Installation Guide Hardware Acceleration
1.
System Recommendations A30 ............................................................................ 2
2.
System Recommendations D30WL ...................................................................... 3
3.
System Recommendations Q30WL ...................................................................... 4
4.
System Recommendations A40 ............................................................................ 5
5.
System Recommendations D40 (FX 5800 + C1060) ............................................ 6
6.
System Recommendations D40 (Quadro Plex 2200 D2) ...................................... 7
7.
Installing NVIDIA drivers for Windows ................................................................... 8
8.
Running AxDiagnostics on Windows ................................................................... 13
9.
Enabling Hardware Acceleration ......................................................................... 14
10.
Uninstalling NVIDIA Drivers on Windows ............................................................ 15
11.
Usage Guidelines ................................................................................................ 17
12.
Troubleshooting Tips ........................................................................................... 18
1. System Recommendations A30 The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the Quadro FX 5600 card. Hardware Accelerator Product Model
A30
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit Windows XP Pro – 32 bit RAM Minimum 8 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Intel® Pentium® 4 and above
AMD® Athlon™ FX and above
AMD Opteron™
Motherboard* 1 PCI Express Slot with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems.
2. System Recommendations D30WL The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the Tesla Quadro Plex IV case. Hardware Accelerator Product Model
D30WL
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit
RAM Minimum 16 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Minimum dual processor, dual core Intel Xeon
Minimum dual processor, dual core AMD Opteron
Motherboard* 1 PCI Express Slot with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems.
3. System Recommendations Q30WL The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the two Tesla Quadro Plex IV cases. Hardware Accelerator Product Model
Q30WL
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit
RAM Minimum 32 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Minimum dual processor, dual core Intel Xeon
Minimum dual processor, dual core AMD Opteron
Motherboard* 2 PCI Express Slots with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems.
4. System Recommendations A40 The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the Quadro FX 5800 or Tesla C1060 card. Hardware Accelerator Product Model
A40
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit
RAM Minimum 16 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Minimum dual processor, dual core Intel Xeon
Minimum dual processor, dual core AMD Opteron
Motherboard* 1 PCI Express Slots with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems. Please note: C1060 card does not provide a monitor plug as the FX 5800 does. Therefore when using C1060 card, one needs to install an additional graphics card for the display. See supported graphic cards info available in tab ‘products supported’ at http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp64_181.20.html.
5. System Recommendations D40 (FX 5800 + C1060) The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the combination of Quadro FX 5800 + Tesla C1060 cards. Hardware Accelerator Product Model
D40
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit
RAM Minimum 32 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Minimum dual processor, dual core Intel Xeon
Minimum dual processor, dual core AMD Opteron
Motherboard* 2 PCI Express Slots with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems.
6. System Recommendations D40 (Quadro Plex 2200 D2) The following table describes the system recommendations for the optimal performance of the Tesla Quadro Plex 2200 D2 case. . Hardware Accelerator Product Model
D40
Operating System Windows XP Pro – 64 bit
RAM Minimum 32 GB
Hard Drive Disk Space for graphics Drivers
100 MB
Power Supply Minimum 1 kW
Processor
Minimum dual processor, dual core Intel Xeon
Minimum dual processor, dual core AMD Opteron
Motherboard* 1 PCI Express Slots with x16 form factor and lanes
*To ensure compatibility, please consult with your software vendor to obtain a list of supported motherboards or systems.
7. Installing NVIDIA drivers for Windows 1. If a 30 series hardware accelerator is used: 1.1. Download Windows drivers from http://updates.cst.com/downloads/NVIDIADriver_175_85.zip. 1.2. Unpack the zip archive. 1.3. Move to sub folder Win32 and double click on the Setup.exe or move to Win64 and double click on the Setup.exe to begin. Refer to the workstation System Properties to determine which operating system type you are using. 2. If a 40 series hardware accelerator is used: 2.1. If you are installing an FX 5800 or a C1060 plus one of the graphics cards listed in tab ‘Products supported’ at http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp64_181.20.html, please skip sub sections 2.2 and 2.3, please go on with sub section 2.4. 2.2. If an NVIDIA card is chosen that is not supported by driver 181.20, please download driver for your graphics card from http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx 2.3. Install driver for your display card. Please note: in most cases also your C1060 will be installed as well which is correct. Follow the steps of the installer and acknowledge all questions. For the following steps, do not uninstall previously installed driver. 2.4. Download CUDA 2.1 driver 181.20 for your WindowsXP OS available at http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_181.20.html for 32bit Windows XP http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp64_181.20.html for 64bit Windows XP. 2.5. Start Installer executable. 3. A Windows Installer dialog box will briefly appear.
4. After a quick series of pop-up windows, the NVIDIA® InstallShield Wizard will appear.
5. Press the ‘Next’ button and driver installation will begin. (The screen may turn black momentarily.) 6. You may receive a message indicating that the hardware has not passed Windows logo testing.
