Freetech P5F97 User manual

1. Mainboard Layout:
2. Jumpers & Connectors: 3. DIMM Memory Configuration
4.CPU Core to Bus Clock Multiplier
DIP Switch (SW1) selects Bus Clock Multiplier
BANK 0 (DIMM1) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
BANK 1 (DIMM2) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
BANK 2 (DIMM3) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
Total
System Memory 8MB to Max. 768MB
Multiplier SW2-P4 SW2-P5 SW2-P6
x 2.0 OFF OFF ON
x 2.5 OFF ON ON
x 3.0 OFF ON OFF
x 3.5 OFF OFF OFF
x 4.0 ON OFF ON
x 4.5 ON ON ON
x 5.0 ON ON OFF
x 5.5 ON OFF OFF
1 2 4 5 7 8 1011
12131415 1819202122
Jumpers: JP7: 1-2 Normal Mode
2-3 Clear CMOS RAM
Front Panel Connector
HDD
LED STB
LED RESET PW_SW
SPEAKER PW LED&KEYLOCK
P5F97 Quick Reference
The User’s Manual is located at Compact Disc’s \manual\English or Chinese
CPU Voltage 2.0V 2.1V 2.2V 2.3V 2.4V 2.5V 2.6V 2.7V 2.8V 2.9V 3.0V 3.1V 3.2V 3.3V 3.4V 3.5V
SW2-P1 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
SW2-P2 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
SW2-P3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON ON
5. CPU Bus Clock (The CPU input clock)
ALi Aladdin V chipset can only support CPU Bus Clock up to 100MHz.
However, the clock generator of the P5F97 motherboard allows user to
change CPU Bus Clock from 60to120MHz. Over clock (105~120MHz)
may cause system intermittent lock up or fail to boot-up (no video).
times the “CPU Core to Bus Clock Multiplier”.
The CPU internal core clock is equal to the “CPU Bus Clock”
6. CPU Core and I/O Voltages
Two voltages Vcore and VI/o are required for Pentium class CPUs. The Vcore is used for CPU internal operation and
the VI/o is used to supply the voltage for external interface. The P5F97 motherboard has a jumper (JP2) which
connect between Vcore and VI/o. You need to short JP2 only when a Intel Pentium O.D.P. is installed.
DIP Switch (SW1) selects CPU Bus Clock
Bus Clock SW2-P1 SW2-P2 SW2-P3 JP13
60MHz ON ON ON Open
66MHz (default) ON ON OFF Open
68MHz ON OFF ON Open
75MHz OFF ON ON Open
83MHz OFF ON OFF Open
95MHz OFF OFF ON Open
100MHz OFF OFF OFF Open
105MHz ON OFF OFF Close
110MHz ON OFF ON Close
115MHz ON ON OFF Close
120MHz ON ON ON Close
82443EX
1
1
1
BANK 0
DIMM3
DIMM2
ESS
AudioDrive
ES1898
Socket 7
ON
1 2 3 4
DIP
5 6
SW2
ON
123
DIP
SW1
ALi
M1541
ALi
M1543
BANK 2
BANK 1
WOL
1
JP11
JP13
JP14
CD1
CD2
MD1
MD2
IR
1
DIMM1
FAN
1
17
21
5
6714
8
10
11
15
20
234
12
9
19
18 16
13
22
22
JP7
1: CPU Socket
2: ISA Expansion Slots
3: PCI Expansion Slots
6: IDE Connectors
5: DIMM Module Sockets
8: Parallel Port Connector (T)
7: Floppy Drive Connector
4: AGP Slot
Serial Port Connectors (B)
PS/2 Keyboard Connector (B)
12: Flash BIOS
13: Switching Regulator
14: Front panel Connectors
15: Battery (CR2032 Lithium)
9: IR Port Header
10: ATX Power Connector
11: PS/2 Mouse Connector (T)
16: Dual USB Connector
17: CPU FAN Connector
18: System Monitor W83781D(optional)
19: Wake On LAN Header
20: Game/MIDI Port (T)
21: Voice Modem Connector
22: L2 Cache (Data Cache)
Audio MIC/IN/OUT (B)

