============================================= Information for Phoenix BIOS on EKF CC9-SAMBA ============================================= Howtos, Tips and Hints: ----------------------- * How to reset CMOS when it is not possible to enter BIOS Setup: If the BIOS is configured in such a way, that it is not possible anymore to enter Setup (F2 key) and to reset CMOS (F9 key), there exist now two further options to completely reset CMOS to factory defaults: 1. CTL-ALT-F9 Press CTL-ALT-F9 during POST. Timeframe to do this: Keyboard LED 'NUM' goes on until boot starts. If no keyboard is available, or BIOS setup is in a state, that no keyboard is enabled, use the following option to reset CMOS: 2. Reset-in-Series option Step A: Restart board either by pressing reset button in front panel, by making a Power-Off-ON sequence, by pressing CTL-ALT-DEL or whatever ... Step B: Now press Reset-Button (*1) again during the timeframe when green LED 'GP' in front panel goes on (this is normally immediately after reset) and BEFORE this LED is switched off for the first time. Repeat step B exactly two (2) times (*2), i.e. step B must be executed three times in series after any reset. Now wait until the BIOS prompts you to enter Setup ... Note *1: Instead of pressing reset button, a Power-Off-ON sequence can be made similarly. It should be noted that this requires a full battery. Note *2: The counter, which is used for this option, is cleared when LED 'GP' goes off the first time during POST. If you want to reset CMOS and if reset button is pressed to late (i.e. LED GP is off again), restart with step 2A. With both options the BIOS loads - after next reset - factory defaults into CMOS. * How to reset ESCD when it is not possible to enter BIOS Setup: Press SHIFT-ALT-F9 during POST. The allowed timeframe for this: keyboard LED 'NUM' goes on until boot starts. The system restarts immediately after SHIFT-ALT-F9 and ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data) will be reset. * The fastest boottime is achieved by selecting the following Setup options: Setup (F2) -> Advanced -> ATA/IDE Configuration -> Hard Disk Pre-Delay -> Disabled Setup (F2) -> Advanced -> BIOS/POST Options -> Summary Screen -> Disabled Setup (F2) -> Advanced -> Memory Configuration -> Post Extended Memory Test -> Mode 4 * Win2k cannot be installed from an USB2.0 device (e.g. CDROM) if boot from USB2.0 is enabled in BIOS setup. This is a problem of Win2k. To allow installation of such a device set BIOS option -> Setup (F2) -> Advanced -> USB Configuration -> 'Boot from USB 2.0 Devs in HS Mode' to disabled. Note that this is not necessary under WinXP. * Do NOT press Reset button (or do NOT make a system power off) when BIOS updates Flash tables for ESCD and custom setup data. This short period of time (~2s) is signalled by a yellow warning message. * What to do when under Win2k message 'Change battery ...' occurs .... Set BIOS option 'APM support' to 'Disabled' (new in BIOS Build #062) or disable APM in Win2k control panel 'power options': Go to APM tab, remove hook, click on 'apply' * WARNING for BIOS update on CC9-SAMBA Rev.2 (and newer): Don't program a BIOS with Build #044 or older on a CC9-SAMBA with board revision >= 2 (Rev.2 is delivered since April 2005). CC9-SAMBA Rev.2 will not start if programmed with an old BIOS version. On the other hand, it is allowed to program _every_ BIOS version on older CC9 board revisions (i.e. on Rev.0 and Rev.1). * Infos about invalid CMOS data If the BIOS detects a bad checksum in CMOS data, CMOS is reset to default values during POST. CMOS default values can be either Factory Defaults (defined by EKF) or it can be Custom Defaults (defined by customer and saved into Flash via Setup). The possible reasons for a bad CMOS checksum are: - An empty battery - A board with NO battery - Any software writes to CMOS and does not update the CMOS bytes which holds the checksum There exist three further options to set CMOS to default values: - Do a RTC reset (see documentation for more info) - Press CTL-ALT-F9 during POST (more info at top of this file) - Reset-in-Series option (more info at top of this file) * First start of a board with invalid CMOS data The first start of a board with invalid CMOS data will automatically enable a security/debug feature which is integrated by EKF into the BIOS. If this feature is enabled, all POST-Codes, which are normally send to port 80 only, are additionally send to serial port COM1 (19200 Baud, 8N1). The physical location of COM1 depends on hardware configuration. POST-Codes are used to show BIOS progress step by step. If an external serial terminal is a attached to COM1 (or a Windows PC with opened Hyperterminal), the progress of the BIOS can be observed even in case of board failures caused by non-working memory, non-working graphics etc. The following two messages are shown after first start of a board with invalid CMOS data: WARNING 0251: System CMOS checksum bad - Factory Defaults loaded ERROR 0613: Com A configuration changed (possible reason: POST-Codes redirected) The following two messages are shown at every boot as long the BIOS has not tried to boot an OS: WARNING 02EB: POST-Codes currently redirected to COM1, 19200 Baud, 8N1 ERROR 0613: Com A configuration changed (possible reason: POST-Codes redirected) To go forward in the boot process press if above messages are shown. If you reboot the system when these two messages are shown, they will appear again and again. The debug feature is automatically disabled when the BIOS tries to boot an OS for the first time, at least message "Operating System not found" must appear. BIOS default values on CC9-SAMBA: --------------------------------- The following shows which BIOS defaults are loaded (Factory or Custom) dependent of event and BIOS Setup. This is valid for EKF CC9-SAMBA BIOS Build #118 and newer. Case 1: Precondition: Custom defaults NOT saved in BIOS Setup Event a) CMOS rechargeable battery empty --> Factory defaults loaded " b) JRTC bypass, 3x Reset button or CTL-ALT-F9 --> Factory defaults loaded Case 2: Precondition a) Custom defaults saved in BIOS Setup " b) BIOS Setup option 'Always load custom defaults' set to 'Disabled' Event a) CMOS rechargeable battery empty --> Custom defaults loaded " b) JRTC bypass, 3x Reset button or CTL-ALT-F9 --> Factory defaults loaded Case 3: Precondition a) Custom defaults saved in BIOS Setup " b) BIOS Setup option 'Always load custom defaults' set to 'Enabled' Event a) CMOS rechargeable battery empty --> Custom defaults loaded " b) JRTC bypass, 3x Reset button or CTL-ALT-F9 --> At next Reboot: Factory defaults loaded (this is to give user a chance to enter BIOS setup in case that Custom Defaults contain illegal settings). For the second and all further Reboots: „Custom defaults“ loaded Please note that in BIOS Build #118 (and older) the boot order of sub-devices will NOT be saved as Custom Defaults (sub-devices are all devices which are listed under 'Removable Devices' and 'Hard Drives' in BIOS Setup --> Boot). With BIOS Build #130 and newer the „Custom default“ option saves all Setup values from BIOS into the Flash. LEDs in front panel of EKF CC9-SAMBA: ------------------------------------- * Green Power-LED (Reset button): During Reset green Power-LED in Reset button of CC9-SAMBA must be off! After Reset green Power-LED in Reset button of CC9-SAMBA must be constantly on! * Green LED 'GP' (function during POST): Information below is valid for CC9 Phoenix BIOS since Build #020 ... - During Reset green LED 'GP' is constantly on - Green LED 'GP' blinks after Reset (with approximately 1Hz) - Green Led 'GP' is switched on immediately after BIOS starts. This indicates that correct program code is loaded from the FWH (Firm-Ware-Hub = Flash device with BIOS code). On the other hand, if the LED still blinks after reset, this indicates ... a) the CPU is not able to load program code from the FWH (hardware fault) b) bad program code is read from FWH (i.e. FWH is unprogrammed or programmed with wrong data) - Green Led 'GP' is switched off immediately after Video-BIOS initialization - Green Led 'GP' is switched on again if Memory has been tested - Green Led 'GP' is switched off again just before the BIOS starts the operating system * For CC9 Phoenix BIOS since Build #070 green Led 'GP' shows error codes additionally to error beeps (--> beeper on CCA or CCB). For a list of error codes see chapter 'Error Codes ...'