Yoghoo wrote on 2023-05-24, 21:44:

Nice project! When USB mouse/keyboard or network is also working I am surely interested in making/buying one.

A CD-ROM emulator is certainly a killer feature but I guess a Pico would probably be under-powered for such a feature.

Hi,

Your answer make me feel that I am too old, and the majority of the person here think that a pentium is retro 😀
Because I don't agree that CDROM is a killer feature for 8088/8086/286 😀

IBM 5150 was released on August 12, 1981.
First Pentium was released on March 22, 1993 - it's 12 years later, but...
... it was already 30 years ago 😀

I still do not have a machine based on the 8088 processor, but I am tempted.
It will probably be one of the new clones, as the original era hardware is beyond my financial means.

FreddyV wrote on 2023-05-26, 07:36:

Hi, […]
Show full quote

Yoghoo wrote on 2023-05-24, 21:44:

Nice project! When USB mouse/keyboard or network is also working I am surely interested in making/buying one.

A CD-ROM emulator is certainly a killer feature but I guess a Pico would probably be under-powered for such a feature.

Hi,

Your answer make me feel that I am too old, and the majority of the person here think that a pentium is retro 😀
Because I don't agree that CDROM is a killer feature for 8088/8086/286 😀

Don't feel old. 😀 I grew up with XT's as well (still have one) but mainly use 386 and up nowadays. There indeed it makes more sense to have a CDROM for games etc.

Yoghoo wrote on 2023-05-24, 21:44:

A CD-ROM emulator is certainly a killer feature but I guess a Pico would probably be under-powered for such a feature.

Actually, The ZuluSCSI RP2040 http://zuluscsi.com/wheretobuy perfectly demonstrates that, not only can the RP2040 emulate a high-speed CD-ROM drive at a whopping nine megabytes per second for reads, it can emulate up to seven SCSI devices at the same time, be they CD-ROM drives or HDD's. I own Rabbit Hole Computing, which developed the original ZuluSCSI V1.x, as well as the ZuluSCSI RP2040. ZuluSCSI's firmware is completely open-source (see https://github.com/zuluscsi/zuluscsi-firmware), and leverages the high-quality SCSI command handling originally developed for SCSI2SD (Also GPL-licensed), over the course of a decade.

Rabbit Hole Computing is based in California, but we have a German-based EU distributor of ZuluSCSI products, as well as others in the UK, Canada, and Australia. See https://store.rabbitholecomputing.com/ZuluSCSI-s/120.htm for a list of the various form factors of ZuluSCSI we have available.

By comparison, the original ZuluSCSI (V1.1) hardware, based on a GD32F205 (an improved STM32F205 clone), delivers roughly half the throughput.

For documentation on ZuluSCSI usage, see https://github.com/ZuluSCSI/ZuluSCSI-firmware … /main/README.md and https://github.com/ZuluSCSI/ZuluSCSI-firmware … ZuluSCSI-Manual

aperezbios wrote on 2023-06-06, 15:34:

Actually, The ZuluSCSI RP2040 http://zuluscsi.com/wheretobuy perfectly demonstrates that, not only can the RP2040 emulate a high-speed CD-ROM drive at a whopping nine megabytes per second for reads, it can emulate up to seven SCSI devices at the same time, be they CD-ROM drives or HDD's. I own Rabbit Hole Computing, which developed the original ZuluSCSI V1.x, as well as the ZuluSCSI RP2040. ZuluSCSI's firmware is completely open-source (see https://github.com/zuluscsi/zuluscsi-firmware), and leverages the high-quality SCSI command handling originally developed for SCSI2SD (Also GPL-licensed), over the course of a decade.

Hi,

The SCSI interface (Hardware) is much more simple than the ISA, with I/O, MEM and 20 Address lines.
The Pico can do DMA transfer on PIO with it.
Also, I am obliged to use the MicroSD in SPI, that is not the case with the SCSI board because there is much more free signals.

