• For AMD K5-PR166, you must adjust the Dip Switch as shown in Condition 2.
• To use "Soft Frequency" setting for other types of CPUs, you just follow the setting in Condition 1. Incorrect setting of the DIP switch will over-ride the BIOS SMART SOFT feature.

• For EXP8661 Motherboard
• JP5, 6, 7 - Open for Bus frequency 66MHz.
• JP18, JP19 - setting the Multipler (CPU Ratio). See manual for the required ratio.
• JPA1 closed , JPA2 open - Vcore 2.9V
• JP22 : pin 1-2 close for VIO 3.3V
• For 3.5x ratio, please set it as 1.5x ratio which is the same settimg for 3.5x ratio.
• For EXP8J61 Motherboard
• JP9, 10 : Open for CPU clock frequency of 66MHz.
• JP2, JP3 setting the Multipler or CPU ratio. See manual for the required CPU ratio required.
• JPA1 pin 1,2 : closed , JPA2 : Open - Vcore 2.9V
• JP14 pin 1,2 :closed for VIO 3.3V

SMART SOFT Intel 430TX series - incorporating .......... Ultra DMA Hard Disk Protocol

• Frequently Asked Questions about Ultra DMA
• What to consider when purchasing or configuring a system with Ultra DMA

• What is the Ultra DMA protocol and what does it do?
• Do I need the 430TX to use an Ultra DMA drive or vice-versa?
• How does Ultra DMA affect my system performance?
• How can I purchase a system with Ultra DMA capability?
• Do I already have an Ultra DMA drive in my system?

• What hardware is needed to install an Ultra DMA drive on a system?
• Can I use Intel&127s Bus Master IDE drivers with an Ultra DMA drive?
• Which Ultra DMA host controllers are supported by Bus Master IDE drivers?
• Can I use Ultra DMA capable and standard IDE drives in the same system?

• What software requirements are needed to support Ultra DMA drives?
• How do I know if my system BIOS supports Ultra DMA?
• Which applications benefit from Ultra DMA?
• How do I ensure that the ISA/IDE controller on my Intel 430TX PCIset based system is recognized and configured by Windows* '95?

What to consider when purchasing or configuring a system with Ultra DMA SUMMARY

Ultra DMA is a new protocol for the ATA/IDE hard disk drive interface that doubles the current burst data transfer rate to 33 megabytes (MB) per second. The protocol is a Quantum Corporation patented technology that will be implemented in industry standard hard drive products and enabled through logic in all new Intel PCIsets beginning with the 430TX. Systems with Ultra DMA capability will be available in early 1997 with major disk drive vendors (Quantum, Seagate, IBM-SSD, Western Digital, Maxtor, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and others) introducing new Ultra DMA products throughout the year.

Ultra DMA "widens" the path to the hard drive by transferring twice as much data per clock cycle. The net effect is that the maximum burst data transfer rate from the disk drive increases from 16.6 Megabytes per second (MB/s) to 33 MB/s. Hard disk drive manufacturers can now bring higher performance products to market that will scale with the rest of the PC platform (faster hard drives to feed faster processors, memory and graphics).

The Ultra DMA protocol lets host computers (PCs) send and retrieve data faster, removing bottlenecks associated with data transfers -- especially during sequential operations. Users of new PCs will need less time to boot their systems and open applications, a direct result of the improved throughput provided by Ultra DMA. Current disk drive technology has been optimized to perform within the limits of the legacy protocol (16.6MB/s). Raising the data transfer headroom results in moderate performance gains with today&127s drive technology. Even greater performance improvements will emerge as drive manufacturers introduce products which generate a faster data stream.

Bus Mastering technology can also be implemented with Ultra DMA disk drives. Similar reductions in CPU utilization will be experienced when Bus Mastering drivers are installed.

In addition to speed improvements, the protocol brings new data integrity capabilities to the ATA/IDE interface. Improved timing margins and the use of Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC), a data protection verification not implemented in legacy ATA modes, help ensure the integrity of transferred data.

