Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product Merlin American Megatrends
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Title: HORZLOGO.EPS from CorelDRAW! Creator: CorelDRAW! CreationDate: Mon Nov 08 11:36:26 1993 Merlin PCI Pentium® Pro ISA Motherboard User's Guide MAN-735 4/16/96.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide ii © Copyright 1996 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved. American Megatrends, Inc. 6145F Northbelt Parkway Norcross, GA 30071 This publication contains proprietary information which is protected by copyright.
Preface iii Table of Contents 1 Hardware Installation ............................................... 1 Merlin PCI Dimensions ................................ ................................ ............. 2 Merlin PCI Motherboard Layout .............
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide iv Preface To the OEM Thank you for purchasing the high perf ormance American Megatrends Merlin ISA motherboard. This product is a state of the art motherboard that includes the famous AMIBIOS.
Preface v American Megatrends BBS The American Megatrends BBS permits OEMs, VARs, and system integrators to access technical information about motherboard and BIOS products. Product Engineering Change Notices, Tech Tips, Technical Notes, and complete technical manuals are available.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide vi Packing List You should have received the following: • a Merlin PCI motherboard, • two serial cables, • one parallel cable, • a Warranty Card, and • the American Megatrends Merlin PCI Pentium Pro Motherboard User's Guide .
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 1 1 Hardware Installation Overview The American Megatrends Merlin PCI Pentium Pro ISA motherboard features include: • support for an Intel Pentium Pro CPU operating a.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 2 Merlin PCI Dimensions The motherboard is approximately 8” by 10” (the standard baby AT size and mounting holes).
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 3 Installation Steps Step Action Turn to 1 Unpack the motherboard. Page 5 2 Configure the CPU. Page 6 Configure the CPU. Page 6 Select the CPU 3.3V Power Source Page 6 Select the CPU Voltage. Page 7 Select the CPU Speed.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 4 Merlin PCI Motherboard Layout.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 5 Step 1 Unpack the Motherboard Step Action 1 Inspect the cardboard carton for obvious damage. If damaged, call 770-246 -8645. Leave the motherboard in its original packing. 2 Perform all unpacking and installation procedures on a ground-connected anti -static mat.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 6 Step 2 Configure CPU Jumpers J16, J19, J20, J24, AND J28 select the CPU type. See the drawing on page 4 for the jumper locations.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 7 Step 2 Configure CPU, Continued CPU Voltage J16 is an 8-pin berg that sets the core CPU voltage. J16 is near the CPU, as shown below: Core CPU Voltage J16 Setting 3.5V Short Pins 1-2 Short Pins 3-4 Short Pins 5-6 Short Pins 7-8 3.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 8 Step 2 Configure CPU, Continued Set CPU External Speed J19 and J20 set the external CPU speed, as follows: External CPU Speed J19 J20 50 MHz Shorted Shorted 60 MHz OPEN Shorted 66.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 9 Step 2 Configure CPU, Continued Connect CPU Fan J4 (shown below) is a two-pin berg that connects the fan on the CPU heat sink. All Pentium Pro CPUs are shipped with a heat sink and a CPU fan . As shown below, the wire from the CPU fan has two leads.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 10 Step 2 Configure CPU, Continued Install CPU Install the CPU in the ZIF (zero insertion force) socket by performing the following steps. The CPU socket is near one edge of the motherboard, as shown on page 4 . Warning Improper CPU installation can damage the CPU and the motherboard.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 11 Step Action 2 Check for bent pins on the CPU. Gently straighten any bent pins with pliers. Place the CPU in the middle of the socket, as shown below. Make sure that pin 1 of the CPU is aligned with pin 1 of the socket.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 12 Step 3 Install Memory System Memory There are four 32 -bit SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) sockets. System memory must be populated one bank at a time. Each bank has two sockets. Bank0 includes U9 and U5. Bank1 includes U4 and U1.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 13 Step 3 Install Memory, Continued Select SIMMs SIMMs must meet the following specifications: Parameter Specification Page Mode FAST Refresh CAS before RAS t CAC ≤ 2.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 14 Step 3 Install Memory, Continued Installing SIMMs The four SIMM sockets on the motherboard can be filled with either 1 MB x 32 (or 36), 2 MB x 32 (or 36), 4 MB x 32 (or 36), 8 MB x 32 (or 36), or 16 MB x 32 (or 36) SIMMs.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 15 Step 4 Install the Motherboard The motherboard mounting hole pattern is the same as the mounting hole pattern on the standard baby AT motherboard. Standoffs and mounting screws are not supplied with the motherboard. The chassis manufacturer should supply these parts.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 16 Step 4 Install Motherboard, Continued.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 17 Step 5 Attach Cables Connectors The Merlin PCI motherboard includes many connectors. Connection instructions, illustrations of connectors, and pinouts are supplied in the following pages.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 18 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Connect Power Supply The power supply should match the physical configuration of the chassis. Make sure the power switch is off before assembly. Before attaching all components, make sure the proper voltage has been selected.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 19 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Power Connector Keys The power connectors ar e keyed to prevent incorrect installation.