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PCChips M321 v2.5 Bios update utility

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First post, by butjer1010

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Hi, can someone help me please? Which BIOS utility (and version) should i use to update BIOS on my PCChips M321? I have 2.5 BIOS, and i wanted to update to 2.7. Besides this, no matter what amount of memory i put inside (RAM), it always shows 4MB. I was hoping the newer BIOS would solve this, but if there is some "trick", it would be handy to someone tell me 😀
Thanks in advance

Reply 1 of 64, by Horun

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Fairly sure that is a non flashable bios chip so there is no flash util that will help. You need an equivalant eeprom chip and a TL866.....
As for the ram it should easily support up to 16MB (or possibly 64Mb with the right SIMMS) iirc,

added: I cannot see the ram table in BIOS v2.5 but the top v2.7 from Retro does show up to 64Mb ram.

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Reply 2 of 64, by butjer1010

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Horun wrote on 2023-10-07, 15:47:

Fairly sure that is a non flashable bios chip so there is no flash util that will help. You need an equivalant eeprom chip and a TL866.....
As for the ram it should easily support up to 16MB (or possibly 64Mb with the right SIMMS) iirc,

added: I cannot see the ram table in BIOS v2.5 but the top v2.7 from Retro does show up to 64Mb ram.

Thanks man!
To bad, i thought i could do it myself. As of the ram problem, i was wrong, it shows 3MB (3712 Kb), not 4MB. I have 4 sticks of 4MB simm ram, and it is same if i put them or 4x1MB sticks. It shows 3072Kb?

Reply 3 of 64, by weedeewee

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What happens if you put both the 4x4 and 4x1 simm modules ?

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Reply 5 of 64, by weedeewee

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are the 4M simm modules 2 or 3 chips then you might need 8/9 chip simm modules to get the desired 16M with only 4 modules

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Reply 6 of 64, by butjer1010

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-10-07, 16:28:

are the 4M simm modules 2 or 3 chips then you might need 8/9 chip simm modules to get the desired 16M with only 4 modules

No, they are 9chips. Could it be the BIOS v2.5 problem?

Reply 7 of 64, by Horun

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agree ! those particular 4Mb simms may have a chip density the board cannot address proper so they appear as 1Mb simms. The 3712k is because 384k is held for UMB & shadowing (making 4096), the "usable" ram is what is displayed, not the actual total.
This was fixed in later 486 BIOS versions starting about 1993 or 94 iirc and yes it MIGHT be fixed in the v2.7 bios...

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Reply 8 of 64, by butjer1010

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Horun wrote on 2023-10-07, 16:37:

agree ! those particular 4Mb simms may have a chip density the board cannot address proper so they appear as 1Mb simms. The 3712k is because 384k is held for UMB & shadowing (making 4096), the "usable" ram is what is displayed, not the actual total.
This was fixed in later 486 BIOS versions starting about 1993 or 94 iirc and yes it MIGHT be fixed in the v2.7 bios...

So i need eeprom burner and 23c512 chip!!! Thanks a lot, i will try to change BIOS and see if that fixing the problem.
Thanks

Reply 9 of 64, by Horun

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What revision is your motherboard ? nevermind I see it in the title 🤣

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Reply 10 of 64, by weedeewee

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fyi, https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/pcchip … .-2.x#downloads also lists a v2.11 bios

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Reply 11 of 64, by butjer1010

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-10-07, 16:58:

Yes, maybe this BIOS version would be better, cause now is M320-F, and this 2.11 also have CHIP-F mark???

Reply 12 of 64, by Horun

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Actually it is same 2.7 with a small insert of the TRANS-AMERITECH ENTERPRISES, Inc. as per the hex compare. Both dated internally 6/6/1992.....

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Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 13 of 64, by butjer1010

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Horun wrote on 2023-10-07, 17:34:

Actually it is same 2.7 with a small insert of the TRANS-AMERITECH ENTERPRISES, Inc. as per the hex compare. Both dated internally 6/6/1992.....

Thanks, so it is same thing, whatever i flash on to new eeprom!?

Reply 14 of 64, by butjer1010

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I wanted to buy this "flasher", but i didn't find any entry for 23C512 :
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325256013386?_trkpar … %3Avlp_homepage
Does anybody knows, some cheap Flasher that works for all those old eproms like the one here (286, 386, 486,...), and maybe for Amiga Kickstart roms?
Thanks

Reply 15 of 64, by weedeewee

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23c512? That isn't a programmable device.
you'll need something like a 27c512

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Reply 16 of 64, by butjer1010

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-10-09, 18:21:

23c512? That isn't a programmable device.
you'll need something like a 27c512

On this BIOS chip (M321) it is written 23C512? So i can program 27C512, and it will work?

Reply 17 of 64, by weedeewee

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ffs.
https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-mask-rom.htm

You can not re program the 23C512.
You will have to use something like a 27c512 or equivalent.

edit: that was the first link on google, and in hindisight, it's not the greatest. 😒

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Reply 18 of 64, by butjer1010

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weedeewee wrote on 2023-10-09, 19:44:
ffs. https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-mask-rom.htm […]
Show full quote

ffs.
https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-is-mask-rom.htm

You can not re program the 23C512.
You will have to use something like a 27c512 or equivalent.

edit: that was the first link on google, and in hindisight, it's not the greatest. 😒

If the chip i need is 27C512, than the programmer i saw on ebay is also ok. It has entry for 27C512 😀

Reply 19 of 64, by weedeewee

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yes

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