SSD for Assassin should arrive early next week.

In the mean time, someone on fleabay is selling a bunch of Geode boards. Wonder if I should get one?

Well, what do you know, the board for Crusader has arrived. I assembled the whole thing, and it wouldn't boot.

After a bit of fiddling, it turned out the RAM was bad. With that replaced, everything went as smooth as expected.

Now there are two outstanding issues:
- I need to disable boot agent on the NIC (seems to require some software to do so, 3COM NIC Doctor or something. Trouble is, can't seem to find it).
- GUS will happily work in DOS, but I can't seem to be able to set the same IRQ/DMA settings in Windows.

Currently it is set to have ESS on 220/5/1 and GUS on 240/7/5 , but that's in DOS. But Windows just refuses to let me make any changes in the device manager (it ends up with nothing selected and stops working, even if I return to original values). Removing the device and adding it through Add New Hardware helps, but, again, assigns some random resources.

And for now I'm busy with Crusader, so "mp3 on Bard" project will have to wait a bit. Speaking of which, I do have a video of installing and using Word 95 and VB5 on it with Winamp, but I didn't record sound (I was listening to it, but that's it), so if my word wasn't enough then a video with no sound probably won't be enough now. Anyway, for purity of experiment I'd have to pull the extra RAM out and set the multiplier lower, I guess. Not to mention Bard needs a reinstall now that Photoshop 3.o installer has screwed up windows registry somehow.

Tali wrote on 2021-01-28, 09:37:

Currently it is set to have ESS on 220/5/1 and GUS on 240/7/5 , but that's in DOS. But Windows just refuses to let me make any changes in the device manager (it ends up with nothing selected and stops working, even if I return to original values). Removing the device and adding it through Add New Hardware helps, but, again, assigns some random resources.

Curious. Does the GUS work properly in Windows if you physically remove the ESS card from the system? The only other thing that comes to mind is playing around with the "PnP OS Installed" setting in the BIOS (assuming that's available) to see if that makes any difference.

The rig is looking great BTW!

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-01-28, 12:58:

Tali wrote on 2021-01-28, 09:37:

Currently it is set to have ESS on 220/5/1 and GUS on 240/7/5 , but that's in DOS. But Windows just refuses to let me make any changes in the device manager (it ends up with nothing selected and stops working, even if I return to original values). Removing the device and adding it through Add New Hardware helps, but, again, assigns some random resources.

Curious. Does the GUS work properly in Windows if you physically remove the ESS card from the system? The only other thing that comes to mind is playing around with the "PnP OS Installed" setting in the BIOS (assuming that's available) to see if that makes any difference.

The rig is looking great BTW!

I don't think you can physically remove ESS from Gus Extreme... and even if you could, I doubt I would want to mod such a rare card. In any case, the problem lies elsewhere.

And thanks, I like the rig myself. It's still missing a couple touches, like Voodoo 1... but that can wait.

Tali wrote on 2021-01-28, 13:03:

I don't think you can physically remove ESS from Gus Extreme... and even if you could, I doubt I would want to mod such a rare card. In any case, the problem lies elsewhere.

Ahh, my bad. I thought it was a separate card.

Interesting piece of hardware indeed.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-01-28, 13:16:

Tali wrote on 2021-01-28, 13:03:

I don't think you can physically remove ESS from Gus Extreme... and even if you could, I doubt I would want to mod such a rare card. In any case, the problem lies elsewhere.

Ahh, my bad. I thought it was a separate card.

Interesting piece of hardware indeed.

Found 3com EtherDisk... now I can configure NICs in most of my retro fleet. Boot agent already disabled in Crusader, that's one problem solved. Now, just to get that GUS to work in Windows... And by 'work' I don't mean just playing sounds, it does that perfectly. I mean doing that while "living" at a specific address.

Update. 3COM card has just one weakness: just like Sauron, it doesn't share power (or an IRQ, for that matter). The one in question is IRQ 10 - NIC wants it, GUS wouldn't mind it, and onboard USB definitely doesn't want to lose it either. Trouble is, GUS could use any other, like 9 or 11. But both the NIC and the USB are adamant, and, while neither can win this game of tug of war, Windows just happily assigns it to the GUS.

Even if I set it elsewhere, after a soft restart NIC will stop working. But the saviour came in the shape of RTL8139. While not the first choice as far as NICs go, this one is happy to share with the USB, so they both seem to live just fine at IRQ 10. And GUS then happily takes 9. Now, if I only could get it to also use DMA 1 instead of 3...

For now I'm pretty happy with Crusader. All it needs is a new case and a bit more fiddling with software. That can wait till February, though I think I won't delay for long.

In the mean time, about to start my most difficult project yet: repairing the Korg 01W/FD. Like I said before, the FD part is kind of poof, gone up in magic smoke. Then there's the broken key, some rattle in the keyboard, not working switches and a burnt out electroluminescent display. Got all the parts now, so the time has come.