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 20 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued P3 Pinout P3 provides optional 3.3V power. Pin Description 1 Ground (Black wire) 2 Ground (Black wire) 3 -5 Volts (White wire) 4 3.3V 5 3.3V 6 3.3V Keyboard Connector T he keyboard connector (J8) is a six-pin DIN socket.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 21 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Connect Mouse Cable The mouse connector (J11 ) is a 10-pin berg. The mouse cable is the same as the serial cable in the Merlin PCI motherboard. Two serial cables are shipped with the motherboard.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 22 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J10 Green PC Power J10 is a two-pin berg that connects to a Green PC power supply. When the computer enters a power conserving state, a signal is sent from this berg to the power supply to permit the power supply to switch to a low power, high-efficiency mode.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 23 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Keyboard Lock J37 is a five pin single -inline berg that is attached via a cable to the keyboard lock connector (or separate keyboard lock and Power LED connectors). The computer chassis may not include the keyboard lock and Power LED on a single connector.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 24 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Onboard Adapters The Merlin PCI motherboard has: • two serial ports (J12 and J13), • a parallel port (J1), • an IDE controller on the PCI bus. The primary IDE connector is J2.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 25 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J1 Parallel Port J1 is a 26-pin connector for a parallel port. The J1 pinout is shown below.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 26 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J6 Floppy J6 is a 34-pin dual-inline berg. Connect the cable from the floppy drive to J6, as shown below. The onboard floppy controller cannot be used if a hard disk card with a floppy controller is installed.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 27 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J6 Floppy Connector Pinout Pin Use Pin Use 1 GND 2 DENSE1 3 GND 4 N/C 5 GND 6 DRATE0 7 GND 8 -INDEX 9 GND 10 -MOTOR0 11 GND 12 -FDSEL.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 28 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued IDE Drives Attach the IDE drives in the following manner. Choose Peripheral Setup in WINBIOS Setup to enable the onboard IDE controller.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 29 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued Attach IDE Cable to J2 J2 is the primary IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard disk drive connector. Both the primary master and the primary slave IDE drives must be connected by cable to J2, as shown below.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 30 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J2 Pinout The J2 pinout is: Pin Use Pin Use 1 -RESET 2 GND 3 DATA7 4 DATA8 5 DATA6 6 DATA9 7 DATA5 8 DATA10 9 DATA4 10 DATA11 1.
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation 31 Step 5 Attach Cables, Continued J7 Pinout The J7 pinout is: Pin Use Pin Use 1 -RESET 2 GND 3 DATA7 4 DATA8 5 DATA6 6 DATA9 7 DATA5 8 DATA10 9 DATA4 10 DATA11 11 DATA.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 32 Step 6 Test and Configure Review the following points before powering up: • make sure that all adapter cards are seated properly, • make sure all connector.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 33 2 WINBIOS Setup In ISA and EISA computers, the system parameters (such as amount of memory, type of disk drives and video displays, and many other elements) are stored in NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory), also called CMOS RAM.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 34 Using a Mouse with WINBIOS Setup WINBIOS Setup has a built-in mouse driver and can be accessed by either a serial mouse or PS/2-style mouse. WINBIOS Setup supports Microsoft- Compatible serial mice and all PS/2-type mice.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 35 WINBIOS Setup Menu The WINBIOS Setup main menu, shown below, is organized into four sections. Each of these sections corresponds to a section in this chapter. Each section contains several icons. Clicking on each icon activates a specific AMIBIOS function.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 36 Section 1 Setup Standard Setup Standard Setup options are displayed by choosing the Standard icon from the WINBIOS Setup main menu. All Standard Setup options are described in this section. Date/Time Select the Date and Time icon.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 37 Standard Setup, Continued Pri Master, Pri Slave, Sec Master, Sec Slave Select one of these hard disk drive icons to configure the hard disk drive named in the option. Select Auto from the drive parameters screen to let AMIBIOS automatically configure the drive.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 38 Standard Setup, Continued Entering Drive Parameters You can also enter the hard disk drive parameters. The drive parameters are: Parameter Description Type The number for a drive with certain identification parameters.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 39 Standard Setup, Continued MFM Hard Disk Drive Types Type Cylinders Heads Write Precompensation Landing Zone Sectors Capacity 1 306 4 128 305 17 10 MB 2 615 4 300 615 17 20 M.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 40 Advanced Setup Advanced Setup options are displayed by choosing the Advanced icon from the WINBIOS Setup main menu. All Advanced Setup options are described in this section. Typematic Rate This option sets the rate at which characters on the screen repeat when a key is pressed and held down.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 41 Advanced Setup, Continued Hit <DEL> Message Display Set this option to Disabled to prevent Hit <DEL> if you want to run Setup from appearing when the system boots. The settings are Enabled or Disabled. The Optimal and Fail-Safe default settings are Enabled.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 42 Advanced Setup, Continued Floppy Drive Seek When this option is set to Enabled, AMIBIOS performs a Seek command on floppy drive A: before booting the system. The settings are Enabled or Disabled. The Optimal default setting is Disabled .
