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ASUS MES-VM User’s Manual 19
3. HARDWARE SETUP
Expansion Cards
3. H/W SETUP
3.7 Expansion Cards
WARNING! Make sure that you unplug your power supply when adding or
removing expansion cards or other system components. Failure to do so may
cause severe damage to both your motherboard and expansion cards.
3.7.1 Expansion Card Installation Procedure
1. Read the documentation for your expansion card and make any necessary hard-
ware or software settings for your expansion card, such as jumpers or switches.
2. Remove your computer system’s cover and the bracket plate on the slot you
intend to use. Keep the bracket for possible future use.
3. Carefully align the card’s connectors and press firmly.
4. Secure the card on the slot with the screw you removed above.
5. Replace the computer system’s cover.
6. Set up the BIOS if necessary
(such as IRQ xx Used By ISA: Yes)
7. Install the necessary software drivers for your expansion card.
3.7.2 Assigning IRQs for Expansion Cards
Some expansion cards need to use an IRQ to operate. Generally, an IRQ must be
exclusively assigned to one use. In a standard design, there are 16 IRQs available
but most of them are already in use, leaving 6 IRQs free for expansion cards. If your
motherboard has PCI audio onboard, an extra IRQ will be used, leaving 5 IRQs
free. If your motherboard has ISA audio onboard, an extra 3 IRQs will be used,
leaving 3 IRQs free.
Both ISA and PCI expansion cards may require IRQs. System IRQs are available to
cards installed in the ISA expansion bus first, then any remaining IRQs are available
to PCI cards. Currently, there are two types of ISA cards.
The original ISA expansion card design, now referred to as “Legacy” ISA cards,
requires that you configure the card’s jumpers manually and then install it in any
available slot on the ISA bus. To see a map of your used and free IRQs in Windows
98, the Control Panel icon in My Computer, contains a System icon, which gives
you a Device Manager tab. Double-clicking on a specific hardware device gives you
the Resources tab which shows the Interrupt number and address. Make sure that no
two devices use the same IRQ or your computer will experience problems when
those two devices are in use at the same time.