NEC POWERMATE V486 - SERVICE User manual

First Printing — February 1995
Copyright 1995 Copyright 1995
NEC Technologies, Inc. NEC Corporation
1414 Massachusetts Avenue 7-1 Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-Ku
Boxborough, MA 01719 Tokyo 108-01, Japan
All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved
PROPRIETARY NOTICE AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materials, is
the valuable property of NEC Corporation (NEC) and/or its licensors. NEC and/or its li-
censors, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights to this
document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto,
except to the extent said rights are expressly granted to others.
The NEC product(s) discussed in this document are warranted in accordance with the terms
of the Warranty Statement accompanying each product. However, actual performance of
each such product is dependent upon factors such as system configuration, customer data,
and operator control. Since implementation by customers of each product may vary, the
suitability of specific product configurations and applications must be determined by the
customer and is not warranted by NEC.
To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document is
subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this document or portions
thereof without prior written approval of NEC is prohibited.
MultiSync and PowerMate are U.S. registered trademarks of NEC Technologies, Inc.
FastFacts is a U.S. trademark of NEC Technologies, Inc.
All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

iii
Contents
Preface............................................................................................................................. xiii
Abbreviations.................................................................................................................. xv
Section 1 Technical Information
Desktop System Unit....................................................................................................... 1-1
Minitower System Unit................................................................................................... 1-2
System Board .................................................................................................................. 1-3
Processor......................................................................................................................... 1-5
Secondary Cache...................................................................................................... 1-6
Flash ROM............................................................................................................... 1-6
Power Management.................................................................................................. 1-7
I/O Addressing......................................................................................................... 1-8
System Memory....................................................................................................... 1-9
Interrupt Controller.................................................................................................. 1-10
Video Controller ...................................................................................................... 1-11
Video Memory......................................................................................................... 1-11
Dual IDE Ports......................................................................................................... 1-14
ISA/PCI-Bus Backboard ................................................................................................. 1-14
ISA Bus.................................................................................................................... 1-14
PCI Bus.................................................................................................................... 1-15
Parallel Interface ............................................................................................................. 1-15
Serial Interface ................................................................................................................ 1-16
Indicator Panel................................................................................................................. 1-16
Power Button ........................................................................................................... 1-17
Suspend Button........................................................................................................ 1-17
Lamps....................................................................................................................... 1-17
Power Supply .................................................................................................................. 1-17
Diskette Drive ................................................................................................................. 1-17
Hard Disk Drive.............................................................................................................. 1-18
Multimedia Components................................................................................................. 1-18
CD-ROM.................................................................................................................. 1-18
Sound Board............................................................................................................. 1-18
Speakers................................................................................................................... 1-19
Microphone.............................................................................................................. 1-19
NIC Connectors (Network-Ready Models)..................................................................... 1-19

iv Contents
Keyboard......................................................................................................................... 1-20
Mouse.............................................................................................................................. 1-20
Integrated Technologies.................................................................................................. 1-20
Desktop Management Interface ............................................................................... 1-20
Plug and Play Support.............................................................................................. 1-20
Power Saving Features............................................................................................. 1-20
Security Features...................................................................................................... 1-21
Section 2 Setup and Operation
Unpacking and Repacking .............................................................................................. 2-1
Setup................................................................................................................................ 2-2
Desktop Setup.......................................................................................................... 2-2
Minitower Setup....................................................................................................... 2-5
External Multimedia Connections ........................................................................... 2-7
Sound Board Jacks........................................................................................... 2-8
Connecting the Speakers.................................................................................. 2-9
Network Connectors ................................................................................................ 2-10
System Configuration...................................................................................................... 2-12
Setup Utility............................................................................................................. 2-12
How to Start Setup................................................................................................... 2-13
How to Use Setup .................................................................................................... 2-13
Menu Bar ......................................................................................................... 2-14
Legend Bar....................................................................................................... 2-15
Field Help Window.......................................................................................... 2-15
General Help Window..................................................................................... 2-16
Main Menu Options......................................................................................... 2-16
IDE Adapters ................................................................................................... 2-17
Memory Shadow.............................................................................................. 2-18
Boot Sequence ................................................................................................. 2-19
Numlock .......................................................................................................... 2-19
Advanced Menu....................................................................................................... 2-20
Integrated Peripherals Menu............................................................................ 2-20
Parity................................................................................................................ 2-21
Large Disk Access Mode................................................................................. 2-22
Security Menu.......................................................................................................... 2-22
Power Menu............................................................................................................. 2-24
Exit Menu ................................................................................................................ 2-25

Contents v
Save Changes & Exit....................................................................................... 2-25
Discard Changes & Exit .................................................................................. 2-25
Get Default Values........................................................................................... 2-26
Load Previous Values...................................................................................... 2-26
Save Changes................................................................................................... 2-26
BIOS Update Utility........................................................................................................ 2-27
System Board Jumpers.................................................................................................... 2-28
Changing Jumper Settings ....................................................................................... 2-31
Clearing the Password.............................................................................................. 2-32
Section 3 Options
Desktop Cover Removal................................................................................................. 3-2
Minitower Cover Removal.............................................................................................. 3-3
Expansion Board(s)......................................................................................................... 3-4
Desktop Expansion Board Installation..................................................................... 3-5
Minitower Expansion Board Installation................................................................. 3-7
SIMM Upgrade Kits........................................................................................................ 3-8
Cautions ................................................................................................................... 3-8
SIMM Installation.................................................................................................... 3-9
Checking the Memory in the System............................................................... 3-9
Installing SIMMs............................................................................................. 3-11
Secondary Cache............................................................................................................. 3-14
Video Upgrade ................................................................................................................ 3-17
Overdrive Processor Installation..................................................................................... 3-19
Storage Devices............................................................................................................... 3-23
Diskette Drive.......................................................................................................... 3-23
Diskette Drive Settings............................................................................................ 3-23
Hard Disk Drives ..................................................................................................... 3-24
Hard Disk Drive Settings......................................................................................... 3-24
Desktop Storage Device Installation............................................................................... 3-25
Removing the 3 1/2-inch Drive Bracket.................................................................. 3-27
Removing the Blank Panel....................................................................................... 3-28
Installing the Storage Device................................................................................... 3-29
Minitower Storage Device Installation ........................................................................... 3-33
External Peripherals........................................................................................................ 3-38
Parallel Printer ......................................................................................................... 3-38
RS-232C Device.............................................................................................. 3-39

vi Contents
Section 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Maintenance.................................................................................................................... 4-2
System Unit.............................................................................................................. 4-2
Keyboard.................................................................................................................. 4-3
Mouse....................................................................................................................... 4-4
Routine Checks........................................................................................................ 4-4
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................. 4-5
Error Messages......................................................................................................... 4-5
How to Load Remote Support Session............................................................ 4-6
Diagnosing and Solving Problems........................................................................... 4-7
DOS Application Problems...................................................................................... 4-11
Windows Application Problems.............................................................................. 4-14
Diagnostic Output and Beep Codes......................................................................... 4-16
Section 5 Desktop Repair
Disassembly and Reassembly ......................................................................................... 5-1
Top Cover Removal................................................................................................. 5-3
Expansion Board Removal ...................................................................................... 5-4
PCI/ISA-BUS Backboard Removal......................................................................... 5-6
Front Panel Assembly Removal............................................................................... 5-6
Power Button Cover Removal................................................................................. 5-8
Speaker Assembly Removal .................................................................................... 5-9
SIMM Removal ....................................................................................................... 5-10
3 1/2-inch Diskette and Hard Disk Drive Removal................................................. 5-11
5 1/4-Inch Device Removal ..................................................................................... 5-13
5 1/4-Inch Device Cage Removal............................................................................ 5-14
Power Supply Removal............................................................................................ 5-15
System Board Removal............................................................................................ 5-16
Battery Removal ...................................................................................................... 5-18
Illustrated Parts Breakdown..................................................................................... 5-18
Section 6 Minitower Repair
Disassembly and Reassembly ......................................................................................... 6-1
Top Cover Removal................................................................................................. 6-3
Expansion Board Removal ...................................................................................... 6-5
PCI/ISA-BUS Backboard Removal......................................................................... 6-6
Front Panel Assembly Removal............................................................................... 6-7