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 43 Advanced Setup, Continued System BIOS Cacheable When this option is set to Enabled, the contents of the F0000h system memory segment can be read from or written to L2 secondary cache memory. The contents of the F0000h memory segment are always copied from the BIOS ROM to system RAM for faster execution.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 44 Advanced Setup, Continued Video Shadow C000, 32K This option specifies the way that the 32 KB of video ROM beginning at C0000h is treated. The settings are: Setting Description Disabled The contents of the video ROM are not copied to RAM.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 45 Chipset Setup Chipset Setup options are displayed by choosing the Chipset icon from the WINBIOS Setup main menu. All Chipset Setup options are described in this section. PCI 2.1 Compliance Set this option to Enabled to program the chipset to comply with the PCI V2.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 46 Chipset Setup, Continued DRAM ECC Mode This option sets the type of system memory checking. The settings are: Setting Description Disabled No error checking or error reporting is done. Level I Multibit errors are detected and reported as parity errors.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 47 Chipset Setup, Continued ISA VGA USWC/Video Frame Buffer Specify the starting address of the VGA USWC/video frame buffer. The settings: Setting Description Disabled No VGA video frame buffer is available. A0000h The system memory segment beginning at A0000h is used for the VGA USWC/video frame buffer.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 48 Chipset Setup, Continued Optional ROM Shadow Before Init Set this option to Enabled to permit the contents of the option ROM to be copied to RAM before being initialized by AMIBIOS during Power On Self Test. This option dose not appear if the Optional ROM Decode option is set to Disabled.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 49 Chipset Setup, Continued ISA 8 Bit I/O Recovery Time This option specifies the length of the delay that is added to the CPU cycle between consecutive 8-bit I/O operations. The length of the delay is related to the CPU type and frequency.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 50 Power Management Setup The AMIBIOS Setup options described in this section are selected by choosing the Power Management Setup icon from the Setup section on the AMIBIOS Setup main menu. Standard Power Management Set this option to Enabled to enable standard power management, including SMI support.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 51 Power Management Setup, Continued DPMS Video Power Down Mode This option specifies the power state that a DPMS (Display Power Management Specification)-compliant video subsystem enters when AMIBIOS places it in a power saving state after the specified period of display inactivity has expired.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 52 Power Management Setup, Continued Standby Timeout This option specifies the length of a period of system inactivity while in Full power on state. When this length of time expires, the computer enters Standby power state.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 53 Power Management Setup, Continued IRQ3 IRQ4 IRQ5 IRQ7 IRQ9 IRQ10 IRQ11 IRQ12 IRQ15 When set to Monitor, these options enable event monitoring on the specified hardware interrupt request line. If set to Monitor and the computer is in a power saving state, AMIBIOS watches for activity on the specified IRQ line.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 54 PCI/PnP Setup Choose the PCI/PnP Setup icon from the WINBIOS Setup screen to display the PCI and Plug and Play Setup options, described below.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 55 PCI/PnP Setup, Continued PCI Slot-1 Latency Timer PCI Slot-2 Latency Timer PCI Slot-3 Latency Timer PCI Slot-4 Latency Timer These options specify the latency timings (in PCI clocks) for PCI devices installed in the four PCI expansion slots.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 56 PCI/PnP Setup, Continued IRQ3 IRQ4 IRQ5 IRQ7 IRQ9 IRQ10 IRQ11 IRQ12 IRQ14 IRQ15 These options specify the bus t hat the specified IRQ line is used on. These options allow you to reserve IRQs for legacy ISA adapter cards.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 57 PCI/PnP Setup, Continued Reserved Memory Size This option specifies the size of the memory area reserved for legacy ISA adapter cards. The settings are Disabled, 16K, 32K, or 64K. The Optimal and Fail-Safe default settings are Disabled.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 58 Peripheral Setup Peripheral Setup options are displayed by choosing the Peripheral Setup icon from the WINBIOS Setup main menu. All Peripheral Setup options are described in this section. Onboard Floppy Controller Set this option to Enabled to enable the floppy drive controller on the motherboard.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 59 Peripheral Setup, Continued Offboard PCI/ISA IDE Card This option specifies the expansion slot that the offboard PCI or ISA IDE Controller adapter card is installed in. The Onboard Primary/Secondary IDE option must be set to Disabled if this option is set to any value except Disabled.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 60 Peripheral Setup, Continued Serial Port1 FIFO This option enables the FIFO buffer for the first serial port. The settings are Enabled or Disabled. The Optimal default setting is Disabled. The Fail- Safe default setting is N/A.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 61 Peripheral Setup, Continued Parallel Port Address This option specifies the base I/O port address for the parallel port. The settings are 378h, 278h, or Disabled. The Optimal default setting is 378h. The Fail-Safe default setting is N/A.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 62 Section 2 Security Three icons appear in this part of the WINBIOS Setup screen: • Supervisor (Password), • User (Password), and • Anti-Virus (see page 64 ). Two Levels of Passwords Both the Supervisor and the User icons configure password support.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 63 Setting a Password The password check option is enabled in Advanced Setup (see page 41 by choosing either Always (the password prompt appears every time the system is powered on) or Setup (the password prompt appears only when WINBIOS is run).
