XT-IDE Card mysteriously died...

[joelgraff]

I have an XT_IDE "Deluxe" card (rev 1.1) I bought some time ago and it's worked well for my IBM PS/2. I've also used it to boot an AT&T 6300 (Olivetti M24) machine. Somewhere in the process of working on these machines, the card died. That is, I plug it in, configured for a memory location like C800h and CheckIt says there's nothing there.

I have nothing else to go on, and I really can't guess what caused it. It may be dead, but I thought I'd post here in case there's a thing or two I might yet try.

 

[modem7]

I have an XT_IDE "Deluxe" card (rev 1.1)

So, like the two 'Deluxe' cards at [here], excepting yours is revision 1.1 ?

That is, I plug it in, configured for a memory location like C800h and CheckIt says there's nothing there.

You could confirm that by running the RAYXTIDE tool at [here], expecting it to indicate that it could not find the XTIDE Universal BIOS (XUB). In some cases, RAYXTIDE can identify an EEPROM with corrupted content.

* Did you accidentally disable the EEPROM via the switch for that? And it would not hurt to rock that switch a few times (in case of 'dirty' switch).
* With the address switches, getting ON and OFF confused ?
* Have you tried re-seating the EEPROM in its socket ?
* Are you prepared to try re-flashing the XUB software into the EEPROM ?

 

[joelgraff]

There's a write enable switch on the board - I tried that in both positions with no luck. I also tried several different switch addresses with no luck. The card quit working having made no adjustments to the dip switches. Only when it stopped did I try different addresses.

At the moment, I can't re-flash it as I don't have an EEPROM programmer and the card simply doesn't show up in the computer system memory map - neither system can see it.
I will try reseating it the next time I get a chance. I'm hoping it's just a badly corrupted EEPROM - I'll buy a programmer and try reprogramming it.

The card I purchased is this:

https://monotech.fwscart.com/XTIDE_Deluxe_Bootable_ISA_CFIDE_Interface_Card/p6083514_19478732.aspx

 

[modem7]

At the moment, I can't re-flash it as I don't have an EEPROM programmer and the card simply doesn't show up in the computer system memory map - neither system can see it.

If I grab one of my functional XT-IDE cards, and put a blank EEPROM into it, the computer's POST will not 'see' the EEPROM due to the lack of 55 AA in the first two bytes of the EEPROM - see [here].
And software, such as CheckIt, are 'in the same boat'.
Obviously, the EEPROM flashing software for the XT-IDE card, XTIDECFG.COM, does not need to see a 55 AA.

I will try reseating it the next time I get a chance. I'm hoping it's just a badly corrupted EEPROM

Per above, if this is only a badly corrupted EEPROM, you could try XTIDECFG.COM to re-flash the EEPROM.
In case you are not already aware, be aware of the information in note 3 at [here].

I'll buy a programmer and try reprogramming it.

Consider also purchasing some spare EEPROM's. I have had them fail on me. I recommend AT28C64B (note the 'B').

 

[joelgraff]

If I grab one of my functional XT-IDE cards, and put a blank EEPROM into it, the computer's POST will not 'see' the EEPROM due to the lack of 55 AA in the first two bytes of the EEPROM - see [here].
And software, such as CheckIt, are 'in the same boat'.
Obviously, the EEPROM flashing software for the XT-IDE card, XTIDECFG.COM, does not need to see a 55 AA.


Per above, if this is only a badly corrupted EEPROM, you could try XTIDECFG.COM to re-flash the EEPROM.
In case you are not already aware, be aware of the information in note 3 at [here].


Consider also purchasing some spare EEPROM's. I have had them fail on me. I recommend AT28C64B (note the 'B').

I suspected that XTIDECFG.COM would still see the EEPROM, despite the lack of evidence on boot or in CheckIt. However, when I punched in the memory address I had switched on the card, it failed.

That leads me to believe either it's a dead EEPROM or it's a dead board. Hoping it's the EEPROM as I'm going to guess that it'll be a little more sensitive to electrostatic shock (which I'm starting to suspect is the culprit, here).

 

[Krille]

Have you verified the setting of the ROM type selection switches (8 and 9)?

Also, if you have any other compatible EEPROM then you could insert that to verify with DEBUG that its contents appears in the address space.

But yeah, I agree that ESD is the most likely culprit.

 

[fdiskitup]

I have a very similar card, and like an idiot I took off the CF adapter slot bracket and put the card in the isa slot backwards. It does not like this at all and there were little sparks and a lot of swearing.
The Eprom chip was fried and the surface mount chip U14 burned.
But - with a replacement AT2864 eeprom and U14 (surface mount, very fiddly) the card is visible to my system again. So try xtide configuration software, try another rom chip, then board scematics and component swopping might be the next step.
Or about 45$ on ebay.

 

[bladamson]

Yeah, I also plugged one in backwards one time and had to replace one of the 7400-series ICs and the ROM too, iirc.

If you've got one of the ones with SOIC components, those aren't too bad to solder. Hardest part is getting the old one off. I'd just cut the legs and desolder them indvidually if I didn't have a heat gun, I think.