RadiSys EPC-2 Application guide
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SM
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Instra
®
EPC - 2
Hardware Reference
®
RadiSys Corporation
15025 S.W. Koll Parkway
Beaverton OR 97006
Phone: 800-950-0044
In Oregon: (503) 646-1850
_______________________________________________________________________
07-0013-06 October 1992
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
Hardware Warranty
RadiSys Corporation ("RadiSys") warrants the EPC system and component modules to
the original purchaser for two years from the product's shipping date. If an EPC product
fails to operate in compliance with its specification during this period, RadiSys will, at
its option, repair or replace the product at no charge. The customer is, however, re-
sponsible for shipping the product; RadiSys assumes no responsibility for the product
until it is received. This warranty does not cover repair of products that have been
damaged by abuse, accident, disaster, misuse, or incorrect installation.
RadiSys' limited warranty covers products only as delivered. User modification, such as
the addition of memory arrays or other devices, may void the warranty, and if the
product is damaged during installation of the modifications, this warranty does not cover
repair or replacement.
This warranty in no way warrants suitability of the product for any specific application.
IN NO EVENT WILL RADISYS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING
LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUEN-
TIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
PRODUCT EVEN IF RADISYS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY PARTY OTHER THAN THE
PURCHASER.
THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ANY AND ALL OTHER WAR-
RANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING THE
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR-
POSE OR USE, TITLE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. Repair or replacement as pro-
vided above shall be the Purchaser's sole and exclusive remedy and RadiSys' exclusive
liability for any breach of warranty.
Page ii
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
Contents
1. Getting Started.......................................................................................... 1
2. Installation.................................................................................. 3
Slot 0 / Non Slot 0 Configuration...................................................... 4
Troubleshooting the Configuration Jumpers..................................... 6
EPC-2 Insertion................................................................................. 7
EXM Module Insertion...................................................................... 7
VXI Backplane Jumpers.................................................................... 8
Connecting Peripherals to the EPC-2................................................ 8
3. Operation.................................................................................. 13
System Reset ................................................................................... 13
Front Panel Indicators...................................................................... 14
BIOS Screen Display....................................................................... 14
BIOS Setup Screen.......................................................................... 16
EXM Configuration......................................................................... 20
Disk Formatting............................................................................... 21
4. Programming Interface........................................................... 23
Memory Map................................................................................... 23
I/O Map ........................................................................................... 24
Registers Specific to EPC-2 ............................................................ 30
VMEbus Accesses........................................................................... 45
Slave Accesses from the VMEbus................................................... 49
VXIbus Interrupt Acknowledgement.............................................. 50
5. Theory of Operation................................................................ 51
Processor, Coprocessor, Memory.................................................... 51
ROM and ROM Shadowing............................................................ 51
GPIB Controller............................................................................... 51
Battery ............................................................................................. 52
Interrupts and DMA Channels......................................................... 52
Watchdog Timer.............................................................................. 53
EXMbus........................................................................................... 53
VXIbus Interface............................................................................. 53
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
Slot 0 and System Controller Functions......................................... 54
Reset Behavior................................................................................ 54
EPC-2AM Interface........................................................................ 55
Environmental and Electrical Specifications.................................. 56
6. Connectors................................................................................ 57
7. Error Messages......................................................................... 63
8. Support and Service................................................................. 67
Index..........................................................................................
69
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
EPC and RadiSys are registered trademarks and EPConnect is a trademark of RadiSys
Corporation. OS/2, IBM, EGA, PS/2, and PC/AT are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation. 386, 386SX, and 387SX are trademarks of Intel
Corporation. Award 386 Modular BIOS is a trademark of Award Software Inc.
Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
December 1989
Copyright ©1989, 1990, 1992 by RadiSys Corporation
All rights reserved.
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
NOTES
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1. Getting Started
This manual contains all the information you need to install and use the EPC-2
VXIbus embedded computer. Additional user's and programmer's manuals discuss
the use of the EPConnect software package normally provided with EPC-2.
