VOGONS


First post, by nextse7en

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Howdy gang.

I've tried just about everything to get this machine running again, and I just can't get there.

The board is unusual. a 486 dx50 (not dx2) sits on a daughterboard with a cache controller and a ton of cache.

Board is marked with a Phoenix Bios copyright, though I don't know the version.

When powering up, I get the following beep code |-|-|||.

ISA diagnostic card displays "02", which, depending on the BIOS version either is a CMOS error or "Verify Real Mode"

Things I've tried.

Disabling onboard IO
Disabling onboard VGA
Replacing Dallas 1287+ with a new one.
Modifying new 1287 with a battery pack.
Replacing 1287+ with a glitch works replacement
Parity RAM
Not Parity RAM
Verifying capacitors
Replacing power supply

No matter what, I get the same beep code. The ONLY way I can get anything else is if I put more that 16mb in one of the memory banks without first setting the jumper for "16/32". This is largely useless info, except to say that the machine is at least capable of detecting how much RAM in in it.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Reply 1 of 21, by weedeewee

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nextse7en wrote on 2021-04-14, 15:57:

When powering up, I get the following beep code |-|-|||.

according to http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/phoenixbeep.htm that would indicate

1-1-3 CMOS read/write error The real time clock/CMOS is faulty. Replace the CMOS if possible

Which probably means the battery in the DS1287+ is dead.

but since you already tried all that...

beats me.

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Reply 3 of 21, by nextse7en

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weedeewee wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:22:

Have you tried modifying the old DS1287+ with a new battery ? (isn't listed in the things you've tried. 😀 )

Is is, though. 😀

Reply 4 of 21, by liqmat

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Can you change the FSB speed on that board? If so, what's it set at? Isn't the DX50 unique in that it runs on a full 50MHz FSB? Just a thought. No idea.

Reply 5 of 21, by nextse7en

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liqmat wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:41:

Can you change the FSB speed on that board? If so, what's it set at? Isn't the DX50 unique in that it runs on a full 50MHz FSB? Just a thought. No idea.

There aren't any options to change bus speed, and yeah, you're right. The bus on DX50's runs at 50 MHz

Reply 6 of 21, by weedeewee

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nextse7en wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:29:
weedeewee wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:22:

Have you tried modifying the old DS1287+ with a new battery ? (isn't listed in the things you've tried. 😀 )

Is is, though. 😀

is not :-p

Replacing Dallas 1287+ with a new one.
Modifying new 1287 with a battery pack.
Replacing 1287+ with a glitch works replacement

maybe someone else already changed it once and it's no longer the original chip on the board? Hard to find other clear images.

edit : you know since this is an EISA board... maybe you need a DS1387

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 7 of 21, by nextse7en

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weedeewee wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:56:
is not :-p […]
Show full quote
nextse7en wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:29:
weedeewee wrote on 2021-04-14, 16:22:

Have you tried modifying the old DS1287+ with a new battery ? (isn't listed in the things you've tried. 😀 )

Is is, though. 😀

is not :-p

Replacing Dallas 1287+ with a new one.
Modifying new 1287 with a battery pack.
Replacing 1287+ with a glitch works replacement

maybe someone else already changed it once and it's no longer the original chip on the board? Hard to find other clear images.

edit : you know since this is an EISA board... maybe you need a DS1387

You're looking at the image, which was taken after I removed the battery pack.

"Modifying new 1287 with new battery pack" Means I put a new battery on a new Dallas chip.

Last edited by Stiletto on 2021-04-19, 04:41. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 8 of 21, by weedeewee

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nextse7en wrote on 2021-04-14, 17:36:

"Modifying new 1287 with new battery pack" Means I put a new battery on a new Dallas chip.

Yes I saw that, and I specifically asked to use the OLD chip that was on the board and put a NEW battery on that one. Not use a NEW dallas chip with a NEW battery.
but then again, as I said in a previous post, I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually a DS1387 that you need.

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 9 of 21, by nextse7en

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It shipped, unfortunately, with a 1287

Reply 10 of 21, by weedeewee

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nextse7en wrote on 2021-04-14, 17:43:

It shipped, unfortunately, with a 1287

And have you seen it working with that 1287 ?

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 11 of 21, by nextse7en

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This feels oddly combative. I'm not sure why.

I have seen images of this board fitted with a 1287+ working on the internet.

I have not seen my board working under any circumstances.

Reply 12 of 21, by weedeewee

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just trying to get a clear picture 😀

Since it's an eisa board it has to store that config somewhere and I don't see a ds1225 so it either has to be in the RTC which won't work with a DS12(8)87 (only 64bytes),
or there has to be another chip on the board that stores that info, either battery backed like a DS1225 or an eeprom specifically for the eisa config, maybe a 24C08 or other type.

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 13 of 21, by pentiumspeed

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This board requires two set of matched 4MB or 8MB or 16MB 9 chip or 12 chip, or parity SIMMs industry standard at 70ns installed in slot 1 and 2 or slot 1 and 3 just in case. This was intended for server. Intel's code name for this is called Xpress.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 14 of 21, by PC Hoarder Patrol

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Board is from a X-series LX desktop / deskside / rack system - the EISA config is stored in NVRAM rather than a DALLAS

http://66.113.161.23/~mR_Slug/deviceInfo/Inte … l/xpressLX.html

http://66.113.161.23/~mR_Slug/deviceInfo/Inte … al/XLX_TRM.html

Last edited by PC Hoarder Patrol on 2021-04-14, 19:11. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 15 of 21, by weedeewee

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PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2021-04-14, 19:03:

Board is from a X-series LX desktop / rack system - the EISA config is stored in NVRAM rather than a DALLAS

http://66.113.161.23/~mR_Slug/deviceInfo/Inte … l/xpressLX.html

What chip (... 8 KB of Flash memory ) might that be on this particular board ?

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 16 of 21, by PC Hoarder Patrol

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Probably one of the two labelled ICs top-right (and close to the NVRAM / RTC reset jumper)

Reply 17 of 21, by nextse7en

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pentiumspeed wrote on 2021-04-14, 18:46:

This board requires two set of matched 4MB or 8MB or 16MB 9 chip or 12 chip, or parity SIMMs industry standard at 70ns installed in slot 1 and 2 or slot 1 and 3 just in case. This was intended for server. Intel's code name for this is called Xpress.

Cheers,

This may well be the issue!

I currently have 16 chip non parity 8mb chips installed in 1 and 3. I don't have any 9 or 12 chip ram.

I do have 18 chip parity 8mb Simms, will that work?

Reply 18 of 21, by pentiumspeed

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18 chips means 9 per side 4MB, 4MB is 8MB simm, sure thing, give it a try, make sure it is FPM also.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 19 of 21, by Horun

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Sorry no helpful info from me. Being a bastard dual cpu on a card mobo and EISA too just leaves a lot of nightmare type memories better forgotten 😀

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun