NEC POWERMATE VE - SERVICE 05-1996 User manual

First Printing — May 1996
Copyright 1996 Copyright 1996
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
System Chassis................................................................................................................ 1-2
System Board .................................................................................................................. 1-3
Processor.................................................................................................................. 1-5
Secondary Cache...................................................................................................... 1-6
System and Video BIOS .......................................................................................... 1-6
Power Management.................................................................................................. 1-7
I/O Addressing......................................................................................................... 1-7
System Memory....................................................................................................... 1-8
Interrupt Controller.................................................................................................. 1-10
Integrated Graphics.................................................................................................. 1-11
Motion Video Controller ................................................................................. 1-11
Graphics Accelerator ....................................................................................... 1-11
Video Memory................................................................................................. 1-12
ISA Bus.................................................................................................................... 1-12
PCI Local Bus.......................................................................................................... 1-12
PCI Auto Configuration........................................................................................... 1-13
PCI/IDE Ports .......................................................................................................... 1-13
Parallel Interface ...................................................................................................... 1-13
Serial Interface......................................................................................................... 1-14
Power Supply .................................................................................................................. 1-15
Diskette Drive ................................................................................................................. 1-15
Hard Disk Drive.............................................................................................................. 1-15
Keyboard......................................................................................................................... 1-15
Mouse.............................................................................................................................. 1-16
Multimedia Components................................................................................................. 1-16
Integrated Audio ...................................................................................................... 1-16
CD-ROM Reader..................................................................................................... 1-16
Speakers................................................................................................................... 1-17
Microphone.............................................................................................................. 1-17
Network Board................................................................................................................ 1-17
Plug And Play.................................................................................................................. 1-17

iv Contents
Power Management......................................................................................................... 1-17
Desktop Management Interface....................................................................................... 1-18
DMI Components..................................................................................................... 1-18
Manageable Components......................................................................................... 1-18
CI Module................................................................................................................ 1-19
DMI Browser ........................................................................................................... 1-19
Usage........................................................................................................................ 1-20
Troubleshooting....................................................................................................... 1-21
Specifications.................................................................................................................. 1-22
Section 2 Setup and Operation
Unpacking and Repacking .............................................................................................. 2-1
Setup................................................................................................................................ 2-1
CD-ROM Reader ............................................................................................................ 2-6
System Configuration...................................................................................................... 2-7
Setup Utility............................................................................................................. 2-7
How to Start Setup................................................................................................... 2-8
How to Use Setup .................................................................................................... 2-9
Menu Bar ......................................................................................................... 2-9
Legend Bar....................................................................................................... 2-10
Field Help Window.......................................................................................... 2-11
General Help Window..................................................................................... 2-11
Main Menu Options......................................................................................... 2-11
IDE Adapters ................................................................................................... 2-12
Memory Cache................................................................................................. 2-14
Memory Shadow.............................................................................................. 2-14
Boot Options.................................................................................................... 2-14
Numlock .......................................................................................................... 2-15
Advanced Menu....................................................................................................... 2-16
Integrated Peripherals Menu............................................................................ 2-16
Security Menu.......................................................................................................... 2-18
Power Menu............................................................................................................. 2-19
Boot Menu ............................................................................................................... 2-20
Exit Menu ................................................................................................................ 2-21
Save Changes & Exit....................................................................................... 2-21
Discard Changes & Exit .................................................................................. 2-21
Get Default Values........................................................................................... 2-22

