Copyright: Copyright (c) 1994-95 by Future Domain Corp.


Table of Contents

PowerIDE! Version 2.1 Features
PowerIDE! Setup Options
Default PowerIDE! Support
Custom PowerIDE! Support
CD-ROM Driver Name
Target Directory for Files
Updating System Files
The CD-ROM Extensions File
Last Drive Letter Assignment
Uninstall PowerIDE! Support
DOS ATASPI Manager
Windows ATASPI Manager
32-bit Disk Access Driver
Hard Disk Driver
CD-ROM Driver
Keystrokes Usage
IDE-32000 Configuration Options
Configuring an ATAPI Drive
Configuring an ATA Drive on IDE-32000 Controller
Disable Scan of Primary IDE Channel
Local Bus Controller Optmization
Read Write Multiple Feature


PowerIDE! Features
PowerIDE! Version 2.1 Features

Peripherals Supported

PowerIDE! supports the following peripherals under DOS and Windows:
Standard IDE Hard Disks
Enhanced IDE Hard Disks
ATAPI Compliant IDE CD-ROM Drives

Standard IDE hard disks have capacities up to 528 Megabytes (MB) and are limited to data transfer rates of  3 MB/sec.

Enhanced IDE hard disks have capacities up to 8.4 Gigabytes(GB) and support data transfer rates greater than 3 MB/sec.

The supported IDE CD-ROM drives must comply with the industry standard protocol called ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI).

CD-ROM Modes Supported

PowerIDE! supports the CD-ROM modes listed below:
Data Mode
Audio Mode
Photo-CD (Single and Multi-Session)
CD-XA
CD-I White Book
CD-I Green Book
CD-DA
CD-R (Read Only)

Note: Not all ATAPI Compliant IDE CD-ROM drives support all the above modes.  Refer to the CD-ROM drive User's Manual for supported modes.

Windows 32-bit Disk and File Access Support

Microsoft Windows' 32-bit Disk Access driver only supports the primary channel and hard disks with capacities up to 528 MB.  PowerIDE!'s 32-bit Disk Access driver supports multiple hard disks with capacity up to 8.4 GB on all IDE channels.

ATASPI Support

ATA Software Programming Interface (ATASPI) is a software interface which provides a common interface for managing I/O operations between the drivers/applications and Enhanced IDE peripherals.  PowerIDE! provides ATASPI Managers and ATASPI-Compliant drivers and utilities for IDE hard disks and CD-ROM drives under both DOS and Windows.


PowerIDE! Setup Options

Setup provides the following two installation options:

Install

The Install option copies the PowerIDE! files to a user specified target directory.  It then updates the system files (CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI, AUTOEXEC.BAT) to enable the drivers when the system is restarted.

Uninstall

The Uninstall option removes the PowerIDE! drivers from the system files (CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI and AUTOEXEC.BAT) but does not delete the files from the target directory.  When this operation is executed, support for the previously installed peripherals will no longer be available.

NOTE:

For users that do not have a mouse, using the keyboard is allowed. The help on Keystroke Usage gives detailed information on the keys to use.

To learn more about the different features of PowerIDE!, click on the following topic:

PowerIDE! v2.1 Features


Uninstall PowerIDE! Help
Uninstall PowerIDE! Support

This option allows Setup to search for PowerIDE! drivers in the following system files:

CONFIG.SYS
SYSTEM.INI
AUTOEXEC.BAT

If PowerIDE! drivers are found, the lines are removed from the system file(s). The old system files will be saved with the extension .PWR in their respective directories.

The Uninstall process does not occur until the OK button is clicked or selected.  To cancel the Uninstall process, click or select the Cancel button.


PowerIDE! Installation Options

PowerIDE! Setup provides the user with two ways to install the drivers and utilities.

Express Option

The Express option uses default settings to make the installation quick and simple.  This option is recommended for less experienced computer users.

Custom Option

The Custom option provides the ability to change the default settings.  This option is intended for experienced computer users.

