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Inswell XT TURBO bios

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First post, by MaLLy_R

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Hello There!
I'm new around here and i need your help.
I was working on revival of an old XT PC, while i was gone my co worker inserted Bios chip (2764) and fried it.
Now i need your help to find .bin file for it. The are no clues what motherboard it is (no model number no manufacture, nothing).
Please help.

Photo of the motherboard:
http://mally.tim.com.pl/XT2.jpg
http://mally.tim.com.pl/XT1.jpg

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 1 of 12, by Doornkaat

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Welcome to the forum!
I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this.

I think member HanJammer used to also own this computer. Maybe he still has it and can provide the original BIOS? I'll quote one of his posts so he'll get notified about this thread.

HanJammer wrote on 2022-11-28, 23:04:

(Sorry if I got something mixed up here, @HanJammer.😅)

Reply 2 of 12, by HanJammer

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Doornkaat wrote on 2022-11-30, 15:08:
Welcome to the forum! I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this. […]
Show full quote

Welcome to the forum!
I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this.

I think member HanJammer used to also own this computer. Maybe he still has it and can provide the original BIOS? I'll quote one of his posts so he'll get notified about this thread.

HanJammer wrote on 2022-11-28, 23:04:

(Sorry if I got something mixed up here, @HanJammer.😅)

You have a good memory. Yeah, I do own it (attached is the dump from this exact machine). It's just a basic Phoenix BIOS, like you said. Any will do. However I would go with Super PC Turbo XT BIOS (https://www.phatcode.net/downloads.php?id=101 https://github.com/virtualxt/pcxtbios ) as it's semi-modern and simply much better.

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Reply 3 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-01, 10:38:
Doornkaat wrote on 2022-11-30, 15:08:
Welcome to the forum! I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this. […]
Show full quote

Welcome to the forum!
I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this.

I think member HanJammer used to also own this computer. Maybe he still has it and can provide the original BIOS? I'll quote one of his posts so he'll get notified about this thread.

HanJammer wrote on 2022-11-28, 23:04:

(Sorry if I got something mixed up here, @HanJammer.😅)

You have a good memory. Yeah, I do own it (attached is the dump from this exact machine). It's just a basic Phoenix BIOS, like you said. Any will do. However I would go with Super PC Turbo XT BIOS (https://www.phatcode.net/downloads.php?id=101 https://github.com/virtualxt/pcxtbios ) as it's semi-modern and simply much better.

Thank You for Your kind help.
I will flash it as soon as chips will arrive.
According to links you provided, i can flash other rom. But instructions are bit fuzzy to me. It generates some files.
I got two sockets one for 2764 (for bios) and unpopulated 27256. What an where should i flash?

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 4 of 12, by HanJammer

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MaLLy_R wrote on 2022-12-02, 08:59:
Thank You for Your kind help. I will flash it as soon as chips will arrive. According to links you provided, i can flash other […]
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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-01, 10:38:
Doornkaat wrote on 2022-11-30, 15:08:
Welcome to the forum! I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this. […]
Show full quote

Welcome to the forum!
I'd try my luck with a random Phoenix BIOS from a generic XT clone like this.

I think member HanJammer used to also own this computer. Maybe he still has it and can provide the original BIOS? I'll quote one of his posts so he'll get notified about this thread.

(Sorry if I got something mixed up here, @HanJammer.😅)

You have a good memory. Yeah, I do own it (attached is the dump from this exact machine). It's just a basic Phoenix BIOS, like you said. Any will do. However I would go with Super PC Turbo XT BIOS (https://www.phatcode.net/downloads.php?id=101 https://github.com/virtualxt/pcxtbios ) as it's semi-modern and simply much better.

Thank You for Your kind help.
I will flash it as soon as chips will arrive.
According to links you provided, i can flash other rom. But instructions are bit fuzzy to me. It generates some files.
I got two sockets one for 2764 (for bios) and unpopulated 27256. What an where should i flash?

If I remember correctly you just have to run make_win.bat and it will compile the rom files in the eprom directory. I'm pretty sure procedure is explained in the attached readme file.

Second socket on the motherboard can likely be populated with the BASIC rom (you would have to concatenate the original IBM rom file in the correct order as the original BASIC came on four 2764 roms). I don't really find it that useful when you can simply boot the machine from the FDD or HDD and run QBASIC which is better anyway...

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Reply 5 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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You wrote:

HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-02, 09:53:

Second socket on the motherboard can likely be populated with the BASIC rom (you would have to concatenate the original IBM rom file in the correct order as the original BASIC came on four 2764 roms).

I read: "With this ROM You can turn this PC into one overgrown ATARI 800XL." 😀
Sooooooo...
How do I do that? Where can I find .bin file? 😀

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 6 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-01, 10:38:

You have a good memory. Yeah, I do own it (attached is the dump from this exact machine). It's just a basic Phoenix BIOS, like you said. Any will do. However I would go with Super PC Turbo XT BIOS (https://www.phatcode.net/downloads.php?id=101 https://github.com/virtualxt/pcxtbios ) as it's semi-modern and simply much better.

It woks!
I burned original bin and Inswell is alive.

Thank you very much. (Wielkie dzięki !)

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 7 of 12, by HanJammer

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MaLLy_R wrote on 2022-12-05, 09:54:
You wrote: […]
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You wrote:

HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-02, 09:53:

Second socket on the motherboard can likely be populated with the BASIC rom (you would have to concatenate the original IBM rom file in the correct order as the original BASIC came on four 2764 roms).

I read: "With this ROM You can turn this PC into one overgrown ATARI 800XL." 😀
Sooooooo...
How do I do that? Where can I find .bin file? 😀

ROM BASIC on XT clones
https://sourceforge.net/projects/opensoc86/fi … tbios25/IMAGES/

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Reply 9 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-06, 15:45:

I have another question. Did you ever put 8087-1 in that computer? I tried twice. Always same result: Black screen and not booting. I don't know if mine 8087's are defective or fake. Or my motherboard is bad.

Please help.

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 10 of 12, by HanJammer

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MaLLy_R wrote on 2022-12-30, 09:43:

I have another question. Did you ever put 8087-1 in that computer? I tried twice. Always same result: Black screen and not booting. I don't know if mine 8087's are defective or fake. Or my motherboard is bad.

Please help.

Have you set the dipswitch correctly to enable the use of the FPU?
I never had any problems with them in any XT motherboard.

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Reply 11 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-30, 14:00:

Have you set the dipswitch correctly to enable the use of the FPU?
I never had any problems with them in any XT motherboard.

Yes I did. But PC don't start no matter what position dipswitch has. I bought two 8087-1 on Aliexpress from two different vendors. I saw videos on YouTube that they worked for somebody else but I had no luck.

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)

Reply 12 of 12, by MaLLy_R

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HanJammer wrote on 2022-12-30, 14:00:

I never had any problems with them in any XT motherboard.

You are right. I bought third one. This time from seller in Poland, this one works.
Its no use to buy chips on ali...
Many thanks for your kind help.

MIDI. I like MIDI... A lot! (Also stuck in 8bit PC era)