Diagnostic boards PCI TESTCARD are used for diagnosing and controlling of motherboards repairs for PCs' with PCI buses, both at the stationary facilities of service centers and at site.

The main function of diagnostic boards PCI TESTCARD is POST-codes displaying using integrated indicator. Such codes are automatically generated by POST procedure at PC systems self-test while PC's power-on or after reset.
 

Diagnostic boards PCI TESTCARD have a number of additional features, allowing troubleshooting of damaged components of faulty motherboards:
 

• Possibility of displaying of the PCI bus main system and control signals: CLK, FRAME#, IRDY#, TRDY#, STOP#, RST#, REQ#, C/BE#[3:0];

• Possibility of displaying of signal states for all 32 address and data lines of the PCI bus;

• Possibility of I/O ports workability condition checking for all peripheral motherboard's devices;

• Possibility of changing (setting) of I/O ports' address space size, both for POST-codes registration and for peripheral devices' ports checking;

• Possibility of displaying of POST-codes for motherboards with unconventional addresses of diagnostic ports;

• Possibility of displaying of one-byte diagnosing coding, generated by the special testing ROM BIOS.
   

Diagnostic boards PCI TESTCARD are developed accordingly to the PCI Local Bus Specification. Rev. 2.2 for 32-bit PCI bus with 5 V supply voltage and may be used for diagnosing of IBM-compatible computer motherboards with any chipsets, supporting the bus.

PCI TESTCARD board are developed in two versions – Master and Middle, characterized by functions sets and supporting operational modes. Diagnostic boards functions sets, operational modes, configuration and modes of diagnostic information displaying depend on the board's versions.

Both board's versions supply operation at the POST-mode, allowing the possibility of registering and displaying of the current POST-codes, outputted at the system port at the address 80h, and also an indication of statuses of the PCI bus main system and control signals.

 Diagnostic boards main specifications are listed in the table below

 PCI TESTCARD MIDDLE

Diagnostic board PCI TESTCARD Middle besides the POST-mode has an additional LINE operational mode, which allows to extend diagnostic board possibilities due to receiving of additional information about signal statuses of the PCI bus address and data lines.

In the LINE mode there is a possibility of displaying of the all 32 multiplex lines AD[31:0] statuses. Displaying of the AD[31:0] lines statuses is conducted byte-serial at the 8-lamps LED indicator D7..D0. Selection of a byte for displaying can be managed using DIP-switch BYTE, and switching of operational modes (POST mode and LINE mode) – using DIP-switch MODE. Layout of D7..D0 LED indicators and BYTE and MODE switches on the PCI TESTCARD Middle  board is shown in Fig. 2.

PCI bus system signals statuses: CLK, RST#, FRAME#, IRDY#, TRDY#, STOP#, REQ# and signals status on coding lines of commands/resolution of bytes С/BE#[3:0] are displayed continuously in both modes.
 

PCI TESTCARD MASTER

Diagnostic board PCI TESTCARD Master has the maximal functionality. Further extension of diagnostic functionality of this board is achieved by the introduction of an additional operational mode – PORT - mode, i.e. this diagnostic board version has 3 operational modes: POST mode, LINE mode and PORT mode.

PORT mode is intended for a fixation and displaying using the 8-lamps LED indicator D7..D0 of data, recorded at any system ports or read from any ports within addresses from 000h to 3FFh. 

Required port's address may by set using DIP-switches A9..8, A7..4, A3..0, and transmitting direction (writing in the port/reading from the port) for data's registration and displaying may be set by the DIP-switch DIR. The same mode may be used, if necessary, for registration and displaying on the LED indicator of binary POST-codes in that uncommon cases, when POST-codes are recorded at the address, other that 80h (for example, at the port with the address 84h for PC Compaq). Components layout for PCI TESTCARD Master board is shown in  Fig. 3.

PCI bus system signals statuses: CLK, RST#, FRAME#, IRDY#, TRDY#, STOP#, REQ# and signals status on coding lines of commands/resolution of bytes С/BE#[3:0] are displayed continuously in all modes.