IBM PC 300GL Types 6275 Technical manual

Understanding Your Personal Computer
PC 300GL

Understanding Your Personal Computer
PC 300GL
IBM

First Edition (November 1998)
Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general
information under Appendix, “Notices and Trademarks” on page 48.
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 Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1998. All rights reserved.
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Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Chapter 1. Microprocessors and Memory ............................ 1
Microprocessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Microprocessor Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Microprocessor Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Microprocessor Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Microprocessor Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Main Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CMOS Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Flash Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Cache Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Memory Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Physical and Virtual Memory .................................. 6
Control Logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 2. Expansion-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PCI-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PCI Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
PCI Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ISA-Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Expansion-Bus Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Adapter Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Plug and Play Adapters ...................................... 10
Legacy Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 3. Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Resolution and Dot Pitch ..................................... 12
Scanning Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
DDC Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Selecting a Monitor ........................................ 14
Using Monitor Controls ...................................... 14
Using Screen Savers ........................................ 15
Video Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
AGP Video Controller ........................................ 15
Video Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SVGA Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Special Characters and Languages ................................. 16
Chapter 4. I/O Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
 Copyright IBM Corp. 1998 iii

Audio Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Serial Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Universal Serial Bus Ports ...................................... 19
Parallel Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Keyboard Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Keyboard Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Mouse Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Monitor Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 5. Storage Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Diskette Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Identifying Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Handling and Storing Diskettes ................................. 30
Labeling Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Inserting and Removing Diskettes ................................ 31
Write Protecting Diskettes .................................... 32
Formatting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Copying Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Hard Disk Drives ........................................... 33
IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
SCSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CD-ROM Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Zip Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter 6. Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Information Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Erased Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Computer Viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 7. Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Software Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
POST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Configuration/Setup Utility Program ............................... 40
Operating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Latest Level Device Drivers ................................... 41
Device-Driver Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Video Device Drivers ....................................... 42
Advanced Power Management ................................... 42
Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) ........................ 43
Application Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Protecting Your Software ....................................... 43
Chapter 8. Networking and System Management Features ................. 45
Desktop Management Interface (DMI) ............................... 45
iv

Remote Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
DHCP and RPL ............................................ 46
Wake on LAN ............................................. 46
Wake on Modem ........................................... 47
Wake on Ring ............................................. 47
Appendix. Notices and Trademarks ............................... 48
Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
v

Overview
This book provides information about microprocessors, memory, bus architectures,
input/output features, video, power management, ports, storage devices, security features,
and software. Not all features and capabilities described in this book are available on all
models.
For specific information on features of the PC 300GL and instructions on how to set up,
operate, install options, program, or maintain your computer, refer to the PC 300GL User
Guide that comes with your computer.
vi  Copyright IBM Corp. 1998

Chapter 1. Microprocessors and Memory
The microprocessor-and-memory subsystem consists of components on the system board
that perform logical operations and calculations, control memory, and manage data-transfer
operations.
The devices and features that make up the microprocessor-and-memory subsystem are:
Microprocessors and buses
Memory and control logic
Microprocessors
The microprocessor controls most of the activity in your computer. Almost all information
passes through it, whether it is a keyboard stroke, data from a disk drive, or information
from a communication network. The microprocessor reads, changes, processes, and reroutes
information as needed.
Your computer comes with an Intel microprocessor that has a 64-bit internal data path
and integrated L2 cache. In addition, the microprocessor incorporates Intel MMX
technology. MMX technology boosts the performance of the microprocessor in processing
graphic, video, and audio data, thereby enhancing the performance of multimedia and
communications software. For information about the type and speed of the microprocessor
in your computer, view the System Summary screen displayed by the Configuration/Setup
Utility Program.
Another key feature of the microprocessor is that it includes system management mode
(SMM), which enables the microprocessor to control power used by peripheral devices and
other components. This makes processing more energy efficient and allows the system to
run cooler.
Microprocessor Speed
The microprocessor operating speed is referred to as clock speed and is measured in
megahertz (MHz)1. The design of the microprocessor determines the maximum clock speed
at which it can operate. A quartz crystal on the system board generates a pulse to the
microprocessor, causing the microprocessor to operate at a specific speed. A clock cycle is
the time that the microprocessor takes to perform instructions at a given clock speed. Clock
cycles are measured in nanoseconds (ns).
1MHz only denotes internal clock speed of the microprocessor, not application performance; many factors affect application
performance.
 Copyright IBM Corp. 1998 1

Microprocessors can operate at two clock speeds: an internal speed for operations within the
microprocessor and an external speed for transferring data in and out of the microprocessor.
Microprocessor Cache
Both level-1 (L1) cache and level-2 (L2) cache are integrated with the microprocessor on the
system board. Cache is high-speed memory that stores information most often used by the
microprocessor. Integrated cache provides a performance increase over the external
placement of cache on the system board. Refer to “Cache Memory” on page 4 for more
information about cache memory.
Microprocessor Bus
The microprocessor has an external bus that connects it with main memory and control
circuits. This pathway, which is also called the processor bus or local bus, has the same bus
width as the microprocessor and operates at the same external speed.
Another computer bus, called the I/O bus or expansion bus, carries data and instructions
between the microprocessor bus and the computer peripherals. The width of the I/O bus is
32 bits. With advanced bus technologies, the speed of the I/O bus might approach that of
the microprocessor bus. With standard bus technology, however, the speed of the I/O bus
is much slower than that of the microprocessor bus. Refer to Chapter 2, “Expansion-Bus”
on page 8 for additional information.
Microprocessor Instructions
Data and instructions are necessary for each processing operation that the microprocessor
performs. Data and instructions are copied from memory into registers within the
microprocessor. Registers are also used to store the data that results from each processing
operation until the data is returned to memory.
The set of instructions that the microprocessor can perform determines whether the
computer can run a particular program. For example, programs written for 32-bit
computers require a microprocessor capable of performing 32-bit instructions.
Memory
Your computer uses several types of memory to store information. This section explains
memory concepts, types of memory, and how the types of memory are used.
Although a computer is a complex machine, the method it uses to store information is quite
simple. All information (data and instructions) is stored in a coded format made up of 0’s
and 1’s. Memory is a series of switches, with an open switch representing a 0 and a closed
switch representing a 1. Each switch represents the smallest unit of computer storage, a bit;
eight consecutive bits of storage equals a byte. Memory is allocated in kilobytes (KB),
megabytes (MB), and gigabytes where 1 KB equals approximately 1000 bytes, 1 MB equals
approximately 1 000 000 bytes, and 1 GB equals approximately 1 000 000 000 bytes. In 1 MB
2Microprocessors and Memory