ipdown wrote on 2024-01-21, 13:43:

Yrouel wrote on 2024-01-12, 11:25:

I received a new LCD controller as well and I was able to dump the firmware from both boards and I can confirm that a simple fir […]
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I received a new LCD controller as well and I was able to dump the firmware from both boards and I can confirm that a simple firmware transplant seems sufficient to fix the original board.
Unfortunately it was necessary to desolder both EEPROMs otherwise the TL866 complained about overcurrent when just clipped to the chip while on the board.

The boards are identical except for a slight difference in the main controller chips, the original is RTD2660 C3F62G1 while the new one is RTD2660 D8C23G3, I don't think it's particularly relevant.

The EEPROM is a P25Q40SH (4Mbit SPI) in both boards and it's not directly listed at least in the old MiniPro software, I selected more or less randomly the BG25Q40A and disabled the ID check and everything worked

Thanks for the dumps. I've successfully reflashed mine with the newer version. No need to unsolder the chip, but still some soldering needed, see the attached pics. Good thing is that no programmer is needed, done via VGA DDC lines on a linux PC, using this code: https://github.com/static-void/rtd266x_programmer

What are those pins? From left to right I think those are ground, i2c clock, i2c data, and 3v3 power? Going to try to program it with a Raspberry Pi I have on hand.

STrRedWolf wrote on 2024-03-12, 00:49:

Got the equipment all in today and I flashed the updated v1.05 BIOS onto a new chip. So far, looking good. Now to go check into flashing the firmware on the LCD controller, and cleaning out the drive a bit.

Meanwhile, I do have four more flash chips I can burn and send folks from the Baltimore/DC area. Just gotta find my small breadboards...

I'd love to get one burned for mine. Mine is swapped out with an 8088, so it would need to be the version for that CPU, I think? I'm in Indiana, and would be happy to pay for time, materials, and postage. 😃

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-15, 16:21:

STrRedWolf wrote on 2024-03-12, 00:49:

Got the equipment all in today and I flashed the updated v1.05 BIOS onto a new chip. So far, looking good. Now to go check into flashing the firmware on the LCD controller, and cleaning out the drive a bit.

Meanwhile, I do have four more flash chips I can burn and send folks from the Baltimore/DC area. Just gotta find my small breadboards...

I'd love to get one burned for mine. Mine is swapped out with an 8088, so it would need to be the version for that CPU, I think? I'm in Indiana, and would be happy to pay for time, materials, and postage. 😃

Give me a private message here with your name and address, and I'll send one out. I just saw 1.06 drop here, so I'll send that out.

STrRedWolf wrote on 2024-03-15, 17:51:

Give me a private message here with your name and address, and I'll send one out. I just saw 1.06 drop here, so I'll send that out.

Thanks, but it doesn't look like I can send out private messages on this site because I only have a few posts? Probably a spammer deterrent. Could you send an email to kgarrison at pobox dot com, please?

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-15, 16:21:

Mine is swapped out with an 8088, so it would need to be the version for that CPU, I think?

My BIOS releases work on both 8088 and V20 CPU - one binary includes both XT-IDE variants, so you safe here.

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-15, 20:34:

STrRedWolf wrote on 2024-03-15, 17:51:

Give me a private message here with your name and address, and I'll send one out. I just saw 1.06 drop here, so I'll send that out.

Thanks, but it doesn't look like I can send out private messages on this site because I only have a few posts? Probably a spammer deterrent. Could you send an email to kgarrison at pobox dot com, please?

I sent an email to you.

I have 3 flash chips left, if anyone wants a v1.06 BIOS chip. I'll be putting these on small breadboards and shipping them out. Drop a line to "book8088" off the "redwolf.ws" domain.

Hey all - just discovered this forum. This place looks so exciting!

Back to Book 8088 stuff - does anyone have any idea how I might go about replacing the keyboard on this thing? I love mine so far except for the absolutely horrid keyboard they installed. I type kind of hard, and the tiny fragile keys do not like my giant man hand sausage fingers. 😂

I have the VGA model, and when I opened it up I saw a weird ribbon cable labeled YJ-860 like the other poster earlier in this thread on what I believe was their V1 machine (which would make sense - it appears to be the same potato keyboard).

