VOGONS


Elpina motherboard - PC Chips?

Topic actions

Reply 20 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
RayeR wrote on 2023-11-02, 12:41:

I already tried both PCI and ISA VGA carda but none works, video still goes from onboard VGA. According to M592 manual there's no such jumper and I cannot find any jumper that is not described in manual that would do it.

I see. Then I have another suggestion - BIOS editing. See if there's a hidden BIOS-menu option for selecting of which videocard to be initialized first (PCI, AGP or integrated). If there's such a thing, set it according to your needs and unhide it. For Award BIOS you can use suitable version of MODBIN (or MODBIN6 for newer Award BIOS core), for AMI - AMIBCP.

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 21 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

There's AMI BIOS. I have an idea that if I remove VGA BIOS module from system BIOS then it should give a chance for ext. VGA...

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 22 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Of course, you can remove the entire VGA BIOS module, but better off first try with something less intrusive/destructive.

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 23 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

ok, i'll have a look with amibcp 1st. In the past I used modbin in some cases for award but didn't revealed any interesting hidded settings in my case...

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 24 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I play with AMIBCP 7.6 and the BIOS. There was some hidden SETUP options but none relevant to onboard VGA.
But it's strange that I cannot find VGA BIOS module inside. There's one PCI ROM - some NCR SCSI. There was also some INT10h module but it's not VGA BIOS. Even if I deleted it from image and flashed modded BIOS the onboard VGA is still working and nothing changed. So it seems to be harder that I though. But I have no strong motivation to mess with such crappy MB so I leave it as is. Just curious how it works...

UPDATE:
wow, I cannot see ROM chip on these PCI VGA cards https://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/cpu/item/390-sis-6215
So does it mean that the chip itself contains the VGA BIOS in ROM or FlashROM?

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 25 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

This is odd. I'm digging these days in some Award BIOSes potentially compatible with a "broken" (due to wrong BIOS flash) slot1 mobo with AGP slot and there is "Init Display First" option in the menus (with "Onboard" selection disabled, which can be enabled if needed) in all of them. I cant't remember for sure right now, but I think in AMI BIOSes this option is with similar name.

There is VGA BIOS module in my Elpina BA E-VO's (PCChips M571 3.2A) BIOS and I've successfully saved it to file with NSSI tool using the option to dump VGA BIOS which is in use.

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 26 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Here's BIOS module list in AMIBCP. I explored all and none of them is VGA BIOS.

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 27 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Here're two pictures from my M571-colone's BIOS-dump.

Obviously the VGA BIOS module is not named VGA-something. Use NSSI to save it to file it as I already wrote. Then you can search and compare this part in full motherboard's BIOS.

The attachment M571 Modules.jpg is no longer available

OK, I can't find menu-item to manage which video adapter to be initialized in this particular PCChips AMI BIOS, but I'm sure in other AMI BIOSes I've seen such an option.

The attachment M571 Integrated VGA.jpg is no longer available

As I mentioned, on my M751-clone mobo, when integrated video is excluseively activated by jumper and I insert some PCI videocard, the integrated auto-disables itself even with the jumper on its position for active integrated video. But with different BIOSes it's always a different mess.

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 28 of 37, by myne

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Few points.
Are you sure the pci slots work?
Do they show in lspci / device manager?
Is the onboard a separate chip or integrated into the chipset?
Do you have a decent pic of the board?

Things I built:
Mechwarrior 2 installer for Windows 10/11 Re: A comprehensive guide to install and play MechWarrior 2 on new versions on Windows.
Dos+Windows 3.11 auto-install iso template (for vmware)
Script to backup Win9x\ME drivers from a working install

Reply 29 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Oh, I oversight the datasheet at bottom of VGA museum website. This explains a lot. My guess was right - the chip has internal 32kB ROM! I never seen this before... Of course it can be disabled and then the chip use external (flash)ROM via address and data bus. There is aslo strap feature that should allow completly disable the video chip.

From the datasheet:

D2 BIOS ROM decoding logic
0: Enable
1: Disable when MD18 is pulled up with resistor.
D1 Video subsystem enable/disable at power-on is
0: Controlled by System BIOS
1: Forced to disable when MD17 is pulled up with resistor

As manufacturer didn't added any jumper for this some wiring would be needed to add pull-up on MD17...

