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SUPER MICRO Computer P4SCT User Manual

Page 77

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Appendix C: Software Installation Instructions

C-1

Appendix C

Installing Software Drivers and Windows

Operating System

After all the hardware has been installed, you must first configure the

Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA RAID Driver before you install the Windows

operating system. The necessary drivers are all included on the Supermicro

bootable CDs that came packaged with your motherboard. (*The following
section provides information on Adaptec's SATA RAID Driver based on the
Intel Hance Rapids ICH Controller. For additional information regarding
the Adaptec SATA Host RAID driver based on the Marvell 88SX5041
Controller, please refer to Adaptec's SATA Host RAID Utility User's Guide
included in Supermicro's bootable CD. You can also access Adaptec's
User's Guides on our web site at www.supermicro.com. Please also note
that the Marvell Controller is only available for the P4SCT+ and the
P4SCT+II boards.)

C-1 Introduction to the Adaptec Embedded Serial ATA
RAID Controller Driver

Serial ATA (SATA)

Serial ATA(SATA) is a physical storage interface. It uses a single cable with

a minimum of four wires to create a point-to-point connection between

devices. It is a serial link which supports SATA Transfer rates from

150MBps. Because the serial cables used in SATA are thinner than the

traditional cables used in Parallel ATA(PATA), SATA systems have better

airflow and can be installed in smaller chassis than Parallel ATA. In addition,

the cables used in PATA can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA

cables can extend up to one meter. Overall, Serial ATA provides better

functionality than Parallel ATA.

Introduction to the Intel 6300ESB (Hance Rapids) I/O
Controller Hub

Located in the South Bridge of the Intel Canterwood (875P) and Canterwood

ES (E7210)Chipset, the 6300ESB (Hance Rapids) I/O Controller Hub provides

the I/O subsystem with access to the rest of the system. It supports 2-channel

Ultra ATA/100 Bus Master IDE controller (PATA) and two Serial ATA (SATA)

Host Controllers, which support up to two Serial ATA ports and up to two RAID

drives. The 6300ESB (Hance Rapids) I/O Controller Hub supports the follow-

ing Parallel ATA (PATA) and Serial (SATA) device configurations:

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