I really don't know what to do from here but I'm feeling way too ambitious for my own good and am willing to learn. Advice? 😀

chou wrote on 2024-03-22, 16:43:

Hey all - just discovered this forum. This place looks so exciting! […]
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Hey all - just discovered this forum. This place looks so exciting!

Back to Book 8088 stuff - does anyone have any idea how I might go about replacing the keyboard on this thing? I love mine so far except for the absolutely horrid keyboard they installed. I type kind of hard, and the tiny fragile keys do not like my giant man hand sausage fingers. 😂

I have the VGA model, and when I opened it up I saw a weird ribbon cable labeled YJ-860 like the other poster earlier in this thread on what I believe was their V1 machine (which would make sense - it appears to be the same potato keyboard).

I really don't know what to do from here but I'm feeling way too ambitious for my own good and am willing to learn. Advice? 😀

Hi. I tried looking for keyboard replacement and had no luck.
Another note, this keyboard is tied to Book custom microcontroller, so lines/rows should be quite the same on new one.
--
I've described all path i went for connecting external keyboard here:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/boo … jorney.1247020/

n0p wrote on 2024-03-22, 18:55:

I've described all path i went for connecting external keyboard here:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/boo … jorney.1247020/

This is so neat! I had an idea while reading what you talked about in that post.

This sounds insane, but if we were to use a USB keyboard internally it would be possible to connect it to the Pi Pico's USB port. This would save a ton of pins and (assuming there are enough GPIO pins) would let us use all of our GPIO pins as output for controlling the ribbon cable. Alternatively, if you wanted to use a Bluetooth keyboard (I say this because I personally have one that seems like it would fit nicely in the hole and that's nice to type on), an ESP32-type controller would work well too and is also super simple to code on - MicroPython works on both of them, for instance.

I am a little limited in what I can do because I can't solder - my hands shake a bit and I can't hold the soldering iron still enough to do anything that precise. I might be able to find (and then bribe 😂) a local nerd to take care of something for me if I know exactly what I need, but this is obviously not a quick process.

Does this sound viable to you? If it does, it's something I can look into more.

It's also worth saying that the Pico's USB port can only be in host or device mode, but not both at the same time - basically, to the best of my understanding, this means that we can either get data through the USB port or send it but not both.

For me the hardest part was actually the soldering 😀
God bless manicure business for those lamps with lens 😁
If you plan to use some other microcontroller - take a look at the sources https://github.com/jinshin/BookKbd
Don't forget you're dealing with 5V lines if you plan to control Turbo/Mute or those two batery leds.
Good luck!
--
As for USB keyboard as internal one (if i got you right) - that would break Book form factor, i don't think you'll find USB kbd that thin.

n0p wrote on 2024-03-15, 21:37:

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-15, 16:21:

Mine is swapped out with an 8088, so it would need to be the version for that CPU, I think?

My BIOS releases work on both 8088 and V20 CPU - one binary includes both XT-IDE variants, so you safe here.

I was kindly gifted with a chip with v1.06 from STrRedWolf, but it didn't work on my rev.2 Book 8088 with the v20 swapped out with an 8088. I just get "no signal" when I try to boot. I suppose there is a small chance that it got damaged in shipping, but the packaging was good, and the package appeared to be in good shape.

I'm wondering if anyone has gotten v1.06 of the BIOS working in a Rev.2 unit with an 8088 CPU?

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-25, 15:48:

I was kindly gifted with a chip with v1.06 from STrRedWolf, but it didn't work on my rev.2 Book 8088 with the v20 swapped out with an 8088. I just get "no signal" when I try to boot. I suppose there is a small chance that it got damaged in shipping, but the packaging was good, and the package appeared to be in good shape.

I'm wondering if anyone has gotten v1.06 of the BIOS working in a Rev.2 unit with an 8088 CPU?

There's certainly nothing in BIOS that could prevent it from initializing on 8088 and i used my 8088 CPU with V2 as well.
First time remove of chip goes hard usually, remove BIOS chip again and check both socket and BIOS chip for possible damages.

n0p wrote on 2024-03-25, 16:20:

KarlG wrote on 2024-03-25, 15:48:

I was kindly gifted with a chip with v1.06 from STrRedWolf, but it didn't work on my rev.2 Book 8088 with the v20 swapped out with an 8088. I just get "no signal" when I try to boot. I suppose there is a small chance that it got damaged in shipping, but the packaging was good, and the package appeared to be in good shape.

