OrangePC bios? and ram update

[Sir Foxx]

Hello--

I was wondering if there was a way to get into the bios on these older orangepc cards. I think mine is a 210 based off of a conversation I had with another member. I have tried pressing random buttons while it is booting to see if it would say what keys are for the bios, but all it does is beep until you stop pressing buttons.

Also, does anyone know what these jumpers are for? I would assume that it would have said in the user manual, but I don't think those are around anymore. 

As a side note, I've been trying to get more ram to work with my card. I have some random 30pin simms laying around that I have no idea what their sizes are. I threw two matching sticks in with the 2 x 512KB sticks it came with and the ram counter went up to 3MB. Cool, the two sticks are 1MB! Looking through my stash, I found another two matching sticks, giving me 4 x 1MB matching sticks. Threw them in annnnnd.... still at 3MB. Either I have a bad stick of ram, or one of the slots is dead. I know in a previous thread, someone said that ram on these boards works in pairs of 2, so if a stick or slot was dead, wouldnt my ram be at 2MB?

 

[Unknown_K]

I might have a manual for the 200 series somewhere (386). I do have the manual for some of the 300/400/500 series cards (486/Pentium) and should PDF that soon. They are not complete since it doesn't have the 486 series with the PCMCIA slots.

 

[Sir Foxx]

I might have a manual for the 200 series somewhere (386). I do have the manual for some of the 300/400/500 series cards (486/Pentium) and should PDF that soon. They are not complete since it doesn't have the 486 series with the PCMCIA slots.

If you can find it, I'd super appreciate it! 

Also something else to note, I found a copy of the october 1994 macworld magazine that talks about the different PC solutions for macintosh. Of the orangePC options (the 200 family) they were all 486 processors, no mention of the 386 at all. Even the 210 model said it came with the AM486 processor, unlike mine, which has an AM386.

https://vintageapple.org/macworld/pdf/MacWorld_9410_October_1994.pdf

 

[Unknown_K]

https://web.archive.org/web/20011031072532/http://www.orangemicro.com/onlinemanuals.html

The 500 and 600 series (online manuals) links work. better then nothing.

 

[Sir Foxx]

While I appreciate it, nothing is all that useful for the 200 series in the 500 and 600 series manual :/

 

[Bolle]

Those jumpers will let you choose between onboard video or a VGA card in the ISA slot.

I don't know the exact settings, but maybe @dr.zeissler can chime in and have a look at his printed manual

For the BIOS settings

BIOS


The Orange386 does not have a conventional CMOS and BIOS settings are stored in the application preferences file on the Mac system disk. The easiest way to enter the BIOS setup is to hold down any key on startup to generate a keyboard error; then type Ctrl-Alt-Esc to run the BIOS setup program.

When changing the memory configuration, you must type in the amount of memory (the amount found will be reported on screen). Press F10 followed by F5 to save the settings.

Time and date are taken from the Mac system and appear to be Year 2000 compliant.

Taken from: http://archive.retro.co.za/mirrors/68000/www.vintagemacworld.com/O386.html

 

[Unknown_K]

While I appreciate it, nothing is all that useful for the 200 series in the 500 and 600 series manual :/

Well people will search for orange micro and come upon this thread so I figured I would post the link to help otjhers.

 

[Sir Foxx]

Well people will search for orange micro and come upon this thread so I figured I would post the link to help otjhers.

True, hadn't thought about that. 

Those jumpers will let you choose between onboard video or a VGA card in the ISA slot.

I don't know the exact settings, but maybe @dr.zeissler can chime in and have a look at his printed manual

For the BIOS settings

Taken from: http://archive.retro.co.za/mirrors/68000/www.vintagemacworld.com/O386.html

I'll have to look into this! I'd be curious to see if someone set the default ram limit to 3mb. I know when my card boots, it throws a keyboard interface error, but it doesn't do anything except beep when I press keys during startup. Hopefully I can get into the bios window.

 

[Unknown_K]

Do you have the dongle for that card?

 

[Sir Foxx]

Do you have the dongle for that card?

Dongle? At in, the octopus cable..? 

 

[Unknown_K]

Dongle? At in, the octopus cable..? 

Yes. I assume that is where you would plug in a keyboard.

 

[Sir Foxx]

Yes. I assume that is where you would plug in a keyboard.

