DFI AL253 4 Inch SBC Industrial Motherboard User Manual
- June 9, 2024
- DFI
Table of Contents
DFI AL253 4 Inch SBC Industrial Motherboard User Manual
Copyright
This publication contains information that is protected by copyright. No part
of it may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any
transformation/adaptation without the prior written permission from the
copyright holders.
This publication is provided for informational purposes only. The manufacturer
makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of
this manual and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. The user will assume
the entire risk of the use or the results of the use of this document.
Further, the manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and
make changes to its contents at any time, without obligation to notify any
person or entity of such revisions or changes.
Changes after the publication’s first release will be based on the product’s
revision. The website will always provide the most updated information.
© 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Trademarks
Product names or trademarks appearing in this manual are for identification
purpose only and are the properties of the respective owners.
FCC and DOC Statement on Class B
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment
does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help.
Notice:
- The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
- Shielded interface cables must be used in order to comply with the emission limits.
About this Manual
This manual can be retrieved from the website.
The manual is subject to change and update without notice, and may be based on
editions that do not resemble your actual products. Please visit our website
or contact our sales representatives for the latest editions.
Warranty
- Warranty does not cover damages or failures that arises from misuse of the product, inability to use the product, unauthorized replacement or alteration of components and product specifications.
- The warranty is void if the product has been subjected to physical abuse, improper installation, modification, accidents or unauthorized repair of the product.
- Unless otherwise instructed in this user’s manual, the user may not, under any circumstances, attempt to perform service, adjustments or repairs on the product, whether in or out of warranty. It must be returned to the purchase point, factory or authorized service agency for all such work.
- We will not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages to the product that has been modified or altered.
About the Package
The package contains the following items. If any of these items are missing or
damaged, please contact your dealer or sales representative for assistance.
- One AL253 motherboard
- Heat Sink
- Serial ATA data with power cable
The system and accessories in the package may not come similar to the information listed above. This may differ in accordance with the sales region or models in which it was sold. For more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your dealer or sales representative.
Optional Items
- USB port cable
- COM port cable
- Power adapter
- Heat spreader
The system and accessories in the package may not come similar to the information listed above. This may differ in accordance with the sales region or models in which it was sold. For more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your dealer or sales representative.
Screw Type
- Din Rail Kit type M3, length 5mm, amount: 3.
- Wall mount kit type M4, length 10mm, amount: 4.
- VESA mount kit type M4, length 10mm, amount: 4 & type M3, length 6mm, amount: 4.
Static Electricity Precautions
It is quite easy to inadvertently damage your PC, system board, components or
devices even before installing them in your system unit. Static electrical
discharge can damage computer components without causing any signs of physical
damage. You must take extra care in handling them to ensure against
electrostatic build-up.
- To prevent electrostatic build-up, leave the system board in its anti-static bag until you are ready to install it.
- Wear an antistatic wrist strap.
- Do all preparation work on a static-free surface.
- Hold the device only by its edges. Be careful not to touch any of the components, contacts or connections.
- Avoid touching the pins or contacts on all modules and connectors. Hold modules or connectors by their ends.
Important: Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your processor, disk drive and other components. Perform the upgrade instruction procedures described at an ESD workstation only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD protection by wearing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a metal part of the system chassis. If a wrist strap is unavailable, establish and maintain contact with the system chassis throughout any procedures requiring ESD protection.
Safety Precautions
-
Use the correct DC / AC input voltage range.
-
Unplug the power cord before removing the system chassis cover for installation or servicing. After installation or servicing, cover the system chassis before plugging in the power cord.
-
There is danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced.
-
Replace only with the same or equivalent specifications of batteries recommend by the manufacturer.
-
Dispose of used batteries according to local ordinance.
-
Keep this system away from humid environments.
-
Make sure the system is placed or mounted correctly and stably to prevent the chance of dropping or falling may cause damage.
-
The openings on the system shall not be blocked and shall be kept in distance from other objects to make sure of proper air ventilation to protect the system from overheating.
-
Dress the cables, especially the power cord, so they will not be stepped on, in contact with high temperature surfaces, or cause any tripping hazards.
