Q & A Database

NO.001
What kind of products will DataExpert develops using 430VX PCIset?
NO.002
What kind of CPU can EXP8661S support?
NO.003
What does it means by the " dual voltage of CPU"?
NO.004
Can EXP8661S & EXP8561S support whole series of Cyrix CPUs?
NO.005
What kind of chipset does Intel 430VX PCIset include?
NO. 006
What kind of chip does Intel 430HX PCIset include?
NO.007
What are the capabilities of 430VX PCIset on EXP8661S?
NO.008
What kind of memory types users can use on the EXP8661S?
NO.009
What is S-DRAM?
NO.0010
What are the advantages of using Synchronous DRAM?
NO.011
Can users use traditional DRAM(fast page mode, EDO) together with SDRAM?
NO.012
What is the difference between SIMM and DIMM sockets?
NO.013
What is cache size of L2 cache memory on EXP8661S?
NO.014
What kind of SRAM can be used on EXP8661S, ASRAM or PBSRAM?
NO.015
Is there any compatible problem of PBSRAM cache module installed on EXP8661S?
NO.016
Is there any difference between COAST 1.3 and COAST 2.0/2.1?
NO.017
Is Intel 430VX & 430HX PCIset PCI 2.1 compliant?
NO.018
What does ECC mean?
NO.019
Does EXP8661S support Universal Series Bus (USB) interface?
NO.020
Does EXP8661S & EXP8561S pass the CE test?
NO.021
What other tests have been done on EXP8661S & EXP8561S?
NO.022
What is COAST definition?
NO.023
Is there any difference between the specification of COAST 2.0 & COAST 2.1?
NO.024
The current Windows 95 4.00.950 would not detect PIX3 correctly. How to correct it?
NO.025
What's New in the Next Generation PCs?

! The latest verson (J verson) is available now for the windows NT 4.0 driver. Previous ExperColor "I" verson is not suitable, you may download and resolve the problem now.

! DataExpert EXP8661S M/Bs use Intel 430VX PCIset as main system chipset. The detail specification is described in the following tables:

! EXP8661S can support the Pentium or CPUs at host bus clock 50MHz, 60MHz, and 66MHz for 3V technology. These CPUs include full series Pentium or compatible CPU including Intel Pentium 75/90/100/120/133/150/166/200 MHz, and Cyrix 6x86 P120+/ P133+/ P150+/ P166+ 3.3V CPU. EXP8661S also provide users optional choice of supporting P55C, future Cyrix and AMD processor at dual voltage design.

! Intel P55C CPU, Cyrix and AMD future high speed CPU will use high integrated VLSI technology which needs low voltage for internal processing of CPU chip. For this reason, the voltage supply of the CPU was designed into 2 split power plane : 3.3V/3.45V for I/O processing of CPU and 3.3V/2.8V/2.5V for internal core processing of CPU. Motherboard which provides socket 7 may reserve the dual voltage circuit or VRM headers for the future market of the these CPUs. EXP8661S was designed to reserve the selectable voltage circuit on-board for the split power plane. When the new CPUs emerge, EXP8661S will support the dual voltage setting without any upgrade to the design.

! Yes to existing 3.3V type Cyrix CPU and No to Cyrix P200+. EXP8661S support full 3.3V Cyrix 6x86 CPU P120+, P133+, P150+ and P166+. Cyrix P200+ requres 75MHz CPU clock and Intel 430 Series will only supports up to 66MHz CPU clock. EXP8661S provides 2 heatsinks with voltage regulator to provides up to 10Amp supply to solve the thermal problem of Cyrix P150+/P166+ CPU. With separate regulator current output, EXP8661S can offer the high current (7.5Amp) request of Cyrix P166+ CPU.

! 430VX PCIset include 208-pin QFP System Controller (TVX 82437VX), two 100-pin QFP Data Paths (TDX, 82438VX), and 208-pin QFP PCI ISA IDE DXcelerator (PIIX3 82371SB).

! 430HX PCIset include 438-pin BGA System Controller (TVX 82438HX) and 208-pin QFP PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX3 82371SB).

