The 486 chipset which is an Award bios socket 3 486, is there some quirk where there is an issue with the keyboard like for instance, pressing on the keys feels a bit too fast and you end up repeating a letter or two and that under windows the up and left arrow does not seem to function?
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/aquari … vc-model-1#docs
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-15, 22:37:The 486 chipset which is an Award bios socket 3 486, is there some quirk where there is an issue with the keyboard like for instance, pressing on the keys feels a bit too fast and you end up repeating a letter or two and that under windows the up and left arrow does not seem to function?
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/aquari … vc-model-1#docs
The board looks terrible.
Any other problems, too?
Please tell me, that you are not using EDO RAM 😁
Off topic question: Is this real cache? The chips look strange. TS 61256W-15?
I am using 72 pin ram and it appears to be likely fake cache. No other issues otherwise.
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-15, 23:48:I am using 72 pin ram and it appears to be likely fake cache. No other issues otherwise.
Which kind of 72pin RAM? Can you make a picture of the SIMMs?
The ram is this: 292890
EDO
8108
4MX32-6SMNYT
CoffeeOne wrote on 2024-02-15, 23:36:The board looks terrible. Any other problems, too? Please tell me, that you are not using EDO RAM :D Off topic question: Is this […]
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-15, 22:37:The 486 chipset which is an Award bios socket 3 486, is there some quirk where there is an issue with the keyboard like for instance, pressing on the keys feels a bit too fast and you end up repeating a letter or two and that under windows the up and left arrow does not seem to function?
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/aquari … vc-model-1#docs
The board looks terrible.
Any other problems, too?
Please tell me, that you are not using EDO RAM 😁
Off topic question: Is this real cache? The chips look strange. TS 61256W-15?
How terrible? Like this is one of the worst boards I ever bought and it is broken beyond repair.
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-16, 00:18:The ram is this: 292890 EDO 8108 4MX32-6SMNYT […]
The ram is this: 292890
EDO
8108
4MX32-6SMNYT
🤣. That is EDO RAM indeed, please get some FPM RAM instead and try again.
As a general rule, just never use EDO on a 486 mainboard, get FPM. It avoids a lot of troubles.
Tomato 4DPS v2.1 board not posting
While initializing device VXDLDR Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer
So this may explain that the keyboard acts all wonky? Also, get 30 or 72 pin FPM? I am intending to get only 16 megs.
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-16, 07:17:So this may explain that the keyboard acts all wonky? Also, get 30 or 72 pin FPM? I am intending to get only 16 megs.
I can't promise, that it solves the keyboard problem. But I would not start testing with the wrong RAM type, that will create various problems. Sure, for Win 3.1 16MB is more than enough. Still I would get 32MB (times 16MB 72 pin FPM) and try to install Windows95. But for that kind of test (just installing and checking if it comes up) 16MB should work, too. Even if you do not want to use it, the installation of Windows 9x itsself is a very good test of the hardware.
72pin FPM is usually cheaper, so go for that. So either 2 times 8MB, one time 16MB or maybe 2 times 16MB. The least compatbily problems you have ususally with 8MB double sided modules (16 chips) or 16MB single sided modules (8 chips).
I went ahead and bought a single 16 meg 72 pin fpm ram stick that is non parity 60ns since 16 megs should be more than enough for my 486.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293983027270?mkcid=1 … emis&media=COPY
I don't think this is likely to be related to the problems you're having, but I just wanted to mention that there's a chance you have the battery connected incorrectly. I can't see the whole set up in your pics, so forgive me if you know this already and you have a solution. Anyway, these old boards will often try to send voltage back into the battery when the system is running in order to recharge it, which is fine with the original battery attached. But if you've swapped it out for just a regular old CR2032 or something like that then it would very much be a bad thing to be sending voltage back into the battery. You would need a diode in line to prevent the backwards voltage flow.
This is of course assuming that your board even attempts to do that recharge that I'm talking about. It would be best to remove the battery and test with a multimeter to see if you have current flowing in when the system is powered on.
