VOGONS

SMS FAB 0005476 REV B MFM controller - not detected

Topic actions

First post, by kotel

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hi,

This is my first time ever seeing irl and using an MFM controller, so please excuse me 😀
Recently got an SMS FAB 0005476 REV B MFM controller card. No visible damage.
Plugged it into my ms6163 board correctly. BIOS didn't show any extra controller cards besides the intel one. Same as 98se (tried add new hw wizard). Weirdly the Zilog chip and the eeprom close to it get warm while the rest stay cold.
I don't have any MFM drives to test this card, so I at least want to see if this one is detected. I have no idea what I did wrong. Is this supposed to be an IBM pc or compatible MFM controller?

"Sent on a mission, to protect the last treasures. Through struggle and strife we can see the light. Even if our mission is partially complete, Our efforts are not in vain.
Let that be our legacy."
-Stronghold 5-5

Reply 1 of 7, by Grzyb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

That controller is ISA 8-bit, primarily for XT-class PCs.
Your board is Slot 1, several generations later.

There's still a chance for them to work together, but:
- BIOS won't detect that controller as an ISAPNP or PCI device
- Windows 9x won't detect it, either

Without an appropriate drive, probably all you can do is to try to enter the Low Level Format utility contained in the controller's BIOS...

See also:
https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/c/S-T/20181.htm
https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/c/S-T/20182.htm
https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/c/S-T/20921.htm
https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/c/S-T/20922.htm

Nie rzucim ziemi, skąd nasz root!

Reply 2 of 7, by kotel

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Weird how there's no pop up "detecting drives..." with that MFM controller. Oh well. Guess I'll wait tilt I get my hands on an IBM XT or clone PC.

"Sent on a mission, to protect the last treasures. Through struggle and strife we can see the light. Even if our mission is partially complete, Our efforts are not in vain.
Let that be our legacy."
-Stronghold 5-5

Reply 3 of 7, by Grzyb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

MFM drives aren't detected.

If the controller's BIOS is enabled, it *may* display some message during POST.
But for anything more, you need to enter the utility from DEBUG.

Nie rzucim ziemi, skąd nasz root!

Reply 4 of 7, by kotel

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I don't see any jumpers for BIOS enable/disable other than HDD activity LED(?) and W1-8 jumpers.

"Sent on a mission, to protect the last treasures. Through struggle and strife we can see the light. Even if our mission is partially complete, Our efforts are not in vain.
Let that be our legacy."
-Stronghold 5-5

Reply 5 of 7, by Grzyb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
kotel wrote on 2025-01-19, 08:32:

I don't see any jumpers for BIOS enable/disable other than HDD activity LED(?) and W1-8 jumpers.

See the links I posted - W7 enables/disables the BIOS.

Nie rzucim ziemi, skąd nasz root!

Reply 6 of 7, by kotel

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

W7 is opened, so the BIOS is enabled, or at least should be.

"Sent on a mission, to protect the last treasures. Through struggle and strife we can see the light. Even if our mission is partially complete, Our efforts are not in vain.
Let that be our legacy."
-Stronghold 5-5

Reply 7 of 7, by Grzyb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

You can try to run DEBUG, and then:

G=C800:5

AFAIR, for some BIOSes the correct address may be C800:4 or C800:6

Nie rzucim ziemi, skąd nasz root!

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window