1. Mainboard Layout:
2. Jumpers & Connectors: 3. DIMM Memory Configuration
4.CPU Core to Bus Clock Multiplier
DIP Switch (SW1) selects Bus Clock Multiplier
BANK 0 (DIMM1) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
BANK 1 (DIMM2) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
BANK 2 (DIMM3) EDO/SDRAM 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256MB
Total
System Memory 8MB to Max. 768MB
Multiplier SW2-P4 SW2-P5 SW2-P6
x 2.0 OFF OFF ON
x 2.5 OFF ON ON
x 3.0 OFF ON OFF
x 3.5 OFF OFF OFF
x 4.0 ON OFF ON
x 4.5 ON ON ON
x 5.0 ON ON OFF
x 5.5 ON OFF OFF
1 2 4 5 7 8 1011
12131415 1819202122
Jumpers: JP7: 1-2 Normal Mode
2-3 Clear CMOS RAM
Front Panel Connector
HDD
LED STB
LED RESET PW_SW
SPEAKER PW LED&KEYLOCK
P5F103 Quick Reference
The User’s Manual is located at Compact Disc’s \manual\English or Chinese
CPU Voltage 2.0V 2.1V 2.2V 2.3V 2.4V 2.5V 2.6V 2.7V 2.8V 2.9V 3.0V 3.1V 3.2V 3.3V 3.4V 3.5V
SW2-P1 OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON
SW2-P2 OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON
SW2-P3 OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON ON
5. CPU Bus Clock (The CPU input clock)
ALi Aladdin V chipset can only support CPU Bus Clock up to 100MHz.
However, the clock generator of the P5F103 motherboard allows user to
change CPU Bus Clock from 60to120MHz. Over clock (105~120MHz)
may cause system intermittent lock up or fail to boot-up (no video).
times the “CPU Core to Bus Clock Multiplier”.
The CPU internal core clock is equal to the “CPU Bus Clock”
6. CPU Core and I/O Voltages
Two voltages Vcore and VI/o are required for Pentium class CPUs. The Vcore is used for CPU internal operation and
the VI/o is used to supply the voltage for external interface. The P5F103 motherboard has a jumper (JP2) which
connect between Vcore and VI/o. You need to short JP2 only when a Intel Pentium O.D.P. is installed.
DIP Switch (SW1) selects CPU Bus Clock
Bus Clock SW2-P1 SW2-P2 SW2-P3 JP13
60MHz ON ON ON Open
66MHz (default) ON ON OFF Open
68MHz ON OFF ON Open
75MHz OFF ON ON Open
83MHz OFF ON OFF Open
95MHz OFF OFF ON Open
100MHz OFF OFF OFF Open
105MHz ON OFF OFF Close
110MHz ON OFF ON Close
115MHz ON ON OFF Close
120MHz ON ON ON Close
82443EX
1
1
1
BANK 0
DIMM3
DIMM2
ESS
AudioDrive
ES1898
Socket 7
ON
1 2 3 4
DIP
5 6
SW2
ON
1 2 3
DIP
SW1
ALi
M1541
ALi
M1543
BANK 2
BANK 1
WOL
1
JP11
JP13
JP14
CD1
CD2
MD1
MD2
IR
1
DIMM1
FAN
1
17
21
5
6714
8
10
11
15
20
4
12
9
19
18 16
13
2222
JP7
23
1: CPU Socket
2: ISA Expansion Slots
3: PCI Expansion Slots
6: IDE Connectors
5: DIMM Module Sockets
8: Parallel Port Connector (T)
7: Floppy Drive Connector
4: AGP Slot
Serial Port Connectors (B)
PS/2 Keyboard Connector (B)
12: Flash BIOS
13: Switching Regulator
14: Front panel Connectors
15: Battery (CR2032 Lithium)
9: IR Port Header
10: ATX Power Connector
11: PS/2 Mouse Connector (T)
16: Dual USB Connector
17: CPU FAN Connector
18: System Monitor W83781D(optional)
19: Wake On LAN Header
20: Game/MIDI Port (T)
21: Voice Modem Connector
22: L2 Cache (Data Cache)
Audio MIC/IN/OUT (B)

