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identify 16 bit memory card

M

mikey99

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Trying to figure out the switch settings on this one. It's a MEMOPLUS, and can't find any docs online.
Looks similar to a few cards in TH99 but haven't had any luck trying those settings. With this
card installed my 5170 only counts to 512K, and throws a memory config error. Have tried swapping
chips and testing with only one bank of 512. I think MEMO was a card name used by DFI, as I
found some references to a DFI MEMO 8 bit card online. I see there are a few custom chips on the
card.

20220618_125912_small.jpg20220618_125905_small.jpg
 
Doesn’t the At need to configured to match the card?

If you could get the system to boot with the card in place you could run a memory mapping program to figure out where the jumper settings place the ram
 
I set the 5170 AT BIOS to 512 base and 512 extended with Gsetup. I ran Checkit and it appears to see the memory,
at location 1.0 - 1.5 MB, but fails immediately on testing that extended memory. It's possible Checkit is basing this
on the CMOS settings and not the actual memory on the card.

Also, that jumper in the upper right of the card, I'm thinking that must be for the bus speed, so I moved that to 6/8 M, its
a 6MHZ 5170.

20220618_141245_small.jpg
 
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I would try using the Intel Above Board AT settings since it seems like a clone of that.
 
If you leave the AT set for 512kb (no extended) then install the card does everything boot?

There are utilities that will test every region of the memory space for the presence of ram.

If the card memory is located starting at 512k you will know, likewise if it’s up too high you will know.

You can then map out each of the cards settings to get it located in the correct memory space.

There was a guy using this technique to figure out how to use the vast multitude of useless generic AT memory cards that are missing documentation

Reason is this card is completely useless if it doesn’t map the memory in the locations the AT expects

AKA Let’s say for example someone was using this card to expand a system that already had 2mb, it would be configured for 2-2.5mb region in the memory space.

The AT won’t see or remap that memory down to be usable and contiguous.

Some of these cards could split memory to backfill base memory and add extended, again, AT needs to be setup to use that configuration.
 
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The 203 error ("100000 8989 203-Memory Address Error") is concerning.
IBM's technical explanation is shown at [here].
Confirm for us that it only appears when the subject card is inserted.
 
The 203 error only occurs when this memory card is inserted. I have several other 16 bit memory cards that
work fine.

I also tried the Intel Above Board AT switch settings, didn't help at all, still get the same errors.
 
Sounds like bad ram or bad logic on the card.

That said if I manually set a 512k AT for 1mb and do not install another memory card I can get that same error because there isn’t ram there
 
rmay635703 said:
If you leave the AT set for 512kb (no extended) then install the card does everything boot?

There are utilities that will test every region of the memory space for the presence of ram.

....
Click to expand...


When I set the 5170 to 512K ,no extended, and the card installed, it does boot cleanly with no errors.
Checkit then does not see anything other than the 512K, so it appears Checkit is just looking at the
BIOS setting to determine how much extended memory is present.

Which utilities could I run to test the memory regions ?
 
Thanks for that link, some great info there. I even found one of my other unknown memory cards listed there
.....which will help me to identify it.
 
My card arrived. Unfortunately its completely dead, tested several DIP-settings and TESTEXT only displays "FF".

I am not sure about 2 ICs on sockets:
AM27S33
PAL16L8ACN

On all other images I found of this card there are labels on the ICs, maybe they have been exchanged?

Did you already try TESTEXT from above vogons link?

IMG_1448r.jpgIMG_1449r.jpg
 
OK that seller is an a*****e. I bought some more cards, on many of them all socketed ICs were removed. This memory card was complete, however.

But looking at the photo from mikey99 I see that the bottom IC is also a MMI PAL and not and AMD as it is on my card. So this has been exchanged.

And that seller has another offer with lots of PALs. So he removed my ICs to sell it in another auction and put that AMD in it as replacement. Really angry....


mmi.jpg
 
predator99 said:
And that seller has another offer with lots of PALs. So he removed my ICs to sell it in another auction and put that AMD in it as replacement. Really angry....
Click to expand...

The part number on that chip you have in your card, an AM27S33, is a 4096kbit bipolar PROM. It looks like MMI made an exactly pin compatible part, the 53/63S44x. I'm not saying this seller isn't some kind of scumbag, but exactly why would he do that? A used PROM (or PAL) is worth absolutely zero dollars unless you happen to have the same device it was pulled out of, and the original manufacturer who made this card could have used either part.

(I mean, really, there's a guy selling used PALs on eBay? I mean, I guess I'm not surprised, necessarily, but I'm curious who's dumb enough to buy them...)
 
Not sure, maybe I am wrong. I bought the other offer with the PALs. I am quite sure they belong to the cards I bought.

I am not going to pay for this. I will take and test what I need and return the other parts and ask for refund.....

So I have 2 RAM-cards from that lot. Bottom picture is the offer with the PALs from the same seller. I assume the one marked with "1" (MMI 63S081N, 256-BIT (32 x 8) PROM)
belongs to the MEMOPLUS. I think the PALs marked with "2" belong to the other card. I have a reference photo and they look the same.

1_MEMOPLUS-A.jpg
2_RAM.jpg
b.jpg
 
Just out of curiosity, how much was he selling that box of chips for? Because, man, unless you’re in it to try what sounds like the worst game ever to me, randomly stuffing loose PALs into sockets and seeing if out of sheer luck they have the correct programming on them to resurrect a vandalized device, its contents are practically worthless. I wouldn’t pay $2 for a row of 555 timers and a few pieces of dirt common 74x logic, at least for ones that look like they were found in a wet basement like those do.

Without knowing what they came from all the used PALs and PROMs have *zero* scrap value; they’re one-time-programmable only devices which can’t be erased and reused. If you want to sell those you either need to lie and say they’re blank old stock (good luck when they look like that), or document what and where they came from and hope you find someone needing that *exact* replacement.
 
Wow.

Did the cards on ebay entry's images have chips socketed in?
 
Sorry if it’s a dumb question, but you didn’t test the top card with just one ram chip in it, did you?
 
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