Introduction:

Welcome to ALi`s(Acer Labs Inc.) IDE Driver Setup/Cache Controller Setup program. ALi developed this program to facilitate end users` both setting up IDE driver configuration and optimizing IDE hard disk access performance according to users` requirements. Two core parts are listed below:

IDE Driver Setup: Setup IDE driver relative parameters.

IDE Cache Control Center : Setup customized cache parameters.


IDE Driver Setup:

The following figure shows current existing devices attached to IDE bus.  You can see and set device transfer mode.  Auto mode is suggested.  Enable Fast Boot checkbox and IDE Cache Control Center button only valid for IDE driver V3.53 or later version installed.  If Fast Boot option is enabled, IDE driver will reduce boot up device checking time.  Thus speed up boot procedure.  Disable this option if device appears to be inaccessible or not found.  Press IDE Cache Control Center button to enter IDE Cache Control Center to setup up relative cache parameters.


IDE Cache Control Center:

IDE Cache Control Center can be applied to ALi Bus Master IDE Driver and Microsoft default IDE Driver. According to the type of IDE Driver you installed, one of the following figures will show current existing device type attached to IDE bus and current DMA status. When device type belongs to DiskDrive.  You can push drive letter button under Drive Parameter Setting to setup relative drive cache parameters.

(Installed ALi Bus Master IDE Driver)

OR

(Installed Microsoft default IDE Driver)

Setup dialog is shown below. You can enable or disable disk read-ahead.  When read-ahead is enabled, the cache controller module inside IDE Driver will according to current read-ahead buffer size and cache frequency access your hard disk to speed up access performance.

It depends on the need of users to setup cache parameter.  The disk access frequency for big files or large continuous disk sectors is directly proportional to setting read-ahead buffer.  In contrast, if small files or big files with discontinuous disk sectors were accessed often.  You can set read-ahead buffer to be less to reduce useless data being read to cache memory.

Besides, IDE Cache Control Center will automatically determine when to read-ahead data to cache memory according to current disk read status.  If cache memory hit ratio is high, read-ahead data action will be increased.  Otherwise, read-ahead will be decreased to achieve better disk usage performance.  Adjustment for cache frequency is used to set the weight for read-ahead.  The more cache frequency is, read data to cache frequency will tend to be more as well.


Your device model name.


No device attached.


Current transfer mode about this device.


Following options may or may not be available.

It depends on your drive and chipset capability.

  Auto (default): Driver default.

  PIO/FIFO off: PIO mode with FIFO off

  PIO/FIFO on: PIO mode with FIFO on, faster than FIFO off.

  DMA: DMA mode.

  Ultra33: Ultra DMA 33 mode.

  Ultra66: Ultra DMA 66 mode.


If Fast Boot option is enabled, IDE driver will reduce boot up device checking time. Thus speed up boot procedure. Disable this option if device appeared to be inaccessible or not found.


Setup up your cache parameter.


DMA/UDMA mode enabled for this device.


Setup C drive cache parameters.


Setup D drive cache parameters.


Setup E drive cache parameters.


F drive is not disk drive, parameter can not be set.


Enable/Disable all disk drive cache status.


DMA mode enabled for this device.