Digital Equipment Digital Semiconductor 21164 Alpha... User manual

DigitalSemiconductor21164
AlphaMicroprocessorMotherboard
User’sManual
Order Number: EC–QLJLC–TE
Revision/Update Information: This document supersedes the
Alpha 21164 Microprocessor Motherboard
User’s Manual (EC–QLJLB–TE).
Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts

March 1996
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© Digital Equipment Corporation 1996.
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Contents
About This Manual........................................... vii
1 Introduction to the EB164
1.1 System Components and Features........................ 1–1
1.1.1 Digital Semiconductor 21171 Core Logic Chipset .......... 1–1
1.1.2 Memory Subsystem ................................ 1–3
1.1.3 L3 Bcache Subsystem Overview ....................... 1–3
1.1.4 PCI Interface Overview . . ........................... 1–3
1.1.5 ISA Interface Overview . . ........................... 1–4
1.1.6 Miscellaneous Logic ................................ 1–4
1.1.7 Software Support .................................. 1–5
1.1.8 Component Layout ................................. 1–5
1.2 EB164 Summary . . ................................... 1–6
2 System Configuration and Connectors
2.1 Configuration Jumpers................................. 2–1
2.2 EB164 Connectors . ................................... 2–8
3 Starting and Using the EB164
3.1 Hardware Requirements ............................... 3–1
3.2 Software Requirements ................................ 3–2
3.3 Hardware Configuration ............................... 3–2
3.4 Software Configuration ................................ 3–8
3.4.1 Starting Windows NT ARC Firmware .................. 3–9
3.4.2 Going to the Debug Monitor from Windows NT ARC
Firmware ........................................ 3–9
3.4.3 Returning to Windows NT ARC Firmware from the Debug
Monitor ......................................... 3–10
iii

4 Functional Description
4.1 PCI Interrupts and Arbitration . . ........................ 4–1
4.1.1 Interrupts ....................................... 4–1
4.1.2 Arbitration ....................................... 4–5
4.2 ISA Bus Devices...................................... 4–5
4.3 dc Power Distribution . ................................ 4–5
4.4 PCI Devices . ........................................ 4–7
4.5 Flash ROM. . ........................................ 4–8
4.5.1 Special ROM Header ............................... 4–8
4.5.2 Flash ROM Structure............................... 4–11
4.5.3 Flash ROM Access . ................................ 4–13
5 EB164 Requirements, Power, and Parameters
5.1 Power Requirements . . ................................ 5–1
5.2 Environmental Requirements . . . ........................ 5–2
5.3 Physical Board Parameters ............................. 5–2
A Supporting Vendor Products
A.1 Products Included .................................... A–1
A.2 Products Not Included . ................................ A–2
B Technical Support and Ordering Information
B.1 Obtaining Technical Support ............................ B–1
B.2 Ordering Digital Semiconductor Products . . ................ B–1
B.3 Ordering Digital Semiconductor Literature . ................ B–2
B.4 Ordering Third-Party Literature . ........................ B–3
Index
Figures
1–1 EB164 Functional Block Diagram ..................... 1–2
1–2 Board Component Layout . . . ........................ 1–6
2–1 EB164 Jumper Locations ............................ 2–2
2–2 Configuration Jumpers.............................. 2–3
2–3 EB164 Connector Locations . . ........................ 2–8
2–4 Detail of Header Connector J2 ........................ 2–9
iv

3–1 Fan/Heat Sink Assembly . ........................... 3–4
3–2 EB164 Power Connectors . ........................... 3–7
4–1 Interrupt Logic. ................................... 4–2
4–2 Interrupt and Interrupt Mask Registers ................ 4–5
4–3 dc Power Distribution . . . ........................... 4–6
4–4 Special Header Content . . ........................... 4–8
5–1 Board Component Layout ........................... 5–3
Tables
1–1 Main Memory Sizes ................................ 1–3
1–2 EB164 Features Summary ........................... 1–7
2–1 Configuration Jumper Position Descriptions . . . .......... 2–4
2–2 EB164 Connector Descriptions ........................ 2–10
4–1 EB164 System Interrupts ........................... 4–3
4–2 PCI-to-ISA SIO Bridge Interrupts . . ................... 4–4
4–3 Special Header Entry Descriptions . ................... 4–9
4–4 Flash ROM Image Selection .......................... 4–11
5–1 Power Supply dc Current Requirements ................ 5–1
5–2 Board Component List . . . ........................... 5–4
v

