I have some questions about this OLD motherboard.

[bupkus]

It has two power headers.
One fits my ATX PSU, the other has 12 exposed(male) pins right next to it. The case I got it from was an AT using the 12x1 pins.
It has the AT keyboard connector but has an add-on slot-panel that ribbons to the mobo. This panel has one circular PS/2 connector and a parallel port that ribbons to a mobo header.
I'd like to place this into an atx case but I know I don't have a port panel to match the port, although the only ports I would use would occupy the pci slots. I'm gonna try a fit and see.
Wish me luck.

Almost forgot...
is there some way I can clean up this mobo? I'd like to try a q-tip with isopropyl alcohol but that may take a while.

 

[Jhhnn]

There were some boards of that era that would accept either kind of psu...

Using a keyboard adapter, like this, will solve part of the problem....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067OL9/102-8814888-3297748?n=172282

That's if it has an atx style i/o plate for everything else...

 

[bupkus]

What's odd is the mouse/keyboard inputs. The slot shield with the ps2 plug has a wire ribbon that will plug into the mobo at either of two identically looking headers. One will support a ps2 keyboard, the other will support a ps2 mouse. As long as there's a ps2 keyboard plugged in, the AT plugged keyboard won't work. That isn't surprising but still, if I had a second slot shield with a ps2 plug I could toss that old keyboard.
BTW, does anyone have a slot shield with a ps2 plug they wouldn't mind parting with? Know where to find a mobo/case port shield that would work for me?

 

[Peter]

The PS2 header is for a mouse, and only a mouse. This particular mainboard might detect the keyboard and swap the ports - but still, you cannot have more than one legacy keyboard on a PC. Want more keyboards? Use USB. Want to use ONE modern keyboard? Use a PS2->DIN adapter.

 

[bupkus]

Rummaging around in my bags of pc stuff I found a PS2->DIN adapter.

So you think if I have a USB 2.0 PCI card it will work in this relic?

 

[Peter]

Little reason why it shouldn't.

 

[Ol Bob]

I'm surprised it has PCI slots. Were't most computers back then still using ISA slots?

 

[Peter]

Nah. PCI has been around since the late 486 days. 1992 to 1993 was when it became popular over VL and ISA, at least for graphics and storage. ATX made its first appearance about five years after that.

(Technician's side note: Yes we still have the same 32-bit 33 MHz PCI slots we had 14 years ago. It was about time to bring forward another major step of progress - enter PCIE.)