Contents v
Load Previous Values...................................................................................... 2-22
Save Changes................................................................................................... 2-22
BIOS Update Utility........................................................................................................ 2-22
NEC Bulletin Board Service.................................................................................... 2-23
Using the BIOS Update Utility................................................................................ 2-24
Section 3 Option Installation
General Rules for Installing Options............................................................................... 3-1
Precautions...................................................................................................................... 3-2
Removing the System Unit Cover ........................................................................... 3-3
Expansion Boards............................................................................................................ 3-4
Expansion Slot Locations ........................................................................................ 3-4
Expansion Board Installation................................................................................... 3-5
Inside Slot Expansion Board Installation......................................................... 3-7
System Board Options..................................................................................................... 3-9
SIMM Upgrade........................................................................................................ 3-9
Checking System Memory............................................................................... 3-9
SIMM Removal ............................................................................................... 3-11
SIMM Installation............................................................................................ 3-11
Video Upgrade......................................................................................................... 3-12
Processor Upgrade ................................................................................................... 3-13
Processor Removal .......................................................................................... 3-14
Processor Installation....................................................................................... 3-14
Secondary Cache Upgrade .............................................................................................. 3-15
Data Storage Devices...................................................................................................... 3-17
Device Slots............................................................................................................. 3-17
Device Preparation................................................................................................... 3-18
Device Cables .......................................................................................................... 3-18
Diskette Drive Signal Cable ............................................................................ 3-19
IDE Signal Cables............................................................................................ 3-20
System Power Cables....................................................................................... 3-21
Device Cabling......................................................................................................... 3-22
Cabling an IDE Device.................................................................................... 3-22
Cabling a Diskette Drive.................................................................................. 3-22
Storage Device Installation...................................................................................... 3-23
Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket.......................................................... 3-23
Installing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive......................................................................... 3-24

vi Contents
Removing the Front Panel ............................................................................... 3-25
Installing the 5 1/4-Inch Device....................................................................... 3-27
Replacing the Front Panel................................................................................ 3-28
Replacing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket .......................................................... 3-29
Adding External Options................................................................................................. 3-30
Parallel Printer ......................................................................................................... 3-30
RS-232C Device Connection................................................................................... 3-31
Section 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Maintenance.................................................................................................................... 4-2
System Cleaning ...................................................................................................... 4-2
Keyboard Cleaning................................................................................................... 4-3
Mouse Cleaning....................................................................................................... 4-3
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................. 4-4
Diagnosing and Solving Problems........................................................................... 4-4
CMOS Battery Replacement.................................................................................... 4-9
Section 5 System Unit Repair
Disassembly And Reassembly ........................................................................................ 5-1
System Unit Cover Removal.................................................................................... 5-2
Expansion Board Removal ...................................................................................... 5-3
PCI/ISA Backboard Removal.................................................................................. 5-5
3 1/2-inch Diskette and Hard Disk Drive Removal................................................. 5-5
Front Panel Assembly Removal............................................................................... 5-7
Blank Panel Removal............................................................................................... 5-8
Speaker Assembly Removal .................................................................................... 5-8
SIMM Removal ....................................................................................................... 5-9
5 1/4-Inch Device Removal ..................................................................................... 5-10
Power Supply Removal............................................................................................ 5-11
System Board Removal............................................................................................ 5-13
Illustrated Parts Breakdown..................................................................................... 5-14
Appendix A Connector Pin Assignments
Serial Interface Connectors............................................................................................. A-3
Parallel Interface Connector............................................................................................ A-4
VGA Interface Connector Pin Assignments ................................................................... A-6