To utilize Ultra DMA technology your system must have all of the following elements:

1. Ultra DMA compatible logic on your system motherboard (the Intel 430TX PCIset contains this logic) or on a Ultra DMA PCI adapter card (for installed systems). In the case where the logic resides on the motherboard, the operating system must recognize and configure the solution.(a.)
2. Ultra DMA compatible BIOS
3. an Ultra DMA-aware device driver for your operating system
4. an Ultra DMA compatible IDE device (disk drive, CD-ROM)

The Ultra DMA protocol allows drives and systems to retain backward compatibility with the existing ATA standard. Because of this feature, installed PCs without the Ultra DMA capability can use new disk drives in legacy ATA modes at transfer rates up to 16.6 MB/second. To take advantage of the high-speed 33 MB/s protocol, PC users in the installed base can purchase an Ultra DMA PCI adapter card.

(a.) To have the retail release of Windows* &12795 recognize and correctly configure an Intel 430TX PCIset (with the 82371AB - PIIX4 ISA/IDE interface) based platform, some modification to the Windows* '95 .INF files are required. ExpertColor Intel 430TX SMART SOFT series provides a easy "Tsetup.exe" on the attached utility disk to quickly make these modifications. System manufacturers with Windows* '95 OSR3 pre-installed will already contain these modifications.

Integrating a system with Ultra DMA technology requires advanced knowledge of PC hardware and software. Consequently, Intel recommends that Ultra DMA drives be installed by a PC manufacturer or knowledgeable dealer. Incorrect installation could damage your system or result in loss of data. Contact your PC manufacturer for information on whether your system already contains an Ultra DMA drive.

If you continue to have questions regarding Ultra DMA or Intel Bus master IDE drivers, please refer to Frequently Asked Questions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

!1: Ultra DMA is a new protocol for the ATA/IDE hard disk drive interface that doubles the current burst data transfer rate to 33 megabytes (MB) per second. This technology is capable of transferring twice as much data per clock cycle and provides a path for disk drive vendors to scale the performance of their products. A user can potentially benefit from faster disk reads and writes, resulting in less waiting time when starting a system or application. The Ultra DMA protocol is implemented in all new Intel PCIsets (beginning with the 430TX) and disk drive products from all leading vendors.

To utilize Ultra DMA your system must have all of the following elements:

1. Ultra DMA compatible logic on your system motherboard (the Intel 430TX PCIset contains this logic) or on a Ultra DMA PCI adapter card (for installed systems).
2. Ultra DMA compatible BIOS
3. an Ultra DMA-aware device driver for your operating system
4. an Ultra DMA compatible IDE device (disk drive, CD-ROM)

!2: A platform based on the Intel 430TX PCIset is a very cost effective method of employing an Ultra DMA drive, as the control logic is integrated onto the motherboard. New systems based on earlier PCIsets or installed systems can take advantage of Ultra DMA&127s 33 MB/s transfer rate by installing a PCI Ultra DMA IDE controller card.

The Intel 430TX PCIset continues to support legacy IDE/ATA drives at 16.6 MB/s.

!3: The Ultra DMA protocol is a "wider" channel for data traffic to flow to and from your hard drive. Performance gains due to Ultra DMA are dependent on the rate at which your specific drive sends data through the channel. Because legacy IDE protocol (16.6 MB/s) has become a speed limiter, initial Ultra DMA hard drive products with current mechanical designs will achieve moderate performance increases

!4: Contact your PC manufacturer and request a list of PC models that have an Ultra DMA hard drive or can be upgraded without the extra cost of a controller card. For specific disk drive availability, contact individual drive manufacturers or their authorized sales outlets.

!5: Contact your PC manufacturer or disk drive vendor to determine if your system contains an Ultra DMA disk drive.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

!1: ExpertColor Intel 430TX SMART SOFT (KTX430/ATX431) series provide 2 sets of Ultra DMA controllers on-board for Ultra DMA/33 capability. An Ultra DMA capable system includes an IDE host controller that is capable of transferring data between a system and IDE drives utilizing the Ultra DMA protocol. This may reside on a motherboard in an integrated core logic solution (such as the Intel 430TX PCIset) or on a PCI add-on card. The system must also have a disk drive which supports the Ultra DMA protocol. Cables for an Ultra DMA solution are identical to those used for legacy drives.

