Tualatin und BX

Tualatin in the Asus P3B-F

Or: How to run the Intel Tualatin PIII / Celeron in a modern BX board.
Original: October 6 2002, English translation: March 2003 / Mathias Rufer

Warning: This manual is intended for technical experienced people. Use at your own risk!

BIOS modification

Hint: This modification is not mandatory. The CPU runs without Microcode updates, but an error message will be displayed at every startup. If you do something wrong here, it's possible that the mainboard BIOS will be permanently destroyed (say: PC doesn't boot up anymore). Be very careful!!!

Overview:

download the whole modified BIOS
cbrom Exchange of the Microcode updates
ctmc Which Microcode updates are in there?
BIOS Flash Update
Format of the Asus Microcode update file Or: What's the structure of the file cpucode.exe

All data on is only valid for the Asus P3B-F Beta BIOS 1008f3.004.

Update: Download the whole modified BIOS

I wrote a C-program to compose my own Asus microcode files. So, yes, I have a running P3B-F BIOS with all Tualatin Microcodes since a long time. I asked Asus if they have something against publishing it. There was no answer. I asked again, again without success. Well, no answer means to me: they have nothing against it :-)
Download it here: Asus P3B-F BIOS 1008 Beta 004 with all Microcode Updates until CPUID 06B4
Warning! This is NOT supported by Asus! Use it on your own risk!

If you are interested in the C program or source code to generate the cpucode.exe file, please send ma an e-mail.

Overview

cbrom

cbrom is an Award tool to put the different modules of a BIOS together to one file. Award BIOS are as you probably know LZW packed binary files.
Attention on versions: Originally there was cbrom 1.x for Award 4.5x BIOS. Later there was an additional cbrom cbrom 6.x, used for Award 6.0 BIOS. The new versions cbrom 2.x replace both version 1.x and 6.x. The newest version I found on the net is cbrom 2.15

At first all needed files (cbrom, BIOS File P3B-F and P2B, ctmc) are copied in one and the same folder. All following programs will run on the dos prompt.

Syntax of cbrom215:

D:\p3b_f>cbrom215
CBROM V2.15 (C)Award Software 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Syntax:
     D:\...\CBROM215.EXE InputFile [/other] [8000:0] [RomFile|Release|Extract]
     D:\...\CBROM215.EXE InputFile [/D|logo|vga....] [RomFile|Release|Extract]
          InputFile   : System BIOS to be added with Option ROMs
          /D          : For display all combined ROMs informations in BIOS
          /epa|epa1-7 : Add EPA LOGO BitMap to System BIOS
          /logo|logo1-7: Add OEM LOGO BitMap to System BIOS
          /oem0-7     : Add special OEM ROM to System BIOS
          /err        : Return error code after executed
          /btvga      : Add VGA ROM to Boot Rom Block Area.
          /isa        : Add ISA BIOS ROM to System BIOS.(/isa Filename [xxxx:0])
          /vga, /logo, /pci, /awdflash, /cpucode, /epa, /acpitbl, /vsa, /hpm
          /hpc, /fnt0 - 5, /ros, /nnoprom, /mib, /group

          RomFile   : File name of option ROM to add-in
          Release   : Release option ROM in current system BIOS
          Extract   : Extract option ROM to File in current system BIOS
                      <<< Examples >>>
            D:\...\CBROM215.EXE 2a4ib000.bin /D
            D:\...\CBROM215.EXE 2a4ib000.bin /VGA filename
            D:\...\CBROM215.EXE 2a4ib000.bin /VGA filename /ERR

D:\p3b_f>

Commands:

cbrom215 1014.003 /cpucode extract
cbrom215 1008f3.004 /cpucode release
cbrom215 1008f3.004 /cpucode cpucode.exe
cbrom215 1008f3.004 /d
ren 1008f3.004 1008f32.004

Explanation of the commands: First the Microcode of the P2B BIOS is extracted. Next, the old Microcode of the P3B-F BIOS is removed. The file cpucode.exe extracted in the first step will be added to the P3B-F BIOS. Finally, the contents of the BIOS is displayed. Check that there is no "checksum error"!!! As latest step, the modified P3B-F BIOS is renamed to avoid confusion.
Hint: Asus uses special Microcde Updates. The format of the file cpucode.exe is explained below.