Contents vii
Speaker Connector Pin Assignments.............................................................................. A-7
Power Supply Connector................................................................................................. A-7
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors ................................................................................... A-8
Suspend Button Connector.............................................................................................. A-8
Fan Connector................................................................................................................. A-8
Diskette Drive Interface Pin Assignments ...................................................................... A-9
IDE Interface Connectors................................................................................................ A-9
SIMM Sockets................................................................................................................. A-11
ISA/PCI-Bus Backboard Connector Pin Assignments.................................................... A-12
ISA Expansion Bus Connector Pin Assignments............................................................ A-14
CD Audio In Connector Pin Assignments ...................................................................... A-16
Appendix B System Board Jumpers
Jumper Locations............................................................................................................ B-1
Changing Processor Jumper Settings.............................................................................. B-2
Setting The Cache Jumper .............................................................................................. B-3
Changing The Password.................................................................................................. B-4
Appendix C Hard Disk Drive Specifications and Jumper Settings
635-MB Hard Disk Drive Specifications And Jumper Settings ..................................... C-1
635-MB Hard Disk Drive Jumper Settings..................................................................... C-2
1.2-GB Hard Disk Drive Specifications And Jumper Settings....................................... C-3
Appendix D CD-ROM Reader Specifications and Jumper Settings
CD-ROM Reader Specifications.................................................................................... D-1
CD-ROM Reader Connectors and Jumper Settings....................................................... D-2
List of Figures
1-1 System Controls and Storage Device Slots............................................. 1-2
2-1 Voltage Selector Switch.......................................................................... 2-2
2-2 Peripheral Connections ........................................................................... 2-2
2-3 Network Board Connections................................................................... 2-3
2-4 Assembling the Microphone Holder....................................................... 2-4
2-5 Connecting the Microphone.................................................................... 2-4
2-6 Power Button, Lamps, and Suspend Button............................................ 2-5

viii Contents
2-7 Typical CD-ROM Reader Controls and Indicators................................. 2-6
3-1 Removing Cover Screws......................................................................... 3-3
3-2 Releasing the Cover ................................................................................ 3-4
3-3 Locating Expansion Slots........................................................................ 3-5
3-4 Removing a Slot Cover........................................................................... 3-6
3-5 Inserting the Board.................................................................................. 3-7
3-6 Removing the Slot Cover Support Screws.............................................. 3-8
3-7 Attaching the Slot Cover Support........................................................... 3-8
3-8 System Board Upgrade Sockets and Connectors.................................... 3-9
3-9 Removing a SIMM.................................................................................. 3-11
3-10 Inserting the SIMM................................................................................. 3-12
3-11 Aligning the Video DRAM Module with the Socket.............................. 3-13
3-12 Aligning the Cache Module with the Socket .......................................... 3-15
3-13 Locating Device Slots ............................................................................. 3-18
3-15 Optional Diskette Drive Signal Cable..................................................... 3-20
3-16 Optional IDE Cable Connectors.............................................................. 3-21
3-17 Power Cable Connectors......................................................................... 3-21
3-18 Connecting IDE Device Cables............................................................... 3-22
3-19 Connecting 1.2-MB Diskette Drive Cables............................................. 3-23
3-20 Removing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket ................................................. 3-24
3-21 Securing a 3 1/2-Inch Drive .................................................................... 3-25
3-22 Removing the Front Panel....................................................................... 3-26
3-23 Locating the Blank Panel Tabs................................................................ 3-26
3-24 Securing the Device ................................................................................ 3-28
3-25 Aligning the Front Panel......................................................................... 3-28
3-26 Securing the 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket.................................................... 3-29
3-27 Connecting a Printer Cable ..................................................................... 3-30
3-28 Connecting an RS-232C Cable to the Desktop....................................... 3-31
4-1 Removing the Mouse Ball Cover............................................................ 4-3
4-2 Battery Socket Location.......................................................................... 4-10
4-3 Battery Removal...................................................................................... 4-10
5-1 System Unit Cover Screws...................................................................... 5-3
5-2 Removing the System Unit Cover........................................................... 5-3
5-3 Expansion Slot Screw ............................................................................. 5-4