!2: If the Ultra DMA drive is enabled by the integrated logic in an Intel PCIset directly on your motherboard, it can be used in conjunction with the latest Intel Bus Master IDE driver (Intel&127s Bus Master IDE driver for Windows* &12795 ver 3.0 - or later). Contact your operating system vendor or system manufacturer for bus master drivers for other operating systems.

!3: The IDE host controller supported is the PCI to ISA bridge component included in Intel's 430TX PCIset. Specifically, the 82371AB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller in the Intel 430TX PCIset.

Other Ultra DMA host controllers are not supported by the Intel Bus Master IDE drivers.

!4: Yes, an Ultra DMA capable and standard IDE drives can be used in the same system. Ultra DMA drives are also fully backward compatible with existing IDE drives and CD-ROM drives.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

!1: Ultra DMA disk drive supporting software must include the following for a system to function correctly:

1. Ultra DMA compatible BIOS
2. A multi-tasking operating system (OS) such as Windows* '95
3. An Ultra DMA-aware device driver for your operating system

Contact your PC and/or disk drive manufacturer for more information in determining a system's ability to support Ultra DMA.

!2: System BIOS is responsible for configuring the IDE host controller and IDE drives based on the capabilities of the IDE drives. There is no convenient way to find out if your system BIOS is Bus Master or Ultra DMA compatible. Contact your system manufacturer to determe if your BIOS supports Ultra DMA and has been validated with Ultra DMA and Bus Master IDE.

!3: Any disk intensive applications will see the benefits of Ultra DMA&127s increased throughput. Applications that reside on the local Ultra DMA hard drive will load faster.

!4: First, confirm that your system contains an Intel 430TX PCIset. If your computer&127s mainboard contains Intel devices marked 82439TX and 82371AB, then your system is based on the 430TX - contact your system manufacturer if you are unsure. If you have a 430TX based system, look in the Windows* '95 Device Manager. The drivers listed should appear as such:

Hard Disk Controllers

• Intel 82371AB PCI IDE Controller
• Primary IDE Controller (dual fifo)
• Secondary IDE Controller (dual fifo)

If you do not see these drivers or there is an exclamation mark next to the primary or secondary IDE controller, you should run the attached "TSETUP.exe" on the utility disk provided along with our ExpertColor SMART SOFT Intel 430TX series.

CPU SUPPORT ISSUES

• 2.0 What is SMART SOFT on the ExpertColor 430TX series ?
• 2.1 Do your boards work with Intel P55C MMX processors?
• 2.2 Which boards support the Intel Pentium MMX 233Mhz?
• 2.3 Are your board compatible with the Intel Pentium 200MHz?
• 2.4 Do your boards support AMD K6 and Cyrix M2 processors?
• 2.5 How do I overclock my CPU?
• 2.6 Which boards support the 75/83MHz bus speeds?
• 2.7 What happened if the motherboard has 70ns memory with a 66MHz external clock or for Processor higher that 200Mhz ~ 233Mhz ?
• 2.8 Does my KTX430/ATX431/KTX531 series motherboard support Ultra-IDE?
• 2.9 What is USB?
• 3.0 Is my LS-120 drive supported by the AMI BIOS on our KTX430/KTX531 and ATX431 motherboard? ?
• 3.1 My CMOS Configuration is lost and what should I do ?

Attention : For new CPU installation with SMARTSOFT motherboard, please follow the "SMART SOFT" procedure by pressing the "HOME" key upon power up. This will clear the CMOS memory to Default.

SMART SOFT is the latest jumperless techniques incorporated on the ExpertColor 430TX series. SMART SOFT provides you easy installation for system assemblers or "DIY" solution with CPU Auto-Voltage/CPU ID detection and CPU Soft-Frequency selectable on the BIOS. You needs only to set the speed or frequency (75Mhz ~ 233Mhz) of the CPU installed. No other setting is required for the CPU installation unlike a non-jumperless or DIP switch configuration which requires you to set CPU Core voltage + I/O Core voltage, System Frequency (50/60/66Mhz) and CPU Frequency multipler or ratio.