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 3
Copyright Notice
The information contained in the user’s manual and all accompa-
nying documentation is copyrighted and all rights are reserved.
This publication may not, in whole or in part, be reproduced,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any lan-
guage or computer language, or transmitted in any form whatso-
ever without the prior written consent from the manufacturer,
except for copies retained by the purchasers for their personal
archival purposes.
The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this user’s manual
and all accompanying 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 THE VENDOR BE LIABLE FOR
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSE-
QUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTA-
TION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, THE VENDOR 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.
All trademarks mentioned in this document are acknowledged.
The Specification on the manual is subject to change without
notice.
Copyright 1998.
C

4P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 P5F97/P5F103 Specifications/Features
1.2.1 Hardware
1.2.2 Software
1.2.3 Environment
1.3 P5F97/P5F103 Mainboard Layout
1.4 Microprocessor
1.5 Level 2 Cache
1.6 Chipset
1.7 Main Memory
1.8 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot
1.9 Enhanced IDE Support
1.10 Keyboard, Mouse and USB Interface
1.11 Real-time Clock, CMOS RAM and Battery
1.12 IrDA Infrared Support
1.13 Power Management
1.14 System Power On/Off Control
1.15 System Sleep / Resume
1.16 Wake On LAN (WOL)
Chapter 2
Hardware Installation
2.1 Unpacking
2.2 Installation
2.2.1 Attaching Connectors
2.2.2 Setting DIP Switches
2.2.3 Installing System Memory
2.2.4 Clear CMOS and Password
Chapter 3
BIOS Configuration
3.1 Entering Setup
3.2 CMOS Setup Utility
3.3 Standard CMOS Setup
3.4 IDE HDD Auto Detection
6
8
13
13
13
14
15
16
16
17
17
20
21
22
33
34
17
18
19
19
35
36
37
27
39
8
9
10
11

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 5
3.5 Load Setup Defaults
3.6 Save & Exit Setup
3.7 Exit Without Saving
3.8 BIOS Features Setup
3.9 Chipset Features Setup
3.10 Power Management Setup
3.11 PnP/PCI Configuration
3.12 Integrated Peripherals
3.13 Supervisor / User Password
Chapter 4
Driver and Utility
4.1 Flash Utility
4.2 EIDE Bus Master Driver
4.3 USB Driver
4.4 AGP Driver
4.5 ESS Audio Driver
4.1.1 Install ESS Audio driver
4.1.2 Install ESS Rack driver
APPENDIX
System Environment Monitor (optional)
1.0.1 Hardware Doctor Setup
1.0.2 Setting the Threshold
40
41
44
48
51
53
55
56
56
40
40
57
61
63
58
56
58
60

6P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
Chapter 1: Introduction
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
The P5F97/P5F103 is a high quality, high performance, function
enhanced mainboard, based on the powerful Intel Pentium, AMD K6/
K6-2 and Cyrix MX/MII processor. This mainboard is designed
around the latest ALi (Acer Lab) Aladdin V chipset in a Micro-ATX
(P5F97) or ATX(P5F103) form factor.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard delivers workstation level performance
with its integrated AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), Bus Mastering
EIDE (Enhanced IDE) controller, concurrent PCI bus, and its ability to
accommodate EDO (Extended Data Out) and SDRAM (Synchronous
DRAM) memory. When this high data stream bandwidth mainboard is
equipped with powerful processor with MMX technology, your
system has the power to handle future demanding communication,
multi-media, multi-tasking and intensive 32-bit applications on
advanced 32-bit operating systems.
P5F97/P5F103 mainboard achieves the highest reliability by
supporting the ECC (Error Checking and Correction) memory
protection. This enables the P5F97/P5F103 mainboard to achieve
superior data integrity and fault-tolerance, in respect to memory errors
while running applications.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard offers outstanding I/O capabilities. It
contains a full set of PC I/O, such as dual channel PCI EIDE
interfaces, a floppy controller, two FIFOed serial port connectors, an
SPP/EPP/ECP capable bidirectional parallel port connector, an IrDA
compatible infrared port, dual USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, and a
PS/2 keyboard and mouse connector. One AGP slot, two(P5F97) or
four(P5F103) PCI local bus slots and two(P5F97) or three(P5F103)
ISA bus slots provide expandability for add on peripheral cards.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard is OnNow PC, Managed PC and
PC98 compliant. It also offers optimized system performance,
integrated power management, and system manageability (optional).

