EPOX EP-GXB-M User manual

EP-GXB-M (SMP)
A Dual Pentium®II Xeon Slot 2
Processor based AGP mainboard.
TRADEMARKS
All products and company names are trademarks or regis-
tered trademarks of their respectives holders.
These specifications are subject to change without notice.
Manual Revision 1.0
February 1, 1999

EP-GXB-M

EP-GXB-M
Components Checklist
A (1) EP-GXB-M mainboard
B (1) EP-GXB-M user’s manual
C (1) Floppy drive cable
D (2) Hard drive cables
E (1) Software drivers set (disks or CD-ROM)
Bus master drivers
Windows 95/98 PCI Bridge support
USDM hardware monitoring utility (option)
F (2) Retension mechanism base with screws
G (2) Retension mechanism cap
H (1) Termination module
D (2x)
USERS
MANUAL
EP-GXB-M
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COM 1COM 2
PS/2
USB
Pa ra lle l Po rt
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EP-GXB-M
User Notice
No part of this product, including the product and software may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language
in any form without the express written permission of EPoX Computer Company
(hereinafter referred to as EPoX) except for documentation kept by the purchaser for
backup purposes.
We provide this manual “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or
implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or conditions of mer-
chantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall EPoX be liable for
any loss of profits, loss of business, loss of use or data, interruption of business or for
indirect, special incidental, or consequential damages of any kind, even if EPoX has
been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in
the manual or product. EPoX may revise this manual from time to time without
notice. For updated BIOS, drivers, or product release information you may visit our
websites at http://www.epox.com or http://www.epox.com.tw.
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. The product name and revision number
are both printed on the mainboard itself.
Handling Procedures
Static electricity can severely damage your equipment. Handle the EP-GXB-M and
any other device in your system with extreme care and avoid unnecessary contact
with system components on the mainboard. Always work on an antistatic surface to
avoid possible damage to the mainboard from static discharge. Always have the
power supply unplugged and powered off when inserting and removing devices
within the computer chassis. EPoX assumes no responsibility for any damage to the
EP-GXB-M mainboard that results from failure to follow instruction or failure to
observe safety precautions.
CAUTION
The EP-GXB-M mainboard is subject to
damage by static electricity. Always
observe the handling procedures.

EP-GXB-M
Technical Support Services
If you need additional information, help during installation or normal use of this
product, please contact your retailer. Your retailer will have the most current infor-
mation about your configuration. If your retailer cannot help, you may visit our
online technical support website and/or contact our support technicians at the loca-
tions listed below.
Record your serial number before installing your EP-GXB-M mainboard. (The serial
number is located near the ISA slots at the edge of the board.)
EP-GXB-M serial number: _________________________________
Contacting Technical Support
EPoX technical support is working hard to answer all of your questions online. From
our website you can find answers to many common questions, drivers, BIOS updates,
tech notes, and important technical bulletins. If you are still unable to locate the
solution you are seeking, you always have the option to contact our support techni-
cians directly.
North American website (English language)
http://www.epox.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
European website (Multi-language)
http://www.epox.nl
[email protected]
[email protected]
Taiwan website (Chinese language)
http://www.epox.com.tw
[email protected]
[email protected]
Thank you for using EPoX mainboards!
Copyright 1999 EPoX Computer Company. All rights reserved.

EP-GXB-M

EP-GXB-M
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview of EP-GXB-M features ....................................................11
Pentium®II Xeon Processor .............................................................13
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) ....................................................14
ATX Form Factor .............................................................................15
Hardware Monitoring .......................................................................16
I/O Shield..........................................................................................17
Power ON/OFF Remotely (KBPO & Modem Ring-in) ...................17
Universal Serial Bus (USB)..............................................................17
Symmetrical Multi-Processing (SMP) .............................................18
System Block Diagram.....................................................................19
Chapter 2: Hardware Installation
Directions & Recommended Tools ..................................................21
Detailed Board Layout .....................................................................22
Configuration of Jumpers .................................................................23
Installing into ATX case...................................................................24
Installing Connectors........................................................................25
Installing Memory ............................................................................26
Installing Processor(s) ......................................................................28
Device Connector Description .........................................................30
Configuring KBPO and Modem Ring-in .........................................31
Chapter 3: Software Installation
Included Software & Drivers............................................................33
Microsoft Windows®95 Setup .........................................................34
Microsoft Windows®98 Setup .........................................................36
Microsoft Windows®NT 4 Setup.....................................................38

