Miphee wrote on 2020-06-23, 10:48:

Tetrium wrote on 2020-06-22, 22:47:

I do recognize boards powering up right away after power is applied. Some Fujitsu Siemens boards tended to do this and I remember it from other boards as well. Often this was to do with either the BIOS battery being empty or with some default setting telling it to power up after a power failure (which might cause it to power up when testing on the bench).

The battery is new. So is this a feature? It's really annoying because it starts whether I want it or not, but it's better than a malfunction.

I read that the battery was new, but could still be a dud even though this seems very unlikely to me.
If you are really handy with BIOS modding, you could try this out by flashing a BIOS file in which you set the default setting for "Power on after failure" (or whatever it is called) to false, so to say.
I think it was this but I don't know for sure. You did ask for any ideas, so there you go 😜
And besides, it may have nothing to do with the issues you are having now anyway. Might be a second non-critical issue for all we know right now.

Tetrium wrote on 2020-06-23, 12:20:

My guess is it should. Try out the Celeron on Slotket on another board just to make sure that that combination will work.

Finally got the little suckers that caused the short, it was Q13 and C39. C13 was also leaking a little so I replaced that as well and installed a heatsink on the LX chip.
It's now starting as it should but still won't accept any of my CPUs.
Tried the 400/66 using the slotket in my MS6163 board and it worked fine. Installed it in the Chaintech board, 00C1.
There is no 66 Mhz setting for Celerons on the slotket, only Auto/100/133 but the MS6163 recognized the CPU as 400/66 so it should be working in the Chaintech as well... But it only supports CPU up to 333 Mhz. Time for a BIOS update!

Miphee wrote on 2020-06-23, 14:31:

... But it only supports CPU up to 333 Mhz. Time for a BIOS update!

That may be so but if you want to update the BIOS it seems(?) possible that you can only do that via software with a cpu installed that is actually recognized by the BIOS. In other words, you may need a may 1997 release, 2.8 volt, Klamath cpu.

PARKE wrote on 2020-06-23, 16:58:

That may be so but if you want to update the BIOS it seems(?) possible that you can only do that via software with a cpu installed that is actually recognized by the BIOS. In other words, you may need a may 1997 release, 2.8 volt, Klamath cpu.

I have a TL866 programmer so it's not a problem. The other mainboard recognized the slotket Celeron as 400/66 so it means that the slotket's Auto = 66 Mhz. It should work in this board too.
Now I just need to find a BIOS version that works with this LX chipset.

Miphee wrote on 2020-06-24, 06:25:

***
I have a TL866 programmer so it's not a problem. The other mainboard recognized the slotket Celeron as 400/66 so it means that the slotket's Auto = 66 Mhz. It should work in this board too.
Now I just need to find a BIOS version that works with this LX chipset.

There is a bunch of BIOS for Chaintech mainboards on archive.org
It's a little bit tricky to find download links though.
Chaintech BIOS on archive.org
6LTL0 PCB: 6LTL M10X
6LTM PCB: 6LTM M10X
6LTM2 PCB: 6LTM2 M10X
6LTS PCB: 6LTS M10X

P.S. When you find a proper BIOS you also, of course as option, will be able to patch that BIOS (the rom.by bios patcher) to improve support of more modern hardware (e.g. bigger HDDs)

Miphee wrote on 2020-06-24, 06:25:

PARKE wrote on 2020-06-23, 16:58:

That may be so but if you want to update the BIOS it seems(?) possible that you can only do that via software with a cpu installed that is actually recognized by the BIOS. In other words, you may need a may 1997 release, 2.8 volt, Klamath cpu.

I have a TL866 programmer so it's not a problem. The other mainboard recognized the slotket Celeron as 400/66 so it means that the slotket's Auto = 66 Mhz. It should work in this board too.
Now I just need to find a BIOS version that works with this LX chipset.

Auto means (or at least should mean) it will use the CPUs default FSB value, which doesn't necessarily have to be 66MHz FSB (even on slotkets that ended up supporting only Mendocinos that never ended up getting available in other FSB variants then the 66MHz FSB one).
Btw, testing with a Klamath would be one of the things I would try as these are almost surely supported.

Well, changing BIOS versions didn't work.
I need a slot1 CPU with 66 Mhz FSB but none turned up locally so far and Ebay is way too expensive.
I'll just have to play the waiting game.
Thanks for the effort guys!

Good luck! But I've never seen a working Slot 1 motherboard not working with Celeron PPGA 370 + Slocket. Still I think there's something wrong with the motherboard.

Which board revision do you have? - there are differences in cpu support & bios revisions between the major / minor board releases

The latest bios updates for the major board releases are here

https://web.archive.org/web/20030225040222/ht … asp?model=6LTM0

Thank you, that cIeared things up. I have the "H" version so it means that it won't support the 400/66.
The question is, which BIOS version will?

Well, I tried all the BIOS versions (6ltm0619, 6ltm0B22, 6ltm2407, 6ltm2720) that were available but none of them worked. I used 5 different ROM chips and 2 CPUs but couldn't get past 00C1. Diagnostic card shows CLK but no IRDY or FRAME activity.

None of the bioses that start "6LTM2" are designed for you board revision.

Bit of a long shot, but you could try some of the early ones which are (6LTM0)

https://web.archive.org/web/19980417193120/ht … 86/6LTM0B03.EXE
https://web.archive.org/web/19980417193043/ht … 86/6LTM0120.EXE
https://web.archive.org/web/19980513233204/ht … 86/6LTM0224.EXE - the version marked on you bios chip

Tetrium wrote on 2020-06-24, 14:27:

Btw, testing with a Klamath would be one of the things I would try as these are almost surely supported.

^this

When you look at the timeline for this particular motherboard it is imo not at all clear that it should work with any other PII cpu than the Klamath on which the design (+ BIOS) was based.
#Pentium II Klamath was released may 1997
#440LX Chipset was released september 1997
#Chaintech 6LTM board was produced january 1998 (sticker on back)
The BIOS pictured above that presumably worked with this 6LTM is dated february 1998.

The next generation Pentium II (Deschutes) plus the first Celerons were only released in summer 1998.

Miphee wrote on 2020-06-26, 06:39:

Well, I tried all the BIOS versions (6ltm0619, 6ltm0B22, 6ltm2407, 6ltm2720) that were available but none of them worked. I used 5 different ROM chips and 2 CPUs but couldn't get past 00C1. Diagnostic card shows CLK but no IRDY or FRAME activity.

Silly question, but I'll ask anyway: Have you tried to run the board with different SDRAM sticks ?

I tried plenty of RAM configurations but this mistery will only get solved once I get my hands on a slot1 CPU with 66 Mhz FSB.
Most people sell the 100 Mhz versions though so it's not going to be anytime soon.

I got a slot1 Celeron 300/66 (Covington), 00C1 error stayed and also got this sound out of the speaker ONCE (out of like 50 tries).
Doesn't sound healthy. I tried many memory modules (including a 16 MB stick), nothing.
It's officially dead.