About This Manual
This manual describes Digital Semiconductor’s 21164 Alpha microprocessor
motherboard (EB164), a module for computing systems based on the 21164
Alpha microprocessor and the Digital Semiconductor 21171 chipset.
Audience
This manual is intended for users of the EB164 to assist them in installing the
EB164 and populating it with memory modules and peripheral cards.
ScopeThis manual describes the features, configuration, and installation of the
EB164. This manual does not include specific bus specifications (for example,
PCI or ISA buses). Additional information is available in the appropriate
vendor and IEEE specifications. See Appendix B for information about how to
obtain additional technical support and how to order additional documentation.
Content
This manual contains the following chapters and appendixes:
• Chapter 1, Introduction to the EB164, is an overview of the EB164,
including its components, uses, and features.
• Chapter 2, System Configuration and Connectors, describes the user
environment configuration; board connectors and functions; jumper
functions; and identifies jumper and connector locations.
• Chapter 3, Starting and Using the EB164, lists additional hardware and
software requirements, provides information on how to configure the
hardware and software, and describes the motherboard startup procedures.
• Chapter 4, Functional Description, describes some of the functional
elements of the EB164, such as flash ROM contents, interrupt assignments,
and power distribution.
vii

• Chapter 5, EB164 Requirements, Power, and Parameters, describes the
EB164 power and environmental requirements, and identifies major board
components.
• Appendix A, Supporting Vendor Products, lists suggested vendor sources
for supporting components, such as, power supply, SIMMs, enclosure, and
so forth.
• Appendix B, Technical Support and Ordering Information, describes how to
obtain Digital Semiconductor information and technical support, and how
to order Digital Semiconductor products and associated literature.
Document Conventions
This section provides the conventions used in this document.
Caution: Cautions indicate potential damage to equipment or data.
Note: Notes provide additional information.
Numbering: All numbers are decimal or hexadecimal unless otherwise
indicated. In case of ambiguity, a subscript indicates the radix of nondecimal
numbers. For example, 19 is a decimal number, but 1916 and 19A are
hexadecimal numbers.
Extents: Extents are specified by a single number, or a pair of numbers in
angle brackets (< >) separated by a colon (:) and are inclusive. For example,
bits <7:3> specify an extent including bits 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3. Multiple bit fields
are shown as extents.
Register Figures: Register figures have bit and field position numbering
starting at the right (low-order) and increasing to the left (high-order).
Signal Names: Signal names in text are printed in boldface lowercase type.
For example, ‘‘ . . . bits data<127:0> are delivered to the Bcache SIMM
connectors . . . ’’
viii

1
Introduction to the EB164
This chapter provides an overview of the EB164 motherboard and describes
the EB164, its components, features, and uses.
1.1 System Components and Features
The EB164 is implemented in industry-standard parts and uses a Digital
Semiconductor 21164 Alpha microprocessor (21164) running at 266, 300, or 333
MHz. The functional components are shown in Figure 1–1 and are introduced
in the following subsections.
1.1.1 Digital Semiconductor 21171 Core Logic Chipset
The 21164 is supported by the Digital Semiconductor 21171 (21171) chipset.
The 21171 consists of the following two application-specific integrated circuit
(ASIC) types:
• One copy of the 21171-CA control, I/O interface, and address chip (CIA)
provides the interface between the 21164, main memory (addressing and
control), and the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus. It also
provides the data switch companion chips with control information to direct
the data flow.
• Four copies of the 21171-BA data switch chip (DSW) provide the memory
interface data path and route PCI data through the CIA chip.
The chipset includes the majority of functions required to develop a high-
performance PC or workstation, requiring minimum discrete logic on the
module. It provides flexible and generic functions to allow its use in a wide
range of systems.
Introduction to the EB164 1–1

1.1 System Components and Features
Figure 1–1 EB164 Functional Block Diagram
21164 Alpha
Microprocessor
Index
21171−BA
Data Switch
(X4)
21171−CA
Control, I/O Interface,
19
Digital Semiconductor
21171 Core Logic Chipset
PCI−to−ISA
Bridge
Control 64
Bcache
SIMM
Sockets (X2)
Support
− Oscillator
− Serial ROM
256
DRAM
SIMM
Sockets
Address/Control
(X8)
Data
Data
Flash ROM
Time−of−Year
Keyboard/Mouse
3 Dedicated PCI Slots
2 Dedicated ISA Slots
1 Shared PCI/ISA Slot
Combination
Controller
2 IDE Devices
Diskette
Parallel Port
2 Serial Ports MK−2306−01A
Control
Data
Check
Address
Commands
Bcache Tag 10
128
16
37
and Address
Digital Semiconductor
Digital Semiconductor
Digital Semiconductor
1–2 Introduction to the EB164