Acer Altos 12000 Series User Manual
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Acer Altos 12000 Series User Manual

Acer Altos 12000 Series User Manual

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Altos 12000 Series
User's Guide

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  • Page 1 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 2: Altos 12000 Series User's Guide

    Further, Acer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revisions or changes. Acer reserves the right to make changes to the products described in this manual at any time and without notice.
  • Page 3 The software is the property of Acer or Acer’s supplier and you do not have and shall not gain any proprietary interest in the software (including any modifications or copies made by or for you) or any related intellectual property rights.

  • Page 4: Important Safety Instructions

    11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 5 12. Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. 13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: a.
  • Page 6 FCC Class B Radio Frequency Interference Statement Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    2.1 External and Internal Structure ..............2-2 2.1.1 Front Panel ..................2-2 2.1.2 Rear Panel..................2-4 2.1.3 Internal Components..............2-6 2.2 Opening the Housing Panels ..............2-8 2.2.1 Removing the Left and Right Panel ..........2-8 viii Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 8 2.2.2 Opening the Front Panel Door............. 2-10 2.3 Installing and Removing Storage Devices ..........2-12 2.3.1 Installing and Removing a 3.5-inch Storage Device....2-12 2.3.2 Installing and Removing a 5.25-inch Storage Device....2-16 2.4 Installing a Hot-swappable SCSI Drive ..........2-20 2.5 Installing and Removing a Hot-swappable Redundant Power Supply Module .....................
  • Page 9 4.2.9 IDE Secondary Channel Master ............ 4-6 4.2.10 IDE Secondary Channel Slave ............4-7 4.2.11 Total Memory ................. 4-7 4.2.12 Serial Port 1 ..................4-7 4.2.13 Serial Port 2 ..................4-7 4.2.14 Parallel Port..................4-7 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 10 4.2.15 PS/2 Mouse..................4-8 4.3 Product Information.................. 4-8 4.3.1 Product Name................. 4-8 4.3.2 System S/N ..................4-8 4.3.3 Main Board ID ................4-9 4.3.4 Main Board S/N ................4-9 4.3.5 System BIOS Version..............4-9 4.3.6 SMBIOS Version ................4-9 4.4 Disk Drives....................4-10 4.4.1 Floppy Drives................
  • Page 11 5.2 SCSISelect Utility Options ................. 5-4 5.2.1 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Menu......5-5 5.2.2 SCSI Disk Utilities................. 5-19 5.3 Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers ..........5-21 5.4 SCSI Troubleshooting Checklist ............. 5-22 5.5 BIOS Startup Messages ................5-23 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 12 5.5.1 Device connected, but not ready ..........5-24 5.5.2 Start unit request failed..............5-25 Index List of Figures 5.1 SCSISelect Screen..................5-4 5.2 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen (1 of 2)......5-5 5.3 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen (2 of 2)......5-6 5.4 Host Adapter SCSI ID Selection Screen for AIC-7896 ......

  • Page 13: About This Manual

    About this Manual This user’s guide provides information about how to set up and operate the Altos 12000 system. Manual Structure This user’s guide consists of an introduction, five chapters, and an index. Chapter 1 Getting Started This chapter illustrates how to prepare the system for installation, connect the cables, start up the system, and turn off system power.
  • Page 14 This chapter explains the BIOS parameter functions. It tells how to configure the system by setting the parameters. Chapter 5 SCSISelect Configuration Utility This chapter describes the SCSISelect Configuration Utility, which allows you to change SCSI controller settings without opening the computer or changing jumpers. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 15 Conventions The following conventions are used in this manual: Represents the actual keys that you have to press on the keyboard. NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional information related to the current topic. WARNING Alerts you to any danger that might result from doing or not doing specific actions.

  • Page 16: Introduction

    Introduction The Altos 12000 is a dual-processor system built on an extended ATX baseboard utilizing two Intel® Pentium® II Xeon ™ or Pentium® III Xeon™ processors. It is integrated with the Intel 440GX system controller, which consists of the PCI/AGP controller and the PCI/ISA IDE accelerator (PIIX4E).
  • Page 17 Two 16-bit Ultra2 SCSI interfaces (Small Computer System Interface) and an 8-bit fast narrow SCSI interface on the system board allow connection of SCSI devices. The system board contains two USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectors, and other standard features such as two UART NS16C550 serial ports, one enhanced parallel port with Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)/Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) feature, a diskette drive interface, and two embedded hard disk interfaces.

  • Page 18: Chapter 1 Getting Started

    Clean and dust-free • Sturdy surface free from vibration • Well-ventilated and away from sources of heat • Secluded from electromagnetic fields produced by electrical devices such as air conditioners, radio and TV transmitters, etc. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 19: Checking The Package Contents

    1.1.2 Checking the Package Contents The System Contents sheet, located inside the box, lists what is included with the system. If any of the items are damaged or missing, contact your dealer immediately. Save the boxes and packing materials for future use. One pair of system keys is inside the front panel door.

  • Page 20: Preparing The System Unit

    2. After moving, lock the wheels by pressing the levers down. Be sure to unlock the wheels when you want to move the system again. 3. Connect the system power cable into the power supply module on the rear panel. See section 2.5. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 21: Basic Connections

    Basic Connections The system unit, keyboard, mouse, and monitor constitute the basic system. Before connecting any other peripherals, connect these peripherals first to test if the basic system is running properly. 1.2.1 Connecting a Keyboard Index...