Contents vii
Power Button Cover Removal................................................................................. 6-8
Speaker Assembly Removal .................................................................................... 6-9
SIMM Removal ....................................................................................................... 6-10
3 1/2-inch Diskette Drive Removal ......................................................................... 6-11
3 1/2-inch Hard Disk Drive Removal...................................................................... 6-13
5 1/4-Inch Device Removal ..................................................................................... 6-15
5 1/4-Inch Device Cage Removal............................................................................ 6-16
Power Supply Removal............................................................................................ 6-17
System Board Removal............................................................................................ 6-18
Battery Removal ...................................................................................................... 6-20
Illustrated Parts Breakdown..................................................................................... 6-22
Appendix A Connector Pin Assignments
Serial Interface Connectors............................................................................................. A-3
Parallel Interface Connector............................................................................................ A-4
VGA Interface Connector Pin Assignments ................................................................... A-5
Speaker Connector Pin Assignments.............................................................................. A-5
Power Supply Connector................................................................................................. A-6
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors ................................................................................... A-6
Power Lamp Connector................................................................................................... A-7
Hard Disk Drive Lamp Connector.................................................................................. A-7
Reset Button Connector .................................................................................................. A-7
Diskette Drive Interface Pin Assignments ...................................................................... A-8
IDE Interface Connectors................................................................................................ A-9
SIMM Sockets................................................................................................................. A-10
ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pin Assignments............................................................ A-11
Appendix B Specifications
Appendix C CD-ROM Reader Configuration
Rear Panel ....................................................................................................................... C-1
Jumper Settings............................................................................................................... C-2

viii Contents
List of Figures
1-1 Desktop System Controls and Lamps............................................................... 1-1
1-2 Desktop Storage Devices and Controls ............................................................ 1-2
1-3 Minitower System Controls and Lamps ........................................................... 1-2
1-4 Minitower Storage Devices and Controls......................................................... 1-3
2-1 Desktop Voltage Selector Switch..................................................................... 2-2
2-2 Peripherals Connections ................................................................................... 2-3
2-3 Lamps, Reset Button, and Power Button.......................................................... 2-3
2-4 Minitower Voltage Selector Switch.................................................................. 2-5
2-5 Minitower Peripherals Connections ................................................................. 2-6
2-6 Minitower Indicators, Reset Button, and Power Button................................... 2-6
2-7 Sound Board Connectors.................................................................................. 2-8
2-8 Speaker Connections ........................................................................................ 2-10
2-9 Network Board Connectors .............................................................................. 2-11
2-10 System Board Jumpers...................................................................................... 2-29
2-11 Password Clear Jumper..................................................................................... 2-29
2-12 Secondary Cache Jumpers ................................................................................ 2-30
2-13 Processor Clock Speed Jumper......................................................................... 2-30
2-14 Processor Voltage Jumpers............................................................................... 2-30
2-15 Jumpers JP3 through JP9, JP11, JP21 through JP23........................................ 2-31
3-1 Desktop Cover Screws...................................................................................... 3-2
3-2 Removing the Desktop Cover........................................................................... 3-2
3-3 Minitower Cover Screws.................................................................................. 3-3
3-4 Removing the Minitower Cover....................................................................... 3-4
3-5 Desktop Expansion Slots.................................................................................. 3-5
3-6 Inside Expansion Slot Screw ............................................................................ 3-5
3-7 Removing the L-Bracket................................................................................... 3-6
3-8 Minitower Expansion Slots .............................................................................. 3-7
3-9 Locating SIMM Sockets in the Desktop........................................................... 3-9
3-10 Locating SIMM Sockets in the Minitower ....................................................... 3-10
3-11 Removing a SIMM ........................................................................................... 3-12
3-12 Locating the Notched End of the SIMM........................................................... 3-12
3-13 Inserting the SIMM........................................................................................... 3-13
3-14 Locating the Cache Sockets in the Desktop...................................................... 3-14
3-15 Locating the Cache Sockets in the Minitower.................................................. 3-15
3-16 Aligning the Cache Module.............................................................................. 3-15

