MBF COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL FIELD INFORMATION BULLETIN SERVICE GROUP(S): MICRO MFG: IBM NACS TYPE(S): 5160,5161,9160,9161 MFG. MODEL(S): 266,277,278 CATEGORY: CPU DESC: XT PERSONAL COMPUTER *** TABLE OF CONTENTS AS OF 12/19/90 *** FIB 00001.General Information.........................................06/29/87 FIB 00002.HARD DISK ERRORS WHEN RUNNING DOS 3.3.......................07/01/87 FIB 00003.20meg Hardfile/Adapter cable installation...................07/24/87 FIB 00004.Error 161 or 162, System clock erratic......................07/24/87 FIB 00005.DATA ERRORS WHEN OPERATING IN VERTICAL POSITION.............07/24/87 FIB 00006.AST RAMCLEAR.COM Rev 4.0 FAILURE............................07/28/87 FIB 00007.DISTORTION ON MONITOR.......................................07/28/87 FIB 00008.ERRORS WHILE PRINTING OR PLOTTING FROM THE ASYNC PORT.......07/28/87 FIB 00009.Parity check 2 with no location given.......................07/28/87 FIB 00010.PRINT BLOCK CHARACTERS IN PLACE OF CAPITAL LETTERS..........07/28/87 FIB 00011.DEFECTIVE DMA CHIPS.........................................07/28/87 FIB 00012.TESTING FLOPPY DISK DRIVES AS THE 3RD AND 4TH DRIVES........07/28/87 FIB 00013.RAMPAK PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC ARRAY.............................07/28/87 FIB 00014.DISPLAYWRITE II TO C.ITOH P 1351 PRINTER....................07/28/87 FIB 00015.FORMATTING HARD DRIVES ON WESTERN DIGITAL CONTROLLERS.......07/28/87 CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------Table Of Contents Pg01 of 01 FIB 00001 06/29/87 *** General Information *** *** NACS MACHINE TYPES AND FEATURE NUMBERS *** 5160,5161,9160,9161 *** Description *** A desktop computer powered by a 8088 microchip. Includes 8 expansion slots, 64K to 256K of memory on the system board, and a socket for an 8087 math coprocessor chip. Standard equipment includes a keyboard, monitor controller, 1 floppy and 1 hard drive. The floppy drive can handle 2 internal and 2 external 360k floppies. The hard disk controller can handle 2 hard drives. The power supply is rated at 130 watts. Addition of an expansion unit (5161) provides an addition 6 slots for expansion cards. *** Available Training *** IBM Micro Familiarization course *** Available Documentation *** SHDBK-594 IBM XT TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL SHDBK-595 IBM XT HARDWARE MAINTENANCE & GUIDE SHDBK-597 IBM XT GUIDE TO OPERATIONS SHDBK-628 IBM DOS 3.2 OPERATING SYSTEM SHDBK-878 NACS PC HANDBOOK SHDBK-640 IBM TECHNICAL REFERENCE FOR OPTIONS/ADAPTORS SR28-0280 PERSONAL COMPUTER SERVICE INFORMATION MANUAL *** Parts Information *** PC000043 8529254 system board 64k-256k PC000519 6489906/83x1520 system board 256k-640k PC000042 8529247 power supply PC000039 8529206 floppy drive, full 5 1/4 PC000078 8529275 10 meg hard drive PC060017 6489907 20 meg 1/2 (ST225) PC000020 4584656 keyboard (old style) PC000509 1390290 enhanced keyboard PC000048 8529269 fixed disk adaptor PC000010 8529152 floppy disk adaptor PC000045 8529250 expansion planar board PC000046 8529251 expansion receiver card PC000047 8529252 bus extender card PC000044 8529168 keyboard cable *** Diagnostics *** IBM Advanced Diagnostics Supplied with HMS manual PC000777 Sorbus Diagnostic diskette ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB001 Pg001 FIB 00002 07/01/87 *** HARD DISK ERRORS WHEN RUNNING DOS 3.3 *** SYMPTOM: DISK READ ERRORS OR FAILURES DURING RESTORE. PROBLEM DETERMINATION: System locks up during a RESTORE operation or experiences read errors. Problem is caused by a BIOS time-out on error detection resulting in a long pause that looks like a system hang. FIX: Reformat the drive using an interleave factor of 3 instead of 2. ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB002 Pg001 FIB 00003 07/24/87 *** 20meg Hardfile/Adapter cable installation *** When installing the cable from the 20meg adapter card to the 20 meg hardfile, the cable must be plugged into the adapter card with the red wire on the cable facing the system board. Reversing the cable will cause the hardfile to fail. The cable connector at the hardfile cannot be plugged incorrectly. ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB003 Pg001 FIB 00004 07/24/87 *** Error 161 or 162, System clock erratic *** SYMPTOM: 1. Error 161 or 162 (Cannot recognize setup) or 2. System clock loses time or 3. Boots in BASIC with a bootable diskette mounted in the system. PROBLEM: This can be caused by CMOS being intermittently reset. FIX: Because of the extreme difficulty in troubleshooting this intermittent problem, replace the following components one at a time in the order listed: 1. Battery 2. Power supply 3. System board ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB004 Pg001 FIB 00005 07/24/87 *** DATA ERRORS WHEN OPERATING IN VERTICAL POSITION *** IBM does not support operating the 5160 in a vertical position. Loss of data could occur if the system is operated in this manner. ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB005 Pg001 FIB 00006 07/28/87 *** AST RAMCLEAR.COM Rev 4.0 FAILURE *** IBM PC's XTs or Compatibles with memory that is not cleared during Power On Self Test, such as above 544K on a PC1 or memory above Video RAM (C0000-EFFFF), must be initialized before the memory can be used. AST supplies RAMCLEAR.COM to accomplish this. RAMCLEAR on the AST Rev 4.0 diskette has an eror in it. It fails to clear memory from C0000 thru C000F. When subsequent programs are run that utilize this area they may fail with "PARITY CHECK 2". This problem is corrected with RAMCLEAR.COM on Version 4.1 and above diskettes. ORIGINATOR: Jim Wilson 10/17/85 ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB006 Pg001 FIB 00007 07/28/87 *** DISTORTION ON MONITOR *** CAUSE: The monitor is being affected by a magnetic field from the system. CORRECTION: The problem can be corrected by: 1. Relocating the monitor. 2. Put a magnetic shield between the system and the monitor. The customer may want to order the shield for his system. It can be ordered in a roll from: Magnetic Shield Division Profection MICA 740 Thomas Road Bensonville, ILL. 60106 ATTN: Tom Wheeler (312) 766-7800 ORIGINATOR: David Schaub CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB007 Pg001 FIB 00008 07/28/87 *** ERRORS WHILE PRINTING OR PLOTTING FROM THE ASYNC PORT *** PROBLEM: The printer or plotter will detect errors or print garbage. CAUSE: The Async UART may be slow to respond to the CTS (clear to send) controll signal. If the UART is a National Semiconductor (INS8250 N-B) it may be the cause. SOLUTION: Replace the UART with a Western Digital UART # WD8250-PL-OO. (Sorbus Part Number YY9733). Originator: Ken Lovelady Mike Greil ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB008 Pg001 FIB 00009 07/28/87 *** Parity check 2 with no location given. *** SYMPTOM: Intermittent parity check 2 with no location given even after replacing all of the RAM on PERSYST TIME SPECTRUM board. CAUSE: Two 74LS158N IC's at locations Z56 and Z61. CORRECTION: Replacing the IC's with 74LS258N's (Sorbus YY013736) or replace the board with one that has been upgraded. PERSYST (Mike Hoby) ORIGINATOR: Stewart Davis CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB009 Pg001 FIB 00010 07/28/87 *** PRINT BLOCK CHARACTERS IN PLACE OF CAPITAL LETTERS *** MICRO PRODUCTS PARALLEL When printing to a Nec 3350 Printer with Diplay Write II or Multimate (possibly other word processing program). A block is printed in place of capital letters. This symptom occurs after the printer has become busy due to a full buffer. The problem can be corrected by: 1. Obtaining a software patch from the dealer. 2. Execute the following: DOS command before using the Word Processor. MODE LPTI:,,P ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB010 Pg001 FIB 00011 07/28/87 *** DEFECTIVE DMA CHIPS *** The DMA chip manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) known as the 8237 or 9517 could cause the system to lock up or crash if two of the PC's DMA channels are used at the same time. The defective chip could cause: 1. Bad data to be written to the fixed disk. 2. Lock up the system. 3. Improper operation on LAN boards. 4. Improper operation of Communication boards. 