  • Page 22: Connecting A Mouse

    1.2.2 Connecting a Mouse Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 23: Connecting A Vga Monitor

    1.2.3 Connecting a VGA Monitor Index xxiii...

  • Page 24: System Startup

    Power indicator LED on the front bezel lights up (green) • Power, Num Lock, and Caps Lock LED indicators on the keyboard light • Power supply power LED located at the back of the system lights up (green) Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 25: Power-On Problems

    Power-on Problems If the system does not boot after you have applied power, check the following factors that might have caused the boot failure. The pointing symbol ( * ) indicates a possible cause of the problem. The check mark ( 4 ) tells you how to correct the problem. The external power cable may be loosely connected.

  • Page 26: Installing Optional Components

    Be sure to unplug the power cord before you remove or reinstall the RDM module. Refer to the RDM User’s Guide. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 27: Esd Precautions

    1.5.1 ESD Precautions Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your processor, disk drives, expansion boards, and other components. Always observe the following precautions before you install a system component. 1. Do not remove a component from its protective packaging until you are ready to install it.

  • Page 28: Post-Installation Instructions

    2. Make sure you have set all the required jumpers. See section 3.4 for the correct system board jumper settings. 3. Replace any expansion boards or peripherals that you removed earlier. 4. Replace the system cover. 5. Connect the necessary cables and turn on the system. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 29: Chapter 2 System Housing

    Chapter 2 System Housing The Altos 12000 system housing is a heavy-duty steel chassis in a twin-tower design. The spacious housing provides high expansion capability and flexible configuration. It can be converted to fit into a rack mount cabinet by using the Altos 12000 Rack Mount Kit.

  • Page 30: External And Internal Structure

    LED indicators, and an embedded reset switch. The right part contains the hot-swappable SCSI hard disk drive bays with 8 drive trays for SCSI drives. One pair of system keys is inside the front panel door. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 31 Description LCD Display Screen Indicates boot status as well as any BIOS check point errors encountered (Not Available on upon system initialization Altos 12000) 3.5-inch Diskette A 3.5-inch diskette drive comes with the Drive system CD-ROM Drive An IDE CD-ROM drive comes with the system 5.25-inch Drive Bays...

  • Page 32: Rear Panel

    2.1.2 Rear Panel The rear panel includes the system fan, the connectors for the keyboard, mouse, VGA monitor, printer, and serial devices, the slot openings for expansion boards, and the power supply. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 33 Item Description PS/2 keyboard port Connects to PS/2 keyboards Serial port 2 Connects to serial devices (e.g., serial mouse) Serial port 1 Connects to serial devices (e.g., serial mouse) PS/2 mouse port Connects to the PS/2 mouse Parallel port Connects to parallel devices (printer) USB ports Connects to USB devices LAN port...

  • Page 34: Internal Components

    These devices on the front section are externally accessible. Here is a diagram of the system components on the left panel of the system housing. Hot-swappable Redundant Fans Expansion Slots System Board Hot-swappable 3.5-inch Redundant Fans 5.25-inch Drive Bay Drive Bays Ventilation Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 35 Right Panel The power subsystem occupies most of the rear right panel. It consists of a power backplane board and a metal rack that holds up to three 430-watt redundant power supply modules. A fan module should be installed whenever a power supply is removed to provide the system with regular cooling.

  • Page 36: Opening The Housing Panels

    2.2.1 Removing the Left and Right Panel A micro-switch is located on the left side of the housing panel. It helps indicate whether the panel is removed or intact. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 37 To remove the left or right panel: 1. Turn off the power to the system unit and unplug all cables. 2. Place the system unit on a flat, steady surface and lock the wheels by pressing the levers down. 3. Remove the screws from the left or right panel. Set the screws aside. You will need them when reinstalling the panel.

  • Page 38: Opening The Front Panel Door

    A security lock secures the front door to protect against unauthorized access. To open the front door: 1. Insert the key into the lock and turn it clockwise until it points to the unlocked padlock icon. 2. Pull the front door open. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 39 Removing the Front Panel Door The doors are attached to the main housing by detachable hinges. Follow these steps to remove the door: 1. Unlock the door with the key (if necessary). 2. Open the door to a 45° angle (or more). 3.

  • Page 40: Installing And Removing Storage Devices

    The housing comes with a drive guide for installing 3.5-inch storage devices. To install a 3.5-inch storage device: 1. Open the front panel door and remove the left panel. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 41 2. Attach the drive guide to the external device as shown below. 3. Secure the drive with four screws. Index...
  • Page 42 4. Insert the drive into the bay. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 43 5. Secure the drive with a screw. The screw hole is located on the side of the housing. 6. Connect the power and data cables to the external device. 7. Close the left panel. Index xliii...

  • Page 44: Installing And Removing A 5.25-Inch Storage Device

    The housing comes with a drive guide for installing 5.25-inch internal storage devices. To install a 5.25-inch storage device: 1. Open the front panel door and remove the left panel. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 45 2. Remove two screws to detach the metal cover. 3. Attach the drive guides on the sides of the external device as shown below. Index...
  • Page 46 4. Insert the drive into the bay. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 47 5. Secure the drive with two screws as shown below. 6. Connect the power cable and data cables to the external device. 7. Close the left panel. To remove a 5.25-inch storage device: 1. Open the front panel door and remove the left panel. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels.

  • Page 48: Installing A Hot-Swappable Scsi Drive

    The system supports up to eight hot-swappable drive trays. Follow these steps to install a hot-swap SCSI drive: 1. Open the front panel door. 2. Use your finger to release the drive tray as shown below and then pull it out. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 49 3. Secure the hard disk drive with four screws. 4. Install the tray into the drive bay, pushing it gently until it reaches the connector on the backplane board. 5. Push the lever back until it clicks into place. Index xlix...