! Intel 430VX PCIset has main functions as follows:

Supports Intel Pentium or compatible processors with host bus 50MHz, 60MHz, & 66MHz PCI2.1 Compliant Integrated DRAM controller 64-bit Path to Memory 4Mytes to 256Mbytes of Main memory Enhanced EDO/Fast pagemode DRAM Support (6-2-2-2 reads at 66MHz) 4 RAS Lines Available

Support for Symmetrical and Asymmetrical DRAMs Supports SDRAM (x-1-1-1 at 66MHz) 5 Qword Deep Buffer for 3-1-1-1 Posted Writes, and Dword and Burst Merging Supports Mixed memory Technologies (EDO/SPM/SDRAM) Integraged Programmable-Strength MA Buffers, External Buffers on MA Lines are Not Required
Integrated L2 cache controller Direct Mapped and Write Back Organization Supports 256KB or 512KB Pipelined Burst SRAM (PBSRAM) BACK-to-back Read/Write Cycles at 3-1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Fully synchronous, Minimum Latency 25/30/33 MHz PCI interface Five PCI Bus Maters including 4 PCI slots and one for PIIX3 Converts Back-to-Back sequential PCI Memory Writes to CPI Burst Writes CPU-to-PCI Memory Write Posting with 5 Dword deep Buffers PCI-to-DRAM Read Presetting 5 Qwords PCI-to-DRAM Posting 18 Dwords Multi-Transaction Timer to support multiple short PCI transactions
Supports the Universal Serial Bus (USB) at B0 version of PIIX3

! EXP8661S provides 4 x 72-pin SIMM (for EDO/FPM) socket and one 168-pin DIMM socket (for unbuffered SDRAM). EXP8661S supports 64/72-bit data path SIMM with FPM (fast page mode) or EDO (Extended Data Out), 1M, 2M, 4M symmetrical or asymmetrical SIMM, or 16MB symmetrical SIMM, or 64-bit DIMM with unbuffered SDRAM. Thus EXP8661S can support mixed memory type of EDO/FPM/SDRAM on SIMM and DIMM sockets.

! S-DRAM is clock-Synchronous DRAM. In S-DRAMs. Control signals (CAS, RAS, WE) are put in synchronization with the clock rising edge. I/O transactions are possible on every clock cycle. Thus EXP8661S can access data from S-DRAM in cycle time x-1-1-1 at 66MHz. Thus using SDRAM can boost up performance of system by increasing about 40% in effective bandwidth over EDO.

! There are seral advantages of S-DRAM. Please read the following items as key advantage.

1. Performance boom up-EXP8661S using S-DRAM can boost up performance of system by increasing about 40% in effective banndwidth over EDO.
2. JEDEC Standard-All PC M/B uses the same standard of S-DRAM in DIMM format.
3. Multiple sources-over 10 suppliers commits to ramp up the production quantity.
4. Main Memory solution for Pentium or future PC trend.-SDRAM can keep up with system frequency increment.
5. S-DRAM on DIMMs ard 64-bit memory module and a single module up to 32MB capcity can be installed unlike SIMMs which is 32-bit module and minimum 2 SIMMs is required for a system.

! No, it is recommended by Intel that 430VCX PCIset cannot instatall mixed type of DRAM (EDO, fast page mode, SDRAM) together on EXP8661S at the same time. S-DRAM are 3.3V type of memory and EDO/FPM are 5V memory type and it will cause damage or reliablility with mixed memory installation especially to the 3.3V memory type. For more detail about memory installation, please refer to our user's manual.

! Refer the following table of the difference between SIMM and DIMM sockets.

! EXP8661S support 256KB L2 PBSRAM cache on board and upgradeable to 512KB on a cache module or COAST.

! Due to the trend of PBSRAM (pipeline burst SRAM) being popular, cost effective and performance better than Async. SRAM, EXP8661S do not provide ASRAM (asynchronous SRAM) solution. Users can choose either on-board pipeline burst cache or cache module type or COAST of EXP8661S. The cache memory type must be Pipelined burst SRAM with the global write enable feature.