The Express option automatically scans for supported IDE I/O ports and detect the attached IDE devices.  Based on the type of devices detected, it installs the appropriate drivers in the system files.  It also installs several utilities for the IDE devices that the user may execute at a later time.  The following is a list of all the drivers and utilites included in PowerIDE!:

* DOS ATASPI Manager
* Windows ATASPI Manager
* 32-bit Disk Access Driver
* Hard Disk Driver
* CD-ROM Driver
* DOS Diagnostic Utility
* Local Bus Configuration Utility
* DOS CD-ROM Utilities (FDAUDIO.COM, FDEJECT.COM, FDLOCK.COM, FDUNLOCK.COM)

The Custom button may be selected to disable the support for an ISA controller or disable the loading of a device driver.  This option is recommended only for users with advanced knowledge of the different PowerIDE! drivers.


Custom Installation Options Help
Custom PowerIDE! Support

The Custom Setup provides the advanced computer user more control over the PowerIDE! installation.  In the Custom Setup Option screen, checkboxes are available for the user to tailor the installation of PowerIDE! to specific needs.

To install an option, the checkbox next to it must be selected (x is present).  If a checkbox or button is shown "grayed out", it means that Setup has determined that the option can not be enabled by the user.

The following describes the different custom options available:

System IDE Support

PowerIDE! can support both the primary and secondary IDE channels built-in the system motherboard.  If a peripheral which requires PowerIDE! support is connected to either of these channels, select the appropriate checkboxes.

Future Domain Add-In ISA IDE Support

Aside from the normally defined Primary IDE Channel  and Secondary IDE Channel, Future Domain add-in ISA controllers also provide four (4) possible alternate IDE channels, namely:

Alternate IDE at I/O Port 170h, IRQ 10
Alternate IDE at I/O Port 160h, IRQ 10
Alternate IDE at I/O Port 160h, IRQ 15
Alternate IDE at I/O Port 150h, IRQ 11

Future Domain Add-In VL IDE Support

This option allows the configuration of the Future Domain local bus IDE controller IDE-32000 This controller is capable of supporting Enhanced IDE drives operating at higher data transfer (PIO) modes.  To configure this controller to support these drives at higher PIO modes, click on the Configure...  button.  Additionally, the IDE-32000 can be configured to use the enhanced modes of the other functions it has such as serial ports, parallel ports, etc..

ATASPI Manager Support

DOS ATASPI Manager

The DOS ATASPI Manager (ATASPI16.SYS) is a real mode loadable driver.  This driver provides management of  the I/O operations between the driver/application and the enhanced IDE peripherals.  This driver is required by the PowerIDE! Hard Disk and CD-ROM drivers.

Windows ATASPI Manager

The Windows ATASPI Manager (ATASPIXP.386 and ATASPI16.386) is a 32-bit protected mode Virtual Device Driver (VxD).  This driver provides management of the I/O operations between the drivers/applications and the enhanced IDE peripherals in a 32-bit protected mode environment.  This driver is required by the PowerIDE! 32-bit Disk Access driver.

Driver Support

32-bit Disk Access Driver

PowerIDE!'s 32-bit Disk Access driver for Windows (FDATA32B.386) is a 32-bit protected mode Virtual Device (VxD) driver that increases disk performance by bypassing the INT 13h BIOS interface in Windows Enhanced mode.  This driver requires the presence of the Windows ATASPI Manager.

Tip: Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 or later has a feature called 32-bit File Access.  This feature further increases performance of hard disks under Windows.  Refer to the WFW User's Guide for information on how to enable this feature.

Hard Disk Driver

PowerIDE!'s hard disk driver for DOS (FDATAHD.SYS) provides IDE/Enhanced IDE disk service under DOS version 5.0 or later.  This driver provides both IOCTL and INT 13h support for hard disk.

CD-ROM Driver

PowerIDE!'s CD-ROM driver (FDATACD.SYS) supports CD-ROM Data, Audio, Photo-CD, CD-XA, CD-I White Book, CD-I Green Book,CD-DA and CD-R (Read Only) for ATAPI Compliant IDE CD-ROM drives.  This driver can support a maximum of 16 CD-ROM drives.