  • Page 50: Installing And Removing A Hot-Swappable Redundant Power Supply Module

    The power subsystem provides a standby electric current and a remote on and off feature to support remote cold reboot. See the Remote Diagnostic Manager (RDM) User’s Guide for more information. Some configurations of the Altos 12000 system have one power supply module while others have two power supply modules.

  • Page 51: To Install A Power Supply Module

    2.5.1 To Install a power supply module: 1. Insert the power supply into the housing. Make sure that the power supply is properly inserted, as shown above. 2. Secure the power supply with the screw knobs on both sides. Index...
  • Page 52 3. Connect a power cable to the power. Plug it into an electrical socket. The green LED on the back of the power supply lights up when the power supply is functioning properly. The power supply that is supplied with the system accepts input voltage of 100V~240V, 50~60Hz. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 53: To Remove A Power Supply Module

    2.5.2 To remove a power supply module: 1. Detach the power cable from the electrical outlet and also from the power supply. 2. Unscrew the screw knobs and carefully pull out the power supply until it detaches from the housing. Index liii...

  • Page 54: Installing And Removing A Hot-Swappable Redundant Housing Fan

    You don’t even have to shut down the system. 2.6.1 To change a rear hot-swap housing fan: 1. Turn the screw knob counter clockwise to open the housing fan cage. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 55 2. Push the clip down and carefully pull the housing fan out. Clip 3. Slide in a new housing fan. The power indicator lights up. 4. Close the housing fan cage and turn the screw knob clockwise to lock it. Index...

  • Page 56: To Change A Front Hot-Swap Housing Fan

    1. Remove the left panel. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels. 2. Push the clip down and carefully pull the housing fan out. Clip 3. Insert a new housing fan. 4. Close the left panel. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 57: Installing An Expansion Board

    Installing an Expansion Board Follow these steps to install a PCI expansion board: 1. Remove the left panel of the housing. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels. 2. Remove the bracket cover opposite an empty PCI slot. Save the screw for later use.
  • Page 58 5. Secure the board with a screw. 6. Follow the same steps when installing an ISA or AGP board. Just make sure that you remove the bracket cover opposite the appropriate slot. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 59: Cable Connections

    Cable Connections The power backplane is complete with connectors to accommodate the power cables for all the system components. The figure below illustrates the power cables that connect to the system board, power backplane board, and the SCSI backplane board. SCSI Backplane Board Bottom Power Backplane Board...
  • Page 60 4. Floppy Disk Drive, IDE Devices, and SCSI Device Connectors System Board Devices CN28 Floppy Disk Drive CN27 IDE Devices CN33 50-pin SCSI Devices 5. LVD SCSI Channel B Connector System Board SCSI Backplane Board CN29 CN12 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 61: Chapter 3 System Board

    Chapter 3 System Board Overview This chapter describes the system board and the SCSI backplane board in detail. At the end of the chapter, you will find an explanation of error messages and corresponding corrective measures. The chapter is divided into the following sections: •...

  • Page 62: Major Components

    One 50-pin fast SCSI and two 68-pin Ultra2 SCSI • I/O APIC device for SMP interrupt support • Integrates an enhanced PCI local bus IDE controller • Intel 440GX chipset supports AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) and Ultra DMA/33 functions Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 63 • 10/100 Mb/s Intel 82558 LAN chip • Two 24-pin RDM interfaces • IDE hard disk and diskette drive interfaces • Super I/O, SCSI, memory, Advanced Server Management (ASM) and LAN Desk Client Management (LDCM) controller chipsets • External ports: •...

  • Page 64: System Board Layout

    Intel 82371EB PIIX4E (PCI- DIMM sockets ISA bridge) Intel 443GX system controller DEC 21152 (PCI-PCI bridge) Power connector 1 Buzzer Power connector 2 SCSI controller Power connector 3 Battery Slot 2 CPU sockets Intel SMM card connector (reserved) Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 65: Jumpers And Connectors

    Jumpers and Connectors 3.4.1 Jumper and Connector Locations The figure below shows the jumper and connector locations on the system board. Jumpers are prefixed “JP”. Connectors are prefixed “CN”. In this figure, the blackened pin of a jumper or connector represents pin 1.

  • Page 66: Jumper Settings

    The table below lists the different connectors on the system board and their respective functions. Connector Function Housing Fan Connector Mouse and Keyboard Ports 280W Power Supply Connector-2 280W Power Supply Connector-3 ATX Power Connector Power Supply Connector-1 Modem Card Ring-in Connector Default Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 67 Connector Function CN10 Parallel (right), Serial 1(bottom), and Serial 2 (top) ports CN11 USB Connectors CN12 CPU 1 Fan Connector CN13 CPU 2 Fan Connector CN14 RJ-45 (LAN) Port CN15 Fail Report LED Connector CN16 Housing Fan Connector CN17 Housing Fan Connector CN18 Housing Fan Connector CN20...

  • Page 68: Front Panel Connectors

    3.4.4 Front Panel Connectors The following figures show the pin orientation of the front panel connectors. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 69: Esd Precautions

    ESD Precautions Always observe the following electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions before installing a system component: 1. Do not remove a component from its anti-static packaging until you are ready to install it. 2. Wear a wrist grounding strap before handling electronic components. Wrist grounding straps are available at most electronic component stores.