! Yes, EXP8661S uses Intel 430VX PC1set which support PBSRAM cache module with COAST 2.0 or COAST 2.1 specification. Some type of Cache module which is only complant with COAST 1.2/1.3 socket can not be installed on EXP8661S. If users do not know which vendor they can choose DataExpert offered PBSRAM cache module-is an ideal choose to upgrade L2 cache size.

! COAST is the specification of PBSRAM cache module. COAST 1.3 can only support Intel 430FX PCIset or compatible chipset M/B. COAST 2.1 supports Intel 430HX, 430VX, and 430FX PCIset or compatible chipset M/B.

! The improvement of PCI 2.1 version over PCI 2.0 as mentioned:

• Multi Transaction Timer: Optimised for short bursters (smart TV and Video capture)
• Passive Release: Cuts down on DMA and ISA master overhead (Audio application)
• Delayed Transaction: Ensures CPU to IS transcation do not "OG" system bus (multimedia)
• Enhanced PCI Write Performance: CPU to Memory and PCI to memory -- DRAM available has less impact on write cycles.
• Increased bandwidth, reduces system latencies, impproves video and audio performance, and improves processing of host based application.

! ECC is a high end DRAM checking algorithm. The ECC subsystem always store a special code during Data write and the subsystem will detect and correct memory error on the fly with no user intervention or processing disruption unlike Parity Checking algorithm which will display the "Parity Error Message" and holds up the system. For ECC function, you needs SIMMs with parity RAM.

! Yes, Both motherboard using Intel PIX3 chip supports USB function. But the real available time of USB function depends on the time of B0 version of PIX3. We estimate the available time is the end of August. EXP8661S & EXP8561S provides 2 channel USB port pin-header ready. The USB port connectors for the motherboard are offer as a option upgrade.

! Yes, Both has passed the CE test performed by the Tokin Taiwan EMILAB.

! EXP8661S & EXP8561S have been tested for including Intel IPSL socket 7 test, CE test and several compatibility and reliability tests. Currently DataExpert has a contract agreenent with international test Lab. "NSTL" which is a known test site for compatibilityu to test and approve all DataExpert products including motherboard.

! COAST is Cache on a stick. It describes the PBSRAM cache module specification on cache module itself and socket on the motherboard both.

! Both COAST 2.0 and COAST 2.1 are of similar specification. But COAST 2.1 defined the mechanical diagram of socket andd Modules. If there is no mechanical limitation, COAST 2.0 can also fit on 430HX/VX PXIset M/Bs if the SRAM chip supports global write.

! The current version of Windows 95 does not recognize the ID of PIX3. The following steps show how to correct the ID of PIX3 in Windows 95:

1. Boot up the Windows 95 system.
2. Change the directory to /windows/InF.
3. Edit hidden file Mshdc.inf.
4. Search all lines with "1230"device ID. Copy the lines and replace "1230" with "7010" (device ID for PIX3)
5. Save the file Mshd.inf.
6. Remove Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller from Device Manager.
7. Restart the computer then choose the Windows default driver following the Instructions shown on the screen.

!

• Accelerated Graphics Port
• Application of USB: Universal Serial Bus (New Generation Intel VX/HX/TX support)

The PC evolves into a simpler easier to use appliance, such as Telephony, Modem, Keyboard, Mouse, Game ports, Serial ports device, Digital Audio, Printer, Sanner and etc.

• IEEE 1394-also known as Firewire.
• Multi-Media eXtension: MMX Technology

57 commands with SIMD (single Instruction Multiple Data) to simulate Audio, Video and Communication.

• New Processor: P55C-200 for Pentium level/Klamath Pentium Pro 200/233 CPU has MMX function. INTEL idea's of CPU upgrade in the future will comes in as a "CPU card"which means that CPU & Cache memory will be designed on a card and installed on a expansion slot.
• NSP, Native Signals Processing/MMX Technology.

Bus Mastering MMX technology increases the performance and quality of multi media and commumication.

• ACPI, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. Also called "OnNow" is a standby mode that shuts down power of some parts of a PC while maintaining Power to others, resulting in a 5-second bootup time. OnNow also remotely turns on a PC from a sleeping state. Original "PC97" specification.