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Bios IBM 5170 hard disk with 47 user

E

enrico

Experienced Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
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121
Location
Pisa - Italy
I'm trying to install a hard drive IBM H3256-A3 (manual here http://www.hgst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/7BF937434F9F7BBC86256E900073460D/$file/oem3fspe.pdf ) in an IBM AT 286.
I state that the motherboard 286 type 1 with a controller AB-862G SUPER MULTI I/O CARD and a pair of drive performs the correct boot of the dos 4.0 (with no hard disk connected and configured), and that the alone hard drive works and has been perfectly formatted in dos way on another P3 machine.
I replaced the original U27 and U47 with the bios BIOS_5170_30APR89_AMI_D286-1277-043089-K0 (downloaded the AMI BIOS FOR 5170 at the bottom of this page http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/bios/bios.htm) to have the option 47 user disk.
Following the instructions given in the manual of the hard disk IBM H3256-A3 fields to be filled in bios are: cyl = 872, heads = 16, Wpcom = 65535, Lzone = 0, sect / trk = 36, obtaining a total capacity of 245.205 MB (=872x16x36x512/1048576).
After turning on the machine, however, it stops and it does not proceed either boot from a floppy or even the keyboard responds any more. Instead without hard drive connected and / or configured the machine works perfectly.
Thanks for any useful suggestion.
Enrico
 
Looks like you set it up correctly. The only thing that comes to mind is that if this is not a translating BIOS it will not understand the logical layout and needs the physical layout.
 
Thanks for your answer. What means exactly "translating BIOS"? At page 13 of this manual of the hard disk http://www.hgst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/7BF937434F9F7BBC86256E900073460D/$file/oem3fspe.pdf there are 2 sections: phisical layout and logical layout, but what could be their relationship?
Then on the same page is written:
Logical layout is a imaginable HDD parameter (number of heads) which is used to access the HDD from the system interface. Logical layout to physical layout (actual head, sector) translation is done automatically in the HDD. The default setting can be obtained by issuing the IDENTIFY DRIVE command. (What is it?)

Enrico
 
It's a BIOS that can handle LBA (Logical Block Addressing). I don't think the BIOS you are using can do this as it's from 1989 and most translating BIOSes are from 1994 and later. You can probably install a DDO (Dynamic Drive Overlay) on this drive if you really must use it with this computer. Or you can look into the XTIDE card which will allow almost any IDE drive to run on almost any computer, including PC, XT and AT.
 
From the hard drive's manual, "Logical layout to physical layout (actual head, sector) translation is done automatically in the HDD."
So, setting up the logical geometry (cylinders/heads/SPT) of 872/16/36 is expected to work.
 
Check that the jumpers are set correctly, on the hard drive disable the cable select option and set the drive to single drive only.
On the AB-862 install a jumper on JP6, you may also try disabling portions of the AB-862 (floppy drives, game port, etc.)

Attached is a PDF of the jumper settings for the hard drive and an jpg image of the jumper settings for the AB-862G SUPER MULTI I/O CARD

View attachment 13125
 
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Hello to all,
I made other tests in the following order:
1) Test hard drive IBM H3256-A3 with AB-862G SUPER MULTI I / O CARD controller on my PC P3 mainboard P6V693A/A9 that normally I use to regenerate IMD diskette images. Result: The drive is seen by the BIOS automatically as Primary HD with access C.H.S. (Cyls + Heads + LBA Sectors and never like LBA!) and Mode 2 (= 8.3 MB / s transfer rate). Carries out regular boot of Dos 4.0.

2) Test hard drive IBM H3256-A3 with PRIME 2C MKIII Hard Disk / Floppy Controller on my PC P3 mainboard P6V693A/A9 that normally I use to regenerate IMD diskette images. Result: the same of point 1.

3) By installing the hard drive IBM H3256-A3 with both controllers AB-862G SUPER MULTI I / O CARD or PRIME 2C MKIII Hard Disk / Floppy Controller on the 5170 IBM 286 machine , once switched on, the keyboard remains blocked, and even having inserted a boot floppy with Dos 4 tested the machine does not perform any other operation.

