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Adaptec 19160 PCI SCSI controller bios problem

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:43 pm
by vitos
I have an Adaptec 19160 SCSI controller PCI Card and I am unable to enter the controller settings, because it simply doesn't show up in the post, it doesn't show up in the motherboard bios too. In the motherboard bios, I mean the settings, which allow you to boot from SCSI device for example. But under Windows XP the controller is detected properly. I figured it might be damaged bios entries. I am sure this is not the problem with serial eeprom as described here http://www.rainbow-software.org/hardware/adaptec.html (vendor=9005, device=0081 etc.) Default flash5.exe program given by Adaptec to flash adapter's eeprom bios doesn't work. It says that the flash memory is not correct, and I should contact with the supplier. So I desist using their flash5.exe, which came with no effect. When I use uniflash 1.40, the application doesn't correctly recognizes the type of the eeprom applied in my card. So i force it to work with SST29EE512 eeprom (this chip exactly resides on my card)

Code: Select all

uniflash.exe -pcirom 2 3 0 -force bf5d
That command allowed me to flash the eeprom with the latest v3.10.00 29160 bios image file, but with errors. So I still had no working controller :cry:

So, here's the question. Have you ever had similar problem to mine ? Or maybe are you experienced with reanimation such controllers without having hardware programmer device ? I would be grateful for any tips and any help. Thank you in advance.

Best regards
vitos

PS. Please forgive me my terrible English ;-) I don't use this language every day, hereof so many grammar mistakes :oops:

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:50 pm
by KachiWachi
Is this controller card bootable?

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:28 pm
by vitos
Is this controller card bootable?
It is supposed to be bootable as nearly all Adaptec's 19160 SCSI Controllers . But unfortunately this one doesn't boot any device at all, becouse of, as i suppose, damaged or inconsistent bios. The deafult post (setup) screen doesn't show off. Although the eeprom chip, in which I think should reside bios entries is SST29EE512, uniflash program doesn't recognize. I think, eeprom chip is electronically damaged, or there happened something else. For example it was badly programmed :-)

Perhaps I'm going to replace this chip with another of the same type. And then I'll try to program it once again. Dissadvantage of such sulution is, I'll have to remove it from the card. Now it is soldered to the card.

Regards
vitos

PS. Don't get me wrong. It is not difficult to buy another controller. But my goal is to repair this one. I'm sure some of you know that jazz :-)

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:28 pm
by edwin
In the same way as resurrecting 486 and socket4 pentium systems, I know, I know...

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:35 pm
by ajzchips
I have several Adaptec SCSI controller cards, one of which misflashed and I've spent a lot of time discovering how to revive it, but to no avail :?

The only solution could be to piggy-back flash or simply carefully replace the BIOS chip (not at all easy).

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:41 pm
by vitos
ajzchips wrote: The only solution could be to piggy-back flash or simply carefully replace the BIOS chip (not at all easy).
Concerning replace the bios chip with a new one. I have one question. Is it necessary to program that chip first on a hardware programmer device, which unfortunately I don't have, with binary bios file, or is it possible to program the chip with uniflash program, after soldering eeprom bios chip to the controller ?

Regards
vitos

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:17 am
by ajzchips
I'd try getting it flashed first...