ES1868 AudioDrive ISA in Windows 95

  • Thread starter Thread starter Grinder
  • Start date Start date
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Grinder

I'm working on an older system, trying to get it up and running. It's
going well enough, but I need some direction in diagnosing a sound card
problem. There's every reason to suspect all of the discussed hardware
previously worked together under Windows 95, but I cannot exclude the
possibility that the sound card has simply failed.

Ok, here's the setup, more detail upon request:

Mainboard: Biostar MB-1433/50UIV-A ver. 5 (Socket 3)
Processor: Am486 DX2 80MHz
Memory: 16MB (4 x 4MB modules)
Video: 1MB VGA ISA Card
Floppy: 1.44MB 3 1/2"
Optical: 2x IDE CD-ROM
HardDrive: 540MB Conner CFS540A

All of that stuff seems to be working. The HDC, FDC, serial and
parallel ports are provided by an ISA I/O card. The third ISA card is
the sound card. It also has what appears to be an IDE connector, even
though it is not explicitly marked as such.

FCC ID (E5X1853L) and chip identifier (ESS AudioDrive ES1868F G486)
suggests to me that it's: (I can't find a good picture of it online, but
if somebody wants to see it I can post one.)

Sound: Ensoniq ES1868 AudioDrive ISA

ESS suggests that it's supported in Windows 95 on this web page:
http://www.esstech.com/techsupp/drivers.shtm#isa

Those linked files are apparently gone, but I've found (presumably)
those resource by searching out the relatively unique filenames still
embedded in those pages.

The board appears to only have 1 labeled jumper that controls the IRQ
setting: 12 or 15. I've left it set to 12 and left it (as with the
other two ISA cards) in their original slots.

I can't get anything to see the card, though I am admittedly unschooled
in the pre-Plug 'n Play era. I've tried these apps to look for the card:

* Microsoft Diagnostic (MSD)
* ESS' DOS Setup Utility for ISA AudioDrive
* Windows 95 Setup
* Windows 95 Add New Hardware

Right now, I suspect that there is a BIOS setting that needs adjusted.
Unfortunately, I don't have much background in that domain, and no
manuals for my motherboard or sound card. Fortunately the AMIBIOS
(11-10-94) does not have a lot of settings, so I'll post them here, with
the options delimited by a pipe (|). My comments will be included in <
and >.

Any ideas as to how I should proceed will be appreciated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Standard < this is just Date/Time and drive settings >

Advanced Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) Disabled | 15 | 20 | 30
System Keyboard Absent | Present
Primary Display Absent | VGA/EGA | <...> | Mono
Above 1MB Memory Test Disabled | Enabled
Memory Test Tick Sound Disabled | Enabled
Parity Error Check Disabled | Enabled
Hit "DEL" Message Display Disabled | Enabled
Extended BIOS RAM Area 0:300 | DOS 1K
Wait for "F1" If Any Error Disabled | Enabled
System Boot Up Num Lock Off | On
Numeric Processor Test < disabled >
Weitek Power 9000 VGA Absent | Present
Floppy Drive Seek At Boot Disabled | Enabled
System Boot Up Sequence C:,A: | A:,C:
System Boot Up CPU Speed Low | High
External Cache Disabled | Enabled
Internal Cache Disabled | Enabled
Internal Cache WB or WT Wr-Thru | Wr-Back
Password Checking Setup | Always
Video Shadow C000,16K Disabled | Enabled
Video Shadow C400,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow C800,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow CC00,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow D000,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow D400,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow D800,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow DC00,16K Disabled | Enabled
Shadow E000,64K Disabled | Enabled
IDE Multi-Sector Transfer Auto | 2 | 4 | 8
Primary IDE 32 Bit Transfer Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla
Primary IDE Block Mode Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla
Primary IDE LBA Mode Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla
Secondary IDE Present None | 1 | 2
Secondary IDE 32 Bit Transfer Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla
Secondary IDE Block Mode Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla
Secondary IDE LBA Mode Disabled | Mas | Sla | Mas/Sla

Chipset AUTO Config Function Disabled | Enabled
Cache Read Hit Wait State 3-2-2-2 | 3-1-1-1 | 2-1-1-1
Cache Write Hit Wait State 2 W.S. | 1 W.S. | 0 W.S.
DRAM Wait State Select 2 W.S. | 1 W.S. | 0 W.S.
DRAM Page Mode Slow | Fast
Local Ready Delay Setting No Delay | 1T | 2T | 3T
CPU ADS# Delay 1T or Not No Delay | 1T
Signal LDEV# Sample Time in T2 | in T3 | in T4 | in T5
Hardware DRAM Parity Check Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache C800,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache CC00,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache D000,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache D400,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache D800,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache DC00,16K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache E000,32K Disabled | Enabled
Adapter ROM Cache E800,32K Disabled | Enabled
LOWA20# Select KBC | Chipset
RC Reset Select KBC | Chipset

Power < this has been disabled, let me know if you want more >
Management
 
I can't get anything to see the card, though I am admittedly unschooled
You could try adding new hardware manually, or changing the
jumper.
Click to expand...

I should have mentioned that I've tried to add the card manually. It
will certainly adds the drivers, but they're marked with exclamations,
you cannot select the items as playback/recording devices in the
Multimedia control panel.

It looks like your driver pack is a superset (more models) of the set I
got from ESS. There has also been some indication in forums that this
card is actually a BTC card. The drivers available appear to be a
repackage of the ESS reference drivers.

I'll try changing the IRQ to 15 and see if that changes anything.

Do you know if this card is supposed to be plug-and-play?
 
Grinder said:
I'm working on an older system, trying to get it up and running. It's
going well enough, but I need some direction in diagnosing a sound card
problem. There's every reason to suspect all of the discussed hardware
previously worked together under Windows 95, but I cannot exclude the
possibility that the sound card has simply failed.
Click to expand...

It turns out it was a bad ISA slot. It should have occurred to me
earlier, but I got hung up on my unfamiliarity with ISA cards and
plug-and-play.
 
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