PCI Expansion Chassis User's Guide 7 Slot PCI Expansion Model: P7R4, P7RR Model: P7R464, P7RR64
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M A G M A Table of Contents PREFACE ............................................................................................. III What’s in this Guide ...............................................................................iii Advisories ..............................................................................................iv Safety Instructions..................................................................................iv When Working Inside a Computer ..............................
M A G M A General Chassis Cleaning.................................................................... 23 “Hot-Swappable” Power Supply ........................................................... 24 Cleaning the Air Filter ........................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 7 HOW TO GET MORE HELP....................................... 27 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)...................................................... 27 Contacting Technical Support ................
M A G M A Preface What’s in this Guide This PCI Expansion Chassis User Guide is designed to accompany a Magma Host Card Installation Guide. This guide provides easy instructions to install your expansion system, verify the installation was completed correctly, and troubleshoot the installation, if necessary. The corresponding Host Card Installation Guide provides similar information for your Magma host card.
M A G M A Advisories Five types of advisories are used throughout this manual to provide helpful information, or to alert you to the potential for hardware damage or personal injury. They are Note, Important, Caution, Warning, and Danger. The following is an example of each type of advisory. NOTE Used to amplify or explain a comment related to procedural steps or text.
M A G M A ♦ Always use caution when handling/operating the computer. Only qualified, experienced, authorized electronics personnel should access the interior of the computer. The power supplies produce high voltages and energy hazards, which can cause bodily harm. ♦ Use extreme caution when installing or removing components. Refer to the installation instructions in this manual for precautions and procedures. If you have any questions, please contact Magma Technical Support.
M A G M A to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before connecting a cable, make sure both connectors are correctly oriented and aligned. CAUTION Do not attempt to service the system yourself except as explained in this manual. Follow installation instructions closely. Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Warning Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is the enemy of semiconductor devices.
M A G M A Rack-Mount Instructions Elevated Operating Ambient - If installed in a closed or multi-unit rack assembly, the operating ambient temperature of the rack environment may be greater than room ambient. Therefore, consideration should be given to installing the equipment compatible with the maximum ambient temperature (Tma) Specified by the manufacturer.
M A G M A Chapter 1 Introduction General Specifications Magma's 7 Slot PCI Expansion System is a general-purpose bus expansion system for the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus. The expansion bus is fully compliant with the PCI Local Bus Specification. The PCI expansion system consists of an expansion bus cable (a shielded, high-speed cable), an expansion interface card, an expansion motherboard and a rack-mount enclosure with a power supply.
M A G M A Parts List The following parts are provided: Qty 1 1 or 2 1 or 2 1 or 2 1 1 Item Rack-mount enclosure containing a 7 slot PCI expansion backplane and power supply PCI expansion cable (1-meter or 1.5-meter) Power supply cord Host Card (PCI is standard) Software CD-ROM 1 User’s Manual 1 The Magma PCI expansion cable uses a 68-pin connector; however, it is NOT an “off-theshelf” SCSI cable. The Magma PCI expansion cable is a custom cable designed specifically for PCI Expansion.
M A G M A Chapter 2 Hardware Installation The following steps will guide you in completing the hardware installation of your Magma PCI Expansion System. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Warning All PCI cards are susceptible to electrostatic discharge. When moving PCI cards, it is best to carry the cards in anti-static packaging. If you need to set a PCI card down, be sure to place it inside or on top of an anti-static surface.
M A G M A Before you Begin The power supply is auto-switching. These means that it will automatically switch to match whatever source power you are using. Since all products ship with a US Standard 115V power cord, you will need to use a power cord adapter for non-US Standard 115V power sources.
M A G M A If you are installing a 64-bit 7 slot expansion chassis, two expansion cables are required to achieve the full 64-bit bandwidth. Make sure you connect the cable properly by mating teal to teal and purple to purple. The 64-bit system will work with only one cable installed using the teal connectors, but the system will only function at 32-bit speed when only one cable is used. Secure the cable with the captive thumbscrews.
