ISA GPIB Card for a Socket 7 Computer/Tektronix Oscilloscope Project

[shakalnokturn]

I tend to agree with those who have previously disagreed:
I seem to remember EISA being deeper than the slots pictured here.
This look like ISA+VLB...

[Smoky]

I just took this picture for my "Want Ad" for SIMM memory. Look what's printed on the side of the slots:



EISABUS

[shakalnokturn]

So EISA it is...
I don't recall seeing the EISA+VLB combination back in those days but it was a while ago now!

[edpalmer42]

I was surprised to see an EISA/VLB board too, but they obviously exist.

I was also surprised to see a Dallas memory/clock module *AND* a motherboard battery.  Then I remembered that EISA motherboards have a configuration that gets saved on the board.  Since the Dallas module is doing the clock and, probably, the normal CMOS memory, the motherboard battery must be for the configuration (?).

Smoky, did you find the configuration program for that motherboard?  I can't remember for sure, but I think the board might be a paperweight unless you can save the configuration.  It came on a floppy and you had to boot into the config program and add information on any new or reconfigured boards that you add to the system.  And no, the jumpers on the motherboard don't replace the config program.

[Smoky]

EdPalmer42,

When you mentioned that the board appeared to be a GA-486TA, I was able to confirm that by finding that part number printed on the motherboard.

After that, I searched the web a little about it and I followed a link to Giga-Byte Technology's website. The only download that they have for the GA-486TA was this one:

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-486TA/support#support-dl-driver

Would you know if this ZIP file contains the configuration for the motherboard?

Thank you!

[edpalmer42]

That's it!  I'm amazed that Gigabyte still had it online.  If you can't display the .hlp file in the zip file, just drag it to your desktop and open it with notepad.  It's a nuisance to read it like that, but it's almost completely a text file.

My memory is, again, very foggy on this.  I didn't work with EISA much.  You might need config files for each board that plugs into the motherboard.  But that might only apply to EISA boards and not ISA boards.  I have no idea what would be required for your VLB graphics board.

If you manage to fight your way through this, be sure to back up your configuration so that a battery problem or wild write doesn't scramble it.

[Smoky]

That is awesome news

We are literally going to pull this computer out of its grave!

I just read the Readme files, they are dated 1992 and 1993

[edpalmer42]

This book might have a few nuggets of info that will be useful.

https://archive.org/details/Inside_EISA_Computers_Tony_Dowden/mode/2up

Chapter 6 in particular might be helpful.  Don't get lost in the details!

[Smoky]

The Socket 7 board has a  part number of TI5VG+. I come to find out that it was made by TMC (Taiwan MyComp Corporation).



I'll do some searching tomorrow to see if any downloadable files can be had.