-
Do not place anything on top of the power cord. Use a power cord that has been approved for use with the system and is compliant with the voltage and current ranges required by the system’s electrical specifications.
-
If the system is to be unused or stored for a long time, disconnect it from the power source to avoid damage by transient overvoltage.
-
If one of the following occurs, consult a service personnel:
– The power cord or plug is damaged.
– Liquid has penetrated the system.
– The system has been exposed to moisture.
– The system is not working properly.
– The system is physically damaged. -
The unit uses a three-wire ground cable which is equipped with a third pin to ground the unit and prevent electric shock. Do not defeat the purpose of this pin. If your outlet does not support this kind of plug, contact your electrician to replace the outlet.
-
Disconnect the system from the electricity outlet before cleaning. Use a damp cloth for cleaning the surface. Do not use liquid or spray detergents for cleaning.
-
Before connecting, make sure that the power supply voltage is correct. The device is connected to a power outlet which should be grounded connection.
The system may burn fingers while running. Wait for 30 minutes to handle electronic parts after power off.
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Specifications
The specifications listed here may be based on editions that do not resemble your actual products. Please visit the download page at go.dfi.com/AL253, or via the QR code to the right for the latest datasheet.
Chapter 2 – Hardware Installation
Board Layout
- Power Button
- Battery
- JP7
- Buzzer
- JP1
- 36VDC In (reserved)
- 9~36V DC-In
- 2 x USB 3.0
- 2 x USB 3.0 or LAN4
- LAN2
- LAN1
- COM4
- COM3/DIO
- M.2 E Key 2230
- SATA Power
- J15
- Nano SIM
- SATA
- Mini PCIe 2
- USB 6/7 (USB 2.0)
- JP8
- Mini PCIe 1
- eMMC
- JP9
- SW4
- VGA
- COM1
- SPI Flash BIOS
- DDR3L
- COM2
- HDMI/DP
- LAN3 (optional)
- Reset & Status LED
Important: Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your board, processor, disk drives, add-in boards, and other components. Perform installation procedures at an ESD workstation only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD protection by wearing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a metal part of the system chassis. If a wrist strap is unavailable, establish and maintain contact with the system chassis throughout any procedures requiring ESD protection.
LEDs
Important: When the Standby Power LED lights up, it indicates that there is power on the system board. Power-off the PC then unplug the power cord prior to installing any devices. Failure to do so will cause severe damage to the motherboard and components.
System Memory
The system board supports the following memory interface. Single Channel (SC) Data will be accessed in chunks of 64 bits from the memory channels.
Features
- 2G/4G/8G DDR3L Memory Down
- One SO-DIMM Memory up to 8GB
- Single Channel DDR3L
Installing the SO-DIMM Module
Before installing the memory module, please make sure that the following safety cautions are well-attended.
- Make sure the PC and all other peripheral devices connected to it has been powered down.
- Disconnect all power cords and cables.
- Locate the SO-DIMM socket on the system board
- Make sure the notch on memory card is aligned to the key on the socket.
Please follow the steps below to install the memory card into the socket.
Jumper Settings
Power On Select (JP7)
The jumper allows you to choose between system power-on via power button and automatic power-on via DC power in.
Front Panel (JP1)
COM Serial / DIO Switch (JP8/JP9)
The COM3 / DIO port is a DB9 connector and can be used as a COM Serial port or a DIO port (8-bit GPIO). Both JP8 and JP9 shall be configured concurrently when switching between the two modes.
SW4
If any anomaly of the followings is encountered —
a) CMOS data is corrupted;
b) you forgot the supervisor or user password;
c) failure to start the system due to BIOS mis-configuration
— it is suggested that the system be reconfigured with default values stored
in the ROM BIOS. To load the default values stored in the ROM BIOS, please
follow the steps below.
- Power-off the system and unplug the power cord.
- Press SW4 for a few seconds.
- Plug the power cord back in and and power on the system.
I/O Ports
Graphics Display
HDMI
The HDMI port which carries both digital audio and video signals is used to
connect a LCD monitor or digital TV that has the HDMI port.