EP-GXB-M
Chapter 4: Award BIOS Setup
BIOS Instructions .............................................................................41
Standard CMOS Setup .....................................................................42
BIOS Features Setup ........................................................................43
Chipset Features Setup .....................................................................48
Power Management Setup................................................................52
PNP/PCI Configuration Setup ..........................................................56
Load Setup Defaults .........................................................................57
Integrated Peripherals.......................................................................58
Change Supervisor or User Password ..............................................62
IDE HDD Auto Detection ................................................................63
Save & Exit Setup ............................................................................64
Exit Without Saving .........................................................................64
Appendix A: Technical Information
Memory Map ....................................................................................67
I/O Map ............................................................................................67
Timer & DMA Channel Map ...........................................................68
Interrupt Map....................................................................................68
RTC & CMOS RAM Map ...............................................................69
Appendix B: BIOS Post Codes
Post Codes ........................................................................................73
Unexpected Errors ............................................................................76
Appendix C: Load Setup Defaults
..........................................................................................................79

EP-GXB-M
Appendix D: Frequently Asked Questions
Tips to install motherboards .............................................................81
BIOS beep codes ..............................................................................82
BIOS flash instructions.....................................................................82
BIOS function S.M.A.R.T. ...............................................................83
BIOS recovery if flash fails..............................................................84
KBPO does not work........................................................................84
Memory conflict with AGP in Windows®95...................................84
“MSDOS Compatibility mode” in Windows®95/98 .......................85
New hard drive cannot be accessed..................................................86
No video when power applied ..........................................................86
“PCI Bridge” and Device Manager of Windows®95/98 .................87
“PCI Serial Controller” and Device Manager of Windows®95/98..88
SB-Link connector............................................................................88
WOL connector ................................................................................89
Additional Sources of Information
EPoX
http://www.epox.com
http://www.epox.com.tw
http://www.epox.nl
Intel Corporation
http://www.intel.com
http://developer.intel.com
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.microsoft.com

EP-GXB-M

EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 11
Chapter 1Chapter 1
Chapter 1Chapter 1
Chapter 1
IntrIntr
IntrIntr
Introduction & Foduction & F
oduction & Foduction & F
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Overview of EP-GXB-M features
• EP-GXB-M is based on the Dual Pentium®II Xeon Processor operating at 400-
550 MHz (100MHz) on Slot 2. The board is configured by an Easy-Setting-Single-
Jumper (E.S.S.J.) to match your CPU clock speed.
• Designed with Intel’s 82443GX AGPset.
• Supports up to 2 Gigabyte of SDRAM (minimum of 16 MB) on board. You can
use 168-pin SDRAM DIMM x 4 (please see page 26).
• EP-GXB-M will support Error Checking and Correcting (ECC) when using parity
SDRAM memory modules. This will detect multiple bit errors and correct 1-bit
memory errors.
• Supports (2) 16 bit ISA slots, (5) 32 bit PCI slots, (1) AGP slot and provides (2)
independent high performance PCI IDE interfaces capable of supporting PIO
Mode 3/4 and Ultra DMA 33 devices. The EP-GXB-M supports (5) PCI Bus
Master slots and a jumperless PCI INT# control scheme which reduces configura-
tion confusion when plugging in PCI card(s).
• Supports ATAPI (e.g. CD-ROM) devices on both Primary and Secondary IDE
interfaces.
• Designed with Winbond W83977 Multi I/O: (1) floppy port, (1) parallel port (EPP,
ECP), and (2) serial ports (16550 Fast UART), (1) IrDA.
Note: Japanese “Floppy 3 mode” is also supported
• Includes a PS/2 mouse connector.
• Allows use of a PS/2 or AT keyboard (with optional adapter).
• Features Award Plug & Play BIOS easy flash upgradability.

