• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

what is wrong with my PS/2??

M

Mike Chambers

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
2,621
alright, so that PS/2 Model 80 (8580) i started that other thread about. the day after i got it, i accidentally shorted the 12 volt rail going to the SCSI drives with the ground. i didn't notice right away, but about 5 seconds after turning it on smoke started coming from they were shorted.

i shut it off immediately, and fixed the crossed wires. when i turned it back on, it seemed like i got lucky. it still turned right on and POSTed. but now, ever since that happened, it hasn't been able to use the SCSI drives. it gives errors when probing the drives. it usually turns up SCSI error 0208603U 221I.

I looked it up, and apparently it's failing at the stage where it enumerates the drives and what IDs they're on. I've tried using 3 different known good drives. same thing keeps happening. at first i thought that i might have damaged the SCSI card. the shorted wires actually was the 12 volt line touching the metal housing of a SCSI CD drive that was plugged in so i thought maybe all this voltage was sent through the card from the drive.

so i ordered a new identical SCSI adapter. i got it, installed it, booted.. same error. at this point i figured it must be the motherboard, so i ordered an identical one. i just got it delivered here today, and i've got it installed. i STILL have the same problem, and i've tried using both SCSI cards!

this is getting very very expensive. i think the only thing left that it could be is the power supply, right? that was the last thing i assumed was wrong, because other than the SCSI drive issue the system works just fine. i can boot floppies and everything.

any ideas?? what is the pinout for these PS/2 power supplies?? i'm thinking i should take a voltmeter to this thing and check the levels of the outputs. do they use any voltages that aren't available on a standard AT or ATX power supply? i was thinking that if they don't, i can rig up one to run this PS/2 temporarily to see if it helps before i spend another $40 when a new PSU wouldn't even help.

any ideas? :confused:
 
thanks for the link. the voltages all test fine. i wired up an AT power supply to it anyway, and even then it keeps giving me the same issue! this is really getting crazy. if all the voltages are good, the drives are good, and i've tried two different identical SCSI cards as WELL as two identical motherboards... what else could possibly be causing a problem?? this is driving me nuts, i just want to get this thing running. and yes, the only card i'm putting on while doing this testing is the SCSI one. i took all others out of the picture.

GRRRR!

hulk.gif
 
Well, while I don't have experience with this system I do recall lots of folks saying some power supplies don't have a problem unless they're under load (short somewhere?). But I'm note 100% sure how you'd test that with that connector, though you could test one of the power cables while it's all connected and running.

Dumb question but you have the SCSI terminated right? Could it be the new SCSI card needs to be configured for the drives still?
 
barythrin said:
Well, while I don't have experience with this system I do recall lots of folks saying some power supplies don't have a problem unless they're under load (short somewhere?). But I'm note 100% sure how you'd test that with that connector, though you could test one of the power cables while it's all connected and running.

Dumb question but you have the SCSI terminated right? Could it be the new SCSI card needs to be configured for the drives still?
Click to expand...

yep, i've tested it both under load and without load. all the voltage readings are dead on. (each within 0.2 volts of specifications)

it also is terminated properly. at least i think. i'm kind of noobish with SCSI, i had never used it at all until about a year and a half ago. but even with the drives and termination exactly as it was when i first got the machine, i'm getting this error. it's the craziest thing i've seen in a while.
 
i THINK i'm terminating everything right. i'm using 1 drive at a time just to see if i can get it working, and i make sure it has a term resistor installed on it's PCB. there is also a TR socketed on the SCSI card itself. this is how it was when i first got the system, and it worked perfectly.
 
Mike Chambers said:
i THINK i'm terminating everything right. i'm using 1 drive at a time just to see if i can get it working, and i make sure it has a term resistor installed on it's PCB. there is also a TR socketed on the SCSI card itself. this is how it was when i first got the system, and it worked perfectly.
Click to expand...

What SCSI adapter are you using? Have you got the ADF file installed? See link below

http://mastodonpc.tripod.com/adffiles/index.html
 
Have you tried changing SCSI cables? If you have an ASPI driver for the card, I think I still have a SCSI debug program somewhere--assuming you can boot DOS and load the ASPI driver.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Have you tried changing SCSI cables? If you have an ASPI driver for the card, I think I still have a SCSI debug program somewhere--assuming you can boot DOS and load the ASPI driver.
Click to expand...

the cable occured to me, but i don't have any other SCSI cables that will attach to this IBM card. it's a goofy connector. the cable LOOKS fine. i know that doesn't mean much. and yes i can boot to DOS with a floppy just fine. i'll try the program if you find it. i recall seeing an ASPI driver for these adapters somewhere online, i'll have a look and see if i can find it. all the drives i hook up act like they're being intialized when the system probes for them. the motors spin up and the lights blink normally. it's just like the card can't receive the responses.
 
Okay Mike. After you boot to DOS with the ASPI driver loaded, try running the attached program (scans the bus and attempts to figure out what you've got). If that works, we can see about reading/writing the drive.
 

Attachments

  • TASPI.ZIP
    7.9 KB · Views: 1
thanks for the program chuck. and mike, i measured the voltage in a lot of different places.

i actually got the problem fixed last night. i carefully pried off all of the connectors on the SCSI cable (except the card-edge one) with a flathead, and then i cut the cable directly before where the first drive connector was. this still left me with about 1 foot to work with. then i took some pliers and re-crimped two of the connectors back onto the cable. i plugged it in with fingers crossed, and bam - it worked! :)

stupid me should have tried this before spending the money on a whole new motherboard and SCSI card. oh well. that just means i have another one to play with. i was going to remove the 25 MHz DX 386 and the 50 MHz oscillator. i have a 40 MHz CPU and 80 MHz crystal i am going to replace them with. i might as well put a socket between the oscillator and motherboard while i'm at it for easy swapping.
 
Good to hear that it was the cable--I guessed that it was about the only thing that was left that you hadn't changed. But you do get the feeling of having replaced the engine in your car and keeping the bad spark plugs... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top