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Troubleshooting a PS/2 8590

B

ButINeededThatName

Experienced Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
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176
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
So I picked up this machine (along with my sixth Model 95, a 25 286 and a Model 30) for free not too long ago and after a lot of cleaning I've started doing some actual work on them.

Anyways, the issue is the system simply just does not POST. When powering it on both of the fans and the hard disk spin up, the screen flashes and the three lock lights on the keyboards flash, however nothing appears on screen, the diskette drive doesn't do a seek test and no beep codes are emitted. I've noticed that the light on the CD-ROM drive stays lit (it's an IBM CD-ROM II drive) and oddly enough, when you power the system down there is intermittent crackling from the speaker.

I've already tried swapping around MCA cards as well as the processor complex and the SIMMs are all 8Mb parity (8x8Mb), so I'm not sure what else to check at this point. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
 
When I first got some IBM PS/2 systems in I also got a bag of IBM/Kingston (I think) 72 pin SIMMs and all had gold plated contacts. OEM RAM tends to not be high capacity like later commodity 72 pin SIMM for normal PCs.

A quick google search shows this for 8MB sticks:

8MB 2x36-60ns, 72p SIMM, 5v, FPM , so they are parity.
 
iirc, PS/2 systems also used the SIMM Presence Detect pins to identify the module type, and to make things worse different models used the same PD codes to mean different things. As a result, sometimes you need memory modules made for that specific computer because 'generic' modules won't work (they will be mis-recognized as having a different size or speed).
 
T-R-A said:
I'm gathering you've seen this:

http://ohlandl.ipv7.net/9590/9590_Planar.html

I'd be suspicious of the RAM. Those machines were very picky....
Click to expand...

Unknown_K said:
When I first got some IBM PS/2 systems in I also got a bag of IBM/Kingston (I think) 72 pin SIMMs and all had gold plated contacts. OEM RAM tends to not be high capacity like later commodity 72 pin SIMM for normal PCs.

A quick google search shows this for 8MB sticks:

8MB 2x36-60ns, 72p SIMM, 5v, FPM , so they are parity.
Click to expand...

kgober said:
iirc, PS/2 systems also used the SIMM Presence Detect pins to identify the module type, and to make things worse different models used the same PD codes to mean different things. As a result, sometimes you need memory modules made for that specific computer because 'generic' modules won't work (they will be mis-recognized as having a different size or speed).
Click to expand...

I did see this while I've been working on this system and I did double check the RAM. Every SIMM installed is IBM branded 8Mb, 70NS parity, P/N 71F7011.

Out of curiosity, I swapped the complex out again and this time it POSTed, albeit with code 0002251B. Turns out there is an issue with this system's complex, which sucks as that means I have to choose between giving it to either this Model 90 or my 8595.

Edit: A quick search of the error codes page on MCAMafia doesn't have a listing for the above code. Or any code that has "25" making up the first half of the last four digits. Any ideas?
 
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is there any corrosion to the the connectors? I had a similar issue a while back and a bit of deoxit and a few insertions fixed it. Its a huge connector.
 
luckybob said:
is there any corrosion to the the connectors? I had a similar issue a while back and a bit of deoxit and a few insertions fixed it. Its a huge connector.
Click to expand...

There isn't any corrosion to speak of. I did pop this system's complex into my 8595 and was met with the same symptom of no POST.

So, I know the RAM is good, I know the complex is good, the hard disk and all of the expansion cards I'm using are good, the fans and hard disk spin up and it's able to throw out a POST code... Well, unless I'm missing something obscure, it sounds like I have a bad planar.
 
If we were talking about other manufacturers, I'd look at caps at this point. Even solid tants can die. I've never had a reason to recap a main board, but on the other hand, the floppy drives routinely need them.

I'd check psu voltages under load while I was poking around inside.
 
ButINeededThatName said:
I did see this while I've been working on this system and I did double check the RAM. Every SIMM installed is IBM branded 8Mb, 70NS parity, P/N 71F7011.

Out of curiosity, I swapped the complex out again and this time it POSTed, albeit with code 0002251B. Turns out there is an issue with this system's complex, which sucks as that means I have to choose between giving it to either this Model 90 or my 8595.

Edit: A quick search of the error codes page on MCAMafia doesn't have a listing for the above code. Or any code that has "25" making up the first half of the last four digits. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

These codes are not mentioned in my PC Server 500 hardware manual...

... any clues on the TAVI pages?

http://www.tavi.co.uk/ps2pages/ohland/complex.html

Dave
 
g4ugm said:
These codes are not mentioned in my PC Server 500 hardware manual...

... any clues on the TAVI pages?

http://www.tavi.co.uk/ps2pages/ohland/complex.html

Dave
Click to expand...

its a error: http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/ca7a.htm
000225XX | 1. System Board |
| | |
| (Check memory. It might be the | Memory |
| wrong type or wrong speed) (*) | |
| | Memory Riser Card |
| | |
| | (90) |
| | |
| | System Board |
| | |
| | Processor Board |
| | |
| | (90/95) |
| | 2. Bus Adapter |
Click to expand...

 
well, its highly probable that's the issue. These machines are an absolute royal PITA when it come to memory.

Before you give up, make abolute sure the memory risers are secured and the correct simms are installed in the correct slots. You might think you can "just test it", by leaving the risers flapping in the breeze, but they must be latched down perfectly. At least in the case of the 2 90's I own.
 
I had my model 90 handy, and I looked inside her. I'm using 8x 8mb chips @ 70ns. 71F7011 / 64F3606

So either these chips are okay at 60ns, or it doesn't matter to the p90 complex i'm currently using.
 
The memory issues are resolved! ...and even more issues have shown up (figures, right?)

So, upon trying to start the system without a refdesk I receive SCSI error I9990012. With a RefDisk I receive the following
- I9990010
- 29
- 00030100 (this one is a keyboard error, but the keyboard works fine once in the setup utility)

Things get even weirder in the SCSI portion of the setup utility. My hard disk, a 2.1Gb Fujitsu M2694ESA (which is set to ID 6 and to be non-terminating) doesn't show up at all and the CD-ROM II drive (ID 5, terminating) shows up as a 1050Mb hard disk.
 
IIRC it is showing you the saved scsi configuration. So you need to run the scsi config in the setup.
 
I had the same problem with a couple of PS/2 Model 90's a while back. You need to make sure you have a valid IML record on the hard disk. Unlike other computers, the 8590 stores the CMOS configuration on the hard disk. To make one, boot from the reference diskette and I think you need to choose something like "create system partition." Also make sure that your complex supports drives 1GB and over, otherwise you won't be able to IML the disk.
 
IT LIVES! Turns out the hard disk had a block of dip-switches and they were set incorrectly for use in this particular system. After flipping two of them I was able to restore the system partition and get it to IML off of the hard disk. Now to load to OS/2 onto it.
 
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