DisplayPort ++
The DisplayPort (DP) is a digital display interface used to connect a display
device such as a computer monitor. It is used to transmit audio and video
simultaneously. The interface, which is developed by VESA, delivers higher
performance features than any other digital interface. DP++ is supported by
the system board for converting to DVI and HDMI signals.
VGA
The VGA port is used for connecting a VGA monitor. Connect the monitor’s
15-pin D-shell cable connector to the VGA port. After you plug the monitor’s
cable connector into the VGA port, gently tighten the cable screws to hold the
connector in place.
Important: Please be cautious when inserting an HDMI cable into the HDMI/DP port. The HDMI male connector shall align to the left of the port as illustrated here. The insertion is fairly effortless and please reframe from forcing the insertion to prevent damage.
USB Ports
USB allows data exchange between your computer and a wide range of simultaneously accessible external Plug and Play peripherals. The system board is equipped with multiple USB Type A ports at the front panel — two USB 3.0 or four USB 3.0 ports — along with two internal USB 2.0 pin-header ports.
Wake-On-USB Keyboard/Mouse
The Wake-On-USB Keyboard/Mouse function allows you to use a USB keyboard or
USB mouse to wake up a system from the S3 (STR – Suspend To RAM) state.
BIOS Setting
Configure USB devices in the Advanced menu (“USB Configuration” submenu) of
the BIOS. Refer to Chapter 3 for more information.
Important: The USB 2.0 header can be optional removed in stock settings to transmit USB 7 signals through mSATA.
RJ45 LAN Ports
The LAN port allows the system board to connect to a local area network by means of a network hub.
BIOS Setting
Configure the onboard LAN ports in the Advanced menu (“ACPI Configuration”
submenu) of the BIOS. Refer to the chapter 3 for more information.
Driver Installation
Install the LAN drivers. Refer to the chapter 4 for more information.
Features
- 2 or 4 x Intel® I210IT PCIe (10/100/1000Mbps)
COM (Serial) / DIO Port (DB9)
The serial ports are asynchronous communication ports with 16C550A-compatible
UARTs that can be used with modems, serial printers, remote display terminals,
and other serial devices.
Jumper Setting
Configure the signal of COM3 / DIO port via jumper settings of JP8 and JP9.
BIOS Setting
Configure the COM ports including its communication mode in the Advanced menu
(“Super IO Configuration” submenu) of the BIOS. Refer to Chapter 3 for more
information.
9~36V DC-In
The 9~36V DC-In coaxial supports wide-range voltage power connection.
Important: Insufficient power supplied to the system may result in instability or malfunction of the add-in boards and peripherals. Calculating the system’s approximate power usage is important to ensure that the power supply meets the system’s consumption requirements.
SATA (Serial ATA) Connectors
Battery
The external lithium ion battery supplies power to the real-time clock and CMOS memory as an auxiliary source of power when the main power is shut off.
Safety Measures
- There exists explosion hazard if the battery is incorrectly installed.
- Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer.
- Dispose of used batteries according to local ordinances.
Chassis Intrusion
The board
supports the chassis intrusion detection function. Connect the chassis
intrusion sensor cable from the chassis to this connector. When the system’s
power is on and a chassis intrusion occurred, an alarm will sound. When the
system’s power is off and a chassis intrusion occurred, the alarm will sound
only when the system restarts.
Expansion Slots
Mini PCIe
The Mini PCIe sockets allow for Mini PCIe modules that support multiple
expansion modules.
Mini PCIe 1 supports full-size Mini PCIe modules for mSATA with SATA or USB
2.0 signals varies on the stock hardware settings.
Mini PCIe 2 supports full-size Mini PCIe modules for USB2.0, reset signals or
nano-SIM. PCIe signals is also available in the config with 4 LANs installed.
Nano SIM
The Nano SIM socket allows the system to access a subscribed telecom service.
M.2 Socket
The M.2 socket is the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) which is designed to
support multiple modules and make the M.2 more suitable in application for
solid-state storage. The board preserves space and a standoff for the M.2 E
key socket (22mm x 30mm).
Installing the Mini PCIe Module
Before installing the Mini PCIe module into the Mini PCIe socket, please make sure that the following safety cautions are well-attended.
