VOGONS


First post, by ericmackrodt

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Hi Everyone!

I have an a 486/5x86 SBC, it looks the same as the one from this post here (Re: PC420-G2 Single board computer manual and Troubleshooting).
Mine is not labeled PC420-G2 though, instead it's labeled 486/5x86 SBC Ver:GC.
It seems like it's the exact same one from this site: https://www.empowerlaptop.com/p/486-5x86-sbc- … herboard-w1711/

The board works well with the 486 DX4 that came with it but I'm having trouble to find where the front panel LEDs and buttons are connected on it.
I've been searching for a while and I can only find it for other SBCs, I couldn't even find the answer on vogons.

I wonder if anyone has been able to figure out, or maybe has experience with this particular SBC and knows where the front panel stuff is connected.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Reply 1 of 8, by snufkin

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Any photos of the board?

Reply 2 of 8, by ericmackrodt

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Sorry, I didn't send a photo because the links had it, here's a photo of mine.

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snufkin wrote on 2022-01-25, 11:23:

Any photos of the board?

Reply 3 of 8, by snufkin

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Thanks. I can't find a manual, but can you get a closer photo showing JP2, JP6 and JP7? They look like a good place to start looking for IDE, Reset and Power/keylock.

Reply 4 of 8, by ericmackrodt

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Here we go. I also included jp10.

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snufkin wrote on 2022-01-25, 12:06:

Thanks. I can't find a manual, but can you get a closer photo showing JP2, JP6 and JP7? They look like a good place to start looking for IDE, Reset and Power/keylock.

Reply 5 of 8, by snufkin

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Well, R5 looks like a 150 ohm resistor that connects to pin 1 of JP7, so I think that's a definite possibility for the power LED and keylock: https://old.pinouts.ru/Motherboard/AtLedKeylock_pinout.shtml

If you have a multimeter you can (with the board off) check if there's about 150ohm resistance from pin 1 to a +5 point (pin 11 of those HIN213CA should be at +5v, or maybe pin 4 of the speaker header). Also check if JP7 pin 3 connects to ground.

JP2 looks like pin 2 is connected to ground through Q1 when the via next to the Q1 label goes high. Check where JP2 pin 1 goes. If that also goes to +5 (maybe through a resistor, although the current might be controlled by Q1) then that header sounds like an output of some sort, so might be able to drive an LED. And it's near the drive headers.

Although, I've just noticed a JP1 right next to the HDD header, so that's worth looking at as well.

JP10 looks like at least one pin is pulled high through a 10k resistor, so I'd guess that when it's jumpered that it pulls an input somewhere low (you can check if one pin connects to ground, and the other pin to one of the RP4 pins). Could be anything really, but it should be safe putting a 1k resistor (to keep any currents small) across the pins to see what happens.

I can't see what connects to JP6, but on the grounds that it's near what I think is the power led and keylock, I'd guess that it's front panel related. Check the resistance of both pins to +5 and to Ground.

Reply 6 of 8, by ericmackrodt

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Thanks for the response. I'll try to probe it with my multimeter later tonight.

In the meantime, here's a photo of JP1.

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From the back it does look like it's connected to a resistor:

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JP2 looks like it's connected to R27?

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This is the area where JP6 and 7 are from the back:

The attachment WhatsApp Image 2022-01-26 at 11.24.54 AM(2).jpeg is no longer available

I am not sure if JP6 is connected to that transistor or to R91.

snufkin wrote on 2022-01-25, 14:44:
Well, R5 looks like a 150 ohm resistor that connects to pin 1 of JP7, so I think that's a definite possibility for the power LED […]
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Well, R5 looks like a 150 ohm resistor that connects to pin 1 of JP7, so I think that's a definite possibility for the power LED and keylock: https://old.pinouts.ru/Motherboard/AtLedKeylock_pinout.shtml

If you have a multimeter you can (with the board off) check if there's about 150ohm resistance from pin 1 to a +5 point (pin 11 of those HIN213CA should be at +5v, or maybe pin 4 of the speaker header). Also check if JP7 pin 3 connects to ground.

JP2 looks like pin 2 is connected to ground through Q1 when the via next to the Q1 label goes high. Check where JP2 pin 1 goes. If that also goes to +5 (maybe through a resistor, although the current might be controlled by Q1) then that header sounds like an output of some sort, so might be able to drive an LED. And it's near the drive headers.

Although, I've just noticed a JP1 right next to the HDD header, so that's worth looking at as well.

JP10 looks like at least one pin is pulled high through a 10k resistor, so I'd guess that when it's jumpered that it pulls an input somewhere low (you can check if one pin connects to ground, and the other pin to one of the RP4 pins). Could be anything really, but it should be safe putting a 1k resistor (to keep any currents small) across the pins to see what happens.

I can't see what connects to JP6, but on the grounds that it's near what I think is the power led and keylock, I'd guess that it's front panel related. Check the resistance of both pins to +5 and to Ground.

Reply 7 of 8, by snufkin

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Yeah, J1 goes through R24 (220 ohm), so that could be an LED output. JP2 pin 1 looks like it goes through R27 (330 ohm), with JP2 pin 2 going through Q1 to ground. So could also be an LED output controlled by Q1.

That U6 M51957 next to J6 is some sort of reset controller, and perhaps pin 1 goes up to Q4 pin 3, then across to R93 and ends up connecting to U6 pin 2 (input control). So could be the reset input. Maybe.

Reply 8 of 8, by ericmackrodt

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I will probe it with the multimeter tomorrow and put my findings here.
Thanks for the help!

snufkin wrote on 2022-01-26, 12:00:

Yeah, J1 goes through R24 (220 ohm), so that could be an LED output. JP2 pin 1 looks like it goes through R27 (330 ohm), with JP2 pin 2 going through Q1 to ground. So could also be an LED output controlled by Q1.

That U6 M51957 next to J6 is some sort of reset controller, and perhaps pin 1 goes up to Q4 pin 3, then across to R93 and ends up connecting to U6 pin 2 (input control). So could be the reset input. Maybe.