VOGONS


First post, by davide.guida@gmail.c

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Hi,
I've an Amstrad 2086PC XT with 8086 CPU, it is possible to use a Sound Blaster AWE64 VALUE card, even if I use the 8 bit section only?

Thanks in advance

Reply 2 of 7, by matze79

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Load Unisound on it and try it 😉

https://www.retrokits.de - blog, retro projects, hdd clicker, diy soundcards etc
https://www.retroianer.de - german retro computer board

Reply 3 of 7, by Cyberdyne

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Yes doable, but it will only run as a Generic Sound Blaster 8bit, so no 16bit and no EMU8000 AWE portion, so it is pretty useless. And you ma not even hear Adlib portion, because it is routed thru EMU8000 and with newer AWE32 and AWE64 cards it had to be initialised, or there is silence.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.

Reply 4 of 7, by davide.guida@gmail.c

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Cyberdyne wrote on 2021-05-04, 09:56:

Yes doable, but it will only run as a Generic Sound Blaster 8bit, so no 16bit and no EMU8000 AWE portion, so it is pretty useless. And you ma not even hear Adlib portion, because it is routed thru EMU8000 and with newer AWE32 and AWE64 cards it had to be initialised, or there is silence.

Thanks, I will just be sure I will not fry my PC XT.
Regards

Reply 6 of 7, by Cyberdyne

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NB! No 16BIT ISA card will damage your 8BIT XT slot, the 8BIT portions pinout is the same, all is the same. Even that elusive Slot 8 is mostly electrically the same, only few things that will not damage the system if you stick something else in there.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.

Reply 7 of 7, by davide.guida@gmail.c

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matze79 wrote on 2021-05-04, 08:20:

Load Unisound on it and try it 😉

Unisound reports the correct model, but it works (Modmaster XT) just as a Sound Blaster 16 without Adlib card, even if the OPL chip and the EMU8K emulation system are detected.