- Make sure the PC and all other peripheral devices connected to it has been powered down.
- Disconnect all power cords and cables.
- Locate the Mini PCIe socket on the system board
- Make sure the notch on card is aligned to the key on the socket.
Please follow the steps below to install the card into the socket.
Installing SIM Card
Chapter 3 – BIOS Settings
Overview
The BIOS is a program that takes care of the basic level of communication between the CPU and peripherals. It contains codes for various advanced features found in this system board. The BIOS allows you to configure the system and save the configuration in a battery-backed CMOS so that the data retains even when the power is off. In general, the information stored in the CMOS RAM of the EEPROM will stay unchanged unless a configuration change has been made such as a hard drive replaced or a device added. It is possible that the CMOS battery will fail causing CMOS data loss. If this happens, you need to install a new CMOS battery and reconfigure the BIOS settings.
Note: The BIOS is constantly updated to improve the performance of the system board; therefore the BIOS screens in this chapter may not appear the same as the actual one. These screens are for reference purpose only.
Default Configuration
Most of the configuration settings are either predefined according to the Load
Optimal Defaults settings which are stored in the BIOS or are automatically
detected and configured without requiring any actions. There are a few
settings that you may need to change depending on your system configuration.
Entering the BIOS Setup Utility
The BIOS Setup Utility can only be operated from the keyboard and all commands
are keyboard commands. The commands are available at the right side of each
setup screen. The BIOS Setup Utility does not require an operating system to
run. After you power up the system, the BIOS message appears on the screen and
the memory count begins. After the memory test, the message “Press DEL to run
setup” will appear on the screen. If the message disappears before you
respond, restart the system or press the “Reset” button. You may also restart
the system by pressing the keys simultaneously.
Legends
Scroll Bar
When a scroll bar appears to the right of the setup screen, it indicates that
there are more available fields not shown on the screen. Use the up and down
arrow keys to scroll through all the available fields.
Submenu
When “X” appears on the left of a particular field, it indicates that a
submenu which contains additional options are available for that field. To
display the submenu, move the highlight to that field and press
Main
The Main menu is the first screen that you will see when you enter the BIOS Setup Utility.
System Time
The time format is
System Date
The date format is
Advanced
The Advanced menu allows you to configure your system for basic operation. Some entries are defaults required by the system board, while others, if enabled, will improve the performance of your system or let you set some features according to your preference.
ACPI Configuration
After G3
This field is to specify what state the system should be in when power is re-
applied after a power failure.
Always On The system automatically powers on after power failure.
Always Off The system enter soft-off state after power failure. Power-on
signal input is required to power up the system.
EIST
This field is used to enable or disable the Intel Speed Step® Technology,
which helps optimize the balance between system’s power consumption and
performance. After it is enabled in the BIOS, EIST features can then be
enabled via the operating system’s power management.
Turbo Mode
Enable or disable turbo mode of the processor. This field will only be
displayed when EIST is enabled.
C-States
Enable or disable CPU Power Management. It allows CPU to enter “C states” when
it’s idle and nothing is executing.
Thermal Limit Manual Mode
Enable this field and manually set a temperature to which the CPU TDP adheres
— increments from 80°C to 110°C.
Note: Some of the fields may not be available when the features are not supported by the equipped CPU.
Audio Configuration
Audio Controller
Control the detection of the HD Audio device.
Disable HDA will be unconditionally disabled.
Enable HDA will be unconditionally enabled.
SATA Configuration
SATA Controller(s)
This field is used to enable or disable the Serial ATA controller.
SATA Speed
This field is used to select SATA speed generation limit: Gen1, Gen2 or Gen3.
SATA Port 0
Information about the mSATA (Mini PCIe 1) device.
SATA Port 1
Information about the SATA SSD Drive device.
Port 0/1 and Hot Plug
Enable or disable the Serial ATA port and its hot plug function.
PCI Express Configuration
PCI Express Root Port 6 (PCIE M.2)
Enable or disable the PCI Express Root Port (M.2 E Key).
PCIe Speed
Select PCIe Speed of the current port — AUTO, Gen1, or Gen 2.
