Manuals

ISA Configuration Utiltiy: Dell Dimension� P75t, P90t, P100t, P133t Midsize

ISA Configuration Utility: Dell Dimension P75t, P90t, P100t, P133t Midsize

The ISA Configuration Utility is used to tell the system what expansion cards are installed and which slots they occupy. With this information, the system automatically configures Plug and Play expansion cards and PCI expansion cards and can tell the user how to configure ISA cards manually by setting jumpers or switches.

NOTE: Dell will support only PCI video adapters that meet the 2.0 PCI bus specification.

Before adding, removing, or repositioning an ISA expansion card, use the ISA Configuration Utility to reconfigure the system. The utility reads the card's corresponding configuration file (.cfg file), which describes the card's characteristics and required system resources. After the resources identified in these configuration files are assigned to all ISA cards, the ISA Configuration Utility assigns resources to all Plug and Play cards, creating a conflict-free configuration.

PCI cards do not require configuring through the ISA Configuration Utility. A PCI configuration utility in ROM automatically reads the configuration information in the ISA Configuration Utility and assigns resources to the PCI cards accordingly. If the PCI configuration utility is not aware of an installed ISA card, resource conflicts can arise.

Installing the ISA Configuration Utility

To install the ISA Configuration Utility for Windows on the hard-disk drive, use the ISA Configuration Utility program diskette from the image on the hard-disk drive.

NOTE: If an expanded memory manager is running on the system, it must be disabled before installing the ISA Configuration Utility. Once the installation procedure is complete, it can be reenabled. Do not install the MS-DOS version of the ISA Configuration Utility on the hard-disk drive.

To install the ISA Configuration Utility for Windows on the hard-disk drive, insert the ISA Configuration Utility Diskette 1 into drive A, type the following line, and press &ltENTER>:

a:setup

Then follow the instructions on the screen. After the installation procedure is completed and the MS-DOS prompt is displayed, remove the ISA Configuration Utility diskette from drive A, exit Windows, and reboot the system before starting the ISA Configuration Utility.

Starting the ISA Configuration Utility

NOTE: For MS-DOS, insert the ISA Configuration Utility program diskette or the ISA Configuration Utility Diskette into drive A and turn on the computer or press the reset button. For Windows, open the Plug and Play program group; and then double-click on the Intel ISA Configuration Utility icon.

When running the ISA Configuration Utility from the hard-disk drive, remove any TSR programs from memory before starting the utility. The ISA Configuration Utility requires 465 KB of conventional memory. If the utility is started and there is not enough memory to run it, a message appears on the monitor. and the utility will need to be run from a bootable diskette.

The user can also conserve memory by modifying the Configuration Manager for the ISA Configuration Utility. The Configuration Manager has a /nolock parameter that disables the LOCK RESOURCES box in the Configuration Settings dialog box and saves 30 KB of memory.

NOTE: The /nolock parameter does not affect the Lock button or the LOCK/UNLOCK CARD item under the Advanced menu of the ISA Configuration Utility.

The user can specify the /nolock parameter in the config.sys file using the following syntax:

device=c:\

directory

\config\dwcfgmg.sys /nolock

NOTE: The default location for the Configuration Manager is in the c:\plugplay directory. The user may need to modify this directory if the default was not used.

Another method of conserving conventional memory is to load the Configuration Manager into high memory using a memory manager, such as emm386.exe. The following example does this:

device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems


devicehigh /size=a700 c:\plugplay\config\dwcfgmg.sys

The next example loads the Configuration Manager into high memory with the /nolock parameter specified:

device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems


devicehigh /size32e0 c:\plugplay\config\dwcfgmg.sys /nolock

Making Selections in the ISA Configuration Utility

The ISA Configuration Utility window is the main window of the utility and the starting point for making any changes to the expansion-card configuration. This window displays a list of all ISA, Plug and Play, and PCI expansion cards currently installed in the system. The ISA Configuration Utility window contains menus and a tool bar. When the user chooses a course of action, the ISA Configuration Utility displays dialog boxes to guide the user through the various steps.