No, I dont have it. I'll have to get a picture of the connectors on the card tonight. One is a 2 row, 50(?) pin connector, then it has one that kinda looks like a mix between adb and ps2. My apple keyboards work fine with the orangepc software, unless you need a pc keyboard connected to get into the bios.

Assuming the connector is the same, do you think this would work with my card? $75 is rather pricey for it however....

https://picclick.com/Orange-Micro-OrangePC-Mac-Compatibility-card-CABLE-223913314757.html

 

[Unknown_K]

No, I dont have it. I'll have to get a picture of the connectors on the card tonight. One is a 2 row, 50(?) pin connector, then it has one that kinda looks like a mix between adb and ps2. My apple keyboards work fine with the orangepc software, unless you need a pc keyboard connected to get into the bios.

Assuming the connector is the same, do you think this would work with my card? $75 is rather pricey for it however....

https://picclick.com/Orange-Micro-OrangePC-Mac-Compatibility-card-CABLE-223913314757.html

No idea, I have one with my 486  card but not sure what other models it works with. Those dongles are pretty rare.

You said you had a keyboard interface errors so I was wondering if you had the dongle.

 

[Sir Foxx]

No idea, I have one with my 486  card but not sure what other models it works with. Those dongles are pretty rare.

You said you had a keyboard interface errors so I was wondering if you had the dongle.

I gotcha. I may ask the seller for a picture of the connector that plugs into the computer, see if it is the same pin count. What all connections does your 486 connector have? I'd hate to get this one and find out they changed the pinout of it and fry a peripheral...

When the card boots and does a ram count, it says "keyboard interface error", but everything on the keyboard works. Not sure what the error is, unless its also looking for a keyboard in the octopus cable...

 

[Unknown_K]

The port on the card is a DB62-HD female (cable is male). There is a DB15 that goes to the Mac video I think marked video (P2).

DB15 (P3) video cable

DB15 (P7)  Game port

DB9 (P4, P5) Serial ports

DB25 Female (P6) Parallel Port

1/8" Jack (P8) Sound In

1/8" Jack (P9) Sound Out

 

[Sir Foxx]

The port on the card is a DB62-HD female (cable is male). There is a DB15 that goes to the Mac video I think marked video (P2).

DB15 (P3) video cable

DB15 (P7)  Game port

DB9 (P4, P5) Serial ports

DB25 Female (P6) Parallel Port

1/8" Jack (P8) Sound In

1/8" Jack (P9) Sound Out

Do these cards have a sound chip on them..? Or would the sound out just replicate what comes out of the PC spearker? And, if thats what our cards have for the DB62, then that cable on ebay should work with my card 

 

[Unknown_K]

The models with the cable have some kind of ESS audio chip. My cards are installed in machines that I don't feel like digging into at the moment.

Look under the labels to see if you have an ESS audio chip.

The majority of jumpers on these cards are for setting up the removable CPU (which you don't have). But there is a jumper for setting up one of the audio ports:

Sound IN:

Model 540/520 J7

400 Series J12

300 Series J10

Microphone enabled is [3,2],1

Stereo Enabled 3,[2,1]

Count the pins of that port cable, some 286 cards had a connector for a floppy drives (5.25"). What is the round port above it (I don't have one like that).

 

[Sir Foxx]

The models with the cable have some kind of ESS audio chip. My cards are installed in machines that I don't feel like digging into at the moment.

Look under the labels to see if you have an ESS audio chip.

The majority of jumpers on these cards are for setting up the removable CPU (which you don't have). But there is a jumper for setting up one of the audio ports:

Sound IN:

Model 540/520 J7

400 Series J12

300 Series J10

Microphone enabled is [3,2],1

Stereo Enabled 3,[2,1]

Count the pins of that port cable, some 286 cards had a connector for a floppy drives (5.25"). What is the round port above it (I don't have one like that).

Unless AMD made audio chips, I don't think this card has native audio.. the chip with the schmoo on it is I believe the cmos chip. Goldstar is the 8bit isa serial and parallel controller. I doubt the xilinx chip would be audio either...

Also, the ctrl-alt-esc does nothing on mine. After ram count and producing a "keyboard interface error" message (regardless of me hitting a key or not) it just beeps until its done processing the invalid inputs.

Also, my connector is 25 pin, not 62. Attached is a picture if the connector interface, including the round one.

 

[Sir Foxx]

Any ideas as to what the plugs may be for? Also, any other ideas on how to maybe get into the bios?

On a side note, got the 80387's today. I wish the logos went the same way. Grrr haha.