PCChips (maybe a P54C)

[mahib]

Dear friends,

I think this a bit akward but I do need help, a lot, by the way.

I have and old motherboard from PCChips that I do not find in the web http://www.pcchips.com.tw.

It has a Socket 5, an AMI BIOS, 4 ISA slots, 4 PCI, 2 IDE controllers on board, 4 banks for memory of 72 contacts and the only IO system is the keyboard connector (the big one -not PS2). It is equiped by a Pentium 90.

I can not help more because I do not have a power supply with the same interface that is currently avalaible, so even I can not even start the motherboard right now. Maybe I can find a conversor but I prefer identify the mobo before I plug it anything.

I searched a lot of webs on the Internet watching pictures and the only that is very similar are the mobos based in the old Triton chipset of 95. Stupid of me I lost the manual so I am completely losed.

By the way, navigating in http://www.x86.org/intel.doc/intelmotherboards.htm the most similar motherboard is the Zappa Advanced/ZP Pentium P54C, Socket 5, 82430 FX Triton Chipset.

A friendly guy posted the photo of the mobo in http://s87841630.onlinehome.us/MBHW/placa_base.jpg.

Can anybody recognize it?

Thanks in advance,

Mahib.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Welcome to the forums!

Firstly, for all such BIOS/unknown motherboard type questions - check out wimsbios and the associated message boards.

Secondly, why do you need to know about your motherbaord anyway? Is it to check the BIOS version/update availability?

Good luck,

Andy

 

[mahib]

You're right.

I saw the site, but the problem I have is that I can not start up the mobo right now.

On the other side, I want to know more about the mobo to check if I can install a BIOS update (or at least the last one) and to install a Linux.

Mahib.

 

[Fencer128]

Hi,

Well. I think you'll need to bite the bullet and get yourself a baby-AT case and PSU. It's the only way to find out for sure if there are no further identifying marks on the motherboard. On the plus side - I would be very surprised if you couldn't install linux on a board of that type.

Good luck,

Andy

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah. As far as I know, it's probably not an Intel-chipset mobo. Mostly they had two major chips, the "main" chip (i430FX, VX, HX, TX), and a secondary chip (PIIX, PIIX3, PIIX4/4e), and possibly a pair of smaller data-buffer chips. So it's not an Intel-based board. I'm guessing ALi, SiS, or Opti. Probably not a Via board either. It actually should tell you, should you be able to get it to boot. I'm betting that is some sort of FIC board myself. Nope, after checking http://www.redhill.net.au/ib.html , it's definately some no-name PCChips board. The "mystery chipset" numbers, and the board revision number near the keyboard port, gives it away.

 

[Peter]

Ah, computer archaeology ...

That's a very early Pentium effort, no multiplier jumper, linear voltage regulator, 75-100 MHz Pentium supported only. The chipset might be anything - early Pentium chipsets from ALi or SiS or OPTi were three-chip, and at the time, there were numerous others still actively maintaining their own.

You'll have to fire that thing up (don't forget to put a battery in!) and read the BIOS ID for us. Also, looking at what PCI chips are there (using diagnostics software in DOS) might help figure out what it is and who made it.

 

[Peter]

ftp://ftp.lsil.com/pub/symchips/scsi/samp_code/TOOLS/pci.zip

Boot to DOS, start PCI.EXE, press F5 to save a PCI_REGS.DAT to disk, then post that file here.

 

[mahib]

Hello (again):

I got an AT box with supply so I plugged the mobo but it does not work.

I tell you what is plugged if can be helpful:

* A floppy unit connected to an I/O controller I bought in a second-hand store. The problem is that the brand is NEIMKI (stands for "Netiher it's Mother knows it") and has a lot of jumpers without any legend. I searched for the unique indication (JGBPRIME2) on Internet and the result was zero.
* A Toshiba CD-ROM on the IDE 2.
* A Cirrus Logic graphic card in the VGA SLOT.
* A Realtek 10/100 LAN card.
* A Pentium 90 en the Socket 5.

So I start up the computer and nothing happens, there's no bips nor the monitor shows nothing.

If the mobo is not completely dead, maybe the only thing I did wrong is plug something in th wrong order.

I'll check it to see if somebody can help. Please refer to the URL http://s87841630.onlinehome.us/MBHW/placa_base.jpg.

JP2: there's no legend. It is under the external battery and below the keyboard connector. It has jumpers in the 2-3 positions so I left it (the first position is hidden by the jumper.)

JP6: It's on position B. If you pay attention to the right-central part of the photo you'll see the legend 75M, 90M, 100M. Hidden by the memory chips on-board it's the JP6 legend. It's destined to the chip speed. B is the position for 90MHz so the position is correct.

JP7: No legend. I left it as is.

JP10: it's near the 91A/DY chip. No legend, no jumper. It was originally as this? Did I take off the jumpers when I "parked" the mobo? No idea.

JP11: it is the TB LED. I guess is the "TURBO" led the mid 90s mobos had. I plugged the connector of the box.

JP12: it is the POW LED/KEY LOCK. I plugged the box connector and works. At least the POW LED because the KEY LOCK I had no opportunity to check.

JP13: it is the SPEAKER. In the box there was no connector with the this text but following the only connector that has no legend I reached the speaker so I plugged it.

JP14: it is the TB SW (¿Turbo Switch?). There was no connector nor a switch on the box so I left it as is.

JP15: it is the HDD LED so I plugged the box connector with this legend.

JP16: it is the RESET so I plugged the box connector with this legend.

JP17: it is the SUSPEND SW (?). It must be the suspend switch. There was no switch of this type in the box so I left it as is.

The FAN POW connector below the micro socket I left it empty because the fan has a male big connector to plug one female connector of the power supply. And works also.

The supposed 1, 3, 4 and 5 jumpers does not exist so there is no comments.

Some of the jumpers I talked about are not visible in the picture so I indicate them.

From the right down border of the picture and from top to bottom and right to left are:

13
12
17
16
15
14
11
7

I do not know if to give up. If somebody has and idea...

Thanks.:disgust: