egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-13, 12:42:

When I start the computer with a good working videocard I hear one beep. When I start the computer with the Speedstar I hear a m […]
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nuno14272 wrote on 2025-11-13, 09:07:

If no boot, and no beeps, the card is causing a short...
If bios problems the cpu would post , no video on screen but post.

so its a short problem.. need to check continuity in those tantaluns, and that diode

When I start the computer with a good working videocard I hear one beep. When I start the computer with the Speedstar I hear a multiple beep and I hear the harddisk startup, nothing on the screen.
So, I don't think there is a shortcut. I'll be back when I know the exact beeps.

When I want to check the capacitors, do I have to remove them first from the card?

I listened carefully to the beeps: one long en three short. In the meantime I also tried BIOS 2.0, no result whatsoever.

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-13, 17:06:

I listened carefully to the beeps: one long en three short. In the meantime I also tried BIOS 2.0, no result whatsoever.

That usually means "VGA card not detected."

Does the PC boot with the card inserted? I would 1st check if the VGA-BIOS is visible to the CPU at C000:0 and if its correct.

Start the PC and dump it to a file. You can do it blind or with a batch file. There are many tools available, or do it simply with debug.exe

We asked him multiple times to reseat the BIOS chip and extra RAM chips due to oxidisation... there's no reason the BIOS image is lost from the original BIOS... only the connection is in question.

OK, when you think a loose contact is the only reason for a not working BIOS this may be sufficient.

I think the beep codes indicate the BIOS is not visible/corrupted.

By making a dump from the running system you can exclude this option.

And, not enough, if this is the reason for the failure you can try to run the BIOS from disk and see if the card initializes.

insert another card and re-flash the bios then.

Predator99 wrote on 2025-11-14, 22:09:

Does the PC boot with the card inserted? I would 1st check if the VGA-BIOS is visible to the CPU at C000:0 and if its correct.

Start the PC and dump it to a file. You can do it blind or with a batch file. There are many tools available, or do it simply with debug.exe

How can I flash the VGA-BIOS under DOS or Windows 95. Is there a tool for that? I don't know what is meant by: "I would 1st check if the VGA-BIOS is visible to the CPU at C000:0 and if its correct". How should I do that?
I have a T48 programmer and another chip that I can use on the card.

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-17, 12:12:

Predator99 wrote on 2025-11-14, 22:09:

Does the PC boot with the card inserted? I would 1st check if the VGA-BIOS is visible to the CPU at C000:0 and if its correct.

Start the PC and dump it to a file. You can do it blind or with a batch file. There are many tools available, or do it simply with debug.exe

How can I flash the VGA-BIOS under DOS or Windows 95. Is there a tool for that? I don't know what is meant by: "I would 1st check if the VGA-BIOS is visible to the CPU at C000:0 and if its correct". How should I do that?
I have a T48 programmer and another chip that I can use on the card.

Since you have a programmer, first pull the rom and see if you can read it. The rom should have a check sum to verify that is intact if you can read it.

If it is not readable, you can put the rom on a new chip and place it on your card.
If you have version 2.00, you can grab a copy of my ROM here : https://theretroweb.com/expansioncards/s/diam … peedstar-64-isa

Edit-- and version 2.02 is available as well. If you have a different version, zip it and upload it to this thread please.

Hereby the download of the BIOS-file from my Diamond Speedstar 64.

Your dump is perfectly OK. Make a dump from the running system....

[attachment=-1]Screenshot 2025-11-17 173816.png[/attachment]

I have the Speedstar placed in a system with a P2B Asus motherboard with a good working AGP videocard. The system didn't start, no beeps, no post, nothing on the screen. After having removed the Speedstar the system started again without problems. Is this a shortcut or something else?

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-13, 17:06:

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-13, 12:42:

When I start the computer with a good working videocard I hear one beep. When I start the computer with the Speedstar I hear a m […]
Show full quote

nuno14272 wrote on 2025-11-13, 09:07:

If no boot, and no beeps, the card is causing a short...
If bios problems the cpu would post , no video on screen but post.

so its a short problem.. need to check continuity in those tantaluns, and that diode

When I start the computer with a good working videocard I hear one beep. When I start the computer with the Speedstar I hear a multiple beep and I hear the harddisk startup, nothing on the screen.
So, I don't think there is a shortcut. I'll be back when I know the exact beeps.

When I want to check the capacitors, do I have to remove them first from the card?

I listened carefully to the beeps: one long en three short. In the meantime I also tried BIOS 2.0, no result whatsoever.

For Award bios, 1 long and 2 short beeps means "graphics subsystem failure" - it does that when the graphics card is not seated properly, for instance.

1 long and 3 short beeps I am not so certain, I have heard S3 cards doing it when no monitor is plugged into the card.

No, 2 VGAs at once isnt a good idea.

With only the Speedstar inserted, does the system boot (without displaying something)? Do you see the LED of the HDD flashing?

Predator99 wrote on 2025-11-17, 18:02:

No, 2 VGAs at once isnt a good idea.

With only the Speedstar inserted, does the system boot (without displaying something)? Do you see the LED of the HDD flashing?

With only the Speedstar in the p2b the system doesn't boot, the HDD-led is constantly on and there is noting on the screen.

I cann't make a BIOS-dump in a working system, because the system doesn't start at all.

OK...and what happens with the BIOS removed?

I assume you already tried all combinations of the 2 jumpers?

I have tried all jumper combinations with no effect.

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-17, 19:34:

I have tried all jumper combinations with no effect.

There's not much more to test.

Try to measure if the crystal is still working.

You could also desolder the 74-series logic chips and test them if you have one of those tl866 series programmers.

if those three check out... i'd start thinking the cl5434 is damaged.

Do you have any way of testing the removable ram chips ?

Which chips are the "74-series logic"chips? How do I measure the crystal, should it be desoldered?
I tested the card after removing the 2 removable memory chips. It didn't make any difference.

egbertjan wrote on 2025-11-17, 20:50:

Which chips are the "74-series logic"chips?

It's the two where the markings have as first numbers 74.
I think it's a 245 and a 04... better look at the photo to be sure.
edit: DM74LS245N & MC74F04N

How do I measure the crystal, should it be desoldered?

If you have access to an oscilloscope it's easy. If not... I'm out of ideas at the moment.

I tested the card after removing the 2 removable memory chips. It didn't make any difference.

I guess that means you do not have any way to test those chips,
like another videocard or a soundcard that would accept those chips and which can verify if those chips are still working.

Is this damage on the board or only dirt/debri?

It doesn't hurt to replace all the large 10uF tantalum capacitors anyway, if everything else has been ruled out.