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 64 Changing a Password Select the Supervisor or Use r icon from the Security section of the WINBIOS Setup main menu. Enter the password and press <Enter>. The screen does not display the characters entered. After the new password is entered, retype the new password as prompted and press <Enter>.
Chapter 2 WINBIOS Setup 65 Section 3 Utility The following icons appear in this section of the WINBIOS Setup main screen: Color Set Color Set sets the Setup screen colors. Language If this feature is enabled, you can select WINBIOS Setup messages in different languages.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 66 Section 4 Default The icons in this section permit you to select a group of settings for all WINBIOS Setup options.
Chapter 3 Programming the Flash ROM 67 3 Programming Flash ROM All versions of the Merlin PCI motherboard use Flash EPROM to store the system BIOS. The advantage of Flash EPROM is the EPROM chip does not have to be replaced to update the BIOS. The end user can actually reprogram the BIOS, using a ROM file supplied by American Megatrends.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 68 Programming the Flash ROM, Continued Bootblock Actions When you reprogram from system boot, the bootblock code: Reads S735P.ROM from the root directory of the floppy disk in drive A:. Erases the Flash EPROM. Programs the Flash EPROM with the data read from the floppy disk in drive A:.
Chapter 3 Programming the Flash ROM 69 Programming the Flash ROM, Continued Beep Codes The bootblock code produces a series of beeps during Flash ROM programming to: signify completion of a step (as shown on the previous page), or to signal an error.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 70 Bootblock Code Checkpoint Codes Code Description E0h Verify the Boot Block BIOS checksum. Disable the internal cache, DMA, and interrupt controllers. Initialize the system timer. Start memory refresh. E1h Initialize the chipset registers.
Chapter 4 Deleting a Password 71 4 Deleting a Password If you forget the passwords you set up through WINBIOS Setup, the only way you can restart the computer is to erase the system configuration information where the passwords are stored. System configuration data is stored in CMOS RAM, a type of memory that consumes very little power.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 72 Avoid Static Electricity Static electricity can damage the motherboard and other computer components. Keep the motherboard in the anti-static bag until it is to be installed. Wear an anti-static wrist grounding strap before handling the motherboard.
Index 73 Index 1 16 Bit I/O Recovery, 49 3 3.3V CPU Power, 6 8 8 Bit I/O Recovery Time, 49 A Advanced Power Management (APM), 50 Advanced Setup, 40 AMIFlash Beep Codes, 69 Anti-Virus WINBIOS Setup, 64.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 74 E Enhanced Parallel Port, 25, 61 ESCD NVRAM, 56 Extended Capabilities Port, 25, 61 F Fail-Safe BIOS Setup Settings WINBIOS Setup, 65 Figures Floppy drive cable.
Index 75 J36 IDE Indicator LED, 23 J37 Keyboard Lock connector, 23 J4 CPU Fan, 9 J4 Secondary IDE Controller, 30 J6 Floppy Connector, 26 J7 pinout, 31 K Keyboard, 40 Keyboard connector, 20 L L1/L2 Cac.
Merlin PCI Motherboard User’s Guide 76 PCI VGA USWC/Video Frame Buffer, 47 PCI/PnP Setup, 54 Peripheral Setup, 58 Pinout Parallel Port, 25 Power supply, 20 Primary IDE connector, 30 Serial ports, 24.
Index 77 Speaker connector pinout, 22 Twist in floppy cable, 27 Testing System, 32 Turbo LED, 23 Typematic Rate, 40 U Unpack the Motherboard, 5 Utility, 65 V Video Shadow C000, 32K, 44 W Wait for <.
An important point after buying a device American Megatrends Merlin (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought American Megatrends Merlin yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data American Megatrends Merlin - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, American Megatrends Merlin you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get American Megatrends Merlin will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of American Megatrends Merlin, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime American Megatrends Merlin.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with American Megatrends Merlin. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device American Megatrends Merlin along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