2.1 What other features is incorporated on the ExpertColor 430TX series ?

Besides SMART SOFT, ExpertColor 430TX series provides PC Health Monitoring feature for prevention of system crash leading to valuable data loss by abnormal extreme high temperaturegenerated in the PC system or CPU temperature overheating with alarm warning for CPU protection and CPU frequency slow-down to prevent system crashes leading to valuable data loss.

The P55C or MMX processors operates at a dual plane voltage of 2.8 /3.3 volts.
ExpertColor SMART SOFT 430TX (KTX430/ATX431) series Pentium-based
motherboards are designed with switching voltage regulators. This new voltage regulator
gives support for the P55C 166/200/233Mhz MMX processors.

In addition to support for all other Intel MMX Pentium Processors, ExpertColor 430TX series motherboards listed below also have support for the the new 233Mhz Pentium Processor.
KTX430 - Intel 430TX AT Form Factor 512K cache / 2 DIMMs / 4 SIMMs + SMART SOFT
ATX431 - Intel 430TX ATX From Factor 512K cache / 2 DIMMs / 4 SIMMs + SMART SOFT
KTX531 - OEM PC 97 compliance AT Form 512K cache / 2 DIMMs / 4 SIMMs/ CPU Auto-Voltage

2.4 Will ExpertColor 430TX motherboards support the AMD K6 and Cyrix M2 CPU ?

Our new 430TX SMART SOFT BIOS or TX compatible (KTX531) series supports the new CPUs with MMX. It provides selectable CPU clock 50/55/60/66/75Mhz for a wide range CPU selection

2.5 What happened if I overclock my CPU using ExpertColor SMART SOFT ?

ExpertColor 430TX series does not support overclocking of your CPU for reliability consideration. Your CPU has been rated to run a a certain speed, and it has been tested to run with our motherboard at that speed. We cannot address any problems you may encounter if you try to overclock your CPU. Though many users have been known to overclock their CPUs successfully, you do so at your own discretion and risk. If you try to overclock your CPU, you will either get an unstable system or you will get nothing at all during power up.

SMART SOFT provides you a fail-proof procedure for "Return to Default Setting". During power-up, press simultaneous the "HOME" key to return to default setting or by doing a hardware "Clear CMOS" jumper on the motherboard. Upon system screen display, re-select the right CPU frequency using "SMART SOFT CPU Setting" and save the setting to reboot.

2.6 Which boards support the 75/83MHz bus speeds?

Currently, the our ExpertColor 430TX series motherboard support 75MHz. Only our KTX531 design supports 83MHz bus speed. However, we do not claim support for the 75MHz or 83MHz bus speeds. The reason for this is that the PCI bus, which runs at half the system bus speed, would be running at 41.5 MHz. Cards nowadays are designed to run at 33MHz, so we can't guarantee that our motherboards will work at this higher bus with your system.

2.7 What happened if the motherboard has 70ns memory with a 66MHz external clock or for Processor higher that 200Mhz ~ 233Mhz ?

Memory manufacturers usually aim to make 60ns memory. Some will not pass as 60ns, so they mark it as 70ns. However, if there is a greater demand for 60ns memory than what they have marked as 70ns DRAM, then there are chances for some market memory suppliers in order to meet the demand,that they will also do re-marking as 60ns memory. The issue with 70ns memory and the 66mhz clock is that the memory is not fast enough to keep up with the clock. This will manifest as random errors, lockups, and general protection faults. We suugest you adjust the timing in the CMOS settings.(Increase the DRAM read and write burst timing as x4444. This will have effect of slowing down your computer slightly but maintain system reliability). Set the BIOS timing settings accordingly and for system performance, it is still recommended that you use 60ns memory for a 66MHz clock rather than 70ns. Keep an eye out for possible memory related problems . If your system is installed with a Processor above 200Mhz ~ 233Mhz speed, it is most recommend to set the DRAM Read/Write configuration as x444 and installed 60ns EDO DRAM for a stable system. A certified CPU cooler is a very important factor for a adquate ventilation beside memory configuration.