I'm wondering if anyone has gotten v1.06 of the BIOS working in a Rev.2 unit with an 8088 CPU?

There's certainly nothing in BIOS that could prevent it from initializing on 8088 and i used my 8088 CPU with V2 as well.
First time remove of chip goes hard usually, remove BIOS chip again and check both socket and BIOS chip for possible damages.

Agreed. I had to rebend a few pins and the socket had needed some work.

And before anyone asks, I put the chip on a small breadboard to protect the pins before slipping it into an anti-static bag.

I had an interesting thought yesterday: How about recreating the Book8088's motherboard? Maybe recreate the CPLD's programming to allow for EMS memory and UMBs natively, plus add a RTC?

STrRedWolf wrote on 2024-03-26, 13:27:

I had an interesting thought yesterday: How about recreating the Book8088's motherboard? Maybe recreate the CPLD's programming to allow for EMS memory and UMBs natively, plus add a RTC?

Well, there's FE2010A chip and Micro8088 https://github.com/skiselev/micro_8088 project.
And there's PC XT core for MiSTer FPGA as well.
Or you want to keep the Book form factor?

n0p wrote on 2024-03-26, 14:12:

Well, there's FE2010A chip and Micro8088 https://github.com/skiselev/micro_8088 project.
And there's PC XT core for MiSTer FPGA as well.
Or you want to keep the Book form factor?

It's a bit two-pronged for me. It's got it's flaws but if we can get it to run Area5150, all the better. I think that's the goal there. Maybe even put in a 386 board.

On the flip side, I kinda like the form factor but wish it wasn't so damn thick. I think we can shave 5mm off the bottom. No need for the doors when we can unscrew it.

If it were me reconstructing this from scratch, I'd have everything accessible from the bottom and a keyboard that has a decent-sized shift key on the right (lowering the cursor keys a row). Having the CF slot is fine, as is the external ISA bus. Maybe a bigger screen at the same VGA resolutions.

Nah, double the height so you can mount a short ISA card under it. 🤣

I actually hate thin tech, I like something to get hold of. In this situation I think, losing sockets and through hole components would make it just as soulless and stamped plasticcy feeling as anything else made in the last 20 years, deleting it's "tinker system" appeal and being on the whole an anti-feature.

I'm pretty sure end effects in Area5150 requre real CGA monitor (or MartyPC 😀)
--
Perfect XT It's a matter of personal taste of course.
If you want 386 in that format - you can get Hand386 and do a "remake" as board is tiny, low-power and has it all, except of some kind of DSP and ports.
As for perfect XT - i almost repaired board from V2 that i have replacement for from the seller and slowly working on my own wish list 😀
I outlined it here https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/boo … 47/post-1372597, but in short:
Floppy sounds from CH735 chip interrupts. I don't need real floppy drive, just sounds. In progress: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u5hy8v1Cin0
CGA with color swap. Something that i did 30+ years ago. 3L6P switch should do, ordered one.
Mute/Turbo hardware switches. Or volume control instead of Mute. Tested several low-end amps, already chosen one.
Keyboard connection. Done.
Dma fix for true 4.77Mhz. Done.
One more idea i'm still thinking of - switching two (8088 and V20) CPU's w/o need to pop them every time.
Case. That's the hardest part, will get to design when i get other stuff together.
--
If you consider emulation on a small form-factor- i think DOSBox with dynamic core will do 386-something on https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005230887110.html, especially with key remap feature.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-03-26, 18:27:

Nah, double the height so you can mount a short ISA card under it. 🤣

I actually hate thin tech, I like something to get hold of. In this situation I think, losing sockets and through hole components would make it just as soulless and stamped plasticcy feeling as anything else made in the last 20 years, deleting it's "tinker system" appeal and being on the whole an anti-feature.

I wouldn't make it iron-board flat, TBH. Just enough to make it easier to type on. I think we can loose 5mm, move everything to one side of the PCB, and still have a ton of ports on the front and side. I would of put the LCD indicator lights on top, though. At the very least, we'd have an RTC with a battery.

Although right now I'd settle for an add-on card for RTC,UMB RAM, EMS RAM, and Wifi networking.