The user can maneuver through each menu and dialog box using a mouse or the keystrokes listed below:

Keys              Action

&ltALT-X-Y>

Performs the operation indicated by the menu item containing 
                  the underlined letter Y.  (X corresponds to the first letter  
                  of the menu name.)

&ltTAB>         Moves from one control button or list to another.

Up-and down-arrow Moves up and down items in a list.                           
keys

&ltSPACEBAR>    Highlights an item in a list.

&ltENTER>       Selects the highlighted button or item in a list.

Viewing Resources

The ISA Configuration Utility displays all resources currently used by the system. To view all the system resources, select SYSTEM RESOURCES from the View menu. The System Resource Usage dialog box displays all resources currently used by the system.
To determine which card uses a particular resource shown in the System Resource Usage dialog box, select the resource in question and then click on the Used By Card button. The Card Resource Usage dialog box appears with the information.

To view the resources that a particular card is using, select the card from the list displayed, and then select the CARD RESOURCES item from the View menu or click on the View button. The Card Resource Usage box displays the resources assigned to that card.

Save the information displayed in the resource usage dialog boxes by clicking on the Print To File button. The ISA Configuration Utility then prompts the user for a name of the file to create.

Adding a Card

Use the following procedure to add a listed card with the ISA Configuration Utility:

1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Click on the Add button, or select ADD CARD from the Configuration menu.
3. Click on the name of the category of card to be added. If you clicked on the Add button in step 2, click on OK for a dialog box listing the names of all available cards of that type.
4. Select the name of the card to be added.

NOTE: If the name of the card is not displayed, select UNLISTED CARD at the bottom of the listing. Then click on the OK button and enter the name of the card to be added in the CARD NAME field. For each resource to be assigned to the card, click on the box beneath the name of the resource to be assigned, and then click on the ADD button. When finished selecting resources for the card, click on the OK button in the dialog box. If the card must be reconfigured, record the settings recommended by the utility. Click on the CLOSE button to accept the resource settings currently displayed. If the settings have to be changed, turn off the system, remove the card to make the changes, and reinstall the card to match the settings in the ISA Configuration Utility.

5. To select the resources manually, click on the Advanced button. To change any of the resource settings for the card, select the resource setting, and then click on the Settings button. Click on the down-arrow next to the Configuration Choice box. Then click on the setting from the list of available settings.

To change individual resource values for the current configuration setting, select the resource value to be changed and click on the Options button.

6. Click on the OK button in the Configuration Settings dialog box when finished selecting resources for the functions.
7. Turn off the system if the system configuration is modified, and change the jumpers on the ISA expansion cards to match the settings in the ISA Configuration Utility.

Modifying a Card

Modifying a card allows the user to change the system resources used by a card. This feature is helpful when adding a card that requires resources already in use by other cards or devices in the system. The user can allocate different resources to the cards currently in the system to free the resources necessary for the card to be installed.
This feature can also be used to force Plug and Play or PCI expansion cards to use specific resource values. This procedure is called “locking a card.” Lock a card only if it uses static device drivers.

NOTE: The user cannot modify the resources of a PCI card, but the user can view the resources currently assigned and lock or unlock them.

To modify the resource settings for a listed or unlisted card, complete the following steps:
1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Select the card from the list of installed cards in the ISA Configuration Utility window, and choose MODIFY CARD from the Configure menu or click on the Modify button.

NOTE: When an unlisted card is modified, the ISA Configuration Utility cannot display the valid resources for the card. Therefore, refer to the documentation from the manufacturer that describes the settings the card can use.

3. To add, modify, or remove a resource value, select the box beneath the resource to be assigned, and then select the Add, Modify, or Remove button as appropriate.
4. Click on the OK button to complete the card modifications and return to the ISA Configuration Utility window.
5. To change the resource settings for the card, select the resource setting, and then click on the Settings button. Click on the down-arrow next to the Configuration Choice box. Then click on the new resource setting from the list of available settings.
6. To change individual resource values for the current configuration setting, select the resource value to be changed, and click on the Options button located below the resource values.
7. When finished selecting resources for the unlisted card, click on the OK button in the Configure Unlisted Card dialog box. If the card needs to be reconfigured, record the resource settings recommended by the ISA Configuration Utility. Click on the Close button to accept the resource settings currently displayed.
8. After modifying the system configuration, turn the system off to install, remove, or change the jumper settings on the card to match the settings selected in the ISA Configuration Utility.

