I've got a similar card, and noticed one little problem: its BIOS steals a few KB of RAM at the top of conventional memory, leaving less than 640 KB.
Does your card also behave this way?
I'm wondering what to do: just live with it, or experiment with some other BIOS - perhaps XUB?

Grzyb wrote:

I've got a similar card, and noticed one little problem: its BIOS steals a few KB of RAM at the top of conventional memory, leaving less than 640 KB.
Does your card also behave this way?
I'm wondering what to do: just live with it, or experiment with some other BIOS - perhaps XUB?

That's strange. I'm using the card as a secondary IDE controller as my machine only have one, and I disabled the BIOS. But for the tests I have done after having installed it (BIOS enabled), for what I remember I haven't noticed any change on the memory. When enabled the BIOS use the configured address (jumper on the card) and thus use the upper memory reserved for that, and also hook the computer BIOS to manage the IDE ports. So it should not impact the base memory in any way. Maybe a DOS program use more space in base memory even loaded in high memory (cf caching like SmartDrive, ...). You can test by disabling the card BIOS if your card allow it and see what the MEM command gives. If there is a change maybe indeed using a universal BIOS could help but I recommend to search what is causing that before.

Any help?

http://ns4.reboot.net.au/hardware/Promise-EIDEmax/

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote:

Any help?

http://ns4.reboot.net.au/hardware/Promise-EIDEmax/

Thanks. That nice of you, but I found this site and there is no user manual on it, just a PDF with the jumper configuration and a mix of files between EIDEMAX I & II.
Promise had a user manual in its FPT server, but the FTP is gone nowadays and even archive.org does not have saved it.
Here is the original link ftp://ftp.promise.com/Techdocs/EideMax.pdf.
A user here named ReeseRiverson write on a thread he had the manual, maybe he still have it, but I don't know how to contact him.

Datadrainer wrote:

I'm using the card as a secondary IDE controller as my machine only have one, and I disabled the BIOS.

Then how are you accessing the drive(s) connected to it?
Some driver for DOS? Or Windows?

Anyway, I've found the manual for my card, but that's probably not what you're looking for - my card is Exsys EX-3002, but it has Promise BIOS, and looks like this - https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/hard-disk-floppy … -drives-62.html

I should have NOS Eidemax somewhere... I'll check later...

Grzyb wrote:

Then how are you accessing the drive(s) connected to it? Some driver for DOS? Or Windows? […]
Show full quote

Datadrainer wrote:

I'm using the card as a secondary IDE controller as my machine only have one, and I disabled the BIOS.

Then how are you accessing the drive(s) connected to it?
Some driver for DOS? Or Windows?

Anyway, I've found the manual for my card, but that's probably not what you're looking for - my card is Exsys EX-3002, but it has Promise BIOS, and looks like this - https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/hard-disk-floppy … -drives-62.html

Your card is an exact EIDEMAX clone, maybe licensed by Promise as the BIOS sticker seems genuine. That is funny.

When the BIOS is disabled the card works like any IDE controller without BIOS (commonly found as standalone or on Multi-IO ISA 8/16-bit cards). But I don't think it is bootable this way. Even if IRQ 14 is selected and the motherboard primary port is disabled. Maybe some BIOS can work with it, I don't know. Maybe the manual can tell it.

Speaking of the manual, thank you very much for your contribution. I cannot tell you if it is the manual I'm looking or not as I have never seen the original one. That is why I'm looking for it. Anyway, original or not it is still something as it give some information.

kixs wrote:

I should have NOS Eidemax somewhere... I'll check later...

Thank you.

Is it the same as this one?
http://naucee.com/ARG/Photos/Other/EIDE%20MAX%20II.pdf

Guessing not, but figured I might as well post a link.

I also put in a support ticket with Promise asking if they still have the PDF somewhere.

kixs wrote:

I should have NOS Eidemax somewhere... I'll check later...

These are the contents. I've bought this a few years ago, but never checked the contents so far 🤣

Attached is also a quickly done photo to PDF. I don't have access to a scanner at this time... so I can't do proper scans. It might take 2-3 weeks to get to it. I hope this is OK for now.

cyclone3d wrote:

Is it the same as this one? http://naucee.com/ARG/Photos/Other/EIDE%20MAX%20II.pdf […]
Show full quote

Is it the same as this one?
http://naucee.com/ARG/Photos/Other/EIDE%20MAX%20II.pdf

Guessing not, but figured I might as well post a link.

I also put in a support ticket with Promise asking if they still have the PDF somewhere.

