Fried DIP components are easy enough to replace. We are all eagerly awaiting your results!

If the BIOS is AWARD, those are easy to hack with MODBIN. There is an option to "enable" or "disable" PS/2 mouse support. If the direct pin connection method doesn't work, go for MODBIN.

I have been meaning to try this myself on some AWARD-based 486 boards, but probably won't get to it for a long long time.

Yeah i just need time to do it. I'm gonna try to do it this week still. First things first, if any one of you guys wants to give me the correct pins for clock and PS/2 data in the controller i'll be happy, as i can't figure what are the correct pins by reading the datasheet myself.

OK so let's think staright about this:

PS/2 pinout:

1- Data. (Here this is supposed to be bi-directional, mouse to controller and controller to mouse)
2- Not connected
3- Ground
4- 5V line
5- Clock (I think here is one direction only, so it's mouse to controller only)
6- Not connected

Relevant pins on the HOLTEK controller:

23- Mouse data output pin for PS/2 motherboard. (Direction is Input/Output)
24- Mouse clock output pin for PS/2 motherboard. (Direction is Input/Output)
28- Mouse data input pin for PS/2 motherboard. (Direction is Input/Output)
36- Mouse output buffer full interrupt for PS/2 motherboard (active high) (Direction is Output only)
39- Mouse clock input pin for PS/2 motherboard. (Direction is Input only)

But this is for PS/2 motherboards, for AT the datasheet just talks about general purpose input/ouput pins.

I need serious help.

Datasheet:
http://html.alldatasheet.com/html-pdf/64463/H … /3/HT6542B.html

EDIT: BTW, BIOS is AMI.

I think all i8042's are pin compatible. The easiest, no-brainer approach to this would be to copy what a SiS 486 board does with the PS/2 pins on the keyboard controller. A good board to copy would be the 4DPS.

Refer to the diagram on page 7 of that Holtek spec sheet. It shows you what to connect. You need 2 resistors (10 k-ohm), 2 capacitors (47 pF), and 2 inverters.

For the inverter, you can try using a BJT and a pull-up resistor, like shown here,
http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions- … answer--q960828

Use a pre-packaged device, like this,
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SN74 … 820-5-ND/380085

Or if you have some MOSFETs laying around,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMOS

For an AMI BIOS, if the PS/2 mouse doesn't work with the direct connection approach, you'll need to find an AMI BIOS editor which works on your AMI revision.

Dude that's waaayy over my head. I thought i just needed to connect directly. THere's no way i'm gonna be able to do that. I thought that connecting directly would do the trick but it seems i do not understand electronics enough. I realize i don't need to be a rocket scientist and i can hold myself with a soldering iron but... This is too much. Not too mention the controller is not even a Holtek i was speculating that it could just be a clone.

Sorry i wasted your time.

It is really a lot easier than you think. Which part of the wiring diagram do you not understand? The easiest way to do this is on a breadboard.

Breadboard?

Oh BTW, i'm not a native english speaker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Breadboard_with_4008B.jpg

Yeah... Ok now i know what it is. Anyway i'm happy that i just successfully put a CR2032 on the 386 board using a schottky diode. It seems to be holding CMOS settings just fine. The internal clock is the only the only thing is worrying me though, as it seems to be lagging behind. Don't know why yet.

This thread reminds me of how I got frustrated that my game wasn't saving when I rested at an inn in Crystalis for the NES, and opened the cartridge, ripped off the CR2032 battery, soldered on a coin cell holder from an old motherboard, and put in a new CR2032. I think I also replaced a capacitor or two.

...only to find out that you save by opening a second menu screen with the SELECT button, rather than by going on an inn. Doh!

At least the cartridge should be good to go for another 20+ years...

HunterZ wrote:

This thread reminds me of how I got frustrated that my game wasn't saving when I rested at an inn in Crystalis for the NES, and opened the cartridge, ripped off the CR2032 battery, soldered on a coin cell holder from an old motherboard, and put in a new CR2032. I think I also replaced a capacitor or two.

...only to find out that you save by opening a second menu screen with the SELECT button, rather than by going on an inn. Doh!

At least the cartridge should be good to go for another 20+ years...

You know, coincidentally, that was the first game where I ever decided to replace a battery. And like you, it didn't fix the problem.
I think I made sure I was saving correctly though.. I guess I should make sure again. I had decided it must have a blown diode or something.