  • Page 70: Processor

    Follow these steps to install a Pentium II Xeon or Pentium III Xeon processor: 1. Attach the fan/heatsink module to the processor and secure it with four screws. The thermal cable and heatsink fan cable must be on the bottom. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 71 2. Remove the left panel of the housing. See section 2.2 for more information on opening the housing panels. 3. If there is a termination board installed in the CPU slot, remove it. Refer to section 3.1.4 for information about removing a termination board. 4.
  • Page 72 O and a OO sign. First match the O on the cover with the O on the retention mechanism first, then hook them together, and finally, insert the OO side into the retention mechanism and make sure they are clipped. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 73 Removing an Intel Pentium II Xeon or Pentium III Xeon Processor Follow these steps to remove a Pentium II Xeon or Pentium III Xeon processor: 1. Disconnect the CPU fan and thermal cables: For CPU 1  (CN12 (fan) and CN23 (thermal) For CPU 2 ...
  • Page 74 2. Flip up both the plastic tabs on the processor. This procedure detaches the processor from the socket. 3. Carefully lift the processor up and remove it. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 75: Installing And Removing The Termination Board

    Installing and Removing the Termination Board When you are not using the second Slot 2 socket, you must install a termination board into the empty slot. Installing a Termination Board Follow these steps to install the termination board: 1. Position the termination board over the empty slot. 2.
  • Page 76 O and a OO sign. First, match the O on the cover with the O on the retention mechanism, then hook them together, and finally, insert the OO side into the retention mechanism and make sure they are clipped. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 77: Memory Configurations

    Memory Configurations The four 168-pin sockets onboard support Registered PC100 ECC SDRAM-type DIMMs. You may install 128-, 256-, or 512-MB DIMMs for a maximum of 2048- MB system memory. Each of the sockets represents one independent bank. This allows you to install DIMMs with different capacities to form a configuration.

  • Page 78: Installing And Removing A Dimm

    To remove a DIMM, press the holding clips on both sides of the socket outward to release the DIMM. Place your forefingers on the top of the DIMM before you press the holding clips to gently disengage the DIMM from the socket. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 79: Scsi Backplane Board

    SCSI Backplane Board The SCSI backplane board provides a convenient interface between the SCSI drives and the system board. It includes eight SCSI drive slots to accommodate the drive trays and two SCSI channels to connect to the system board or SCSI controller board.

  • Page 80: Layout

    CN14: Connects to CN12: SCSI LED Boards Channel A CN1-CN4: Channel A SCSI Drive Connectors 1 to CN9: Power Connector CN11: Combined LED Connector CN5-CN8: Channel B SCSI Drive Connectors 5 to 8 CN13: SCSI Channel B Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 81: Hard Disk Id Switch Settings

    3.8.3 Hard Disk ID Switch Settings The backplane board comes with eight ID switches that allow you to define up to 16 hard disk IDs. The illustration below shows the switch settings with the corresponding hard disk IDs. Index lxxxi...

  • Page 82: Dual Channel Configuration

    3.8.4 Dual Channel Configuration The Altos 12000 server system utilizes the Adaptec AIC-7896 chipset as the onboard SCSI controller. There are two independent Ultra2 SCSI channels: Channel A and Channel B. • SCSI Channel A • Two SCSI connectors: 68-pin Ultra2 SCSI connector (CN32) and 50-pin 8-bit fast SCSI-2 connector (CN33) •...
  • Page 83 Combined (Circle) Configuration   Default • One 3-connector SCSI cable connected from system board Channel B (CN29) to the SCSI Backplane board (CN12 and CN13) • This configuration creates a SCSI chain with the host adapter in the middle and terminators at each end.
  • Page 84 ID 0 ID 1 ID 2 Terminators for slots 1-4 ID 3 Terminators ID 0 for slots 5-8 ID 1 ID 2 ID 3 CN29: SCSI CN13 channel B CN32 & CN33: SCSI channel A Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 85: Error Messages

    Error Messages Do not continue using the computer if you receive an error message of any type. Note the message and take corrective action. This section explains the different types of error messages and corresponding corrective measures. There are two general types of error messages: •...
  • Page 86 Check all cable connections. Secondary Channel Master Replace hard disk. Drive Error IDE Secondary Channel Slave Check all cable connections. Drive Error Replace hard disk. Hard Disk 0 Extended Type Run Setup (see section 4.1). Error Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 87 Message Action Hard Disk 1 Extended Type Run Setup (see section 4.1). Error IRQ Setting Error Run Setup (see section 4.1). I/O Parity Error Contact your dealer. I/O Resource Conflict(s) Check ISA add-on card, serial port, and parallel port. I2C Interface or Device(s) Shut down and disconnect the Error, System Halt power cable or contact your...
  • Page 88 Contact your dealer. Memory Bad SMRAM Not Exist Contact your dealer. Press Esc to turn off NMI, any Press to disregard the NMI key to reboot error. Press any other key to reboot the system. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 89: Correcting Error Conditions

    3.9.3 Correcting Error Conditions As a general rule, if an error message says "Press F1 to continue," it is caused by a configuration problem, which can be easily corrected. An equipment malfunction is more likely to cause a fatal error, i.e., an error that causes complete system failure.

  • Page 90: Chapter 4 Bios Utility

    CMOS RAM. This memory area is not part of the system RAM. repeatedly receive Setup messages, the battery may be bad. In this case, the system cannot retain configuration values in CMOS. Ask a qualified technician for assistance. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 91: Entering Setup

    Entering Setup To enter Setup, simultaneously press the key combination You must press while the system is booting. This key combination does not work any other time. The Setup Utility Main Menu appears: Setup Utility System Information Product Information Disk Drives Onboard Peripherals Power Management Boot Options...

  • Page 92: System Information

    Setup Utility screen. to move to the next page or to return to the previous page if the setup screen has more than one page available. Press to return to the Main menu. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 93 System Information The following screen appears if you select System Information from the Main menu: System Information Processor 1 ......Pentium® II Xeon™ Processor 2 ......Pentium® II Xeon™ Processor Speed ....400 MHz Internal Cache ..... 32 KB, Enabled External Cache .....