Target Directory Help
Target Directory for PowerIDE! Files

PowerIDE! Setup needs to know where to copy the drivers and utilities on the hard disk.  The default directory is C:\PWRIDE!.  To have the PowerIDE! drivers and utilities copied to a different directory, type the new path in the box and click "OK".

The target directory must be a complete path which includes the drive letter and the entire directory name.  If the directory does not exist, it will be created.  All but the last subdirectory must exist.  For example, if there is an existing directory named DIR1 in the root directory of drive C, a new directory can be created with the pathname C:\DIR1\DIR2, but C:\DIR1\DIR2\DIR3 is not acceptable because it requires the creation of two subdirectories.

Note:  PowerIDE! can be installed only to a hard disk.


Update System Files Help
Updating and Backing Up of System Files

PowerIDE! Setup will update the appropriate system files (CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT and SYSTEM.INI) with the necessary changes for the user.

Copies of the old system files will be saved using the same file names but with incrementing number in the extension (i.e., CONFIG.001, AUTOEXEC.001 and SYSTEM.001).  These backup files may be renamed by typing the new names in the appropriate boxes.

To choose not to have PowerIDE! Setup update a system file, deselect the appropriate "Update" box.

PowerIDE! Setup handles multiple configuration system files created under MS-DOS v6.0 or later in a different way.  The multiple configuration system files (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT) allow users to create multiple ways of configuring how the operating system starts up.  PowerIDE! Setup cannot assume how the user wants to configure the operating system's start-up and will not update the files.  However, the modifications that are required to enable the PowerIDE! drivers will be saved in files (with the .MCF extension) which may be used to update the multiple configuration system files.


CD-ROM Extensions File Path Help
The CD-ROM Extensions File

The CD-ROM Extensions file along with the CD-ROM driver provide full support for ATAPI Compliant IDE CD-ROM drive(s).  This file provides the ability to assign a DOS drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.  It also provides the capability of doing DOS file management functions such as DIR, COPY, etc..  This file is commonly available from either Microsoft Corp. (file name is MSCDEX.EXE) or Corel Corp. (file name is CORELCDX.COM).

PowerIDE! Setup will install this file in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file if the file is found in the directories as specified in the DOS PATH variable.  If the file is not found, Setup can still install the CD-ROM extensions if the path where either the MSCDEX.EXE or the CORELCDX.COM is provided.

To install the CD-ROM Extensions, enter the path where the MSCDEX.EXE or CORELCDX.COM file may be found.

To choose not to install the CD-ROM Extensions file at this time, click or select the Cancel button.  This file must be installed later for full CD-ROM support.


Last Drive Letter Assignment Help
Last Drive Letter Assignment

The DOS operating system uses letters to address drives. This starts with the letter A: that is normally assigned to the floppy drive. The maximum number of drives that can be accessed is limited by the available drive letters, i.e., 26 drive letters.

The PowerIDE! CD-ROM driver will assign the next available drive letter as reported by DOS to each of the CD-ROM drive(s) it supports. On certain system configurations such as in a network environment, drive letters that can be used by a DOS device driver may be limited. This limitation can be related to DOS via the line LASTDRIVE= in the CONFIG.SYS system file.

Enter the last drive letter that system allows DOS to assign for device drivers. For non-network environment, the letter Z is recommended. Otherwise, use the drive letter prior to the network drive letter. For example, if the network drive letter starts at F:, then enter drive letter E:.


CDROM Driver Name Help
CD-ROM Driver Name

The PowerIDE! CD-ROM driver uses FDCD0001 as its driver name by default.  This driver name is used by the CD-ROM Extensions to locate the driver it needs to interface with.

The default driver name may be changed by entering the new name in the box provided.  A maximum of 8 characters are recognized.  Only ASCII characters that are alphabetic ('A' to 'Z'), numeric ('0' to '9') and punctuation (e.g.,$,!,@,%,etc.) are accepted.


