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Silicon Graphics 230 Visual Workstation User's Guide
(document number: 007-4263-001 / published: 2000-05-24)
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This chapter gives information about the system BIOS and tells how to configure the system by changing the settings of the BIOS parameters.
When you receive the system, it will already have been configured by SGI. There is no need to run Setup when starting the computer unless you get a Run Setup message.
The Setup program loads configuration values into the battery-backed, nonvolatile memory called
CMOS RAM. This memory area is not part of the system RAM.
 | Note: If you repeatedly receive Run Setup messages, the battery may be bad. In this case, the system cannot retain configuration values in CMOS. Replace the battery or call for support.
|
Before you run Setup, make sure that you have saved all open files. The system reboots immediately after you exit Setup.
To enter Setup, simultaneously press the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Esc.
| Note: You must press Ctrl+Alt+Esc while the system is booting. This key combination does not work at any other time.
|
The system supports two
Setup utility levels: Basic and Advanced. See Figure 4-1 for the Basic Setup Utility screen and Figure 4-2 for the Advanced Setup Utility screen.
If you are an advanced user, you may want to check the detailed configuration of your system. Detailed system configurations are contained in the Advanced Level. To view the Advanced Level, press F8.
The Key Help Guide (press Alt+H to activate) shows you how to move around the BIOS setup screen:
Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move around the Setup Utility screen.
Use the left and right arrow keys to move to the next page or to return to the previous page if the setup screen has more than one page available.
Use the Page Up, Page Down, +, or - keys to select the options if they are available.
Press Esc to return to the Main menu.
| Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) mark indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the Advanced Level. Also, grayed items on the screens have fixed settings and are not user-configurable.
|
The following screen appears if you select System Information from the Main menu:
Table 4-1 describes the System Information parameters.
Table 4-1. System Information
Parameter
| Description
|
|---|
Processor
| Type of processor currently installed in your
system.
| Processor speed
| Clock speed of the processor currently installed in
your system.
| Internal cache
| Total amount of first-level memory or the internal
fast-accessed memory size (i.e., the memory
integrated into the CPU).
| External cache
| Total amount of second-level cache memory size
that comes with the CPU.
| Floppy Drive A
| System's current diskette drive A settings.
| Floppy Drive B
| System's current diskette drive B settings.
| IDE primary
channel master
| Current configuration of the master IDE device
connected to the primary IDE channel.
| IDE primary
channel slave
| Current configuration of the slave IDE device
connected to the primary IDE channel.
| IDE secondary
channel master
| Current configuration of the master IDE device
connected to the secondary IDE channel.
| IDE secondary
channel slave
| Current configuration of the slave IDE device
connected to the secondary IDE channel.
| Total memory
| Total amount of onboard memory. The memory
size is automatically detected by BIOS during the
power-on self-test. If you install additional
memory, the system automatically adjusts this
parameter to display the new memory size.
| 1st/2nd/3rd bank
| Type and size of DRAM installed in DIMM
sockets 1, 2, and 3. The None setting indicates that
there is no DRAM installed. For the location of the
DIMM sockets, see Figure 3-1
.
| Serial port 1
| Serial port 1 address and IRQ setting.
| Serial port 2
| Serial port 2 address and IRQ setting.
| Parallel port
| Parallel port address and IRQ setting.
| PS/2 mouse
| Pointing device installation settings. Displays
None if no pointing device is installed.
|
The Product Information screen contains general data about the system, such as the product name, serial number, BIOS version, etc. This information is necessary for troubleshooting (and may be required when asking for technical support).
Figure 4-4 shows the Product Information screen.
Table 4-2 describes the Product Information parameters.
Table 4-2. Product Information
Parameter
| Description
|
|---|
Product name
| Official name of the system
| System S/N
| System's serial number
| Main board ID
| Main board's identification number
| Main board S/N
| Main board's serial number
| System BIOS version
| Version of the BIOS utility
| DMI BIOS version
| Version of the DMI BIOS
|
Select Disk Drives to input configuration values for disk drives.