  • Page 94: Processor 1 And 2

    4.2.3 Internal Cache This parameter specifies the first-level or the internal memory (i.e., the memory integrated into the CPU) size, and whether it is enabled or disabled. The default setting is 32 KB enabled. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 95: External Cache

    4.2.4 External Cache This parameter specifies the second-level cache memory size currently supported by the system. The available cache sizes are 256 KB to 2 MB. 4.2.5 Diskette Drive A This parameter specifies the system’s current diskette drive A settings. default setting is 1.44 MB, 3.5-inch.

  • Page 96: 4.2.10 Ide Secondary Channel Slave

    This parameter shows the serial port 2 address and IRQ setting. The default setting is 2F8h, IRQ 3. 4.2.14 Parallel Port This parameter shows the parallel port address and IRQ setting. The default setting is 378h, IRQ 7. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 97: Ps/2 Mouse

    4.2.15 PS/2 Mouse The BIOS utility automatically detects if there is a pointing device connected to your system. If there is, this parameter displays the Installed setting. Otherwise, this is set to None The default setting is Installed. Product Information The Product Information contains general data about the system, such as the product name, serial number, BIOS version, etc.

  • Page 98: Main Board Id

    This parameter specifies the system board’s serial number. The default setting is M21A. 4.3.5 System BIOS Version This parameter specifies the version of the BIOS utility. 4.3.6 SMBIOS Version This parameter specifies the SMBIOS version. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 99: Disk Drives

    Disk Drives Select Disk Drives to input configuration values for disk drive. The following screen shows the Disk Drives menu: Disk Drives Floppy Drive A ......[1.44-MB, 3.5-inch] Floppy Drive B ......[ None LS-120 Drive as ....... [ Normal ] •...

  • Page 100: Ls-120 Drive

    Hard Disk. BIOS recognizes the LS-120 drive as a hard disk. In this setting, format the LS-120 drive as any other hard disk and assign it a drive letter C, D, E, and so on. See the documentation that came with the LS-120 drive for more information. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 101: Ide Drives

    4.4.3 IDE Drives To configure the IDE drives connected to your system, select the parameter that represents the channel and port where the desired hard disk to configure is connected. The options are: IDE Primary Channel Master This parameter lets you configure the hard disk drive connected to the master port of IDE channel 1.
  • Page 102 Setting this parameter also sets the Cylinder, Head, Sector, and Size parameters. Cylinder This parameter specifies the number of cylinders of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 103 Head This parameter specifies the number of heads of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. Sector This parameter specifies the number of sectors of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. Size This parameter specifies the size of your hard disk, in MB.
  • Page 104 Setup, both the Ultra DMA and Multi-DMA modes require the DMA driver to be loaded. By setting this parameter to Auto, BIOS automatically sets the appropriate DMA mode for your hard disk. The default setting is Auto. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 105: Onboard Peripherals

    Onboard Peripherals The Onboard Peripheral Configuration allows you to configure the onboard communication ports and the onboard devices. Selecting this option displays the following screen: Onboard Peripherals Serial Port 1 .......[Enabled ] Base Address .....[3F8h] IRQ ......[4] Serial Port 2 .......[Enabled ] Base Address .....[2F8h] IRQ ......[3] Parallel Port .......[Enabled ]...

  • Page 106: Parallel Port

    If you install an add-on card that has a parallel port whose address conflicts with the onboard parallel port, a warning appears on the screen. Check the parallel port address of the add-on card and change the address to one that does not conflict. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 107 Operation Mode This item allows you to set the operation mode of the parallel port. The table below lists the different operation modes. Setting Function Standard Parallel Port Allows normal speed one-way operation (SPP) Standard and Allows normal speed operation in a two- Bidirectional way mode Enhanced Parallel Port...

  • Page 108: Onboard Device Settings

    IDE Controller Set this parameter to Primary to enable only the primary IDE controller; Both to enable both primary and secondary IDE controllers; or Disabled to disable all IDE controllers. The default setting is Both. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 109 PS/2 Mouse Controller This parameter enables or disables the onboard PS/2 mouse controller. The default setting is Enabled. USB Host Controller This parameter lets you enable or disable the USB controller on board. When enabled, it activates the USB function of the system. When disabled, it deactivates the function.
  • Page 110 This parameter allows you to enable or disable the onboard network feature. The default setting is Enabled. Alert on LAN This parameter allows you to enable or disable the alert on LAN feature. The default setting is Disabled. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 111: Power Management

    Power Management The Power Management menu allows you to configure the system power-management feature. The following screen shows the Power Management parameters and their default settings: Power Management Power Management Mode ....[Disabled] IDE Hard Disk Standby Timer ..[----] System Sleep Timer ....[----] Sleep Mode ......[----] Power Switch <...

  • Page 112: Power Switch < 4 Sec

    The system wake-up event allows the system to resume operation when the modem ring indicator is enabled. Modem Ring Indicator When Enabled any fax/modem activity wakes up the system from suspend mode. The default setting is Disabled Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 113: Boot Options

    Boot Options This option allows you to specify your preferred setting for boot-up. The following screen appears if you select Boot Options from the Basic Configuration menu: Boot Options Boot Sequence [Floppy Disk] [IDE CD-ROM ] [Hard Disk [LANDesk® Service Agent] First Hard Disk Drive ....[ SCSI] Fast Boot ......[Auto] Silent Boot ......[Disabled]...