At software level, do SCSI is much more simple than what I do with the PicoMEM 😜

Very nice proyect!. A lot of cool features. In my experience and needs... (trust me, I'm an XT hoarder)
1) EMS emulation. Cards are difficult to find, at least cheap... (i hope this work on my xt-286, as a rare hybrid between AT & XT worlds)
2) LAN emulation. OH yes!. I want samba-share full RW access!. Some Ne2000 16bit can work with special packet driver (only DHCP/FTP).
3) Storage are easy/cheap (using xtide-bios + CF/ide adapter). Or simply xtide-bios + Serial Boot (using a hard drive image from PCEM).
4) ROM load/emulation. So, picomem can load own bios...and then concatenate 2M-Xbios & XT-ide bios or any other bios...like basic/custom? (This will be perfect!)
5) Video emulation?. mmmm.... a lot of 16bit video cards works. Well, this will be cool only if you can emulate a real MDA/HERCULES/CGA, but with a standard DB15/hdmi output).
6) Sound. Not needed. We have picogus 😀. And you can even use a Sound Blaster 16.
7) CD storage: Sound Blaster Pro + Sony CD. I've really used it like 2 or 3 times in the last year, just for copying games)

Keep up the good work!

edumoes wrote on 2023-06-21, 17:13:

Very nice proyect!. A lot of cool features. In my experience and needs... (trust me, I'm an XT hoarder) 1) EMS emulation. Card […]
Show full quote

Very nice proyect!. A lot of cool features. In my experience and needs... (trust me, I'm an XT hoarder)
1) EMS emulation. Cards are difficult to find, at least cheap... (i hope this work on my xt-286, as a rare hybrid between AT & XT worlds)
2) LAN emulation. OH yes!. I want samba-share full RW access!. Some Ne2000 16bit can work with special packet driver (only DHCP/FTP).
3) Storage are easy/cheap (using xtide-bios + CF/ide adapter). Or simply xtide-bios + Serial Boot (using a hard drive image from PCEM).
4) ROM load/emulation. So, picomem can load own bios...and then concatenate 2M-Xbios & XT-ide bios or any other bios...like basic/custom? (This will be perfect!)
5) Video emulation?. mmmm.... a lot of 16bit video cards works. Well, this will be cool only if you can emulate a real MDA/HERCULES/CGA, but with a standard DB15/hdmi output).
6) Sound. Not needed. We have picogus 😀. And you can even use a Sound Blaster 16.
7) CD storage: Sound Blaster Pro + Sony CD. I've really used it like 2 or 3 times in the last year, just for copying games)

Keep up the good work!

Hi,

Currently I am working hard to improve the interconnection with the ISA as the 5150 is faster and different than the Amstrad PC ISA, that is why there is not that much news 😀

Anyway, I think you had the concept right, more or less anything we want can be done, except video, as it require too many not available I/O
A basic CGA/MDA Text mode video can be added anyway, in remote (Output to a serial terminal for example)

1) Already here.
2) should be simple to add
3) The PicoMEM can emulate what you want from .IMG files on a MicroSD, I think nothing can be more simple. (2x Floppy, 4xHDD, any size)
4) Yes, it can be done ,I still need to implement the configuration of this part in the BIOS.
The ultimate goal will be to allow for BIOS image load from the MicroSD at boot time.
5)
6) It will be usefull when you can't add a PicoGUS, for machines with only one ISA Slot, I also have the Idea to build a "Paula" like output, to play with it.
Also, as I wrote Mod Master, I know well the sound cards, so I may do things that the PicoGUS don't do....
This will also start a phase when we will align our code, to have like code libraries we can exchange between the PicoMEM, PicoGUS and other.
Like add Network to the PicoGUS, sound to the PicoMEM....
7) not a priority for me, if somebody want to add it when I will release the code...

I work hard to increase the PicoMEM Maturity so that it is not "destroyed" when released... So, try to add 5150 and/or support of more machines.

Any chance you would make a Book8088 (or Hand386) version of your PCB like PicoGUS? The Book8088 would greatly benefit from a serial mouse plugged directly into the Book8088 port... ISA Blaster already has a DirtyRat driver and firmware that may be used...

One Day or another the source of my project will be released, so other versions can arrive.

You mention BIOS. Would this card be able to replace or augment the motherboard BIOS?

Really nice!

I'm most interested in the EMS support upto 4mb. I have a lo-tech card in my NuXT which I use quite heavily. Ideally I'd love a 8-16mb EMS card so I could push it in a corner and forget about it.. yes I know EMS can go upto 32mb.. but I don't think I'd benefit from more than 8mb.

Very very nice! I'd be keen purely to go from 2mb - 4mb EMS. Additional experimentation with the PicoPi would be fun also. 😀 Well done! Selling these?