Contents ix
5-4 Inside Expansion Slot Screw................................................................... 5-4
5-5 PCI/ISA Backboard Screws .................................................................... 5-5
5-6 3 1/2-Inch Drive Bracket......................................................................... 5-6
5-7 3 1/2-Inch Diskette and Hard Disk Drive Screws................................... 5-6
5-8 Indicator Panel Connectors ..................................................................... 5-7
5-9 Blank Panel Tabs..................................................................................... 5-8
5-10 Internal Speaker....................................................................................... 5-9
5-11 SIMM Socket.......................................................................................... 5-9
5-12 5 1/4-Inch Device Screws ....................................................................... 5-10
5-13 Power Button Screws.............................................................................. 5-11
5-14 Power Supply Screws.............................................................................. 5-12
5-15 System Board Connectors and Screws.................................................... 5-13
5-16 PowerMate Ve Illustrated Parts Breakdown*......................................... 5-16
A-1 System Board Layout.............................................................................. A-1
A-2 Serial Interface ........................................................................................ A-3
A-3 Parallel Interface Connector.................................................................... A-4
A-4 VGA Interface Connector ....................................................................... A-6
A-5 Power Supply Connector Pin Assignments............................................. A-7
B-1 System Board Jumper Locations............................................................. B-1
B-2 Processor Upgrade Jumpers.................................................................... B-3
B-3 SRAM cache jumper............................................................................... B-4
B-4 Password clear jumper ............................................................................ B-4
C-1 Western Digital 635-MB Jumper Settings.............................................. C-3
List of Tables
1-1 PowerMate Ve System Configurations................................................... 1-1
1-2 System Board Chips................................................................................ 1-5
1-3 System Memory Map.............................................................................. 1-6
1-4 I/O Address Map..................................................................................... 1-7
1-5 SIMM Memory Upgrade Path................................................................. 1-9
1-6 Interrupt Level Assignments................................................................... 1-10
1-7 Parallel Port Addressing and Interrupts .................................................. 1-13
1-8 Serial Port Addressing and Interrupts ..................................................... 1-14
1-9 Specifications.......................................................................................... 1-22

xContents
2-1 Setup Key Functions ............................................................................... 2-10
2-2 Main Menu Parameters........................................................................... 2-12
2-3 IDE Hard Disk Parameters...................................................................... 2-13
2-4 Memory Cache Parameters ..................................................................... 2-14
2-5 Boot Parameters...................................................................................... 2-15
2-6 Numlock Parameters............................................................................... 2-15
2-7 Advanced Menu Parameters.................................................................... 2-16
2-8 Integrated Peripherals Parameters........................................................... 2-17
2-9 System Security Options......................................................................... 2-18
2-10 Power Management Parameters.............................................................. 2-20
3-1 Recommended Memory Upgrade Path ................................................... 3-10
4-1 NEC Service and Information Telephone Numbers................................ 4-1
4-2 Problems and Solutions........................................................................... 4-5
5-1 PowerMate Ve Disassembly Sequence................................................... 5-1
5-2 PowerMate Ve Field-Replaceable Parts List........................................... 5-14
5-3 PowerMate Ve Optional Replacement Part ............................................ 5-17
5-4 PowerMate Ve Documentation and Packaging....................................... 5-17
A-1 System Board Connectors....................................................................... A-2
A-2 RS-232C Serial Port Connector Pin Assignments.................................. A-3
A-3 Parallel Printer Port Connector Pin Assignments ................................... A-5
A-4 VGA Interface Connector Pin Assignments ........................................... A-6
A-5 Speaker Connector Pin Assignments...................................................... A-7
A-6 Keyboard and Mouse Connector Pin Assignments................................. A-8
A-7 Suspend Connector Pin Assignments...................................................... A-8
A-8 Fan Connector Pin Assignments............................................................. A-8
A-9 Diskette Drive Connector Pin Assignments............................................ A-9
A-10 IDE/PCI Connector Pin Assignments..................................................... A-10
A-11 SIMM Socket Pin Assignments.............................................................. A-11
A-12 ISA/PCI-Bus Backboard Connector Pin Assignments............................ A-12
A-13 ISA Expansion Slot Pin Assignments..................................................... A-14
A-14 CD Audio-In Connector.......................................................................... A-16