7. Select ‘Continue Anyway’.
8. The Wizard Complete window will appear. Select ‘Yes, I want to restart my computer now’ and click the ‘Finish’ button.
9. After the machine has rebooted, right click on your Desktop and select ‘Properties’.
10. Choose the ‘Settings’ tab. You will need to extend the desktop to all available displays. You should have 1, 2 or 4 displays available.
11. Click on the display box 2 if available, set the color quality to 32 bit or the highest available level. In case of D30 or Q30, check the ‘Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor’ checkbox. D40 does not need that checkbox checked.
12. Repeat Step 11 for each available monitor and click ‘OK’. Extending the desktop (for D30WL and Q30WL) and setting the color depth is required for correct operation of the hardware. 13. Click the ‘Advanced’ button and click ‘Yes’ or ‘OK’ to any warnings that appear. 14. Click the ‘Troubleshoot’ tab and ensure the slider for Hardware acceleration is set to Full. Click ‘OK’.
15. Click ‘OK’ in the Display Properties dialog. The Monitor Settings dialog will appear. Click ‘Yes’ to accept the settings.
Important: If a dialog box appears asking if you would like to enable SLI, you must select ‘No’. 16. .It is recommended that you now run AxDiagnostics to confirm that the hardware has been successfully installed.
8. Running AxDiagnostics on Windows AxDiagnostics is included with CST MICROWAVE STUDIO®; this will verify the correct installation of your hardware. Make sure you have installed the latest service pack from CST AG prior to running AxDiagnostics. 1. Install your simulations/modeling software. For more information please see your simulation/modeling software documentation. 2. Run AxDiagnostics. This utility is found in the MacrosÆSolverÆCheck Hardware Acceleration Setup. Note: You can also find AxDiagnostics in the CST directory under Program Files (x86)ÆCST STUDIO SUITE 2008ÆAMD64ÆAxDiagnostics64.exe. 3. A black screen will briefly appear with a progress indicator and then disappear. 4. The system is running internal diagnostics. It may take up to one minute for the next screen to appear. 5. The Hardware Acceleration System Diagnostic Utility will appear. 6. If all status indicators appear green, you have successfully installed the Quadro FX 5600, Tesla Quadro Plex IV cases, Quadro FX 5800 or Tesla C1060. 7. If a red status indicator appears, use the help links to resolve any issues. 8. AxDiagnostics will generate a Diagnostics.html file that will appear in your simulation folder. This file is for your reference only and may be safely deleted.
9. Enabling Hardware Acceleration Hardware acceleration needs to be enabled via the CST MICROWAVE STUDIO interface before running the simulation. To turn on hardware acceleration: 1. Open the Transient Solver under the SolveÆTransient Solver… menu. 2. Click on the Specials… button. 3. Click on the Solver tab. 4. Click on the Hardware acceleration checkbox. The following screen shot shows the location of the Hardware acceleration check box:
10. Uninstalling NVIDIA Drivers on Windows 1.
To uninstall NVIDIA drivers, select ‘NVIDIA Drivers’ from the Add or Remove Programs list.
2. Select the ‘Change/Remove’ button.
3. Select the radio button labeled ‘Remove only the following’. Then select the check box beside ‘NVIDIA Display Driver’.
4. You will be prompted to erase all your saved nView profiles as well, select ‘Yes’.
5. You will be prompted to reboot, select ‘Yes’.
11. Usage Guidelines
Remote Login Windows Remote Desktop is not supported with hardware acceleration due to operating system limitations. Even though Windows Remote Desktop may appear to launch the simulation successfully, hardware acceleration will not function properly. To perform remote login, Ultra VNC is recommended for Windows. For Linux, use ssh. Proper configuration of the xhost is required.
Running Multiple Simulations at the Same Time Hardware acceleration does not support running multiple simulations at the same time.
Video Card Drivers Please do not update your video card drivers for your hardware acceleration devices. The drivers provided have been tested for compatibility with CST AG products.
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) CST AG recommends that your hardware acceleration is powered through an Uninterruptible Power Supply to prevent unwanted interruptions.
Virus Scanners Disabling your virus scanner may improve the performance of hardware acceleration.
Operating Conditions CST AG recommends that hardware acceleration is operated in a well ventilated temperature controlled area. For more information, please contact your hardware vendor.
Latest CST Service Pack Download and install the latest CST Service Pack prior to running a simulation or AxDiagnostics.
12. Troubleshooting Tips The following troubleshooting tips may help if you experience problems.
Ensure that the display cable is securely fastened to the card’s display connector.
Make sure that the monitor and computer are plugged in and receiving power.
If necessary, disable any built-in graphics capabilities on your motherboard. For more information, consult your workstations manual or manufacturer.
Uninstall video drivers for your existing card PRIOR to installing the new Quadro FX 5600 card.
Make sure the latest motherboard BIOS is installed on your machine. Please contact hardware vendor Support for more information about the correct BIOS version for your machine.
Restart your computer.