This is for another later model EIDEMAX II which have little in common with the first one, there is a thread about it here Promise EIDE MAX II - don't make the same mistake as me

But having a user manual for it is a good thing. Thanks.

kixs wrote:

These are the contents. I've bought this a few years ago, but never checked the contents so far :lol: […]
Show full quote

kixs wrote:

I should have NOS Eidemax somewhere... I'll check later...

These are the contents. I've bought this a few years ago, but never checked the contents so far 🤣

Attached is also a quickly done photo to PDF. I don't have access to a scanner at this time... so I can't do proper scans. It might take 2-3 weeks to get to it. I hope this is OK for now.

Thank you very much kixs for the manual and for the packaging photos! That's awesome. Very appreciated too.
Take your time for a proper scan, there is no hurry. But when it is done can you please contact SquallStrife at Vogons? As he is in charge of the driver library at http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/ he can add it to the manual list and post here when it is done so I can close the thread. I think he can be contacted from the General Old Hardware/VOGONS Driver Library topic. Thank you in advance.

It would be nice to upload the content of that diskette as well.
It seems that my clone card came without any software, so I feel like experimenting with the stuff from Promise.
Thank you in advance!

Grzyb wrote:

It would be nice to upload the content of that diskette as well.
It seems that my clone card came without any software, so I feel like experimenting with the stuff from Promise.
Thank you in advance!

From the Promise website there was only one driver available. It is for Windows 3.1/3.11. I don't think there is much on the floppy, but who knows.
Find attached the original downloadable driver.

Zipped EIDEMAX floppy with 1.20 version of the drivers attached.

Contents of the floppy:

Volume in drive A is unlabeled Serial number is 422A:0AF8 Directory of A:\* […]
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Volume in drive A is unlabeled Serial number is 422A:0AF8
Directory of A:\*

10/03/1995 01:00 13.398 LOGO.BMP
7/03/1995 01:04 14.679 MAXCTRL.386
7/03/1995 01:04 5.475 MAXI13.386
10/03/1995 01:00 2.103 PRO.001
11/03/1996 01:01 3.647 README.TXT
10/03/1995 01:00 197.050 SETUP.EXE
236.352 bytes in 6 files and 0 dirs 238.080 bytes allocated
1.219.584 bytes free

Readme.txt contents:

EIDE MAX README.TXT File […]
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EIDE MAX README.TXT File

+=====================+
| Release Information |
+=====================+

Device Driver Diskette...............................(Version 1.2)

On this diskette you will find device drivers for the EIDE MAX
LBA Control Driver.

MAXI13.386 and MAXCTRL.386 (Version 1.04) is the driver for Microsoft
Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11

SMARTCD is the subdirectory containing the SMART-CD CD-ROM Drives
Caching Software

+=======================================================+
| EIDE MAX device driver for Microsoft Windows 3.1 |
| and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 |
+=======================================================+

The files MAXI13.386 and MAXCTRL.386 are the Microsoft Windows 3.1
disk driver for the EIDE MAX LBA controller.

While Microsoft Windows version 3.1 supports 32-bit disk access, the
disk data transfer between host and the IDE adapter is still limited
by the 16-bit ISA bus. If you want to speed up your hard drives under
Windows through the 32-bit access, you need this driver. In addition,
the driver also allows your host to access the disk data through the
faster "read/write multiple" commands.

+=======================================================+
| EIDE MAX Windows Driver Installation Procedure for |
| Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 |
+=======================================================+

There are two methods to install EIDE MAX Windows Driver,
AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL. We suggest to choose AUTOMATIC
installation.

+=========================================+
| AUTOMATIC Installation Procedure |
+=========================================+

Please follow steps below to install the EIDE MAX Windows Driver

1. Under Windows Main Group, click on "FILE" option

2. Select "RUN"

3. Type "A:Setup" then click "OK".

4. Waiting for Promise Windows Driver SETUP utility active

5. In DiagLog Box, select "Install EIDE MAX Windows Driver" and click "OK"

6. Complete installation

+====================================+
| MANUAL Installation Procedure |
+====================================+

It is recommended that the driver files MAXI13.386 and MAXCTRL.386
be copied to the Windows SYSTEM directory.

2. Check if the following lines exit in the [386Enh] section of your
SYSTEM.ini file.

[386Enh]
32BitDiskAccess=ON

If the statements do not exist, add them into the [386Enh] section.
If the statements exist, but 32BitDiskAccess is set to "OFF", change
it to "ON".