What do you suggest?
- Find other BIOS for my 5170 Type 1? Which one? And Where?
- Identify other HD more old that I have who could have a geometry supported by the original 5170 bios? But it is not simple.
- Anything else

Thanks so much.
Enrico
 
x Stone: sorry i not understood what xt-ide means. i read and it is an interesting project. From my side (italy) it is a bit expensive adding its shipping cost for to update my 5170 machine. Then it could have a big problem to solder all its components. I prefer to leave this trail for now.

x RJBJR: with the utility you suggested it seems a bit easy to run it on the 5170 machine for to read its proms, then add the geometry of my ibm drive and then to program two 27512 eproms to have the new drive in the old bios.

I will keep you all update soon.
Enrico
 
enrico said:
x RJBJR: with the utility you suggested it seems a bit easy to run it on the 5170 machine for to read its proms, then add the geometry of my ibm drive and then to program two 27512 eproms to have the new drive in the old bios.

I will keep you all update soon.
Enrico
Click to expand...

There are two 27256 eproms in the 5170.
 
There are two 27256 eproms in the 5170...
Yes, sorry it's true. I just copied the original bios with biosutil and the unique file is 64kB long.
I hope make the changes and to program the 2 new 27256 asap.
Enrico
 
Another question... WIth the first version of BIOS for ibm 5170 it not was possible to change quickly the configuration setup. The only way (maybe?) was using a IBM setup disckette. Is it so? and where i could find its image ?
Enrico
 
enrico said:
Another question... WIth the first version of BIOS for ibm 5170 it not was possible to change quickly the configuration setup. The only way (maybe?) was using a IBM setup disckette. Is it so? and where i could find its image ?
Enrico
Click to expand...

The setup disk can be found at http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/51xx_manuals.htm

You can also use the Type 2 BIOS in the TYPE 1 motherboard if that makes modifying the BIOS easier.
 
I have an image of IBM Advanced Diagnostics v1.0 and v 2.03 if you want either. That's the setup disk for the 5170.
 
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Also note that the AMI BIOS that you were trying to use is for 8 MHz motherboards, the Type 1 motherboard is a 6 MHz motherboard.
If the Type1 BIOS is difficult for the utility to modify there is a Type 2 BIOS that runs at 6 MHz available at http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/bios/bios.htm

Maybe that Type 2 BIOS will be easier to modify?
 
There is also an Award BIOS listed on that page for Type 1 motherboards that supports 40 different drive types but has no user-defined entry.
Maybe one of those 40 drive types will match your drive?
 
I wanted to update you unfortunately negatively inserting the hard drive on my ibm 5170.
After I procured the eprom 27256 120-150ns, I removed the battery from 5710 and I booted the dos 4.0. So I launched the program biosutil who created a file in bios.fil with the contents of the two PROM U27 and U47 of the original PC. To be sure that the process worked fine I first created always with buosutil the two separate files even.fil = U27 and odd.fil = U47, I put them in 2 eprom 27256 and the pc has performed successfully POST and boot the dos 4.0.
I then tried to enter the geometry of my hard disk with the program GSetup and also whether i entered the correct settings, at the new reboot, nor the disc was recognized neither the pc booted dos 4.0 as before.
Despite this, I use again biosutil to insert the geometry of my hard drive (872cyl, 16heads, 65535wprecomp, 871lzone, 36sect/track) theni created two new additional files (even.fil and odd.fil) with placed inside the parameters of my hard drive. Also in this case at the new reboot nor the disc was recognized neither the pc booted as before.
NB: the hd had been created on the machine with P3 dos 4 before launching fdisk and then format c: / s. I always not use to keep the battery connected because in this case the pc remains blocked wishing to recongnize the hard disk.
I suspect i can't understand deeply what it is happening...
Thanks for any suggestion.
Enrico
 
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