This manual describes not only the EPC-2 but also an additional version referred
to here as the .i.EPC-2x; ("EPC-2 with EXM extension"). The two products differ
in the following ways:
1. EPC-2x allows the use of one plug-in EXM module. For instance, the
product .i.EPC-2e; is an EPC-2x containing an .i.EXM-10; Ethernet controller.
2. EPC-2 contains two built-in .i.serial port;s; EPC-2x contains one.
3. EPC-2 has a standard DB-25 parallel .i.printer port;; EPC-2x uses a
special miniature connector and an adapter cable.
4. EPC-2 allows the use of an add-on .i.EPC-2AM; module.
5. EPC-2x has one additional BIOS .i.setup screen;.
This manual describes both the EPC-2 and EPC-2x. Unless otherwise noted, the
term "EPC-2" hereafter in this manual will denote both. For products based on
the EPC-2x, the EXM module is described in an accompanying manual. For
instance, for the EPC-2e, the EXM-10 Hardware Reference accompanies this manual.
Please note that a revision of the EPC-2 (and EPC-2x) occurred in late November
1990. This manual applies to both the revision and the earlier model; where
there are differences, the manual first explains the newer EPC-2 and then
explains the differences in the older model. The simplest way to distinguish
between the two versions is to inspect the back panel between the P1 and P2
VXIbus connectors. If there is a cutout in the panel exposing several jumper
blocks, the EPC-2 is the revised model.
The differences between the revised and previous model are summarized below.
1. The .i.revised model; allows access to .i.jumpers; through the top,
bottom, and back panels; the older model required removal of the side panels to
access the jumpers.
2. The revised model supports optional use of .i.flat-panel display;s.
3. The revised model contains an .i.IDE; (integrated device electronics) hard
disk instead of a SCSI disk. (A SCSI drive can still be obtained in the revised
model on special order.)
4. The .i.battery; in the revised model is field replaceable.
5. The BIOS .i.setup screen; is different.
6. The revised EPC-2e contains an .i.EXM-10; Ethernet controller instead of
.i.EXM-1;.
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2. Installation
Before installing your EPC-2, you should unpack and inspect it for shipping
damage.
* do not remove a cover from the module unless you are in a static-free
environment. the epc-2, like most other electronic devices, is susceptible to
esd damage. esd damage is not always immediately obvious, in that it can cause
a partial breakdown in semiconductor devices that might not immediately result
in a failure.
* make sure that the installation process described here is also performed
in a static-free environment.
* the epc-2 contains a delicate hard disk. please handle it with care.
avoid jarring the unit while it is in operation, and do not use excessive force
when inserting and removing the epc-2 in a vxibus card cage.
Before installing the EPC-2 in a VXIbus chassis, you need to decide whether the
EPC-2 is to be the .i.slot 0; .i.system controller;. Every VXIbus system needs
a module that performs the system controller functions, including the standard
VMEbus system controller functions (generation of the 16 MHz .i.SYSCLK; signal,
arbitration of the bus, detection of .i.bus timeout; conditions, and initiation
of the interrupt-acknowledge daisy chain), and the VXIbus slot-0 functions
(generation of the 10 MHz ECL .i.CLK10; signals and control of the .i.MODID;
module identification function).
To configure the EPC-2 as the slot-0 controller or not, there are two things you
need to do:
ù Set jumpers within the unit.
ù Set the SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS field in the BIOS setup screen.
The EPC-2 is originally shipped to be the slot-0 controller. Since this is the
typical use of the EPC-2, you can usually avoid dealing with the configuration
steps described in this section.
Slot 0 / Non Slot 0 Configuration
The EPC-2 is shipped configured as a VXI .i.slot 0 controller;. If this is your
intended use of the EPC-2 (which will usually be the case), you may skip this
section.
To change the configuration of the EPC-2, there are four .i.jumpers; that need
to be set. To locate the jumpers, you first need to determine the revision
level of your EPC-2. If you see accessible jumpers through cutouts in the back,
top, and bottom panels, you have the revised version. Otherwise, you have an
older version.
To change the configuration of a revised-version EPC-2, follow the figure below.
Three jumpers in the back panel and one jumper in the bottom panel need to be
set. The three jumpers control the routing of the .i.CLK10;+ and CLK10- signals
and the single jumper controls connection of the .i.MODID; line to pull-up and
pull-down resistors.
