TrashyMG wrote on 2024-07-26, 13:29:

Just an update, I was able to get the VGA card to agree with the PicoMEM, as it seems I was coincidentally having some hardware failure on the VGA card... After re-seating all the socketed chips on the VGA card It worked, well at least for a while it seems there may be a socket issue or some cold solder joint... but point is, not a PicoMEM memory addressing issue at all...

Hi,
Good news 😀

Rackatack wrote on 2024-07-27, 19:51:

I just saw that today after being away for a long time, that looks amazing! I will try it as soon as I can! Impressionant le t […]
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I just saw that today after being away for a long time, that looks amazing!
I will try it as soon as I can!
Impressionant le travail que tu as fait!
What would be awesome is a VGA output on it... ISA video cards are getting so expensive ... but not sure if it's possible ...

Hi,

Thanks 😀
With the Pico2, Video will probably be possible, but not really soon 😀

commander_spuds wrote on 2024-08-10, 19:40:

commander_spuds wrote on 2024-08-06, 21:20:

Gave this a go. The Pocket8086 accepted an Intel 8088 no problem, but no luck with the PicoMEM. Same deal.

I didn't mention as well, I need to supply USB power to even get it to this point. Nothing happens without it. No green light on the pico either.

Hi,
On the Book8088, Plug the power cord is mandatory (at the max frequency)
I/O is not really supposed to fail, maybe there is a conflict with a port in the Book8086.

Can you try to do "i 2A3" in debug with the PicoMEM not plugged ?

I may also purchase a Book8086 later...

NightShadowPT wrote on 2024-08-13, 00:56:

This project is great! […]
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This project is great!

This will be a dream on my Olivetti PC1, as it only has 1 ISA slot.

I read on the GitHub there's a Low Profile version coming? (given my ISA slot is external, this would be even better).

Any news on that?

Anyway, THANKS FreddyV for your work on this amazing piece of hardware.

Hi,

I will receive low profile boards probably next week.

Hi all!

I was fortunate enough to buy a lovely IBM PC Model 5150 at the VCFWest show a couple weekends back. I've also just received the awesome PicoMEM board, purchased from the great folks over at TexElec. The PicoMEM is running the latest version of the "monochrome" firmware.

I've got the PicoMEM working great as a (simulated) hard drive - it's so cool! However, I'm stuck trying to get it to connect to my home WiFi network. I've got the wifi.txt file created and in the PicoMEM setup menu it shows that it's connected to my WiFi network (I can also see it in my router's management app), so at least that's good. I've also relocated one of my WiFi mesh points (I have an eero network) to sit literally 3 inches from the PicoMEM card, and the PicoMEM bootscreen confirms that it's getting a signal in the -50db range, which should be strong enough to work.

However, when I load either the pm2000 or NE2000 drivers, I get notified that "My Ethernet address is 0F:0F:0F:0F:0F:0F" - nothing I do seems to resolve this. When I try to run the DHCP tool included with the mTCP package (after correctly setting the config file), it tries to get a DHCP lease three times and then gives up.

I've played around with changing the port and IRQ settings, but I never get any different results. I've also tried assigning a static IP to the Raspberry Pi Pico and proceeding that way, but same result - nothing I do gets anywhere.

Any tips on what I'm doing wrong here?

wowbobwow wrote on 2024-08-14, 23:47:

Hi all! […]
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Hi all!

I was fortunate enough to buy a lovely IBM PC Model 5150 at the VCFWest show a couple weekends back. I've also just received the awesome PicoMEM board, purchased from the great folks over at TexElec. The PicoMEM is running the latest version of the "monochrome" firmware.

I've got the PicoMEM working great as a (simulated) hard drive - it's so cool! However, I'm stuck trying to get it to connect to my home WiFi network. I've got the wifi.txt file created and in the PicoMEM setup menu it shows that it's connected to my WiFi network (I can also see it in my router's management app), so at least that's good. I've also relocated one of my WiFi mesh points (I have an eero network) to sit literally 3 inches from the PicoMEM card, and the PicoMEM bootscreen confirms that it's getting a signal in the -50db range, which should be strong enough to work.

However, when I load either the pm2000 or NE2000 drivers, I get notified that "My Ethernet address is 0F:0F:0F:0F:0F:0F" - nothing I do seems to resolve this. When I try to run the DHCP tool included with the mTCP package (after correctly setting the config file), it tries to get a DHCP lease three times and then gives up.

I've played around with changing the port and IRQ settings, but I never get any different results. I've also tried assigning a static IP to the Raspberry Pi Pico and proceeding that way, but same result - nothing I do gets anywhere.

Any tips on what I'm doing wrong here?

EDIT / UPDATE: I fixed it! I manually set the PicoMEM's NE2000 port to 380 (I'd already tried 300, 320, etc.) and now it's working beautifully. I'm probably dumb and didn't realize that it might be conflicting with the QuadRAM QuadBoard that came in this system - does that sound right? Either way, I'll leave this post for posterity - I hope it helps someone else!

Hi, I just received my new PicoMEM, love the project and I am hoping to put it into a heavy use soon!

