Do you have anything else that could exist at port 220h?

If the CMS chips are socketed, they could have bad contacts between socket and the chip, so try to push it a little bit back in the socket.

On some Sound Blasters, if the CMS chips were not installed, reportedly, accessing them caused the machine to hang. And I suspect that's because the sound card circuitry tried to add wait states until the CMS chip acknowledged the bus cycle, and it was not present to acknowledge anything.

Jepael wrote:

Do you have anything else that could exist at port 220h?

If the CMS chips are socketed, they could have bad contacts between socket and the chip, so try to push it a little bit back in the socket.

On some Sound Blasters, if the CMS chips were not installed, reportedly, accessing them caused the machine to hang. And I suspect that's because the sound card circuitry tried to add wait states until the CMS chip acknowledged the bus cycle, and it was not present to acknowledge anything.

The CT1300B is a Game Blaster so it has only CMS support and no socketed chips.

The CT1350B is a Sound Blaster 2.0 with sockets for CMS chips but no CMS chips installed.

Here is a better picture of the card. I have tried different addresses as well, so I feel like I am missing something basic here. I'll post some screenshots soon.

Formulator wrote:

Here is a better picture of the card. I have tried different addresses as well, so I feel like I am missing something basic here. I'll post some screenshots soon.

IMG_0021.JPG

That card should work one would think, it looks pristine. Have you tried it in a newer system like a 386?

Not that it shouldnt work in a XT, Im just covering all bases as I dont own anything slower than a 286 my self.

Is this one of the cards requiring -5v from the PSU?

Looks fine. Do you have a picture of the back?

Try it in an 8BIT slot in a < 386 PC.

I don't think the card needs -5V for anything. Or -12V.

The digital logic should just use +5V. The TEA2025B is a single supply speaker amplifier, and it works fine with +12V.
The CMS chip output needs filtered +5V, but that's made with el cheapo 5.1V zener shunt regulator from +12V.

Man, that is a good picture of the card, I see the components and connections. If it's possible, could you provide some markings on capacitors as well?

Had one in the past, didn't need anything special to work - much like an AdLib card. You plug it in and it just works...

OK, a view of the back of the card. I never noticed it before but there is some gold missing on a few teeth:

Hmmm... Try and clean the isa connector with some IPA and a pencil eraser , maybe the problem is bad contact with the isa slot

Yes try cleaning the connector, always worth a shot. The card seems absolutely fine. It could be that just one of the LS series IC's which do the interfacing to the ISA bus is dead.

Hey, I'm sorry that I never responded to your PM, but I would suggest trying some Game Blaster compatible games and seeing if they produce sound. Most GB-compatible games bypass the detection that TESTCARD and CMSDRV use with the big CT-1302 chip. Any Sierra game will do. It is a long shot, but it's worth trying.

Also, this may be an obvious suggestion, but you said you were using it in an XT. If you have an 8-slot IBM PC XT or clone, do not use it in slot 8.

Apart from that: have you tried adjusting the volume potentiometer?

It might be crusty or turned down all the way.

shock__ wrote:

Apart from that: have you tried adjusting the volume potentiometer?

It might be crusty or turned down all the way.

I was thinking along this line too.

Edit: But it shouldn't hang the system when the driver was loaded.

did you try another computer ?

i would try to replace the 74series IC's.. its worth to try it