BIOS Updates forum

Thank you Rainbow for the patched 120 GB Hardrive support for my BIOS
i440BX-W83977-2A69KTGBC-00
http://wims.rainbow-software.org/ajz/Te ... X-A(n).zip

To speed up transfer rates, I got a Silicon Image PCI to ATA 133 IDE/RAID card based on their 0680 chip that is not recognized by my motherboard. It is funny cause my old EPOX motherboard with Award 4.51PG ID string i440LX W83977-2A69JPAAC-00 detects it just fine.

Does anyone know of this problem with the Tekram P6BX-A(n). Is there a Bios upgrade for this?

Keep up the GREAT WORK

Try another PCI Slot
Is the card not recognized at all ?
-> Did you see Updating ESCD after installing the card for the first time or ist it listed in the PCI device summary the Bios should give you ?
Does the Cardbios start ?
Tried to set SCSI as first Boot device and to enable "Boot from other devices" if present in Bios

I have "the same" problem.

A i430tx-smc669-2a59iv3fc-00 - PC PARTNER (VTECH) MB540N / i430TX Chipset / SMC Super I/O with the most recent BIOS update (from july 98) available from PC PARTNER's website - doesn't recognize a Lycom ST-305 ATA 33/66/100/133 RAID PCI Card

It doesn't show up on the device listing, the card bios (raid question) doesn't pop up.

The card isn't busted, as it works perfectly fine in a more recent MB.

I think it has something to do with the PCI compliance. Says here:"Compliant with PCI Specification, revision 2.2"

Is there anything I can do?

Thanks in advance and keep up the good work.

I think PCI rev 2.2 is only on much newer PCs - probably at least PIII or PIV vintage. Previously in PCI rev 2.1 which is incompatible with PCI rev 2.2 cards.

Well, here's what Lycom support had to say:

Hi,

The problem may come from the fact that some old moterboards do not provide 3.3V in the PCI slot. Supporting 3.3V in the PCI slot is a requirement per PCI spec. Some older motherboard might have skipped this requirement and left these 3.3V power pins open. In this case, the system will not be able to recognize cards that draw power from these power pins. ST-305 draws the power from PCI slot 3.3V pins. Please use ST-305 on the mother boards that support PCI 3.3V power.

Regards,
Support Departmen,
LyCOM Technology, Inc.

Is there any chance of this thing working on this mother-board or should I head to the store and maybe get my money back or something?

PCI2.2 often means that the card needs the 3.3V power. Only newer boards (starting around year 2000) support this. It might be possible to connect 3.3V to the PCI slots provided that the corresponding pins are currently not connected on the board (otherwise you'll damage something). Better replace the card with another one that runs at 5V.

I'd suspect that apart from the power requirements of PCI v2.2, there would also be other parts of the revised standard that a slot would need to comply with to properly operate a v2.2 card. I would either be using an older card that only needs v2.1, or updating the board to accept the newer card.

Perhaps...

I've got another card, a Gembird IDE Ultra-DMA 100 and it works great. (Probably PCI rev 2.1)

As for the LyCOM, I'll return it and get the money back.

Thanks!