HB1024
Member
I picked up a Digital Celebris GL5133ST recently that was billed as being functional except for the keyboard (and a broken install of Windows NT 4). I had figured that it would probably be a simple fix...but it's looking more like I probably have a rather expensive doorstop instead.
Here's the symptom: when you power it up, it initializes the keyboard (all three indicators blink). A few seconds later it reinitializes (three indicators blink again) and POST starts (display comes on, RAM count starts, etc). The system proceeds through and passes (or would pass if the floppy drive wasn't also bad) POST, however neither the spacebar to interrupt the RAM count nor F2 to go into setup work (and it is not the keyboard in question, I have verified that with another known working system). I did get it to the point where Windows will fully boot (see troubleshooting steps below), and in doing so I learned that none of the keys work (which I expected), and neither does an attached PS/2 mouse (which I did not expect). Every once in a while, it will again reinitialize the keyboard, however I haven't paid enough attention to see if it is random or it happens at a specific interval.
What I have done so far:
*** I have cleared the CMOS. There is no clear CMOS jumper that I can find (there is one for the BIOS password but no explicit "clear CMOS"). This didn't make anything worse, but it didn't make anything better either. FWIW, it has a Dallas module (probably a 12887 but I didn't check), and the previous owner already modified it with an outboard CR2032 battery holder. I am going to assume they did this correctly but I have not fully checked.
*** I pulled the COAST module that was installed. This is what got Windows NT to stop dropping to a STOP error, but it did not help the keyboard situation.
*** There was another piece attached to a pin header just below the CPU. I pulled that, but that turned out to be the CPU VRM and obviously pulling that is of no use.
*** There are no expansion cards installed, nor any peripherals other than keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
*** I unplugged both the hard drive and the floppy drive just to make sure. No difference with either removed.
One last note: it uses PS/2 for both keyboard and mouse, and there is no keylock (there is a lock on the case but it has no electrical connection to the motherboard, and it is unlocked anyway). There is a jumper for "BIOS boot block enable" that is set to disabled, but I doubt this is an issue.
I suppose my question is whether or not this thing is even worth pursuing further. I have my doubts the connector is loose or bad since neither peripheral works; the likelihood both connectors are broken in the way they are I would think is very low.
I would like to get it working as it is a pretty nice piece of hardware (onboard SCSI, Matrox IS-Storm R2 video, among other interesting hardware choices), but not being able to use the keyboard is a pretty crippling limitation.
Here's the symptom: when you power it up, it initializes the keyboard (all three indicators blink). A few seconds later it reinitializes (three indicators blink again) and POST starts (display comes on, RAM count starts, etc). The system proceeds through and passes (or would pass if the floppy drive wasn't also bad) POST, however neither the spacebar to interrupt the RAM count nor F2 to go into setup work (and it is not the keyboard in question, I have verified that with another known working system). I did get it to the point where Windows will fully boot (see troubleshooting steps below), and in doing so I learned that none of the keys work (which I expected), and neither does an attached PS/2 mouse (which I did not expect). Every once in a while, it will again reinitialize the keyboard, however I haven't paid enough attention to see if it is random or it happens at a specific interval.
What I have done so far:
*** I have cleared the CMOS. There is no clear CMOS jumper that I can find (there is one for the BIOS password but no explicit "clear CMOS"). This didn't make anything worse, but it didn't make anything better either. FWIW, it has a Dallas module (probably a 12887 but I didn't check), and the previous owner already modified it with an outboard CR2032 battery holder. I am going to assume they did this correctly but I have not fully checked.
*** I pulled the COAST module that was installed. This is what got Windows NT to stop dropping to a STOP error, but it did not help the keyboard situation.
*** There was another piece attached to a pin header just below the CPU. I pulled that, but that turned out to be the CPU VRM and obviously pulling that is of no use.
*** There are no expansion cards installed, nor any peripherals other than keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
*** I unplugged both the hard drive and the floppy drive just to make sure. No difference with either removed.
One last note: it uses PS/2 for both keyboard and mouse, and there is no keylock (there is a lock on the case but it has no electrical connection to the motherboard, and it is unlocked anyway). There is a jumper for "BIOS boot block enable" that is set to disabled, but I doubt this is an issue.
I suppose my question is whether or not this thing is even worth pursuing further. I have my doubts the connector is loose or bad since neither peripheral works; the likelihood both connectors are broken in the way they are I would think is very low.
I would like to get it working as it is a pretty nice piece of hardware (onboard SCSI, Matrox IS-Storm R2 video, among other interesting hardware choices), but not being able to use the keyboard is a pretty crippling limitation.