CF-Card DMA issue with my AMD K6-2 500 MHz SS7 Setup

[ayandon]

Hello,

I just repaired my SS7 motherboard with SIS chipsets & AMD K6-2 500 MHz Processor.
Replaced the BIOS IC (read-write error) and Clock IC (rusted pins)
This is the motherboard -

Zida T530B-S

Zida T530B-S is a motherboard based on the SiS 530 (Sinbad) chipset. Get specs, BIOS, documentation and more!

theretroweb.com

I am using a CF-IDE Adapter (single type) with a 2 GB CF-Card.
I kept everything auto in the BIOS.
Windows 98SE installation went smooth (tested multiple times).

When I try to install latest SIS IDE driver, it asks for which mode? PIO or DMA?
If I choose DMA, system hangs on reboot.

Only way to recover is enter in Safe Mode and reinstall the same driver setup with PIO mode.


Is there any way to overcome this issue?

 

[GiGaBiTe]

The system is telling you the problem right on the POST screen.

"Secondary IDE Channel no 80 conductor cable installed"

An 80 wire IDE cable is required for speeds over ATA-33 spec. Forcing DMA modes faster than 33 MB/s on a 40 wire cable will cause massive data corruption.

SiS chipsets and drivers were low end junk. Who knows what the driver is trying to do when DMA is enabled in Windows, the SiS 530 chipset supports ATA-66, it could very well be trying to run UDMA-4 at 66 MB/s and corrupting everything in the process.

 

[ayandon]

Fixed!
Thanks to douglar and andrea for the guide.

 

[fritzeflink]

And what did you do ?

 

[ayandon]

This is my mod -

 

[GiGaBiTe]

Most industrial computers do that, they'll plug a DOM or a CF card with adapter directly into the IDE port.

 

[konc]

Most industrial computers do that, they'll plug a DOM or a CF card with adapter directly into the IDE port.

The fix was to ground pin 34 (see small green wire), mimicking what the 80-conductor cable does. It's all discussed in the links @ayandon posted.