  • Page 114: First Hard Disk Drive

    When set to Disabled, BIOS is in the conventional text mode where you see the system initialization details on the screen. The default setting is Disabled. 4.7.5 Num Lock After Boot This parameter allows you to activate the Num Lock function upon booting. The default setting is Enabled. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 115: Memory Test

    4.7.6 Memory Test When set to Enabled, this parameter allows the system to perform a RAM test during the POST routine. When set to Disabled, the system detects only the memory size and bypasses the test routine. The default setting is Disabled 4.7.7 Release All Blocked Memory When set to Enabled, this parameter allows system to bypass testing the defective memory banks detected earlier.

  • Page 116: 4.8 Date And Time

    Highlight the items on the Date parameter and press to set the date following the weekday-month-day-year format. Valid values for weekday, month, day, and year are: • Weekday Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat • Month • • Year 1980 2099 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 117: Time

    4.8.2 Time Highlight the items on the Time parameter and press to set the time following the hour-minute-second format. Valid values for hour, minute, and second are: • Hour • Minute • Second Index cxvii...

  • Page 118: 4.9 System Security

    JP4 is set to 1-2 (password check enabled). By default, JP4 is set to 2-3 (Bypass password). 2. Enable the Setup Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the arrow key. The Setup Password window appears: Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 119 Setup Password Enter your new Setup Password twice. Setup Password may be up to 7 characters long. Enter Password ....[xxxxxxx] Enter Password again ... [xxxxxxx] Set or Change Password 3. Type a password in the Enter Password field. The password may consist of up to seven characters.
  • Page 120 See section 3.4 for the location of JP4. 3. Close your computer’s housing and reboot your system. The next time you want to enter the BIOS utility, you must key in your Setup password. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 121 To remove your Setup Password: 1. Disable the Setup Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the arrow key to select None. 2. Press to return to the System Security menu and then press again to exit Setup. The Exit Setup screen appears: Exit Setup Settings have been changed.
  • Page 122 3. Turn on the system and enter the BIOS utility. This time, the system does not require you to type in a password. You can either change the existing Setup password or remove it by selecting None. Refer to the previous section for the procedure. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 123: Power-On Password

    4.9.2 Power-on Password The Power-on Password secures your system against unauthorized use. The default setting is None. Once you set this password, you have to type it whenever you boot the system. To set this password, enter the Setup Utility, select System Security, and then highlight the Power-on Password parameter.

  • Page 124: Disk Drive Control

    Hard Disk Drive Setting Description Normal (default) Hard disk drive functions normally Write Protect All Sectors Disables the write function on all sectors Write Protect Boot Sector Disables the write function only on the boot sector Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 125: System Event Log

    4.10 System Event Log The system event log enables you to record and monitor events that occur in your system like system temperature, fan stops, and others. This feature allows you to specify the appropriate settings for your system’s event handling. Selecting the option displays the following screen: System Event Log Page 1/2...

  • Page 126: Clear Event Log

    Time Status System Limit Exceeded 12:20 Oct 02,1998 Viewed CPU Fan Bad System Limit Exceeded 13:54 Sep 29,1998 Viewed CPU Fan Bad Log Area Reset/Cleared 13:54 Sep 29,1998 Viewed ESC = Back to Main Menu Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 127 Events Control This parameter monitors the following events and logs them into the event log file if there is a change in status. Temperature/Voltage/Fan Enable or disable the monitoring of the system’s temperature, volume, and CPU fan. The default setting is Enabled. ECC or Error-Correcting Code tests the accuracy of data as it passes in and out of memory.
  • Page 128 CPU Fatal Temperature ....... [ 72 ] °C System Temperature ......[ 49 ] °C System Voltage ......[ 10 ] % ↑↓ = Move Highlight Bar, → ← = Change Setting, F1 = Help Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 129 Critical Event Process Stop POST After CPU or Memory Reduction BIOS checks the bad CPUs and memory modules during POST. When this parameter is Enabled, BIOS will stop POST operation whenever it finds a bad CPU or memory. Otherwise, if Disabled the system will continue running. The default setting is Disabled.

  • Page 130: Remote Diagnostic Manager

    Telephone Type ......[ Tone ] Detect Tone .......[Enabled] Remote Console Phone No....[----] Dial Out Retry Times ....[ 2 ] Modem Initial Command....[----] ↑↓ = Move Highlight Bar, → ← = Change Setting, F1 = Help Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 131 The following is the second of two Remote Diagnostic Configuration screens in the BIOS utility. It shows the remote diagnostic parameters with their default settings: Remote Diagnostic Configuration Page 2/2 RDM Daughter Board Version .....R01-A7 RDM Work Mode ......[Disabled] Waiting Mode Password ....[---] System Critical Paging No.

  • Page 132: 4.12 Advanced Options

    To avoid damaging the system, do not change any settings in the Advanced Options if you are not a qualified technician The following screen shows the Advanced Options parameters: Advanced Options • Memory/Cache Options • PnP/PCI Options • CPU Frequency Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 133: Memory/Cache Options

    4.12.1 Memory/Cache Options The Memory/Cache Options allows you to configure the advanced system memory functions. Memory/Cache Options Internal Cache(CPU Cache) ...[Enabled ] External Cache ......[Enabled ] Cache Scheme ......Write Back Memory at 15MB-16MB Reserved for ...[System] Memory Mode ......[ECC] Single Processor MP Table ...[Enabled] Internal Cache (CPU Cache) This parameter enables or disables the first-level or internal memory, that is, the memory integrated into the CPU.
  • Page 134 CPU for a dual system, enable this parameter then re-install Windows NT. In cases when this parameter is enabled before installing Windows NT in a single- processor system, you may upgrade to a multiprocessor system without reinstalling Windows NT. The default setting is Enabled. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 135: Pnp/Pci Options

