9585 "X" Planar
rf9585a Reference Diskette v1.11, 1993-01-26
rd9585a Diagnostic Diskette v1.11, 1994-03-17
postbios BIOS Flash Update v1.11, 1993-04-30 - Needed to support ECC-P
192-224 IBM PS/2 Server 85 (9585-0X6, 0XA and 0XF)
193-207 IBM PS/2 Server 85 (9585-0XG)
486 Interposers and Upgrades
Specifications
Memory
Features
9585 X Planar (92F0270)
9585-X Supports Display Panel!
BIOS 1.10
EE Floppy Support
What is ECC-P?
ASCII Terminal
Onboard SCSI
Maximum IML Drive Size
X without IML Drive?
ADF Sections
Memory
RAM:
2, 4, and 8 MB 70 ns parity SIMMs for a max of 64 MB.
Supports SIMMs of different speeds and sizes and single SIMM installations
(sounds like the Type 2 H/L complex)
Cache:
L1: 8 KB (486SX)
L2: no L2 cache
Features
The PS/2 Server 85 (announced Sept 21, 1992) was to replace the PS/2 Model 80.
9585 X Planar (92F0270)
U70 solder pads for another oscillator.
Possibly a different CPU speed? Like 25MHz?
J15 Three pin header marked "55" and "66"
FVT is what? Small outline, not big enough
for a normal header. Not sure. Maybe something to switch between an ODP and ODPR?
Need to test where the traces go...
F5-8 PTC fuses on the planar power traces
(like 85-K/N and 95A planars).
9585-X Supports Display Panel!
Major Tom:
Just checked, and the 85-X BIOS contains pretty much the
same checkpoint routines as the later 90/95 T4 and
85-K/N SurePath BIOS. It outputs the CP codes to ports
108 - 10Fh as the other systems do, and the checkpoint
routines are actually being called by the POST code. So
if the planar logic indeed is there, you should see the
CP codes on the Op Panel.
Dangerous Dave [Beem]:
Confirmed - I have a spare panel displaying information
when I did nothing more than unplugging the
speaker/power switch board and plugged it in.
9585-X Operator Panel Support Components, Front

U123 [74F138],
U125 [74ALS245],
and R261 [10 kΩ, pkg #0805] are populated.
9585-X Operator Panel Support Components, Back

R262 [100 Ω, pkg #0805]
and R263 [30 - 70 Ω, pkg #0805] are populated.
9585-X Planar close-ups from David Beem.
BIOS update 1.10
From Peter Wendt:
I don't know exactly how this "upgrade"
works. It is not really a "Flash-BIOS" update ... it is more a diagnostic
code upgrade and puts another xxx.BIO file on the harddisk. Most likely
it loads during IML (while the 9585 *use* IML - disregard the fact that they
have a flash-BIOS ... try running one without IML-partition ...) and I *think*
it can be returned to the old level with using the other (old) code reference
and diags disk and run "restore system partition" - but: I am not sure here.
EE Floppy Support
From Su Wadlow:
The 9585 X models have the 44 pin connector needed for use
of the electronic eject floppy. Just waiting on software...
What is ECC-P?
ECC-P support is BIOS code that provides for selectable memory
error detection and correction of single bit errors (detection only of all
double bit errors and some 3- and 4-bit errors) using standard FPM.
With ECC-P the detection and correction takes place in the memory controller
rather than in the ECC SIMM as on the Server 95.
For more on this fascinating subject, go
HERE.
ASCII Terminal
The IBM PS/2 Model 85 contains a console select utility that allows
systems console operations to be performed by an ASCII terminal via the system
asynchronous communications port (serial port) pre-installed on the system hard
disk. If this option is selected, an ASCII terminal must be connected to the
serial port at the time of selection.
Onboard SCSI
From Peter Wendt:
The onboard SCSI of the 95xx is often referred as "Spock-Prime"
- and is (almost) identical to the later SCSI with cache ... with the exception
of the cache, which it hasn't got. From the design it is *very* similar to
the short SCSI without cache, which has an 80C188-16 as well. The SCSI microcode
however is part of the machine BIOS stored in a single small 16-bit PLCC EPROM
if I remember correctly. There is a part of the SCSI code also included in
the IML. This adapter can be found on the 9556/9557, the "Bermuda" 9576/9577
- and the "small" 9585-0Xx.
If you look closely at the 9585-xXx planar you will find some
SMD transistor "of the bigger kind" and some stuff that looks like "auto-termination".
In addition the onboard SCSI adapter of the "Spock-Prime" is described as
"SCSI-2 compliant" ... which extends on the command set in the first place,
the enhanced SCSI translation and on the electric interface as well I think.
But not on the speed of course, which is 5 MB/s SCSI-1 standard.