Known problems of this modification:

Microcode updates for the newest stepping of the Tualatins is missing (CPUID 06B4).
Microcode updates für Pentium II with CPUID 0651 und 0652 are missing.

Alternatives:

Idea for CPUID 06B4: Use the Microcode updates of the Asus TUSI-M (SIS-630, socket 370). The Beta BIOS 1017 contains all Tualatin Microcode updates up to CPUID 06B4. But keep in mind that Microcode updates for all Slot1 processors are missing.

Carl Tao has posted an "out of the box" P3B-F BIOS 1008 Beta 004 with Tualatin Support (CPUID bis 06B4) in alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus. Use search at groups.google.com.

Overview

ctmc

Update: Warning! Do not use ctmc to to load micro codes at runtime for the P3B-F. It will not run!!! It runs for a P2B, but definitely not for the P3B-F.

ctmc is a tool of the German Computer magazine ct "Computer Technik". I used it to validate which Microcode updates are contained in a BIOS file (of course this tool has much more functions, check the readme).

Syntax for this purpose:
ctmc bios_file

It is useful to redirect the output into a file. Here we inspect our new composed BIOS and save the output in a text file 1008f32_004.txt:
ctmc 1008f32.004 > 1008f32_004.txt

This text file looks for my example as following. As you can see, the needed Microcode update for this Tualation CPU is contained.

 Microcode utility ctmc V1.0, c't/Andreas Stiller 02/2001
 Filename     Version  UpdateID Date       CPUID    Checksum LoadVers Platform

 Found in 1008F32.004    cpucode.exe  86261
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000020 03.09.1996 00000632 EBC16165 00000001 00000000
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000034 08.05.1998 00000633 278BE7DC 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000035 08.05.1998 00000634 3AC2FB53 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000040 25.05.1999 00000650 B6A8B9B9 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 0000000A 05.05.1999 00000660 05B795F4 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000006 28.05.1998 00000670 0CE041AD 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000003 05.05.1999 00000665 2B9733F1 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000010 28.06.1999 00000653 4B6DFC5E 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000010 22.09.1999 00000672 0FC53099 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000003 11.08.1998 00000671 F6CF7B0B 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000002 10.06.1998 00001632 6AAE5598 00000001 00000000
 cpucode.exe  00000001 0000000E 10.09.1999 00000673 F64116D1 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000014 10.06.1999 00000680 2B6C7F13 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 0000000D 21.09.1999 00000681 31708166 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000011 21.09.1999 00000681 FC16538D 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000013 06.02.2001 00000683 2F0DA1B0 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000014 06.02.2001 00000683 0976FD98 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000007 05.05.2000 00000686 87AA303F 00000001 00000001
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000008 05.05.2000 00000686 EA2B7B61 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000001 02.11.2000 0000068A 80FC9E3B 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 00000004 15.11.2000 000006B0 65611EB6 00000001 00000010
 cpucode.exe  00000001 0000001C 15.02.2001 000006B1 6506E1CF 00000001 00000010

Overview

BIOS Flash Update

The new composed BIOS is flashed as usual following the P3B-F manual. I strictly use a blank DOS 6.22 Bootdisk without config.sys and autoexec.bat. I use aflash to update from this floppy disc.

Overview

Update: Format of the Asus Microcode update File

Carl Tao kindly sent me a manual written by "Martin" that describes the file cpucode.exe. This Asus specific file contains the Intel Microcode updates and a header not documented by Asus.
With this knowledge, it should be easy for you to write a little C program to create your custom cpucode.exe file.

Guide (PDF) only in English!

Overview

Page 3: Assembly

Contents