Contents ix
3-17 Installing the Cache Module............................................................................. 3-16
3-18 Locating Video DRAM Sockets in the Desktop............................................... 3-17
3-19 Locating Video DRAM Sockets in the Minitower........................................... 3-18
3-20 Aligning the Video DRAM Module................................................................. 3-19
3-21 Locating the PGA/OverDrive Socket in the Desktop....................................... 3-20
3-22 Locating the PGA/OverDrive Socket in the Minitower ................................... 3-21
3-23 PGA/OverDrive Socket Lever.......................................................................... 3-21
3-24 OverDrive Processor Alignment....................................................................... 3-22
3-25 OSDA-90C, 1.44-MB Diskette Drive............................................................... 3-23
3-26 FD-55GFR, 1.2-MB Diskette Drive................................................................. 3-24
3-27 WDAC2540, 540-MB Hard Disk Drive........................................................... 3-25
3-28 CFA850A, 850-MB Hard Disk Drive............................................................... 3-25
3-29 System Board Cable Connections in the Desktop ............................................ 3-26
3-30 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket Screws...................................................................... 3-27
3-31 Removing the Indicator Panel........................................................................... 3-28
3-32 Removing the Blank Panel ............................................................................... 3-29
3-33 Connecting IDE Device Cables........................................................................ 3-30
3-34 Connecting 1.2-MB Diskette Drive Cables...................................................... 3-30
3-35 Securing a 3 1/2-Inch Device to the Bracket .................................................... 3-31
3-36 Securing the Device in the 5 1/4-Inch Slot....................................................... 3-31
3-37 Securing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket ............................................................. 3-32
3-38 System Board Cable Connectors in the Minitower........................................... 3-33
3-39 Locating the Slot Cover.................................................................................... 3-34
3-40 Connecting IDE Device Cables........................................................................ 3-34
3-41 Connecting 1.2-MB Diskette Drive Cables...................................................... 3-35
3-42 Securing a 3 1/2-Inch Device............................................................................ 3-36
3-43 Securing a 5 1/4-Inch Device............................................................................ 3-36
3-44 Locating the Blank Panel Tabs......................................................................... 3-37
3-45 Connecting a Printer Cable to the Desktop....................................................... 3-38
3-46 Connecting a Printer Cable to the Minitower................................................... 3-39
3-47 Connecting an RS-232C Cable to the Desktop................................................. 3-40
3-48 Connecting an RS-232C Cable to the Minitower............................................. 3-40
4-1 Removing the Keyboard Enclosure.................................................................. 4-3
4-2 Removing the Mouse Ball Cover...................................................................... 4-4
5-1 Top Cover Screws............................................................................................. 5-3
5-2 Removing the Top Cover.................................................................................. 5-3
5-3 Expansion Slot Screw....................................................................................... 5-4

xContents
5-4 Inside Expansion Slot Screw ............................................................................ 5-4
5-5 Removing the Expansion Slot L-Bracket ......................................................... 5-5
5-6 PCI/ISA-Bus Backboard Screws ...................................................................... 5-6
5-7 Indicator Panel Screws...................................................................................... 5-7
5-8 Power Button Tabs ........................................................................................... 5-8
5-9 Speaker Screw................................................................................................... 5-9
5-10 SIMM Socket.................................................................................................... 5-10
5-11 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket Screws...................................................................... 5-11
5-12 3 1/2-Inch Diskette and Hard Disk Drive Screws............................................. 5-12
5-13 5 1/4-Inch Device Screws................................................................................. 5-13
5-14 5 1/4-Inch Device Cage Screws........................................................................ 5-14
5-15 Power Button Screws........................................................................................ 5-15
5-16 Power Supply Screws ....................................................................................... 5-15
5-17 System Board Connectors and Screws ............................................................. 5-16
5-18 Battery Replacement......................................................................................... 5-18
5-19 PowerMate V486 Desktop Illustrated Parts Breakdown.................................. 5-20
6-1 Top Cover Screws............................................................................................. 6-3
6-2 Removing the Top Cover.................................................................................. 6-4
6-3 Expansion Slot Screw....................................................................................... 6-5
6-4 PCI/ISA-Bus Backboard Bracket Screws......................................................... 6-6
6-5 PCI/ISA-Bus Backboard Screws ...................................................................... 6-6
6-6 Front Panel Screws ........................................................................................... 6-7
6-7 Power Button Tabs ........................................................................................... 6-8
6-8 Speaker Tabs..................................................................................................... 6-9
6-9 Removing a SIMM ........................................................................................... 6-10
6-10 3 1/2-Inch Diskette Drive Cables...................................................................... 6-11
6-11 Diskette Drive Bracket Screws......................................................................... 6-12
6-12 3 1/2-Inch Hard Disk Drive Cables .................................................................. 6-13
6-13 Removing a 3 1/2-Inch Device......................................................................... 6-14
6-14 Removing a 5 1/4-Inch Device......................................................................... 6-15
6-15 5 1/4-Inch Device Cage Screws........................................................................ 6-16
6-16 Power Button Screws........................................................................................ 6-17
6-17 Power Supply Screws ....................................................................................... 6-18
6-18 System Board Connectors and Screws ............................................................. 6-19
6-19 Battery Replacement......................................................................................... 6-21
6-20 PowerMate V466 Minitower Illustrated Parts Breakdown............................... 6-24

