The Retro Web had 145 motherboards (12 AT and 133 Baby AT) with PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports (although some MB specs were incorrect; already sent some correction requests). They were, however, more common on OEM boards that shipped within complete systems; in the mean time most MB with Baby AT form factors sold as independent components for DIYers continued using DIN-5 AT keyboard connectors till the end of Socket 7 era.

For the record, S7/SS7 MB in Baby AT form factors were three times more than those in ATX form factors (required both PS/2 ports on I/O plate, eliminating ribbon cables and premade "holes" on chassis). AT keyboards were retired only after Slot 1 / Pentium II became dominant.

That's like the PS/2 version of the TriGem Hawk - https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/trigem-hawk

Many Bothans wrote on 2024-07-30, 20:32:

That's like the PS/2 version of the TriGem Hawk - https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/trigem-hawk

Yea, appears to be it. Very little info on this thing.

It posts, and I can get in the BIOS but it wont let me boot (complains about low battery and only lets me go to the BIOS). Gonna have to look into replacing the dallas chip.

Also have a matching monitor, not working unfortunately. It DID work, it accidentally got covered up while running and overheated. Now it just repeatedly clicks. I don't know much of anything about fixing CRTs so it's just been put away for now.

Also, can anyone identify what i presume are empty cache chips? What would I need in order to populate that?

Private_Ops wrote on 2024-07-31, 02:38:

Also, can anyone identify what i presume are empty cache chips? What would I need in order to populate that?

Your Triton chipset supports both asynchronous (386/486-style) and pipeline-burst cache.

The DIP sockets are for asynchronous cache. So long as you are using EDO SIMMs and not FPM SIMMs, it can be counterproductive to add that per mpe's analysis: https://dependency-injection.com/intel-430fx- … riton-l2-cache/ (you'll have to click through the expired certificate).

As your board does not provide a COAST socket, there is no user-serviceable way to add pipeline-burst cache. The only way would be surface mount soldering to those two unpopulated areas next to the CPU.

there is space for PB chips on the board, the good kind
with any luck needs just chips, worst case will need two additional smd resistors

Private_Ops wrote on 2024-07-31, 02:38:

Also, can anyone identify what i presume are empty cache chips? What would I need in order to populate that?

Does it looks like the board already has some L2 cache?
Can you verify that with SpeedSys from Dosbench suite?

Edit: mkarcher thinks those 2 chips are data path units.

As far as I know the sockets take 8 modules each 128kx8 and 1 module with 32kx8 asynchronous SRAM.
(This is one bank with 1024 kB because of a Pentium with 64 bits data bus width. On a 486 such an arrangement would fit for 2 banks but just for 512 kB with 8 64kx8 because of its 32 bits data bus width has more cachelines and needs a larger tag SRAM but a 64kx8 would not fit into the socket.)

Disruptor wrote on 2024-07-31, 05:24:

Edit: mkarcher thinks those 2 chips are data path units.

datapath are between sram and ram sockets, empty spaces even have PBRAM labels

rasz_pl wrote on 2024-07-31, 08:11:

Disruptor wrote on 2024-07-31, 05:24:

Edit: mkarcher thinks those 2 chips are data path units.

datapath are between sram and ram sockets, empty spaces even have PBRAM labels

Yes, this is no contradiction.
So he either can try to solder PB-Cache modules or plug in 1024k asynchronous SRAM. (But what's about tag SRAM when using PB-Cache modules?)
As far as I know, speed difference is significant in general.

Disruptor wrote on 2024-07-31, 08:53:

But what's about tag SRAM when using PB-Cache modules?

It requires SRAM8Kx8 (256kb PB) for 64MB cacheable, most likely reuses same TAG ram sockets for both cache types.

Disruptor wrote on 2024-07-31, 08:53:

As far as I know, speed difference is significant in general.

As jakethompson1 said at the top of this thread using EDO and tight timings is already close to async results and doesnt cost anything, Modding can still take a ton of work and not function in the end 😐 Anyone own an Asus PCI/I-P54TP4 with pipeline burst SRAM? Planning to mod direct-mapped SRAM to pipelineburst but can also be easy and work surprisingly well like in for majestyk last post of that thread 😀

There are AT motherboards that have the standard AT keyboard port and a PS/2 mouse port. I had a Biostar MB8500TVX like that, and I have a PCChips M520. Unfortunately, in a standard AT case there is no way to plug anything into it as it is blocked off by the case; you'd have to cut into the case to make an access hole. On my M520 this means that I can only use serial and USB mice.

Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-07-31, 17:02:

There are AT motherboards that have the standard AT keyboard port and a PS/2 mouse port. I had a Biostar MB8500TVX like that, and I have a PCChips M520. Unfortunately, in a standard AT case there is no way to plug anything into it as it is blocked off by the case; you'd have to cut into the case to make an access hole. On my M520 this means that I can only use serial and USB mice.

The AT cases with the two PS/2 ports (or one large port that can be adjusted with a blank ) are less common but not completely unheard of.

I remixed this for full size ATX case: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5896009

And then I replaced the momentary contact power button with a latching switch and an AT<-->ATX power adapter

Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-07-31, 17:02:

There are AT motherboards that have the standard AT keyboard port and a PS/2 mouse port. I had a Biostar MB8500TVX like that, and I have a PCChips M520. Unfortunately, in a standard AT case there is no way to plug anything into it as it is blocked off by the case; you'd have to cut into the case to make an access hole. On my M520 this means that I can only use serial and USB mice.

If you desolder the PS/2 mouse port you can install a 2x4 pin header on its place and connect one of those PS/2 brackets (you may need to rewire the Dupont connector on the bracket but that's easy).

Disruptor wrote on 2024-07-31, 05:24:

Does it looks like the board already has some L2 cache? Can you verify that with SpeedSys from Dosbench suite? […]
Show full quote

Private_Ops wrote on 2024-07-31, 02:38:

Also, can anyone identify what i presume are empty cache chips? What would I need in order to populate that?

Does it looks like the board already has some L2 cache?
Can you verify that with SpeedSys from Dosbench suite?

Edit: mkarcher thinks those 2 chips are data path units.

As far as I know the sockets take 8 modules each 128kx8 and 1 module with 32kx8 asynchronous SRAM.
(This is one bank with 1024 kB because of a Pentium with 64 bits data bus width. On a 486 such an arrangement would fit for 2 banks but just for 512 kB with 8 64kx8 because of its 32 bits data bus width has more cachelines and needs a larger tag SRAM but a 64kx8 would not fit into the socket.)

As of right now, no I cannot. Waiting on a dallas replacement (Necrwares model). Otherwise it won't let me boot anything past the POST and BIOS (really cool mouse enabled BIOS too).

It's possible you may be able to "exit SETUP without saving" and boot from a floppy, if you want to play around while you wait for the new clock chip to come.

TheMobRules wrote on 2024-07-31, 20:23:

Repo Man11 wrote on 2024-07-31, 17:02:

There are AT motherboards that have the standard AT keyboard port and a PS/2 mouse port. I had a Biostar MB8500TVX like that, and I have a PCChips M520. Unfortunately, in a standard AT case there is no way to plug anything into it as it is blocked off by the case; you'd have to cut into the case to make an access hole. On my M520 this means that I can only use serial and USB mice.

If you desolder the PS/2 mouse port you can install a 2x4 pin header on its place and connect one of those PS/2 brackets (you may need to rewire the Dupont connector on the bracket but that's easy).

Good to know for sure, I suspected that might be possible. But the ROI isn't worth it for me as Win98 works fine with a USB mouse, and anything else is fine with a serial mouse.

Some AT mainboards that are NOT Intel OEM made also have silkscreens for PS/2 ports.
I might own some too, I'll have to check, but I definitely remember seeing the pads for PS/2 ports show up on several of my mainboards, even under the existing AT/DIN5 socket.

I recently came across this board-- https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/micron … 0wb-09-00220-xx

Mine came with Din5 keyboard and a 9 pin mouse header, but it has pads for a pair of PS/2 plugs.

I'll have to send TRW some better pictures

Edit, Actually, I'm assumed J6 was a mouse. Documentation says " Factory configured - do not alter "
https://theretroweb.com/motherboard/manual/32724.pdf

As mentioned the best thing to do with these boards is stick them into an ATX case with a custom backplate.

Concerning the cache, you're going to need 64kx8 32-pin SRAMs. The Triton chipset does not support 1024kb as far as I know.
You should also consult the manual as to which cache chips you're going to need. Some of these boards ask for 3.3V synchronous SRAMs, rather than the 5V asynchronous ones you normally find on 486 boards.