SOYO SY-K7VTA PRO User manual

SY-K7VTA
Motherboard
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AMD® Athlon/Duron
Processor supported
VIA KT133 AGP/PCI Motherboard
200 MHz Front Side Bus supported
ATX Form Factor
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User's Manual

SOYO™SY-K7VTA
ii
Copyright © 2000 by Soyo Computer Inc.
Trademarks:
Soyo is the registered trademark of Soyo Computer Inc. All trademarks are the
properties of their owners.
Product Rights:
All names of the product and corporate mentioned in this publication are used for
identification purposes only. The registered trademarks and copyrights belong to
their respective companies.
Copyright Notice:
All rights reserved. This manual has been copyrighted by Soyo Computer Inc. No
part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, translated into any
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as by electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise,
without permission in writing from Soyo Computer Inc.
Disclaimer:
Soyo Computer Inc. makes no representations or warranties regarding the contents
of this manual. We reserve the right to amend the manual or revise the
specifications of the product described in it from time to time without obligation to
notify any person of such revision or amend. The information contained in this
manual is provided to our customers for general use. Customers should be aware
that the personal computer field is subject to many patents. All of our customers
should ensure that their use of our products does not infringe upon any patents. It is
the policy of Soyo Computer Inc. to respect the valid patent rights of third parties
and not to infringe upon or to cause others to infringe upon such rights.
Restricted Rights Legend:
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions set
forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at 252.277-7013.
About This Guide:
This Quick Start Guide can help system manufacturers and end users in setting up
and installing the Motherboard. Information in this guide has been carefully
checked for reliability; however, to the correctness of the contents there is no
guarantee given. The information in this document is subject to amend without
notice.
For further information, please visit our Web Site on the Internet. The address is
"http://www.soyo.com.tw".
Edition: October 2000
Version 1.0
K7VTA SERIAL
FC
CTested To Comply
With FCC Standards
FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE
POST CONSUMER
RECYCLED PAPER100%

Table of Contents SY-K7VTA
iii
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 MOTHERBOARD DESCRIPTION...............................1
1-1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................1
1-2 KEY FEATURES...............................................................1
1-3 ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PRECAUTIONS.........5
1-4 SY-K7VTA MOTHERBOARD LAYOUT........................6
1-5 SY-K7VTA MOTHERBOARD COMPONENTS.............7
1-6 MICROPROCESSOR........................................................9
1-7 MEMORY........................................................................10
1-8 CHIPSET .........................................................................12
1-9 I/O INTERFACE CONTROLLER...................................15
1-10 HARDWARE MONITOR................................................17
1-11 WAKE ON LAN TECHNOLOGY..................................18
CHAPTER 2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION...................................19
2-1 PREPARATIONS.............................................................19
2-2 UNPACKING THE MOTHERBOARD ..........................20
2-3 INSTALLATION GUIDE................................................21
2-3.1 CPU Installation ...........................................................22
2-3.2 SDRAM Memory Module Installation...........................26
2-3.3 Motherboard Connector................................................28
2-3.4 Jumper Setting...............................................................42
2-3.5 CMOS Clearing (JP5)...................................................43
2-3.6 Power On ......................................................................44
2-3.7 Quick BIOS Setup..........................................................45
2-3.8 Troubleshooting at First Start.......................................46
2-3.9 Power Off......................................................................49
CHAPTER 3 BIOS SETUP UTILITY.................................................50
3-1 SOYO COMBO SETUP...................................................53

Table of Contents SY-K7VTA
iv
3-2 STANDARD CMOS SETUP............................................56
3-3 ADVANCED BIOS FEATURES......................................59
3-4 ADVANCED CHIPSET FEATURES...............................63
3-5 INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS.......................................68
3-6 POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP..................................73
3-7 PNP/PCI CONFIGURATION SETUP..............................77
3-8 PC HEALTH STATUS......................................................80
3-9 LOAD FAIL-SAFE DEFAULTS......................................82
3-10 LOAD OPTIMIZED DEFAULTS.....................................83
3-11 SUPERVISOR PASSWORD............................................84
3-12 USER PASSWORD..........................................................85
3-13 IDE HDD AUTO DETECTION.......................................86
3-14 BOOT MENU...................................................................87
CHAPTER 4 DRIVER INSTALLATION.............................................88