David Beem elucidates:
As David Beem's SCSI microcode levels
shows, the 9585 'X' SCSI microcode is specifically held in U51 (not contradicting
Peter at all, but actually confirming his memory is correct & enhancing
the statement). The 25h/37d microcode level is pretty standard for a few
different IBM SCSI adapters & planars (and the same FRU-numbered EPROM
is also used on the Bermuda planar). Conceivably it could be upgraded to
a 26h/38d level with a burner & soldering skills (at what benefit is
unknown).
Although the newer BIOS image (for lack of a better term) wouldn't
update the SCSI microcode, it may change the "ROM BIOS Extension" SCSI code
to give larger hard drive support. What is the difference between the two?
Does the splash screen or anything in the system setup change?
Maximum IML Drive Size
>Peter, isn't the on-board X SCSI analogous to the late SCSI w/cache?
In which case it can handle 3.94GB as IML and 8GBor so drives?
Uh ... more related to the short SCSI w.o. cache
- but nonetheless limited to <1GB IML drive. They must have used the old
microcode and the BIOS doesn't support it either.
There was a POST BIOS upgrade available for the -xXx - which
screws the -xNx and -xKx to crap. But as far as I recall it does not change
this misbehavior. I had that back in '94 or so: customer wanted bigger HDs
and bought 1.08GB DPES ... installed IML - seemed to work until you'd switched
off and cold-started the -0XA.
After that you got an IML-error. No Way. IBM confirmed
that the -xXx is not over-1GB capable. Only way to leave a smaller IML HD
in the machine.
(?) Sez:
I'm sorry to say, but I have an 9585 OXG with a 2gig HD that it
registers, uses, and boots from. IBM's flat out wrong.
William Walsh hitches up his gun belt and drawls:
Further empirical evidence of over 2GB support...all
the 9585 boxes I picked up from Texas (0XF, 0XG) will happily use a 2GB (or
bigger!) hard disk. I already mentioned the DCAS drive, the rest are using
Seagate Barracuda drives. I have one with a 3GB Micropolis drive in it, and
it works too... right down to the convenience partition and all.
I tried a 60GB Seagate SCA disk in one of them. OS/2 Warp 4
saw it properly, system programs showed a negative number value, somewhere
around -15GB IIRC. Of course, I just had to LLF the drive... and that diddled
it. I've tried a lot of things but haven't gotten that drive going again.
X Without IML Partition?
William Walsh further asserts:
The 0XF and 0XG variants sure can! I've done it... booted
a Win95 boot disk with no hard disks plugged in or working. The system only
threw an error when it couldn't boot into anything...
Ed. if it is akin to the
Type 4 based systems, then it might be able to lay and use a convenience
partition on drives up to the 8GB limit.
ADF Sections AdapterId FFDC 9585 X Planar
Serial Port
Choose Serial 1 - 16, or disabled. IRQ 4 (serial 1) and IRQ 3 for
other serial ports
<"SERIAL 1, IRQ 4">,
many more, "Disabled"
Parallel Port
The parallel port can be Parallel 1 - 4 or disabled.
<"PARALLEL 1">,
2, 3, 4, Disabled
Ed. Parallel 2 is Windows LPT1 378-37Dh, IRQ7
Parallel Port DMA Arbitration Level
The parallel port can use any one of the DMA arbitration levels.
If "shared", other devices can use the same level. If "dedicated", only this
device can use that level.
<Disabled> places port in compatibility mode.
<"Shared level 7">,
6, 5, 4, 3, 1, 0, Dedicated 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 1, 0, Disabled
SCSI Address (ID)
ID of the built-in SCSI controller. Default is <7>
<"7">,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0
SCSI I/O Address select
I/O address of built-in SCSI controller. Default <3540h-3547h>.
<"3540h-3547h" >,
3548-354F, 3550-3557, 3558-355F, 3560-3567, 3568-356F, 3570-3577, 3578-357F
SCSI Fairness On/Off
SCSI controller will release control of the bus when it has been
using it exclusively. Under normal circumstances, select <On>
<"On" >, Off
SCSI DMA Arbitration Level
The SCSI controller can use one of the available arbitration levels.
Selecting an arbitration level allows only this device to use the value.
<"Level C">,
D, E, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B
ADPItem 1 Alternate Processor
Type of processor currently installed in the alternate processor
socket on the planar.
ADPItem 2 Current System Speed
Current speed of the system.
ADPItem 3 Memory-Checking Method
Method used to check system memory, either parity or ECC-P
(error-correcting code). The ECC-checking method allows the computer to continue
to operate in the presence of single-bit memory failures. ECC-P requires the
POST/BIOS upgrade.
Note: If a bad-battery error (161) or a
configuration-integrity error (173) occurs, the configuration will be reset to
use the parity-checking method.
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