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 7
Optimized System Performance: AGP improves the Graphics
performance dramatically, Ultra DMA/33 speeds up disk drive
access, Enhanced SDRAM support for fastest access to memory,
and Concurrent PCI enables simultaneous data transfer.
System Manageability: Winbond W83781D Hardware
Environment Monitoring chip (assembly option) enables the
ability for system voltage, temperature and fan speed monitoring
detection.
In addition to superior hardware capabilities, features like bus
mastering EIDE driver, Plug and Play, Soft-off, APM (Advanced
Power Management), External Modem Ring On, Wake On LAN
(WOL), Watchdog timer wake up, Sleeping state indicator, fan off
in sleeping state (requires Fan with tachometer output) and BIOS
upgradability are provided on the P5F97/P5F103 platform.
Chapter 1: Introduction

8P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
1.2 P5F97/P5F103 Specifications/Features
1.2.1 Hardware
CPU Supports the following CPUs in a ZIF Socket 7
Intel Pentium 90 ~ 200MHz.
Intel Pentium w/MMX 166 ~ 233MHz.
AMD K5 PR90 ~ 166MHz
AMD K6 /166 ~ 300MHz
AMD K6-2 /250 ~ 550MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86 PR133 ~ 166MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86L PR133 ~ 166MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX PR166 ~ PR233MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86MII PR233 ~ PR333MHz
VRM Switching Voltage Regulator on board
Provides 2.0V to 3.5V operating voltage for CPU core.
Coprocessor CPU built-in FPU (floating point unit)
Speed CPU bus clock 60/66/75/83/95/100 MHz
AGP clock 60/66 MHz
PCI bus clock 30/33 MHz
ISA bus clock 8.33/10 MHz
Chipset ALi Aladdin V (M1541) Chipset
ALi’s Aladdin V (M1543) chipset built in I/O
ESS Audio Drive ES1898 sound chip
Winbond’s W83781D chip (assembly option)
L2 Cache P5F97/P5F103 comes with 512KB(default) or
1MB(optional) Pipeline Burst SRAM
DRAM 3 x 168-pin DIMM sockets
Supports 8MB to 768MB memory
Supports 3.3V EDO and SDRAM memory
EIDE Controller Supports four EIDE devices in two channels
Supports PIO mode 0 through mode 4 drives
Supports Bus Mastering DMA mode 2 drives
Supports Bus Mastering UDMA/33 mode 2 drivers
Chapter 1: Introduction

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 9
Enhanced I/O One floppy disk controller
One Standard/EPP/ECP parallel port connector
Two 16550 compatible serial port connectors
One IrDA compatible Infrared port
Two USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports
Mouse/Keyboard PS/2 keyboard & mouse connector
Expansion Slots One AGP Slot
Two(P5F97) or Four(P5F103) 32-bit PCI slots
Two(P5F97) or Three(P5F103) 16-bit ISA slots
(one PCI/ISA shared slot)
Power Management Compliant with EPA, APM 1.2 and ACPI
Micro-ATX/ATX soft-off power control
Power - On by External Modem Ring
Power - On by Alarm
Power - On by Wake On LAN (WOL)
Sleep state indicator
CPU Fan off in sleep mode
System Management Winbond W83781D PC Environment Monitor
(Assembly option)
Voltage Regulator Switching regulator
Form Factor P5F97 in Micro-ATX Form Factor
19.5cm x 24.5cm (7.7"x 9.6")
P5F103 in ATX Form Factor
19.5cm x 30.5cm (12.0"x 7.7")
1.2.2 Software
BIOS Flash BIOS with ESCD (Extended System
Configuration Data) block
Supports APM, PnP, Multi-Boot, DMI and
EIDE devices
Supports High-Capacity LS-120 and ZIP
Removable Media Drive
Chapter 1: Introduction

