Josh Straub wrote:
> Hello,
>
> While trying to get a standard Pentium Socket 7 motherboard to boot, I tried
> swapping the standard AWARD flash ROM chips from another machine to see if
> that would work (I performed the hot-plug flash transplant successfully one
> time before, to bring back a different board from the dead). Unfortunately
> this time I paid no attention to the chip direction and the chip got very
> hot and the sticker became blurry, likely from heat underneath, just like
> your "hotflash" page indicates.
>
> My questions are:
>
> - is this flash chip completely ruined?
Maybe not, but reliability has been greatly reduced.
>
> - would most likely any pentium "PCI/PNP 586" flash chip work as a
> substitute?
Probably not. BIOS is written specifically for a given motherboard
(chipset, super I/O combination, memory config etc.)
> Is there a way to tell if it's 5V or 12V flash?
You can look up the data sheet using the part number.
> What happens
> if you mix the 2 up?
A 5vcc with 5vpp (programming voltage) device will be fried in a 5vcc
with 12vpp socket if it gets programmed while in this socket. A 5vvc
with 12vpp device in a 5vcc with 5vpp socket will not be damaged it just
can't be written to without the 12vpp supply.
>
> - How do you tell the correct orientation?
The motherboard may be marked or it's the opposite direction from the
one you used to get the device to spout smoke.
>
> - is the motherboard ruined completely?
Maybe not, but reliability has been reduced by the stress.
>
> - is there a better way than pulling the flash ROM chips with those
> extremely flimsy little metal pins, and plugging them back in? This is an
> operation that seems to be reproducible once, maybe twice, with any given
> ROM chip before you permanently bust the pins.
A zif (zero insertion force) socket can be placed in the the motherboard
socket that will allow you to replace the flash device several times
with minimal risk of mechanical damage.
How about this from Aries Electronics:
http://www.arieselec.com/products/10001.pdf
using product number 32-6554-11 we get a 32-pin zero insertion force dip
test socket with .6 spacing, and a gold over nickel plating of which
Powell Electronics (http://www.powell.com) has a stock of 248.
>
>
> Finally, where can I get a POST card? I saw one on a vendor's website the
> other day but I cannot recall where.
The checkit card, www.checkit.com
>
>
> Oh and if you know of any site with PC BIOS information relevant to my
> questions, I would be extremely interested in the reference; thanks!!!
Whats the part number and make of the motherboard?
>
>
> In case you are interested in my "purposes"; this is entirely slanted
> towards the interests of a PC repair technician who often mucks around with
> old/spare parts and tries to restore them to working order.
>
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Josh Straub ô¿ô [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>
