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KONAN 8bit XT MFM disk controller KDC-230 settings

evris80

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Hello,

I have an old Konan KDC-230 ISA XT ST506/ST412 controller but I can't find a way to configure it's jumpers because I can't find any documentation about it. Any help would be very valuable!

kdc230.jpg

Thanks,
Evris.
 
Hi Stone,

I've tried to make it work with an ST225 and an ST124. The hard disks work well in all ISA m/b slots with an 8bit WDXT-GEN controller I have.The m/b is a 286 class system with 3 dedicated 8bit ISA ports.

All XT ISA cards I've tried (disk controllers, CGA, I/O) work well in theese slots, but the Konan doesn't. It seems like there is no communication with the disk, because the red LED in front of the disk doesn't blink at all (in contrast with the WDXT-GEN board witch makes the led blinking during post).

I've also tried the SpeedStor utility but it also can't interface with the controller. Maybe the controller is dead but I wanted to give it a last chance playing with it's jumpers, just to wipe any doubts.
 
I know next to nothing about the Konan but I think it was a caching type controller used for d Base, Lotus, etc. Not much help - sorry.
 
Hi Agent Orange,

It seems that there's nothing out there about it, only bits and pieces but nothing specific :(

Anyway, thanks for your reply!
 
I have an old Konan KDC-230 ISA XT ST506/ST412 controller but I can't find a way to configure it's jumpers because I can't find any documentation about it. Any help would be very valuable!
The photo that you posted is of my KDC-230 card.

Jumpered as it is, my card's BIOS ROM appears at C800:0

If I execute the code at C800:5 (enter G=C800:5 at DEBUG's dash prompt), I see a menu appear.
At the top of the menu is "KDC/KXP DISK SET-UP UTILITY".
Do you see that?

If not, try reseating the card's ROMs.

If so, then use the F2 option of the menu to low-level format a drive. You will be prompted for the drive's geometry. Follow up with the standard FDISK/FORMAT operations.
 
Hi modem7,

Yes my KDC-230 looks exactly like yours and it is jumperded the same way so I used your photo.
Below is a photo of my card.

I used your hint and tried the G=C800:5 command from DEBUG but the pc just hangs. I've tried to probe the C800 memory area using the D command but there is nothing executable there, just FF's. So I have to assume that the card is either faulty or it's BIOS gone. Anyway I will try to reseat the card ROM's following your advice and write back.

Thanks for your reply!

View attachment 13465
 
Hello again everybody,

It seems that the BIOS on the card is indeed gone so I dont believe messing around with it's jumpers will do any difference. I will try to get myself an EPROM programmer and tranfer an image from a working card as a last resort for it's revival.

Thank you all for your hints,
Evris.
 
Hi modem7!

Thank you very much for your precius help! Both EPROM chips on the card are of the AM2764A-3DC type. I will try to find an appropriate EPROM programmer and give it a try using your ROM images.

Thank you again for your help!
 
Not sure if I should splice this in here or create new thread. Different model number, but layout looks same.
Still pretty much nothing on jumpers - this KXP manual mostly covers its software utilities, which I do have around.
 

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  • KXP-230Z User Guide.jpg
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  • KXP-230Z Appendix C.jpg
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I have a Konan Board some where in my stash. Not exactly sure where my documentation is located.
Will have to search a bit. I should have the files backed up too, on some drive.

I do have these ROM files.

Thanks.

Larry
 

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  • Konan.zip
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I do have these ROM files.
Odd that they contain multiple sets of BIOS expansion ROM code:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHX150I.BIN (32 KB) has two sets of BIOS expansion ROM code in it:

* 8 KB sized (ROM size byte = 10h) starting offset 0000. Contains "PHX150I". Checksum = 0C6D00.
* 24 KB sized (ROM size byte = 30h) starting offset 2000. Contains "PHX169K". Checksum = 307A00.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHX150G.BIN (32 KB) has three sets of BIOS expansion ROM code in it:

* 8 KB (ROM size byte = 10h) sized starting offset 0000. Contains "PHX150G". Checksum = 0C2600. Identical to the 8 KB sized PHX150G at minuszerodegrees.net
* 23 KB (ROM size byte = 2Eh) sized starting offset 2000. Contains "PHX169F". Checksum = 2DDC00.
* 1 KB (ROM size byte = 02h) sized starting offset 7C00. Contains "PHX141A" and "PHX145A" and "PHX120AU". Checksum = 015100.

Most computers will not 'discover' the third code set because its address is not a multiple of 2 KB. Maybe it does not matter in this case.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Not sure if I should splice this in here or create new thread. Different model number, but layout looks same.
Still pretty much nothing on jumpers - this KXP manual mostly covers its software utilities, which I do have around.

I have found a KXP-230 in my collection. It doesn't seem quick and easy to test. If it is a "Dynamic" card, does that mean that the only way it will work is to write a track with the config info on the hard drive?

@lanmangler - Does your manual explain the purpose of jumper "S7"?
Hard Drive Controller (MFM) - Konan - KXP-230 - ISA-8 MFM HDD Controller - sn KDC652-30897 - P...jpg
 
I have found a KXP-230 in my collection.
Before I continue, I will point out to readers that this thread (post #12 onward) discusses two different models, the KDC-230 and the KXP-230. I.e. What applies to one might not apply to the other.

It doesn't seem quick and easy to test.
Are you able to elaborate?

If it is a "Dynamic" card, does that mean that the only way it will work is to write a track with the config info on the hard drive?
'Dynamic', as explained at [here].

Another option that was possibly available to the engineer, was to put NVRAM onto the card, to hold the drive's geometry (and possibly other things).
Your card appears to be dated 1986, which from what I read, may be too early to have done that economically.

@lanmangler - Does your manual explain the purpose of jumper "S7"?
The second photo in post #12 shows that S7 controls the address range of the KXP-230's BIOS ROM (a.k.a. expansion ROM, option ROM, etc.)
 
Well that is odd, the last time I opened that photo, it was so blurry I couldn't read it - this time it worked. That answers the question about S7.
Not simple to test was just because I am running through some cards and hard drives on an AT machine. It should be easier after I set up an XT later on.
I assume that standard drive types are in the cards bios, and only manual configuration will need to store the geometry on a drive track.
 
I assume that standard drive types are in the cards bios, and only manual configuration will need to store the geometry on a drive track.
If the card is 'dynamic' operation only, then there are no geometries in the card's BIOS. At low-level format (LLF) time, you will be prompted to enter in the geometry, and the LLF code will store the geometry on a track.

Above, you will have noticed that I underlined the word 'only'. See the 'Hybrid' section of [here]. On my KDC-230 (KDC-230, not KXP-230), there are jumper blocks soldered to S3,S4,S5, and S6, and so there is a possibility that the BIOS ROM on my KDC-230 is 'hybrid', with S3 through S6 selecting a particular geometry. Maybe one day I will experiment with the jumper blocks.
 
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