Leading Edge Model D VGA Beep at POST

[hupshall]

I'm going through all of my old PC's and fixing them up - it's something to do - Anyway - it's now the Model D's Turn.

I've got a Leading Edge Model D Rev 2011E with Phoenix Rom Bios 3.0. Like with the Model M that I have, I am upgrading this computer with a VGA adapter so I can use it on the LCD monitors that I have. (I have long since recycled my old VGA CRT's) and the original display for this computer was a 12" Amber Monochrome Monitor which frankly, I don't want to use. However, with the computer configured to use the built in Hercules graphics and this monitor plugged in, everything is normal.

Anyhow. I've installed an 8 bit VGA adapter, it's a Paradise unit. I've removed the jumper from J10. Everything works - The system boots up, the display looks great, etc.. The thing is though is that the computer gives an annoying POST beeping code during power on and reset. The best I can describe it is one long beep, and a short beep - but the long beep sounds like it's made up of a lot of short beeps run together.

I'm wondering if there is anybody out there more familiar with these systems than I am that may know what I'm missing?

The cards I have installed are:
Paradise VGA
Microsoft Inport Bus Mouse
XT-IDE, configured to run at I/O 340h to not conflict with the RTC
AdLib

The BIOS beeps with all of these cards (sans the VGA) removed so it's not any of these.

On an unrelated note - the original RLL Fuji 30MB HDD does not spin up when I turn the computer on - it clicks, but that's it. I'm guessing at this point that it's a boat anchor.

Thanks in advance.

-Huw

 

[Stinkpot]

I hope somebody helps you figure this out, because mine (also a 2011E) does it too. I just unplugged the speaker...

 

[Stinkpot]

I did some experimenting on my Model D. It appears to be a conflict with the RTC. If I pull J13 2-7 to disable the RTC, the beeping issue goes away.

 

[Stinkpot]

I was wrong about the RTC causing a conflict, my experiment was flawed. The beeping actually seems to be associated with removing the J10 jumper to disable onboard video. When I just leave the J10 jumper installed with the VGA card inserted, everything seems to work fine and the beeping goes away. With J10 pulled it always beeps, RTC enabled or not.

 

[hupshall]

I'll dump the BIOS of the computer I have and figure out what is causing the beep - I bet it's because it can't detect a CGA or MDA display adapter. I'll post back up here when it's done.

 

[Stinkpot]

So I did one more experiment: I removed my VGA card and installed an ISA MDA display adapter. With J10 removed (supposedly to disable onboard video), it still does the annoying POST beeps, even though there is an installed MDA adapter for it to detect. It's starting to look like J10 is the "remove to cause annoying beeps" jumper.

I have not noticed any operational problems with the VGA card installed and J10 left in place, so for now that's how I'm going to run.