The following screen shows the Disk Drives menu:
| Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) mark indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the Advanced Level. See “Entering Setup”.
|
Table 4-3 describes the Disk Drives parameters. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-3. Disk Drives Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Floppy drive
A and B
| Selects the floppy disk drive type.
| 1.44 MB, 3.5-inch
None
360 KB, 5.25-inch
1.2 MB, 5.25-inch
720 KB, 3.5-inch
2.88 MB, 3.5-inch
| IDE primary
channel
master and
slave
IDE
Secondary
channel
master and
slave
| This item lets you select the IDE hard
disk parameters that your system
supports. Auto enables BIOS to
automatically detect the parameters
of installed HDD during the POST
(power-on self-test). If you prefer to
enter HDD parameters manually,
select User. Select None if no HDD is
connected to the system.
The IDE CD-ROM is always
automatically detected.
| Auto
User
None
|
The following screen appears if you select any of the IDE Drive parameters:
Table 4-4 describes the parameters in this screen. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-4. IDE Drive Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Device Type
| Indicates a hard disk type device.
|
| Used As
| Specifies the designated drive name for the
device type.
| Floppy A
Floppy B
Hard disk
| Device
Detection
Mode
| Lets you specify the type of hard disk
installed in your system. If you want the
BIOS to automatically configure your hard
disk, select Auto. If you know your hard
disk type, you can select User, and enter
the setting manually.
| Auto
User
None
| Cylinder
| Specifies the number of cylinders of your
hard disk, This can only be modified if
Device Detection Mode is set to Manual. If
Device Detection Mode is set to Auto, this
parameter will be set by the system.
| User Input
| Head
| Specifies the number of heads of your hard
disk. This can only be modified if Device
Detection Mode is set to Manual. If Device
Detection Mode is set to Auto, this
parameter will be set by the system
| User Input
| Sector
| Specifies the number of sectors of your
hard disk. This can only be modified if
Device Detection Mode is set to Manual. If
Device Detection Mode is set to Auto, this
parameter will be set by the system
| User Input
| Size
| Specifies the size of your hard disk, in MB.
This can only be modified if Device
Detection Mode is set to Manual. If Device
Detection Mode is set to Auto, this
parameter will be set by the system
| User Input
| Hard disk size
> 528 MB
| When set to Auto, the BIOS utility
automatically detects if the installed hard
disk supports the function. If supported, it
allows you to use a hard disk with a
capacity of more than 528 MB. This is made
possible through the Logical Block
Address (LBA) mode translation.
However, this enhanced IDE feature works
only under DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows
95, and Windows NT 3.5 and above. Other
operating systems require this parameter
to be set to Disabled.
| Enabled
Disabled
| Hard disk
block mode
| Enhances disk performance depending on
the hard disk in use. If you set this
parameter to Auto, the BIOS utility
automatically detects if the installed hard
disk drive supports the Block Mode
function. If supported, it allows data
transfer in blocks (multiple sectors) at a
rate of 256 bytes per cycle.
| Auto
Disabled
| Advanced
PIO mode
| When set to Auto, the BIOS utility
automatically detects if the installed hard
disk supports the function. If supported, it
allows for faster data recovery and
read/write timing that reduces hard disk
activity time. This results in better hard
disk performance.
| Auto
Disabled
| Hard disk 32
bit access
| Improves system performance by allowing
the use of the 32-bit hard disk access. This
enhanced IDE feature works only under
DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95,
Windows NT, and Novell NetWare. If your
software or hard disk does not support this
function, set this parameter to Disabled.
| Enabled
Disabled
| DMA transfer
mode
| The Ultra DMA and Multi-DMA modes
enhance hard disk performance by
increasing the transfer rate. However,
besides enabling these features in the BIOS
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.
| Auto
Disabled
|
The Onboard Peripheral Configuration option allows you to configure the onboard communication ports and the onboard devices. Selecting this option displays the following screen:
Table 4-5 describes the Onboard Peripherals parameters. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-5. Onboard Peripherals Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Serial port 1
and 2
| Enables or disables the serial port
| Enabled
Disabled
| Base address
| Sets the I/O base address of the serial
port
| 3F8h
2F8h
3E8h
2E8h
| IRQ
| Sets the IRQ (interrupt request)
channel of the serial port
| 4
11
| Parallel port
| Enables or disables the parallel port
| Enabled
Disabled
| Base address
| Sets the I/O base address of the
parallel port.
| 378h
278h
3BCh
| IRQ
| Sets the interrupt request (IRQ)
channel of the parallel port
Note: 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.
| 7
5
| Operation
mode
| Selects the operation mode of the
parallel port.
