keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-01-18, 17:41:

As you all know, the IBM 5150 only has 5 expansion slots. This makes cramming as much functionality into as few cards as possibl […]
Show full quote

As you all know, the IBM 5150 only has 5 expansion slots. This makes cramming as much functionality into as few cards as possible key to getting as much as you can out of the machine.

The motherboard only has at most 256K of RAM. Early MBs have 64K. There is no onboard I/O except keyboard and cassette.

This means everything has to be on the expansion cards, including RAM to expand to full 640K.

The typical loadout might consist of:

-Graphics card
-Floppy controller
-MFM HDD controller or XT-IDE
-Network card
-Multi-expansion card: RAM+RTC+serial+parallel (e.g. AST SixPakPlus)

This leaves no room for any other cards.

In my machine I have a combo HDD+floppy card. That leaves me one slot open, for experimenting with things such as sound cards. However, that wouldn't be possible if I weren't using an original MFM hard drive. XT-IDE + CF card would not allow this.

What are the options? Anything better than SixPakPlus out there? Seems like the holy grail card would be a combo that contains RAM+RTC+2x serial+2x parallel+XT-IDE+QuadFlop+Ethernet. Lmao. Waiting for someone to build this and charge $200 for it (I would purchase)

Xircom Pocket Ethernet is what I use to save an ISA slot on my Tandy 1000 since it connects to parallel port.

PicoMEM : Pi Pico on ISA, with full Memory and I/O bus access

I also agree with keener that it's pretty easy to ditch an ethernet card for a parallel port option.

MonotechPC XTIDE card with memory expansion.

keenerb wrote on 2024-01-18, 17:56:

Xircom Pocket Ethernet is what I use to save an ISA slot on my Tandy 1000 since it connects to parallel port.

These are cool, but I have a printer plugged into my parallel port, and the SixPakPlus only has one.

the3dfxdude wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:38:

PicoMEM : Pi Pico on ISA, with full Memory and I/O bus access

Great project, but ultimately it's software emulation of hardware.

Zerthimon wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:45:

MonotechPC XTIDE card with memory expansion.

Getting closer, but suppose I use this card. Then I end up with:

-Graphics card
-Floppy controller
-XT-IDE + RAM
-Some multi-IO card for serial, parallel, RTC (since I still need that)
-Network card

One less card than before.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:45:

keenerb wrote on 2024-01-18, 17:56:

Xircom Pocket Ethernet is what I use to save an ISA slot on my Tandy 1000 since it connects to parallel port.

These are cool, but I have a printer plugged into my parallel port, and the SixPakPlus only has one.

You can have a video card with a parallel port, or use a switch between them as you don't need both printer and network at the same time. Sometimes devices allow daisy chain too.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:45:

the3dfxdude wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:38:

PicoMEM : Pi Pico on ISA, with full Memory and I/O bus access

Great project, but ultimately it's software emulation of hardware.

Would you rather use a micro-controller or FPGA? Or try to stuff all the logic and controllers onto a single card for one big combo card? My IO+MEM+RTC card is a full size card already. And a reproduction card at some point will get complex and pricey, even if you can integrate it enough with late design compatible ICs.

keenmaster486 wrote:

Getting closer, but suppose I use this card. Then I end up with: […]
Show full quote

Zerthimon wrote:

MonotechPC XTIDE card with memory expansion.

Getting closer, but suppose I use this card. Then I end up with:

-Graphics card
-Floppy controller
-XT-IDE + RAM
-Some multi-IO card for serial, parallel, RTC (since I still need that)
-Network card

One less card than before.

Well if you move your parallel port over to your video card, then you wouldn't really need the IO card right?

Sometimes, this thing makes me wonder why people just don't use a 5160 instead. It solved all of this.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-01-18, 18:45:

keenerb wrote on 2024-01-18, 17:56:

Xircom Pocket Ethernet is what I use to save an ISA slot on my Tandy 1000 since it connects to parallel port.

These are cool, but I have a printer plugged into my parallel port, and the SixPakPlus only has one.

Same. I use a parallel switchbox when I want to print. I generally have no need to use networking AND printing at the same time!

Isn't there such a thing like multiIO controller with floppy and RTC in one card ?

Edit: something like this
Peaktron XT multi function card in the neighboring thread.

There are SLIP compatible serial to wifi adapters out there. They're not real fast, generally limited to whatever your com port can provide, but if all you're doing is tinkering with telnet, bbsing, or copying files it's very much usable.

Sergey Kiselev has a floppy/com port combo project you can assemble that could potentially give you high density (1.44mb) floppy support and a nice, fast 16850 uart.