Hot Plug
Enable or disable hot plug function of the port.
Console Redirection
Console Redirection
By enabling Console Redirection of a COM port, the sub-menu of console
redirection settings will become available for configuration as detailed in
the following.
Console Redirection Settings
Configure the serial settings of the current COM port.
Terminal Type
Select terminal type: VT100, VT100+, VT-UTF8 or ANSI.
Bits per second
Select serial port transmission speed: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 or 115200.
Data Bits
Select data bits: 7 bits or 8 bits.
Parity
Select parity bits: None, Even, Odd, Mark or Space.
Stop Bits
Select stop bits: 1 bit or 2 bits.
SIO NUVOTON6116D
WatchDog Timer Unit
Select WatchDog Timer Unit — Second or Minute.
SuperIO WatchDog Timer
Set SuperIO WatchDog Timer Timeout value. The range is from 0 (disabled) to
255.
Case Open
Enable or disable the case open detection function.
Note: The sub-menus are detailed in following sections.
Serial Port 1/2/3/4 Configuration
Serial Port
Enable or disable the current serial COM port.
COM1/2/3/4 Mode
Select the serial mode for the COM ports — RS232, RS422, or RS485.
NCT6116D HW Monitor
This section displays the system’s health information, i.e. voltage readings, CPU and system temperature readings.
LAN Configuration
Wake On LAN
Enable or disable the function to wake the system via LAN.
► LAN1/2
Enable or disable a LAN port.
Network Stack
Enable or disable UEFI network stack. The following fields will appear when
this field is enabled.
Ipv4 PXE Support
Enable or disable IPv4 PXE boot support.
Ipv6 PXE Support
Enable or disable IPv6 PXE boot support.
Note:
The number of LAN ports can be 2 or 4 according to your system SKU.
Security
Set Supervisor Password
Set the supervisor password. To clear the password, input nothing and press
enter when a new password is asked.
Boot
OS Selection
Select the target OS the system is to boot into — Windows 10, Windows 7,
Linux.
Setup Prompt Timeout
Set the number of seconds to wait for the setup activation key — 1 to 65535,
65535 (0xFFFF) meaning indefinite waiting.
NumLock
Select the keyboard NumLock state — On or Off.
Quiet Boot
This section is used to enable or disable quiet boot option.
Boot Option Priorities
Rearrange the system boot order of available boot devices.
Driver Option Priorities
Select the driver boot order.
Save & Exit
Exit Saving Changes
To save the changes, select this field and then press . A dialog box will
appear. Select Yes to reset the system after saving all changes made.
Load Optimal Defaults
To restore and load the optimized default values, select this field and then
press . A dialog box will appear. Select Yes to restore the default values of
all the setup options.
Discard Changes
To discard the changes, select this field and then press . A dialog box will
appear. Select Yes to reset the system setup without saving any changes.
Boot Override
Move the cursor to an available boot device and press Enter, and then the
system will immediately boot from the selected boot device. The Boot Override
function will only be effective for the current boot. The “Boot Option
Priorities” configured in the Boot menu will not be changed.
Updating the BIOS
To update the BIOS, you will need the new BIOS file and a flash utility. Please contact technical support or your sales representative for the files and specific instructions about how to update BIOS with the flash utility. For updating AMI BIOS in UEFI mode, you may refer to the how-to video at https://www.dfi.com/Knowledge/Video/5.
Notice: BIOS SPI ROM
- The Intel® Management Engine has already been integrated into this system board. Due to the safety concerns, the BIOS (SPI ROM) chip cannot be removed from this system board and used on another system board of the same model.
- The BIOS (SPI ROM) on this system board must be the original equipment from the factory and cannot be used to replace one which has been utilized on other system boards.
- If you do not follow the methods above, the Intel® Management Engine will not be updated and will cease to be effective.
Note:
a. You can take advantage of flash tools to update the default configuration
of the BIOS (SPI ROM) to the latest version anytime. b. When the BIOS IC needs
to be replaced, you have to populate it properly onto the system board after
the EEPROM programmer has been burned and follow the technical person’s
instructions to confirm that the MAC address should be burned or not.