analog_programmer wrote on 2024-10-23, 10:21:

I've done a successful PCI slots - IRQ table modification once, but for Award BIOS version 4.51PG. Is it valid for Award BIOS ver. 4.50P(G)?

This mod is also done for 4.51PG. The 4.50PG was only used as a reference source for tables.

analog_programmer wrote on 2024-10-23, 10:21:

Never heard of this AwdHack tool, but unfortunately I can't find it for download.

I have found it somewhere on RayeR's homepage.

freezecze wrote on 2024-10-23, 06:58:

Also the PNP/PCI configuration page is missing 2 lines. This can be fixed with Modbin right?

No, it would require some relocations around - menu configuration pages are stored with the language tables interleaved, so I had to shuffle strings around.
I have moved the menu item which enables PCI IDE controller to the chipset page because it would not fit on a 25-line display.

kmeaw wrote on 2024-10-23, 13:02:

This mod is also done for 4.51PG. The 4.50PG was only used as a reference source for tables.

I see. Anyway, Award BIOSes ver. 4.50 are often upgraded to 4.51PG in later BIOS updates.

kmeaw wrote on 2024-10-23, 13:02:

I have found it somewhere on RayeR's homepage.

Thank you for sharing the tool, I'll check RayeR's webpage too.

analog_programmer wrote on 2024-10-23, 10:21:

I've done a successful PCI slots - IRQ table modification once, but for Award BIOS version 4.51PG. Is it valid for Award BIOS ve […]
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kmeaw wrote on 2024-10-22, 22:50:

Here is another version to test with changed $PIR table.

I've done a successful PCI slots - IRQ table modification once, but for Award BIOS version 4.51PG. Is it valid for Award BIOS ver. 4.50P(G)?

Never heard of this AwdHack tool, but unfortunately I can't find it for download.

freezecze wrote on 2024-10-23, 06:58:

Also the PNP/PCI configuration page is missing 2 lines. This can be fixed with Modbin right?

It can be fixed by MODBIN, but only if these two lines are hidden in the BIOS settings menu.

The lines are not hidden, they are just in a wrong place.

freezecze wrote on 2024-10-23, 15:41:

The lines are not hidden, they are just in a wrong place.

With MODBIN you can also alter row number and position (left/right half on the menu page) for each of the settings line, but you can't move them across the menu pages like kmeaw did manually in his latest modified BIOS.

kmeaw wrote on 2024-10-23, 13:02:

This mod is also done for 4.51PG. The 4.50PG was only used as a reference source for tables. […]
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analog_programmer wrote on 2024-10-23, 10:21:

I've done a successful PCI slots - IRQ table modification once, but for Award BIOS version 4.51PG. Is it valid for Award BIOS ver. 4.50P(G)?

This mod is also done for 4.51PG. The 4.50PG was only used as a reference source for tables.

analog_programmer wrote on 2024-10-23, 10:21:

Never heard of this AwdHack tool, but unfortunately I can't find it for download.

I have found it somewhere on RayeR's homepage.

freezecze wrote on 2024-10-23, 06:58:

Also the PNP/PCI configuration page is missing 2 lines. This can be fixed with Modbin right?

No, it would require some relocations around - menu configuration pages are stored with the language tables interleaved, so I had to shuffle strings around.
I have moved the menu item which enables PCI IDE controller to the chipset page because it would not fit on a 25-line display.

Once again thank you very much!

I will test the pc and let you know if everything is fine.
Any suggestions what can be modded or upgraded further more?

Can I add the bios to the retroweb site? It can help others as well.

freezecze wrote on 2024-10-25, 13:15:

I will test the pc and let you know if everything is fine.
Any suggestions what can be modded or upgraded further more?

Can I add the bios to the retroweb site? It can help others as well.

Sure, feel free to share it whereever you feel it would be useful.

As for the upgrades I was told that this chipset runs faster with AMI BIOSes but I don't have any concrete evidence and no compatible board to verify it.
If it is actually true, then you could possibly dump the chipset registers on Award and AMI and compare them, then bisect to find the missing bits.
Unfortunatelly I don't know much of AMI's internal structures.

Dear kmeaw, could you please assist with the 2A4X5H21 BIOS for the HOT-433 Rev.4 motherboard?

This revision uses the UM8669F chip, whereas earlier revisions (Rev.1–3) used the UM8663AF. Unfortunately, with this BIOS the I/O ports, floppy (FDC) do not function correctly on Rev.4 due to chipset differences.

Hi blacksn,
You have probably already done some research. Do you know which I/O port accesses you need to be changed?
I tried downloading Award BIOS dumps from The Retro Web for Shuttle HOT-433 Ver.1-3 and Ver 4.0 and comparing them but I don't see any substantial code differences - only a few bytes in data segments are changed.
But sometimes those dumps are mislabelled. Could you please provide your own dump from the actual board? I will try to locate the FDC init code and compare it with the Rev3 one.