M A G M A Applying Power Correctly Starting Up: You must apply power to the Magma expansion chassis BEFORE you power up your computer. This will allow the higher numbered PCI buses in the PCI bus hierarchy to be at a stable state when the host system issues its master power-on bus reset. In systems that perform automatic PCI bus configuration, this will allow the configuration code to recognize the PCI bus hierarchy and any attached devices.
M A G M A CHAPTER 3 Verify Installation The Magma Host Card is not visible to the Windows’ Device Manager or the Apple System Profiler until the Expansion System has been successfully connected and properly powered on. Therefore, you will need to connect your Expansion System to the host computer and turn them both on before you can verify the Magma Expansion Chassis installation. See your Host Card Installation Guide for information on how to connect your Host Card.
M A G M A When installed correctly, you will see three “PCI to PCI Bridges” below rd your system’s PCIe Controller. Any 3 Party PCI cards installed in the chassis will appear below one of the PCI-to-PCI bridges. If everything is OK, then the Magma Expansion System installation is complete. You can now proceed to Chapter 4 for help with the rd installation of 3 Party PCI Cards.
M A G M A MAC OS 10.3.x & 10.4.x Next, click on the PCI Card item. You should see a pci-bridge device listed under PCI as shown below: Any PCI Cards you install in the expansion chassis will appear behind the pci-bridge device. MAC OS 10.2.x Next, click on the Devices tab. You should see a pci-bridge device listed under PCI as shown below: Any PCI Cards you install in the expansion chassis will appear behind the pci-bridge device.
M A G M A Chapter 4 Install 3rd Party PCI Cards This chapter provides information on how to install 3rd Party PCI cards into your Magma expansion chassis. More details on the installation of individual cards are provided by the card’s manufacturer. This chapter is provided as a simple guide to help you install your PCI cards in the chassis. For the purpose of installation, the Magma expansion chassis functions exactly as a standard desktop computer chassis.
M A G M A Next, slide the enclosure cover backwards, disengaging it from the guides at the front of the enclosure, by firmly grasping the rear cover lip over the card I/O area and pulling the cover backward about ½” and then lifting the cover off. CAUTION When replacing the enclosure cover, be sure that the front edge guides on the cover engage the inner lip of the enclosure.
M A G M A PCI slots Power Supply Fan assembly with slot holders for full-length cards Drive bay – used to mount up to eight (8) 3.5” internal hard drives using 1 or 2 optional Disk Drive Cages (PN: RDRIVECAGE) 5V load resistor – to be removed if optional hard drives are installed IMPORTANT The sheer number of PCI cards and device drivers available makes it impossible for Magma to fully test and certify all available PCI cards for use in the Magma expansion chassis.
M A G M A hard drives. The cages mount into the hard drive in the previous area in the chassis identified by a graphic. If you want to install a hard drive in your system, a PCI hard drive controller card must also be installed into one of the available PCI slots. You will also have to remove a 5V Load Resistor from the hard drive area before installing any hard drive cages. Instructions for removing the 5V Load Resistor are included with the hard drive cage.
M A G M A Finishing Touches After your system is working properly, replace any empty slots with slot covers, and replace the host computer cover and the expansion chassis cover. Rack Installations Installing your new Expansion System chassis into an equipment rack has never been easier. Simply attach one of Magma’s optional Rack-mount slide kits (PN: RSLIDES-XX) to allow you to mount the chassis in a computer rack and then simply slide the chassis in and out whenever you need to do work on, or in, it.
M A G M A Chapter 5 Troubleshooting Locate the Problem If you are having trouble with the Magma expansion system, verify that all cards are seated properly and all cables are connected properly. Be sure you followed the instructions in earlier sections of this User Guide. Always remember to power On and Off correctly when rechecking and testing your installation. If you are still having problems, try these simple troubleshooting steps.
M A G M A My Computer Can’t Find the PCI Expansion System If the expansion system is not visible in your Windows Device Manager or your Apple System Profiler at all, you will need to turn off your computer (first) and then the Magma expansion chassis (second) and test all cords and cables to ensure you have everything connected correctly.
