Memory Presence Detection


WARNING

If you use a Multimeter to check the connections on the Presence Detection Pins: Do not touch other pins than these 5 shown below !
The memory module might get damaged from the testing voltage of your Multimeter.

Also obey the usual rules for antistatic device handling !



Most newer IBM PS/2 machines use the 72-pin Single Inline Memory Modules (SIMM) on either planar or memory expansion cards. Very often there are more than one of these 72-pin connectors available and one might wish to upgrade the memory with adding another memory module.
But: the machine comes up with a nice 215-error code and the error-code list says it were "Check memory, it might be wrong type or wrong speed".

"How can the system know that ?"

Pretty simple: There are 4 pins reserved on the module, which are called 'Presence Detect Pins' - and which tell the systemboard

  • if there is a module installed
  • which is the size of the module
  • which access-speed it is


Memory Presence Detection Pins

 ECC/PAR (Pin 48)--------------------------   -+                 
                                               |                 
 PD Bit0 (Pin 67)------------------+           |                 
 PD Bit1 (Pin 68)----------------+ |           |                 
 PD Bit2 (Pin 69)--------------+ | |           |                 
 PD Bit3 (Pin 70)------------+ | | |           |                 
 GND     (Pin 72)--------+   | | | |           |                 
                         |   | | | |           |                 
                         V   V V V V           V                 
                 +-------------------------   ---   ---------+   
                 |       # # # # # # # # #..   #  .. # # #   |   
                 |       # # # # # # # # #     #     # # #   |   
                 |                                           |   
                 |       7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6     4     0 0 0   +-+ 
                 |       2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4     8     3 2 1     | 


Pinout Table
Valid for IBM PARITY-Modules
Pin 48 = Not Connected

Pin
70
Pin
69
Pin
68
Pin
67
Size Speed Notes
o o o o Free or Invalid
o o o X 1 MB120 nS
o o X o 2 MB120 nS
o o X X 2 MB70 nS
o X o o 8 MB70 nS
o X o X 16 MB70 nS
o X X o 2 MB
32 MB
80 nS
70 ns
On older machines
IBM P/N 92F7205 or 92G7206
o X X X 8 MB80 nS
X o o o Reserved (*1)
X o o X 1 MB85 nS
X o X o 2 MB85 nS
X o X X 4 MB70 nS
X X o o Reserved (*2)
X X o X 1 MB100 nSNote (*3)
X X X o 2 MB100 nS
X X X X 4 MB80 nSNote (*4)
o = Not connected to GND (Pin 72)
X = Connected to GND (Pin 72)
All Modules are Parity !

  1. This is an accepted coding for the 8MB-module used in the N51SX - see Jim Shorney's Modification on the Selfmade Memory Page for details.

  2. This is an accepted coding for the 4MB/80nS-module P/N 79F3988 / 79F1000 (FRU 79F1003) used on the L40SX (8543), see the Selfmade Memory Page as well.

  3. This is an accepted coding for the 8MB/80nS-module P/N 79F3989 (FRU 79F1004) used on the L40SX (8543), see the Selfmade Memory Page as well. However: It must be a single-sided module with chips that have the typecode -LJP8 after the sizecode !

  4. This is an accepted coding for the 2MB/80nS-module P/N 79F3987 (FRU 79F1002) used on the L40SX (8543), see the Selfmade Memory Page as well.


Pinout Table
Valid for ECC and NON-PARITY-Modules
ECC modules have Pin 48 tied to Pin 72 = GND

Pin
70
Pin
69
Pin
68
Pin
67
Size Speed Notes
o o o o Free or Invalid
o o o X 16 MB 60 nSNon-Parity
o o X o 32 MB 60 nSNon-Parity
o o X X 4 MB 60 nSNon-Parity
o X o o 8 MB
8MB
70 nS
70 nS
Non-Parity
IBM ECC FRU 92F0098
o X o X 1 MB
16 MB
16MB
70 nS
70 nS
70 nS
Non-Parity
Non-Parity
IBM ECC FRU 96F9100
o X X o 2 MB
32 MB
70 nS
70 nS
Non-Parity
o X X X 4 MB70 nSNon-Parity
X o o o 8 MB80 nSNon-Parity
X o o X 1 MB
16 MB
80 nS
80 nS
Non-Parity
X o X o 2 MB
32 MB
80 nS
80 nS
Non-Parity
X o X X 4 MB
4MB
80 nS
70 nS
Non-Parity
IBM ECC FRU 92F0097
X X o o 16 MB70 nSIBM ECC
X X o X
X X X o
X X X X 8 MB60 nSNon-Parity
o = Not connected to GND (Pin 72)
X = Connected to GND (Pin 72)


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