Contents xi
A-1 System Board Connectors................................................................................. A-1
A-2 Serial Interface (J4/J10).................................................................................... A-3
A-3 Parallel Interface (J13)...................................................................................... A-4
A-4 Power Supply Connector (J6) Pin Assignments............................................... A-6
C-1 Rear View of the Quad-Speed Reader.............................................................. C-1
C-2 Quad-Speed Reader Jumper Settings................................................................ C-2
List of Tables
1-1 System Board Chips.......................................................................................... 1-5
1-2 System Memory Map........................................................................................ 1-7
1-3 I/O Address Map............................................................................................... 1-8
1-4 Interrupt Level Assignments............................................................................. 1-10
1-5 Text Modes....................................................................................................... 1-12
1-6 Graphic Modes.................................................................................................. 1-13
1-7 Parallel Port Addressing and Interrupts........................................................... 1-15
1-8 Serial Port Addressing and Interrupts.............................................................. 1-16
2-1 Setup Key Functions......................................................................................... 2-15
2-2 Legend Bar Main Menu Parameters ................................................................. 2-16
2-3 IDE Hard Disk Parameters................................................................................ 2-18
2-4 Memory Shadow Parameters............................................................................ 2-18
2-5 Boot Parameters................................................................................................ 2-19
2-6 Numlock Parameters......................................................................................... 2-20
2-7 Integrated Peripherals Parameters..................................................................... 2-21
2-8 Large Disk Parameters...................................................................................... 2-22
2-9 System Security Options................................................................................... 2-23
2-10 Power Management Parameters........................................................................ 2-24
3-1 Memory Configurations.................................................................................... 3-10
4-1 NEC Service and Information Telephone Numbers......................................... 4-1
4-2 BIOS Update Utility Error Messages................................................................ 4-5
4-3 Problems and Solutions .................................................................................... 4-7
4-4 Sound Board DOS Problems............................................................................ 4-11
4-5 Sound Board Windows Problems..................................................................... 4-14
4-6 Diagnostic Output and Beep Codes.................................................................. 4-16

xii Contents
4-7 Diagnostic Output and Beep Codes Looped on POST..................................... 4-18
5-1 Desktop Disassembly Sequence ....................................................................... 5-1
5-2 System Board Connectors................................................................................. 5-17
5-3 PowerMate V486 Desktop Field-Replaceable Parts List.................................. 5-18
5-4 PowerMate V486 Desktop Options.................................................................. 5-21
5-5 PowerMate V486 Desktop Documentation and Packaging.............................. 5-21
6-1 PowerMate V466 Minitower Disassembly Sequence....................................... 6-1
6-2 System Board Connectors................................................................................. 6-20
6-3 PowerMate V466 Minitower Field-Replaceable Parts List.............................. 6-22
6-4 PowerMate V466 Minitower Options .............................................................. 6-25
6-5 PowerMate V466 Minitower Documentation and Packaging.......................... 6-26
A-1 System Board Connectors................................................................................. A-2
A-2 Video Connector (J17) Pin Assignments.......................................................... A-5
A-3 Speaker Connector (J18) Pin Assignments....................................................... A-5
A-4 Keyboard (J1) and Mouse (J2) Connector Pin Assignments............................ A-6
A-5 Power Lamp Connector (J9) Pin Assignments................................................. A-7
A-6 Hard Disk Drive Busy Lamp Connector (JP15) Pin Assignments ................... A-7
A-7 Reset Button Connector (J15) Pin Assignments............................................... A-7
A-8 Diskette Drive Connector (J5) Pin Assignments.............................................. A-8
A-9 IDE Connector Pin Assignments (J3/J7).......................................................... A-9
A-10 SIMM Socket Pin Assignments........................................................................ A-10
A-11 ISA Expansion Slot Pin Assignments............................................................... A-11

