Vipersan wrote:

Curious ..
the backslash key prints the correct character in win95 notepad ...but no response at all when in DOS ?
now I _AM_ confused..??

Are you loading the UK keyboard driver in config.sys?
If not it will default to US layout and the \ is on another key.

Vipersan wrote:

I remain in the directory 5200 ? I can A: and see that directory .. ie the floppy root I type C: ..but return to the directory 5 […]
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I remain in the directory 5200 ?
I can A: and see that directory ..
ie the floppy root
I type C: ..but return to the directory 5200 ....and not the root C:
this is most confusing ???

I think that's normal DOS behaviour.
When you type C: it will take you back to the last directory you used on the C: drive
To get to the root type CD \ or CD .. to go up one level

I'm thinking there is something odd with the windows installation Ian ..
I unplugged the mechanical hard drive and reconnected my previous installation on CF ...and DOS behaves normally ..
So I guess I borked the install ..or as you say ..the KB is configured for US on that installation.
I'll sort this even if I have to reinstall windows..
As to the Cache test photo I uploaded ?
Was it what you expected to see ?
rgds
VS

Hamby wrote:

Ian, would it be possible to connect any other vga display adapter to the plasma screen of the T5200?
(have in the back of my mind a notion to get a second, non-functioning T5200 or T3200 with a working plasma display and installing an itx motherboard in it, or possibly an intel based Raspberry Pi competitor SBC).

It's certainly technically possible but would require design of an interface circuit unless you could find the exact signals on an existing VGA board.

BTW have you made any progress on your system, I think the hanging problem you posted about is most likely something to do with the IDE interface, the IDE to CF adapter or the CF itself.

Vipersan wrote:

So I guess I borked the install ..or as you say ..the KB is configured for US on that installation.

Your config.sys and autoexec.bat should contain the following (you can edit with win95 notepad):

Config.sys:
Device=C:\windows\command\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\windows\command\country.sys

Autoexec bat:
mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\windows\command\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb uk,,C:\windows\command\keyboard.sys

Vipersan wrote:

As to the Cache image I uploaded ?
Was it what you expected to see ?

Yes it looks correct so far.

IanB wrote:

Your config.sys and autoexec.bat should contain the following (you can edit with win95 notepad): […]
Show full quote

Vipersan wrote:

So I guess I borked the install ..or as you say ..the KB is configured for US on that installation.

Your config.sys and autoexec.bat should contain the following (you can edit with win95 notepad):

Config.sys:
Device=C:\windows\command\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\windows\command\country.sys

Autoexec bat:
mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\windows\command\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb uk,,C:\windows\command\keyboard.sys

Vipersan wrote:

As to the Cache image I uploaded ?
Was it what you expected to see ?

Yes it looks correct so far.

Cheers Ian ..
I guess it's possible that during the pcmcia installs or the sound card added ..that the config sys got either corrupted or replaced ..
I'll check an edit as neccessary ..
If all else fails ..I could try a reinstall of win 95.

Thanks for the Cache update ..
it's all starting to take shape now ..but I will have to change a couple of key switches to cure the double bounce issues..
rgds

ziggystar12 wrote:

One thing I've done to mine that I don't see here. I installed a sound blaster pro (with a volume control wheel) and attached a tiny 5v audio amplifier circuit and speaker. This is installed internally with the card in the 16 bit slot and the speaker in the area above the graphics card. Works great!

I used the existing internal beep speaker for the soundcard on one of my units but it's a bit quiet so I may do something similar one day.

ziggystar12 wrote:

Quick question, on the video bios rom. My chip says 198A. I didn't see many other options, this is a US unit so any benefit to installing the 32k rom? No upgraded rom beyond this one? From time to time I notice random snow in the display. Could it be the graphics card?

We have three versions but two are virtually identical 24K ones. I don't know what the difference is with the 32K one but it probably has more fonts and maybe bug fixes.
The version number for the 24K ones is 1.04 01 and it's 1.04 09 for the 32K one. The version number is displayed briefly on startup so is difficult to see (try recording the startup on a phone camera and play it back in slowmotion if necessary).

Thanks again Ian ..for the lesson in Config sys and Autoexec .bat
..I edited in the lines as you suggested and all is good now.
..and yes it looks like they had been changed..
How when and why are mysteries..
rgds
VS

Thanks IanB. So any ram work arounds when you have none? I noticed the one when you have at least 2 sticks? Do any other machines/models have this ram? I might be able to acquire one on ebay?