    4.12.2 PnP/PCI Options The PnP/PCI Options allows you to specify the settings for your PCI devices. Selecting this option displays the following screen: PnP/PCI Options PCI IRQ Setting ... [ Auto INTA INTB INTC INTD PCI Slot 1 ....[--] [--] [--] [--]...
  • Page 136 PCI Device Latency Timer ..[E0]H CLOCKs PCI IRQ Sharing ..... [No] VGA Palette Snoop ..[Disabled] Graphics Aperture Size ..[64] MB Plug and Play OS .... [No ] Reset Resource Assignments .. [No ] Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 137 PCI Device Latency Timer This parameter allows you to set the length of time for a PCI device to use the PCI bus. A PCI master can burst indefinitely as long as the target can source/sink the data, and no other agent requests for the bus. If another PCI device requests for the use of the PCI bus, a PCI bus arbitration takes place, and the tenure of the device currently using the PCI bus cannot go over the PCI latency time set in BIOS.
  • Page 138 AGP video and the CPU use to manage graphical objects. The lowest setting is 8 MB and the highest is 256 MB. The default setting is 64 MB. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 139 Plug and Play OS When this parameter is set to Yes, BIOS initializes only PnP boot devices such as SCSI cards. When set to No, BIOS initializes all PnP boot and non-boot devices such as sound cards. The default setting is No. Reset Resource Assignments Set this parameter to Yes to avoid IRQ conflict when installing non-PnP or PnP ISA cards.

  • Page 140: Cpu Frequency

    The processor speed is the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Clock speeds are expressed in megahertz (MHz), with 1 MHz being equal to 1 million cycles per second. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 141: Load Default Settings

    4.13 Load Default Settings Use this option to load the default settings for the optimized system configuration. When you load the default settings, some of the parameters are grayed-out with their fixed settings. These grayed parameters are not user- configurable. The following dialog box appears when you select Load Default Settings from the main menu: Load Default Settings...

  • Page 142: 4.15 Exit Setup

    Do you want to save CMOS settings? [Yes] [No] Use the arrow keys to select your response. Select Yes to save the changes in CMOS. Select No to retain the old configuration values. Press to exit. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 143: Chapter 5 Scsiselect Configuration Utility

    Some settings apply globally to the SCSI controller and all SCSI devices on the bus; other settings apply individually to each device on the bus. The Altos 12000 Series system is equipped with a dual SCSI channel controller that enhances your system's performance and flexibility.

  • Page 144: Default Settings For Scsi Controller And All Devices

    Initiate Wide Negotiation Maximum Sync Transfer Rate 80 MBytes/sec. Enable Disconnection Send Start Unit Command Initiate Wide Negotiation Settings are valid only if host adapter BIOS is enabled. Do not change this setting from the default. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 145: When To Use The Scsiselect Utility

    5.1.2 When to Use the SCSISelect Utility Use the SCSISelect utility if you need to • Change any of the default values listed in the settings table • Check and/or change SCSI device settings that may conflict with those of other devices (e.g., SCSI ID) •...

  • Page 146: Scsiselect Utility Options

    Use the ↑ and ↓ keys and the Enter key to make selections in the SCSISelect utility. Press Esc at any time to return to the previous menu. You can press F5 to toggle the display between color and monochrome modes. (This feature may not work on all monitors.) Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 147: Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Menu

    5.2.1 Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Menu When you select the Configure/View Host Adapter Settings option from the screen shown below, the Configure/View Host Adapter Settings menu (shown on the next page) appears. Adaptec AIC-7896 SCSISelect (TM) Utility AIC-7896 at Bus:Device 01:06h Would you like to configure the host adapter, or run the SCSI disk utilities? Select the option and press <Enter>.

  • Page 148: Configure/View Host Adapter Settings Screen (2 Of 2)

    Press Esc at any time to return to the previous menu. Press F6 to reset all settings to the SCSI controller defaults. SCSI controller default settings are marked with an asterisk (*) throughout the selection submenus. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 149: Host Adapter Scsi Id Selection Screen For Aic-7896

    Host Adapter SCSI ID This option allows you to change the host controller SCSI ID. The figure below shows the available IDs for use with the AIC-7896. The default setting is SCSI ID 7. (We recommend that you not change this setting.) Some operating system software will not run unless the SCSI controller ID is set at ID 7.

  • Page 150: Scsi Parity Checking Selection

    SCSI Parity Checking if any attached SCSI devices do not support SCSI parity. (Most currently available SCSI devices do support SCSI parity.) Use the cursor (↑ ↓) and Enter keys to make selections. Press Esc at any time to return to the previous menu. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 151: Host Adapter Scsi Termination Selection For Aic-7896

    Host Adapter SCSI Termination This option allows you to configure host controller SCSI termination. following figure shows the choices available if you have an AIC-7896. Adaptec AIC-7896 SCSISelect (TM) Utility AIC-7896 at Bus:Device 01:06h Configuration SCSI Bus Interface Definitions Host Adapter SCSI ID ........7 SCSI Parity Checking........

  • Page 152: Boot Device Option Screen

    Figure 5-7 Boot Device Options Screen Boot Channel MultiChannel devices allow you to boot from either channel. Use this option to identify the channel which should be scanned first during bootup. The default is A First. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 153 Boot SCSI ID This option allows you to identify the SCSI device to be used as a boot device. The range is 0 to 15; the default is 0. Boot LUN Number The AIC-7896 supports up to eight logical units. This option allows you to identify the Logical Unit Number (LUN) to use during bootup.