Contents xi
C-1 Specifications for 635-MB Hard Disk Drive .......................................... C-1
C-2 Specifications for 1.2-GB Hard Disk Drive............................................ C-3
D-1 Specifications for NEC Quad-Speed CD-ROM Reader ......................... D-1

xiii
Preface
This service and reference manual contains the technical information necessary to set up,
maintain, troubleshoot, and repair the NEC PowerMateVe 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,
system analysts, service center personnel, and dealers.
The manual is organized as follows:
Section 1, Technical Information, provides an overview of the computer features,
hardware design, interface ports, internal devices and system unit specifications.
Section 2, Setup and Operation, gives general setup and operation information. Included
is a description of the system Setup utility and the factory default configuration settings. A
procedure is provided for logging onto the NEC Bulletin Board and obtaining the latest the
Flash ROM BIOS.
Section 3, Options, provides safety precautions and installation procedures for installing
options.
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. Included are recommended maintenance
information and a lists possible problem and solutions for computer.
Section 5, System Unit Repair, provides disassembly and reassembly procedures along
with an illustrated parts breakdown. NEC service and spare parts ordering information is
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, System Board Jumpers, provides jumper information for configuring the
system for a particular requirement.
Appendix C, Hard Disk Drive Specifications and Jumper Settings, provides
specifications and jumper settings for the hard disk drives that ship with the PowerMate Ve
series systems.
Appendix D, CD-ROM Reader Specifications and Jumper Settings, provides
specifications and jumper settings for the CD-ROM readers that ship with the PowerMate
Ve series systems.

xv
Abbreviations
Aampere
AC alternating current
AT advanced technology (IBM PC)
BBS Bulletin Board System
BCD binary-coded decimal
BCU BIOS Customized Utility
BIOS basic input/output system
bit binary digit
BUU BIOS Upgrade Utility
bpi bits per inch
bps bits per second
Ccapacitance
Ccentigrade
Cache high-speed buffer storage
CAM constantly addressable memory
CAS column address strobe
CD-ROM compact disk-ROM
CGA Color Graphics Adapter
CGB Color Graphics Board
CH channel
clk clock
cm centimeter
CMOS complementary metal oxide
semiconductor
COM communication
CONT contrast
CPGA ceramic pin grid array
CPU central processing unit
DAC digital-to-analog converter
DACK DMA acknowledge
db decibels
DC direct current
DIP dual in-line package
DMA direct memory access
DMAC DMA controller
DOS disk operating system
DRAM dynamic RAM
ECC error checking and correction
ECP enhanced capabilities port (ECP)
EGA Enhanced Graphics Adapter
EPP Enhanced Parallel Port
EPROM erasable and programmable ROM
EVGA Enhanced Video Graphics Array
FFahrenheit
FAX facsimile transmission
FCC Federal Communications
Commission
FGframe ground
FIFO first-in/first-out
FM frequency modulation
FRU field-replaceable unit
GB gigabyte
GND ground
HEX hexadecimal
HGA Hercules Graphics Adapter
Hz hertz
IC integrated circuit
ID identification
IDE intelligent device electronics
in. inch
IPB illustrated parts breakdown
ISA Industry Standard Architecture
I/O input/output
IPC integrated peripheral controller
ips inches per second
IR infrared
IRQ interrupt request
Kkilo (1024)
kkilo (1000)
KB kilobyte
kg kilogram
kHz kilohertz
lb pound
LED light-emitting diode
Mmega
mA milliamps

xvi Abbreviations
max maximum
MB megabyte
MDA Monochrome Display Adapter
MFM modified frequency modulation
MHz megahertz
MIC microphone
MIDI musical instrument device interface
MPC multimedia PC
mm millimeter
MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group
ms millisecond
NASC National Authorized Service Center
NC not connected
NMI Non-maskable Interrupt
ns nanosecond
PAL programmable array logic
PC personal computer
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
PDA personal digital assistant
PFP plastic flat package
PIO parallel input/output
pixel picture element
PROM programmable ROM
RAM random-access memory
RAMDAC RAM digital-to-analog converter
RGB red green blue
RGBI red green blue intensity
ROM read-only memory
rpm revolutions per minute
Rread
RTC real-time clock
R/W read/write
Sslave
SCSI Small Computer System Interface
SGsignal ground
SIMM single inline memory module
SVGA Super Video Graphics Array
SW switch
TSC Technical Support Center
TTL transistor/transistor logic
tpi tracks per inch
Vvolt
Vac volts, alernating current
Vdc volts, direct current
VESA video electronics standards
association
VGA Video Graphics Array
VRAM video RAM
Wwatt
Wwrite