Step 1: remove the back lid. There was also a mainboard there, but those connectors are humanely impossible to mix up, so I'm not even posting a pic with the board still in. EDIT: Oh, what the hell, maybe someone needs a pic with the board, so here goes.

Have to put it on the sofa because it's the softest surface that big I have free. Also, since this is a Korg, it has the joystick assembly protruding to the left of the keys, and I have to keep the whole thing diagonal. Anyway, here's the keyboard mechanism with all the keys removed.

Got to say, I just LOVE the way it's made. Simple, sturdy, and easy to service. Actually, no screws used, which is an added bonus, and the springs for black and white keys are the same. Cleaned up the backplate as well as could be done without scrubbing it with something abrasive, so, as long as nothing it has on it is bound to fall off, I'm happy.

Here are the keys, waiting to be disassembled and washed. Disassembled is a big word, just pull the springs out and be done with it. But yeah, since they're all out, might as well wash them. Also note the Gotek in the floppy assembly next to the soldering station (speaking of which, FINALLY!!!11111 got one - no more pain desoldering chips with a handheld pump, or whatever that thing is called. This one comes with a compressor and a desoldering pistol).

Need to put that felt in place of the old one. This thing was hot in the 90's, and now's 2021. Oh, and it's still one heck of a synth.

And here's the broken key. There's a new one in it's place already. There are two retaining elements at the bottom left. Normally... this one had one torn off. The new one is just the same colour, so it's even impossible to tell which was which. Kudos for plastic that doesn't yellow! Keys are now squeaky clean, which is the idea... except they shouldn't squeak. So a light dose of Lithium grease... perhaps a bit more than a light dose... and presto!

And here's the main body sans the keyboard. The hardest is yet to come: replacing all those switches and putting in a new EL backscreen.

But that's the story for tomorrow!

Picking it up where I left, quite literally - on the sofa, my first step was to get the shielding out. It is a piece of rather curious material, almost as if it's some laminated foil, and it is held in place by a multitude of screws, some of which also serve the purpose of holding the wires in place (via black spiraly thingies). Well, off it goes.

Underneath it hides a switchboard, the main culprit today. While it is generally nice to install newer switches in a 30 year old synth, in this case it wasn't even an option, more like a necessity: some of the most commonly used switches have failed by now, and pressing them would produce no result. Here's the switchboard removed (and to get to it one has to also remove the central rail, which also means loosening the power block and disconnecting the floppy/joystick assembly).

And what you see underneath is another item on today's agenda: the LCD screen this little board houses. Strangely, for a high end device, KORG went with a electroluminescent tape here rather than LED backlight. Whatever the case, those are not immortal, and the time has come for this one to be replaced (or, rather, a new one to be stuck on top of the factory-provided one, then soldered in its stead to the board).

Now, I'm not showing the process of dealing with either task. Suffice to say, there were issues, especially when learning the new tools, such as a vacuum desoldering pistol. But in the end all the switches were replaced with the new ones, and the backlight was also successfully installed, while freshly washed buttons were happily drying out on the towel. Well then, time to put it all back together!

Having replaced the screen and the switchboard, the next step was to place the keyboard mechanism. That was a bit of a pain, because the thing is somewhat large and heavy, and also because using the sofa as a work surface isn't ideal.

Well then, let's put the floppy (or, rather Gotek) inside, and now the mainboard. All those connectors are just awesome, they are made such that you can't mix them up, different pin count on each. Not that I didn't take pictures to be safe...

Finally, the dreaded smoke test time. And... it worked! (actually, I didn't risk it on the sofa, the first time I switched it on in the kitchen on the table, next to an AC outlet I could pull the cord out of quickly if something went wrong... but it didn't)

Nice, clean, working example of 1991's technology. Put it in a music shop today, I'm sure some people would mistake it for a much, much newer device!

P.S. while assembling the back lid, I've noticed that it took a very unhealthy bend at one of the corners, and the plastic there is also damaged. Now I don't know if it's my doing, or if it was already like that (and it bugs me to no end), but I know just how I'm going to fix it. So not much of a problem, and tomorrow's just the perfect day for it. In other words, I'm done for today. Well... maybe I should play that thing some more? Maybe...

Well, that was a good bunch of repair stories / fixer uppers. What happened to Tali and where are the rest of these never ending projects - don’t leave us hanging! 😉

Oh, I'm still here. There are a few things that got me busy with... let's call that "work", I guess. Plus, there is a project that I'm currently doing (and will for the foreseeable future) which probably falls outside the "spec" for this forum. I'm building an honest to Volt utility droid, with cameras, sensors, an arm (still to be defined what kind) and a projector on a rotatable head. Of course, the biggest fun will be to program that thing.

As for the projects mentioned here, most are in good shape. Shaman needs a new PSU (which I shall do, I have a replacement already), and Bard requires a fresh reinstall. Unfortunately, last half a year was non-stop flicker of things flying by, with not a minute to stop and reflect, let alone do something with the gear I have. Another thing I've noticed, and is a reason why I'm putting most other projects on hold, is that I'm running out of space. I was hoping to acquire a house, and I certainly would have had more space there, but for now I'm putting that off for a bit as well.