5. Improper operation of Tape drives. ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB011 Pg001 FIB 00012 07/28/87 *** TESTING FLOPPY DISK DRIVES AS THE 3RD AND 4TH DRIVES *** MICRO PRODUCTS FLOPPY DISK DRIVES To conveniently test a floppy disk drive on a PC or XT: 1. Connect a signal cable from the DB-37 connector on the rear of the floppy disk drive adapter (PC-10) to the drive. (cable part # MC23103-6 from Sorbus Supplies). 2. Use a PC power supply to provide power to the drive. 3. Use diagnostics to test the drive. ORIGINATOR: Paul Schaub CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB012 Pg001 FIB 00013 07/28/87 *** RAMPAK PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC ARRAY *** TECH TALKS PERSYST MICRO PRODUCTS RAMPAK The PERSYST TIME SPECTRUM Module with RAMPAK requires a specific memory addressing PLA (programmable logic array) based on the PC module and memory capacity of the system. If your PERSYST RAMPAK was attached to your TIME SPECTRUM board at the factory, a special PLA for the IBM PC or XT (256KB motherboard) was installed on the Time SPECTRUM. (That PLA has a brown dot and green dot on it). If that PLA is incorrect for your system according to the table below, insert the PLA (two green dots, shipped in your TIME SPECTRUM package) in your TIME SPECTRUM board according to instructions given in the RAMPAK INSTULLATION GUIDE, Section 5.1. If your RAMPAK is not attached to a TIME SPECTRUM board when you receive it, two PLAs are attached to RAMPAK. Select the correct PLA from the table below based on your model of IBM PC and install the PLA following the instructions given in the RAMPAK INSTALLATION GUIDE, Section 5.1. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16-641C ORIGINAL PC XT PC X ORIGINAL PC with 64-256K with with PC Exp Box New PC 128KB 256KB -------------------------------------------------------------------- Max Memory 544KB 640KB 640KB 640KB 640KB Supported System 64KB 64KB 256KB 128KB 256KB Board Mem Max Additional 484KB 576KB 384KB 512KB 384KB Memory PLA to Use Green/ Green/ Brown/ Green/ *Brown/ . (Dot Colors) Green Green Green Green Green * PLA used on TIME SPECTRUM/RAMPAK (assembled) shipped from factory. ORIGINATOR: J. HILL CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB013 Pg001 FIB 00014 07/28/87 *** DISPLAYWRITE II TO C.ITOH P 1351 PRINTER *** The IBM wordprocessing program Display Writer II, has been through two (2) revisions so far; revision 1.0, and revision 2.1. Problems have surfaced in the program when interfacing a C.ITOH P1351 parallel printer with a 3270 compatable PC. When using the compressed print option and trying to print the printer will remain in 10 CPS. In order to correct this problem it is necessary to do two things. First you will need to upgrade your software to 3.0. (IBM's newest revision). Second you will need to remove your parallel adapter from the seventh slot in your XT and put it in any slot except 7, or 8. With the parallel card in slot 6 you will find that you can change your character spacing at will with ease. IBM has changed their software in their recent ver 3.0 to offer you two (2) more printer driver options. Currently, the 2.1 revision offers you four (4) optional drivers, A-D. 3.0 now offers the following: E. Permits you to designate your own driver perameters. F. Allows you to choose a driver for the newest IBM graphics printer. ORIGINATOR: Robert T. Vosburg CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB014 Pg001 FIB 00015 07/28/87 *** FORMATTING HARD DRIVES ON WESTERN DIGITAL CONTROLLERS *** TECH TALK WESTERN DIGITAL MICRO PRODUCTS 5150-5160 When installing a new or replacement hard drive in a IBM - PC with a Western Digital Hard Drive Adapter, you must run a special format accessed through Debug on the Supplemental Programs DOS disks. Run Debug and at the "-" prompt enter "G= C 800:5", accept the standard defaults and the drive will format. After this format is complete, run the standard FDISK and FORMAT routines and the drive will be ready to go. ORIGINATOR: Howard Wilkens, Kansas City. CPU-IBM-266,277,278---------------------------------FIB015 Pg001