HOT-569 motherboard

[Randall]

I have been having trouble trouble getting this board to work. it was supposed to be new when i got it a few months ago but under the circumstances there was no warranty. I tried a Pentium 233 MMX CPU and the 72 pin edo (32mb) that was on a HOT-557 board. I also tried a pair of 168 pin modules and that didn't work either. I have heard this board is finicky about its memory. I also have tried making the voltage and speed settings manually and allowing it to do it automatically. Does anybody here have any recommendations? I also have a K6/233. Would that be better or would it even matter?

 

[Fushigi]

When you try the different RAM modules, what happens? Are there any beeps occuring when you power on, can you get to the BIOS setup screen, does anything at all happen?

 

[Mercutio]

Have you properly set your CPU voltage?
What happens when you jumper the thing to some nice, conservative setting like 2x66MHz?
Doesn't the 569 take DIMMS? Where did you get 168 pin EDO memory, anyway? Are you sure it works? Are you sure it's EDO?

 

[time]

Your chances of getting compatible DIMMs at this late stage are slim. Get the board working with EDO first, then while away the hours trying early SDRAM DIMMs.

The 557 has very broad CPU support, so it's particularly important to check all the jumpers are exactly right for the CPU you are using. The K6-233 has exceptionally high heat dissipation that was too much for normal cooling solutions of that era. Don't try to overclock it. I'd use the MMX instead unless you suspect it's dead (unlikely).

Frankly, motherboards hardly ever become available by themselves unless there's something wrong with them. If you've checked the configuration and still can't get beeps, I'd have to assume it's dead.

 

[mubs]

A trip down memory lane! I have one, maybe two of these boards in storage somewhere. Processor and matching RAM (that worked with the board) as well. If you're interested, I can try to find them for you.

If you need the manual in PDF, and the last BIOS updates released, let me know, I'll email them to you. I sould have the original CD that came with it somewhere, as well.

 

[Randall]

What happens exactly is that it begins the POST with a single beep (to my knowledge indicating a memory problem) and during the memory count it stops and the screen goes blank though the power is still on and everthing still spinning. It has to sit quite a while before try again even after clearing cmos. I have checked other online sources and I have the manual on CD which I am reviewing one more time. I can't identify exactlywhat the memory modules (72 pin simm) are but 16 MB each and one pair is labeled EDO. It is also being set up as AT not ATX. I'm also checking all the jumper settings for this K6. That's another thing. on the chip it says it's 3.2v core and somebody else says its 2.2v core. Thanks for all your help. It would be nice to get this thing going.

I just might be interested in Known compatable memory...

 

[Randall]

the 168 pin dimm is actually pc100. too much for this board. did I say that the pair of EDO simm came out of a HOT-557? I thought that would work in the 569 (Rev. 2.1 by the way) but it doesn't. that was the first I tried. maybe thats not the problem at all. Hmmmm...

 

[i]

...during the memory count it stops and the screen goes blank though the power is still on and everthing still spinning. It has to sit quite a while before try again even after clearing cmos...

Capacitor trouble? A bad power supply perhaps? The "have to wait a while before it will work again" issue sounds so familiar.

 

[Tannin]

Hi Randall,

The 168-pin slots are for SDRAM, not EDO. Some boards of this era take 168-pin EDO as well, but not too many, and you have to go through all sorts of hoops setting jumpers to make them go.

With a brand-new board with factory-set jumpers and a manual back in the days when these were new, I would have been very reluctant to try to get one running on 168-pin EDO. Now, I wouldn't even think about it. In any case, many boards of this era warn you to be very, very careful swapping EDO/SDRAM in the 168-pin slots as if you get it wrong you can blow the board up. (Ihope you haven't done that already!)

Find a known, working 32MB or 64MB SDRAM. (Any speed: yes, any speed - PC-100 is just fine. PC-66 or PC-133 are just as good.) Restore the jumpers to the factory defaults as best you can. Either that will work, or else you have a dead motherboard.

 

[mubs]

The HOT-569 mainboard provides four 72-pin SIMM sockets and three 168-pin DIMM sockets that make it possible to install up to 256MB of RAM. The SIMM socket support 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB and 64MB 5V single- or double-side fast page or EDO DRAM modules, and DIMM socket support 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, and 128MB 3.3V single- or double-side SDRAM, fast page, or EDO modules.

The four SIMM sockets are arranged in two banks of two sockets each, the three DIMM socket are arranged in two banks of one socket each. Each bank provides a 64/72-bit wide data path.

Note:

* Maximum memory size is 256MB total for all SIMM or DIMM sockets.

* If using SIMM modules, each bank must be filled with a pair of same modules.

* The user should not populate both 5V SIMM modules & 3.3V DIMM modules at the same time.

* DIM 3 will not support 64MB or 128MB DIMMs with 64Mbit SDRAM cells.

*If DIM 1 and/or DIM 2 has 64MB or 128MB DIMMs with 64Mbit SDRAM cells, DIM 3 must be empty.

DIMMs with 64Mbit cells are e.g. 64MB with 8 chips and 128MB with 16 Chips.

 

[Randall]

I haven't put the pc100 in there. I have only actually tried the simm modules. I first tried all 4 then each pair separately. I will make sure again tomorrow. Hey, why only try something once or twice?

 

[Tannin]

You will probably find that you can use SDRAM of the followig kinds:

* 16MB single-sided 8-chip (8 x 16Mb)
* 32MB double-sided 16-chip (16 x 16Mb)
* 32MB single-sided 8-chip (8 x 32Mb - this is rare)
* 32MB single-sided 4-chip (4 x 64Mb - though this is always tricky stuff)
* 64MB single-sided 8-chip (8 x 64Mb)
* 64MB double-sided double-high 32-chip (32 x 16Mb - very rare)
* 128MB double-sided 16-chip (16 x 64Mb)

But not be able to use anything that uses chips bigger than 64Mb - e.g.,

* 256MB of any sort
* 128MB single-sided 8-chip (8 x 128Mb)

Single-sided 64s are usually the best for testing gear of this vintage.

 

[Randall]

In trying to address everything mentioned--I have tried three power supplies. Looking at the list of DIMM, I don't have any like that. But if it won't work with the SIMM I already tried (when they worked on the HOT-557) wouldn't that indicate some other problem? OK, so if I can get a hold other memory modules to try in it (such as those previously offered) and it still doesn't work I guess I could still use them in the HOT-557 or try them in a PC Chips (Amptron) PM-8600. Just to get a working machine. Thank you.