The OP's board. (I think - corrected.)
https://www.stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards … -486-MB-4F.html
My board
https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/M/M … -386-CACHE.html
[My Board]
This is what I know so far.
Model: FOREX 386 CACHE
OEM Distributor: Micro Express, INC.
Manufacturer: Taiwan Turbo Technology Co., LTD
BIOS String: 40-0500-001719-00101111-121291-FORX-8
Mfr 1719 = Taiwan Turbo Technology Co., LTD
Chipset = Forex 46C411/402 WriteThru (Matches the numbers on the chips)
BIOS Date = Dec 12 1991
[The story]
This showed up in an AT case I bought from rip-off-bay.
The ad said "unknown motherboard/condition" and such.
I just wanted the dirty old AT case for a 440BX based project so I didn't care.
.
It has:
The above mobo with a fixed AMD 386DX-40 installed
Jumpers indicate 64k Cache installed. All the chips are there.
8MB RAM x8 sticks in 2x sets of 4 matching. (Ouch, I just bought some of that.)
Video, 256k SVGA 16-bit = MCT-VGA-16 (TDVGA 3588 BIOS v1.04A)
... Like this one: https://ibm.retropc.se/rom/photo/MCT-VGA-16.jpg
Weird HD= Kalok KL3100 Spins-up, sounds okay, but not otherwise tested yet.
Slightly rusty Newtronics FD. (Not tested yet, main chip looks a bit melted in spots.)
[ HD & FD controllers MIA. I have some, I haven't dug one out yet.]
Some IBM modem card. (Not explored yet.)
Battery is not leaking. (Thanks for that!)
And a PSU.
Some stickers (on case) indicate it belonged to some Tech Research firm.
I REALLY wanna see what's on the HD! Just haven't gotten that far yet.
I didn't really want a 386 but it's here...
... so I figured, what the heck, let's see if it fires as is.
-> Booted right up and I can access the BIOS.
(with audio effects provided by a very loud squealing PSU fan.)
I didn't even want it, but it works and now I'm jazzed!
But I have some questions...
Though I have some fully built 286/386/486 around for testing RAM and such, I haven't newly set anything that old up in maybe 15-20 years.
I don't remember (or haven't seen) some of settings and such in Stason's Settings-Configuration page.
1: There is a jumper setting, JP101, "DRAM parity check" Enable/Disable.
What does that actually do?
Does that mean I can switch between using Partity and Non-Parity RAM?
Or does that just stop/start some boot-up check?
2: I know what a 80387DX NPU is, but what does it mean when it's written as "80387DX/3167"?
Is that (3167) a specific version of 80387DX or an alternative to it?
(If I decide to keep it then I want to add the NPU chip.)
Thanks all!
.
GRUMPY OLD FART - On Hiatus, sort'a
Mann-Made Global Warming. - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.