VIP 200 - 286

I purchased this computer for my parents when they were living in Seattle and I was visiting them, while I was now living in upstate NY. I found the best deal I could using Computer Shopper and had the stuff shipped directly to their address. When I arrived for my visit I set it all up for them and showed them how to use it. This was their first PC at home. I would call in using Carbon Copy and help them learn how to use DOS and software programs like WordStar. At home I was using the AST Premium 486-33 that was given to me by a member of the Hudson Valley Computer User’s Group. At that time I was using DOS only and a dial-up modem.

I ordered this computer with a VGA White screen and standard VGA 8-bit ISA interface card. It also came with parallel and serial ports. It has a standard AT keyboard and connects with the built in 5-pin DIN keyboard connector off the motherboard and extended to the front with an interior extension cable [now has a broken wire. Now just plugging keyboard into back port]. There is a PC speaker but no sound card. It included a 3.5” floppy disk drive. I can’t remember if we added a hard drive on the order or not. Probably. I don’t remember setting up a dual floppy system. I think it was DOS 5.0 on an IDE hard drive. It probably used an ISA multi-I/O card for the floppy, HD, and serial and parallel ports. I set up a modem also.

After my parents no longer used this computer I put this computer in storage, for quite awhile. At some point after I started getting interested in retro computers I got it out and I noticed that the barrel battery was leaking. I removed everything from the case and then removed the battery and cleaned it up with vinegar and isopropyl alcohol. It has been disassembled ever since and the cards and drives have all been used elsewhere. I don’t have an exact record of what cards and drives were in this machine.

Recently, while trying to clean up the MicroLab 286 I also got out this VIP motherboard and noticed it still had some green residue and needed more cleaning. I have been cleaning it for a few days along with the MB from the MicroLab. After I failed to get the MicroLab MB working I decided to try powering up this VIP MB to see if it still worked. It does! I am still cleaning it but it does power on and I can get into the BIOS. After this test I decided to switch from the MicroLab 286 to this VIP 286. I am now cleaning up the case and gathering the cards and drives I will need to put it back together. I am using the 3.5” floppy and 3.5” IDE HD from the MicroLab along with the drive controller card and a separate serial and parallel card. The VGA card was in my drawer. It may be the very VGA card that was in this computer, I don’t know. But it is my last ISA VGA card I have available. (It was the VGA card from the PC Partner 386sx. I have since put it back in that computer. But I do have a couple CGA cards).

I took the power supply out of the case and blew out the dust. Then I cleaned up some corrosion on the case itself. Next is to replace the power supply in the case and test it for proper voltage. At the same time I continue to clean the motherboard. I have made progress in removing the green by laying some cotton swabs soaked in vinegar and then brushing with a stiff bristle toothbrush. It is getting better. After it is clean I will finish reassembling the motherboard, cards, and drives.

I have been using the VGA white screen on the IBM XT-286 but now that I have this VIP 286 going back together I will trade it back to this computer and put the IBM VGA color monitor on the XT-286. (Don’t have the VGA card available. Will use the VGA White on the NEC 286 - Update: I put the VGA card back in the VIP 200 and am ready to use the original VGA White screen with this VIP computer).

I finished cleaning the motherboard and then I reassembled the case, power supply, and the motherboard and VGA card. I powered it up and I do get a screen report and am able to get into the CMOS Setup. But I cannot get a floppy drive to be recognized.

I used the floppy controller from the MicroLab 286 but I can’t get the floppy to work. I tried moving the card to different ISA ports. No difference. I have a Winbond Multi-I/O card and I tried that. I still can’t get the floppy to boot. But I did once get the light on the floppy to come on. So, far I am getting mostly CMOS errors about the floppy controller failing.

I wonder if I will get better results if I first install a backup battery? I need to get a battery tray and attach it to the header on the motherboard and then set it up to use the external battery. I am out of those AA battery trays so I need to order some more. Maybe I have one in another computer I can use temporarily. If after I use the external CMOS battery the floppy controller still fails I will need to look for another controller card. It’s a little odd that both of these controller cards are bad but they are old, so it could be that they are both bad.

I found a four-AA battery tray in one of my drawers. I will try to find a patch cord that will fit the header on the motherboard.

I attached the CMOS external battery. I got a message that said the CMOS battery was low. But after a reboot I no longer get the CMOS battery error. I only found some used AA batteries. Maybe if I put in fresh new batteries it will work better. Anyway, the CMOS battery error is not coming on screen. 

I’ve been getting one long beep followed by three shorter beeps. The RAM check stops at 512k and then the beeps as noted and then continues to count to 768k. Then the error message includes a CMOS Memory mismatch. I changed the pins on the motherboard to set it to only 512k (JP7 Open, JP8 Closed, JP9 Closed). Now when the memory is tested it stops at 512k and there are no longer any beeps. The CMOS memory error happened one more time but then on reboot it no longer shows the CMOS memory mismatch error. I do still get the floppy controller failure.

I think the ram chips in Bank 1 are bad. The chips in Bank 0 seem to be ok. There are four chips in each bank, for 512k each. So, for now I only have 512k, but at least no memory errors. I will continue to troubleshoot the floppy controller.

I re-tried the Winbond card in each ISA slot. It failed in each slot. I then re-inserted the card from the MicroLab 286 and this time I got the drive light to come on. It attempted to read from the drive but failed to read both a 1.44 and a 720k DOS 5.0 boot disk. The BIOS is set to a 1.44 drive. Let’s try setting it to a 720k drive. No change.

I tried about 6 or 7 3.5” drives and set to both 1.44 and 720k. No disks will read. I do get slightly different errors on screen depending on the disk. DR-DOS seems to be the most different. I also tried two 5.25 drives, in both 1.2 and 360k. No reads.

Maybe I need to set some pins on the controller? All nine drives are bad?

[Note: while setting up the NEC Powermate 286 I installed the 3.5” floppy from the MicroLab 286 and it working fine. So, I think it is bad controllers.]

The card has following identifiers:

Label: FCC ID: H9NCI-90

Label: Unique Q1 92

On board: UN - 1051 Rev E

Hong Kong

50/91

Chip: Acer M5105 A3E 9204 TS6 A20409

I tried hooking up the IDE drive from the MicroLab. It hangs at boot, no screen. If I disconnect it I get the boot screen back. But the floppy will not read a disk. I tried adjusting JP8 and JP10 but there is no difference. When connected the HD light comes on but it will not continue to boot.

I wonder if I will have the same results with these drives and the controller in the Leading Edge Model D? May not work if slots are 8-bit only. I was not able to test the controller on the Model D. It has an integrated floppy controller and I don’t know how to disable it. I did test the 5.25” 1.2 drives and I cannot get them to boot in the Model D either.

Ok, I’ll put this VIP 200 aside for a while. I need to get another floppy controller card that I know is working. Then I need to test the RAM.

I have an unused Mono graphics adapter in my XT/286. I can either move that Mono adapter to this VIP 286 or use it in the XT/286 and take the VGA out and put it in this VIP. That would allow me to put the VGA White on this computer.

I ended up grabbing an Orchid VGA card from the AT&T Pentium MMX and putting it in the PC Partner 386. I took the VGA card that was in the PC Partner and put it in this VIP machine.