Old motherboard not detecting ISA Cards
Posted by ZununAH@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Hi guys, we have three computers with old motherboards and BIOS Phoenix-award 6.00PG. These computers should be connected to a industrial machine using two ISA Cards (Two on each computer), the thing is that there is no communication between the machine and the computer.
I have a fourth One with different BIOS, and this is working after I enabled Plug and Play OS (I also tested the other ISA Cards). None of the three machines with Phoenix award bios is communicating and Plug and play seems nothing to do here
Do You know what is the setting that I can be missing? Thanks
Psy1@reddit
ISA don't have PnP, that on the IBM Compat started with Micro Channel and continued with PCI. ISA require the card itself to have a set address and interrupt that drivers would then talk to.
redditshreadit@reddit
You can have ISA cards whose resources are confugured by software.
Psy1@reddit
But a bus conflict can't easily be resolved by ISA. So if another card is on the same address then there is the possibility that it can't be configured as the other card will talk over it on the bus (you'd have to get it off that address first). It is why Plug N Play for ISA was Plug N Pray.
redditshreadit@reddit
Yup, much preferred jumpers.
davus_maximus@reddit
Only the very last ISA cards supported Plug'n'play and back then it was rightly known as "Plug'n'pray". Earlier cards were not automatically detected or configured. You had to set jumpers and tell your software where to look in terms of IRQ and, sometimes, memory location.
redditshreadit@reddit
Do the ISA cards have jumpers to configure their resources? What operating system?
ZununAH@reddit (OP)
I just checked that it has a Jumper in IRQ12 (between IRQ11 and 15), does it make sense?
redditshreadit@reddit
IRQ12 should be okay, assuming it doesn't have a ps2 mouse port. It can also have a memory address in addition to an IRQ. You have to make sure nothing else in the system is using the same resources. Then the software (Pro Manager) could have settings that shoukd match what the hardware says.
spektro123@reddit
That’s something. But firstly I doubt that manager thing is an OS, but rather some program running in DOS or OS/2. As with all DOS era PCs you have to set up address of your card. Some have static address some have jumpers. IRQ is interrupt request number. It also is important, as it’s also some kind of address. My guess is that the one PC that works is configured to be working with the card configured the way it is. You have to read in documentation of that program you’re using how to configure the card and set up the software to talk with the card. Maybe read on configuring sound cards (sound blaster is a good example) to get hold on how it’s done.
Anyway that’s quite specific automation system, so hardly anybody here will know what you’re talking about. Maybe try asking about that on automation related forums. I’d try r/PLC and plctalk.net Although my guess is, that anything other than Siemens and AB will have low chance of finding any help. Maybe also ask manufacturers of the program and die cast machine for documentation, if they’re still around.
ZununAH@reddit (OP)
Honestly I don't have idea. The operating system is Pro manager for diecast machines, is specific for industrial machines, I don't have info about this cards