Great project! I have a Zenith Z-160 XT compatible luggable which I'd be interest in using this board with. Currently I have an XT-IDE installed in it but the Zenith version of DOS doesn't like it. When there is hard disk i/o sometimes it can take 10 - 15 seconds before it completes. Using a non Zenith version of DOS solves this. The Zenith version of DOS is highly customized and pretty unique. Part of the charm of the system is using the Zenith DOS. I have booted Zenith DOS in Dosbox without issue, so am hopeful this would allow me to run it on my system without random disk i/o slow downs.

That's a super nice and helpful Project - Congrats!
It would be really interesting for me if it would support USB mouse/keyboard 😉

best regards
Paddy

aoclaus wrote on 2023-09-27, 21:49:

You mention BIOS. Would this card be able to replace or augment the motherboard BIOS?

Hi,
The Board has its own ROM, I calll it BIOS because it add some BIOS Functions, for ther Disk Emulation
So we can call it BIOS extender as well.

Ulfenknulfen wrote on 2023-09-30, 10:33:

That's a super nice and helpful Project - Congrats! It would be really interesting for me if it would support USB mouse/keyboard […]
Show full quote

That's a super nice and helpful Project - Congrats!
It would be really interesting for me if it would support USB mouse/keyboard 😉

best regards
Paddy

Hi,
It Will support mouse.

uridium wrote on 2023-09-28, 01:35:

Really nice!

I'm most interested in the EMS support upto 4mb. I have a lo-tech card in my NuXT which I use quite heavily. Ideally I'd love a 8-16mb EMS card so I could push it in a corner and forget about it.. yes I know EMS can go upto 32mb.. but I don't think I'd benefit from more than 8mb.

Very very nice! I'd be keen purely to go from 2mb - 4mb EMS. Additional experimentation with the PicoPi would be fun also. 😀 Well done! Selling these?

Thanks,
More than 4Mb will be difficult, we can't find > 8Mb SPI PSRAM

Yoghoo wrote on 2023-05-24, 21:44:

Nice project! When USB mouse/keyboard or network is also working I am surely interested in making/buying one.

A CD-ROM emulator is certainly a killer feature but I guess a Pico would probably be under-powered for such a feature.

Hi,

NE2000 network is now working (With Pico W), but not fully integrated (BIOS Menu, config is Hardcoded)
Mouse will be simple to add, I just don't have lot of time currently.

Wow, really nice. Congrats for great idea and hard work.

Some more comment about the question "Why Pi Pico"

I did research based on the PiStorm, so I wanted first to try on Pi Zero 2, but these are just not possible to buy.
I was also suprized that the PiStorm need an FPGA with High Speed Pi3/4

So, I hearded about the PiGUS, then the PicoGUS and I started to work with Ian to do the PicoMEM.

Anyway, there are much more powerfull "Pico form factor" devices, like :

https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Ox64
And now the new Mikk-V Duo:
https://milkv.io/duo

These one are Great, but are more made for Linux or RTOS.
These are chinese chip, with lot of doc in.. chinese.
I see no community around them.
The Pico is well documented and supported.

Port this to these other chip can be great, It may be an idea for me later, or for someone else....

@FreddyV I am really into this idea, don't get me wrong. I think you'll find new interest from people like me who have (after a month of waiting) got hold of a Book8088 (maybe a Hand386 too). As PicoGUS are doing a special version that connect s to the ISA pin-out, I think there is a LOT of room for your project to do something similar. As I personally see it, I would (optimally) use ISA expansion for the following and I can imagine these all being implemented in PicoMEM, but admittedly the needs are a little different to the standard ISA card.

I would be looking for:
- Either a floppy-controller, or using (much of) the memory to be able to file-swap multi floppy images (360k, 720k, 1.2mb, 1.44mb) in RAM so that they can be presented to A: using a TSR type menu.
- Something to provide native SLIP translation for file transfer (I think cabled would be fine - but with Serial > USB translation on the board?)
- 384Kb higher memory area.
- graphics output to an external monitor
- A 10Base-T network (possibly something translating directly to wifi on the Pico W?)
- PS/2 mouse port
- A way to attach a PicoGus Femto / 2nd Pi Pico for further expansion (their so small that compared to having to carry the ISA expansion around, 2x Pi Pico's on a board in a case would be very favourable).

I don't feel that any additional serial/parallel (on-board with a V2.0 Book8088) or HDD emulation would be useful for Book8088 / Hand386 users as this would be a replication.

I'm guessing with the Pico 16mb memory limit you'd be limited to 5-8 FDD images, AutoCAD R12 (a lofty ask 🤣) has 12 disks - that I think would be the absolute maximum - so could some off-board file management with TFTP be done to swap disks out?