Re: Tex's IBM XT 5160

Posted on 2016-01-16, 15:26

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

I'll keep that in mind. I always wanted to try and use an Hercules card in conjunction with a amber monitor. I always like the look of monochrome with amber color. If i decide not using it i'll let you know or perhaps we can arrange a trade for something i might be looking for. I have an amber, a …

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Re: Tex's IBM XT 5160

Posted on 2016-01-16, 14:43

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

By the way, this is the first time I see a real Hercules card in such a machine. I've seen and owned various XT clones and clone CGA/Hercules cards, but nice to see the real thing. If you don't plan on using it anymore, I'd like to have it.

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Re: Comparing the performance of CPU: SuperFast-286 and AMD-386DX

Posted on 2016-01-16, 14:35

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Shouldn't the cache "buffer" reads and writes so even 8-bit and 16-bit sequential reads and writes would get a boost due to overall higher throughput capabilities? Yes, but that is what you're seeing, I think. Cache back then wasn't all that spectacular though. At 25 MHz, the memory is not that …

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Re: Comparing the performance of CPU: SuperFast-286 and AMD-386DX

Posted on 2016-01-16, 13:43

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Wouldn't the wider bus still give the DX an edge with memory access, as that is not limited to the ISA bus? No, because memory accesses are done via instructions that are either 8-bit, 16-bit or 32-bit. As long as you don't specifically use 32-bit memory load/store instructions, it doesn't get …

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Re: Comparing the performance of CPU: SuperFast-286 and AMD-386DX

Posted on 2016-01-16, 13:07

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Also one has a 32bit bus the other has a 16bit bus? I am a bit confused. As far as the video card goes, both have a 16-bit bus, since it's ISA. We didn't get 32-bit until 486 localbus. So for games/graphics-oriented stuff, both systems have about the same bottleneck. As for the 386 CPU being 32-bit …

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Re: Tex's IBM XT 5160

Posted on 2016-01-15, 23:27

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ System Specs

in Marvin \ System Specs

Needs more CGA! 😀

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Re: Worst 90's computer brands?

Posted on 2016-01-15, 18:58

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by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Surprisingly, Packard Bell seems to have a good reputation in the UK and in South America for some reason. My only experience with Packard Bell is an old Celeron Northwood 1.6 GHz laptop. It appears to be built by NEC. The only thing that doesn't work on it anymore is the battery, but that seems to …

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-15, 09:17

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

But according to the system requirements I found of Links, it requires an 8088 CPU? http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Links:_The_Challenge_of_Golf#System_requirements It works on an 8088 CPU (as in, it probably doesn't use any instructions only available on newer CPUs), but they can go up to ~12 MHz. I …

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Re: Worst 90's computer brands?

Posted on 2016-01-15, 08:51

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Pretty sure it wasn't the chipset :) Sometimes though, the chipset can be complete trash, but the right motherboard/BIOS can make it work okay anyway. For example, I had an Abit KT7A, with VIA KT133A chipset. No matter what I tried, it was unstable. Then I exchanged it for an MSI K7T Turbo, which …

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-15, 08:05

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

I don't think a standard 8088 is fast enough for Links, so turning up the speed might help. The audio routine is not speed-sensitive, since it is timed with a timer interrupt.

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-14, 21:53

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

The music should play as soon as you start the game, in the intro sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMZxXbJAabk

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-14, 21:27

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

superfury wrote: Also, how do I make sure Links is using the PC speaker PCM/PWM as output? It's currently set to "REALSOUND (NO BOARD)". That's it, RealSound(tm) was their patented technology for playing samples on PC speaker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RealSound

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-14, 20:28

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

superfury wrote: Is there any other software where the CPU doesn't have to be cycle-exact, that produces sound using PCM over PWM? Which times it's PWM pulses using the PIT IRQ0 timer? That I can use to verify my PWM execution? Links Golf is one.

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Re: How to make my PC speaker emulation support PCM audio?

Posted on 2016-01-14, 16:02

by

by Scali

in PC Emulation

in PC Emulation

So this would mean that the speaker only moves a fraction during an outputted 1 or 0 from the PIT. Yes, but you should see it as a square-wave, because you don't toggle 1s and 0s all the time... It is 1 during the countdown, and flips to 0 when the counter reaches 0. It might be easier to look at …

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 14:45

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Anyway, one of my points still stands: unamplified outputs can't drive speakers. Agreed. All those sound cards were aplified (even though they might have an unitary gain to remain line-level compatible). Agreed. Though, to be fair, I agree that for the OP this discussion isn't very interesting... …

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 14:03

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Yes sound cards have amps but they aren't necessarily powerful enough to drive unpowered speakers. I would say they are. Yes, the ones we're talking about here, yes (the part you failed to quote)... If an output can: a) Drive headphones b) Be used as line-out Then the conclusion is: a) It can …

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 13:57

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

PCBONEZ wrote: Sorry. But not all sound cards can drive unpowered speakers. I never said all sound cards can do this.

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 13:54

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Speaker impedance is not indicative of sensitivity. Loudness at 1m distance with 1W drive power is the definition of speaker sensitivity. I'm not saying it is. Don't count on this working for all sound cards. Not saying that. Just saying that it works for Adlibs and Sound Blasters, and most clones …

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 13:48

by

by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

YOU are the one that started this. Started what? I simply pointed out that early soundcards were specifically designed to power headphones or unpowered speakers. Which is obviously a fact, which I have proven by showing that they were literally advertised as such. You keep arguing against this, …

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Re: Unpowered speakers/using PC speaker for audio

Posted on 2016-01-14, 13:39

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by Scali

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

PCBONEZ wrote: No it's NOT on the contrary. - ESPECIALLY in the computer industry. RAM doesn't even always comply with industry standards. Which is exactly my point, once again. Stop bothering me.

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