ADLINK ETX-BT Module Configuration and PATA to SATA Upgrade Guide

3.1 Maintain PATA and use SATA SSD as secondary storage

By default, the primary IDE channel (PATA) is still connected to the original PATA device, while the secondary channel (SATA) is connected to the SATA SSD. The system can install the OS on PATA, store data on SATA, or vice versa. Each port can be enabled/disabled separately in BIOS.

3.2 Fully switch to SATA (abandon PATA)

If the "SATA+SATA" or "SATA+SSD" configuration is selected when ordering, the PATA signal on X4 will be disabled and both channels will be SATA. At this point, it is necessary to ensure that the corresponding IDE connector on the carrier board is no longer in use, and to connect the SATA signal (via the carrier board adapter) to the standard SATA interface.

3.3 Using onboard SATA SSD

If an onboard SSD (2-64GB) is ordered, it occupies the second SATA port, so only the first SATA or PATA (depending on the configuration) can be used externally. Onboard SSDs are suitable for vibration environments or compact spaces, and their health status can be monitored through SEMA (but SMART is not separately listed in the manual and needs to be read through SATA commands).

3.4 Precautions for Operating System Migration

Windows: If starting from PATA, you need to set SATA Mode to IDE (compatibility mode) in BIOS, otherwise you need to inject AHCI driver. It is recommended to set the mode to AHCI and load the F6 driver before installation.

Linux: The kernel supports AHCI and can smoothly recognize SATA devices; If using PATA, the pata_sch or ata_piix driver needs to be enabled.

Startup sequence: In the BIOS Boot menu, you can adjust the Hard Drive BBS priorities to ensure booting from the target device.

SEMA Intelligent Management: Status Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis

The onboard BMC (μ PD78F0763) realizes power timing, voltage/current monitoring, watchdog, temperature monitoring, and dual BIOS switching. The following key data can be obtained through SEMA API or BIOS menu:

5.1 Voltage Monitoring

Can read Vcore, GFX Vcore, Vmem, V3.3, VIN, etc. (see formula in section 7.1.1). If a certain voltage is abnormal (such as VIN below the threshold), BMC will record the abnormal code and flash the blue LED (LED1).

5.2 Current and Power Consumption

Get Main Current returns the last 4 sampled currents (with an interval of 250ms), which can be used to evaluate whether the actual power consumption exceeds the power budget.

5.3 Temperature and Fan Control

The board temperature and CPU temperature (only when the OS is running) can be read through BIOS or SEMA.

The Smart Fan supports 4 temperature trigger points and automatically adjusts the PWM duty cycle to balance heat dissipation and noise.

5.4 Exception Code

If the blue LED flashes, refer to the code table in section 7.1.4. Common examples include:

6=BIOD_FAIL (Main BIOS is damaged, backup may have been switched)

8=POWER_SAIL (power drop)

10=VCORE (abnormal CPU core voltage)

18=CRITICAL_TEMP (overheating)

5.5 Operation statistics

Record the total running hours, startup frequency, and startup reason (reset type) for predictive maintenance.

Common troubleshooting cases

Case 1: No display after power on, green/blue LED has no response

Check power supply: ETX-BT requires+5V ± 5% (AT or ATX), measure VCC (5V) and GND of X4.

Check BMC status: Blue LED flashing code? If it does not light up continuously, it may be due to BMC not starting or abnormal power timing.

Check if SW1 is accidentally set to SPI1 and if the chip is not burned? Restore default (OFF/ON).

Case 2: PATA device cannot recognize

Confirm that the configuration is set to PATA mode (default Port1 is PATA).

Confirm that the jumper (if any) is set as Master, as Slave is not supported.

Check if SATA Mode in BIOS is IDE (if AHCI, PATA bridge may still work, but some versions require IDE).

Try replacing the 80 core or 40 core IDE cable (CBLID # signal interference).

Case 3: The LVDS backlight does not light up, but there is a faint image

Check the signal levels of BLON # (X3-44) and DIGON (X3-46), which should be high effective.

If the backlight control source is set to BMC, check if the LVDS backlight brightness in BIOS is non-zero (default 255).

Confirm that the inverter power supply (+5V or+12V) is provided by the carrier board, as the ETX module does not directly output backlight power.

Case 4: The system cannot boot from SATA SSD

Is the SATA Port enabled in BIOS and set to bootable.

In the Boot menu, set the target hard drive to first place in Hard Drive BBS Priorities.

If using AHCI, ensure that the OS driver has been injected; Win7 requires pre loading of drivers or using UEFI+GPT.

Case 5: ISA card read-write error

Confirmed that DMA is not supported, therefore only cards using PIO mode are available.

Check for IRQ conflicts: Assign non conflicting IRQs (such as IRQ10/11) to ISA devices in BIOS.

Voltage level: X2 is compatible with 3.3V~5V, but if there is a card, strict 5V is required. Pay attention to the level conversion of the carrier board.

Hardware maintenance and firmware upgrade precautions

Heat dissipation: The upper limit of working temperature is 60 ℃, and the wide temperature version is 85 ℃. It is recommended to use active cooling (fan) or customized cooling fins. The fan is connected to the onboard 4-pin interface (FAN_LPMOUT/TACHIN).