darry wrote on 2020-05-30, 02:22:

If you look at the picture at native resolution --> https://frankfurt.apollo.olxcdn.com/v1/files/ … age;s=1632x1224 , it does indeed look like a PC133 SDRAM DIMM is physically installed . Whether or not the board actually works with is another question . Nowhere in the ad does it say that the board is working or has been tested in any way, with that specific DIMM or any other .

B24Fox wrote on 2020-05-25, 04:25:

...Also, I dug through my SDRAM stash, and started trying out some newer DIMMS (thinking, what the heck..), and one of them worked!!!! It's a 64MB, single sided, 8-chip, 100Mhz DIMM from 2001. So it seems that the chipset/board is just picky about it's RAM..

The manual would still be GREATLY appreciated, if anyone has it..

We already know it works with SDRAM; it's the purpose of the jumper we're after. In all the pics of the board I've seen, with either type of memory installed, that jumper is never anywhere other than on the two pins nearest the board edge.

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote on 2020-05-30, 03:10:

darry wrote on 2020-05-30, 02:22:

If you look at the picture at native resolution --> https://frankfurt.apollo.olxcdn.com/v1/files/ … age;s=1632x1224 , it does indeed look like a PC133 SDRAM DIMM is physically installed . Whether or not the board actually works with is another question . Nowhere in the ad does it say that the board is working or has been tested in any way, with that specific DIMM or any other .

B24Fox wrote on 2020-05-25, 04:25:

...Also, I dug through my SDRAM stash, and started trying out some newer DIMMS (thinking, what the heck..), and one of them worked!!!! It's a 64MB, single sided, 8-chip, 100Mhz DIMM from 2001. So it seems that the chipset/board is just picky about it's RAM..

The manual would still be GREATLY appreciated, if anyone has it..

We already know it works with SDRAM; it's the purpose of the jumper we're after. In all the pics of the board I've seen, with either type of memory installed, that jumper is never anywhere other than on the two pins nearest the board edge.

You are right, I was thinking about a different board in a different thread . My brain erroneously associated the two . Sorry for the noise .

I hate to burst everyone's bubble; but that's actually my board. That's the ad I bought it from 😜
It had a 128MB fsb133 DIMM stuck in there, (that in theory should have been detected as 64MB) but it would not boot with it.
I will try these next few days to do the multimeter thing, and will come back with answers (hopefully) 😀

B24Fox wrote on 2020-05-31, 00:30:

I hate to burst everyone's bubble; but that's actually my board. That's the ad I bought it from 😜
It had a 128MB fsb133 DIMM stuck in there, (that in theory should have been detected as 64MB) but it would not boot with it.
I will try these next few days to do the multimeter thing, and will come back with answers (hopefully) 😀

Thry a 32MB stick with 16 chips on it. The board is old enough for getting confused by high-density chips I think.

B24Fox wrote on 2020-05-29, 11:37:

the3dfxdude wrote on 2020-05-29, 03:09:

I knew I had an Acorp manual here, but just pulled it out, and it's for 5ALI61. Which of course is ALI chipset.

However, it does have a jumper for the DIMM slots. It says that it supports 3.3V SDRAM if JP5 has both jumpers set to 1-2 and 5V EDO/FPM jumpered both to 2-3. Maximum for the DIMM slot is 128MB. Also SIMMs must be min 70ns for fast page or 60ns for EDO.

Is JP5 a double 3-pin jumper?
Because on the 5via3p, the jumper "JD" only has one row of 3 in-line pins.

Yes. Come to think about it, the 5VIA3-P has only one DIMM bank, and the 5ALI61 and two DIMM banks. It's probably one jumper for each bank. But I haven't seen this board in about 20 years, so I can't confirm.

Hope i'm not mistaking, but isn't all SDRAM, specked at 3.3V ? The SDRAM that worked, has "18JL0003" written on a sticker; and "USA" "u8mx8tw-ssdf" written on the chips. Google can't find any useful info or datasheets on these codes, but i have a hard time believing that this no-name ram would support dual-voltage.

No. Not dual voltage. DIMM slots support 3.3V SDRAM or 5V EDO/FPM. The jumper is for compatibility reasons.

I think the only way (besides the manual) that may actually prove with certainty if "JD" controls the RAM voltage, and which positions do what (1-2 or 2-3 or OPEN) , is to look for the standard pinouts of the RAM slots, and test the voltages with a multimeter, with no ram inside.

Yes, true, but you should know what RAM you are wanting to try too. Nothing too new -- PC133 is on the verge of being too new. I remember it was difficult to get to 128MB back in the day, with the incompatible density as you now.

Something strange is going on with archive.org right now.

Normally I can do a search such as this:
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.acorp.com.tw/*

That should bring up every single item ever archived under that page. Right now it returns 0 results.

cyclone3d wrote on 2020-06-01, 02:26:

Something strange is going on with archive.org right now. […]
Show full quote

Something strange is going on with archive.org right now.