Standard Parallel Port (Standard) –
allows normal speed, one-way
operation.
Standard and Bidirectional
(Bidirectional) – allows normal
speed operation in a two-way mode.
Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) –
allows bidirectional parallel port
operation at maximum speed.
Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) –
allows parallel port to operate in
bidirectional mode and at a speed
higher than the maximum data
transfer rate.
| Bi-directional
EPP
ECP
Standard
| ECP DMA
channel
| Sets the DMA channel of the parallel
port when the parallel operation
mode is set to ECP.
| 1
3
| Floppy disk
controller
| Sets the control level of the diskette
drive.
| Normal
Disabled
Write Protect All
Sectors
Write Protect Boot
Sector
| IDE controller
| Sets the control level of the IDE drive.
| Normal
Disabled
Write Protect All
Sectors
Write Protect Boot
Sector
| PS/2 mouse
controller
| Enables or disables the onboard PS/2
mouse controller.
| Enabled
Disabled
| USB host
controller
| Enables or disable the on board USB
controller.
| Enabled
Disabled
| USB legacy
mode
| When enabled, allows you to use a
USB keyboard in DOS. Set this to
Disabled to deactivate the USB
keyboard function in DOS.
| Disabled
Enabled
|
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:
Table 4-6 describes the Power Management parameters. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-6. Power Management Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Power
management
mode
| Allows you to reduce power
consumption. When this parameter is set
to Enabled, you can configure the IDE
hard disk and system timers. Setting it to
Disabled deactivates the
power-management feature and its
timers.
| Enabled
Disabled
| IDE hard disk
standby timer
| Allows the hard disk to enter standby
mode after inactivity of 1 to 15 minutes,
depending on your setting. When you
access the hard disk again, allow 3 to 5
seconds (depending on the hard disk) for
the disk to return to normal speed. Set this
parameter to Off if your hard disk does
not support this function.
| Off
1 minute
15 minutes
| System sleep
timer
| This parameter sets the system to the
lowest power-saving mode after a
specified period of inactivity. Any
keyboard or mouse action or any activity
detected from the IRQ channels resumes
system operation.
| Off
On
| Sleep mode
| Lets you specify the power-saving mode
that the system will enter after a specified
period of inactivity.
This parameter becomes configurable
only if the system sleep timer is on. Any
keyboard or mouse action, or any enabled
monitored activities occurring through
the IRQ channels resume system
operation.
| Standby
Suspend
| Power switch <
4 sec.
| When set to Power off, the system
automatically turns off when the power
switch is pressed for less than 4 seconds.
When set to Suspend, the system enters
the suspend mode when pressed for less
than 4 seconds.
| Suspend
Power off
| System
wake-up event
| 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.
| Enabled
Disabled
|
The Boot Options selection allows you to specify your preferred setting for bootup.
The following screen appears if you select Boot Options from the Basic Configuration menu:
| Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) mark indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the Advanced Level. See “Entering Setup”.
|
Table 4-7 describes the Boot Options parameters. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-7. Boot Options Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Boot Sequence
| This parameter allows you to specify the
boot search sequence during POST.
- 1st. The system checks this drive first.
- 2nd. The system then checks this drive if
it can not boot from the 1st specified drive.
- 3rd. If the 1st and 2nd searches fail, it
boots from this drive.