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
1
Chapter 1
MOTHERBOARD DESCRIPTION
1-1 INTRODUCTION
The SY-K7VTA AGP/PCI Motherboard is a high-performance Socket 462
ATX form-factor system board. The SY-K7VTA uses VIA Chipset
technology and supports Socket 462 class processors. This Motherboard is
fully compatible with industry standards and adds many technical
enhancements.
1-2 KEY FEATURES
ØCPU SUPPORT
The SY-K7VTA supports THE FOLLOWING AMD CPUs:
nAMD ® AthlonTM (750MHz~1GHz+)
nAMD ® DuronTM (600MHz~750MHz+)
New released AMD Socket 462 CPUs will very likely be supported by the
SY-K7VTA as well.
ØCPU SETTINGS
The SY-K7VTA provides the user with a very complete and convenient
CPU setting environment. The CPU settings are all adjusted through the
special SOYO COMBO page in the BIOS, therefore rendering the use of
jumpers obsolete.
nCPU Frequency
The SY-K7VTA supports an incredible wide range of CPU frequency
settings:
600,650,700,750,800,850,900,950,1000+MHz.
This gives the SY-K7VTA an overwhelming overclocking potential.

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
2
nCPU Multiplier
ØEXPANDABILITY
The SY-K7VTA provides all the standard expansion slots, and many more
additional expansion features:
uExpansion slots
n1 x 32-bit bus master AGP slot
n5 x 32-bit bus master PCI slots
n1 x 16-bit ISA slots
uEnhanced IO
nFloppy disk controller
n2x EIDE controllers with support for up to 4 Ultra DMA 33/66
devices
nStandard/EPP/ECP parallel port
n2x 16550 compatible serial ports
nIrDA compatible infrared port
n4x USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectors
nPS/2 mouse connector
nPS/2 keyboard connector

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
3
ØADVANCED FUNCTIONS
The SY-K7VTA supports advanced functions such as:
nWake-On-LAN
Supports Wake-On-LAN (Some advanced network cards can
wake the system up over the network, the WOL connector is
provided by the SY-K7VTA to support this function).
nMultiple boot
The SY-K7VTA supports booting from devices such as CD-ROM,
FLOPPY DRIVE & HDD, LS120, SCSI, ZIP.
nPower on by modem or alarm
If the SY-K7VTA system is in suspend mode, it can be switched back
on through the modem or RTC alarm function. This opens a lot of
possibilities, such as remote access that switches the system on only
after the modem receives a call.
ØFAIL SAFE
The SY-K7VTA comes with added functionality to make managing the
system easy and safe
uHardware Monitor
The integrated Hardware Monitor IC and Hardware doctor software
enables the user to monitor system voltages, temperatures and FAN speeds.
This makes sure that the user is in full control of the system
uPower Failure Resume Function
This function can be set in the BIOS, and determines whether the system
will automatically turn on again after a power failure. This function is
indispensable for server systems that need to always be on line.
ØNORTON SOFTWARE PACKAGE
ØCOMPLIANCE
The SY-K7VTA complies with all important industry standards. The
following underlines the reliability of the SY-K7VTA, a motherboard to
trust.
nPC99, ACPI compliant

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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ØUSER FRIENDLY
nSOYO Combo Setup
nJumperless design
nYou can set up the following options trough the BIOS setting
CPU FSB frequency
CPU multiplier by H/W switch
CPU Vcore voltage
PCI clock
AGP Clock
SDRAM Clock
ØVoice Doctor
If the system does not boot-up properly, the Voice Doctor will inform the user by
voice through internal/external speaker at what point in boot-up sequence the
problem arises.
Below are the possible errors the user may encounter:
1. The Processor might be damage or not installed properly
2. The memory module might be damage or not installed properly
3. VGA card might be damage or not inserted properly
4. No Keyboard connected
5. Defective HD-Driver (IDE)
6. Floppy might error

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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ØHANDLING THE MOTHERBOARD
To avoid damage to your Motherboard, follow these simple rules while
unpacking:
ØBefore handling the Motherboard, ground yourself by grasping an
unpainted portion of the system's metal chassis.
ØRemove the Motherboard from its anti-static packaging. Hold the
Motherboard by the edges and avoid touching its components.
ØCheck the Motherboard for damage. If any chip appears loose, press
carefully to seat it firmly in its socket.
Warning: Do not apply power if the Motherboard appears
damaged. If there is damage to the board, contact your dealer
immediately.
1-3 ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PRECAUTIONS
Make sure to ground yourself before handling the Motherboard or other
system components. Electrostatic discharge can easily damage the
components. Note that you must take special precautions when handling
the Motherboard in dry or air-conditioned environment.
To protect your equipment from electrostatic discharge, take the following
precautions:
ØDo not remove the anti-static packaging until you are ready to install.
ØGround yourself before removing any system component from its
protective anti-static packaging. (To ground yourself, grasp the expansion
slot covers or other unpainted portions of the computer chassis.)
ØFrequently ground yourself while working or use a grounding strap.
ØHandle the Motherboard by its edges and avoid touching its
components.