Section 1
Technical Information
The PowerMate®Ve Series come standard with an Intel Pentium™ processor, a 3 1/2-inch
1.44 megabyte (MB) diskette drive, 8- or 16-MB random access memory (RAM), and 1
MB of video dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
The PowerMate Ve system configurations are listed in Table Section 1-1.
Table Section 1-1PowerMate Ve System Configurations
Configurations PowerMate V75e
(75 MHz) PowerMate V100e (100 MHz)
Diskless 3 1/2-Inch diskette drive only
8 MB of RAM 3 1/2-Inch diskette drive only 8 MB of RAM
Hard disk system 3 1/2-inch diskette drive
635 MB hard disk or 1.2 GB
with 8 MB or 16 MB of RAM
3 1/2-inch diskette drive
635 MB hard disk or 1.2 GB
with 8 MB or 16 MB of RAM
Network-ready system 3 1/2-inch diskette drive
635 MB hard disk
Network board
8 MB of RAM
3 1/2-inch diskette drive
635 MB hard disk
Network board
8 MB of RAM
Multimedia 3 1/2-inch diskette drive
1.2 GB hard disk
quad-speed CD-ROM reader
System board w/audio
16 MB of RAM
5 Watt Speakers
Microphone
3 1/2-inch diskette drive
1.2 GB hard disk
quad-speed CD-ROM reader
System board w/audio
16 MB of RAM
5 Watt Speakers
Microphone
Multimedia/Network ready 3 1/2-inch diskette drive
1.2 GB hard disk
Quad-speed CD-ROM reader
Network board
System board w/audio
16 MB of RAM
5 Watt Speakers
Microphone
3 1/2-inch diskette drive
1.2 GB hard disk
Quad-speed CD-ROM reader
Network board
System board w/audio
16 MB of RAM
5 Watt Speakers
Microphone

1-2 Technical Information
SYSTEM CHASSIS
The system chassis provides an enclosure for the system board, power supply, four
expansion slots, a five-connector PCI/ISA backboard, and four storage device slots. The
expansion slots include two 8-/16-bit ISA slots, one dedicated 32-bit PCI slot, and one
shared PCI/ISA (32-bit PCI or 8-/16-bit ISA) slot. For network-ready configurations, one
slot has a network board installed and the remaining slots are open. For multimedia
configurations without a network board, all slots are open. For multimedia configurations
with a network board, one slot has a network board and the remaining slots are open.
The four storage device slots accommodate up to three accessible devices and one internal
hard disk drive device. The accessible devices include the standard one-inch high 3 1/2-
inch 1.44-MB diskette drive and up to two 1.6-inch high 5 1/4-inch storage devices. The
non-multimedia hard disk systems ship with an accessible 3 1/2-inch diskette drive and an
internal 3 1/2-inch hard disk drive, leaving two accessible 5 1/4-inch storage device slots
available for optional devices. The multimedia systems ship with an accessible 3 1/2-inch
diskette drive, an internal 3 1/2-inch hard disk drive, and an accessible 5 1/4-inch CD-
ROM reader, leaving one accessible 5 1/4-inch storage device slot available for an optional
device.
Figure 1-1 shows front panel features and locations of the accessible storage devices in a
desktop system. Multimedia systems come with a CD-ROM reader installed in the top
accessible device slot.
Figure 1-1System Controls and Storage Device Slots
3 1/2-Inch
Diskette Drive
System Controls
and Lamps
Power Button
3 1/2-Inch Internal
Hard Drive Slot
(behind panel)
5 1/4-Inch Accessible
Device Slots

