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PS/2 35SX error code

NeXT

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Kamloops, BC, Canada
It has been sitting under my desk for months now and I'm finally getting around to installing OS/2 2.1 on it.
So I hooked it all up and powered it on with a new (to me) 2.11Gb hard drive installed.
I got a good 16Mb memory count and then the floppy seek but then I get:

110
0000 (S)

....and it stops there. By chance I still have all the documentation that came with the system (as well as the starter disk and the plastic pouch everything is held in) however at no time in the manual are the explanations for the error codes given and inserting the starter disk does nothing (it's not even attempting to read it).
Anyone know what the code means? It's not a 161 so the Dallas clock should still be okay (I think).
 
memory error

memory error

The 100 series are typically motherboard errors. 110 is, I think, a memory error. If it's a Microchannel box, it can also indicate a parity error. What kind of memory does it have, SIMMS ?
patscc
 
According to Upgrading and Repairing PC's 2nd edition 1xx errors indicate a problem with the System Board. Not sure if that's the case with you but hopefully it can help lead to the problem.

EDIT

Figures someone beat me to it, I spent 20 minutes trying to find the book :p
 
Yeah, it looks like it was a parity issue with the ram. Switching the two sticks between banks seemed to fix it as well.
The next issue is that I'm getting th 604 error which is the Non-media sense error.
The thing is that I should not be getting that. I tested two drives and two different ribbon cables and I'm still getting that error and the system is at least doing the initial seek/track zero test so what the fudd is up? I swear I had it working before.
 
That is one of the first things I checked and all the pins and the connector itself were good.
I also tried using my special PS/2 to Standard floppy adapter and while it worked in my other systems, It still gave em the 604 error in this box.
 
...110 is, I think, a memory error...

Correct...

...If it's a Microchannel box, it can also indicate a parity error...

All PS/2 model numbers below 50 (N23, 25, 30, 33, N33, 35, 40, L40, N45) are not microchannel (more specifically ISA or PCMCIA)...

...What kind of memory does it have, SIMMS?

The Model 35SX has 72-pin parity modules. You can arrive at the system maximum of 16Mb RAM by planar memory. 4Mb and 8Mb IBM modules are commonly used on these systems.
 
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I'm going to have to stop working on it for the day as I have been trying to figure out what is up for the whole afternoon. Visually everything looks good and the parts I'm using are also in working condition so that only leaves a problem on the motherboard itself but I don't know where to look. If anyone has any bright ideas it would be real nice if you would chime in as this is the second 35SX that was working one day and then went tits up the next. I really want to get OS/2 working on a genuine PS/2 box.
 
Okay, I double checked what a PS/2 usually does when it runs it's POST and normally the floppy drive should only be activated twice.
The first time zeros the head and then the second one is the floppy seek (if you have a system with a floppy drive...and you should if you are here... you see and hear it do the seek every time you restart or switch the system on)
For some odd reason my PS/2 is only zeroing the head and is either not doing the seek test or somehow is doing both tests at once and confusing the hell out of the controller(which is why I'm getting the 604 error). I have tried to use an ISA based floppy controller but no dice there however I have managed to get the system to kick me into BASIC so is there anything I can do there?
 
Most IBMs, unlke the clones, defaulted to Basic in rom when they couldn't find a drive.

Lawrence

Yeah, I kinda knew that and with the floppy unusable at the moment that is all I have to work with for troubleshooting or what have you. I can't even run the system configuration until I get the floppy drive working.
 
Yeah, I kinda knew that and with the floppy unusable at the moment that is all I have to work with for troubleshooting or what have you. I can't even run the system configuration until I get the floppy drive working.

The 35SX won't go into ROM BASIC as part of the boot process as I recall. Even the system configuration is rather basic. You do have the riser plugged into the planar (the system checks if it is configured as a 35SX, 3-slot riser, or 40SX, 5-slot riser).
 
The 35SX won't go into ROM BASIC as part of the boot process as I recall. Even the system configuration is rather basic. You do have the riser plugged into the planar (the system checks if it is configured as a 35SX, 3-slot riser, or 40SX, 5-slot riser).

The three slot ISA riser card is installed in the system.
 
I still can't get it to work and it's driving me crazy because I want to install OS/2 on the damn thing.
Here's a video of the problem.
 
I still can't get it to work and it's driving me crazy because I want to install OS/2 on the damn thing.
Here's a video of the problem.
Hi, did you ever manage to solve the problem about error 604? I’ve got the same error on my 35sx and it really puzzles me.
 
Wow! friggin' Time warp! o_O

I never did repair the issue with this machine and it was recycled in 2011 which has really sucked because eyars later I sure damn wish I held onto it.....
I now have hunch it was a capacitor issue on all of my floppy drives but at the time that was still something not yet commonly known to be a common issue.
 
Hi, sorry for resurrecting this old thread 😅 it’s just I‘m really struggling with this machine. I bought it because I thought it would have been similar to my old ps/1 but nope, this is a completely different world. Im getting some advice on another thread, but Like you said 99% is old caps on the original drive.
 
TBH you really don't want a PS/1. They were cheaper low-budget turds IBM was selling to help reinforce the PS/2 as a professional and business computer until the Aptiva was off the ground.
 
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