Contents xiii

xiii
Preface
This service and reference manual contains the technical information necessary to set up,
maintain, troubleshoot, and repair the NEC PowerMate®V486 Series computer systems. It
also provides hardware and interface information for users who need an overview of the
computer system design. The manual is written for NEC-trained customer engineers, sys-
tem analysts, service center personnel, and dealers.
The manual is organized as follows:
Section 1, Technical Information, provides an overview of the computer features, hard-
ware design, interface ports and internal devices.
Section 2, Setup and Operation, takes the user from unpacking to setup and operation.
Included is a description of the system configuration, system password, and the computer’s
jumper settings, including the factory default settings.
Section 3, Options, provides the user with installation and troubleshooting information for
each specific option.
Section 4, Maintenance and Troubleshooting, includes a list of NEC service information
and telephone numbers that provide access to the NEC Bulletin Board System (BBS),
FastFacts™, and Technical Information Bulletins. This section also includes recommended
maintenance information and a list of possible solutions for computer problems.
Section 5, Desktop Repair, includes desktop disassembly and reassembly procedures
along with an illustrated parts breakdown. NEC service and spare parts ordering informa-
tion are also provided.
Section 6, Minitower Repair, includes minitower disassembly and reassembly procedures
along with an illustrated parts breakdown. NEC service and spare parts ordering informa-
tion are also provided.
Appendix A, Connector Pin Assignments, provides a list of the system boards' internal
connector pin assignments and a list of external pin assignments for the keyboard/mouse,
serial port, parallel port, and video port.
Appendix B, Specifications, provides specifications for the PowerMate V486 Series sys-
tems.
Appendix C, CD-ROM Reader Configuration, provides connector and jumper informa-
tion for the Quad-Speed CD-ROM reader.

Section 1
Technical Information
This manual contains information for desktop and minitower PowerMateV486 Series
systems. The information applies to all models except where indicated. Models differ pri-
marily in the chassis, CD-ROM reader, and microprocessor.
This section provides an overview of the system hardware. The basic hardware for the sys-
tem includes a system unit, mouse, and keyboard.
External interface connectors are located in the rear of the system unit and are identified in
Section 2, Setup and Operation. Jumper settings for all of the internal boards are also pro-
vided in Section 2. Appendix A provides the system unit connector pin assignments and
Appendix B provides specifications.
An overview of each of the two system units are described in the following subsections.
DESKTOP SYSTEM UNIT
The desktop chassis provides an enclosure for the system board, power supply, four storage
device slots, and four expansion slots (three ISA and one ISA/PCI Bus™). A sound board
is installed in one of the expansion slots in multimedia models. The storage device slots
accommodate a 3 1/2-inch diskette drive, a 3 1/2-inch hard disk (1-inch height), and two 5
1/4-inch storage devices (1.6-inch height). The system ships with a 3 1/2-inch diskette
drive. A 3 1/2-inch hard disk drive (540-MB or 850-MB IDE) and 5 1/4-inch CD-ROM
reader are available on various models.
The following figures show front panel features on the desktop system unit.
Figure Section 1-1Desktop System Controls and Lamps

1-2 Technical Information
Figure Section 1-2Desktop Storage Devices and Controls
MINITOWER SYSTEM UNIT
The minitower chassis provides an enclosure for the system board, power supply, five stor-
age device slots, and five expansion slots (four ISA and one ISA/PCI Bus™). A sound
board is installed in one of the expansion slots in multimedia models. The storage device
slots accommodate a 3 1/2-inch diskette drive, a 3 1/2-inch hard disk (1-inch height), and
two 5 1/4-inch storage devices (1.6-inch height). The system ships with a 3 1/2-inch disk-
ette drive. A 3 1/2-inch hard disk drive (540-MB IDE) and 5 1/4-inch CD-ROM reader are
available on various models.
The following figures show front panel features on the minitower system unit.
Figure Section 1-3Minitower System Controls and Lamps

