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PCI/I-P54SP4
User's Manual
The System Configuration Record
All personal computers use a BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
as the basic software that tells the computer how to function. In or-
der for the BIOS to function, there has to be a record of the computer's
hardware and configuration settings for it to refer to. 1his record is
created by using a software program that is permanently stored in
the BIOS ROM chip on the mainboard. The program is called the
Setup Utility.
The system configuration record the utility creates is also stored
on the mainboard. Unlike the utility program, the record is not re-
corded permanently. The memory it gets stored in must be main-
tained by battery power when the computer is turned off.
If
battery
support fails, the record will be lost and you will have to recreate it.
When you buy your computer, the system configuration record
will already be set. The settings will be optimized for your computer
hardware and may vary from the basic defaults. You should run the
Setup Utility when you first use your computer. Write down the set-
tings. There is an explanation of how to run the Setup Utility in Chap-
ter3.
Important:
In some circumstances it is possible the configuration record may
be corrupted or lost.
If
this happens, your computer will not work
properly the next time you turn it on. This is not a serious problem.
To fix it, run the Setup Utility and re-enter your configuration from
your written record. When you restart the computer, it will work
normally.
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Feature Guide
System IRQs
Later in the manual you'll see something called an "IRQ" men-
tioned several times.
If
you're not familiar with these, this is a short
explanation of what they are and why you may need to know about
them if you upgrade your system.
An IRQ, or interrupt request, is the process whereby an input or
output device tells the CPU to temporarily interrupt whatever it is
doing and immediately process something from the source of the
interrupt. When finished the CPU goes back to what it was already
processing. This happens very quickly. There are 16 IRQs, IRQ 0
through IRQ 15, in the ISA bus design. Devices that need an IRQ line
to operate sometimes must have the use of that line exclusively.
Many expansion cards require the use of an IRQ line to operate,
for example, network interface cards and sound cards. When you
install a card that uses an IRQ, it will have a default IRQ setting that
you might need to change if that IRQ is already in use and cannot be
shared. There are different ways of setting an IRQ assignment, with
jumpers being the most common.
Both the ISA bus and the PCI bus use the same set of system IRQs.
For the PCI bus there is an additional consideration.
ｾ ｴ ｨ ･ ＠
PCI bus,
you must assign an IRQ to the PCI slot you will install an IRQ-using
card in. There are two methods of generating an IRQ on the PCI bus,
level-triggering (level-sensitive) and edge-triggering. Most PCI ex-
pansion cards use the level-triggered design. Some very few cards
may use the edge-triggered design instead. The mainboard design
therefore provides the means to set the IRQ assignment for a PCI slot
for either type of card. This is explained in detail in Chapters 2 & 3.
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