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PCI Cards and Serial Port Adapters

Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX260 Systems User's Guide

CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the steps in "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."
CAUTION: To guard against electrical shock, always unplug your computer from the electrical outlet before opening the cover.

Your Dell™ computer provides slots for up to four 32-bit, 33-MHz PCI cards, or three PCI cards and a serial port adapter.

PCI Cards

PCI Card

NOTE: To meet PC99 requirements, your Dell computer uses only PCI slots. ISA cards are not supported.

If you are installing or replacing a card, follow the procedures in the next section. If you are removing but not replacing a card, see "Removing a Card."

Installing a PCI Card

CAUTION: Before you perform this procedure, see "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."
  1. If you are replacing a card, remove the current driver for the card from the operating system.

  2. Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer, and then unplug it from the network wall jack.
  1. Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their electrical outlets.

  2. Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then press the power button to ground the system board.

  3. Open the computer cover.

  4. Press the lever on the card retention arm and raise the retention arm.

Raising the Retention Arm and Installing a Card

1

card

2

edge connector

3

card connector

4

retention arm

5

lever

6

filler bracket

  1. If you are installing a new card, remove the filler bracket to create a card-slot opening, then continue with step 9.

  2. If you are replacing a card that is already installed in the computer, remove the card.

If necessary, disconnect any cables connected to the card. Grasp the card by its top corners, and ease it out of its connector.

  1. Prepare the card for installation.

See the documentation that came with the card for information on configuring the card, making internal connections, or otherwise customizing it for your computer.

CAUTION: Some network adapters automatically start the computer when they are connected to a network. To guard against electrical shock, be sure to unplug your computer from its electrical outlet before installing any cards. Verify that the standby power light on the system board is off. To locate this light, see "System Board Components."
  1. Place the card in the connector and press down firmly. Ensure that the card is fully seated in the slot.

If the card is full-length, insert the end of the card into the card guide bracket as you lower the card toward its connector on the system board. Insert the card firmly into the card connector on the system board.

Card Connection

1

bracket within slot

2

bracket caught outside of slot

3

fully seated card

4

not fully seated card

  1. Before you lower the retention arm, ensure that:

Press the arm into place, securing the card(s) in the computer.

Closing the Retention Arm

1

filler bracket

2

alignment bar

3

alignment guide

4

retention arm

NOTICE: Do not route card cables over or behind the cards. Cables routed over the cards can prevent the computer cover from closing properly or cause damage to the equipment.
  1. Connect any cables that should be attached to the card.

See the documentation for the card for information about the card's cable connections.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network wall jack, and then plug it into the computer.
  1. Close the computer cover, reconnect the computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.

After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:

ALERT! Cover was previously removed.

  1. Reset the chassis intrusion detector by changing Chassis Intrusion to Enabled or Enabled-Silent.

NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
  1. If you installed a sound card:

    1. Enter system setup, select Integrated Devices, and change the setting for Sound to Off.

    1. Connect external audio devices to the sound card's connectors. Do not connect external audio devices to the microphone, speaker/headphone, or line-in connectors on the back I/O panel (see "Back Panel").

  2. If you installed an add-in network adapter:

    1. Enter system setup, select Integrated Devices, and change the setting for Network Interface Card to Off.

    1. Connect the network cable to the add-in network adapter's connectors. Do not connect the network cable to the integrated connector on the back I/O panel (see "Back Panel").

  3. Install any drivers required for the card as described in the card documentation.

Removing a PCI Card

CAUTION: Before you perform this procedure, see "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."
  1. Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer, and then unplug it from the network wall jack.
  1. Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their electrical outlets.

  2. Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then press the power button to ground the system board.

  3. Press the lever on the card retention arm and raise the retention arm (see "Installing a PCI Card").

  4. If necessary, disconnect any cables connected to the card.

  5. Grasp the card by its top corners, and ease it out of its connector.

  6. If you are removing the card permanently, install a filler bracket in the empty card-slot opening.

If you need a filler bracket, contact Dell.

NOTE: Installing filler brackets over empty card-slot openings is necessary to maintain FCC certification of the computer. The brackets also keep dust and dirt out of your computer.
  1. Lower the retention arm and press it into place, securing the card(s) in the computer.

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network wall jack, and then plug it into the computer.
  1. Close the computer cover, reconnect the computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.

After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:

ALERT! Cover was previously removed.

  1. Reset the chassis intrusion detector by changing Chassis Intrusion to Enabled or Enabled-Silent.

NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.
  1. Remove the card's driver from the operating system.

Serial Port Adapters

Installing a Serial Port Adapter

CAUTION: Before you perform this procedure, see "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."
  1. Perform an orderly computer shutdown using the operating system menu.

NOTICE: To disconnect a network cable, first unplug the cable from your computer, and then unplug it from the network wall jack.
  1. Turn off any attached devices and disconnect them from their electrical outlets.

  2. Disconnect the computer power cable from the wall outlet, and then press the power button to ground the system board.

  3. Open the computer cover.

  4. Raise the retention arm.

  5. Remove the filler bracket.

  6. Slide the adapter bracket down over the card-slot opening, and lower the retention arm, ensuring that:

Press the arm into place, securing the adapter in the computer.

Raising the Retention Arm and Installing a Serial Port Adapter

1

serial port system board connector (SER2)

2

adapter bracket

3

serial adapter cable

4

retention arm

  1. Attach the serial adapter cable to the serial port connector on the system board (labeled SER2).

NOTICE: To connect a network cable, first plug the cable into the network wall jack, and then plug it into the computer.
  1. Close the computer cover, reconnect the computer and devices to their electrical outlets, and turn them on.

After you open and close the cover, the chassis intrusion detector, if enabled, causes the following message to appear on the screen at the next computer start-up:

ALERT! Cover was previously removed.

  1. Reset the chassis intrusion detector by changing Chassis Intrusion to Enabled or Enabled-Silent.

NOTE: If a setup password has been assigned by someone else, contact your network administrator for information on resetting the chassis intrusion detector.

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