1. 4823_IDE.EXE Driver
2. README.TXT File Contents

README.TXT Driver File Contents (4823_IDE.EXE)

README.TXT

NOTES ABOUT INSTALL PROCEDURE
=============================

Please type

	INSTALL

from install diskette to install driver for ALi Master IDE controller.


NOTES ABOUT SETUP.EXE
=======================

After successful installation, you can run SETUP.EXE (from where you just
install it) to re-configure driver if something need to be changed.



This utility can configure ALi IDE driver for DOS and Windows.

Please type

	SETUP

to configure driver option.



ALIHDD.SYS Command Line Definition
===================================

This device driver is used for ALi local bus IDE chip.
The harddisk drive performance will be tuned in the optimal condition
by this driver.



SETUP will add this driver in CONFIG.SYS in the following way

  DEVICE=[DRIVE:][\DIRECTORY]\ALIHDD.SYS [/Sxx] [/PIO:xxxx] [/IOW:xxxx]  [/LBA:xxxx]
					[/Ixx] [/BKM:xxxx]


Please use SETUP.EXE to re-configure these parameters rather than modify CONFIG.SYS directly.


If some hardware configuration are changed, SETUP.EXE must be run and "AUTO DETECT" function must 
executed to update the driver's parameters.


 1.
   /Sxx  Specify the Local Bus Speed.

  Please specify your PCI local bus speed of system. The valid value must be
20MHz - 50 MHz. Assign this parameter for driver to adjust the best
performance for your harddisk drives. The default will be 50MHz without
assignment.

For example:

	use /S33 when your PCI local bus speed is 33Mhz

 2.
   /PIO:xxxx  Specify the PIO mode for your harddisk drive.

  Add this parameter if you want to assign fixed PIO mode to some harddisk
drive. Default will be AUTO if no /PIO:xxxx assigned. Here 'AUTO' means
ALIHDD.SYS will identify your harddisk and select PIO mode timing according
to harddisk drive supported PIO mode.

	/PIO:xxxx
	     ||||____ Secondary channel slave drive use PIO Mode x
	     |||
	     |||_____ Secondary channel master drive use PIO Mode x
	     ||
	     ||______ Primary channel slave drive use PIO Mode x
	     |
	     |_______ Primary channel master drive use PIO Mode x

For example:

	/PIO:12AA

	will use PIO mode 1 for primary master drive, PIO mode 2 for primary
	slave drive, AUTO detect PIO mode for secondary master and slave
	drives.


	If some harddisk fails to be tuned by this device driver (not stable),
try to add this parameter. This will happen when the harddisk drive does not
support PIO mode 3 or above.
	For example, we will AUTO tune Quantum ProDrive LPS 240A harddisk to
mode 2 timing because this drive reports itself supports PIO mode 2. But we
find it is unstable when using mode 2 timing. In this case, you can add
/PIO:xxxx to adjust the timing to mode 1 for this Quantum drive.


 3.
   /Ixx  Specify the secondary IDE control IRQ.

  When one or two harddisk is equipped at secondary IDE connector, please
assign this parameter for driver to recognize these harddisks. The vaild
parameter is

	/I14  - Secondary IDE control IRQ14
	 or
	/I15  - Secondary IDE control IRQ15


 4.
   /BKM:xxxx  Enable Block mode for harddisk drives

	/BKM:xxxx
	     ||||____ Secondary channel slave drive use block mode?
	     |||
	     |||_____ Secondary channel master drive use block mode?
	     ||
	     ||______ Primary channel slave drive use block mode?
	     |
	     |_______ Primary channel master drive use block mode?

For example:

	/BKM:YYNN

	will use block mode for primary master and primary slave drives,
	and not use block mode for secondary master and slave drives.




 5.
   /LBA:xxxx   Enable the Large Capacity Feature(LBA) support for harddisk drives

	/LBA:xxxx
	     ||||____ Secondary channel slave drive use LBA Mode?
	     |||
	     |||_____ Secondary channel master drive use LBA Mode?
	     ||
	     ||______ Primary channel slave drive use LBA Mode?
	     |
	     |_______ Primary channel master drive use LBA Mode?

For example:

	/LBA:NNYN

	will tryto use LBA mode  for secondary master drive,
	and not use LBA mode for secondary slave drive.


   The primary channel LBA feature will be determined by your system BIOS.
The secondary channel LBA feature will depend on your option. If /Ixx is
assigned and BIOS can not handle secondary channel , the secondary channel LBA 
feature will be determined by whether /LBA:xxxx is assigned or not. 
Apparently, If /Ixx is assigned and BIOS can handle secondary channel
, the secondary channel LBA feature is determined by BIOS.

	When to add /LBA:xxxx option? When harddisk drive capacity is greater than
528MB and drive supports LBA mode, use /LBA:xxxx to enable device driver to
utilize the full capacity of the harddisk drive. The device driver will still
use CHS mode to access the harddisk drive which its capacity is smaller than
528MB or itself does not support LBA mode.

 6.
   /DRIVE:xxxx

	/DRIVE:xxxx
	       ||||____ What kind of secondary channel slave drive is?
	       |||
	       |||_____ What kind of secondary channel master drive is?
	       ||
	       ||______ What kind of primary channel slave drive is?
	       |
	       |_______ What kind of primary channel master drive is?

	where x is

		H for  Hard disk.
		C for  CD-ROM.
		N for  NONE.




Note:

1. The primary channel IDE drives type and LBA feature should be correctly
   set by system BIOS. (Please refer to the system BIOS SETUP)

2. There is a limitation of the IDE drives connected to secondary
   channel. The IDE drive which does not support identify command or its
   format is not the same with its identify information can not be connected
   to secondary channel. That means if this drive can not be AUTO detect
   type by SYSTEM BIOS when it is connected to primary channel, then it
   can not be correctly identified by ALIHDD.SYS when it is connected to
   secondary  channel.


3. Due to the lack of SPEC issue, this driver does not support "Large" mode.
   Most of the hard drives that larger than 528 MB support LBA mode,please
   choose LBA mode rather than "Large" mode in BIOS setting.



4. We have tested some drives that cause timing problem with PIO mode .

							SPEC. PIO mode      recommanded PIO mode
Quantum ProDrive LPS 240A               2                      1
Maxtor 7345 AT                          2                      1



Feature List:
	1. Support 32 bit IO.
	2. Support up to PIO mode 4 and DMA mode 2.
	3. Support LBA mode.
	4. Individual data timing setting for drives.
	5. Support PIO Master.