BIOS will display an error message if the
drive specified is not bootable.
|
| Primary
display
adapter
| Setting this parameter to Auto enables the
onboard video controller. Normally, the
onboard video controller is considered as
the primary display adapter. If you
installed a video card into your system,
you need to disable the onboard VGA;
otherwise, the video card will not
function. To do this, simply set this
parameter to Disabled.
| Onboard
Disabled
| Fast boot
| Allows the system to boot faster by
skipping some POST routines.
| Disabled
Enabled
| Silent boot
| Enables or disables the Silent Boot
function. When set to Enabled, BIOS is in
graphical mode and displays only an
identification logo during POST and while
booting. After booting, the screen displays
the operating system prompt (such as
DOS) or logo (such as Windows 95). If any
error occurs while booting, the system
automatically switches to the text mode.
Even if your setting is Enabled, you may
also switch to the text mode while booting
by pressing the Delete key when you see
the “Press DELETE key to enter setup”
message on the screen.
When set to Disabled, BIOS is in the
conventional text mode where you see the
system initialization details on the screen.
| Enabled
Disabled
| Num lock after
boot
| Allows you to activate the Num Lock
function upon booting.
| Enabled
Disabled
| 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.
| Enabled
Disabled
|
The real-time clock keeps the system date and time. After setting the date and time, you do not need to enter them every time you turn on the system. As long as the internal battery remains good (approximately 7 years) and connected, the clock continues to keep the date and time accurately even when the power is off.
Table 4-8 describes the Date and Time parameters.
Table 4-8. Date and Time Parameters
Parameter
| Description
|
|---|
Date
| 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: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul,
Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Day: 1 to 31
Year: 1980 to 2079
| Time
| Set the time following the hour-minute-second format.
Valid values for hour, minute, and second are:
Hour: 00 to 23
Minute: 00 to 59
Second: 00 to 59
|
The Setup program has a number of security features to prevent unauthorized access to the system and its data.
The following screen appears if you select System Security from the Setup Utility screen:
The Supervisor Password prevents unauthorized access to the BIOS utility.
Setting and Changing a PasswordTo
set or change a password:
Enable the Supervisor Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow keys. The Supervisor Password window appears:
Type a password in the Enter Password field. The password may consist of up to seven characters.
Press the Enter key. Retype your password in the Enter Password Again field to verify your first entry.
Highlight Set or Change Password and press the Enter key.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Exit Setup screen appears:
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit the Setup Utility. Your password will be saved to CMOS.
The next time you want to enter the BIOS utility, you must key in your Supervisor password.
To
remove your Supervisor Password:
Disable the Supervisor Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow key to select None.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Exit Setup screen appears:
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit Setup Utility. Your previous password will be removed from CMOS.
The User Password secures your system against unauthorized use. 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 User Password parameter. Follow the procedure used in “Supervisor Password”.
The disk drive control features allow you to control the floppy drive or the hard disk drive boot function to prevent loading operating systems or other programs from a certain drive while the other drives are operational (under DOS mode only).
Table 4-9 describes the Disk Drive Control settings.
Table 4-9. Disk Drive Control
Setting
| Description
|
|---|
Normal
| Floppy drive or hard disk drive functions normally
| Write Protect All Sectors
| Disables the write function on all sectors
| Write Protect Boot Sectors
| Disables the write function only on the boot sector
|
The
Advanced Options configuration menu allows you to configure the system memory, PCI device settings, and CPU frequency. To view the Advanced Options screen, press F8.
| Note: If you are not a qualified technician, to avoid damaging the system do not change any settings under Advanced Options.
|
The following screen shows the Advanced Options parameters:
The Memory/Cache Options allow you to configure the advanced system memory functions.
