I tried searching in UH19 for this board (link below in sig) but we don't have it, so can't help with the jumper settings. I can tell you it has the C&T CS8220 PC/AT compatible CHIPSet, details:

http://66.113.161.23/~mR_Slug/chipset/chipset … 455&3=4533#2043

This is one of the very first chipsets so has some limitations. But you have a fast motherboard for '85-86.

Please can we use your picture in the UH19 DB?

mR_Slug wrote on 2021-09-12, 19:27:

Please can we use your picture in the UH19 DB?

Sure !
Maybe 1 day... somebody will provide some documentation....

Added, Thank you
https://www.ultimateretro.net/motherboards/9339

Did you try powering it on? Sometimes the chips that go in the empty sockets aren't needed.

Miracles happen - the story will continue....

Stay tuned 😉

mR_Slug wrote on 2021-09-13, 19:24:

Added, Thank you
https://www.ultimateretro.net/motherboards/9339

Here is the photo of complete mainboard.

BIOS:

The mainboard completes POST but there is another problem...
It has a very old PHOENIX BIOS with 'external' setup program.
But in order to run it I need to boot the system... I only have a 1.2MB 5.25" drive.
Looks like this MB has the drive 0 set to 360kB by 'default '.
Can somebody confirm it ?

You´re extremely lucky that someone pillaged the cheap/common logic circuits and spared the PALs!

Locutus wrote on 2023-07-20, 19:08:

The mainboard completes POST but there is another problem...
It has a very old PHOENIX BIOS with 'external' setup program.
But in order to run it I need to boot the system... I only have a 1.2MB 5.25" drive.

It says seek failure, does it actually seek the floppy on boot? That is, the heads move forward and back?
- If the heads don't move then you have some kind of FDC issue, try a different card maybe.
- If they do move then yes, it would indicate the BIOS is expecting to find a 40-track drive (so a 360k DD one).

majestyk wrote on 2023-07-20, 20:22:

You´re extremely lucky that someone pillaged the cheap/common logic circuits and spared the PALs!

Absolutely true !!!
I guess it is because I got it from the university... and a guy who took them out knew what he was doing... and most likely just needed them 😉

Deunan wrote on 2023-07-20, 20:25:

It says seek failure, does it actually seek the floppy on boot? That is, the heads move forward and back? - If the heads don't m […]
Show full quote

Locutus wrote on 2023-07-20, 19:08:

The mainboard completes POST but there is another problem...
It has a very old PHOENIX BIOS with 'external' setup program.
But in order to run it I need to boot the system... I only have a 1.2MB 5.25" drive.

It says seek failure, does it actually seek the floppy on boot? That is, the heads move forward and back?
- If the heads don't move then you have some kind of FDC issue, try a different card maybe.
- If they do move then yes, it would indicate the BIOS is expecting to find a 40-track drive (so a 360k DD one).

Thanks for the answer.

YES, the FDD makes a 'proper' seek . FDD + used controller are 100% OK.
When I disconnect the drive, I get the message about failed FDD O seek (just like about FDD1 in the attached picture).

Oh man, 360kB dives are extremaly hard to find around 🙁

Yes, boot in 360K and set it up. That what this is back in the day when 286 was common.

Cheers,

Locutus wrote on 2023-07-20, 20:42:

Oh man, 360kB dives are extremaly hard to find around 🙁

The mobo is not THAT old, it's already using semi-integrated chipset solution, and BIOS ROM is 2x 27C128, there's plenty of space for some setup code.
What keys did you try to enter BIOS? Did you try CTRL+ALT+ESC? If you can't find a 360k drive (and the SETUP program itself) it might be easier, and cheaper,to look for alternative BIOS for this mobo.

Deunan wrote on 2023-07-20, 22:34:

Locutus wrote on 2023-07-20, 20:42:

Oh man, 360kB dives are extremaly hard to find around 🙁

The mobo is not THAT old, it's already using semi-integrated chipset solution, and BIOS ROM is 2x 27C128, there's plenty of space for some setup code.
What keys did you try to enter BIOS? Did you try CTRL+ALT+ESC? If you can't find a 360k drive (and the SETUP program itself) it might be easier, and cheaper,to look for alternative BIOS for this mobo.

Hi.
Maybe, instead of 'OLD BIOS', I should have used 'primitive BIOS ' 😉

This one, for sure, needs 'external' software for setup just like here:
How to enter old Phoenix 386 BIOS?

I've already tried 286 BIOS PLUS from Tulip's MB (with similar chipset) with no success .
I only have four 27C128 EPROMs , therefore trying alternative ones (erasing/programing) is pretty time consuming 😉

Maybe there is another way ?
How about booting from disk instead of a floppy...

fairly certain you could also attach a 720K DD drive and boot from that.
and aside from a speed difference... which should be handled by the multi io board, I don't see a reason why booting from a 1.2 or 1.44 HD floppy drive wouldn't work.

You can add a XT-IDE Bios and boot from a HD or CF that you have prepared in another PC or Emulator. Xt-IDE does not care about the CMOS settings. No need to get the floppies running.

Or you use another main BIOS, MRBIOS for 286 may be a good choice.

For Phoenix Setup:

Locutus wrote on 2023-07-20, 23:47:

I've already tried 286 BIOS PLUS from Tulip's MB (with similar chipset) with no success .
I only have four 27C128 EPROMs , therefore trying alternative ones (erasing/programing) is pretty time consuming 😉

Since you have a way to program chips, can you do a dump of the existing BIOS ROMs and link them here?
Also, here's an AWARD BIOS for this mobo, that I know will respond to CTRL+ALT+ESC because I have this exact mobo and it came with this BIOS. It does have some limitations though, there is no support for user-definable HDDs I'm afraid. So either you need to find something that matches the BIOS parameter table, or you need to use XTIDE. Or SCSI. My mobo works with MFM drive and controller but the SCSI card worked nice as well.

EDIT: Don't let the filename fool you, the date is from the last 16 bytes, where the first long jump is. The actual date of this BIOS is 10/20/87, this is AWARD 3.03.