Alpha XL PowerGrade Installation Guide

This document is an installation guide for experienced service personnel performing "PowerGrade" upgrades on Alpha XL and Celebris XL systems to higher-performance Alpha XL 366 or 433 systems. It details the step-by-step process for upgrading system hardware and configuring the software.

The upgrade typically involves:

1. Preparation: Checking prerequisite hardware (including specific 36-bit SIMM memory requirements), taking inventory of the upgrade kit, verifying Windows NT Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), loading the correct 300/366/433 Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for Windows NT, backing up the disk (critical for Celebris XL upgrades as the disk will be partitioned and formatted), shutting down Windows NT, recording boot selections, powering off, and removing the side cover.
2. Hardware Installation: Removing the existing CPU module and motherboard, preparing the enclosure, installing the new Alpha XL 366 or 433 motherboard (including checking and setting jumpers), connecting various cables, installing the Media Access Unit (MAU) card (if applicable), installing the pivot bracket, inserting 36-bit Memory SIMMs, replacing PCI/ISA options, and finally installing the new Alpha XL 366- or 433-MHz CPU module. Proper ESD precautions are emphasized throughout the hardware steps.
3. System Configuration & OS Installation: Powering on the system, displaying the system configuration via AlphaBIOS firmware, setting PCI Parity and SCSI Termination, partitioning and formatting the disk (for Celebris XL upgrades), and initiating the Windows NT V3.51 or V4.0 operating system installation. The guide then instructs to configure the system using AlphaBIOS, verifying recorded values, and finally booting the system.

The Alpha XL PowerGrade includes a new CPU module (366- or 433-MHz Digital Semiconductor 21164 with caches), a Digital Semiconductor 21172 chipset, 2 MB backup cache, 512 KB flashROM with AlphaBIOS firmware, and 8 KB NVRAM. The new motherboard also features an embedded Ethernet controller, and a MAU is provided to bring network connectors to the rear bulkhead.