DOS ATASPI Manager Help
DOS ATASPI Manager

The DOS ATASPI Manager is a real mode loadable driver.  This driver provides management of  the I/O operations between the driver/application and the enhanced IDE peripherals.  This driver is required by the PowerIDE! Hard Disk and CD-ROM drivers.

To manually configure this driver in the CONFIG.SYS file, use the following syntax:

 DEVICE=[path]ATASPI16.SYS [/C:<Port>[,<IRQ>,<AltPort>] ...][/V]

where path is the directory of the ATASPI16.SYS file.

The following explains the parameters used by ATASPI16.SYS:

   /C:<Port>[,<IRQ>,<AltPort>]

The ATASPI Manager automatically detects the presence of the IDE-32000 controller and the resources that it uses.  For ISA controllers, the following IDE I/O ports will be scanned by default:

     I/O Port Address 1F0-1F7H, IRQ 14, Alternate Port 3F6H
     I/O Port Address 170-177H, IRQ 15, Alternate Port 376H
     I/O Port Address 160-167H, IRQ 10, Alternate Port 16EH
     I/O Port Address 150-157H, IRQ 11, Alternate Port 15EH

To bypass the defaults used for the ISA controllers, the controllers' resources can be entered on the command line. The /C: parameter option is used to tell the driver what are the hardware resources used by the controller that it needs to communicate with. The <Port> is the I/O Port Base Address of the controller in hexadecimal convention. The <IRQ> is the interrupt request level used by the controller in decimal convention. The <AltPort> is the I/O Port Address for the alternate status register used in the ATA bus in hexadecimal convention.

For simplicity, certain I/O Port Addresses are grouped with certain IRQ and alternate port address values. This allows the user to indicate the I/O Port Address and let ATASPI16.SYS determine the appropriate IRQ and Alternate Status Port Address to be used.

The following lists the parameter to pass and the corresponding resources that ATASPI16.SYS uses:

/C:150 -- Port 150-157H, IRQ 11, Alternate Register is 15EH
/C:160 -- Port 160-167H, IRQ 10, Alternate Register is 16EH
/C:170 -- Port 170-177H, IRQ 15, Alternate Register is 376H
/C:1F0 -- Port 1F0-1F7H, IRQ 14, Alternate Register is 3F6H

For some of the IDE-16xxx controllers, it is possible to have different combination of resources than the ones listed above. To support such combinations, all three parameters must be present, i.e. <Port>,<IRQ> and <AltPort>. For example, the following line tells the driver to support a controller set at I/O Port Address 160H, IRQ 15 and use the 16EH port as the alternate status register:

     DEVICE=C:\PWRIDE!\ATASPI16.SYS /C:160,15,16E

/V

This option tells the driver to output to the screen information about the IDE controllers and peripherals attached.  This option is set by default.


Windows ATASPI Manager Help
Windows ATASPI Manager

The Windows ATASPI Manager allows your ATASPI drivers and applications to run in 32-bit protected mode environment. This means faster execution and better performance for your drivers and applications.

The Windows ATASPI Manager consists of two (2) Windows Virtual Device Drivers (VxD Drivers). These drivers' names are ATASPIXP.386 and ATASPI16.386. Both of these drivers must be loaded to have proper ATASPI support.

To manually configure this driver in the [386 Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, use the following syntax:

DEVICE=[path]ATASPIXP.386
DEVICE=[path]ATASPI16.386
ATASPI16=[/C:<Port>[,<IRQ>[,<AltPort>]] ...]
PowerIDE!Options=[/V]

where path is the directory of the ATASPIXP.386 and ATASPI16.386 files.

The following explains the available parameter options:

/C:<Port>[,<IRQ>,<AltPort>]

If this option is present in the CONFIG.SYS file, the exact same parameters must appear beside the ATASPI16= line in the SYSTEM.INI. For more information on the meaning of this parameter refer to the DOS ATASPI Manager help.