But if you knew all this already, sorry for wasting your time. 😀
I tried unsoldering the battery and adding in fpm ram but no luck. I still get the weird keyboard issue. Is there anyone who may be able to solve it?
I have a vesa local bus controller card, cirus logic diamond speedstar pro and sound blaster 16 isa.
Also it feels awfully slow despite having 256k of L2 cache
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-18, 21:35:I tried unsoldering the battery and adding in fpm ram but no luck. I still get the weird keyboard issue. Is there anyone who may be able to solve it?
I have a vesa local bus controller card, cirus logic diamond speedstar pro and sound blaster 16 isa.
Also it feels awfully slow despite having 256k of L2 cache
What do you mean exactly with "it feels awfully slow"?
When there are fake cache chips on your board, then you have zero kB of cache, not 256kB.
What CPU do you use?
Did you check Turbo? Maybe your board is running in no-turbo mode.
A maybe silly question: Your keyboard is tested and works fine on other boards?
EDIT: Turbo Switch is JP27, when the docu you linked is the correct one. So set a jumper to that.
Also interesting, there is a connector for external battery, but somebody before soldered a battery directly to the board? Weird.
What do you run now?
Can you run speedsys under DOS or something (to see how it performs)?
It underperformed and it was not in turbo mode. It says 256k of L2 cache though under speedsys it says otherwise as well as cachechk.
What speed are you using? Is the CPU overclocked?
It is clocked at 66mhz.
Repeating keys is a setting in bios.
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-18, 23:24:It underperformed and it was not in turbo mode. It says 256k of L2 cache though under speedsys it says otherwise as well as cachechk.
Im trying hard to hold back the sarcasm 😀
You have fake cache and broken keyboard.
Hi AvocadoLongfall,
What keyboard are you using? Have you tested a different keyboard on this system and do you see the exact same behavior? Could you elaborate about on the key repeat issue? How quickly do they repeat? For example is it difficult to press a single key quickly without getting repeats or do you have to hold the key down for a short period before getting repeats? Do your arrow keys work under DOS but not under windows? In this case which version of DOS and Windows?
I am aware of two ways of getting repeated keys. AT keyboards communicate with the keyboard controller with a serial message protocol. Each key pressed and each key released creates a sequence of bits on the keyboard data line (and also a clock signals) which is interpreted by the keyboard controller on the board. Ben Eater has a great YouTube video on how this works. If you get multiple keys presses registered the keyboard would need to send multiple key down and key up messages. This could be a bounce issue with a key switch. So if you see repeat issues with only certain keys but not others, this is a place to look. If you have a scope you can look at the data signal at the keyboard connector on the board to see if you are getting multiple messages for one key press
If the issue is similar for any (all) keys pressed with the same behavior then it may be a setting in the OS. The OS can create key repeats if a key down message was received until a key up message is received. This is configurable in DOS (I can't recall the command). I would set that to the lowest setting with highest delay and see if the behavior changes.
It gets more difficult if it is none of the above. I believe the keyboard controller is integrated into the UMC chip set on this board. I would exclude the two scenarios above before digging further.
I only have one AT keyboard and when I press the escape key on the keyboard in the bios setup like for example, leaving the standard settings menu with the hard disk and such, it already takes me to the prompt save to cmos and restart when i only pressed once on the escape key.
I was using windows 95 and DOS and even then, the top and left arrow keys did not work and when i attempted to play a game, just crap cause it keeps turning around. I also said that I tested it with my socket 7 Pentium 75 board and it is completely different and works perfectly.
AvocadoLongfall wrote on 2024-02-20, 00:39:I only have one AT keyboard and when I press the escape key on the keyboard in the bios setup like for example, leaving the standard settings menu with the hard disk and such, it already takes me to the prompt save to cmos and restart when i only pressed once on the escape key.
I was using windows 95 and DOS and even then, the top and left arrow keys did not work and when i attempted to play a game, just crap cause it keeps turning around. I also said that I tested it with my socket 7 Pentium 75 board and it is completely different and works perfectly.
It is a bit off-topic, but ....
How did you install Windows 95 on a DX2-66 in non turbo mode (super slow) and with EDO RAM (unstable)?