Normally I can do a search such as this:
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.acorp.com.tw/*

That should bring up every single item ever archived under that page. Right now it returns 0 results.

Hmm your link gives me an error. I was having issues with them late last night, 0 results on things have searched before.
Ok I have no problem if I search just: http://www.acorp.com.tw/ which yields:
https://web.archive.org/web/2019*/http://www.acorp.com.tw/ plus the calendar to look at other saves
BUT Am getting a "error when attempting fetch.." on any good dated link

Yeah, something is definitely going on with archive.org right now.

Sometimes stuff comes up, but a lot of the times it just gives an error or returns nothing.

That being said, I am not able to find the manual anywhere.

I found a post where somebody said the Zida 5sva was the same exact board or based on the 5via3p but the layout wasn't even the same... soooo bleh.

Several boards have been called as being based on or similar or even the same, so far not one of them matches.
https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.acorp.com.tw/*
9166 matching URLs

putting 5via in the match text field gives only the already known pages with jumper settings, no manual.

So I found this pinout schematic (surprisingly hard to find for SDRAM.. google keeps shoving DDR down my throat) : https://allpinouts.org/pinouts/connectors/mem … -sdram-168-pin/
Dunno if anyone here is electronically inclined, but there are a total of 17 VCC pins , and 18 VSS pins. I reccon VSS means voltage sensing.. So I'm kinda wondering if it will even output the full voltage on the VCC pins with the RAM stick not present (basically with VSS being 0).

Also I presume all the VCC pins give basically the same output voltage (?) .. Altho I would be inclined to stick the needle into pins #40 and #41 .

L.E.
I might try first with the RAM stick plugged in, to see what the output is with the jumper as it is right now. Then pull the RAM out and check again if the same voltage is still present.
I'm a bit scared, not gonna lie..

B24Fox wrote on 2020-06-04, 02:03:

I might try first with the RAM stick plugged in, to see what the output is with the jumper as it is right now. Then pull the RAM out and check again if the same voltage is still present.
I'm a bit scared, not gonna lie..

I would not do that, but it is your hardware, so your choice . A safer option would be to probe the vias or even the chips on the RAM module, find one which is connected to the pin you want and probe that with your multimeter with the machine on (careful not to short anything).

Actually that might be way better than my needle-poking shenanigans 😁
Thanks darry!

sooo.. After a lot of perspiring, and a 220v shock through my chest (fingers in the wrong place while pressing the ON switch), the results are finally in:
On my Acorp 5VIA3-P (Rev. 1.0) ; the "JD" jumper controls only the SDRAM voltage.
Jumper on [1-2] --> 3.3V
Jumper on [2-3]-->5V
**on the board, the pins for "JD" are not numbered. I counted the 3 pins, from top to bottom, with the board in the upright position.**

The voltage for the 72pin SIMM slots is always 5V, and fully independent from the SDRAM.

(In my case, the jumper was already set in the right position, for 3.3V)

P.S.
The manual would still be great though.. 😀 (if anyone on this earth even has it)

now I'm curious what the voltage is on my luckystar, seeing as it is missing that particular jumper ^^

edit: I just saw the ram slot is marked with 3.3V, makes sense, as it would be weird to only have 5V for dimms I guess.

so that is probably just a later board revision?
I also noticed that it is missing another jumper below the CPU socket in between the socket and capacitor at the board edge, "JBF3" according to the drawing?
which is funny, because that jumper is just open in all of the stated settings, what does it do? ^^

Yeah, on the Acorp 5via3-p , "JBF3" seems to be recommended "open" for all the multipliers (from 1.5x to 3.5x [in steps of 0.5]).
On my board, it's open too.
Maybe in a beta version of the board, it had an extra multiplier setting.. like 1x or something... but was later dropped when the board launched.
I dunno..

This is originally a SuperPower/Hope Vision/San-Li/Fong Kai Industrial board under the name of SP-586VT3. Now if only I could find a manual on any of those domains I would be happy.

Acorp is obviously in the relabeling bussiness as I already spotted a FordLian board in their collection as well. More to follow.

evasive wrote on 2020-06-09, 14:36:

This is originally a SuperPower/Hope Vision/San-Li/Fong Kai Industrial board under the name of SP-586VT3. Now if only I could find a manual on any of those domains I would be happy.

Acorp is obviously in the relabeling bussiness as I already spotted a FordLian board in their collection as well. More to follow.

Ouuu! Progress!! yey!!! 😁
I'll try searching for "SP-586VT3" as well.

Interesting, you need to use an older bios if you want to use Cyrix CPUs
https://web.archive.org/web/19990224021702/ht … ml/Bios/Vt3.htm

There are only manuals for the cases, not for the mainboards 🙁
Next domain...

586VPXT3 is another alias. I've gone through several variant on sanli in archive.org but no trace of them. hopevision has almost nothing online so for now, I'm out.

Thank you evasive for your effort and for the tips.
I still haven't had any luck either .. 😒