3. Delete the "device=*int13" and "device=*wdctrl" device setting.

Delete the command line "device=*int13" and "device=*wdctrl" from
the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file, if it exists.

4. Install the virtual device "MAXI13.386" and "MAXCTRL.386".

Add the following command lines in the [386Enh] section of the
SYSTEM.INI file:

device=[drive:][\path\]MAXI13.386
device=[drive:][\path\]MAXCTRL.386

The [drive:] and [\path\] point to the directory that contains
MAXI13.386 and MAXCTRL.386 files. Note that the setting must
specify the full path of the device drivers MAXI13.386 and
MAXCTRL.386.

+=============================+
| Trademark Acknowledgments |
+=============================+

Windows is registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Thank you for the files kixs.
I just compared this files with the Promise website version I have posted, which is labeled version 1.0. The driver files (.386) are the same, the only difference is the addition of a setup program which automate the installation process.
So technically they both are the same version of the driver.
Apart from that it is nice to see a floppy disc still working after so many year 😎

You're welcome 😉

Have you tried the card under Windows 95? Does it already have the drivers?

kixs wrote:

Have you tried the card under Windows 95? Does it already have the drivers?

Unfortunately not. I don't know if it works under Windows 9x. I'm using this card in a PC built with Windows 3.11 for Workgroups in mind. A DOM is attached to it to store installed software.
That is something to test. It is reasonable to think the 32-bit Windows natively includes a generic driver for Promise ISA cards as they were widely available and there is no driver released from Promise.
I also have a Promise EIDEPRO. If I can find the time this weekend I'll prepare a media to install Windows 95 and test both of them.

Sorry for this late answer but I was quite busy. And even if what I'll say is not related to the manual of this card it is related on how it works.
I made some tests, one of them being installing Windows 95. But unfortunately all my free HDD or CF were greater than 2 GB and my computer have a 2 GB limit so I had to activate the BIOS of the card to get my disc detected. And about the EIDEMAX with Windows 95, what I can tell is that Windows detects it and detects a drive connected to it, but does not detect the drive connected to the motherboard (my motherboard only have one IDE port). As the BIOS of the card override the code of the motherboard's BIOS, it can be the problem. Windows can have detection routine based what the firmware can do by reading it. Anyway, despite not being detected as a hard disk, the system works normally and the drive have the letter C assigned and is working great (scandisk check, defrag and the big files copied and their checksum checked). I created a partition of 2 GB formatted as FAT16 because the first version of Windows 95 does not support FAT32. Just no configuration is possible from the System properties window.
Here is a screenshot of what Windows displays. And because I had to activate the BIOS to get the disc working, I cannot remove the card to see if it change something. If I can get a CF of 1 or 2 GB I'll will test that without the BIOS activated. The third HDD controller is the one on my SB16.

I also get an "Unsupported device" with address range 0100-0100. I don't know why I get that... Normally 0x0100 is the start of the Primary Register Bank. I don't know if it is related to the EIDEMAX.
Now about MS-DOS, with my original hard disc drive. Grzyb here said he got a part of the lower memory used by the card. From what I remembered there was no such thing but I checked that to be sure as a BIOS can execute code and so, can change memory. I wanted to be sure. And with the card, BIOS activated / with the card, BIOS disabled / without the card there is no difference in the lower memory from what MEM displays. I'm always with 24 KB used with no variation.
MS-DOS 17 KB
HIMEM.SYS 1 KB
EMM386.EXE 3 KB
COMMAND.COM 3 KB
The rest is on upper memory blocks.
In the hope all of this can help someone.

Datadrainer wrote on 2019-05-20, 09:34:

...
So maybe if one of you have it and can scan it to add it to the manuals library of the Vogons forum. That would be nice.
Thank you for your help.

Kinda late, but: I do have this card (NIB) with everything included, and can scan, dump and upload.

--Fred

waltje wrote on 2022-01-19, 04:16:

Datadrainer wrote on 2019-05-20, 09:34:

...
So maybe if one of you have it and can scan it to add it to the manuals library of the Vogons forum. That would be nice.
Thank you for your help.

Kinda late, but: I do have this card (NIB) with everything included, and can scan, dump and upload.

--Fred

Hi @waltje. Thank you very much for this proposal. The photos made by @Grzyb were very useful but not great for preservation even with some photo editing. So I accept gladly as it would be great to have high quality scans.
Maybe the manual could be submitted in the VOGONS Vintage Driver Library after that.
That reminds me I have some interesting docs to scan but I never found the time to do it... Added in the 2022 to-do list!