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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1-4 SY-K7VTA MOTHERBOARD LAYOUT
Back Panel SY-K7VTA Platform
PRT
PS/2 KB
Connector
PS/2 Mouse
Connector
ATX Power
LINE-OUT
LINE-IN
MIC-IN
GAME
COM1
COM2
USB 1_2
SDRAM
SDRAM
®
VT8363
AGP Slot
3V
Lithium
Battery
JP5
1
3
J3
J4
1 3
J2
1
3
JP7
1
3
CDIN1
1
4
ISA Slot
PCI Slot #5
Flash BIOS
PCI Slot #1
PCI Slot #4
PCI Slot #3
PCI Slot #2
IDE 1
IDE 2
FLP
Sigmatel
STAC9721
®
VT82C686A
RJ1

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
7
1-5 SY-K7VTA MOTHERBOARD COMPONENTS
SDRAM
SDRAM
®
®
A
B
D
E
F
H
G
J
I
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
X
Y
W
Z
C

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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AATX Power Supply Connector
BSocket 462 Connector
CRatio adjustment setting Jumper
DVia VT8363 North Bridge chip
EDIMM Banks
FCPU Cooling Fan Connector
GRatio adjustment setting switch
HRatio adjustment setting Jumper
IBus Mastering E-IDE/ATAPI Ports
JFloppy Disk Drive (FDD) Port
KCMOS Clear Jumper
LVia VT82C686A South Bridge Chip
MUSB3_4 Connectors
N3V Lithium Battery
OChassis Cooling Fan
PFront panel connectors
QFlash BIOS
RSerial Infrared (IrDA) Device Header
S16-bit ISA Slot
T32-bit PCI Mastering Slots
UVoice Doctor Language Setting Jumper
VWake-On-LAN (WOL) Header
WAC97 Codec Chip
X32-bit AGP 1X/2X/4X Slot
YCD In Connector
ZBack panel Connectors

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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1-6 MICROPROCESSOR
The motherboard supports a single Socket 462 processor. The processor’s
VID pins automatically program the voltage regulator on the motherboard
to the required processor voltage. In addition, the front side bus speed (200
MHz ) is automatically selected. The motherboard supports all current
Socket 462 processor speeds, voltages, and bus frequencies.
1-6.1 Microprocessor Packaging
The CPU is packaged in a 462 pin PGA package. A fan must be used
to ensure adequate cooling.
1-6.2 Second Level Cache
The second-level cache is located on the substrate of the CPU package.
The cache includes Athlon-256KB / Duron-64KB of synchronous
pipelined burst static RAM. All supported onboard memory can be
cached.
1-6.3 Microprocessor Upgrades
The motherboard can be upgraded with Socket 462 processors that run at
higher speeds. When upgrading the processor, use the BIOS configuration
mode to change the processor speed.

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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1-7 MEMORY
1-7.1 Main Memory
The motherboard has three DIMM sockets. SDRAM can be installed in
one, two, or three sockets. Using the serial presence detect (SPD) data
structure, programmed into an E²PROM on the DIMM, the BIOS can
determine the SDRAM’s size and speed. Minimum DIMM memory size is
8 MB; maximum DIMM memory size is 256/512 MB. Memory size and
speed can vary between sockets.
The motherboard supports the following memory features:
DRAM interface synchronous with host CPU (66/100/133MHz)or
AGP (66MHz) for more flexible configuration
DRAM interface may be faster than CPU by 33 MHz to allow use
of PC133 memory modules
DRAM interface may be slower than CPU by 33 MHz to allow use
of older memory modules with newer CPUs
Concurrent CPU, AGP, and PCI access
Supports SDRAM and VCM SDRAM memory types
Different DRAM types may be used in mixed combinations
Different DRAM timing for each bank
Dynamic Clock Enable (CKE) control for SDRAM power
reduction in high speed system.
Mixed 1M/2M/4M/8M/16M/32MxN DRAMs
The K7VTA supports 3 DIMMs or 6 banks at 133MHz for 1.5GB
(max memory)
Flexible row and column addresses
64-bit data width and 3.3V DRAM interface
Programmable I/O drive capability for MA, command, and MD
signals
Supports PC100 and PC133 SDRAM
Two-bank interleaving for 16Mbit SDRAM support
Two-bank and four bank interleaving for 64Mbit SDRAM support
Independent SDRAM control for each bank