EP-GXB-MIntroduction
Page 12
• EP-GXB-M utilizes a Lithium battery which provides environmental protection and
longer battery life.
• Supports the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector. The onboard PIIX4 chip
provides the means for connecting PC peripherals such as keyboards, joysticks,
telephones, and modems.
• 2 Built-in ATX 20-pin power supply connectors.
• Software power-down when using Windows®95/98.
• Supports ring-in feature -allows system to be turned on remotely using external
modem.
• Power on by Alarm - Allows your system to turn on at a preselected time.
• Power Loss Recovery - In the event of a power outtage your system will automati-
cally turn itself back on without user intervention.
• Supports CPU Hardware sleep and SMM (System Management Mode).
• Supports Desktop Management Interface (DMI) facilitating the management of
desktop computers, hardware and software components and peripherals, whether
they are stand-alone systems or linked into networks. (option)
• Supports Hot Key, Any Key, or password Keyboard power ON function (KBPO).
• Supports USDM software which allows Windows®95/98, or Windows®NT 4.0 to
monitor various aspects of the system hardware.
• Supports stopping the CPU, AUX, and Chassis FANs during sleep mode.
• Supports blinking of the System Power LED (PANEL) during sleep mode.
• Built-in WOL (Wake On Lan) Connector.
• Built-in SB-LINK Header for Creative Labs Sound Blaster® AWE64D PCI sound
card.

EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 13
Pentium II Xeon Processor
The Pentium®II Xeon Processor is the follow-on to the Pentium®II Processor. The
Pentium®II Xeon Processor, like the Pentium®Pro processor, implements a Dynamic
Execution micro-architecture -- a unique combination of multiple branch prediction,
data flow analysis, and speculative execution. This enables the Pentium®II Proces-
sor to deliver higher performance than the Pentium®processor, while maintaining
binary compatibility with all previous Intel architecture processors.
A significant feature of the Pentium®II Xeon Processor, from a system perspective,
is the built-in direct multiprocessing support. In order to achieve multiprocessing, and
maintain the memory and I/O bandwidth to support it, new system designs are
needed. For systems with dual processors, it is important to consider the additional
power burdens and signal integrity issues of supporting multiple loads on a high speed
bus. The Pentium®II Xeon Processor supports scalable multiprocessing support for
up to eight processors (on compatible motherboards), support for clustering technolo-
gies such as NUMA and VI arcitecture and 36-bit memory support.
The Pentium®II Xeon Processor in a variety of versions from 512KB built-in cache
to 1MB and 2MB versions. Data is shared with the rest of the system via a high-
speed high-bandwidth 100MHz front side bus. Up to 64GB of memory can be ad-
dressed and cached by the processor which allows for increased performance in
many applications.
The S.E.C. cartridge has the following features: a thermal plate, a cover and a PCB
with an edge finger connection. The thermal plate allows standardized heatsink
attachment or customized thermal solutions. The thermal plate enables a reusable
heatsink to minimize fit issues for serviceability, upgradeability and replacement. The
full enclosure also protects the surface mount components. The edge finger connec-
tion maintains socketabilty for system configuration. The edge finger connector is
denoted as ‘Slot 2 connector’ in this and other documentation.
The entire enclosed product is called the Pentium®II Xeon Processor. The packag-
ing technology and each of the physical elements of the product are referred to using
accurate technical descriptions. This allows clear reference to the products as just a
processor. This is the model used in past packaging technologies like PGA, TCP,
PQFP, DIP, etc

