1988 ISA +Award POSTcard

[scommstech]

Hi
I'm trying to get some user instructions/information
for an Award POSTcard V1.3 dated 1988
The card fits into an XT's 8 bit ISA slot and
monitors the Post as it boots.
This card has its own ROM and two set of dip
switches. I've drawn the circuit out but there are two
PAL16L8 chips, each controlled by the dips so It's
difficult to work out what the switches do.
I hope somebody can throw some light on this card.
Yours
scommstech.

 

[NobodyIsHere]

Hi,
I know this is a long dead thread but did anyone ever find the manual for the AWARD POSTcard? I have one and am trying to revive a dead XT. Of course the POST IO port is different on an XT than an AT so I need to change the settings of this POSTcard.

That'd be easy with a manual but no such luck. Anyone help out?

Thanks!

Andrew Lynch

 

[ziloo]

For interested fans, these are a couple of links with info about
P.O.S.T diagnostic card:

http://members.tripod.com/~BBright/information/postcard.htm

http://www.edn.com/archives/1994/120894/25di2.htm

There is also some more specific information here:

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/pc-hardware-faq/part4

Hope it helps!

ziloo

 

[modem7]

Of course the POST IO port is different on an XT than an AT so I need to change the settings of this POSTcard.

The IBM 5160 doesn't output to the POST I/O port, but for clone XTs, I would expect that some BIOS manufacturers added the
code to their XT BIOS after they saw the technique introduced in the IBM 5170 (or was it that IBM copied the technique from some other manufacturer).

As for POST port usage, the following is from the manual for my 'Micro 2000' POST card:

Port 80h = standard usage
Port 84h = All Compaq computers
Port 90h = PS/2 models 25 and 30
Port 300h = Award BIOS
Port 680h = Computers with Microchannel bus