Specifications

Software Configuration
3–11
• IDE PIO—these four selections let you set the PIO mode for devices attached to the IDE interface.
Auto (default) lets the BIOS automatically determine what mode is appropriate for each device.
Mode 1 through Mode 4 forces the BIOS to use the specified mode, and overrides the MODE setting
on the Standard CMOS SETUP Screen, SETUP 2.
• Onboard FDC Controller—enables or disables the onboard floppy disk controller.
• Onboard Serial Port n —you can configure each serial port’s address and interrupt. Available
choices are listed in Table 3–2.
Table 3–2 Serial Port Options
Port Options Resources
Serial
1
COM1
COM2
COM3
COM4
Disabled
3F8, IRQ4
2F8, IRQ3
2E8, IRQ3
3E8, IRQ4
None
Serial
2
COM1
COM2
COM3
COM4
Disabled
3F8, IRQ4
2F8, IRQ3
2E8, IRQ3
3E8, IRQ4
None
Serial
3
COM3
Disabled
2E8, IRQ3
None
Serial
4
COM4
Disabled
3E8, IRQ4
None
Note that the DOS COMn (COM1, COM2, etc.) is a logical designation, not a physical value. When the
system boots, the ROM BIOS scans the standard serial port addresses (in the order shown in Table 3–2)
and installs the first port it finds as COM1. If it finds a second port, it installs that one as COM2, and so
on. If you disable a serial port, the COMn designations change. (If a serial port is being used as a serial
console (enabled from SETUP screen 3), it will not be assigned a COM designation.)
The Little Board/P5i provides for “interrupt sharing.” For further information about interrupt sharing as
well as other information, see “Serial Ports” on page 3–16.
• Onboard Parallel Port—set the parallel port address or disable it. Available choices are listed in
Table 3–3.
Table 3–3 Parallel Port Options
Option Selection
378h Standard LPT1 address (default)
278h Standard LPT2 address
3BCh Alternate LPT address
NONE Parallel port disabled