I wonder whether there are bad side effects for not preparing and selecting the correct codepages for your country, and only using the keyb.com to get your desired layout.

I am wondering because the only thing I have set is "LH C:\DOS\KEYB.COM GR" in the autoexec.bat and nothing else regarding the codepages in autoexec and config. Should I prepare and select them as well or is loading the keyb.com to change the keyboard layout actually enough? I do not care whether the computer thinks it's being used in the US, which I believe is the standard codepage selected when you do not load anything yourself.

Also when I load and prepare the codepages for Germany, the nice Toshiba font used for Text Mode is replaced by the standard font 😁

@ Hamby ..
I am going to have to replace some of the key switches on both the T5200 and T3200 Keyboards ..
So far I have found that the Toshiba keycaps physically fit onto the key switches of a Dell AT101W ps2 keyboard ..
Both sets of keyswitches are ALPS ..but they have different dimensions ..
So will the Dell switches fit on the Toshiba KB ..
I'll let you know.
rgds
VS

IanB wrote:

Hamby wrote:

Ian, would it be possible to connect any other vga display adapter to the plasma screen of the T5200?
(have in the back of my mind a notion to get a second, non-functioning T5200 or T3200 with a working plasma display and installing an itx motherboard in it, or possibly an intel based Raspberry Pi competitor SBC).

It's certainly technically possible but would require design of an interface circuit unless you could find the exact signals on an existing VGA board.

BTW have you made any progress on your system, I think the hanging problem you posted about is most likely something to do with the IDE interface, the IDE to CF adapter or the CF itself.

I think you're right; I recall when I put the CF drive in my DOS desktop system it locked up the same way.
The problem then was that I set it to draw power from pin 20 of the IDE socket.
Which I did when installing it in the T5200 because I didn't have a 3.5 floppy power connector for the CF drive.
I've ordered a molex power cable, 5.25 connector to two 3.5 type connectors (I don't know the proper terms).
One problem may be that the 5.25 end is male.

This weekend I plan on opening the T5200 up again, removing the long ide cable and replacing the original ide cable (after shaving the key down), and installing the power cable for the CF card reader.

I'm going to have to edit the config.sys and autoexec.bat on the CF card, because I basically copied the hard drive from my DOS desktop onto the CF card (after making it bootable). I did test it on the desktop, and it does boot, with external power.
The config.sys and autoexec.bat are set up for an Awe32 soundblaster, and to start the network (with I think a Linksys card), so I'll have to remove the related entries until I can set them up for the ESS1688f sound card and the 3Com network adapter in the T5200.

IanB wrote:

Your config.sys and autoexec.bat should contain the following (you can edit with win95 notepad): […]
Show full quote

Vipersan wrote:

So I guess I borked the install ..or as you say ..the KB is configured for US on that installation.

Your config.sys and autoexec.bat should contain the following (you can edit with win95 notepad):

Config.sys:
Device=C:\windows\command\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=044,850,C:\windows\command\country.sys

Autoexec bat:
mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\windows\command\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb uk,,C:\windows\command\keyboard.sys

Vipersan wrote:

As to the Cache image I uploaded ?
Was it what you expected to see ?

Yes it looks correct so far.

Living in the US, this is all weird and new to me.

Hamby wrote:

Ian, would it be possible to connect any other vga display adapter to the plasma screen of the T5200?

(have in the back of my mind a notion to get a second, non-functioning T5200 or T3200 with a working plasma display and installing an itx motherboard in it, or possibly an intel based Raspberry Pi competitor SBC).

The RPi might drive it directly.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/har … aspberrypi/dpi/
https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176313

12  V-sync --> GPIO2
24  H-sync --> GPIO3
36  PD0  --> GPIO4
48  PD1 --> GPIO5
510 PD2 --> GPIO6
612 PD3 --> GPIO7
714 DSPE --> GPIO1
816 PCLK  --> GPIO0

PCLK might have to be external

Vipersan, IanB,

Okay, I ground down the tit on the IDE cable, and in short, it now works.
When I booted, my choices in the bios were 100mb drive or no drive. But, after it rebooted, it said the drive was found at 1F-something.
I did a directory search of the 3 partitions, and they all showed up, then I played some commander keen.

(Since the sound and network drivers were for my desktop dos box cards which are different cards, I got errors about those, but I can deal with that later.)

I used a y-connector, 5.25 drive to two 3.5 drive power cables. One I used to power the CF card, the lack of which I think was what was causing my problems.