10 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
Driver AGP driver & IDE Bus mastering driver
Utility Flash utility for BIOS upgrade
O.S. Operates with MS_DOS, Windows 3.x,
Windows for Work Groups 3.x, Windows95,
Windows 98, Windows NT4.0, OS/2,
Novell Netware, Novell UnixWare 1.1
and SCO Unix 5.x
1.2.3 Environment
Ambient Temperature 00C to 500C (Operating)
Relative Humidity 0 to 85% (Operating)
Vibration 0 to 500 Hz
DC Voltage 4.9V to 5.2V
DC Voltage 2.00V to 3.50V (depend on CPU)
DC Voltage -5V, +12V, -12V, +5VSB 5% tolerance.
Chapter 1: Introduction

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 11
1.3 P5F97 Mainboard Layout Chapter 1: Introduction
82443EX
11
1
BANK0
DIMM3
DIMM2
ESS
AudioDrive
ES1898
Socket7
O N
1 234
DIP
5 6
SW2
O N
1 2 3
DIP
SW1
ALi
M1541
ALi
M1543
BANK2 BANK1
WOL
1
JP11
JP13
JP14
CD1
CD2
MD1MD2
IR
1
DIMM1
FAN
1: CPU Socket
2: ISA Expansion Slots
3: PCI Expansion Slots
6: IDE Connectors
5: DIMM Module Sockets
8: Parallel Port Connector (T)
7: Floppy Drive Connector
4: AGP Slot
Serial Port Connectors (B)
PS/2 Keyboard Connector (B)
12: Flash BIOS
13: Switching Regulator
14: Front panel Connectors
15: Battery (CR2032 Lithium)
9: IR Port Header
10: ATX Power Connector
11: PS/2 Mouse Connector (T)
16: Dual USB Connector
17: CPU FAN Connector
18: System Monitor W83781D(optional)
19: Wake On LAN Header
1
17
21
5
6
7
14
8
10
11
15
20
2
3
4
12
9
19
18
16
13
20: Game/MIDI Port (T)
21: Voice Modem Connector
22: L2 Cache (Data Cache)
22
22
JP7
Audio MIC/IN/OUT (B)

12 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
1.3 P5F103 Mainboard Layout Chapter 1: Introduction
82443EX
1
1 1
BANK0
DIMM3
DIMM2
ESS
AudioDrive
ES1898
Socket7
O N
1234
DIP
5 6
SW2
O N
1 2 3
DIP
SW1
ALi
M1541
ALi
M1543
BANK2 BANK1
WOL
1
JP11
JP13
JP14
CD1
CD2
MD1
MD2IR
1
DIMM1
FAN
1
17
21
5
6
7
14
8
10
11
15
20
4
12
9
19
18
16
13
22
22
JP7
2
3
1: CPU Socket
2: ISA Expansion Slots
3: PCI Expansion Slots
6: IDE Connectors
5: DIMM Module Sockets
8: Parallel Port Connector (T)
7: Floppy Drive Connector
4: AGP Slot
Serial Port Connectors (B)
PS/2 Keyboard Connector (B)
12: Flash BIOS
13: Switching Regulator
14: Front panel Connectors
15: Battery (CR2032 Lithium)
9: IR Port Header
10: ATX Power Connector
11: PS/2 Mouse Connector (T)
16: Dual USB Connector
17: CPU FAN Connector
18: System Monitor W83781D(optional)
19: Wake On LAN Header
20: Game/MIDI Port (T)
21: Voice Modem Connector
22: L2 Cache (Data Cache)
Audio MIC/IN/OUT (B)

