable, establish and maintain contact with the system chassis
throughout any procedures requiring ESD protection.
Important:
When the Standby Power LED lights red, it indicates that there is power on the sys-
tem board. Power-off the PC then unplug the power cord prior to installing any de-
vices. Failure to do so will cause severe damage to the motherboard and components.
2
DDR3L_1
DDR3L_2
Standby
Power LED
Mechanical Diagram
86.99
16.03
31.07
48.02
65.04
82.94
103.56
124.99
133.00
157.32
163.65
6.35
0
10.16
22.86 24.69
52.3
1
89.7
6
93.3
1
98.00
113.9
1
154.9
4
159.8
4
0
1
2.01
68.51
1
09.51
157.48
157.74

www.dfi.com
10
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation
Chapter 2
The system board supports the following memory interface.
Single Channel (SC)
Data will be accessed in chunks of 64 bits (8B) from the memory channels.
Dual Channel (DC)
Data will be accessed in chunks of 128 bits from the memory channels. Dual channel provides
better system performance because it doubles the data transfer rate.
Installing the DIMM Module
1. Make sure the PC and all other peripheral devices connected to it has been powered down.
2. Disconnect all power cords and cables.
3. Locate the SODIMM socket on the system board.
4. Note the key on the socket. The key ensures the module can be plugged into the socket in
only one direction.
Note:
The system board used in the following illustrations may not resemble the actual
board. These illustrations are for reference only.
Important:
1. The DDR3L sockets support no mixed Raw Card.
2. For dual channel population, the two channels must be populated the same DRAM
density, chip width, number ranks and dimm speed.