Technical Information 1-3
Figure Section 1-4Minitower Storage Devices and Controls
SYSTEM BOARD
The system boards are similar, differing only in the processor. The system board contains a
Flash ROM which is upgradeable through the BIOS Update utility (see Section 2).
See Section 2, Setup and Operation, for a description of the system board's jumpers. See
Appendix A, Connector Pin Assignments, for a list of the system board connectors.
Key features of the system board are listed below.
nprocessor
PowerMate V466 – Intel486DX2™-66
PowerMate V4100 – Intel486DX4™-100
nclock rate
PowerMate V466 – 66 megahertz (MHz) internal, 33 MHz external
PowerMate V4100 – 100 MHz internal, 33 MHz external
nsupport for Intel OverDrive™ processor upgrades

1-4 Technical Information
nmemory – 32-bit (system also supports 36-bit), 70-nano second (ns) single-inline
memory modules (SIMMs)
8 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) in the desktop and
minitower systems (expandable to 64 MB)
16 MB in the desktop multimedia systems (expandable to 64 MB)
ncache
8 KB in the Intel486DX2
16 KB in the Intel486DX4
noptional 256-KB secondary cache module
nTrident 9440(TGUI9440AGi Advanced GUI Accelerator)
supports 640 x 480 resolution with 16.8 million colors (24-bit true color), 800
x 600 with 64 K colors, 1024 x 768 with 256 colors, and 1280 x 1024 with 16
colors
1-MB video dynamic RAM (DRAM), expandable to 2 MB
nexternal input/output (I/O) connectors
parallel – one 25-pin connector
serial – two RS-232C ports; support asynchronous communication, up to
9600 bps, 9-pin connectors
VGA video monitor – supports standard, super, and high-resolution VGA
modes, 15-pin connector (D-shell)
keyboard – PS/2-compatible, 6-pin connector (mini DIN)
mouse – PS/2 compatible, 6-pin connector (mini DIN)
ninternal drive connectors
IDE – dual IDE channels, one fast IDE and one standard; CD-ROM reader
and hard disk on separate channels; support for up to 10 MB/second 32-bit
transfers on PCI Bus; support for a total of four IDE devices; 40-pin connec-
tors
diskette drive – supports two diskette drives, 34-pin connector

Technical Information 1-5
nexpansion slots
desktop systems (four slots) – three 8-/16-bit ISA slots (two available), one
shared 32-bit PCI and 8-/16-bit ISA slot
minitower systems (five slots) – four 8-/16-bit ISA slots (two available),one
shared 32-bit PCI and 8-/16-bit ISA slot
nenergy saving features – system switches to power save mode when idle for an
established amount of time
Table Section 1-1lists the major chips on the system board.
Table Section 1-1System Board Chips
Chip Description
486DX2-66 – PowerMate V466
486DX4-100 – PowerMate V4100 33/66-MHz processor 33/100-MHz processor
28F010 128k x 8 Flash ROM
SiS 85C496/497 Green Chipset
496 PCI, CPU, memory, and IDE controller
497 interface between PCI/CPU memory bus and ISA bus,
ISA interface, DMA controller, interrupt controller,
counter/timers, NMI control logic, power management,
and real time clock
SMC37C665GT Super I/O controller serial interface (16550), parallel interface (ECP/EPP),
diskette drive (1.44- and 1.2-MB)
AmiKey keyboard/mouse controller (Intel 8049 compatible)
Trident 9440 VGA controller
Processor
The desktop and minitower PowerMate V486 Series systems use the following processors.
nPowerMate V466 – Intel486DX2-66 (66-MHz internal, 33-MHz external)
nPowerMate V4100 – Intel486DX4-100 (100-MHz internal, 33-MHz external)
The processors are advanced 32-bit processors designed to optimize multitasking operating
systems. The 32-bit registers and data paths support 32-bit addresses and data types.

