Tag Archives: hardware

Computer

New Roms (eeprom)

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Got some new roms in.
These are for my 8088/8086 the 6502 computer and C64 cartridges.

While I seldom had any problem writing to these, now I could not write one!
Erasing didn´t give me an error?!?

henri@zspot:~/projects/wozmon8088/mon8086$ minipro -w mon8086.rom -p AT28C64
Found TL866II+ 04.2.129 (0x281)
Warning: Firmware is newer than expected.
  Expected  04.2.128 (0x280)
  Found     04.2.129 (0x281)
Erasing... 0.02Sec OK
Writing Code...  9.57Sec  OK
Reading Code...  0.12Sec  OK
Verification failed at address 0x0001: File=0xAA, Device=0xFF

Whenever you get this, check the markings of the chip!

Mine are AT28C64b !!!!!!!!!!!

Change your command accordingly.
Another thing to watchout for is write protect, look at the commands

minipro -l | grep 28C64 
Found TL866II+ 04.2.129 (0x281)
Warning: Firmware is newer than expected.
  Expected  04.2.128 (0x280)
  Found     04.2.129 (0x281)
AM28C64A@DIP28
AM28C64A@PLCC32
AM28C64A@SOIC28
AM28C64AE@DIP28
AM28C64AE@PLCC32
AM28C64AE@SOIC28
AM28C64B@DIP28
AM28C64B@PLCC32
AM28C64B@SOIC28
AM28C64BE@DIP28
AM28C64BE@PLCC32
AM28C64BE@SOIC28
AT28C64
AT28C64@PLCC32
AT28C64@SOIC28
AT28C64B
AT28C64B@PLCC32
AT28C64B@SOIC28
AT28C64E
AT28C64E@PLCC32
AT28C64E@SOIC28
AT28C64F
AT28C64F@PLCC32
AT28C64F@SOIC28
CAT28C64A
CAT28C64A@PLCC32
CAT28C64A@SOIC28
CAT28C64B
CAT28C64B@PLCC32
CAT28C64B@SOIC28
XLE28C64A
XLE28C64A@PLCC32
XLE28C64B
XLE28C64B@PLCC32
XLE28C64B@SOIC28
XLS28C64A
XLS28C64A@PLCC32
XLS28C64B
XLS28C64B@PLCC32
XLS28C64B@SOIC28
28C64A
28C64A@PLCC32
28C64A@SOIC28
28C64AF
28C64AF@PLCC32
28C64AF@SOIC28
28C64B
28C64B@PLCC32
28C64B@SOIC28
UPD28C64
UPD28C64@SOIC28
KM28C64A
KM28C64A@PLCC32
M28C64
M28C64@PLCC32
M28C64@SOIC28
M28C64A
M28C64A@PLCC32
M28C64A@SOIC28
M28C64-xxW
M28C64-xxW@PLCC32
M28C64-xxW@SOIC28
M28C64
M28C64@PLCC32
M28C64@SOIC28
M28C64A
M28C64A@PLCC32
M28C64A@SOIC28
M28C64-xxW
M28C64-xxW@PLCC32
M28C64-xxW@SOIC28
X28C64
Computer

Laser XT/3 Bios

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As posted before

XT-CF-Mini Bootable 8-bit ISA CF Card Interface – XT-IDE

I really like GlaBios for my 8088, so today I got my Laser XT/3 8086 machine from the attic.

Mmm TWO ROM’s thats interesting

Looking futher in the schematics I found this. Apparantly there is a 8K ROM configured in a D0-D7 + D8-D15 setup. (16 bits)

Found a technical manual, this is a excerpt.

In Turbo XT, there are two 28-pin sockets for ROM, one of them is
occupied by a 2764 which stored the BIOS (Basic Input Output System).
The other empty socket is used to house a 32K ROM, such as the BASIC
ROM

And about the XT/3 version which I have.

In Turbo XT /2 and Turbo XT /3, there are two 28-pin sockets for ROM,
both of them are occupied by 2764 which stored the BIOS. The contents
of the two 2764 are identical. One of them contribute the ODD Byte to the system and the other EVEN Byte. Together they support 16 Bit BIOS
access.

This could be an interesting chat with Greg ..

Meanwhile i’m going to look how to split a rom into odd/even.
Maybe i have to write a little python program for this.

Well, thats enough for today.