.G.EPC2CJUM.EPS;3";3.52";Postscript
Note that there are only two valid combinations of setting the four jumpers.
Also, the pictures depict the jumpers as seen when holding the unit horizontally
such that the side nearest the floppy disk drive (right side) is up. The set of
jumpers associated with .i.flat-panel display;s is discussed later.
To configure the EPC-2 as the slot-0 controller, you need to:
1. Set the jumpers as shown in the previous diagram.
2. Install the EPC-2 in slots 0 and 1 of your VXIbus chassis.
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3. When you first power-on your system, invoke the BIOS .i.setup screen; and
change the SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS to INTERNAL CLOCK or EXTERNAL CLOCK (the latter
being the case if you have an external 10 MHz clock source connected to the EPC-
2 front panel).
The setup screen is invoked by pressing the CTRL+ALT+ESC keys
simultaneously. You can do this at the operating-system prompt or when the
power-on selftest screen is cleared after rebooting.
To configure the EPC-2 as not the slot-0 controller, you need to:
1. Set the jumpers as shown in the previous diagram.
2. Install the EPC-2 in other than slot 0 of your VXIbus chassis.
3. When you first power-on your system, invoke the BIOS .i.setup screen; and
change the SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS to NONE.
The setup screen is invoked by pressing the CTRL+ALT+ESC keys
simultaneously. You can do this at the operating-system prompt or when the
power-on selftest screen is cleared after rebooting.
Older Models
To change the configuration of the earlier version of the EPC-2, open the right
cover and set the unit on a static-free surface with the front panel to the
left. There are four .i.jumpers; that need to be set.
.G.EPC2JUMP.EPS;2.75";1.435";Postscript
To change the jumpers, you will need to use needle-nose pliers. Make sure that
you and the pliers are grounded to avoid ESD damage.
After changing the jumpers, follow the procedure above. Note that some earlier
EPC-2s allow invocation of the .i.setup screen; only immediately after the
fixed-disk message appears near the bottom of the initial screen after booting.
Troubleshooting the Configuration Jumpers
There are several readily apparent consequences of incorrectly configuring the
EPC-2. For an EPC-2 physically present in .i.slot 0; in the VXIbus system:
1. If the .i.resource manager; running on the slot 0 controller reports a
system configuration differing widely from the actual configuration (e.g.,
reports no devices found or reports devices in empty slots), the .i.MODID
jumper; (the single jumper) is probably set incorrectly.
2. If the EPC-2's power-on selftest reports a VXI failure, the .i.CLK10
jumpers; could be set incorrectly or the setup parameter SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS could
be incorrect (i.e., set to NONE, or set to EXTERNAL when there is no external
clock source connected).
3. If the CLK10+ and CLK10- signals are not being driven on the backplane,
any of the problems mentioned in the previous point could be the cause.
For an EPC-2 physically present in other than slot 0 in the VXIbus system:
1. If the resource manager could not detect the presence of the EPC-2, the
MODID jumper is set incorrectly.
2. If the EPC-2's power-on selftest reports a VXI failure, the .i.CLK10
jumpers; could be set incorrectly.
3. If multiple masters seem to be using the .i.data transfer bus;
concurrently, or if the 16 MHz .i.SYSCLK; signal on the backplane is out of
spec, the EPC-2's setup parameter SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS could be incorrect (i.e., set
to other than NONE).
4. If the CLK10+ and CLK10- signals on the backplane are out of spec, the
.i.CLK10 jumpers; in the EPC-2 may be set incorrectly.
4. .i.No SYSCLK error;If the EPC-2's power-on selftest reports "TESTING VME
INTERFACE - NO SYSCLK," the slot 0 controller is not generating the 16 MHz
.i.SYSCLK; signal.
EPC-2 Insertion
The EPC-2 is inserted in a VXIbus card cage in the following way:
1. Make sure that power to your VXI system is off. The modules are not
designed to be inserted or removed from live backplanes.
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2. Align the EPC-2 to two adjacent top and bottom card guides in the VXI
chassis.
