Re: DEC Alpha PC64 - problem with booting NT firmware

Posted on 2022-10-19, 15:22

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The ARC firmware used on older machines is functionally identical to AlphaBIOS, it just doesn't look as flash. .... If needed: The motherboard manual , SRM firmware and ARC firmware . I'd try reprogramming the firmware as a last resort though I'm not sure exactly how you'd even go about doing so on …

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Re: List of open-source PC hardware projects

Posted on 2022-10-08, 23:28

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

And is there some project replicating 36-bit parity 72p SIMM? I would need some higher capacity for my Alpha and they are much more rare than common 32-bit SIMMs...

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-10-06, 14:54

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Footprints created, now boring part of filling the netlist...

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Re: WDC VGA 16 (WD90C00-JK)

Posted on 2022-09-16, 11:22

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

I have to correct my previous diagnostic, even the 74LS125 gate was good so there was not fault in this 74xx logic. I just soldered all them back. Maybe some solder junction was cracked but I didn't see anything suspicious visually. VGA tests passed. The BIOS reading in programmer (multiple reading …

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Re: WDC VGA 16 (WD90C00-JK)

Posted on 2022-09-15, 11:55

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

Yeah, I made it, VGA booted with display. I found one suspicious gate IC 74125, replace and solder all good ICs back to the PCB. There was significant change that I didn't get 8 noVGA error beeps but it was completly silent, no image. I pushed a POST card in and see it's spinning in a dead lock, few …

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Re: WDC VGA 16 (WD90C00-JK)

Posted on 2022-09-15, 01:14

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

I desoldered all the 74xx logic to test them outside the board...

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-15, 01:11

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Got boring white walls in my computer corner. Would it be possible to upload this pic in some insane resolution, suitable for printing? :) Here's best I have, I used Pentax 17-70/f4 lens that works as good macro lens allowing focus from 8-10cm distance. http://rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/intel_Pentium_233-66_ …

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-13, 11:46

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I could create footprints in Altium quite easily via package generator, then careful looking at pin tables will be needed to make netlist directly or sch. parts...

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Re: WDC VGA 16 (WD90C00-JK)

Posted on 2022-09-13, 11:44

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

I sniffed by osciloscope around the VGA card. I saw signal activity on ISA bus side (addr + data) on BIOS chips but I didn't see any signals going to onboard VRAM and to RAMDAC. There are 4 oscillators - all are working, output voltage swing vary from ~2Vpp to 4,5Vpp, probably due to different …

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-13, 01:20

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Dunno, need to compare. I found a better datasheet covering 166-266MHz https://manualzz.com/doc/19758173/mobile-pent … 4-0-gaNycGzNBuU

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Re: WDC VGA 16 (WD90C00-JK)

Posted on 2022-09-13, 01:11

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

I got one dead Paradise VGA card with WD90C00-JK - beep code as with no VGA inserted. I read BIOS chips with programmer and they are OK. I should have some spare PVGA1A-JK chip, it seems they should be nearly the same...

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-13, 00:31

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Yes I have a datasheet titled "MOBILE PENTIUM® PROCESSOR WITH MMX™ TECHNOLOGY" that covers 133-166MHz with both packages. Adapter above - pretty simple, I guess the same is in chinese gold CPU. Maybe a version could be made with integrated LDO for MBs without low-enough VRM but there would be …

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Re: Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-13, 00:24

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I belive that soldering could be done with good flux and some magnifier, I can use Mantis 10x stereo scope at work. Datasheet drawing shows the pin width is 100um, 250um pitch - JLCPCB should make it. If the chip is the same as used in PGA package then wiring should be straightforward (as bonding in …

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Interposer for mobile Pentium MMX Tillamook

Posted on 2022-09-12, 20:18

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Hi, just an idea... I got a SL28Q CPU from an old Compaq Armada MB (see here at the bottom of page) http://www.cpu-collection.de/?l0=co&l1=Intel&l2=Pentium+MMX Not a module but just a bare CPU that was directly soldered on MB. It's very fine pitch quad SMD chip that is pretty useless itself but I'm …

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Re: Custom interposer module for TI486SXL2-66 PGA168 to PGA132 - HELP!

Posted on 2022-09-12, 20:10

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I think that this old devices at relative low speeds are not such sensitive to signal integrity, esp. on such kind of interposer with relative short traces. Also traces length tuning doesn't make sense here, I did it e.g. for DDR3 memory routing but not here, I doubt that designer of the 386 MB …

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Re: Custom interposer module for TI486SXL2-66 PGA168 to PGA132 - HELP!

Posted on 2022-09-12, 19:08

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

For the PCB I would use 4 layers as JLCPCB can manufacture it for a nice price, only 8$ (4L) vs 2$ (2L) but adding a shipping cost it doesn't matter. Everything above 4-layers gets much more expansive. For vias you can use 0.2mm holes (helps a lot compared to common 0.3mm holes) and trace width/ …

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Re: Windows XP at high resolutions with scaling

Posted on 2022-09-12, 18:58

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ Video

in Marvin \ Video

got myself an BenQ EX3210R. Windows xp is being a PITA wrt to 1600x1200 resolution. Its not an option on settings, using a gtx 960 2gb, limited to 1280x1024. Trying to get GOG games on xp to play nice but having to use windows 10 gtx 970 to get 1600x1200 @ 165hz And what connection did you use? …

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Re: List of Web Browsers For All Operating Systems

Posted on 2022-08-19, 15:23

by

by RayeR

in Release Announcements

in Release Announcements

BTW I found there's new build of One-core API 2.8.1 on Github for WinXP and heard it allows run Chrome 102, didn't test it yet...

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Re: DEC Alpha PC64 - problem with booting NT firmware

Posted on 2022-08-10, 01:52

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

NT FW: Filename NTFW1.jpg File size 27.31 KiB Views 1320 views Filename NTFW2.jpg File size 42.58 KiB Views 1320 views Filename NTFW3.jpg File size 46.62 KiB Views 1320 views Filename NTFW4.jpg File size 43.18 KiB Views 1320 views

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Re: DEC Alpha PC64 - problem with booting NT firmware

Posted on 2022-08-10, 01:50

by

by RayeR

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Well, I repaired the Dallas RTC via common grinding method (Vbat was too low ~0,3V) and thankfully it booted NT FW. So the FW is not compatible with neither DS1287 nor DS12C887A it seems only original DS12887 working. I can set date&time in Debug Monitor and it no longer complains about "Invalid …

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