Table 4-10 describes the Memory/Cache Options parameters screen. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-10. Memory/Cache Options Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
Level 1 cache
| This parameter enables or disables the
first-level or internal memory, that is, the
memory integrated into the CPU.
| Enabled
Disabled
| Level 2 cache
| This parameter enables or disables the
second-level cache memory. The
second-level cache is incorporated into the
CPU module.
| Enabled
Disabled
| Memory at
15MB-16MB
Reserved for
| To prevent memory address conflicts
between the system and expansion
boards, reserve this memory range for the
use of either the system or an expansion
board.
| System
Expansion board
| Memory Parity
Mode
| Enables or disables the ECC (Error
Checking and Correction) feature. The
ECC feature enables BIOS to detect and
correct data errors. Disable this parameter
if you want to disregard the function.
| ECC+scrubbing
Disabled
|
The PnP/PCI Options allows you to specify the settings for your plug-and-play (PnP) PCI devices. Selecting this option displays the following screen:
Table 4-11 describes the PnP/PCI Options parameters. Settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-11. PnP/PCI Options Parameters
Parameter
| Description
| Option
|
|---|
PCI IRQ
sharing
| Select Auto to let the BIOS automatically
configure the plug-and-play (PnP) devices
installed on your system. Otherwise,
select Manual.
Note: Refer to your manual for technical
information about the PCI card.
| Auto
Manual
| PCI slot 1 to 3
| When you set the PCI IRQ Setting
parameter to Auto, these parameters
specify the auto-assigned interrupt for
each of the PCI devices. If you set the PCI
IRQ Setting parameter to Manual, you
need to specify the interrupt that you
want to assign for each PCI device
installed in your system.
| User input
| PCI IRQ
sharing
| Setting this parameter to Yes allows you
to assign the same IRQ to two different
devices. To disable the feature, select No.
Note: If there are no IRQs available to
assign for the remaining device function,
we recommend that you enable this
parameter.
| Yes
No
| VGA palette
snoop
| This parameter permits you to use the
palette snooping feature if you installed
more than one VGA card in the system.
The VGA palette snoop function allows
the control palette register (CPR) to
manage and update the VGA RAMDAC
(Digital Analog Converter, a color data
storage) of each VGA card installed in the
system. The snooping process lets the CPR
send a signal to all the VGA cards so that
they can update their individual
RAMDACs. The signal goes through the
cards continuously until all RAMDAC
data has been updated. This allows the
display of multiple images on the screen.
Note: Some VGA cards have required
settings for this feature. Check your VGA
card manual before setting this parameter.
| Disabled
Enabled
| Graphics
aperture size
| This parameter determines the effective
size of the graphics aperture. The graphics
aperture is the address range that the AGP
video and the CPU use to manage
graphical objects. The lowest setting is
8 MB and the highest is 256 MB.
| User input
| 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.
Note: Set this parameter to Yes only if
your operating system is Windows 95/98.
| Yes
No
| Reset resource
assignments
| Set this parameter to Yes to avoid IRQ
conflict when installing non-PnP cards.
This clears all resource assignments and
allows BIOS to reassign resources to all
installed PnP devices the next time the
system boots. After clearing the resource
data, the parameter resets to No.
| No
Yes
|
Use the Load Default Settings 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:
Select Yes to load the default settings.
Select No to ignore the message and return to the BIOS utility.
Use the Abort Settings Change option to disregard your changes to the BIOS and reload your previous settings.
The following dialog box appears when you select Abort Settings Change from the Main menu:
Select Yes to disregard your changes and reload your previous settings. After reloading, the Main menu appears on your screen.
Select No to ignore the message and return to the BIOS utility
Examine the system configuration values. When you are satisfied that all the values are correct, write them down. Store the recorded values in a safe place. In the future, if the battery loses power or the CMOS chip is damaged, you will know what values to enter when you rerun Setup.
Press the Esc key to leave the Setup utility. The following dialog box appears:
Use the arrow keys to select your response. Press the Enter key.
If you made any changes to the Setup utility, the following dialog box appears:
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 the Enter key to exit.
Silicon Graphics 230 Visual Workstation User's Guide
(document number: 007-4263-001 / published: 2000-05-24)
table of contents | additional info | download
Front Matter
Chapter 1. System Setup
Chapter 2. Installation of Customer Replaceable Components
Chapter 3. System Board
Chapter 4. Setup Utility
Appendix A. Connector Pinouts
Appendix B. Physical Environment Specifications
Appendix C. Regulatory Information
Index
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