install problems for freeBSD 6 on tyan i7520

I have a new server built around the Tyan i7520 motherboard.  I am 
having a tremendously difficult time getting freeBSD 6 to find a hard 
drive to install to.
I have a floppy connected to the mainboard through a separate controller 
and a CD connected through a separate controller channel.  This is 
standard for this board.

I have tried many scenarios for connecting a single hard drive, such as:
1 - running the system with just one EIDE hard drive (+ floppy and CD) 
connected to the motherboard PATA controller.
2 - running the system with just one SATA hard drive (+ floppy and CD) 
connected to the motherboard SATA controller.

In all cases (with many tries of different BIOS settings), the freeBSD 
installer always says it cannot find a hard drive.  The BIOS sees it. 
The boot loader sees it.  When I run lsdev from the phase 3 prompt, the 
drives seem to be there named just as the boot loader and BIOS see them.
I just don't get it!!!!  The installer seems brain dead.
Yes, the hardware works.  Installing Centos 4.2 and Windows 2003 Server 
works perfect in all these configurations.


Here are a few other oddities:
1 - The floppy drive is only recognized (for kld load) if I disable the 
BIOS onboard SATA.  This is very odd.  I need the floppy to load drivers 
like the 3ware 9550sx controller.
2 - If I go into phase 3 boot loader prompt, lsdev shows various drives 
I may have plugged in.  lsdev seems correct and matches the BIOS...but 
the installer still says I have no hard disk to install to.

My ultimate goal is to install to an array from my 3ware 9550sx 
controller.  But I have scaled back this goal and unplugged the 3ware 
card for all the above tests.

I have tried various phase 3 commands such as:

set hint.fdc.0.flags="1"
load atadisk
set hint.acpi.0.disabled="1"

Any ideas???  I have become the laughing stock of my office for 
continuing down the freeBSD route when Linux installs like a charm.

thanks, ke han