/V

This option is a broadcast parameter which means all PowerIDE! Windows drivers will receive the parameter. This parameter tells the driver to display information on the screen. If this parameter is not specified no screen messages will appear.  This option is not set by default.


32-bit Disk Access Driver Help
Windows 32-bit Disk Access Driver

The Windows 32-bit Disk Access driver (FDATA32B.386) is designed to take advantage of executing normal BIOS instructions in a 32-bit protected mode environment. This will improve performance for disk I/O intensive operations. This driver is designed to work with a Windows ATASPI Manager. It supports all hard disks supported by the Windows ATASPI Manager.

The 32-bit Disk Access driver is loaded from the SYSTEM.INI file using the following syntax which is not case sensitive:

DEVICE=[path]FDATA32B.386
DEVICE=[path]FDINT13.386
FDATA32B_RWMULTIPLE=[ON|OFF]

where path is the directory of the FDATA32B.386 and FDINT13.386 files.

The parameter FDATA32B_MULTIPLE can be used to enable or disable the Read Write Multiple Command support in the FDATA32B.386 driver.

The optional file FDINT13.386 is a Windows driver that replaces the Microsoft Windows' *int13 driver. This driver is mandatory if 32-bit disk access support for hard disks attached to a ROMless controller is desired.


Hard Disk Driver Help
Hard Disk Driver

The Hard Disk driver FDATAHD.SYS is an ATASPI based driver. This driver provides both IOCTL and INT 13h support for IDE/Enhanced IDE hard disks under DOS version 5.0 or later.  It supports IDE hard disks through the ATASPI Manager, therefore the ATASPI manager must be loaded prior to loading FDATAHD.SYS.

Hard disks previously partitioned and formatted by another controller via DOS' FDISK and FORMAT are automatically supported by this driver. Also, this driver will let you use DOS' FDISK command to create partitions and use the DOS FORMAT command to prepare the partition for file management. FDATAHD.SYS creates industry standard partitions that allow the hard disk to be used in other systems. Some third-party drivers create proprietary partitions which will not allow your disks to be used in other systems.

The hard disk driver is loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file using the following syntax:

DEVICE=[path]FDATAHD.SYS

where path is the directory of the FDATAHD.SYS file.


CD-ROM Driver Help
CD-ROM Driver

The driver FDATACD.SYS is an ATASPI Compliant IDE CD-ROM driver for DOS. It supports enhanced IDE CD-ROM drives which are also often referred as ATAPI compliant CD-ROM drives. ATAPI stands for ATA Packetized Interface, a specification defined by some of the leaders in the CD-ROM industry. The CD-ROM driver FDATACD.SYS must be loaded after the ATASPI manager in CONFIG.SYS.

The CD-ROM driver is loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file using the following driver line syntax which is not case sensitive:

DEVICE=[path]FDATACD.SYS [/D:<name> /T /C:<Port>,<IRQ>,<AltPort>]

where path is the directory of the FDATACD.SYS file.

The following explains the parameters used by FDATACD.SYS:

/D:<name>

This parameter is used to assign a name to the CD-ROM driver. The default name used by FDATACD.SYS is FDCD0001. If this name is acceptable, there is no need to add the /D:FDCD0001 in the driver line. If you want to use a different name, type the name after the : and make sure the name does not have more than eight (8) characters. Also, the driver name must match the name used in the CD-ROM extensions line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

For example, the following line assigns the name FDCDROM0 as the driver name for FDATACD.SYS:

DEVICE=C:\PWRIDE!\FDATACD.SYS /D:FDCDROM0

/T

This parameter forces the CD-ROM driver to run as a standalone driver, i.e., without depending on the presence of an ATASPI Manager.

/C:<Port>[,<IRQ>,<AltPort>]

For more information on the meaning of this parameter refer to the DOS ATASPI Manager help.


Keystrokes Usage Help
Keystrokes Usage

This program is designed to work for users with or without a mouse. If the system does not have a mouse, the following are the basic keystrokes to remember:

<Enter> key

This key accepts the value selected.

<Tab> key

This key moves around the different fields on the screen. Fields include buttons, radio buttons, edit boxes for user input and checkboxes.

