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Old Sperry computer

cooljoe51

New Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Messages
6
Hi Everyone,
I recently found my (first) old Sperry computer. I'm trying to repair/start it back up, but I keep getting 4 beeps and then 7 beeps. I have looked over the board and it seems pretty clean. I have removed boards and still get beeps. I don't know the DIP switch settings, so I'm also wondering if that could be a reason. Any help would be great! Thanks so much!
 
https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/L/LEADING-EDGE-PRODUCTS-INC-8088-MODEL-M-MP1676L.html[/url]

Larry

Click image for larger version  Name:	LeadingEdgeM.png Views:	0 Size:	11.1 KB ID:	1203790
 
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I had posted the beep codes URL but it got overwritten. Funny how change is so GOOD, it deletes a post you just edited to add a photo.

https://www.techspot.com/community/t...p-guide.95391/

We need the duration of the BEEP codes. Long & Short of it.....Pun Intended.


I've got the EGA ROM update in mine, so I'd have to go check the Motherboard switch settings for the Color Monitor.

Larry
 
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I recall that the Sperry PC (8088 ) was moderately popular, and that there was a Sperry PC IT (80286). I don't think that they went much beyond that.
 
We had some Sperry pc's at work. They had a hard drive, and a rocker switch on the front for the power. They were monochrome. I don't think they were used for much, they were too limited in capacity and capability.
I've got a manual or two, but they are just a rebadged copy of the Microsoft manuals of the time.
 
Have a old 8088 Sperry / Univac system that i used years ago for running a remote control program. 10 meg HD and think CGA or EGA card. From what i recall it used the old style PC keyboard with the big plug and had a serial port built onto the motherboard with the reverse DB-25 that would make you think it was a parallel port. Ran DOS 3.3, DOS Shell and Terminal. Think the biggest issue thees days is the old monochrome, CGA and EGA displays and old style big plug stupid PC/XT keyboards are just about impossible to find without spending stupid amounts of money.
 
I had posted the beep codes URL but it got overwritten. Funny how change is so GOOD, it deletes a post you just edited to add a photo.

https://www.techspot.com/community/t...p-guide.95391/

We need the duration of the BEEP codes. Long & Short of it.....Pun Intended.


I've got the EGA ROM update in mine, so I'd have to go check the Motherboard switch settings for the Color Monitor.

Larry

HI Larry,
Thanks for responding! It's one long then 4 short, then one long and 7 short. I hope this helps. Thanks!
 
Have a old 8088 Sperry / Univac system that i used years ago for running a remote control program. 10 meg HD and think CGA or EGA card. From what i recall it used the old style PC keyboard with the big plug and had a serial port built onto the motherboard with the reverse DB-25 that would make you think it was a parallel port. Ran DOS 3.3, DOS Shell and Terminal. Think the biggest issue thees days is the old monochrome, CGA and EGA displays and old style big plug stupid PC/XT keyboards are just about impossible to find without spending stupid amounts of money.

I'm lucky, I still have a few of those old keyboards laying around. One of them I had to use on my Tandy with a ps2 converter. It works though lol
 
Here are my two Switches on the Motherboard for EGA Monitor. I'd have to look at the SAMS Photofacts I have for the exact
switch information etc.


SW1-1 OFF
SW1-2 OFF
SW1-3 OFF
SW1-4 OFF
SW1-5 ON
SW1-6 ON
SW1-7 OFF
SW1-8 ON

SW2-1 ON
SW2-2 OFF
SW2-3 ON
SW2-4 ON
SW2-5 OFF
SW2-6 OFF
SW2-7 OFF
SW2-8 OFF

My cropped Photo's are too large to upload..... CHANGES ARE GOOD, but for what?


Larry
 
Here are the possible switch settings:
Code:
SW1 Toggles 1,3,4 must be OFF
SW2 Toggles 5,6,7,8 must be OFF


Number of floppy Drives
1 SW1-8 ON SW1-7 ON
2 SW1-8 ON SW1-7 OFF
3 SW1-8 OFF SW1-7 ON
4 SW1-8 OFF SW1-7 OFF


SW1-1 MUST BE OFF
SW1-2 ON = <640K OFF = 640K
SW1-3 MUST BE OFF
SW1-4 MUST BE OFF
SW1-5 \
SW1-6  \ Floppy Drives
SW1-7  /
SW1-8 /


ON BOARD 128K 1,3,4 = ON 2 = OFF
EXP 256K 1,4 = ON 2,3 = OFF
EXP 384K 1,3 = ON 2,4 = OFF
EXP 512K 1 = ON 2,3,4 = OFF
EXP 640K 1,3,4 = ON 2 = OFF


SW2-1 \
SW2-2  \ Expansion Memory
SW2-3  /
SW2-4 /
SW2-5 MUST BE OFF
SW2-6 MUST BE OFF
SW2-7 MUST BE OFF
SW2-8 MUST BE OFF


Larry
 
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Here are the possible switch settings:
Code:
SW1 Toggles 1,3,4 must be OFF
SW2 Toggles 5,6,7,8 must be OFF


Number of floppy Drives
1 SW1-8 ON SW1-7 ON
2 SW1-8 ON SW1-7 OFF
3 SW1-8 OFF SW1-7 ON
4 SW1-8 OFF SW1-7 OFF


SW1-1 MUST BE OFF
SW1-2 ON = <640K OFF = 640K
SW1-3 MUST BE OFF
SW1-4 MUST BE OFF
SW1-5 \
SW1-6 \ Floppy Drives
SW1-7 /
SW1-8 /


ON BOARD 128K 1,3,4 = ON 2 = OFF
EXP 256K 1,4 = ON 2,3 = OFF
EXP 384K 1,3 = ON 2,4 = OFF
EXP 512K 1 = ON 2,3,4 = OFF
EXP 640K 1,3,4 = ON 2 = OFF


SW2-1 \
SW2-2 \ Expansion Memory
SW2-3 /
SW2-4 /
SW2-5 MUST BE OFF
SW2-6 MUST BE OFF
SW2-7 MUST BE OFF
SW2-8 MUST BE OFF


Larry

These are great! Thank you. I am noticing though there are two sets. One on board and one on the back of the machine (still technically on board, but best way I can describe it).
 
One long, four short beeps: Low battery voltage. Battery is likely dead or defective.
1 long, 7 short Unable to initialize video- This a video problem. Verify the Switches are set properly for the
Video card that is installed. Replace the video adapter with a known good one to see if that fixes the problem.

Larry
 
One long, four short beeps: Low battery voltage. Battery is likely dead or defective.
1 long, 7 short Unable to initialize video- This a video problem. Verify the Switches are set properly for the
Video card that is installed. Replace the video adapter with a known good one to see if that fixes the problem.

Larry

So I checked the DIP settings..all was good there. Except there is a third set of dip switches on the back...maybe that's the video card settings? I can't find any information on it so anything you have would be even more helpful :) Thanks so much for this!
 
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