. Error codes with Phoenix BIOS on EKF CC9-SAMBA: ----------------------------------------------- Errors, which occur during POST (Phoenix BIOS) on EKF CC9-SAMBA, are issued either as error codes (beeps and LED-Flash) or are shown as complete error messages on an attached monitor. If the CPU, the memory and a graphics device is already successfully initialized, the BIOS shows most errors as red error messages on an attached monitor. The display of these error messages is escorted by two short beeps to inform the user to have a look on the display. Error messages are shown for five seconds by default (can be changed per BIOS setup) before POST continues. If the BIOS is not (yet) able to show error messages on an attached monitor, it instead issues the error code as beeps on the speaker of an (optional) installed EKF CCA-LAMBADA or EKF CCB-BOSSANOVA and additionally as flashes on green LED 'GP' in front panel of EKF CC9-SAMBA (the latter since BIOS Build #070). BIOS error codes always have a size of 8 bits (one exception see bottom of this docu) and are broken down into four 2-bit groups. Each 2-bit group is made one-based, i.e. 00 -> one beep/flash 01 -> two beeps/flashes 10 -> three beeps/flashes 11 -> four beeps/flashes Here an example for error code E0h (E0h means "No SDRAM module installed"): E0h (hex) = 11100000 (binary) The four 2-bit groups are 11, 10, 00 and 00 (from left to right) and can be heard/seen as 4 beeps/flashes (11), short pause 3 beeps/flashes (10), short pause 1 beep/flash (00), short pause 1 beep/flash (00), pause of approximately 7 seconds. After this pause the issue of the error code is repeated. The following table shows the possible error codes on EKF CC9-SAMBA: Error Code | Beeps/Flashes | Description -----------+---------------+------------------------------------------------------------------ 00h | 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 | SDRAM address line error (occurs only on BIOS Builds < #070) 16h | 1 - 2 - 2 - 3 | Phoenix BIOS checksum failed 20h | 1 - 3 - 1 - 1 | DRAM refresh failed 22h | 1 - 3 - 1 - 3 | Test of 8742 keyboard controller failed 28h | 1 - 3 - 3 - 1 | Memory error. Unused now. Replaced by more detailed codes E1h-EFh 29h | 1 - 3 - 3 - 2 | Initialization of POST Memory Manager failed 2Ch | 1 - 3 - 4 - 1 | SDRAM address line error 34h | 1 - 4 - 2 - 1 | CMOS test failed 3Ah | 1 - 4 - 3 - 3 | Autosizing of cache failed 44h | 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 | Verification of BIOS Copyright message failed 58h | 2 - 2 - 3 - 1 | Unexpected interrupt occurred 90h | 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 | Multiboot allocation error C0h | 4 - 1 - 1 - 1 | Boot failed (INT 19h), A20 gate not disabled DFh | 4 - 2 - 4 - 4 | Keyboard controller error, A20 gate not enabled E0h | 4 - 3 - 1 - 1 | No SDRAM module installed or SDRAM module not detected! E1h | 4 - 3 - 1 - 2 | Bad SDRAM module type installed E2h | 4 - 3 - 1 - 3 | Buffered SDRAM module installed E3h | 4 - 3 - 1 - 4 | Reserved E4h - E7h | 4 - 3 - 2 - X | Unsupported parameter read from SDRAM EEPROM E8h - EBh | 4 - 3 - 3 - X | Unsupported parameter read from SDRAM EEPROM ECh - EFh | 4 - 3 - 4 - X | Unsupported parameter read from SDRAM EEPROM -----------+---------------+------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: Error codes E0h-EFh only issued on BIOS Build #070 and newer ... For historical reasons (IBM BIOS) there exists one additional error code, which does not fit in the table above: One long beep/LED-ON followed by two short beeps/flashes. This error code signals two things: 1. No graphics device or a graphics device without a Video-BIOS detected. If this error code occurs, there is normally nothing to see on the attached display. On EKF CC9-SAMBA this error could be provoked if someone disables the internal/on-board graphics device (IGD, Intel 855GME) in the BIOS and at the same time no other graphics board on CompactPCI (e.g. EKF CV1-AMBIENT) is installed. 2. A ROM checksum error. This means an Expansion ROM is detected on a CompactPCI board and the checksum of that Expansion BIOS is bad. For any further questions contact EKF at: Email : support@ekf.de Internet : www.ekf.de or www.ekf.com 2007-06-21 EKF/cr