EP-GXB-MIntroduction
Page 14
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
The Accelerated Graphics Port (more commonly known as AGP) interface is a new
platform bus specification that enables high performance graphics capabilities, espe-
cially 3D. This interface specification will enable 3D applications, which not only
require sufficient information storage so that the monitor image may be refreshed, but
also enough storage to support texture mapping, z-buffering and alpha blending.
PCI will continue to be the main general-purpose system I/O bus. The AGP interface
has been designed specifically for dedicated use by graphics controllers, and is not
intended to replace PCI. It is physically separated from the PCI bus and it uses a
separate connector.
The benefits of AGP:
1. Direct texturing from main memory:
-Two memory pipes are provided to graphic engines for concurrency.
-Richer textures with no frame buffer growth.
-Graphics & CPU get a continuous view of graphic data structures from “GART”
(Graphics Address Re-mapping Table) Hardware.
2. De-multiplexed address and data.
-Enables pipelining and concurrency.
3. 533 Mbytes /s peak bandwidth. -Delivers high performance data control.
4. Peak bandwidth can be 4 times the PCI bus bandwidth, and higher sustained rates
via Sideband and pipelining.
5. Direct Memory Execute Textures.
6. Reduced Contention with the CPU and I/O devices for bus and memory access.
The PCI bus serves disk controllers, LAN chips, and possibly video capture. AGP
operates concurrently with and independent from most PCI operations.
Furthermore, the CPU can accesses system RAM while with the AGP graphic
chip reads RAM, because of out-of-order queuing hardware support in the chip
set. Therefore, in spite of the heavy access from the graphic chip, there should be
no audio breakup or other CPU degradation.
7. A separate port for the graphics chip to access memory, which allows for concur-
rent texture reads from AGP memory while read/writing from local memory.
Efficient utilization of the bandwidths allows the graphic chip to obtain 1.3 GB/s
peak by using both ports simultaneously, versus 0.8 GB/s from the local RAM.
8. Allowing the CPU to write directly to AGP shared system memory
ATX Form Factor

EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 15
The EPoX EP-GXB-M is designed with ATX form factor - the latest industry
standard of chassis. The ATX form factor is essentially a Baby-AT baseboard
rotated 90 degrees within the chassis enclosure and a new mounting configuration for
the power supply. With these changes the processor is relocated away from the
expansion slots, allowing them all to hold full length add-in cards. ATX defines a
double height aperture to the rear of the chassis which can be used to host a wide
range of onboard I/O. Only the size and position of this aperture is defined, allowing
PC manufacturers to add new I/O features (e.g.; TV input, TV output, joystick,
modem, LAN, audio, etc.) to systems. This will help systems integrators differentiate
their products in the marketplace, and better meet your needs.
• By integrating more I/O down onto the board and better positioning the hard drive
and floppy connectors material cost of cables and add-in cards is reduced.
• By reducing the number of cables and components in the system, manufacturing
time and inventory holding costs are reduced and reliability will increase.
• By using an optimized power supply, it's possible to reduce cooling costs and lower
acoustical noise.
The EP-GXB-M is equipped with two ATX power supply connectors, which are 20-
Fulllength
slots
Easy to access
memory modules
Expandable I/O
5 1/4"
Bay
3 1/2"
Bay
Chassis fan for
system (airflow
comes into system)
ATX Power
Supply(airflow
leaves system)
Floppy / IDE
connectors
close to
peripheral
bays
Figure 1
COM 1COM 2
PS/2
USB
Para llel Port
ATX power
connectors

EP-GXB-MIntroduction
Page 16
Hardware Monitoring
Hardware monitoring allows you to monitor various aspects of your systems opera-
tions and status. These include features such as CPU temperature, voltage and fan
RPM’s. By entering the Award BIOS CMOS utility and selecting the Chipset
Features section you can monitor this information.
pin input devices for ATX power supplies. When attached to an ATX supply with two
20-pin supply connector cables ensures a steady supply of current to the mainboard
and devices.
To implement the built-in remote on/off function of the ATX power supply a momen-
tary switch, which is normally open, should be connected to the PW-ON connector on
the motherboard as the on/off switch.
Based on the ATX form factor the EP-GXB-M has been designed to support many
ACPI and soft-off functions. According to the definition of ACPI: suspend mode will
be enabled while pressing the system on/off button for less than 4 seconds. Never-
theless the system can always be turned off by pressing the system on/off button for
more than 4 seconds or by using the soft-off function if supported by the operating
system.
ATX
POWERSUPPLY
EP-GXB-M
J3-PWON
JP1
Clear CMOS
Secondary IDE
Prim ary IDE
FDD Connector
PCI Slot # 1
AGP SLOT
PCI Slot # 2
PCI Slot # 3 PCI Slot # 4 ISA Slot # 1
COM 1COM 2
USB 1 (Top )
Mouse (Top )
USB 0 (Botto m )
PS/2
Keyboard (Botto m )
NMC-2GAXD
Rev. #
USB
Parallel Port
Battery
PWR/ON
500MHz
400MHz
Reserved
450MHz
JP3
INFRARED
TURBO
HDD
J3
Intel
PIIX4
PCIset
CPU 1
Fan
J4
Winbond
83977
I/Oset
JP2
J7
Chassis Intrusion
WOL
PCI Slot # 5
Flash Memory
for BIO S
ISA Slot # 2
ATX Power Input 1
ATX Power Input 2
CPU 2
Fan
J5
SB-Link
J1
550MHz
Reserved
DIMM 1 DIMM 2 DIMM 3 DIMM 4
Cassis
Fan
J6
Cassis
Fan
J8
PRIMARY SLOT 2 PROCESSOR
SECONDARY SLOT 2 PROCESSOR
RETENSION MECHANISM BASE MOUNTING HOLES
RESET
KEYLOCK
SPEAKER
JP13 KBPO
1
1 1
1
11
J2
1
1
1
1
1
1
Figure 2: Case (chassis)
Power ON/OFF button
(J3: PW-ON)

EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 17
I/O Shield
The EP-GXB-M is equipped with an I/O back panel. Please use the appropriate I/O
shield.
Figure 3:
EP-GXB-M
I/O back
panel layout
PS/2 Mouse
PS/2 Keyboard
COM1USB COM2
Parallel Port
Power ON/OFF Remotely (KBPO & Modem Ring-in)
Keyboard power on (KBPO)
The Keyboard Power-On (KBPO) function allows users to turn on a PC by easily
touching the keyboard instead of bending down to look for the power button under a
table. To use this unique feature your EPoX motherboard have it set to enable, and
use an ATX power supply rated 0.1a (100mA) or greater for the +5vsb. KBPO is
only available on selected motherboard models.
Modem Ring-IN
On the basis of bounded functions in the I/O chipset, the two onboard serial ports are
able to support external modem ring-in power-on. Using external modems users are
now able to power on the system simply by placing a call to the system remotely.
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
USB is a peripheral bus specification developed by the PC and telecom industries —
that brings plug and play of computer peripherals outside the box, eliminating the need
to install cards into dedicated computer slots and reconfigure the system.
Personal computers equipped with USB allow computer peripherals to be automati-
cally configured as soon as they are physically attached - without the need to reboot
or run setup. USB also allows multiple devices to run simultaneously on a computer,
with peripherals such as monitors and keyboards acting as additional plug-in sites, or
hubs.

EP-GXB-MIntroduction
Page 18
Symmetrical Multi-Processing (SMP)
At last an Enterprise-Class solution for your Bandwidth Critical applications server at
PC prices. This mainboard features the latest Intel Pentium® II Processor horse-
power in a Symmetrical Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration previously only
available on RISC and Mainframe systems.
In SMP Operating Systems such as Unix®and Windows®NT the two main tasks of
I/O and Application thread can be most efficiently done if split evenly over two
CPU’s. The core benefit to you is not only the reduced outlay in infrastructure, but
also the PC-architecture that you need for security of investment and future
compatibility.
This mainboard is also an excellent single-user Workstation solutions for Mission-
Critical 32-bit applications such as Adobe®Photoshop for Windows®NT, where
double floating-point power can really smooth out your work-load. Also provided are
the latest PC Workstation technologies including A.G.P., USB, and PC2.1 Expansion
Slots.
Operating Systems that support Dual Processing
Table 1: SMP O/S support
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EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 19
System Block Diagram
PA C
PCI Bridge
& memory
Controller
i443GX
PIIX4E
I/O Bridge
Pentium II
Xeon
Processor
100 MHz
MA[0:13]
MD [0:63]
MPE [0:7]
AGP Slot
Graphic
Video
100 MHz
66 MHz
AGP Bus
PCI Slots
USB 0 & 1
BIOS
Flash Memory
Winbond
83C977
Serial Port 1
Serial Port 2
LPT Port
PS/2 Mouse
PS/2 Keyboard
ISA Slots
Floppy
Drives
IDE Devices
Primary &
Secondary
Pentium II
Xeon
Processor
Figure 4: System block diagram

EP-GXB-MIntroduction
Page 20