2.8 Does my KTX430/ATX431/KTX531 series motherboard support Ultra-DMA 33 IDE?

So far, the only chipset from Intel 430TX or TX compatible that supports the new Ultra-IDE standard. Motherboards based on 430FX, 430HX, and 430VX chipset will not support the new standard. However, Ultra-IDE hard drives are backwards compatible, and will work with the other chipsets. They will just function as EIDE drives in this case. ExpertColor Intel TX series provides Ultra DMA/33 Bus Mastering IDE Drivers to works with the EIDE hard disk with Ultra DMA 33 capability.

Type "Tsetup" on the utility disk provided or run "setup" on the BMIDE_95 to install or uninstall the Ultra DMA 33 hard disk drivers. Ultra DMA 33 hard disk driver is provided for Windows NT 4.0 on our Web-site with readme.txt for installation.

2.9 What is the Universal Serial Bus (USB)?

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It's a hardware spec developed by Intel over a year ago for the attachment of devices to your computer such as keyboards, mice, scanners, etc. The general idea behind the Universal Serial Bus is to replace the current method of attaching devices with a smarter and unified standard that would make attaching devices to your computer much simpler. USB devices all use the same kind of connector, and can be attached while the system power is on. The system will automatically detect USB devices, similar to Plug N Play. USB devices can be attached in a chain, like SCSI devices, so that a USB mouse can connect to a USB port on the keyboard, which can connect to a USB port on the monitor, which can connect to a USB port on the computer. Thus there will no longer be a need for setting up individual IRQs and addresses for every serial, parallel, and PS2 port - the Universal Serial Bus should replace all that.

NOTE:
Some users have been wondering about the "Unknown PCI Device" that is often detected by Windows 95 (release 1) and left in the Device Manager (usually appears with a big question mark). This is the hardware that provides USB support. It currently takes up an IRQ (usually 10 if it is available), and will be detected by Windows95 (release 1) as an unknown PCI card. The current release of Windows95 (OSR2.x ) will incorporate support for USB, and it should correctly identify the "Unknown PCI Device" as a USB device port and hub. There are five elements that are needed to make USB work:

1) support from the chipset
2) support from the BIOS
3) support from drivers (the O/S)
4) USB connectors from/on the motherboard (Optional)
5) USB devices to attach to the motherboard.

A > Any chipset that uses the PIIX3 B0 stepping or higher will fulfill the first requirement. Currently ExpertColor motherboards shipping with Intel TX chipset support USB.3) The latest release of Windows95 (OSR2), should fulfill the third requirement.
B > All of our KTX430/KTX531 and ATX431 motherboards are shipping with the pins to connect a USB connector (the USB pin-header ready). However, none of the boards are shipping with the USB connector itself; it must be purchased separately (like infrared connecters).

3.0 Is my LS-120 drive supported by the AMI BIOS on our KTX430/ KTX531/ ATX431 motherboard?

Our new series of motherboard which is PC' 97 compliance motherboards will fully support the LS-120 technology drives. AMI BIOS will auto-detect the LS-120 drive upon bootup and to create bootup disk on the LS-120 drive, you needs to format the 120MB Floppy disk under Windows 95 and not under DOS environment unlike a standard 1.44MB floppy diskette.

3.1 My CMOS configuration is lost ! What should I do ?

The CMOS battery powers the CMOS memory for the BIOS settings and the internal clock of your system. Should your CMOS battery go bad, you will encounter the following symptoms:
"When you boot, all the settings and the time are lost. While the system is running, the power supply keeps settings in memory active. However, when you power your system down again, the CMOS memory is again lost."
If this sounds like the problem you are encountering, you should try and obtain a new CMOS battery:
If you have a lithium battery (coin-shaped battery), you should be able to get a new battery at most computer stores . There are different types of batteries, so get the same battery on-board for reference before you go to the store.
If you don't have a lithium battery, please ask your nearest technical site for assistance.

3.2 What is this mysterious "PCI CARD" in Win95?

This was an issue with the original release of Windows95. It did not properly detect the Universal Serial Bus controller on the motherboard. However, it can tell that something is taking an IRQ (usually 10 if it is available), so it detects it as an unknown PCI card. The release of Windows 95 OSR2.x incorporates support for USB, and should correctly identify the unknown PCI card as a USB device port and hub. The latest BIOS revisions for most of our motherboards now give you the option to enable/disable USB support. If you disable USB support, Windows95 will no longer detect this 'mystery PCI card'.