sofakng wrote on 2022-01-08, 20:07:

However, I'm still learning about wavetable cards and how everything works. Are you saying that having the Dreamblaster S2 plugged in causes the GAMEPORT to have corrupted/different data? I would have expected raw MIDI data sent to both the S2 and GAMEPORT and you could just mute (or don't connect) the Crystal output?

Nah, no garbled output. You're right about just turning down the MT-32 if I need the GM music going.
I meant another config altogether - if I want the Sound Canvas SC-88ST (which I would prefer 100% of the time) playing and disabling the wavetable (S2 is fine but not *that* fine), there's no hardware way of doing so.

sofakng wrote on 2022-01-08, 20:07:

By the way, if you have experience with PCB design and want to try modifying rasteri's design please let me know. If you design anything I'll pay for boards myself and test them. (I also offered rasteri but I understand he's very busy and his goal seems to be shrinking the PC as much as possible instead of expanding I/O; obviously this is perfectly OK but my goals/wishlist is a bit different) 😀

No, I'm barely able to peek around someone else's design. I haven't spent serious time with PCB design tutorials yet and most aren't targeting circuitmaker. I'd probably adpot EasyEDA to more easily produce files that JLCPCB needs.

Got it... thanks again.

I think this has been posted but the USB controller seems pretty buggy. If I connect a USB keyboard it works, but if I connect a USB hub with a keyboard and mouse it freezes the system or causes an "Internal stack overflow".

Are there any clever solutions to convert a USB hub (keyboard+mouse) into a PS/2 dualport? 😀

Yes, you can get one of these adapters:

https://www.tripplite.com/ps-2-to-usb-converter~0dt60002

They work fine, but are quite expensive. I paid ~$50 for mine. Alternately, there is this project, if you're willing to DIY:

https://github.com/10110111/usb2ps2conv

- Alex

I got this PS2 short keyboard myself: https://www.amazon.ca/Perixx-PERIBOARD-409W-C … 2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

it also comes in longer version and in black if you want.
It could mean not having to find a converter solution. I've tested keyboard on USB, mouse on PS/2 and vice versa and it works just fine without issue.

In other news, I've finally:

-replaced my solder blobs on entry fuse with a 6V, trips on 1.8A polyfuse
-Installed my CR2330 (turns out it's this rather than CR2032!) battery on my 2nd unit
-Replaced the microsd reader on one of my units, I also have 2 spares now- no longer have to rely on tape and slight pressure to read my cards
-waiting for my face plate replacement order to arrive on Jan 19th to finally have 1.0 mm thickness

Got my EEPROMs programmed and just got the PCBs in the mail. So excited to start. :3

Still waiting on the Cyrus Logic audio chips and the Vortex86DXs, but they will come in time. That chip shortage really has made these DIY projects a lot harder.

ajacocks wrote on 2022-01-11, 06:57:

Yes, you can get one of these adapters:

https://www.tripplite.com/ps-2-to-usb-converter~0dt60002

They work fine, but are quite expensive. I paid ~$50 for mine. Alternately, there is this project, if you're willing to DIY:

Is that the adapter you are using? The reviews mention if you use a mouse with a high polling rate (ie. > 250 Hz) that it can miss events, etc?

However, I don't see anything else similar on the market. I'm not afraid of DIY but I can't find a USB-to-PS/2 Mouse library...

I've used a period correct PS/2 (from IBM) , a generic USB mouse and this modern day optic PS/2 mouse you can still get on amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Perixx-Perimice-209P-So … WNrPXRydWU&th=1

They all work fine, never had anything close to 'missed frames' with any of them. I don't think DOS games are designed to something requiring a bleeding edge level of polling frequency.

I've purchased the Tripp Lite 0DT60002 USB to PS/2 adapter and it was ridiculously expensive ($72 on Amazon) but it works perfectly on the weeCee.

I'm using a USB KVM (ie. USB hub) but the Tripp Lite works perfectly. The USB KVM goes into the Tripp Lite and it separates and converts both my gaming keyboard and mouse to PS/2. (which then goes into a PS/2 keyboard+mouse -> PS/2 dualport cable)

Thanks for the recommendation again ajacocks!

1.0mm plates installed.

On one of my 2 units, the tolerance is stretched to its limit and I had file the external short side of the microsd hole just ever so slightly so that when I push to eject, it has enough clearance to just barely get out. Before I did it, it would rest on the interior surface, spring coiled and the only way to remove the card was to unscrew the whole plate. It would send the card flying as soon as it found enough give to go out.

I still have to push-bend the plate to help the process but at least it's possible to remove it.

I lucked out better with the other unit and it's much more forgiving.

Suggestion for future builds: just open up the hole a few mms in all directions (mostly up and outwardly).

Comparison betwen 1.6mm and 1.0mm

Can someone point me to the right drivers for the DOS/Win98 for the audio chip in this? I'm starting to try to put some stuff together for further testing but was curious what kind of drivers we're going to be needing for audio.