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 13
1.4 Microprocessor
The P5F97/P5F103 meets all requirements of a Pentium flexible
mainboard.
The requirements for a Pentium flexible mainboard are:
1. CPU ZIF socket is Socket 7.
2. BIOS can support various Pentium class processors with
different CPU core frequency.
3. On-board switching regulators and heat sinks meet CPU’s
core and I/O voltage/current/thermal specifications.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard can support the following CPUs
Intel Pentium 90 ~ 200MHz.
Intel MMX Pentium 166 ~ 233MHz.
Cyrix/IBM 6x86 PR133 ~ 166MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86L PR133 ~ 166MHz
Cyrix/IBM 6x86MX PR166 ~ PR233MHz
Cyrix/IBM M II PR233 ~ PR333MHz
AMD K5 PR90 ~ 166MHz
AMD K6 /166 ~ 300 MHz
AMD K6-2 /250 ~ 550MHz
MA Cooling Fan And Heat Sink Assembly Are Required To
Protect The Cpu From Being Damaged Due To Overheating.
1.5 Level 2 Cache
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard provides standard 512KB
synchronous pipelined burst SRAM cache on board as a
manufacture default. However the 1MB synchronous pipelined burst
SRAM cache are also available by special request.
1.6 Chipset
The ALi Aladdin V chipset consists of a M1541 System Controller, and a
M1543 PCI ISA/IDE Accelerator.
Chapter 1: Introduction

14 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
M1541: - CPU interface controller
- AGP Interface controller
- Integrated DRAM/Cache controller
- Extensive CPU-to-AGP, CPU-to-DRAM,
CPU-to-PCI, AGP-to-DRAM, AGP-to-
PCI, PCI-to-AGP and PCI-to-DRAM data
buffering
M1543: - Interface between the PCI and ISA buses
- Fully synchronous PCI 2.1 bus interface
- Power Management Logic
- USB controller
- EIDE controller
- Seven DMA channels, one timer/counter,
two eight-channel interrupt controllers,
NMI logic, SMI interrupt logic, and PCI/
ISA bus arbitrator
- SMBus interface
- Real-Time clock
- Super I/O and Keyboard controller
1.7 Main Memory
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard provides three 168-pin DIMM
sockets to support 8MB to 768MB of system memory. The sockets
support 1M x 64 (8MB), 2M x 64 (16MB), 4M x 64 (32MB), 8M x
64 (64MB), 16Mx64(128MB) and 32Mx64(256MB) DIMM in
single- or double-sided modules. The DIMM have to be 3.3V &
unbuffered memory.
The P5F97/P5F103 supports two types of DRAMs, Extended Data
Out (EDO), and Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). Memory timing
requires 70ns or faster for EDO, and equal or faster speed than the
CPU bus clock for SDRAMs.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard achieves the highest reliability by
supporting the ECC (Error Checking and Correction) memory
protections. The ECC is a hardware scheme which detects all single
and dual-bit errors, and corrects all single-bit error during main
memory access. The ECC can be supported only if all the DIMM
Chapter 1: Introduction

P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 15
memory modules come with parity bits and the option “DRAM Data
Integrity Mode” in the Chipset Features Setup has to be set to “ECC”.
EDO DRAM is designed to improve the DRAM read performance. It
holds the memory data valid until the next memory access cycle,
unlike FPM DRAM that tri-states the memory data when the
precharge cycle occur, prior to the next memory access cycle.
SDRAM uses the system clock to synchronize the flow of addresses,
data, control and the pipelining of operation. This yields a significant
memory performance improvement.
1.8 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Slot
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard is equipped with an Accelerated
Graphic Port slot which is compliant to the AGP specification 1.0. The
AGP runs at 66.6MHz (or 60MHz) clock and supports both 1x and 2x
mode for 66.6MHz and 133MHz 3.3V devices. The data transfer rate
on the AGP bus can be 4 times faster than PCI bus.
The following is a clock frequency for different system clock
operating modes:
System Clock CPU Bus Clock AGP Clock PCI Clock
60MHz 60MHz 60MHz 30MHz
66MHz 66MHz 66MHz 33MHz
75MHz 75MHz 60MHz 30MHz
83MHz 83MHz 66MHz 33MHz
95MHz 95MHz 63MHz 31MHz
100MHz 100MHz 66MHz 33MHz
105MHz 105MHz 70MHz 35MHz
110MHz 110MHz 73MHz 36MHz
115MHz 115MHz 76MHz 38MHz
120MHz 120MHz 80MHz 40MHz
Chapter 1: Introduction