<Page Up> key
<Page Down> key
Arrow keys

These keys move up and down a list.


List of Future Domain Add-In IDE Controllers
IDE-16000 ISA Controller
IDE-16002 ISA Controller
IDE-16003 ISA Controller
IDE-16010 ISA Controller
IDE-16020 Boot Capable Single Channel ISA Controller
IDE-16030 Boot Capable Dual Channel ISA Controller
IDE-32000 VL Controller


List of CD-ROM Modes
Data
Audio
Single Session Photo-CD
Multi-Session Photo-CD
CD-DA
CD-XA
CD-I White Book
CD-I Green Book
CD-R (Read Only)


Refers to the IDE channel configured at I/O Port 1F0h, using IRQ 14 and Alternate Status Register 3F6h


Refers to the IDE channel configured at I/O Port 170h, using IRQ 15 and Alternate Status Register 376h


Configuring ATAPI Compliant Drives Help
Configuring an ATAPI Compliant Drive

This screen shows information returned from the identify drive command.  The following information is provided:

Drive Manufacturer
Drive Model
Drive Firmware
Advanced PIO Data Transfer Mode Support

The programmable option for ATAPI device on the IDE-32000 controller is:

PIO Data Transfer Mode to Use - This refers to the data transfer mode of the drive.  Typical ATAPI devices normally operates at PIO Mode 0 (3 Mb/sec) only.  Enhanced ATAPI devices have improved the data transfer rates and can operate from Mode 0 to Mode 3 (11 Mb/sec).  If the ATAPI device can be programmed to a mode higher than mode 0, the available mode options are provided for the user to select. The device specifies which maximum mode it can support in the field "Advanced PIO Mode". Some drives may report that they support a higher PIO mode but does not perform as reported.  These kind of drives may cause data integrity problems. Therefore, it is recommended that data is properly backed up before programming a drive for a PIO mode higher than mode 0.


IDE-32000 Configuration Options Help
IDE-32000 Configuration Options

The IDE-32000 is a multi-function controller with softwareconfiguratble options.  The following describes the available options:

BIOS Start-up Display Messages

Use Factory Default Message - if this checkbox is selected, the BIOS upon boot-up time will display a message letting the user press a key to use the factory defaults for the software configurable options on the IDE-32000.  Refer to the controller's Installation Guide for desriptions of the factory default values.

Setup Floppy Controller Message - if this checkbox is selected, the BIOS upon boot-up time will display a message letting the user press a key to enable or disable the floppy controller on the IDE-32000.

VL Bus Speed and Width

Speed - this sets the VL bus speed that the IDE-32000  controller is running at. Default value is 33 MHz. Other speeds are also available at 25, 40, 50 MHz.  The 33MHz is the default mode. However, if the VL bus on the computer can operate at higher value, this will increase performance.  Refer to your System Guide for more details.

Width - this will select the bandwidth of the VL bus. Default value is 32-bit. The other option is 16 bit. The 32-bit mode gives the optimal performance. The 16-bit mode is available if any problem are seen with a particular peripheral and/or system.

Serial and Parallel Ports

Serial Ports Settings - this indicates the settings for the two (2) serial ports on the IDE-32000. A list is provided with all combinations for the two serial ports.

Parallel Port Address - this indicates the address for the parallel port. A list is provided with all available options for the parallel port address.

Parallel Port Mode - this indicates the operating mode of the parallel port.  Valid mode settings are as follows:
        Standard Parallel Port or Printer Mode (SPP)
        Extended Parallel Port (EPP)
        Enhanced Capabilities with SPP (ECP)
        Enhanced Capabilities with EPP (ECP & EPP)

Floppy/IDE Controllers and Devices

Device 0 (Master) on Primary IDE Channel - select the Configure... button to customize how the Master device operates.

Device 1 (Device) on Primary IDE Channel - select the Configure... button to customize how the Slave device operates.

Secondary IDE Channel - this checkbox if selected indicates that the secondary IDE channel is enabled.