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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Seamless DRAM command scheduling for maximum DRAM bus
utilization (e.g., precharge other banks while accessing the current
bank)
Four cache lines (32quadwords) of CPU to DRAM write buffers
Four cache lines 32 quadwords of CPU to DRAM read prefetch
buffers
Read around write capability for non-stalled CPU read
Burst read and write operation
BIOS shadow at 16KB increment
Decoupled and burst DRAM refresh with staggered RAS timing
CAS before RAS or self refresh

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
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1-8 CHIPSET
ØVT8363
The KT133 chip set consists of the VT8363 system controller (552 pin
BGA) and the VT82C686A PCI to ISA bridge (352 pin BGA). The
system controller provides superior performance between the CPU,
DRAM, AGP bus, and PCI bus with pipelined, burst, and concurrent
operation.
The VT8363 support six banks of DRAMs up to 1.5GB. The DRAM
controller supports standard Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) and Virtual
Channel SDRAM (VC SDRAM), in a flexible mix / match manner. The
Synchronous DRAM interface allows zero wait state bursting between the
DRAM and the data buffers at 66/100/133 MHz. The six banks of
DRAM can be composed of an arbitrary mixture of 1M / 2M / 4M / 8M /
16M / 32MxN DRAMs.
The VT8363 system controller also supports full AGP v2.0 capability for
maximum bus utilization including 1x, 2x and 4x mode transfers, SBA
(SideBand Addressing), Flush/fence commands, and pipelined grants.
An eight level request queue plus a four level post-write request queue
with thirty-two and sixteen quadwords of read and write data FIFO’s
respectively are included for deep pipelined and split AGP transactions.
A single-level GART TLB with 16 full associative entries and flexible
CPU / AGP / PCI remapping control is also provided for operation under
protected mode operating environments. Both Windows-95 VXD and
Windows-98 / Windows 2000 miniport drivers are supported for
interoperability with major AGP-based 3D and DVD-capable multimedia
accelerators.
The VT8363 supports two 32-bit 3.3 / 5V system buses (one AGP and one
PCI) that are synchronous / pseudo-synchronous to the CPU bus. The
chip also contains a built-in bus-to-bus bridge to allow simultaneous
concurrent operations on each bus. Five levels (doublewords) of post
write buffers are included to allow for concurrent CPU and PCI operation.
For PCI master operation, forty-eight levels (doublewords) of post write

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
13
buffers and sixteen levels (doublewords) of prefetch buffers are included
for concurrent PCI bus and DRAM/cache accesses. The chip also
supports enhanced PCI bus commands such as Memory-Read-Line,
Memory-Read-Multiple and Memory-Write-Invalid commands to
minimize snoop overhead. In addition, advanced features are supported
such as snoop ahead, snoop filtering, L1/L2 write-back forward to PCI
master, and L1/L2 write-back merged with PCI post write buffers to
minimize PCI master read latency and DRAM utilization. Delay
transaction and read caching mechanisms are also implemented for further
improvement of overall system performance.
ØVT82C686A
The VT82C686A PSIPC (PCI Super-I/O integrated Peripheral Controller)
is a high integration, high performance, power-efficient, and high
compatibility device that supports AMD and non-AMD based processor to
PCI bus bridge functionality to make a complete Microsoft PC99-
compliant PCI/ISA system In addition to complete ISA extension bus
functionality, the VT82C686A includes standard AMDligent peripheral
controllers:
1)Master mode enhanced IDE controller with dual channel DMA engine
and interlaced dual channel commands. Dedicated FIFO coupled with
scatter and gather master mode operation allows high performance
transfers between PCI and IDE \devices. In addition to standard PIO and
DMA mode operation, the VT82C686A also supports the UltraDMA-33
standard to allow reliable data transfer rates up to 33MB/sec throughput.
The VT82C686A also supports the UltraDMA-66 standard. The IDE
controller is SFF-8038I v1.0 and Microsoft Windows-family compliant.
2)Universal Serial Bus controller that is USB v1.1 and Universal HCI
v1.1 compliant. The VT82C686A includes the root hub with four
function ports with integrated physical layer transceivers. The USB
controller allows hot plug and play and isochronous peripherals to be
inserted into the system with universal driver support. The controller
also implements legacy keyboard and mouse support so that legacy

