VOGONS


First post, by mariov8

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Dear enthusiast, is there any chance to convert Twinhead Netstation to fully functional stand-alone computer?

I get one functional torso, get FDD, get HDD, put on HDD succesfully MS-DOS, but it boots only from floppy. In somehow limited BIOS is no option to change boot order. There are a lot of unpopulated jumper sites on the board, but on web is almost nothing about Twinhead Netstation and their Motherboards.

I'm starting to think that, although cheap, I just got a "decoration". Motherboard also look like KLH Model 195 (with declared SiS chipset), but on this board is chipset chip labelled TH4100.

Many thanks in advance for any response.

286 in build, 486DLC40 DOS/W3.11, 486DX5-133 W95, Pentium MMX W98, Celeron Tualatin ME/W2000, P4-HT 631 WXP, AMIGA 600 68020, ATARI MEGA STE

Reply 1 of 5, by mariov8

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Almost everything on board was identified, except "Phoenix" labelled chip on photo in right corner. 4th BIOS? On board VGA BIOS is left almost in the middle. Computer BIOS right down corner 2 chips near memory slots.

286 in build, 486DLC40 DOS/W3.11, 486DX5-133 W95, Pentium MMX W98, Celeron Tualatin ME/W2000, P4-HT 631 WXP, AMIGA 600 68020, ATARI MEGA STE

Reply 2 of 5, by Horun

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That 4th chip is most likely the KB controller. Being a "Netstation" wonder if it is capable of booting from a NIC boot rom or maybe possibly a scsi adapter with bios.

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 3 of 5, by mariov8

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You must be right, Keyboard controller, that was still missing.
It was declared in sales and marketing materials as capable of standalone and network working - booting. Unfortunately, I am currently without ISA LAN card. I have to get one and try.

286 in build, 486DLC40 DOS/W3.11, 486DX5-133 W95, Pentium MMX W98, Celeron Tualatin ME/W2000, P4-HT 631 WXP, AMIGA 600 68020, ATARI MEGA STE

Reply 4 of 5, by mariov8

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No way to force boot from hard disk, even with network card nothing changed, just to close this project for now.

There must be something wrong with this motherboard or i miss something.

286 in build, 486DLC40 DOS/W3.11, 486DX5-133 W95, Pentium MMX W98, Celeron Tualatin ME/W2000, P4-HT 631 WXP, AMIGA 600 68020, ATARI MEGA STE

Reply 5 of 5, by nfraser01

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Just picked up one of these from a pile of old stuff left outside someones house...literally 10 mins ago. Not had time to look at it as was on way to work. I see there is a page describing the jumpers if that is any help...
https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/T/T … NETSTATION.html

Looking forward to opening this one to reveal a non-leaking battery ( he wishes)....