Technical Information 1-3
SYSTEM BOARD
Key features of the system board include the following:
nIntel Pentium 75- or 100-MHz Pentium processor, depending on system
configuration
n16-KB internal dual write-back cache integrated on the processor
nsystem Setup program built into the BIOS
nflash ROM for fast economical BIOS upgrades
nintegrated input/output (I/O) controller with keyboard, diskette drive, and hard
disk drive controllers. Supports two serial ports and a parallel port.
nPCI local bus for fast data transfer
nsupport for Intel OverDrive™ processors
n8-MB EDO RAM (16 MB in multimedia and multimedia/network
configurations, 1.2 GB hard disk configurations)
ships with 32-bit, non-parity, 60-ns single-inline memory modules (SIMMs)
RAM expandable up to 128 MB
nintegrated graphics
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) graphical user interface (GUI)
accelerator and motion video playback controller using SiS 6205
Graphics and Video Accelerator
standard 1-MB (two 256K x 16) video DRAM, expandable to 2 MB
standard 1-MB video DRAM supports resolutions of 640 x 480 with up to
16.8 million colors, 800 x 600 with up to 64K colors, 1024 x 768 with up to
256 K colors, and 1280 x 1024 with up to 16 colors
nintegrated sound (multimedia configurations only)
ESS ES1788 Sound Blaster compatible chip on system board
Yamaha OPL3 FM synthesis chip on system board
built-in 16-bit stereo and FM synthesis
Wavetable sound upgradeable
3D sound effects

1-4 Technical Information
ntwo intelligent drive electronics (IDE) interface channels
one fast IDE/PCI channel (primary connector) used by the hard disk drive to
transfer data at the hard disk’s optimum rate
one standard IDE channel (secondary connector) for the CD-ROM reader
supports up to four IDE devices, two to each channel
npower management for placing system in power save mode when idle for a
specified amount of time
n3 1/2-inch, 1.44-MB diskette drive standard all configurations
nfour expansion slots: two ISA, one PCI, and one shared ISA/PCI connectors
nexternal connectors for connecting the following external devices:
VGA-compatible monitor (standard, super, high-resolution VGA)
personal system/2 (PS/2®)-style mouse
PS/2-style keyboard
bidirectional Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) and enhanced capabilities port
(ECP) are supported for a parallel printer
serial devices through two buffered 16C550 UART serial ports, each
supporting up to 19.2 KB per second
external speakers, microphone, and headphone connectors (multimedia and
network/multimedia configurations only)
nMIDI/joystick connector on the system board for installation of an optional
MIDI/joystick kit
nAudio Wave upgrade connector on the system board for installation of an
optional Wave upgrade.
Table Section 1-2 lists the major chips on the system board. See Appendix A, Connector
Pin Assignments, for a list of the system board connectors. See Appendix B, System Board
Jumpers, for a description of board jumpers.

Technical Information 1-5
Table Section 1-2System Board Chips
Chip Description
P54C (CPGA) 75/50-MHz Intel Pentium processor
100/66-MHz Intel Pentium processor
SiS PCI/ISA Chip Set
5511
5512
5513
System controller
PCI/ISA cache memory controller
PCI local data buffer
PCI system I/O
SMC FDC37C665 Integrated Plug and Play Ultra I/O controller
SiS 6205 PCI GUI graphics controller
U24 128k x 8 Flash ROM
SiS 5513
Toshiba CR2032 Coin Cell Battery Real-time clock 3 Volt Lithium CMOS battery (SMC 935)
ESS ES1788 Sound Chip
(multimedia and multimedia/network systems
only)
Onboard PC sound system
Yamaha OPL3-L Synthesizer Chip
(multimedia and multimedia/network systems
only)
Frequency modulated synthesizer
Processor
The PowerMate Ve series of computers use the following Pentium processors:
nPowerMate Ve75 — 75-MHz processor with internal speed of 75 MHz and
external speed of 50 MHz.
nPowerMate Ve100 — 100-MHz processor with internal speed of 100 MHz and
external speed of 66 MHz.
Each processor has 16 KB of write-back primary cache and a math coprocessor. The 16 KB
primary cache provides 8 KB for instructions and 8 KB for data.
The processor is an advanced pipelined 32-bit addressing, 64-bit data processor designed to
optimize multitasking operating systems. The 64-bit registers and data paths support 64-bit
addresses and data types.
The processor is compatible with 8-, 16-, and 32-bit software written for the Intel386™,
Intel486™, and Pentium processors.
To accommodate future technologies and work requirements, the Pentium processor comes
in a 320-pin zero insertion force (ZIF) socket. The socket provides an upgrade path to the
next generation processor.