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
14
software can run transparently in non-USB-aware operating system
environment.
3)Keyboard controller with PS2 mouse support.
4)Real Time Clock with 256 byte extended CMOS. In addition to the
standard ISA RTC functionality, the integrated RTC also includes the
date alarm, century field, and other enhancements for compatibility with
the ACPI standard.
5)Hardware monitoring subsystem for managing system/ motherboard
voltage levels, temperatures, and fan speeds
6)Full System Management Bus (SMBus) interface.
7)Two 16550-compatible serial I/O ports with infrared communications
port option. A third serial port is available to be dedicated to the IR
interface.
8)Integrated PCI-mastering dual full-duplex direct-sound AC97-link-
compatible sound system. Hardware soundblaster-pro and hardware-
assisted FM blocks are included for Windows DOS box and real-mode
DOS compatibility. Loopback capability is also implemented for
directing mixed audio streams into USB and 1394 speakers for high
quality digital audio
9)Two game ports and One MIDI port
10) ECP/EPP-capable parallel port
11) Standard floppy disk drive interface
12) Distributed DMA capability for support O ISA legacy DMA over
the PCI bus. Serial IRQ is also supported for docking and non-docking
application.
13) Plug and Play controller that allows complete steerability of all PCI
interrupts and internal interrupts/ DMA channels to any interrupt
channel. One additional steerable interrupt channel is provided to allow
plug and play and reconfigurability of onboard peripherals for Windows
family compliance.
The VT82C686A also enhances the functionality of the standard ISA
peripherals. The integrated interrupt controller supports both edge and

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
15
level triggered interrupts channel by channel. The integrated DMA
controller supports type F DMA in addition to standard ISA DMA modes.
Compliant with the PCI2.2 specification, the VT83C686A supports
delayed transactions and remote power management so that slower ISA
peripherals do not block the traffic of the PCI bus. Special circuitry is built
in to allow concurrent operation without causing dead lock even in a PCI-
to PCI bridge environment. The chip also includes eight levels
(doublewords) of line buffers from the PCI bus to the ISA bus to further
enhance overall system performance.
1-9 I/O INTERFACE CONTROLLER
The motherboard uses the VT82C686A Super-I/O controller which
features:
ØSupports 2 serial ports, IR port, parallel port, and floppy disk
controller functions
ØTwo UARTs for Complete Serial Ports
Even, odd, stick or no parity bit generation and detection
Programmable baud rate generator
High speed baud rate (230Kbps, 460Kbps) support
Independent transmit/receiver FIFOs
Modem Control
Plug and play with 96 base IO address and 12 IRQ options
ØOne dedicated IR port
Third serial port dedicated to IR function
IR function either through the two complete serial ports or the
third dedicated port
Infrared-IrDA (HPSIR) and ASK (Amplitude Shift Keyed) IR
ØMulti-mode parallel port
Standard mode, ECP and EPP support
Plug and play with 192 base IO address, 12 IRQ and 4 DMA
options
ØFloppy Disk Controller
16bytes of FIFO

Motherboard Description SY-K7VTA
16
Data rates up to 1Mbps
Perpendicular recording driver support
Two FDDs with drive swap support
Plug and play with 48 base IO address, 12 IRQ and 4 DMA
options
The Setup program provides configuration option for the I/O controller.
1-9.1 Serial Ports
The motherboard has two 9-pin D-Sub serial port connectors located on
the back panel. The NS16C5450-compatible UARTs support data transfers
at speeds up to 115.2 Kbits/sec with BIOS support.
1-9.2 Parallel Port
The connector for the multimode bi-directional parallel port is a 25-pin D-
Sub connector located on the back panel of the motherboard. In the Setup
program, there are four options for parallel port operation:
lCompatible (standard mode)
lBi-directional (PS/2 compatible)
lBi-directional EPP. A driver from the peripheral manufacturer is
required for operation.
lBi-directional high-speed ECP
1-9.3 Diskette Drive Controller
The I/O controller is software compatible with the 82077 diskette drive
controller and supports both PC-AT and PS/2 modes. In the Setup program,
the diskette drive interface can be configured for the following diskette
drive capacities and sizes.
l360 KB, 5.25-inch
l1.2 MB, 5.25-inch
l720 KB, 3.5-inch
l1.2 MB. 3.5-inch (driver required)
l1.25-1.44 MB, 3.5-inch
l2.88 MB, 3.5-inch