UPGRADING AM-8000 ON-BOARD MEMORY. Alpha Micro AM-8000

Below you will find brief information for computer AM-8000. The AM-8000 computer package is designed for use in a deskside chassis and contains a high-output power supply. It covers the following procedures: removing the computer's side panel, electronic equipment handling precautions, printed circuit board configuration options, installing memory, and peripheral installation.

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AM-8000 Service Manual Page 7

UPGRADING AM-8000 ON-BOARD MEMORY

In order to gain access to the AM-8000 on board memory expansion slots, you will need to remove the two drive cages. First, make sure the AM-8000 power cord is unplugged from the AC source. Unplug the cables attached to any peripherals installed in the drive cages. Then, pull the appropriate quick release lever for each drive cage towards the rear of the cabinet to release each drive cage. After installing the memory DIMMs, reinstall the drive card cages and re-cable the peripherals.

The AM-8000 CPU board has four on-board DIMM (dual inline memory module) expansion slots, which support PC2100 DDR RAM modules. Should you want to replace or upgrade any of these DIMMs, first remove the existing DIMMs, then install new ones, following the procedures below.

Removing Memory DIMMs

To remove a DIMM from its connector:

Press out on the retaining latches until the memory module pops up.

Lift the DIMM out of the connector

Installing Memory DIMMs

The AM-8000 supports a minimum of 512MB and a maximum of 4GB of main memory. Before attempting to install any memory, make sure that the memory you have is compatible with the

AM-8000. Use Alpha Micro PFB-00719-XX or equivalent memory to expand your system.

To install memory expansion DIMMs in the AM-8000 CPU board, use this procedure:

Always install memory in order, starting with DIMM Bank 1 (closest to the microprocessor chips on the board). See Figure 2.

Make sure that the DIMM aligns properly with the memory slot. The modules are keyed to ensure that the memory DIMM is properly oriented.

Gently push the memory module into the desired slot. Once properly seated, the retaining latches on each end of the connector will close and secure the module into the slot. Sometimes you may need to close the latches yourself.

After installing the DIMMs, the next time you power on the system, the memory will be detected.

Currently, the maximum memory available to AMOS is 750MB. This limitation is imposed by memory utilization by some of the AM-8000 supporting software. You may enter the AMOS

RAM size in the General tab of the AM8000 configuration screen. It has a data input box with the current allocation in MB displayed. We recommend 2GB of memory for the system with a maximum of 750 MB for AMOS.

Rev. A01

Key features

High-output power supply
Deskside chassis
Printed circuit board configuration options
Memory installation
Peripheral installation

Frequently asked questions

You will need to unlock the side panel (the one with the latch), swing the panel out, and remove it.

With the AC power cord unplugged and the side cover removed, the components inside your computer are vulnerable to damage caused by static discharge. Your body and clothing can store an electrical charge that can damage or destroy unprotected electronic components. Before handling any computer hardware, make sure your work area is properly protected against static discharge.

The AM-8000 CPU board is the primary board in your system. Most other boards contained in the system actually plug into the CPU board, including the memory DIMMs, system multifunction I/O board, and other special function boards. This board also contains the following circuitry: Two Athlon MP high speed processors, SCSI controller, with support for two Ultra 320 SCSI busses, Gigabit and Fast Ethernet communication ports, Four DDR DIMM sockets for support of up to 4GB of PC2100 Registered DDR RAM, Support for ATA-100/66/33 IDE and ATAPI devices, Two 9-pin serial I/O ports (with modem control), One 25-pin SPP/ECP/EPP parallel port, Integrated video graphics controller for system display console, PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, CPU temperature and voltage monitoring, Expansion slots for additional serial I/O and other specialized functions.