  • Page 154: Scsi Device Configuration Screen For Aic-7896

    Enter to make your selection. Some older SCSI-1 devices do not support synchronous negotiation, so your computer might operate erratically if Initiate Sync Negotiation is enabled. Set Initiate Sync Negotiation to No for these devices. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 155 • Sync Transfer Rate – The setting for this option determines the maximum synchronous data transfer rate that the channel can support. The AIC–7896 has a 16-bit channel that provides an effective maximum synchronous transfer rate of 80.0 Mbytes/sec (40.0 Mbytes/sec per 8-bit channel).
  • Page 156 To optimize SCSI bus performance, leave Enable Disconnection set to Yes if the channel connects to two or more SCSI devices. If the channel connects to only one SCSI device, set Enable Disconnection to No to achieve slightly better performance. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 157 The following settings are only effective if the BIOS is enabled. • Send Start Unit Command – The setting for this option, which is supported by some SCSI devices, determines whether the channel sends the Start Unit command (SCSI command 1B) to the SCSI device (most devices do not require this).

  • Page 158: Advanced Configuration Options Screen

    Use the cursor keys (↑ ↓) to move between options. Press Enter to display a pop- up menu with a selection of options. Use the cursor keys (↑ ↓) to select an option, and press Enter to make your selection. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 159: Display Message During Bios Initialization

    Extended BIOS Translation for DOS Drives > 1 GByte This option allows you to enable or disable extended translation for SCSI hard disks with a capacity greater than 1 GByte. It is only valid if the SCSI controller BIOS is enabled. The default setting is Enabled. Do not change this setting from the default.

  • Page 160: Bios Support For Bootable Cd-Rom

    When this option is enabled, a bootable CD-ROM device may be used to directly load an operating system. The default setting is Enabled. BIOS Support for Int13 Extensions This option allows access to attached SCSI devices through BIOS Int13 functions. The default setting is Enabled. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 161: Scsi Disk Utilities

    5.2.2 SCSI Disk Utilities When you select SCSI Disk Utilities from the Options menu the SCSISelect utility scans the SCSI bus and lists all SCSI devices installed on the SCSI bus. You will see a screen similar to the figure below. You can easily determine from this screen which SCSI ID is assigned to each device on the SCSI bus.

  • Page 162: Format Disk

    You can press Esc at any time to abort the Verify Disk Media utility. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 163: Configuring Multiple Scsi Controllers

    Configuring Multiple SCSI Controllers The AHA-3950U2B SCSI controller is used as an example in the following discussion. To use multiple PCI SCSI controllers, do the following: • Install the boot SCSI controller in the lowest PCI Device number. The Device number is determined by the slot number on the PCI bus.

  • Page 164: Scsi Troubleshooting Checklist

    Setup program. • Is each SCSI device, including the SCSI controller, set to a unique SCSI ID? • Is SCSI termination set correctly? If your problem is still not resolved, continue with the next section. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 165: Bios Startup Messages

    BIOS Startup Messages After you have configured your SCSI controller, the SCSI controller BIOS displays a message when you boot your computer. Normally, this message lists the SCSI ID, manufacturer, model number and other information for each SCSI device that the BIOS detects.

  • Page 166: Device Connected, But Not Ready

    2. Exit the SCSISelect utility and request data from the drive again. 3. If the message still appears, follow the drive manufacturer's instructions to make sure the drive is set to spin-up when the power is switched ON. Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

  • Page 167: Start Unit Request Failed

    5.5.2 Start unit request failed The BIOS was unable to send a Start Unit Command to the device. Run the SCSISelect utility and disable Send Start Unit Command for the device. Time-out failure during SCSI Inquiry command! Time-out failure during SCSI Test Unit Ready command! Time-out failure during Start Unit command! An unexpected time-out occurred.
  • Page 168 Memory test, 4-26 Floppy drives, 4-10 Num lock after boot, 4-25 IDE drives, 4-12 Release all blocked memory, 4-26 LS-120 drive, 4-11 Silent boot, 4-25 Diskette drive A, 4-6 Boot sequence, 4-24 Diskette drive B, 4-6 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 169 Dual channel configuration, 3-22 IDE primary channel slave, 4-6, 4-12 IDE secondary channel master, 4-6, Entering setup, 4-2 4-12 Error messages, 3-25 IDE secondary channel slave, 4-7, 4- Correcting error conditions, 3-29 Software, 3-25 Installing a hot-swappable SCSI System, 3-25 drive, 2-20 ESD precautions, 1-10, 3-9 Installing an expansion board, 2-29...
  • Page 170 Power management mode, 4-22 Advanced configuration options, Power switch < 4 sec, 4-23 5-16 Power-on password, 4-34 BIOS startup messages, 5-23 Power-on problems, 1-8 Configure/view host adapter Pre-installation instructions, 1-10 settings, 5-5 Pre-installation requirements, 1-1 Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...
  • Page 171 Configuring multiple SCSI Startup, power on, 1-7 controllers, 5-21 System BIOS version, 4-9 Default values, 5-1 System board, 3-1, 3-4 Device connected, but not ready, Error messages, 3-25 5-24 ESD precautions, 3-9 Multiple controllers, configuring, Features, 3-29 5-21 Major components, 3-2 Options, 5-4 SCSI backplane board, 3-19 Overview, 5-1...
  • Page 172 To change a front hot-swap housing fan, 2-28 To change a rear hot-swap housing fan, 2-26 To install a power supply module, 2- To remove a power supply module, 2-25 Total memory, 4-7 When to use the SCSISelect utility, 5- Altos 12000 Series User’s Guide...

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