VOGONS


First post, by haskellcurrying

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

So I've got a t5710 (tm8800) that I'd like to add two pci devices (gfx & snd) to. There are plenty of options out there link this one:
http://www.idotpc.com/thestore/pc/RS-1U2-1U-F … r-Card-p260.htm

In theory the bus is shared so it should all be gravy, but I'm a bit worried about the bios freaking out. Anyone have experience that might help?

Reply 2 of 9, by Warlord

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

I never tried a card like that. I have a feeling its a scam. You need a card that has an integrated PCI to PCI bridge chip. All of the multi slot riser cards that I ever tried had paddle boards for each additional slot and mapped slots 1 to 1 ratio and didn't have pci bridges.

You need something like this with a bridge on it. Because you only have 1 PCI slot. You do not have 2 slots that you can terminate to.

Attachments

  • PCIBRIGDE-3201.jpg
    Filename
    PCIBRIGDE-3201.jpg
    File size
    42.69 KiB
    Views
    731 views
    File license
    Public domain
Last edited by Warlord on 2020-08-21, 12:27. Edited 3 times in total.

Reply 3 of 9, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

a lot of VIA boards support 2 slot PCI risers, though I remember them needing their own special ones for that?
idk how and where the multi-slot on single PCI risers work exactly, but I'm interested too.

Reply 4 of 9, by haskellcurrying

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Interesting, I didn't think an active riser would be required for PCI bifurcation. Any input on the latency overhead of using one of those bridge chip?

EDIT: Come to think of it, the GPU I've got lying around is pretty recent so I can't imagine it is natively doing PCI. There is probably already a PLX en-route, adding a second one seems like a recipe for trouble. Maybe I should just dump the sound card? The onboard sound is pretty bad though...

Reply 6 of 9, by cyclone3d

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
Warlord wrote on 2020-08-21, 12:18:

I never tried a card like that. I have a feeling its a scam. You need a card that has an integrated PCI to PCI bridge chip. All of the multi slot riser cards that I ever tried had paddle boards for each additional slot and mapped slots 1 to 1 ratio and didn't have pci bridges.

You need something like this with a bridge on it. Because you only have 1 PCI slot. You do not have 2 slots that you can terminate to.

I actually have a couple of these cards I picked up a while back. Haven't had a chance to try them out yet though.
Here is the datasheet for the bridge chip:

Filename
PI7C8152MA.pdf
File size
1.4 MiB
Downloads
56 downloads
File license
Fair use/fair dealing exception

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 7 of 9, by haskellcurrying

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Warlord wrote on 2020-08-21, 14:10:

we don't know how that PCI slot is wired. If its wired to a PCI bridge than those cards will work. if its not than they wont. Some boards will take those cards

Let me repeat back what I gathered from your comment and what I know about this board, tell me if it makes sense?

So the Tm8800 has an integrated northbridge with an on chip memory controller as well as HTT and AGP. This board has a ALI SB that connects the PCI port to the CPU via an HTT to PCI bridge.

The lspci output from the board: https://t2sde.org/hardware/desktop/HP/t5000/

00:00.0 Host bridge: Transmeta Corporation TM8000 Northbridge
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Transmeta Corporation TM8000 AGP bridge
00:02.0 PCI bridge: ALi Corporation M5249 HTT to PCI Bridge
00:03.0 ISA bridge: ALi Corporation M1563 HyperTransport South Bridge (rev 20)
00:03.1 Bridge: ALi Corporation M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU]
00:04.0 Multimedia audio controller: ALi Corporation M5455 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device (rev 10)
00:0e.0 IDE interface: ALi Corporation M5229 IDE (rev c5)
00:0f.0 USB Controller: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller (rev 03)
00:0f.1 USB Controller: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller (rev 03)
00:0f.3 USB Controller: ALi Corporation USB 2.0 Controller (rev 01)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon RV100 QY [Radeon 7000/VE]
02:05.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 8d)

So the PCI to HTT bridge is the M5249 and it seems the only PCI bridge that is not part of the CPU. For the bifurcation riser to work, there would need be a second bridge, correct?

Reply 8 of 9, by Warlord

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

On my EPIA you can add a specific 2 slot riser. It's not a generic riser like that and it has a chip on it. It splits the slot into INT A and INT B.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/EXT-PCI-riser-one-PC … esAAOSw0IJZ25Or

Reply 9 of 9, by killap

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hate to necro this thread, but I am on hunt for these dual (or triple as seen in this thread) riser cards with integrated bridge chips.

I see references [1] [2] to the one @Warlord posted a picture of but can't actually find any for sale. I did find another reference to a dual card but it isn't obvious to me whether the chip on there actually is a bridge -- it certainly has more components on it than other generic dual riser cards you can find on ebay, heh. The watermark you see on that picture is a place actually selling the card, albeit for $47, which seems a bit steep.

Curious if the cards (or similar) discussed in this thread can even be obtained anymore. Thanks!