At least for DOS, I am using unisound (can be found here on vogons) to init the CS4237b. There's also lots of variants of drivers available here:
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=69

This package from gerwin should also hopefully fix your Windows needs:
http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … 925&menustate=0

Again big thanks to all the help - I have finally gotten word that the Vortex86DX SoMs shipped (after waiting a few months, yay!), but I'm stilling working on acquiring the audio chip, CS4237B-JQ. Does anyone know if the CS4237B-KQ could be a stand-in replacement for CS4237B-JQ? They have the same dimensions, type, and pinout as far as I can tell, and the datasheet doesn't highlight any real significant difference between the two (the only difference really being more values are filled in for the technicals for the KQ as opposed to JQ). There are even large lots of the CS4237B-KQ being sold on eBay.

Anyone know enough to say for certain that CS4237B-KQ would work in place of CS4237B-JQ?

NachtRave wrote on 2022-02-04, 08:50:

Anyone know enough to say for certain that CS4237B-KQ would work in place of CS4237B-JQ?

I did use it instead of the -JQ and found no issue with it. Another (unrelated) datasheet showed Q to be the package type letter there, so I'm guessing the J/K letter might be some silicon version... but, I have to admit, I haven't done any in-depth research there.

Thanks for your help Mjay99, it is very much appreciated. =) Put in my order then for the KQ, and should have everything together to build a total of 6 of these (3 of which already accounted for, self included). I agree with LGR on his review video when he said there is some selling potential here, so I'll probably throw the other 3 up on eBay when I get a proper disk image of abandonware put together and what have you.

Really excited to see how these work out! =)

I used a KQ and it was what was listed when I forked the project for my needs back in May 2021.

When I researched sound chip variants, it seemed to have minimal difference into some frequency response. I didn't lose any sleep over it.
Here's the relevant chart from the datasheet of the chip:

NachtRave I would love to buy one from you! Happy to pay up front so you don't have to sit on the cost of parts.

@Muon - 2 things, actually.

1) I would love to contribute to your games list when I get there. If you could give me a link I could use I would help fill things in as I'm getting closer to getting this all working. I have a bunch of games I plan on installing and putting BIOS speed settings into the shortcut name for visibility.

2) Could you help me figure out the connector to solder to for the external battery? From what I can tell from the SOM304RD-VI spec sheet , it lists pin 59 of J2(B) as VBATT, but no specific pin for the VBat- pin. I assumed at first you could maybe hook it up to any GND pin, but I noticed in the Vortex86DX datasheet that R21 and P21 are the respective VBat+ and VBat- pins (but that's on the socket of the chip itself). Across from pin 59 is pin 60 which is listed as SPEAKER, and there are a few GND pins nearby (51 and 54) but nothing directly next to pin 59... Is there a specific pin for the VBat- pin or is any GND pin good enough? What pins did you wind up soldering yours up to?

@duboisea I will probably avoid putting such details into this thread when I get there as to avoid breaking any forum rules for advertising. I am eager to sell a few off though once I get them up and running. =)

NachtRave wrote on 2022-02-11, 00:19:

2) Could you help me figure out the connector to solder to for the external battery? From what I can tell from the SOM304RD-VI spec sheet , it lists pin 59 of J2(B) as VBATT, but no specific pin for the VBat- pin. I assumed at first you could maybe hook it up to any GND pin, but I noticed in the Vortex86DX datasheet that R21 and P21 are the respective VBat+ and VBat- pins (but that's on the socket of the chip itself). Across from pin 59 is pin 60 which is listed as SPEAKER, and there are a few GND pins nearby (51 and 54) but nothing directly next to pin 59... Is there a specific pin for the VBat- pin or is any GND pin good enough? What pins did you wind up soldering yours up to?

Any ground pin will do.

My video covers this briefly : https://youtu.be/2P1E2vjpcRo?t=604

Has anybody been able to run FASTDOOM (VBE) under MS-DOS with this setup?

According to SciTech Display Doctor (VBETEST.EXE), this chip supports VBE 3.0 and DUKE3D/QUAKE also seem to be running fine with VBE modes. However, when I try to run FASTDOOM (FDOOMVBR/FDOOMVBD), it crashes.

(I'm only trying to run FASTDOOM to see what DOOM looks like with higher resolutions like 640x480, etc)

Are there alternate VBE drivers for MS-DOS? (am I even asking for the right thing?) 😀

rasteri wrote on 2022-02-11, 13:40:

Any ground pin will do.

My video covers this briefly : https://youtu.be/2P1E2vjpcRo?t=604

Awesome, thank you rasteri! 😄 I feel like a goof having missed that in your video, videos of which I have watched several times now. Thank you so much for your replies!

Actually, @rasteri, are you okay with us building these and auctioning them off on eBay? Hate to see perfectly good PCBs go to waste.

(Edit: Attached vbatt pin hookup and relevant image from video rasteri linked to above)