Control/Dimming Strand 550i Motherboard Replacement & Keyboard Problem

[sborder]

Hello all,

My Strand 550i recently started having issues where it wouldn't detect the video card / Strand daughter board. I decided to test out a different motherboard, which was a Pentium III (the original was a Pentium II), everything seemed to work fine with the new motherboard, the console booted, read my show files, submasters worked, floppy read, everything worked except for the external keyboard. The keyboard works in the BIOS and MSDOS, but as soon as the Strand OS loads, it completely locks up and becomes unresponsive.

Has anyone had this issue before? Is there a fix, or do I have to source another identical old Pentium II motherboard?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello all,

My Strand 550i recently started having issues where it wouldn't detect the video card / Strand daughter board. I decided to test out a different motherboard, which was a Pentium III (the original was a Pentium II), everything seemed to work fine with the new motherboard, the console booted, read my show files, submasters worked, floppy read, everything worked except for the external keyboard. The keyboard works in the BIOS and MSDOS, but as soon as the Strand OS loads, it completely locks up and becomes unresponsive.

Has anyone had this issue before? Is there a fix, or do I have to source another identical old Pentium II motherboard?

Thanks,
Sam

Hi @sborder Let me call @RonFoley for you. @sceneworks
I couldn't get Control Booth's auto-call out to work for Ron so I've emailed him and pointed him towards your post.
Ron Foley
Scenework
519-837-0583

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

 

[derekleffew]

And/or @phenry .

 

[phenry]

Hello all,

My Strand 550i recently started having issues where it wouldn't detect the video card / Strand daughter board. I decided to test out a different motherboard, which was a Pentium III (the original was a Pentium II), everything seemed to work fine with the new motherboard, the console booted, read my show files, submasters worked, floppy read, everything worked except for the external keyboard. The keyboard works in the BIOS and MSDOS, but as soon as the Strand OS loads, it completely locks up and becomes unresponsive.

Has anyone had this issue before? Is there a fix, or do I have to source another identical old Pentium II motherboard?

Thanks,
Sam

Interesting problem. I have never heard of anyone upgrading to a Pentium 3. Did you use the hard drive as is, or did you reload dos and the 521 software? If it mostly runs, I would try (possibly on a spare hard drive just in case) reloading dos and everything and see if that resolves. Let us know if you need help.

 

[Mac Hosehead]

I don't know what the issue is with the keyboard. Of course, this is a PS2 keyboard. I did, at one time, replace a PII motherboard from a Light Palette with a PII motherboard from a Dell computer. I tried to get everything the same, such as processor speed. I had to use the Dell power supply as well but everything worked.

 

[sborder]

Update, I found out that the normal ISA slot on the original Pentium II motherboard was dead, but the other ISA slot (which the cable was too short to reach) works. I was able to extend the ribbon cables to reach the second ISA slot, and everything worked again.

I still can't figure out why my Pentium III motherboard wouldn't work with the PS2 keyboard in the Strand OS... When I booted it on the Pentium III it said "Divide Overflow", or something like that, and then booted into the normal OS. I did try reloading DOS and the Strand OS to the latest versions for that console, and yes it was the original HDD (both the original install and the new install had the same issue) but that didn't help. At least I was able to get the board operational again by extending the ribbon cables, the repair was a bit messy (some traces were accidentally broke) but it works. I am guessing that it is only a matter of time before that second ISA slot fails just like the first. Any ideas on how to get the Pentium III to work in the console?

Thanks,
Sam