Floppy Controller - this indicates the operational mode of the on-board floppy controller.  It may be disabled or set as primary or secondary floppy controller.  Choose primary if the system motherboard does not have a floppy controller.  Choose Secondary if the IDE-32000 will serve as a supplemental floppy controller for the system.  Choose Disabled if no floppy support is required.


Configuring ATA Drives Help
Configuring an ATA Drive on IDE-32000 Controller

The ATA Drive Information section displays important data about the ATA hard drive including the following:

Drive Model
Firmware Version
Capacity in MegaBytes (MB)
Number of Physical Cylinders
Number of Physical Heads
Number of Physical Sectors
LBA (Logical Block Address) Support
Advanced PIO Data Transfer Mode Support
Read/Write Multiple Command Support
Maximum R/W Multiple Sector Count Supported

The ATA Drive Configuration lets the user decide how the drive is used. There are three (3) parameters that are user configurable, namely:

PIO Data Transfer Mode to Use - this refers to the data transfer mode of the drive.  Typical IDE devices normally operates at PIO Mode 0 (3 Mb/sec) only.  Enhanced IDE devices have improved the data transfer rates and can operate from Mode 0 to Mode 3 (11 Mb/sec).  If the ATA device can be programmed to a mode higher than 0, the available mode options are provided for the user to select. The device specifies which maximum mode it can support in the field "Advanced PIO Mode". Some drives may report that they support a higher PIO mode but does not perform as reported.  These kind of drives may cause data integrity problems. Therefore, it is recommended that data is properly backed up before programming a drive for a PIO mode higher than mode 0.

Enable Read/Write Multiple - some enhanced IDE drives can support multiple sectors read and write operations.  This feature significantly improves drive performance and may either be enabled or disabled by the user.

Drive Addressing Mode to Use - typical IDE devices have always used a Cylinder-Head-Sector (CHS) addressing scheme to access the data on the drive.  With the introduciton of enhanced IDE drives, the Logical Block Addressing (LBA) scheme can also be support.  Choose the addressing mode that works best for the drive.  The default is CHS.


Disable Primary IDE Scan Help
Disable Scan of Primary IDE Channel

To enable the scan for devices attached to the Primary IDEChannel  the following lines must be present on the [386 Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file:

VirtualHDIRQ = OFF
32BitDiskAccess = OFF

If the above condition occurred, Setup provides the options of modifying the SYSTEM.INI and restarts Window or continuing by scanning other IDE channels expect the Primary IDE Channel.  Without scanning the primary IDE channel, the devices attached to it will not be supported.  Therefore, it is for the best interest of the user to have Setup make the appropriate modifications to the SYSTEM.INI file and restart Windows.


Local Bus Controller Optimization Help
Future Domain Local Bus Controller Optimization

The IDE-32000 controller is capable of supporting IDE/Enhanced IDE devices operating at advanced PIO modes higher than mode 0.  The highest operating mode of a device is returned by the device after an Identify Device Command.  Based on the information returned by the device, the controller may be programmed to take advantage of the higher operating modes.  The following program options are available for the IDE-32000 controller:

Optimal

This option instructs Setup to interrogate each device attached to the Primary Channel of the IDE-32000 controller for the highest PIO mode it supports.  Based on the information returned by the drive, the controller is programmed to support the highest PIO mode of the drive.

WARNING: This is not a fail safe option and sometimes may cause data integrity problems.

Default

This is the safer option.  The controller is programmed to interface with the attached drives at PIO Data Transfer Mode 0 (3 Mb/sec).


Read Write Multiple Feature Help
Read Write Multiple Feature

The Read Write Multiple is a feature of IDE hard disks.  Normal read and write operations are handled with 512-byte burst at a time.  This method puts a lot of overhead for large data transfers and can be overcomed by doing multiple 512-byte burst transfers.  This method requires drives to support Read/Write Multiple commands.

PowerIDE!'s 32-bit Disk Access driver supports Read/Write multiple commands by default. This feature may be disabled if desired.