Re: Best pci NICs by lowest cpu usage/ highest bandwidth
Posted on 2021-04-21, 07:10
I'm surprised you are not able to achieve the full bandwidth of a fast ethernet connection on a Pentium 133. What is your testing routine?
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 19:54
This a great progress. Was there any corrosion damage around the cache sockets or the cache chips themselves? No, no corrosion at that end of the board at all - it was limited to just a small area immediately surrounding the battery and keyboard socket. There were scratched traces on the underside …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 19:43
A little more work and we have two new error codes, but some progress on the cache front: img20210420203041.jpg img20210420203028.jpg According to the MR BIOS codes, they are, unsurprisingly: - 15h: Keyboard controller failure - I've tested a 'JetKey' which I had spare, but it's no good either, so …
Re: Identifying bad caps on motherboards
Posted on 2021-04-20, 13:30
I'm no professional, but having the right tools makes the job a hell of a lot easier. A temperature controlled iron with a couple of types of tips (a fine tip will mostly be what you use, but it's worth having a choice) for fitting components, but I wouldn't even bother trying to use an iron to …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 13:18
I re-touched the each of the pins on the new BIOS socket as well as the two jumper wires I soldered at the cache sockets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0iVc30RQg0 POST error codes galore! :-D . . . . . . . pushing my luck, I popped in a VGA card, and..... . . . . . . . img20210420140703.jpg …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 12:31
I admire your perseverence! Do you mind me asking where you got the keyboard socket? The one on my motherboard is leaning at a worrying angle and I'd like to have a spare in case it ever gives up the ghost. Sure - it was a pack (of 10?), pretty cheap, from one of those Chinese drop shipping sellers …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 12:27
My understanding at this point is that the processor is running, and has started to execute the self-test routine from ROM, writing the results to IO port 80h. So I'm pleased to see that at least the board is now resurrected enough to do that. I did desolder the original OTP BIOS chip and cleaned …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 12:02
Now, this is interesting..... img_1948.jpg That's error code 03-- (according to the MR BIOS code list, that's a BIOS checksum error.. but at least it's evidence of something working). This is with a MR BIOS 1.30 linked to from above - underneath it all the M321 uses a rebadged Opti 82C391 chipset, …
Re: PC-Chips M321 repair work
Posted on 2021-04-20, 11:47
No change with a newly programmed W27C512 eeprom and a PC-CHIPS M321 BIOS image (v. 060692) from UH19: Filename img_1947.jpg File size 164.14 KiB Views 658 views Edit: Same result with the v. 070791 BIOS image.
Re: 486DLC cache coherency blues and headaches
Posted on 2021-04-20, 10:56
Board is here: http://www.win3x.org/uh19/motherboard/show/5409 ... but there's not much on it other than cache and memory settings.
Re: n00b connectivity question
Posted on 2021-04-20, 09:30
Excellent! Yeah, some of the SC modules can be connected via serial or USB (depending on the age of the unit) rather than MIDI; but you can't (normally) use both connections at the same time.
Re: Best way to renove battery green corrosion?
Posted on 2021-04-20, 08:45
If the motherboard is so bad, then you really will have to desolder parts to clean it properly - if you leave any corrosion hidden under an IC or a PCI or ISA slot, then chances are it will still continue eating the board. Minor surface corrosion can be cleaned with vinegar and a toothbrush and …
Re: Why is Amiga so popular with retro community ?
Posted on 2021-04-20, 07:24
The overwhelming sales of the Amiga came from the 500 and, later, the 1200.
Re: Sun-3/260 - SCSI issue
Posted on 2021-04-20, 07:21
I agree - I think your best chance is to try a 50pin SCSI1 or 2 drive. I've not used anything before a SPARC Station IPC, but the early models did appear to be picky about the drive type. At the very least try to ensure you have an 8bit narrow SCSI drive, rather than a wide 16bit converted down to …
Re: Why is Amiga so popular with retro community ?
Posted on 2021-04-20, 07:15
I've bought a Mediator 1200 years ago and could never get it working reliably; there just seemed to be too many variations of the MM CD drivers and patches and bodges to get any cards working reliably. I tri d Voodoo cards, Realtek network, a SB PCI and even a Virge... Only the Virge worked - …
Re: Bought these (retro) hardware today
Posted on 2021-04-19, 22:18
Just bought a FIC 386SC motherboard, Symphony Haydn II chipset with 256k cache a few Simms and a 386DX 33 fitted. They use a Dallas RTC, unusual for a 386, but means it has no battery damage. Not sure if the CPU is socketed or soldered on (it's a ceramic PGA), as the images weren't great, so I may …
Re: n00b connectivity question
Posted on 2021-04-19, 18:59
Whether you get audio or not is not an issue - that's just analogue cabling; what you need to make sure if that your modules are getting MIDI messages; my guess is that they are not, at present. Swap the Roland connection, I'm almost 100% convinced you've got it the wrong way around. You need to …
Re: n00b connectivity question
Posted on 2021-04-19, 18:56
No familiar with the Mind Burner part; I've got a combination of Kenton and MIDI Solutions merge and thru boxes, but I would think it should be: PC -> Roland USB (OUT) -> (IN) Mind Burner to Mind Burner (OUT x4) -> Your 4 modules (IN) ports i.e. use the Roland (OUT) port, the (IN) port on the Roland …
Re: Need help with 486 board not POSTing
Posted on 2021-04-19, 18:48
I don't know the specs of the part on your board - such as what the tolerances are, but it can be quite common for the output voltage to be higher than expected when you have no load connected. That said, we're talking about 486 technology here - I would expect +3.6v to be within the tolerances …
Re: Commodore Amiga Accelerator - PiStorm - How weird can it be ?
Posted on 2021-04-19, 15:49
It's the same as the Pi accelerator for the BBC Tube interface, or the one you can add to the ZX Spectrum Next, or any of the dozens of other 8/16bit microcomputers to which it has been added. I don't see the problem - it's a neat solution for when you want to use the bulk of the original hardware, …
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