3. Slide the EPC-2 module into the chassis. Use firm pressure on the handles
to mate the module with the backplane connectors.
4. Tighten the screws in the top and bottom of the front panel to ensure
proper connector mating and prevent loosening of the module via vibration.
Note that the EPC-2 has a .i.front-panel key; adhering to the VXIbus
specification that prevents its insertion next to certain other types of
modules. These keys prevent problems associated with incompatible signal levels
on the VXI daisy-chained .i.local bus;. Although the EPC-2 does not use the
local bus, its ability to be a slot-0 controller means that it uses what would
otherwise be "leftside" local bus lines for TTL .i.MODID; lines. Therefore the
key prevents the EPC-2 from being installed to the immediate right of a module
keyed for a "rightside" ECL, analog, or sensor local bus.
EXM Module Insertion (EPC-2x only)
The EPC-2x typically has one EXM installed in the front-panel slot (e.g., the
.i.EPC-2e; contains an .i.EXM-1; or .i.EXM-10; Ethernet controller). If the EXM
needs to be removed or replaced, loosen the two thumbscrews on the EXM and
gently pull it out of its rear connector. To insert an EXM, slide the EXM into
place in the card guides, push firmly on the EXM front panel to insert its rear
connector, and tighten the thumb screws on the EXM's face plate.
Not all EXM types are compatible with the EPC-2x. You should not attempt to use
a different type of EXM than that originally provided with your EPC-2x without
first consulting with the supplier of your EPC-2x.
* make sure that power to your vxi system is off. exms are not designed to
be inserted or removed from live systems.
* when inserting an exm, avoid touching the circuit board, and make sure the
environment is static-free.
VXI Backplane Jumpers
.i.backplane jumpers;.i.daisy chain;.i.VME jumpers;.i.interrupt acknowledge;The
VXIbus contains several daisy-chained control signals. Almost all VXIbus back-
planes contain .i.jumpers; or DIP switches for these control signals to allow
systems to operate with empty slots. Failing to install these jumpers properly
is a common source of problems in building a new VXIbus system.
There are five jumpers per VXI slot, one for each of the four bus-grant
arbitration levels and one for the interrupt-acknowledge daisy chain. Depending
on the backplane manufacturer, the jumpers or DIP switches may be on the rear
pins of the J1 connector, or may be alongside it on the front or rear side of
the backplane. Based on what is in the VXI slot, install or remove the
backplane jumpers as follows:
VXI slot content IACK and bus-grant backplane jumpers
Empty slot Install
EPC-2 left slot Remove
EPC-2 right slot Install
Other VXI modules Remove
VME module Consult manufacturer's literature
Connecting Peripherals to the EPC-2
The final step of installation is connecting peripherals, typically a video
display and keyboard, but also perhaps a mouse, modem, printer, etc. Unless
otherwise noted, all connectors are compatible with those found on IBM-
compatible desktop PCs. Detailed pin assignments are described in Chapter 6.
Monitor
.i.VGA connector;A .i.monitor; is connected via the 15-pin D connector on the
EPC-2 front panel. The graphics controller in the EPC-2 is .i.VGA; with analog
color signals, meaning that old-style .i.EGA;, .i.CGA;, and monochrome monitors
cannot be used. VGA monitors may be color or .i.gray-scale;; a parameter in the
BIOS setup screen allows you to specify which type is being used. If using a
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.i.multiscan monitor;, make sure to set the monitor's switch to analog (not
TTL).
.i.monitor cables;Monitors that can be used are VGA-compatible monitors (i.e.,
those compatible with the IBM PS/2 and with PC VGA add-in cards) and multiscan
(multifrequency or "multisync") monitors. If you cannot mate your monitor to
the EPC-2 because you have a cable with a 9-pin connector, either (1) you have a
TTL monitor that is not compatible with VGA or (2) you have a multisync monitor
(which are usually shipped with 9- and 15-pin cables or adapters) and are using
the wrong cable.
To ensure a reliable connection, the monitor's cable should be screwed into the
EPC-2's connector.
Connecting a monitor is not absolutely necessary; its presence or absence does
not affect the operation of the system. Also, the monitor can usually be safely
connected and/or disconnected during operation.