M A G M A When Nothing Works The following troubleshooting steps will help you when the computer or chassis won’t turn on or “nothing seems to work” correctly: rd Review Chapters 3 (Verify Installation) and 4 (Install 3 Party PCI Cards) as necessary to verify that you have a valid installation of the Magma expansion system and that you have rd correctly installed your 3 Party PCI card(s) and their associated drivers (as required).
M A G M A My Computer Hangs During Power Up If your computer “hangs” while being turned on and you can’t even start, follow these simple steps to try to fix this problem: 1. Shut off the computer (first) and then the Magma expansion system and verify that all cards and cables are installed correctly. Reapply power first to the expansion system and then to the computer. 2. rd If it still hangs, remove all 3 Party PCI cards and try booting up without any cards installed. a.
M A G M A My PCI Card Doesn’t Work Follow these simple troubleshooting steps to resolve typical 3rd Party PCI card problems: The following additional steps might also help when the above troubleshooting steps for fail to resolve your problem: 1. Shut down the computer followed by the Magma expansion chassis 2. Remove the PCI card displaying a problem 3. Replace the “problem card” with a simple PCI card, such as an Ethernet card that has drivers built into the operating system.
M A G M A Windows 5. Next, open the Device Manager (View by Connection selection). If the is gone, the problem is with the 3rd Party PCI card or the card drivers. You should go to the Windows Error Codes section of this chapter to learn how to troubleshoot using error codes. If the is still visible, the problem may be with the Magma expansion system. Please contact Magma Technical Support for further guidance and/or a replacement product.
M A G M A Windows Error Codes If you are having a problem with one of your devices, and the Device status box shows a Windows Error Code, refer to the following list of error codes for guidance: Error Code Description/Action rd This code indicates that there is a problem with the 3 Party PCI Card driver. 10 If necessary, contact the PCI Card’s manufacturer for updated PNP compatible drivers. If all else fails, contact Magma Technical Support for further assistance.
M A G M A Error Code Description/Action 28 (PCI Card) The driver for the PCI Card is not installed on your system. Reinstall the PCI Card driver following the manufacturer’s instructions. If that fails to fix the problem, call the card manufacturer for new drivers. The PCI host card or expansion chassis are not working correctly. Reinstall the PCI host card into the computer’s PCI slot and recheck all cable connections. If the error code remains, try another PCI slot.
M A G M A Chapter 6 Chassis Maintenance Like all computer systems, you will need to perform some routine maintenance tasks. Some of these include making sure that the air vents in the chassis are clear of obstructions and that the cooling air from the fans flows freely. You will also need to check the foam filter behind the front panel to ensure it is clean, thus allowing for unrestricted air flow to the fans.
M A G M A Next, use a can of compressed air from your local computer store to blow out any dust that may have accumulated in the chassis fans. Be sure to keep the can of compressed air about six inches from the parts being sprayed with air. Next, you can use anti static wipes to wipe down any open areas inside and outside of the chassis to remove any remaining dust or dirt.
M A G M A The redundant power supply includes two hot-swappable modules that share the power load requirements during normal operations. Should one module fail for any reason, the power load will be shifted to the other module and sound an audible alarm. If a power supply fails, an alarm will sound to alert you of the problem. Press the square red button adjacent to the power supply to stop the audible alert.
M A G M A Next, open the faceplate and remove the foam filter, located behind the faceplate, and clean it with a solution of warm water and mild dish soap. Finally, replace the filter and faceplate. Secure faceplate with four Phillips screws. Tighten screws until snug. Turn on power to the chassis.
M A G M A Chapter 7 How to Get More Help Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) You can visit the Magma Technical Support FAQ pages on the Internet at: www.magma.com/support/ Contacting Technical Support Our support department can be reached by fax at (858) 530-2733 or by phone at (858) 530-2511. Support is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT.
M A G M A Magma Debug Utility Occasionally, Magma Technical Support may request Windows users to produce and email a Magma debug log file to help them resolve your problem. This file should be included as an attachment when submitting a request at www.magma.com/support. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Locate a file called dbgview.exe on the Magma CDROM. Double-click on the file dbgview.exe While the dbgview screen is open, locate and double-click on a file called dump.exe on the Magma CDROM.