Removing a Card

To remove a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card from the system, the user does not need to run the ISA Configuration Utility. However, the user does need to run the utility for removing an ISA expansion card. Use the following procedure to remove an ISA expansion card from the computer system:

1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Select the card from the current system configuration list in the ISA Configuration Utility window.
3. Select REMOVE CARD from the Configuration menu or click on the Remove button.
4. Click on YES to free the resources allocated to the card and remove its name from the list of active cards, or click on NO to cancel the operation.
5. Remove the card from the system immediately. Failure to do so can damage the system.

Locking and Unlocking Cards

The ISA Configuration Utility includes a locking mechanism that enables the user to allocate the system resources for all or for some functions of a Plug and Play card. Plug and Play cards are dynamic, meaning that they are allocated resources at system boot. Some device drivers support this dynamic card configuration, but some do not. Device drivers that do not support dynamic card configuration are referred to as static device drivers.

To determine whether the expansion card has static device drivers, the user should check the documentation that came with the device driver. If using a static device driver, the user must permanently associate resources with a Plug and Play expansion card instead of relying on the default Plug and Play behavior. Otherwise, the device driver might not be able to find the card the next time the system boots. The procedure is known as “locking” a card.

NOTE: The locking feature of the ISA Configuration Utility is valid only for Plug and Play cards and PCI cards.

To lock the card resources or particular functions of the card, first enable the locking feature. Also select a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card from the list of cards installed.
To lock or unlock all the resources and configurations for a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card, perform the following steps:

1. If it is not already installed, install the Plug and Play or PCI expansion card. Then turn on the system. The Plug and Play expansion card is configured automatically by the system.
2. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
3. Select LOCKING ENABLED from the Advanced menu in the ISA Configuration Utility window. A check mark will appear next to the LOCKING ENABLED item to show that it is active, and a Lock button appears on the tool bar.
4. Select the Plug and Play expansion card to be locked or unlocked from the Cards Configured in System list.
5. Click on the Lock button or select LOCK/UNLOCK CARD from the Advanced menu.

Locking and Unlocking Configuration Resources

The user can also lock individual resources for a card. To do so, perform the following steps:

1. If it is not already installed, install the Plug and Play expansion card. Then turn on the system.
2. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
3. Select LOCKING ENABLED from the Advanced menu in the ISA Configuration Utility window. A check mark appears next to the LOCKING ENABLED item to show that it is active, and a Lock button appears on the tool bar.
4. Select the Plug and Play expansion card to be locked or unlocked from the Cards Configured in System list.
5. Click on the Modify button, or select MODIFY CARD from the Configure menu.
6. From the Card Configuration dialog box, select the function to be locked or unlocked.
7. Click on the Settings button. Modify the resource setting and/or resources offered on the Configuration Settings screen, if necessary.
8. Click in the LOCK RESOURCES box. The LOCK RESOURCES box toggles the lock state of the selected configuration setting.
9. Repeat for any other configurations settings to be locked or unlocked. Click on the OK button in the Card Configuration dialog when finished making the selections.

Saving the System Configuration

The user can save the system configuration to NVRAM while configuring each card's resources, To do this, select SAVE from the File menu and then continue with the operation.

Exiting the ISA Configuration Utility

At the ISA Configuration Utility window, select EXIT from the File menu to exit the ISA Configuration Utility. If any changes to the system configuration have been made, the user is asked whether or not changes are to be saved the changes.
If the user clicks on the Yes button, the ISA Configuration Utility saves the updated system configuration data into NVRAM and in the system.img file. If the user clicks on the No button, the user exits the ISA Configuration Utility without saving any of the configuration changes. If the user clicks on the Cancel button, nothing is saved, and the utility continues to operate.