I did procure a bench PSU for my lab, and eventually will get a scope too, both could be useful (though I hope, not). Crusader seems to be working, and is left in an unfinished state (it runs, Windows is installed, GUS is playing happily both in its native mode and as an ESS, DOS or Windows). But I haven't connected all the drives, lighting isn't done, and my workbench is now busy with robot parts. Until it clears, I am reluctant to move things around, so this one also has to wait.

Latest shots "from the front line"...

For now I've tested the motors (and had to order two fresh ones, as the reducers in these rattle too much, but that's what you get with aliexpress, I guess. Maybe the other two will be fine, or, at least, with some extra parts to spare I could make 4 good ones out of 6.

Also, programmed the arduino (which will be doing low level stuff) for the sonar array (robot will have tracks, and every track is going to have it's sonar, so, for them not to interfere with each other, I had to produce staggered triggering.

At the end of the day, if I am not breaking any rules by posting about stuff that is not directly retro computers here (I doubt arduino or raspberry would qualify), I can drop a few pics as and when things progress. If this is not the most appropriate place for such content, I guess I can start another thread somewhere, if anyone is interested. But for a while this is the only kind of content I'll be producing.

Tali wrote on 2021-10-28, 17:33:

Plus, there is a project that I'm currently doing (and will for the foreseeable future) which probably falls outside the "spec" for this forum.
...
At the end of the day, if I am not breaking any rules by posting about stuff that is not directly retro computers here (I doubt arduino or raspberry would qualify), I can drop a few pics as and when things progress. If this is not the most appropriate place for such content, I guess I can start another thread somewhere, if anyone is interested. But for a while this is the only kind of content I'll be producing.

Probably not appropriate for "System Specs" which is about retro PCs and/or their build logs, but I think a build log etc. for a robot would be fine in "Milliways"...

The current state of affairs with the robot is as follows:
Tracks are assembled, and even some work is done on the covers.

Note that these still need to be cut up, it was just simpler to work on them together.

However, since this is indeed, as @Stiletto has rightly put, not the proper place for this kind of content, look for the rest here.

Did I say all these things are now on hold? I did?

Well, I'm having breakfast now, and these words will go well with porridge. I finally got my grubby paws on a Roland Jv-1010, which is a good thing all its own, but... more importantly, just snatched P4ITA! Ever since The Troll pc was posted, I wanted my own S423 P4 build, with RAMBUS. Now, finding a board that supports both is pain enough. Finding one that is also in the colour scheme I want... and, well, it finally happened. Guess, I was like them barnacles in Half Life, waiting patiently till something comes. And it has. Hurray!

Snagged a Mu100. Now my "brick" collection is complete. Or so I tell myself.

Both it and JV-1010 should arrive next month. If I get a lot of work on the droid done by then, I might have just enough space to fix Shaman (needs a PSU replacement), and then I can test the modules. If not, then they can wait a bit more (I would need a separate PSU ordered for both, after all, so in no hurry anyway).

Something has arrived at my doorstep...

And never mind the Oberheim below, I'm still restoring it (including appearance).

Tali wrote on 2022-03-09, 14:53:

Something has arrived at my doorstep...

That MU100 needs to get hooked up to a rig which can play Final Fantasy VII.

The XG soundtrack of that game is quite unique.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-03-09, 15:02:

Tali wrote on 2022-03-09, 14:53:

Something has arrived at my doorstep...

That MU100 needs to get hooked up to a rig which can play Final Fantasy VII.

The XG soundtrack of that game is quite unique.

It will... eventually... when I have the time. *sigh*

Tested then MU100. Works like a charm.

In the mean time, competition has arrived...

It also works. Then there is this little motherboard for a future build. If I ever get around to it, that is. But the goal is a lofty one: to challenge The Troll!

So, other than the RAMBUS (which in this case is not an option, rather a requirement, as the board doesn't support anything else anyway), other components are open for discussion. It has to be something that is clearly preposterous, inefficient, or in some other way illogical to have given our present day knowledge about how things went... but at the time something that is plausible for people to have actually bought as part of their "ultimate P4" rigs. And it still has to work reasonably well enough to not be something that was almost instantly known as a no-no.

In other words, the theme is "an early P4 monster that is built around suboptimal hardware that was marketed as the best money could buy, yet still good enough that the user would have likely kept believing they had a good deal".

EDIT: oh yes, the colour of this build is pink, and the name is "princess".

Replaced the batteries in the JV-1010 and the MU100. Figured it was about time to do that for Oberheim MiniGrand as well (it has been waiting for me to get to work on it for a few months), but, alas, a little late for that.

Perhaps, it can still be fixed, perhaps, not. Either way, I've removed the offending battery and installed a switchable one (along with a socket). But the damage is significant, and the thing, while powers on, refuses to do anything else. I'm still on the fence if I want to fix this one, or find one in a better condition and just keep this one as spares. The front panel here is also pretty badly worn...