Re: Best way to figure out CF geometry
Posted on 2024-03-11, 19:55
I'm not sure what a passthrough is, I'm afraid. What I am using for CF reader is [this device]
Best way to figure out CF geometry
Posted on 2024-03-11, 19:14
Is there a good utility for modern windows (10 preferably) that can be used with a USB compact flash drive to determine the geometry (sectors, heads and cylinders) of a CF card? I have tried using biosdrvs and ideinfo on my vintage 386 system (using a cf->ide adapter attached to the i/o card) but I …
Re: Issues with slotting in a 387 FPU
Posted on 2024-03-11, 19:12
I assume you are certain that this socket is for an FPU? Well the socket isn't marked FPU, but all the theretroweb.com schematics that fits my motherboard (I have yet to find an exact match) shows the slot in question as the FPU slot. [ This ] seems to be the closest fit that I can find. Yeah I …
Re: Issues with slotting in a 387 FPU
Posted on 2024-03-11, 18:38
konc wrote on 2024-03-11, 18:31: I assume you are certain that this socket is for an FPU? Well the socket isn't marked FPU, but all the theretroweb.com schematics that fits my motherboard (I have yet to find an exact match) shows the slot in question as the FPU slot. [This] seems to be the closest …
Issues with slotting in a 387 FPU
Posted on 2024-03-11, 18:12
I bought a [ 387 FPU ] off Ebay for my new 386 system and was glad to find that it had arrived in my mailbox today. However, when trying to place it in the slot of my motherboard, I could get it to fit, no matter how I tried. https://i.imgur.com/pqIN49R.jpg Is this the wrong slot for this type of …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 19:25
I did clean off some smudge on the back of the PCB (that I don't think was from me bleeding on it), close to where keyboard controller and the SIMM cards are: Picture
Re: FastDoom. A new Doom port for DOS, optimized to be as fast as possible for 386/486 personal computers!
Posted on 2024-03-07, 18:32
I downloaded doomu.wad and tried to run the EGA version on my 386SX with 8 mb RAM and an EGA card (using an EGA monitor). I get past the initalization screen, then a ticking _ in the upper left of an otherwise black screen, and nothing happening no matter how long I wait. What am I doing wrong? EDIT …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 18:27
weedeewee wrote on 2024-03-07, 18:20: The gods accepted your blood offering. Yes. weedeewee wrote on 2024-03-07, 18:20: (just kidding) I'm not.
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 17:42
Okay, I re-installed the motherboard into the case and booted it up. HIMEM.SYS now works? I don't know what I did or how I did it, but it works. Thanks to all of you who followed me along on this strange journey.
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 17:16
Some pictures of the motherboard: https://i.imgur.com/12YHhmy.jpg Back https://i.imgur.com/ICmz2Be.jpg Jumpers one and two. Also proof that Bank 1 is the one closest to the edge of the mobo. https://i.imgur.com/J6fuLWz.jpg Front overview https://i.imgur.com/bSek9Ho.jpg Close-up of the upper jumpers. …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 16:48
Fiddling around with the motherboard and removing it from the case, I did manage to pierce the skin of my left index finger, resulting in some blood on the PCB and some traces: https://i.imgur.com/1iDW7w3.jpg https://i.imgur.com/qUZA7Rz.jpg Using a Q-tip, I did manage to get it all off (at least …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 16:40
FYI, https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/auva-computer-npm16-a0 or one of the others that looks so awfully similar. though the numbers underneath the stickers do seem to match. Yup, I was just looking at that entry. Seems like the nearest match so far. Especially like picture 4 of 14 on that …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 15:39
I have run boards like that on XT PSU before, it shouldn't be using more than a quarter of it's capacity, very low demands. Yeah, that's what I thought as well. However, XT supplies aren't getting any younger, best check you are getting something resembling 5V out of it, and not lower than 4.5. …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 15:05
New thought: Could this issue be PSU related? I am using an IBM XT power supply to feed the motherboard. The pinout for the P8+P9 connectors are identical, except for the fact that while the XT P8 connector has a KEY pin after the POWER GOOD one, an AT P8 provides +5v on the corresponding pin. As …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 14:06
UPDATE: Okay, this is quite a head-scratcher. I switched out the two 4MB SIMM cards, replacing them with two 1MB SIMMs from my 286 mobo (as one can not, according the jumper manuals of all the likely motherboard suspects listed by BitWrangler [ here ], run 4MB using just one 4MB SIMM card). Same …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 13:46
Before switching SIMM cards, I installed MS-DOS 6.22 to see if that would work any better. Booting it up in MS-DOS got me the same A20 error as before. Interestingly, however, running HIMEM.SYS /M:1 sort of works at first, but before the config.sys process is finished, it reports the following ( …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-07, 12:42
I found [ this ] article through googling, written by someone also using an AM386SX processor, who also experienced the same A20 error. This seems to strengthen the case for faulty RAM being the villain of this drama. There's a whole whack of boards look identical vis a vis the BIOS, crystal, …
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-06, 17:38
Not a bad idea, though seeing test above 1MB disabled in setup makes me wonder if the 4MBs pass the BIOS memtest even. Starting wondering whether this is a gussied up 286 design and doesn't like 4MBs I enabled test above 1MB as well as memory parity check. The RAM cards passed that without issues.
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-06, 17:26
BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-06, 17:18: Well yah try them alone either way as then we rule out flaky modules maybe. Fair enough. It's a pain to unslot and slot in these modules with the board screwed into the case though, but it's an even bigger pain to remove the board from the case.
Re: New 386: Help me understand and make use of my RAM
Posted on 2024-03-06, 17:11
Thermalwrong wrote on 2024-03-06, 17:06: I think it should, that looks like a 1MB chip - HY514400A is 1,048,576 x 4-bit per chip. So with a pair you should have 2MB of RAM 😀 Yes, you are right! Brain fart. However, I cannot find a legitimate RAM configuration with 2x4mb + 2x1mb. Or do you suggest …
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