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Why would DEBUG freezeor do nothing on the G command?

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richard8456

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Oct 28, 2009
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I have a WD1002A-WX1 disk controller card and an ST-225 that, by all accounts, ought to work on my MS-6119 motherboard, of 1998 vintage, running a PII, Windows98 at 350Mhz. (It has 3 ISA sockets as well as PCI, card takes up the first section of the ISA socket)

The usual thing, to bring up the low-level format program on the controller card, is to type G=C800:5. I've also gone through the variations: G=CA800:5; G=CC00:5 & G=CE00:5. But, all I get is a blinking cursor, not the output or a message from the formatting program.

The card and HDD did last work when it was in an AMSTRAD 1512, years ago.

Anyone know why DEBUG would not run the formatting program in the card? TIA.
 
Have you checked to see if the extension BIOS for the card is present in memory. In other words, do a:

D C800:0

under DEBUG and see what you get. It could be that the BIOS ROM isn't mapped into the PC address space where you think it is. Or, to put it another way, "look before you leap"... :)
 
richard8456 said:
I have a WD1002A-WX1 disk controller card and an ST-225 that, by all accounts, ought to work on my MS-6119 motherboard, of 1998 vintage, running a PII, Windows98 at 350Mhz. (It has 3 ISA sockets as well as PCI, card takes up the first section of the ISA socket)

The usual thing, to bring up the low-level format program on the controller card, is to type G=C800:5. I've also gone through the variations: G=CA800:5; G=CC00:5 & G=CE00:5. But, all I get is a blinking cursor, not the output or a message from the formatting program.

The card and HDD did last work when it was in an AMSTRAD 1512, years ago.

Anyone know why DEBUG would not run the formatting program in the card?...
Click to expand...

Are there any other ROM extensions at those addresses? What is the address of the controller card's BIOS extension set to? Can you dump memory contents to see what is there?:

-D C800:0
-D CA00:0
-D CC00:0
-D CE00:0
 
WX1002A-WX1 compatibility with motherboard

WX1002A-WX1 compatibility with motherboard

Just one thing, before proceeding:

I think I'm stuck because I don't have SUPERBIOS on my particular card.

http://download.cizgi.com.tr/akademi/526/pc_engineers_vol3dl.pdf

"If U12, the BIOS ROM, is part number 62-000094-followed by any three
numbers, you have the SUPERBIOS, so the WD1002A-WX1 works in ATs."

My serial is: 61-600003-07 , so I don't have SUPERBIOS. I think my PC the MS-6119 is an AT mobo. The card would can be set to "AT mode enabled" on S1/jumper 8, but that works only with SUPERBIOS installed.

I think this is why DEBUG does not run the formating program on my disk controller card. And I'm not sure I can get SUPERBIOS in the card.
 
Oh, wait a minute, U12 is a chip, the BIOS ROM. If I look at that, and not what is printed on the PCB, I see that, on the U12 chip itself, it says: 62-000094-002.

So, I must have the SUPERBIOS" :c)
 
IBMMuseum said:
Are there any other ROM extensions at those addresses? What is the address of the controller card's BIOS extension set to? Can you dump memory contents to see what is there?:

-D C800:0
-D CA00:0
-D CC00:0
-D CE00:0
Click to expand...

I'm not that up on PC's. What are we looking for concerning ROM extensions or whatever? I can tell you what I see in HEX from DEBUG if that is okay.

I'll give you the first 16 values of hexadecimal if that is sufficient data.
 
