Iarsin wrote on 2023-04-09, 18:44:

I'm more interested in a CPU-z DOS version to identify for example the Mainboard of the Unisys pw² 500 16A. I need a manual for […]
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I'm more interested in a CPU-z DOS version to identify for example the Mainboard of the Unisys pw² 500 16A. I need a manual for it's dip switches/jumper settings. The imprints are a bit unclear for me to make sense of.

But I actually doubt, that some sort of diagnostics tool can identify the Mainboard, and I think, it's really only build for this PC. A 386 doesn't come with dmi or the like.

There is a manual of the pw² 300 in the driver section, though.

Anyway, a DOS version would be cool, or at least for win 3.* ...

Would it take 4*16MB fpm SIMMs 30-pin? I got some handy.

HWiNFO for DOS provides a lot of hardware information.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2023-04-06, 18:37:

Law212 wrote on 2023-04-06, 18:33:

Finished setting up my pentium 2 Voodoo 2 sli setup. […]
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Finished setting up my pentium 2 Voodoo 2 sli setup.

Im using a monster 2 8 meg card and a voodoo 2 12 meg card which isnt ideal but its all i have for now.

That SLI bridge PCB is pretty neat. I can't help but feel that one of the real 3dfx logos should have been used on it though. Where did you get it?

Looks like they're here - https://www.serdashop.com/3DVideoBridge

Iarsin wrote on 2023-04-07, 12:09:

I try to get some old MFM and rll hard drives running, but I never have done that before. So I'm not successful at all.

Don't be discouraged, those old drives literally die on their own from age. Adrian's digital basement did several videos on trying to revive some.

Got the video and sound card drivers and applications installed in my 1998 Dell Win98 system, and installed all the updates from the Windows Security 2004 CD. All that's left is to update the Live! drivers to the LiveWare 3.0 version, install the latest officially supported DirectX for Win98, and then it's time to install some games!

Me and a friend of mine wanted to play some Quake 2 coop so I used this moment to make some test:

• Tested Internet multiplayer on my retro PII build
  I set up a coop server on an AWS VM (the free one 😁) and invited my friend to play. He used a Mac with Yamagi source port and had no problem, while I experienced severe lag with my Pentium II build; I believe the bottleneck is the ISA ethernet card, which cannot keep up with modern clients speed.
  Overall we had fun 🙂
• Tested VGA capture
  Recorded my build VGA for the first time, through OBS: video was good while the audio was corrupted. Have to investigate the issue.

Uploaded a video of the test: https://youtu.be/OfdK-150bfs

I placed the Quake 2 OST over it for the audio recording problem.

Veeb0rg wrote on 2023-04-10, 04:26:

Iarsin wrote on 2023-04-07, 12:09:

I try to get some old MFM and rll hard drives running, but I never have done that before. So I'm not successful at all.

Don't be discouraged, those old drives literally die on their own from age. Adrian's digital basement did several videos on trying to revive some.

The motor shaft can also freeze if it's been stationary for too long. If it's accessible, you can try giving it some help.

What kind of oil is suitable? Can I use oil for sewing machines? Or WD-40?

Tested once okay, but I think it's way to slow? It also did some noise that sounds exceptionally slow for stepper and maybe also heads?
IMG_20230406_203318.jpg

The Unisys test Tool only counted read errors.
IMG_20230406_143915.jpg

Submit is greyed out when attaching files, I already noticed Saturday.

Therefore I'm also not able to send a Soundfile.

Kahenraz wrote:

HWiNFO for DOS provides a lot of hardware information.

None of the diagnostic tools will tell about the Mainboard. Therefor I actually think CPU-z will also not achieve that anyway.

The BIOS strings will tell Unisys pw² 500 16A, I guess.

Iarsin wrote on 2023-04-10, 10:00:

Kahenraz wrote:

HWiNFO for DOS provides a lot of hardware information.

None of the diagnostic tools will tell about the Mainboard. Therefor I actually think CPU-z will also not achieve that anyway.

