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Jumpers, Switches, and Connectors: Dell™ PowerEdge™ 6400 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Overview System Board Labels
Jumpers and Switches—A General Explanation SCSI Backplane Boards
System Board Jumpers Disabling a Forgotten Password

Overview

This section provides specific information about the jumpers on the system board. It also provides some basic information on jumpers and switches and describes the connectors and sockets on the various boards in the computer.


Jumpers and SwitchesA General Explanation

Jumpers and switches provide a convenient and reversible way of reconfiguring the circuitry on a printed circuit board. When reconfiguring the system, you may need to change jumper settings on the system board. You may also need to change jumper and/or switch settings on expansion cards or drives.

Jumpers

Jumpers are small blocks on a circuit board with two or more pins emerging from them. Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins. The wire connects the pins and creates a circuit. To change a jumper setting, pull the plug off its pin(s) and carefully fit it down onto the pin(s) indicated.

NOTICE: Make sure the system is turned off before you change a jumper setting. Otherwise, damage to the system or unpredictable results may occur.

A jumper is referred to as open or unjumpered when the plug is pushed down over only one pin or if there is no plug at all. When the plug is pushed down over two pins, the jumper is referred to as jumpered. The jumper setting is often shown in text as two numbers, such as 1-2. The number 1 is printed on the circuit board so that you can identify each pin number based on the location of pin 1.

Figure 1 shows the location and default settings of the jumper blocks on the system board. See Table 1 for the designations, default settings, and functions of the system's jumpers.

Switches

Switches control various circuits or functions in the computer system. The switches that you are most likely to encounter are dual in-line package (DIP) switches, which are normally packaged in groups of two or more switches in a plastic case. Two common types of DIP switches are slide switches and rocker switches (see the following illustration).

jump-3.gif (7206 bytes)

1

Rocker switch

2

Slide switch

Each of these switches has two positions, or settings (usually on and off). To change the setting of a slide switch, use a small, pointed object such as a small screwdriver or a straightened paper clip to slide the switch to the proper position. To change the setting of a rocker switch, use the screwdriver or paper clip to press down on the appropriate side of the switch. In either case, do not use a pen, pencil, or other object that might leave a residue on the switch.


System Board Jumpers

Figure 1 shows the location of the configuration jumpers on the system board. Table 1 lists the function of these jumpers.

Figure 1. System Board Jumpers

jumper14.gif (1200 bytes)

Table 1. System-Board Jumper Settings 
Jumper Setting Description
ISA_CLR (default)

The NVRAM configuration settings are retained at system boot.

The NVRAM configuration settings are cleared at next system boot. (If the NVRAM configuration settings become corrupted and the system will not boot, install the jumper plug and then boot the system. Remove the jumper before restoring the NVRAM configuration information.)

PASS (default)

The password feature is enabled.

The password feature is disabled.

500MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 500 MHz.
550MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 550 MHz.
600MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 600 MHz (when available).
650MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 650 MHz (when available).
700MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 700 MHz (when available).
750MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 750 MHz (when available).
800MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 800 MHz (when available).
850MHZ* Jumpered when the microprocessor's internal speed is 850 MHz (when available).
RSVD Reserved (do not install jumper plug).
 jumper7.gif (931 bytes)jumpered      jumper10.gif (907 bytes)unjumpered
* NOTE: Only one of the speed jumoers should have a jumper plug installed

NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see "Abbreviations and Acronyms."


System Board Labels

Table 2 lists the connectors and sockets located on the system board.

Table 2. System Board Connectors and Sockets 
Connector or Socket Description
BACKPLANE Hot-pluggable SCSI backplane board interface cable connector
BATTERY Battery connector
INTRUSn Intrusion-alarm switch connectors
FANS Fan connector
FLOPPY Diskette drive interface connector
KEYBOARD Keyboard connector
MOUSE Mouse connector
MEMORY1, MEMORY2 Memory board connectors
NETWORK Ethernet connector
PARALLEL Parallel port connector; sometimes referred to as LPT1
PCIn PCI expansion-card connectors
PCILEDPNL Hot-plug PCI indicator panel connector
POWERn Power connectors
PROC_n Microprocessor guide bracket assembly and connectors
SECONDARY SCSI Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller connector
PRIMARY SCSI A, PRIMARY SCSI B Ultra3 (Ultra160) SCSI controller connectors
SERIALn Serial port connectors; sometimes referred to as COM1 and COM2
SVRMGMT Connector for optional DRAC 2 card
USB USB connector
VGA Video connector

NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see "Abbreviations and Acronyms."


SCSI Backplane Boards

Figure 2 shows the location of the connectors on the 1 x 8 and 1 x 6 SCSI backplane boards.

Figure 2. Connectors on the 1 x 6 and 1 x 8 SCSI Backplane Boards

jumper2.gif (10057 bytes)

1

Cooling fan power cable connector (FAN)

2

Power connector (POWER)
3 System-board data cable connector (PLANAR)
4 Ultra3 SCSI cable connector (SCSIA)

Figure 3 shows the location of the connectors on the 2 x 4 SCSI backplane board.

Figure 3. Connectors on the 2 x 4 SCSI Backplane Board

hddrive8.gif (2578 bytes)
1 Ultra3 SCSI cable connector (SCSIA)
2 Ultra3 SCSI cable connector (SCSIB)

3

Cooling fan power cable connector (FAN)

4

Power connector (POWER)
5 System-board data cable connector (PLANAR)

Disabling a Forgotten Password

The computer's software security features include a supervisor password and a user password, which are discussed in detail in "Using the System Setup Program" of the User's Guide. A password jumper on the system board enables these password features or disables them and clears any password(s) currently in use.

To disable a forgotten supervisor password or user password, perform the following steps.

NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge."

  1. Remove the computer cover.

  2. Refer to Figure 1 for  the location of the password jumper (labeled "PASS") on the system board.

  3. Remove the jumper plug from the PASS jumper.

  4. Replace the computer cover, and then reconnect the computer to an electrical outlet and turn it on.

    The existing passwords are not disabled (erased) until the system boots with the PASS jumper plug removed. However, before you assign a new system and/or user password, you must install the jumper plug.
NOTE: If you assign a new system and/or user password with the jumper plug still removed, the system disables the new password(s) the next time it boots.
  1. Repeat step 1.

  2. Install the jumper plug on the PASS jumper.

  3. Replace the computer cover, and then reconnect the computer and peripherals to their electrical outlets and turn them on.

  4. Assign a new system and/or user password.

    To assign a new system password using the System Setup program, see "Assigning a System Password" in the User's Guide. To assign a new user password using the System Setup program, see "Assigning a User Password" in the User's Guide.

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