1-6 Technical Information
Secondary Cache
The system board contains the connector for an optional 256 KB secondary cache, external
to the processor. The optional cache can be 15-ns asynchronous or 20-ns synchronous
pipeline burst.
Cache allows data to be sent or received from cache with one wait state burst. 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 expansion memory.
System and Video BIOS
The system and video BIOS are stored in a 1 MB (128 KB by 8) flash memory device
(Flash ROM). The system BIOS uses 64 KB, the video BIOS uses 32 KB, and 32 KB is
reserved. The system BIOS is capable of being shadowed and cached through the system’s
Setup utility (see Section 2 for Setup information). System BIOS is write protected and
automatically enabled.
The BIOS programs execute the Power-On Self-Test, initialize processor controllers, and
interact with the display, diskette drives, hard disks, communication devices, and
peripherals. The system BIOS also contains the Setup utility. The hardware setup default
copies the ROM BIOS into RAM (shadowing) for maximum performance.
The Flash ROM allows the system and video BIOS to be upgraded with the BIOS Update
utility, without removing the ROM (see Section 2 for further information on the BIOS
Update utility). The Flash ROM supports the reprogramming of the system BIOS and the
video BIOS.
The system memory map is shown in Table Section 1-3.
Table Section 1-3System Memory Map
Memory Space Size Function
FFF80000-FFFFFFFF 512 KB BIOS ROM
04000000-07FFFFFF 64 MB L2 cache (Non-Cacheable with less than 512 KB
SRAM)
L1 cache (Cacheable)
01000000-03FFFFFF 48 MB Always cachable
00F00000-00FFFFFF 1 MB Optional memory space gap
00100000-00EFFFFF 14 MB Cachable
000F0000-000FFFFF 64 KB System BIOS (Shadowed in DRAM)
000C8000-000EFFFF 160 KB Expansion region (Shadowed in DRAM)

Technical Information 1-7
Table 1-3 System Memory Map
Memory Space Size Function
000C0000-000C7FFF 32 KB Video BIOS (Shadowed in DRAM)
000A0000-000BFFFF 128 KB Video Buffer (SMM space Non-Cacheable)
00080000-0009FFFF 128 KB Optional memory space gap (DOS Apps)
00000000-0007FFFF 512 KB DOS applications (No read/write protect) (Always
cacheable)
Power Management
Each system incorporates power management features that lower power consumption 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.
With Power Management enabled (shipped enabled), the system automatically activates the
power-saving features and enters a suspend mode whenever inactivity is sensed.
I/O Addressing
The processor communicates with I/O devices by I/O mapping. The hexadecimal (hex)
addresses of I/O devices are listed in Table Section 1-4.
Table Section 1-4I/O Address Map
Address (Hex) I/O Device Name
0000-000F DMA controller 1 (channel 0-3)
0020-0021 Interrupt controller 1
0040-0043 Timer 1
0048-004B Timer 2
0060 Keyboard controller data byte
0061 NMI status and speaker control
0064 Keyboard controller cmd/status byte
0070-007F Real-time clock, NMI mask
0080-008F DMA page registers
00A0-00A1 Interrupt controller 2
00C0-00DE DMA controller 2
00E0-00EF Reserved