The EPC-2 VGA controller supports some video modes beyond the standard IBM
.i.VGA modes;, most importantly the 800 ´ 600 ´ 16-color mode. Use of this mode
requires a .i.multiscan monitor;, as well as special software drivers. If
.i.Windows 3.0; was purchased with your EPC-2, a special driver for this higher-
resolution mode is provided on a separate diskette. Follow the installation
instructions in the "readme" file on this diskette.
Flat-Panel Display
Use of certain VGA .i.flat-panel display;s requires access to more than the
standard VGA signals, in particular to some signals provided on the .i.auxiliary
video extension; or ".i.feature connector;" in the IBM PS/2. Installation of
the three flat-panel .i.jumpers; as shown in the diagram earlier in this chapter
brings three additional signals out to three normally unconnected pins on the
15-pin .i.VGA connector;. Two of these signals are the two low-order digital
color signals, which are of use to flat panels supporting four shades of gray.
The third is the logical AND of the dot clock and the alternate blanking signal.
These three specific signals allow use of the .i.Fujitsu FPF8060;HRUK .i.plasma
display;. Other flat-panel displays may or may not work with the EPC-2,
depending on what video signals they require.
Note that gaining access to these signals requires construction of a custom
cable; for more details, see Chapter 6.
.i.monitor problemsUse of a flat-panel display may require a special software
driver; for instance Fujitsu distributes an .i.MS-DOS; driver with their FPF8060
display. For such displays that require software drivers, the EPC-2's BIOS
selftest screen may appear garbled or may not appear at all, because it is
displayed before the BIOS has booted the operating system.
Keyboard
The front panel contains a standard 5-pin PC/AT keyboard connector.
.i.keyboard errors;If the BIOS produces the message "KEYBOARD ERROR OR NO
KEYBOARD PRESENT" at time of power-on or reset, either no keyboard is present,
the keyboard cable is not firmly connected, a key was pressed, or the keyboard
is not a PC/AT compatible keyboard.
If you wish to operate your system without a keyboard, you must start with a
keyboard and invoke the BIOS .i.setup screen; to change the .i.configuration
errors; field to "ignore .i.keyboard errors;." The system can then be booted
with or without a keyboard.
Serial Ports
The front panel contains one or two DB-9 serial-port connectors. They are
identical to the .i.serial port;s labelled .i.COM1; and .i.COM2; in the PC/AT
and compatibles. They may be used for connecting a mouse, modem, serial
printer, .i.RS-232; link, etc. On the EPC-2x, only one serial port - COM1 -
exists.
The software drivers for most types of mouse detect the presence of the
.i.mouse; dynamically, so it usually doesn't matter to which port the mouse is
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connected. A common mistake is connecting the mouse too late (e.g., Microsoft
Windows looks for a mouse when .i.Windows; is first invoked, so plugging a mouse
in after Windows has been started has no effect).
Some PCs and PC peripherals contain DB-25 serial connectors instead of DB-9
connectors. Adapters converting from one to the other are readily available.
Parallel Printer Port
The .i.parallel port; on the front panel is compatible with the corresponding
.i.LPT1; connector on IBM PCs and compatibles. Typically it is used to connect
printers and software .i.security keys;..i.Printer port; A BIOS setup screen
parameter lets you configure it in "normal" mode (electrically identical to the
normal PC printer port) or in "input" mode (for use by parallel input devices,
such as .i.scanner;s).
On the EPC-2 (not EPC-2x) the connector is a standard DB-25 connector. On the
EPC-2x, the connector is a miniature 20-contact connector, compatible with a 3M
10320 plug or equivalent. The EPC-2x is supplied with an adapter cable that
converts this to a standard DB-25 connector.
GPIB Port
The .i.GPIB port; is a standard shielded IEEE-488 receptacle.
External Clock Input
The EPC-2 provides the option, when it is configured as the slot-0 controller,
of deriving the ECL .i.CLK10; signal from an internal oscillator or from a 10
MHz .i.external clock; source. An SMB connector is provided on the front panel.