16 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
1.9 Enhanced IDE Support
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard provides two enhanced high performance
PCI IDE interfaces capable of supporting four devices with PIO mode 0
through mode 4, bus-mastering DMA mode 2, and bus-mastering Ultra
DMA/33 ATAPI devices. Detection of IDE device type and transfer rate
is automatically performed by the BIOS. The traditional PIO IDE device
requires a substantial amount of CPU bandwidth to handle all the
activities of IDE access including waiting for mechanical activities. The
Bus Master logic designed in the ALi Aladdin V chipset is intended to
reduce the workload of the CPU, hence increasing CPU efficiency. The
Bus Master takes care of the data transfer between IDE and memory,
and lets the CPU handle other tasks. In true multi-tasking operating
systems such as Windows 95, Windows98, Windows NT, and OS/2, by
using bus-mastering IDE, the CPU workload can be reduced to complete
other tasks while disk data transfers are occurring. The driver must be
loaded in order to make the EIDE drive operate in bus-mastering DMA
mode.
The following is a data transfer rate comparison table for different IDE
operating modes
:
1.10 Keyboard, Mouse and USB Interface
The 5V line to the PS/2 keyboard, mouse connector and USB header, are
protected with 3Amp/125V fuse.
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard has a dual USB connector to support
two USB ports. The USB is a serial bus interface standard that is
Operating Mode Maximum Data Transfer Rate
PIO Mode 3 11.1 MB/Second
PIO Mode 4 16.6 MB/Second
DMA Mode 1 13.3 MB/Second
DMA Mode 2 16.6 MB/Second
Ultra DMA/33 33.2MB/Second
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P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 17
designed to bring the “Plug and Play” concept to the outside of the
computer system chassis. The bus allows devices to be attached,
configured, used and detached while the host system is in operation.
The USB will allow as many as 63 devices to be daisy chained in
any combination per port. With up to 12Mbits/sec transfer rate, the
USB is suitable for devices such as keyboard, mouse, digital
joystick, game pad, fax/modem, scanner, printer, ISDN and
telephony device.
1.11 Real-time Clock, CMOS RAM and Battery
The integrated real-time clock (RTC) provides a time of day clock, and
an 85-year calendar with alarm features. P5F97/P5F103 also has 242
bytes battery backed CMOS RAM which stores the system setup
information and password. The RTC and CMOS RAM can be set via the
BIOS SETUP program. The contents of the CMOS RAM can be cleared
by placing a shunt to short pin2 and pin3 of JP11 for 5 seconds when the
system power is off. A coin-cell style Lithium CR2032 battery is used to
provide power to the RTC and CMOS memory. The battery has a three
year life if the system is not powered up. When the system powers up,
the power for the RTC and CMOS RAM is supplied from the 5 V power
supply to extend the life of the battery.
1.12 IrDA Infrared Support
A 5-pin header connector is used to connect a Hewlett Packard HSDSL-
1000 compatible IrDA or Sharp ASKIR Infrared module. Once the
module is installed, the user can use application software such as
Microsoft Infrared (MSIR) to transfer files between the computer system
and portable devices such as laptops and printers.
1.13 Power Management
The integrated DPMA (Dynamic Power Management Architecture)
features in the ALi Aladdin V chipset go far beyond the original vision
of the “Green PC” to create exciting new application models for the
“OnNow” PC platform. The “OnNow” PC is a PC which is always on
and ready for use but appears to be off when not in use.
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18 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
The P5F97/P5F103 not only complies with EPA, APM1.2 and ACPI
(Advanced Configuration and Power Interface), but also provides the
following power management features.
- Power-on by an external modem ring in or a watchdog timer (Alarm)
System could be powered on by phone ring, or by software that has
requested the PC to wake up at a preset time.
- Power Management mode indicator
The standby LED will blink once a second when system entering
DOZE Mode and blink twice a second when system entering
STANDBY Mode. When system entering SUSPEND Mode, standby
LED will stop blinking and stay on.
- Fan off in suspend mode
The CPU cooling fan will be turned off when the system is in
suspend mode. (required cooling FAN cable connect to motherboard
FAN connector).
1.14 System Power On/Off Control
If Micro-ATX or ATX power supply is used, you may enjoy a lot of
special features as mentioned in the following. System power can be
turned on by network card (WOL), power button, an external modem