I am looking at the 3D-printed bracket, I might want to model my own version (with a hole to install a 3,5mm jack for the audio option). While looking at the included bracket (and the STL file), I noticed that the board sits in an angle (the two mount posts are at different heights, but also at an angle). This seems deliberate, what's the idea behind this design?

lausvi wrote on 2024-08-15, 20:10:

I am looking at the 3D-printed bracket, I might want to model my own version (with a hole to install a 3,5mm jack for the audio option). While looking at the included bracket (and the STL file), I noticed that the board sits in an angle (the two mount posts are at different heights, but also at an angle). This seems deliberate, what's the idea behind this design?

I'm not the author of that bracket so I don't know. But I made a separate bracket as I had the space and not a 3.5mm extension cable. Maybe it can be of use. You can find it here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/454339?from= … rofileId-361872

wowbobwow wrote on 2024-08-15, 00:29:

EDIT / UPDATE: I fixed it! I manually set the PicoMEM's NE2000 port to 380 (I'd already tried 300, 320, etc.) and now it's working beautifully. I'm probably dumb and didn't realize that it might be conflicting with the QuadRAM QuadBoard that came in this system - does that sound right? Either way, I'll leave this post for posterity - I hope it helps someone else!

Hi,
Yes, I wrote in the FAQ that if you get a MAC with 4 times the same value, it is a Port conflict problem 😀

Hope you like the PicoMEM 😀 Do you have the DAC on it ?

lausvi wrote on 2024-08-15, 20:10:

Hi, I just received my new PicoMEM, love the project and I am hoping to put it into a heavy use soon!

I am looking at the 3D-printed bracket, I might want to model my own version (with a hole to install a 3,5mm jack for the audio option). While looking at the included bracket (and the STL file), I noticed that the board sits in an angle (the two mount posts are at different heights, but also at an angle). This seems deliberate, what's the idea behind this design?

Hi,

Yes, it is deliberate to have all the connectors not to close to the edge.
If we don't do that, we can't insert the uSD and USB cable.

FreddyV wrote on 2024-08-16, 06:20:

Yes, it is deliberate to have all the connectors not to close to the edge.
If we don't do that, we can't insert the uSD and USB cable.

I meant the red line in the attached pictures: the board is not parallel to the bracket:

This is how I plan to install the audio output jack:

I don't have this card or bracket, but I'm guessing it might be the overlapping parts of the case's slot that would be getting in the way of the connectors, if they're not bent away like that.

lausvi wrote on 2024-08-16, 14:36:

I meant the red line in the attached pictures: the board is not parallel to the bracket: […]
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FreddyV wrote on 2024-08-16, 06:20:

Yes, it is deliberate to have all the connectors not to close to the edge.
If we don't do that, we can't insert the uSD and USB cable.

I meant the red line in the attached pictures: the board is not parallel to the bracket:

This is how I plan to install the audio output jack:

OMG.
I had a look at mine with the same 3d printed bracket, and yep. it's supposed to be that way, sadly enough. It seems there is no other way to get enough clearance for the connectors & µSD card slot when installed in a the pc case.

lausvi wrote on 2024-08-16, 14:36:

I meant the red line in the attached pictures: the board is not parallel to the bracket: […]
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I meant the red line in the attached pictures: the board is not parallel to the bracket:

This is how I plan to install the audio output jack:

Yes, this is it, it is on purpose.
The uSD and USB connectors are too close from the PCB.
These kind of connectors did not exist at the ISA time

I know the products serve different niches, but PicoGus comes with a metal bracket and has a USB type A port, which I find attractive.

FreddyV wrote on 2024-08-13, 22:05:

Hi,
On the Book8088, Plug the power cord is mandatory (at the max frequency)
I/O is not really supposed to fail, maybe there is a conflict with a port in the Book8086.

Can you try to do "i 2A3" in debug with the PicoMEM not plugged ?

I may also purchase a Book8086 later...
[/quote]

All my testing has been at 4.77MHz

1C:\>debug
2-i 2A3
3FF
4-

(Also I assumed by that you mean not plugged into ISA. That was without the card attached to the Pocket8086 at all)

douglar wrote on 2024-08-18, 17:51:

I know the products serve different niches, but PicoGus comes with a metal bracket and has a USB type A port, which I find attractive.

Wait for PicoMEM 2.0 😀
Or not, PicuGUS is great as well.

Metal bracket is complex to do as the PicoMEM can't be put as 90 deg otherwise we can't use the connectors.

commander_spuds wrote on 2024-08-19, 08:52:

Hi, On the Book8088, Plug the power cord is mandatory (at the max frequency) I/O is not really supposed to fail, maybe there is […]
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FreddyV wrote on 2024-08-13, 22:05:

Hi,
On the Book8088, Plug the power cord is mandatory (at the max frequency)
I/O is not really supposed to fail, maybe there is a conflict with a port in the Book8086.

Can you try to do "i 2A3" in debug with the PicoMEM not plugged ?

I may also purchase a Book8086 later...

All my testing has been at 4.77MHz

1C:\>debug
2-i 2A3
3FF
4-

[/quote]

Ok, so port does not work as well, Weired.
Maybe try if the PicoMEM is Ok on another PC.

FreddyV wrote on 2024-08-20, 13:40:

Ok, so port does not work as well, Weired.
Maybe try if the PicoMEM is Ok on another PC.

I tried it in my Pocket386, and it doesn't do anything differently at all during boot. No PicoMEM prompt for configuration or anything.