Its input impedance is 50 ohms. The external clock signal must have TTL levels.
A function on the BIOS setup screen enables this external input.
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3. Operation
This chapter contains information about user operation of the EPC-2.
System Reset
There are several ways for the operator to perform a system reset: pressing the reset
switch on the front panel, simultaneously pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys on the
keyboard, invoking the BIOS setup program and following its instructions for reset, and
power-off/power-on.
The reset switch performs a hardware reset of the EPC-2 and invokes the BIOS initial-
ization routine, which performs a selftest of the hardware, initializes the EPC-2 hard-
ware, locates the disk drives, and tries to boot an operating system.
If a keyboard is attached, pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys causes a trap to the BIOS
for a software-controlled reset. It is similar to pressing the reset switch, except no initial
hardware reset occurs and only a subset of the selftest is performed. Unlike the reset
switch, CTRL+ALT+DEL sometimes has no effect. The reason is that it is handled by
software, and if the EPC-2 is currently "hung" somewhere in the operating system or
application program in a state where interrupts are disabled, or if software has taken
control of the keyboard interrupt, the CTRL+ALT+DEL sequence has no way of
interrupting the software.
Removing and reapplying power to the EPC-2 also causes a hardware reset.
*DISK DEVICES THAT AUTOMATICALLY PARK THEIR HEADS HAVE
BEEN KNOWN TO FAIL OCCASIONALLY IF POWER IS REAPPLIED TOO
QUICKLY.AFTER REMOVING POWER,WAIT 10 SECONDS OR MORE
BEFORE REAPPLYING POWER.
Generating VXIbus SYSRESET
When power is applied, the EPC-2 drives the VXIbus SYSRESET signal for at least the
minimum time required by the VXIbus specification. Resetting the EPC-2 via the reset
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
switch or keyboard does not cause the EPC-2 to assert SYSRESET. The EPC-2 con-
tains, however, a software-controllable register bit to allow software to assert SYS-
RESET.
Responding to VXIbus SYSRESET
A software-controllable register bit in the EPC-2 controls whether or not a hardware
reset of the EPC-2 occurs when the VXIbus SYSRESET signal is asserted.
Front Panel Indicators
The EPC-2 contains the following three LEDs:
Run This green LED should flicker during BIOS initialization and be lit thereafter.
It denotes that the 386 is performing a DRAM access. If the LED is off, the
most probable causes are (1) a "hung" condition has occurred in the operating-
system or application software and (2) a VXIbus access is being attempted but
the EPC-2 has not received a bus-grant signal. In the latter case, the usual rea-
sons are an error in setting the jumpers on the VXIbus backplane, not being
fully seated in the backplane, or a failure in the slot-0 system controller mod-
ule.
Fail This red LED can light only if the EPC-2 is configured as the VXIbus system
controller. If lit, it indicates that some module is driving the VXIbus SYSFAIL
line.
Test This software-controllable yellow LED is used by the BIOS. It is lit whenever
the BIOS is performing a hardware selftest, and is extinguished if and when the
selftest is successful. It is possible for application software to use this LED for
other purposes.
BIOS Screen Display
Whenever the EPC-2 is reset, information is displayed on the attached monitor showing
the status of the BIOS selftest and the amount of memory found. If everything proceeds
normally, the screen image should appear approximately as shown in the following
figure.
Page 14
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
386 Modular BIOS Copyright Award Software
Copyright 1988-1989 RadiSys Corporation BIOS
TESTING INTERRUPT CONTROLLER #1 . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING INTERRUPT CONTROLLER #2 . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING CMOS BATTERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING CMOS CHECKSUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING VME INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING VXI INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
SIZING SYSTEM MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . . . 640K FOUND
TESTING SYSTEM MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . . . 640K OK
CHECKING UNEXPECTED INTERRUPTS AND STUCK NMI . . . . . OK
TESTING PROTECTED MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
SIZING EXPANSION MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . 1024K FOUND
TESTING MEMORY IN PROTECTED MODE . . . . . . 1664K FOUND
TESTING PROCESSOR EXCEPTION INTERRUPTS . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING SERIAL PORT #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING SERIAL PORT #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING PARALLEL PORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
TESTING IEEE 488 INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK
If you are using a flat-panel display that requires loadable software drivers, this selftest
screen may appear as garbled or not at all. If you are using a SCSI disk drive, the bot-
tom of the screen will contain several messages from the SCSI BIOS.