M A G M A PCIScope Software Utility PCIScope is a powerful tool for Windows users. It was designed by a Germany company called APSoft. This software utility is a valuable resource to explore, examine and debug the PCI subsystem of your computer. It was made to fit the requirements of the most demanding users, especially engineers, programmers, and system administrators, and to integrate all advanced functions and tools into one product. Please visit www.tssc.
M A G M A You should save this data as a file on your computer. Please include your name and date as part of the file name with an extension of “.bpd.” Then email this file to support@magma.com if you are experiencing configuration problems.
M A G M A Returning Merchandise to Magma If factory service is required, a Service Representative will give you a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Put this number and your return address on the shipping label when you return the item(s) for service. Magma will return any product that is not accompanied by an RMA number. Please note that Magma WILL NOT accept COD packages, so be sure to return the product freight and duties-paid.
M A G M A Appendix A Bus Hierarchy Bus Hierarchy Bus Hierarchy The following figure is representative of the PCI Bus hierarchies for the 7 Slot PCI Expansion System. This figure pictorially conveys the overall PCI bus topology of the system. 7 Slot Topology In general, we do not know what the actual Bus numbers are. We only know how they increment starting from the host card.
M A G M A NOTE All PCI cards installed in the PCI Expansion chassis will appear on the Third PCI Bus behind the PCI Bus that the host card is installed on. If you need to know the actual Bus number, right-click on the Bus and select Properties.
M A G M A Appendix B Need More Slots? Multiple PCI Expansion System Configurations The PCI Local Bus Specification defines the PCI bus as a hierarchical bus, where PCI to PCI Bridges (PPBs) may be used to add "levels" to the PCI bus hierarchy. Because hierarchies are organized systems arranged into different levels, you can take advantage of this automatic organizing and layering to expand the number of available PCI slots beyond the number available in your computer’s motherboard.
M A G M A 2. The 4 and 7 Slot Magma Expansion Systems each add two (2) PCI to PCI Bridges to the PCI Local Bus. The 13 Slot adds three (3) PCI to PCI Bridges to the PCI Local Bus. The 6 Slot adds one (1) bridge. These bridges are the communication paths between the PCI cards and the computer resources. Most computers allow multiple bridges (and thus PCI buses) to be correctly configured.
M A G M A In this configuration, you have fewer “Toll Booths” (PCI Bridges) to pass through; therefore there are fewer opportunities for concern. For clarification, it is necessary to understand that the amount rd of latency caused by any PCI Bridge (even those built into a 3 Party PCI card or the computer motherboard itself) is negligible (“nanoseconds”) and will not produce any visible effect on most systems.
M A G M A The following image shows the Apple Profiler display when a MAC has 2 Expansion Systems connected in a “Fan-Out” configuration MAC System Profiler with 2 PCI to PCI Expansion Systems Installed in a “Fan-Out Configuration. Daisy-Chaining Recognizing the typical insignificance of the performance variance between the “Fan-Out” and “Daisy-Chaining” configurations, the primary reason for using this one would be limitations on physical space.
M A G M A Verify your configuration Before you start installing your PCI cards (refer to Chapter 4 Install Cards and Drives for more information), you should confirm that everything is in proper working order. Refer to Chapter 3 Verify Installation for guidance in verifying the proper installation of your Expansion System. Notice that each Daisy-Chained unit appears in the Device Manager in the reverse order of its place in the configuration.
M A G M A Obviously, you will need to keep an eye on your system performance and make any adjustments that may be required, either to PCI card location or to Expansion System configuration, to obtain maximum performance. PCI Card Conflicts If you determine that one PCI card is interfering with the operation of another card, first try reorganizing the cards on the motherboard. Moving the cards around can change the order in which the cards are configured by the system during power-on.
M A G M A Finding the Problem Card Windows If you need help to determine which PCI card, or which expansion chassis, has the problem, you can “right-click” on the card with the and check the information contained in the “Location:” field. Look for the “Error Code” in the box in the center of the Properties Window and then go to the Windows Error Code section for information on how to resolve this issue.
M A G M A APPENDIX C Compliance FCC NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
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