The BIOS strings will tell Unisys pw² 500 16A, I guess.

I wonder how many 386-era motherboards had make and model info written in BIOS so a third-party software could read it out. 🙄

Finally finished my "Year2k" build based on PIII Coppermine 1GHz, Voodoo 5 and Aureal Vortex 2:

Very silent it is 😉.

It's based on a PC I had in 2001, with some changes:
* GeForce2MX -> 3dfx V5 5500
* SB Live! -> Aureal SQ2500

Case is actually the same.

There is no need to compromise. A PCI Sound Blaster can happily live alongside an Aureal Vortex. You just need to feed the line-out of one into the line-in of the other.

Getting the drivers configured is a bit tricky, though. Make sure to disable legacy sound emulation for one of them in Device Manager, otherwise they will conflict. Also install the Aureal drivers last or backup and restore the a3d.dll that is installed. Creative's version has bugs, and you need the Aureal one to work with the other card anyways.

Thanks. I will investigate.

It lives. 😀
Had to glue the case back together in a number of places, add a composite out mod and a PAL/NTSC converter, and also build a US-compatible power supply.
The cassette player/recorder is still busted.
But the "computer" part works fine.

stamasd wrote on 2023-04-10, 19:58:

It lives. :) Had to glue the case back together in a number of places, add a composite out mod and a PAL/NTSC converter, and als […]
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It lives. 😀
Had to glue the case back together in a number of places, add a composite out mod and a PAL/NTSC converter, and also build a US-compatible power supply.
The cassette player/recorder is still busted.
But the "computer" part works fine.

Good work!

The cassette deck will probably need a new belt, I had to do that on mine several years ago and was pretty much the only thing wrong with it. I hardly ever use cassettes though, a DivMMC expansion makes life much easier all around.

It's more than a belt; several of the buttons don't work properly, either can't be pressed down or when pressed don't click in place and stay down (the "play" button does that), so there's more to it.
It's not critical, I have a Interface 1bis to use with it https://sites.google.com/site/interface1bis/
and a TZXduino.

Depending on the mechanism, of it's some kind of carbon-backed switch or dome, you can repair these with a bit of special paint. 8-bit Guy did an episode on this for a different keyboard.

BTW I've used several "broke" cassette boomboxes as amps with merely a cassette/aux adapter, they don't need to turn, stop, eject well or anything else, all you need is some play mechanism function to get the head in place, even if you have to wedge the button down. So, it's possible you might get it "working" with one of those, with the 3.5mm plugged into another tape deck, MP3 player, winCE handheld (They play wav well) or laptop or desktop.

I've had a lot of trouble using much newer cassette decks with my ZX81. Recording is particularly difficult. It's much better to use a mono cable or adapter as well.

This was the advantage of the all-in-one units. No need to fiddle with an external tape deck.

Kahenraz wrote on 2023-04-11, 13:06:

Depending on the mechanism, of it's some kind of carbon-backed switch or dome, you can repair these with a bit of special paint. 8-bit Guy did an episode on this for a different keyboard.

It's not the computer keyboard. That works fine. It's the controls of the mechanism of the tape deck, you see those at the bottom right of the picture separate from the keyboard.
There's something that mechanically stops them from operating correctly. Probably some part broken inside.
I think this machine had some sort of mechanical shock applied to it at one point. All of the standoffs that hold the 2 halves of the case together were broken and the bottom part of the case was cracked. That may have damaged the mechanism of the tape deck as well.
At least the PCB was intact and it works correctly. And the keyboard, which would be a pain to replace.

(BTW the PCB is actually +2B rev.1 not +2A; it's part number Z70833 - in theory I could remove the tape mechanism altogether and replace it with an original disk unit, and it would work seamlessly)

Another thing to look at with these old mechanisms is the grease. They can turn to glue and hold the heads and pinch rollers down. This is what happened to my Nakamichi deck.