For a 4 MB EPC-2 system, expect to see "3072K FOUND" for expansion memory. For
an 8 MB EPC-2 system, expect to see "7168K FOUND" for expansion memory. For 16
MB, you should see "15360K FOUND."
Error messages that you might encounter during the execution of the BIOS initialization
are:
KEYBOARD ERROR OR NO KEYBOARD PRESENT
This occurs if no keyboard is connected, if the keyboard is damaged or is not a PC/AT
keyboard, or if keys are pressed during the BIOS selftest.
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SCSI DISK FAILED
This occurs if the BIOS is expecting to find a bootable disk drive configured as SCSI
drive 0, but the drive is not present or has failed.
ERROR ENCOUNTERED INITIALIZING HARD DRIVE
ERROR INITIALIZING HARD DISK CONTROLLER
This occurs if the BIOS is expecting to find a bootable AT (IDE) disk drive, but the
drive is not present or has failed. Ensure that the EPC-2 is firmly seated in the back-
plane and that both 5V and 12V are available to the EPC-2.
DISKETTE DRIVES OR TYPES MISMATCH ERROR - RUN SETUP
Invoke the BIOS setup function as described in the next section and ensure that floppy
drive A is described as 1.44 MB and drive B is described as NONE. Then reset the
system.
EXM CONFIGURATION ERROR (EPC-2x only)
This error indicates that configuration information in the EPC-2's nonvolatile CMOS
RAM does not match the configuration of the actual EXM module in the EPC-2. You
may hit any key to continue the initialization sequence, but you should not run any
software that uses the EXMs until you correct the problem. To correct the problem, in-
voke the EXM setup screen as described in the next section.
BIOS Setup Screen
The EPC-2's BIOS contains a setup function to display and alter the system configura-
tion. Some of this information is maintained in the EPC-2's nonvolatile CMOS RAM
and is used by the BIOS to initialize the EPC-2 hardware. The remainder of the infor-
mation is maintained in a nonvolatile control register.
To invoke the setup function in a "booted" system, press simultaneously the
CTRL+ALT+ESC keys. This may be done during system operation in most, but not all
circumstances. Some programs that take control of the keyboard at a low level, such as
Windows 3.0, cause this key sequence to be interpreted differently, or not at all. It
should always work, however, when the standard operating system prompt is shown on
the screen. The setup function can be invoked prior to system booting by pressing
CTRL+ALT+ESC immediately after the initial selftest screen is cleared. (In older
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
models of the EPC-2, the setup screen can only be invoked immediately after the SCSI
Fixed Disk message appears near the bottom of the initial selftest screen appears.)
The main setup screen and two secondary ones will be similar to the following.
EPC-2 Setup Screen
20 MHz 386, 4 MBytes memory, no 387 present
Date (mm/dd/yy) 12/02/90
Time (hh:mm:ss) 09:34:56
Configuration Errors Halt on all errors
Diskette Drive A 1.4M 3.5 inch
Diskette Drive B None
Fixed Disk Drive C AT
Fixed Disk Drive D None
Bus Priority Pri 3
Bus Release Mechanism RONR
Bus Arbitration Priority
Slot 0 Functions Internal clock
Parallel Port Mode Normal (Printer)
VGA Monitor Color
Fixed Disk Menu
Fixed Disk Drive C: AT
Type 36 252 MBytes: 1024 Cyls, 8 Heads, 63 Sectors
Landing Zone: 1023 Precompensation: None
Fixed Disk Drive D: None
The EPC-2x has the following additional setup screen.
EXM Setup Screen
ID OB1 OB2
Slot 0 FF 00 00
1 FF 00 00
2 FF 00 00
3 FF 00 00
4 FF 00 00
5 FF 00 00
Some earlier models of the EPC-2 do not have the separate fixed disk menu; the disk
options are on the initial setup screen.
