VOGONS

Old 486 Will recognize HDD on controller card, but not the FDD

Topic actions

First post, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Hello All, new user here, after lurking around for months I finally made a account. I'm dealing with a strange issue.

I acquired a Soyo sy025k for a old Tandy 2100 case I had due to the old Tandy motherboard getting wrecked, so I've been trying to hobble something together where it used to be my late father's rig back in the day.

PC will post fine, but in the BIOS when I have the HDD and FDD connected to the controller card, which is a SAB 757 ISA, it will recognize the HDD fine, but the FDD will not initialize on boot, no familiar floppy sound or anything. I have confirmed the jumpers are correct on the controller card and still to no avail.

The BIOS is Award. It's whatever came on the Soyo sy025k motherboard

The CPU is a 486 DX66

I swear I'm not trying to be a idiot, but before I decide to purchase another controller card I'm wanting to see if it's something I'm doing wrong or what?

Reply 1 of 12, by wierd_w

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

This sounds like the FDC is disabled on the multio.

Can you post pictures of the controller card, that show the full board surface?

Reply 2 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Yes. I will post a photo.

Reply 3 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Here it is!

Reply 5 of 12, by wierd_w

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Your card is a Forever Grand SAB-757 from Forever Grand International.

https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/fore … r-grand-sab-757

Jumpering data available.

https://theretroweb.com/expansioncard/documen … ation/20615.pdf

Looking at your card, the FDC is enabled.

You mentioned that there is an onboard controller. Have you disabled the onboard controller?

Reply 6 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Thank you. I will take a closer look.

Reply 7 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I don't think there is a onboard controller. Here is the motherboard. I am only using that card.

Reply 9 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

It is solid green when I believe the cable is connected wrong, and if put a floppy in the drive it spins continuously, if I connect it the other way around the lights off, but when I put a floppy in the drive it will spin for like 2 seconds.

Reply 10 of 12, by wierd_w

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Solid green is indeed 'cable is upside down'.

Does your cable have a twist?

Floppy drive A comes after the twist.
Floppy drive B comes before the twist.

If there is a twist, and the drive is after it, and there is still no love, we need to examine if the floppy drive has jumpers.

Reply 11 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

So I have been working with 2 floppy drives
1 is a Compaq, I don't really have much information on it and I don't see any jumpers
The other floppy drive is a Sony MPF420-1 with the jumpers configured like so

Reply 12 of 12, by thrashertildeth

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I may get another card. Maybe something with VESA especially for this board, that original controller card was in the Tandy that used to be in that case.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to General Old Hardware
Close window
Close window