All BIOS extensions start out with hex 55 AA. For example, here's how my DTC 3280 BIOS located at D800:0 starts out:

Code: 
-d d800:0

D800:0000  55 AA 1C EB 03 E9 5F 28-E9 81 00 47 48 42 35 31   U....._(...GHB51
D800:0010  2D 33 20 53 43 53 49 20-56 32 2E 30 20 30 38 2D   -3 SCSI V2.0 08-
D800:0020  31 31 2D 39 33 44 41 54-41 20 54 45 43 48 4E 4F   11-93DATA TECHNO
D800:0030  4C 4F 47 59 20 43 4F 52-50 4F 52 41 54 49 4F 4E   LOGY CORPORATION
D800:0040  20 42 49 4F 53 20 54 59-50 45 20 30 30 30 30 30    BIOS TYPE 00000
D800:0050  30 47 48 42 32 30 41 20-28 43 29 20 43 6F 70 79   0GHB20A (C) Copy
D800:0060  72 69 67 68 74 20 31 39-39 32 2D 31 39 39 33 20   right 1992-1993 
D800:0070  44 61 74 61 20 54 65 63-68 6E 6F 6C 6F 67 79 20   Data Technology 
-q

Most BIOS extension ROMs also have some sort of identification within the first 100 bytes or so--you can see this in the example above. If you don't see the 55 AA start, there's no BIOS extension there.
 
After carefully looking, I did not see "55 AA" in the dump at the following specified addresses:

C800:0; CA00:0; CC00:0; CE00:0.

I hope I have the jumper settings correct, having set the card now to "AT Mode from "XT Mode" which was the setting in the old AMSTRAD 1512.

http://www.dcllabs.net/docs/1002awx1.txt

I think it's clear the G command is not working because it's not pointing to an address that will run the format or set-up program on the card. And perhaps it's not available to be run. I don't know.
 
richard8456 said:
I think it's clear the G command is not working because it's not pointing to an address that will run the format or set-up program on the card. And perhaps it's not available to be run. I don't know.
Click to expand...

That's it in a nutshell. I'm going to guess that what you saw was FF FF... If that's the case, there's nothing there. If it's something much different, you might have a conflict with some other card's expansion BIOS.

For the ROM to work on this card, there must be a jumper over the pins at W3, the ROM should be enabled.

If the PROM's socketed, it's possible that a pin is bent, or the chip was inserted a row off in the socket. Or, it was inserted upside-down at one point--if the latter, that's bad news as the PROM's probably toast.
 
Hi. No, I do see some code or whatever. Not just FF. Perhaps I ought to try to post the code I do see.
 
Chuck(G) said:
That's it in a nutshell. I'm going to guess that what you saw was FF FF... If that's the case, there's nothing there. If it's something much different, you might have a conflict with some other card's expansion BIOS.

For the ROM to work on this card, there must be a jumper over the pins at W3, the ROM should be enabled.

If the PROM's socketed, it's possible that a pin is bent, or the chip was inserted a row off in the socket. Or, it was inserted upside-down at one point--if the latter, that's bad news as the PROM's probably toast.
Click to expand...

No, there is some code, not just FF.

There is a jumper over W3.

U12, the ROM is not socketed.

I wish I had a program to interrogate the disk controller card for errors.

I might try to post the code I see.
 
Without the PROM active, the application note doesn't really apply.

Let's see exactly what you have in your BIOS ROM area from C800:0 to E000:0. Attached is a program to copy it to a file of your naming on a floppy. Run it on your system and zip the result up and upload the file and let's see what you've got.
 

Attachments

  • GETROM.ZIP
    5.8 KB · Views: 2
BIOS ROm data

BIOS ROm data

Here is the BIOS ROM data.

I've not looked at it, because I don't know what program will open the file after it's decompressed.

My hunch is that the disk controller is bad. :c(

Oh, I made the extension .txt, and I opened with Notepad. Not much to see. :c)
 

Attachments

  • ROM richard8456.zip
    17.9 KB · Views: 2
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I have the same card and at least one similar-age motherboard (but not the same model). If there's any experimenting you'd like me to do please let me know (throw together a list of stuff to investigate).

Oh, and while it may be irrelevant, I'd try disabling the onboard IDE channels in the BIOS. Eliminates one more possible problem point.
 
