Wow thats a restauration..! I doubt the BIOS is the only problem but thats a good point to start. You should clean the contacts of the ROM again and then try to read again?

Its this card:
http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/component … item/467-udl-c3

Ask Jesolo to upload a BIOS 😉
Looking for jumper settings for old EGA card

Predator99 wrote on 2020-08-24, 17:58:

Its this card:
http://www.vgamuseum.info/index.php/component … item/467-udl-c3

Doh! it's a "U"!
Thanks!

Hehe,

for testing I can recommend to spend 6€ for this device 😉

6€ MCE2VGA replacement - CGA/EGA/HGC capture with logic analyzer

Will prevent to damage your valuable monitor with wrong settings 😉

anetanel wrote on 2020-08-24, 17:08:

Question is, can those cards work without a BIOS? if not, where can I get my hands on a compatible one?
I don't currently have an EGA capable monitor, but I do have a 9 pin monochrome one. I tried using it, but obviously nothing showed, and I also learned that it can be dangerous to the monitor if the card is not configured via the DIP switch to output monochrome signal.

Technically, the card itself, i.e. the hardware, should work without the BIOS option ROM chip.
CGA and MDA/Hercules cards don't have a BIOS option ROM, either, but they are initialized by the system BIOS.
In order to get a picture out of it, you would have to run some software at startup that initializes the card to a sensible video mode.
The good news is that the DIP switch positions that are the most difficult to figure out by looking at the board are usually for the BIOS, only, namely to tell it which video modes the monitor supports.

I'd say that IBMs EGA manual is a good starting point: OA - IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter.
It contains tables with the hardware register values that are needed for particular modes.

anetanel wrote on 2020-08-24, 17:08:

So while I'm waiting on a loan of a compatible monitor from a friend, I need to hunt for the missing BIOS, and I guess also finding the correct DIP switch settings.
I was not able to find info on this card, aside of some ebay listings.

Ebay listings can still be interesting if they contain photos that reveal valid DIP switch settings.

Predator99 wrote on 2020-08-24, 18:06:

Hehe, […]
Show full quote

Hehe,

for testing I can recommend to spend 6€ for this device 😉

6€ MCE2VGA replacement - CGA/EGA/HGC capture with logic analyzer

Will prevent to damage your valuable monitor with wrong settings 😉

Thanks #2 😀
I'll go over the thread and try to understand what it is all about.

Well, if you can source the original BIOS, that will obviously simplify things a lot!

In combination with a logic analyzer, you could even find good DIP switch settings via trial and error.
(You should still make sure that they do not short anything out. With hardware from that era you never know.)

well I do have this card, tomorrow morning I can dump and share the BIOS so hopefully the restoration will be successful!

edit:
IIRC from the time I spent with this EGA card the jumper settings are more or less these: https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/v/I-L/50064.htm

This community is AWESOME.
Thanks to all of you for your replies.

anetanel wrote on 2020-08-24, 18:15:

Thanks #2 😀
I'll go over the thread and try to understand what it is all about.

Its about connecting a EGA-card to a modern PC via the USB-logic analyzer and watch the output in a window. It works and will be a good investment 😉

How did you clean the card and remove the corrosion? Looks pretty good as far as I can see?

Predator99 wrote on 2020-08-24, 19:45:

How did you clean the card and remove the corrosion? Looks pretty good as far as I can see?

At first I used soapy water, alcohol and contact cleaner to only some small degree of success. Then I submerged it in vinegar for an hour or so, and brushed is with a tooth brush. It did a good job so I submerged it again for another hour in diluted citric acid (Here it is called "lemon salt" and sold as granules with other spices in every supermarket) and brushed it again.

here is the promised dump, anetanel don't forget to update us if the card worked in the end!

keropi wrote on 2020-08-25, 07:54:

here is the promised dump, anetanel don't forget to update us if the card worked in the end!

That was fast 😀
the content of the bin is nothing like my semi empty one, so it is promising.
Now the question is, how I "burn" it?
I have the original chip, but it needs to be erased, and I don't have a UV eraser.
I will order one, but in the mean time is it possible to use an EEPROM/Flash chip? I have several of those.

Yes, you can use a compatible EEPROM. If it has a bigger size than the image you have to write multiple copies until its full.

Which one do you have available?

It may also be possible to initialize the card from DOS with a copy of the BIOS...have to try if this works 😉

well any 27C128/256/512 chip will do, just duplicate the rom dump to fill the whole chip and you'll be set

It is ALIVE!!!

Holly cr*p I am shocked that it worked on the first try.
I uses a 27C512 flash that I had.
Duplicated the 16K BIOS with "COPY" command 4 times, and flashed it.
Verified that the DIP is in monochrome mode as per these docs: https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/v/I-L/50064.htm, and it just worked!
Thank you all so so very much! I'm almost in tears here...

Wow cool...didnt expect that when looking at that card in its uncleaned state...

Predator99 wrote on 2020-08-25, 08:40:

Wow cool...didnt expect that when looking at that card in its uncleaned state...

Right?
I expected I'll need to reflow it or something..

Well, I already ordered the UV eraser and the signal analyzer. Always good to have one at home 😀

Very good. Would be happy to see some users/contributors to the Sigrok-project 😉
You may also like to order some of these
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Straight-Right-Angle- … 872.m2749.l2649
To connect the cables to the card, but you can also use simple wires.

I would also not give up that early on the contents of the original BIOS. There was a label on the chip so why sould it be deleted if all other ICs on the card still work? Maybe there is some corssosion left on some pins which prevents reading..?

anetanel wrote on 2020-08-25, 08:35:

It is ALIVE!!! […]
Show full quote

It is ALIVE!!!

Holly cr*p I am shocked that it worked on the first try.
I uses a 27C512 flash that I had.
Duplicated the 16K BIOS with "COPY" command 4 times, and flashed it.
Verified that the DIP is in monochrome mode as per these docs: https://arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/v/I-L/50064.htm, and it just worked!
Thank you all so so very much! I'm almost in tears here...

Wait, what? How can your monochrome screen have two colors? Or is that just weird exposure?
Also: What exactly is the purpose of the rubber duck on the MT-32?