Sonnet Technologies Allegro FW400 FireWire PCI Adapter Card User Manual

Allegro, Firewire, Pci adapter card

FireWire

PCI Adapter Card

ALLEGRO

™

400

Quick Start Guide for Allegro FW400

Compatibility

At this printing, the Allegro FW400 may be used with any Mac

Windows OS computer with an available PCI slot that meets the
following requirements:

•

Macintosh Computer Requirements:
Power Macintosh

or Macintosh clone computer running Mac OS

9.0 through Mac OS X Version 10.5.x.

•

PC Requirements:
IBM PC/AT or compatible desktop computer with Pentium

II (or

equivalent) or better running Windows 98 SE (Second Edition),
Windows Me (Millennium Edition), Windows 2000, Windows XP,
or Windows Vista.

You Should Have

The following item should be included in your product package:
• One Allegro FW400 FireWire PCI Adapter Card

The following item may be required for installation:
• Medium Phillips screwdriver

You may need the following item to connect peripherals to the
Allegro FW400:
• One or more FireWire (IEEE 1394) cables (sold separately)

System Requirements

The Allegro FW400 requires the following in order to operate in your
system:
• One available PCI slot
• FireWire driver software*

* Depending on your operating system, you may need to install drivers; instructions follow.

Support Note:

We recommend you make a backup of

important information on your system’s current hard drive(s)

prior to installing new hardware or software.

When handling computer products, you must take care to prevent
components from being damaged by static electricity. Before opening
your computer or removing parts from their packages, always ground
yourself first by touching a metal part of the computer, such as a
port access cover, and work in an area free of static electricity; avoid
carpeted areas. Handle all electronic components by their edges, and
avoid touching connector traces and component pins.

Installation Steps

Allegro FW400 Installation Preparation

Sonnet strongly recommends that you read the section in your
computer’s user manual that addresses PCI card installation, prior to
installing the Allegro FW400 into your system.

Allegro FW400 Card Installation Steps

1. Shut down your computer.

2. Open your computer to access the expansion card area (PCI slots);

refer to your computer’s user manual for specific information.

3. Locate an available PCI slot inside your computer and remove its

port access cover, if present, from the rear of the computer.

4. Remove the Allegro FW400 card from its packaging.

5. Install the Allegro FW400 into the PCI slot; make sure the card

is firmly seated and secured.

6. Close your computer and carefully replace its cover.

FireWire Driver Installation Steps—Mac OS Computers

The following section covers the installation of FireWire driver
software in Mac OS computers; refer to the heading that describes
your setup in this column or after. If you have a Windows PC, go to
column 5 for Windows driver installation information.

Mac OS 9.2.x and OS X
If your system is already running Mac OS 9.2.x and/or Mac OS X, the
Apple drivers that enable the FireWire ports on the Allegro FW400
have already been installed, and your installation is complete. When
you upgrade to Mac OS 9.2.x or Mac OS X, the appropriate drivers
will be installed automatically.

Mac OS 9.1.x (Existing Installation)
Complete these steps only if you installed Mac OS 9.1 before
installing the Allegro FW400. Please note, if your system has built-in
FireWire ports, you may skip these steps; your installation is complete.

1. Insert the Mac OS 9.1 CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.

In the finder menu, select Special: Restart, then immediately
press and hold down the C key on your keyboard until your
system restarts and the Welcome to Mac OS screen appears.

Support Note:

Technical knowledge may be required to gain

access to the expansion card slots in certain computer models.

We recommend you first consult your computer’s user manual. If
you feel you are unable to install the computer hardware, contact a
qualified technician.

Support Note:

Many peripherals require their own drivers

and application software to operate or have full functionality.

The Apple drivers already installed, or that you are about to install,
in your system provide only limited support for some items. You
should also install software included with the device, or available
to download from the device manufacturer’s web site. Check the
peripheral’s user manual for information about necessary software.

Installation Steps (continued)

2. Double-click the Mac OS Install application icon. In the Select

Destination window, click the Select button. Proceed through
the next several screens until you reach the Install Software
window. Click the Customize button. In the Custom Installation
and Removal window, deselect all the Software component check
boxes (click on each check or dash until the box is empty), except
Mac OS 9.1. Click the pop-up menu to the right of Mac OS 9.1.
Change from “Recommended Installation” to “Customized
Installation.” The Select Mac OS 9.1 Features to Install window will
appear shortly.

3. Change “Recommended Installation” to “Customized

Installation” from the pop-up menu. Deselect all the feature
check boxes except “Network and Connectivity.” Click the
arrow next to “Network and Connectivity” to view the features.
Deselect all the features except “FireWire”. Click OK, Start, then
Continue to complete the installation. After the software is
installed, quit the Mac OS Install application and restart your
computer from the hard drive where Mac OS 9.1 is installed; your
installation is complete.

Mac OS 9.1.x (Upgrade from Lower Mac OS Version)
Complete these steps only when upgrading your system to Mac OS 9.1
from a lower Mac OS version; FireWire driver software will be installed
automatically. Please note, if your system has built-in FireWire ports, you
may skip these steps; your installation is complete.

1. Insert the Mac OS 9.1 CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.

In the finder menu, select Special: Restart, then immediately press
and hold down the C key on your keyboard until your system
restarts and the Welcome to Mac OS screen appears.

2. Double-click the Mac OS Install application icon. In the Select

Destination window, click the Options button and click the
Perform Clean Installation check box that appears in the
subsequent screen. Click the Select button. Proceed through the
next several screens until you reach the Install Software window.
Click OK, Start, then Continue, and complete the installation.
After the software is installed, quit the Mac OS Install application
and restart your computer from the hard drive where Mac OS 9.1
is installed; your installation is complete.

Mac OS 9.0.x (Existing Installation)
If Mac OS 9.0.x is installed in your computer, you must download and
install the appropriate FireWire driver software. Please note, if your
system has built-in FireWire ports, you may skip these steps; your installation
is complete.

1. Turn on your computer.

2. Log on to the Internet and type in:

www.sonnettech.com/support/allegro400.

3. Locate and click on the link for FireWire drivers.

Installation Steps (continued)

4. Read the information on the page, then click on the link to

download the software.

5. Install the drivers, then restart your computer from the hard

drive where Mac OS 9 is installed; your installation is complete.

Mac OS 9 (Upgrade from Lower Mac OS Version)
Complete these steps only when upgrading your system to Mac OS 9.0
from a lower Mac OS version.

1. Insert the Mac OS 9 CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. In

the finder menu, select Special: Restart, then immediately press
and hold down the C key on your keyboard until your system
restarts and the Welcome to Mac OS screen appears.

2. Double-click the Mac OS Install application icon. In the Select

3. Log on to the Internet and type in:

www.sonnettech.com/support/allegro400.

4. Locate and click on the link for FireWire drivers.

5. Read the information on the page, then click on the link to

download the software.

6. Install the drivers, then restart your computer from the hard

drive where Mac OS 9 is installed; your installation is complete.