Hi. We know that DEBUG's G command runs a format program at (usually) C800:0005 (C800:5). I know little about computers, but it is my belief that this program gets placed in computer RAM from the disk controller card (WD1002A-WX1). I think this is what happens. But, anyway, it would be interesting to see what the bytes are starting at C800:5 (or the appropriate address) in a PC where the WD1002-WX1 is working and controlling a HDD. But, it ought to be SUPERBIOS, because that is only good for an AT machine that I have and the ROM chip must bear the reading 62-000094-.

Of to bed, getting late here.
 
richard8456 said:
Hi. We know that DEBUG's G command runs a format program at (usually) C800:0005 (C800:5). I know little about computers, but it is my belief that this program gets placed in computer RAM from the disk controller card (WD1002A-WX1). I think this is what happens. But, anyway, it would be interesting to see what the bytes are starting at C800:5 (or the appropriate address) in a PC where the WD1002-WX1 is working and controlling a HDD. But, it ought to be SUPERBIOS, because that is only good for an AT machine that I have and the ROM chip must bear the reading 62-000094-.

Of to bed, getting late here.
Click to expand...

I don't fully understand it either but you've definitely got the basic grasp of it, though I'm inclined to believe the program isn't placed into memory so much as a hook to take you TO the program is put there...but for these purposes that's the same thing anyway.

Yes, I have the "SUPERBIOS" as they call it. I've tested the card previously and it does work, and is indeed accessed at C800:5. I'll get the memory dump for you at some time probably tonight, so it'll be here ready for you before you're even awake again.

Edit, long after the edit below: I completely forgot to do that. I'll get it for you at some point...



Edit:
Just for completeness:
I rather recently opened a thread about this very card:
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?t=17832
This is a somewhat more complete version of the manual for this card (link came from someone in above thread):
http://www.dcllabs.net/docs/1002awx1.txt
 
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richard8456 said:
Here is the BIOS ROM data.

I've not looked at it, because I don't know what program will open the file after it's decompressed.

My hunch is that the disk controller is bad. :c(

Oh, I made the extension .txt, and I opened with Notepad. Not much to see. :c)
Click to expand...

Nope, it's binary file, but your file is way too short. GETROM produces a file that's about 106K in length. Did you have room for it on your boot floppy?

Thanks.
 
I've changed the file and replaced it with the good one. If you go up the thread you will see it (it's 17.9Kb size now).

At the moment I'm working solely in DOS. I don't have anything connected to the IDE connections, all that is connected is the floppy, a video card, the WD1002A-WX1 disc controller with ST-225 connected to that.

The mobo is AT. WD1002A-WX1 has the required SUPERBIOS.

So, what is in memory arises from these conditions.

As for the WD1002A-WX1 jumpers:

W3: closed (BIOS enabled)
W4: closed pins 2 & 3 (i/o port address 320h)
W6: open on all pins (no jumper) (proper setting as I've 4 head HDD)
W8: closed pins 2 & 3 (single controller setting primary controller)
S1/jumper 8: closed (set to AT mode enabled)

Yesterday I removed the card and felt the heat of the chips. Seemed like the other big ones were warm, including the ROM chip. U13 was cold. Don't know if that means anything.

Here a guy is talking about HDD's installed in the old Amstrad 1512 PC's that I once ran the card in:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/xtpcs.htm#harddisk

Other things to look out for are whether the HD needs a Low level format, FDISKing or just system formatting - try booting from a DOS floppy and accessing C: - if this fails try running FDISK from a floppy and see if it can "see" the HD - if so go on to define an active primary DOS partition. Once the system reboots then use FORMAT C: /S to put the DOS system onto the HD. If even FDISK can't see the drive then fire up DEBUG and look at all the segement offsets between C000:0000 and EC00:0000 in 0400 increments to see if you can spot something looking like an HD BIOS signature (it'll probably have a "(c)Western Digital" or something like that. If you spotted it at C800:0000 for example then try G=C800:0005 which is normally the entry point to start up the LLF utility. If you are going to perform an LLF remember to write down the entries on the bad track table before starting as you'll probably have to enter these by hand at the end of the LLF process.
 
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