Homebrew8088 project

jakethompson1 wrote on 2024-07-13, 17:22:

Homebrew8088 project

Is there anywhere to actually buy it though? Their eBay store doesn't have any for sale.

Is there a reason you want a modern motherboard, or you just think it's more possible that it has a socket? Because some old motherboards had sockets too, admittedly not too many for the CPU.
Another option would be to install a socket on an old motherboard, it's "only" 40 pins, meaning that it's not a crazily difficult solder job like later CPU sockets.

konc wrote on 2024-07-13, 17:53:

Is there a reason you want a modern motherboard, or you just think it's more possible that it has a socket? Because some old motherboards had sockets too, admittedly not too many for the CPU.
Another option would be to install a socket on an old motherboard, it's "only" 40 pins, meaning that it's not a crazily difficult solder job like later CPU sockets.

I wanted to support an active project and hopefully find something a bit more compact and less finicky than original hardware. I already have vintage systems up and running but I don't want to dedicate all of my living space to hardware. 😀

The 8088 book looked interesting and I was hoping to find something just as compact I could use.

https://github.com/skiselev/micro_8088
https://github.com/skiselev/isa8_backplane

Edit: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/monotech-nuxt-v2.0

Edit: https://www.malinov.com/sergeys-projects/

This is what you want https://x86.fr/uca/ for playing with CPUs. Sadly its a perpetual project "coming soon" since at least 2018.

Jo22 wrote on 2024-07-14, 13:20:

https://github.com/skiselev/micro_8088 https://github.com/skiselev/isa8_backplane […]
Show full quote

https://github.com/skiselev/micro_8088
https://github.com/skiselev/isa8_backplane

Edit: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/monotech-nuxt-v2.0

Edit: https://www.malinov.com/sergeys-projects/

Thanks! NuXT 2.0 is the winner.

LChackr wrote on 2024-07-13, 17:11:

I have a collection of 8088/8087 CPUs and FPUs that I would actually like to test/use/play with. Is there a modern project (motherboard?) that offers sockets for these?

The only one I am aware of is the Book 8088 but the first version has mostly disappeared from sale and has annoying limitations. The updated version switches to the 8086 and offers no 8087 socket.

I got the newer Pocket8086. With it, I’ve used a 5mhz 8088 cpu I’ve had for decades, the Nec V30 it came with, and an 8086 from my IBM PS/2 Model 30 (which now has the V30, as the bios of the Paradise VGA card I was trying to use with it requires 286 opcodes the 8086 didn’t have)

It’s fun to compare an 8088 to an 8086, changing only the cpu. AFAIK, no “real” xt class pcs back in the day could use both bus configurations. The 8088 runs about 5% faster than a true xt (due to no ram refresh), while the 8086 at the same speed is about 34% faster than with my 8088 (at least in Fractint)

Sorry, no 8087 socket in the Pocket8086 😀 However, the only app I’ve found to really use the 8087 was fractint (in fpu mode). My PS/2 had an 8087, used in my 8087 testing.

Hoof wrote on 2024-07-22, 03:28:

I got the newer Pocket8086. With it, I’ve used a 5mhz 8088 cpu I’ve had for decades, the Nec V30 it came with, and an 8086 from my IBM PS/2 Model 30 (which now has the V30, as the bios of the Paradise VGA card I was trying to use with it requires 286 opcodes the 8086 didn’t have)

It’s fun to compare an 8088 to an 8086, changing only the cpu. AFAIK, no “real” xt class pcs back in the day could use both bus configurations. The 8088 runs about 5% faster than a true xt (due to no ram refresh), while the 8086 at the same speed is about 34% faster than with my 8088 (at least in Fractint)

Oh interesting. The Pocket8086 allows for a direct swap with an 8088? I didn't realize that.

Yup! There is a jumper next to the cpu to put the machine in 8 bit or 16 bit cpu mode. Works really well!