I have that gpu fan I pulled from an ATI video card; I was thinking of putting it (with thermal tape) on the chip to the left of the CPU. It comes to about the same height of the CPU if I put it there. But, 2 questions:

1) Will it do anything to improve cooling?
2) how do I connect its really thin red & black cables to the other 3.5 power cable to power it? Red to red, black to black, ignore the other black and yellow wires?

Vipersan, the keyboard enter key is still acting up. It seems to work when I hit it on the lower edge of the key.
How can I go about putting some contact cleaner in the key? Will I have to completely separate the keys from the circuit board?

Next stage of the adventure is to get the network card talking to the network, and then getting the sound card working (it's in the 8-bit slot). And then I can enjoy hell out of my laptop 😀

Hi Hamby ..
I tried contact cleaner as you know ..but even servisol had little effect ..
..which is why I'm trying to replace the iffy key switches.
You may have more luck ..and I hope you do.
The only way of getting cleaner into the switches as far as I know ..is to pull the key cap directly up and off the switch..to reveal the white nylon plunger.
Then squirt the servisol down the sides of the plunger shaft with a nozzle tube ..then immediately work the switch up and down to clean.
If there is dirt on the contacts ..this should work..but if they are fubarred as some of mine are (not making contact internally) then I guess replacement of the ALPS switch is the only option.
best of luck
VS

Hamby wrote:

Okay, I ground down the tit on the IDE cable, and in short, it now works.
When I booted, my choices in the bios were 100mb drive or no drive. But, after it rebooted, it said the drive was found at 1F-something.

Glad to hear you got it working.
The setting in the BIOS is ignored, XTIDE always detectes the drive capacity on startup.

Hamby wrote:

I have that gpu fan I pulled from an ATI video card; I was thinking of putting it (with thermal tape) on the chip to the left of the CPU. It comes to about the same height of the CPU if I put it there. But, 2 questions:
1) Will it do anything to improve cooling?
2) how do I connect its really thin red & black cables to the other 3.5 power cable to power it? Red to red, black to black, ignore the other black and yellow wires?

That fan/heatsink is almost low enough profile to have been stuck directly to the CPU, it's just a couple of mm oversize.
Putting it next to the CPU like that might help as it will at least encourage air movement in the area and some air will be blown directly out of the right side and into the CPU heatsink so I think it's worth a try. The only way to be sure it's having an effect would be to measure the before and after temperature of the CPU heatsink after it's been run for a while with the cover plate and keyboard in place. If it makes a significant difference you might notice it just using your finger but otherwise you'll need to use something to measure the temperature.
The black cables on the 3.5 power are ground, the red is +5v and the yellow is +12v. The fan is probably +5v so just connect black to black and red to red and ignore the other black and yellow cables (make sure they are insulated so they don't touch anything). If the fan seems very slow or it's easy to stall then it's probably a 12v fan so connect the red of the fan to the yellow of the 3.5 power connector and leave the red on the power connector unused.

Vipersan,

I'll try cleaning that enter key after I have everything else working. I may need to replace the switch... oh well, that can be a 'someday' project.

IanB,

I got somewhat sidetracked cleaning my favorite old keyboard (it must be 20 years old almost), but later today I plan on installing the fan. Then I'll work on getting the sound card, net card and WFW working on it.
Probably next weekend I'll hook that 100mb drive up to my desktop dos box, and xcopy/zip it into a file, which I can then attach to a message for you (I recall you wanted to see the chip burner software).

Hi Hamby ..
Still waiting for a replacement Keyboard to arrive for the pc that is using the Dell KB..so that I can scrap the Dell KB if neccessary ..and canabalise it for key switches..
If the transplanted key switches are physically successful I might be able to help you out ..
I'll let you know in due course.
rgds
VS

OK ..
This will never be perfect ..but at least it will get my 5200 keyboard working ..
There are photos of the original ALPS key (white plunger) next to the ALPS ketswitch borrowed from the donor Dell KB ..
As you can see they are similar but there are dimensional differences ..
Sadly one of these differences is height ..
That said I could just have a couple of keys that ride higher ..OR ..I could change them all ..resulting in even height accross the board.
The actual contacts are roughly the same spacing although the originals had 2 extra legs to provide stability..
These extra legs are not needed for functionality.
To show this I have fitted one of the Dell key switches in the Toshiba keyboard pcb ...and fitted the Toshiba keycap ..
Which _does_ fit and isn't loose.
A bit of a hack job ..but hey ..
If it works ..why not.. and just means scrapping the dell keyboard..
No great loss ...and for the greater good.
Photos attached
rgds
VS

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