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 30 of 37, by myne

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

It's probably already there as a transistor which the bios is supposed to switch off when it finds another card

Things I built:
Mechwarrior 2 installer for Windows 10/11 Re: A comprehensive guide to install and play MechWarrior 2 on new versions on Windows.
Dos+Windows 3.11 auto-install iso template (for vmware)
Script to backup Win9x\ME drivers from a working install

Reply 31 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I made some better photo of my M592

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 32 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Do you see the JP6 "jumper" (bridge) that is soldered to its position? There's no info about it in the manual. If this mobo was mine, I'd try changing its position by soldering a three pin jumper-header on its place.

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 33 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Yes, I oversight this. Sure, no problem to solder pin header instead and try what it does 😀

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 34 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hm, flipping the jumper didn't help to run ext. VGA but internal VGA got scrambled screen. When I pulled jumper out I got just blank screen on internal VGA (monitor detected 720x350@70Hz but blank), ext. VGA no signal at all. So the jumper is somehow VGA related but not that I wanted. It had a reason to be hard-soldered.

I also tried add pull-up at pin MD17, 18. Either one disabled int. VGA but ext. VGA still doesn't boot up.
MD17 pull up - POST stops at code 2Ah (sooner), ext. PCI VGA no signal, ISA VGA out of range (94Hz)
MD18 pull up - POST stops at code 80h (later), ext. PCI VGA no signal, ISA VGA no signal
both pull ups - POST stops at code 80h (later), ext. PCI VGA no signal, ISA VGA out of range (97Hz)

After boot with onboard VGA both PCI VGAs are visible on the bus:

PCI device #3 found at bus: 0, dev: 9, func: 0
Vendor ID: 104Ch (Texas Instruments)
Device ID: 3D07h, Revision ID: 1, Class: 03h (display adapter)
Sub-Class: 00h (VGA controller)
IRQ: 0, INTA, Cache line size: 0 Bytes, Latency: 64, max 48us, Status: 0280h
BAR: EFFC0000h, EF000000h, EE800000h, 00000000h, 00000000h, 00000000h
ROM base: EFFB0000h, Cardbus CISptr: 00000000h, Subs.VID: 1048h, Subs.ID: 0A32h
CMD: IntDis-,FB2B-,SERREn-,WCC-,PER-,VGAPS-,MemWIEn-,SCE-,BusMa-,MemSEn-,IOSEn-

PCI device #11 found at bus: 0, dev: 11, func: 0
Vendor ID: 1039h (SIS)
Device ID: 0204h, Revision ID: 33, Class: 03h (display adapter)
Sub-Class: 00h (VGA controller)
IRQ: 0, none, Cache line size: 0 Bytes, Latency: 0, max 0us, Status: 0200h
BAR: FF400008h, EFFF0000h, 0000EC81h, 00000000h, 00000000h, 00000000h
ROM base: EFFE8000h, Cardbus CISptr: 00000000h, Subs.VID: 1039h, Subs.ID: 0204h
CMD: IntDis-,FB2B-,SERREn-,WCC-,PER-,VGAPS-,MemWIEn-,SCE-,BusMa-,MemSEn+,IOSEn+

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 35 of 37, by analog_programmer

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hmmm, that's really strange behaviour. What is this Texas Instruments videocard? Can you try with some known for its compatibility PCI videocard like for example S3 Trio or Virge/DX/GX?

from СМ630 to Ryzen gen. 3
engineer's five pennies: this world goes south since everything's run by financiers and economists
this isn't voice chat, yet some people, overusing online communications, "talk" and "hear voices"

Reply 36 of 37, by RayeR

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Permedia2, I tried also with some cirrus logic, doesn't matter. One friend suggested me to lift up reset pin of onboard VGA while other pins should.left hiZ but I think that PCI bridge may still keep forwarding IO tranactions to onboard VGA instead of PCI slot so some BIOS hack maybe needed. I probably waste no more time with this crap...

Gigabyte GA-P67-DS3-B3, Core i7-2600K @4,5GHz, 8GB DDR3, 128GB SSD, GTX970(GF7900GT), SB Audigy + YMF724F + DreamBlaster combo + LPC2ISA

Reply 37 of 37, by Myloch

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I have an elpina M559, it has got a 10pins port named "usb1". Any idea if this can be adapted for ps2 mouse?

"Gamer & collector for passion, I firmly believe in the preservation and the diffusion of old/rare software, against all personal egoisms"