ring, an alarm. To enable the “Wake On LAN” feature, the option
“Resume by LAN” in the BIOS Power Management Setup has to be set
to “Enabled”.To enable the “modem ring on” feature, the option
“Resume by Ring” in the BIOS Integrated Peripherals Setup has to be
set to “Enabled”. To enable the “alarm on” feature, the option “Resume
by Alarm” in the BIOS Integrated Peripherals Setup has to be set to
“Enabled”.
System power can be turned off in one of two ways: a front panel power
button or soft-off control. When the option “PWR-BTTN” in the BIOS
Power Management Setup is set to “Power Off”, pressing the power
button will immediately turn off the system power. But if the “PWR-
BTTN” option is set to “Disabled”, you have to press the power button
and hold it for more than 4 seconds to turn off the system power. The
system power can also be turned off via software control. The system
BIOS will turn the system power off when it receives the proper APM
command from the Operating System. For example, Windows 95 will
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P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual 19
issue Soft Off APM command when the user selects “Shutdown” in
Start Menu. In order to make Soft Off feature work properly, Power
Management/APM must be enabled in the system BIOS and Operating
System.
1.15 System Sleep / Resume
When Advanced Power Management (APM) is activated in the system
BIOS and the Operating System's APM/ACPI driver is loaded, Sleep
mode (Suspend) can be entered in one of three ways: press the front
panel power button, select “Suspend” in Windows 95/98 Start Menu
or no system activity for a pre-defined length of time. To use the
power button to control system sleep/resume, the option “PWR-
BTTN” in the BIOS Power Management Setup has to be set to “Green
Mode”
When the system enters the sleep mode, the CPU stops running, the
Ali Aladdin V chipset and related circuits stay in the lowest power
state, the HDD stops spinning, the monitor screen becomes blank, the
STB LED (STANDBY LED) indicator on the front panel turn on, and
the CPU cooling fan is turned off (Note: in order to turn off the fan in
sleep mode, you need to connect the CPU cooling fan to the on-board
fan power connectors).
1.16 Wake On LAN (WOL)
Wake on LAN (WOL) is a 1x3 pin header for remote wake up of the
computer through a network. Wake on LAN requires an ATX power
supply installed and PCI add-in network interface card (NIC) with
remote wake up capabilities. The remote wake up header on the NIC
must be connected to the onboard Wake on LAN header. The NIC
monitors network traffic at the NIC interface and when it detects a
Magic Packet (MP Wake-up) it asserts a wake up signal that powers
up the computer.
Note:
For WOL (Wake on LAN), the 5Vsb (5V standby) line of the ATX
power supply must be capable of delivering 5V with 5% tolerance at
720mA or higher.
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20 P5F97/P5F103 User’s Manual
2 Hardware Installation
MStatic Electricity Precautions
Before removing the Mainboard from its anti-static bag, you need to elim-
inate any static electricity that may be accumulated on your body. The
charge that can build up in your body may be more than enough to dam-
age integrated circuits on the system board. Therefore, it is important to
observe basic precautions whenever you handle or use computer compo-
nents. Although areas with humid climate are much less prone to static
build-up, it is best to always safeguard against accidental damage that
may lead to costly repairs. The following measures should be sufficient to
protect your equipment from static discharge:
lAfter removing the system cover, discharge any static electricity that
might have accumulated in your body by touching a grounded or anti-
static surface (e.g. anti-static pads or using a grounding wrist strap). If
nothing is available, touch the power supply housing. This assumes the
system unit is plugged into the AC outlet. Be certain to do this before
removing components from their anti-static coverings.
lWhen handling separate cards, boards or modules, be cautious to avoid
contacting with the components on them, and also with the “gold finger”
connectors that plug into the expansion slot. It is best to handle them
either by their edges or by mounting brackets that attach to the slot open-
ing in the system cases. However, the above recommendation are just
intended to avoid the static discharge problem.
lMake certain that everything connects to the system case, including the
power supply, is unplugged before doing the installation work.
2.1 Unpacking
The P5F97/P5F103 mainboard package contains the following:
rMainboard
rOne IDE 40-pin ribbon cable
rOne floppy 34-pin ribbon cable
rDriver and Utility diskettes
rUser's manual
Chapter 2:Hardware Installation