Post Card
Ulf Boehlau
[ Author was Ulf ]
[ Posted on Fri, 08 Sep 2000 23:20:01 GMT ]
In article <8ms95s$45o$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
snks...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Can someone tell me where I can get a post card aside from
> micro2000.com. They wont give me a price unless I give them my phone
> number and let them call me.
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>
Have three
POST (Power On Self Test) Diagnostic Card,
left over from a course we taught for sale at:
$49 US Funds, Shipping extra
(Price is firm),
Board is NEW (unopened) comes with manual & warranty.
2000 version, manual covers POST codes up to May 2000
Compare at US$65 and US$68 plus shipping elsewhere
See it at http://www.electrocution.com or at
http://www.sysopt.com/post.html , they also have
a more detailed description on their sites.
These Cards are also quite useful when overclocking
a system, saves time over trial-and-error process
when the system hangs in the POST portion of the boot.
Shows you what component prevents the system from booting.
Let's say it is the memory, you now can adjust the memory
timing in the CMOS or get another memory stick, rather
than guessing at the problem.
Phone: (905) 884-2767 or e-mail:
u...@problem.org
cm...@torfree.net
Works in anything up to and including Pentium III or
AMD Athlon. The POST Diagnostic card plugs into any
ISA slot and displays the self-test diagnostic codes
in the PC before the Video is even initialized. POST
Diagnostic cards are recommended and described in
"Upgrading and Repairing PCs" by Que.
Besides displaying POST codes, this POST Diagnostic
card shows the status of the motherboard's four power
supply voltages and provides means to test the power
supply.
Most computer enthusiasts know all about Diagnostics
Software, but what does a POST board or POST code
analyzer do? So here is my little explanation/sales
spiel:
Do You have a 286, 386, 486 or Pentium family Motherboard
that does not boot and displays no video. A system that
is DEAD DEAD in other words, and there is no way running
software diagnostics on it until it is booting up.
This Diagnostic board plugs into an ISA slot and displays
the manufacturing self-test diagnostic codes in the PC
before the Video card is even initialized.
So, here is the ideal Item for people repairing motherboards
and building their own systems. The POST board plugs into
any slot and displays diagnostics codes on its own
alpha-numeric display when the motherboard is powered up.
If a fatal error in the motherboard's Power On Self Test is
detected, the motherboard will hang at that point until hell
freezes over. The last POST code displayed before the system
board hangs points to the part of the circuit that is bad.
So look up the code in the 129 page PDF manual that comes
with this POST board and bingo there is your answer why the
system does not boot. All you have to do is correct the
jumper setting, replace the bad memory chip etc. Let's face
it, you use this POST board to fix one Mother of a Board
that otherwise would have gone up to the local Dump and the
POST board paid for itself.
In addition to displaying POST codes this board also shows
the status of all 4 power supply voltages on the motherboard
and allows you to test the power supply.
Lots of system builders use POST boards during the assembly
process to save time. According to the post board manufacturer
literature, "...many system builders report that providing
a POST code on the RMA tag of a defective motherboard speeds
up the replacement process. Provide a professional error
analysis like:
'New motherboard failed at POST code 04 Hex with 32 meg
of memory, keyboard and Video card installed'
rather than
'Dead motherboard'
Now it is more unlikely that the distributor's technicians
will question your return. Think of the cost of having your
driver wait for at least 1/2 hour while they test the bad
motherboard with a POST card on the bench."
To answer the question, why do I need a POST board when my
system gives these BEEP error codes:
What the BEEP codes tell you is rather limited. Most BIOSes
give you about 5 to 10 different BEEP sequences for items
easily corrected by someone who knows how to hold a
screwdriver. A POST diagnostic card can display up to 256
different error codes. How good are you at morse code...
and what was that I just heard??? one long BEEP and 6 short
ones or was it two long ones and 5 short BEEPs. How good do
you think the speaker port is if the machine hangs before the
speaker gets even initialized. Many common errors, like
an memory error in the bottom 64K for example never will
give you a BEEP code. You get the Idea why most manufacturers
and real technicians use POST diagnostic cards.
Here are some specifications lifted from the POSTmortem
manual:
POST diagnostic card is a XeTAL POSTmortem. Standard POST
board with:
- Two alphanumeric/hex type displays for POST error codes
- Four powersupply status indicators (+5V, +12V, -12V, -5V)
- Supports four post addresses (80h, 84h, 284h and 280h)
- Test and load points for all 4 DC power supply lines.
- Fused against faulty insertion into a motherboard without
having to return POST board for repair; ie. protected
against reversal in an ISA bus slot and fused against
defective motherboards that could damage the POST board.
- All protruding component pins are cut flush with the board
to avoid those nasty cuts on one's fingers.
- Meets the IEEE P996 specification for the ISA bus loading
and capacitive loads. POSTmortem has _all_ the required
decoupling and bypass capacitors to stop the propagation
of digital noise to/from the system tested. Designed
to withstand reasonable electrostatic abuse.
- Comes with warranty and a 129 page PDF manual supporting
all major BIOSes.
P.S. Willing to ship UPS COD or Prepaid
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.