1-6 Technical Information
The processor is installed in a 237-pin, zero-insertion-force (ZIF) processor socket. This
socket allows the installation of Intel OverDrive processors based on the Pentium core
(PGA type package). When upgrading processors, they must operate with and external
clock of 25 or 33 MHz.
The 486DX2 is exactly like previous 486DXs except that it runs twice as fast internally.
When the interface bus portion of the DX2 accesses main memory, executes I/O instruc-
tions, or accesses one of the other chips on the system board, the DX2 operates at 33 MHz.
The DX2 works at 66 MHz when accessing its internal registers, refers to a memory loca-
tion already mapped into its internal cache, or performs a floating-point operation and CPU
operations.
The DX4 runs three times as fast internally. When the interface portion accesses external
registers it operates at 33 MHz and works at 100 MHz when accessing its internal registers.
Secondary Cache
The 8-KB primary cache (16-KB of primary cache in the DX4) is integrated into the proc-
essor. The system board provides an 80-pin SIMM socket for an optional 256 KB of sec-
ondary cache, external to the processor. Cache memory improves read performance by
holding copies of code and data that are frequently requested from the system memory by
the processor. Cache memory is not considered part of the possible 64 MB of total memory
capacity.
The cache is connected directly to the processor address bus and uses physical addresses. A
bus feature known as burst enables fast cache fills. Memory areas (pages) can be desig-
nated as cacheable or non-cacheable by software. The cache can also be enabled and dis-
abled by software.
The write strategy of the cache (primary and secondary) is write back/through cache. If the
write is a cache hit, an external bus cycle is generated and information is written to the
cache. Any area of memory can be cached in the system. Non-cacheable portions of mem-
ory are defined by software. The cache can be cleared by software instructions.
Flash ROM
Machine language programs are stored in a 28F010 Flash ROM known as the system's
ROM BIOS. The system BIOS and video BIOS are contained in the ROM. The Flash ROM
is 128 KB, which consists of 64 KB of system BIOS, and 32 KB of video BIOS.
The Flash ROM allows the BIOS to be upgraded with the BIOS Update utility without re-
moving the ROM (see Section 2, Setup and Configuration). The BIOS can only be repro-
grammed by powering on the system with the BIOS Update utility diskette in Drive A.

Technical Information 1-7
The BIOS programs execute the Power-On Self-Test, initialize processor controllers, and
interact with the display, diskette drives, hard disks, communication devices, and peripher-
als. The system BIOS also contains the Setup program and provides VGA controller sup-
port. The hardware setup default copies the ROM BIOS into RAM (shadowing) for
maximum performance.
System BIOS is located in the upper portion of the Flash ROM and video BIOS in the
lower portion. System BIOS is located between F0000h-FFFFFh and supports shadowing
and shadowed memory. System BIOS is write protected and automatically enabled.
Video BIOS is located between C0000h and C7FFFh. If the internal video is disabled, this
range is mapped to ISA. The system memory map in shown in Table Section 1-3.
Table Section 1-3System Memory Map
Memory Space Size Function
000000-07FFFF 512 KB Reserved for system base memory
080000-09FFFF 128 KB Mapped to either system base memory or ISA bus*
0A0000-0BFFFF 128 KB Mapped to either on-board video memory or ISA video memory
0C0000-0C7FFF 32 KB Mapped to either on-board video BIOS or ISA video BIOS
0C8000-0EFFFF 160 KB Mapped to ISA bus
0F0000-0FFFFF 64 KB Reserved for system BIOS
100000-FDFFFF 14.9 MB Reserved for Extended and/or Expanded system memory
FE0000-FFFFFF 128 KB Mapped to ISA bus
1000000- On-Board 14.9 MB Reserved for Extended and/or Expanded system memory
*Always non-cacheable.
Flash ROM supports the reprogramming of the system and built-in video BIOS. Software
controls this feature via port 94h. Flash ROM programming writes to location 0F0000h-
0FFFFFh. This range allows access to 64 KB of the 128 KB ROM. To write to the rest of
the ROM, bit 3 of port 94h must be set. Again, writing to 0F0000h-0FFFFFh allows the
rest of the ROM to be programmed. (Setting bit 3 on port 94h maps the 0F0000h to
0E0000h range.)
Power Management
Each computer system incorporates power management features that lowers power con-
sumption when there is no activity detected from the keyboard, mouse, diskette drive, CD-
ROM reader, or hard disk drive after a pre-defined period of time. As soon as activity is
detected the system resumes where it left off.