Use the up and down cursor (arrow) keys to move from field to field. For most fields,
once you are positioned at the field, pressing the left and right cursor (arrow) keys will
rotate through the available choices. Once the screen has been changed to appear as you
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EPC-2 HARDWARE REFERENCE
desire, press the F10 function key, then the F5 function key, to save the changes in
nonvolatile RAM and reboot. Press ESC to ignore any changes and exit.
The fields are explained below.
DATE and TIME
You change these values by moving the highlight to them and typing in the format
shown.
CONFIGURATION ERRORS
This field gives you several choices about the situations under which the BIOS should
wait for user input if a configuration error is found. The selections are (1) halt on all
errors, (2) ignore all errors, (3) ignore keyboard errors (allows operation without a key-
board), (4) ignore disk errors, and (5) ignore keyboard and disk errors.
DISKETTE DRIVE
This field gives you several choices about the type of floppy disk drives installed as the
A and B drives. Since the EPC-2 has a single 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy disk drive, the only
correct setting of these parameters is that shown above.
FIXED DISK DRIVE
This field shows the type of disk selected from the fixed disk menu. To see the detailed
characteristics of the device or to change the device, use the F3 function key to go to the
fixed disk menu. If you have a SCSI disk, there are no options to select other than
SCSI. (If you select SCSI for drive C, select SCSI also for nonexistent drive D.) If you
have an IDE disk (the default on the revised EPC-2), use disk type AT. A label on the
side of your EPC-2 should identify the specific drive installed. You can scroll through a
set of numbered types; for each the physical configuration is displayed. It is possible to
use a BIOS drive type that specifies a drive larger than the actual hard drive, which
ensures access to the entire actual hard drive. When doing so, you must use the disk
partitioning facilities provided by the operating system (e.g., FDISK) to tell the
operating system to use only the amount of actual disk space available on the drive.
Although many different drive types may be used, the following are suggested.
Drive Drive C
definition For DOS and OS/2 For Unix
SCSI SCSI Use FDISK; specify entire disk Not supported
40 MB At type 17 Use FDISK; specify entire disk Not supported
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100 MB AT type 33 Use FDISK; specify 115 MB maxi-
mum for all partitions Specify a maximum of 13950
tracks total for all partitions
200 MB AT type 36 Use FDISK; specify 200 MB maxi-
mum for all partitions Specify a maximum of 6550
tracks total for all partitions
50 MB AT type 12 Use FDISK; specify entire disk Automatic
110 MB AT type 40 Use FDISK; specify entire disk Automatic
240 MB AT type 39 Use FDISK; specify entire disk Automatic
400 MB AT type 41 Use FDISK; specify entire disk Automatic
BUS PRIORITY
This field allows you to select among the four VXIbus priority levels. This is the level
at which the EPC-2 will contend for the bus when it performs a VXIbus access.
BUS RELEASE METHOD
This field allows you to toggle between two bus release modes: ROR (release on re-
quest) and RONR (request on no request, also known as the VXI fair-requester mode).
ROR results in slightly better EPC-2 performance when accessing the VXIbus; RONR
directs the EPC-2 to not "park" on the bus and thus slightly improves the access time of
other VXIbus masters to the bus.
BUS ARBITRATION
This field toggles between the two arbitration algorithms provided by the EPC-2 when it
is configured as the slot-0 system controller: priority arbitration and round-robin ar-
bitration.
SLOT 0 FUNCTIONS
When the EPC-2 is configured as the slot-0 controller, this field allows you to specify
INTERNAL CLOCK, meaning that an internal oscillator will generate the 10 MHz
CLK10 signals, or EXTERNAL CLOCK, meaning that you are providing a front-panel
10 MHz clock input from which the EPC-2 should derive the CLK10 signals.
When the EPC-2 is configured as not a slot-0 controller (via the jumper settings de-
scribed in Chapter 2), this field must be set to NONE.
PARALLEL PORT MODE
The printer port can be configured in two modes. NORMAL (PRINTER) mode con-
figures the port identically to the configuration in most PCs. INPUT ONLY
(SCANNER) configures it for parallel input devices.
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