Lets fix my Cat S60 Flir phone, so i can track the hedgehog in our garden. (Battery replacement and powerbutton fix)

Hard to remove backcover and a sh*tload of screws
At least the battery replacement was a breeze

I fixed several phones before, (broken screen. touch not working). But I hate how some manufacturers build them.

Computer

XT-CF-Mini Bootable 8-bit ISA CF Card Interface – XT-IDE

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Today I got this card (I bought it on Ebay)

It’s fitted with a 64Mb card. Note: the XT at my parents place had a 20Mb harddisk!

It can boot / emulate a harddisk with MsDos installed.

Replace an old or dead hard drive in a vintage PC with a hassle-free, reliable CompactFlash card!
Plug-in and go! (well, as much as you can expect with these old machines)

Brand new!
Built and tested.

Open Source!

This bootable expansion card provides a Compact Flash card interface to 8-bit ISA systems such as PC/XT. Typically paired with a 64MB or 1GB CF card. Silent, and more reliable than an old mechanical hard drive.

By default the XT-IDE BIOS comes configured for:
XT(and higher)-compatible BIOS.
Use the XT-CF-Mini’s IDE interface at 300h, no IRQ.
Boot first hard drive unless user presses A for floppy.
Any of the above can be changed with the simple DOS utility and built-in switches.

Switches and jumpers control:
I/O port for the 8-bit IDE (CF) interface
I/O port for the Option ROM
Option ROM Enable
Option ROM Write-protect

Note: Not all CF cards will work. Most work, but some don’t adhere to the CF standard fully, and won’t work. The full size XT-IDE card with an IDE>CF adapter, is compatible with more CF cards.

https://github.com/Bluelavasystems/XT-IDE-CF-MINI
XT-CF-Mini Pcb designed by Monotech Pc’s and released opensource GNU General Public License v3.0

It is from Blue Lava Systems, who took the schematics from Sergey Kiselev, who took the design from James Pearce.

The harddisk extension is XT-IDE Universal BIOS.
And can be flashed.

Schematic below

pcmciacard-isa

ROM address D0000, and IO port 300h does not need a IRQ

After installing this on my 8088/v20 motherboard I tested this with GlaBIOS, but it gave me one beep, and after that it woukd reset the machine.

Testing with the original Phoenix Bios and PCXtBios worked for me.

UPDATE: Bad contacts and a eeprom I didn’t trust.
Greg gave me version 0.2.5 of Glabios, which I burned to a new eeprom. And I cleaned some contacts.
(Checksum rom changed with every reset)

The Card and my extension bios both run with all bios-ses

Boot
Ms-Dos
Writing assembly
Computer

Amstrad/Sinclair PC200 dualscreen

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While doing some wood work, routing and painting. I managed to have some time to experiment with my PC200.

The Amstrad PC20 / Sinclair PC200 was a home computer created by Amstrad in late 1988. The machine was available in two versions, Sinclair PC200 and Amstrad PC20. (US/UK?)

In addition to MS-DOS 3.3 and PPC Organiser (a memory-resident suite of utilities), the PC20/PC200 was supplied with GEM. (I do not have those disks)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEM_(desktop_environment)

The limited CGA graphical capabilities and PC speaker sound output were greatly inferior compared to other home computers of the time.
I has a modulator to connect a TV and could do hercules graphics on a sub-9 interface.

I got this computer a long time ago. (I still have to post pictures of my collection and getting them out of storage)

Info about this machine:

Build in 1988, Intel 8086 @ 8Mhz 512KB memory 3.5″ Floppy drive
TV Modulator Pal 640×200 CGA and Hercules

PC200

It still had a floppy in its drive, NIMMO Disk Juli 1992

Apparently this machine was used with a modem to do some interviewing for the University Amsterdam using Telepanel/Interview!

The ROM has several language options which you could set with dipswitches.

Debug part of ROM

Besides the machine having a “amiga” like case, it has two ISA slots behind a little trapdoor! How cool is that!

Dirty view of the ISA slots (One containing a RTC card)

Enabling only CGA on the machine and plugging in a Hercules card, you can do Multiscreen!
CGA and MDA addresses don’t conflict!
And if the ROM supports it .. dual screens baby!

Left Hercules and Right CGA

I used a debug command to fill the right screen

f b800:0 1000 ‘f a s h’

Cool little machine

Running old masm/precompiled machine code crashes. I’ll have to look into that.


Computer

Starfield in a bootloader (No OS)

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Here is the starfield running from a bootblock loader (No MSDOS)

I threw my back out last week, so I could not move the old 8086 to a better place. I wanted to prepare this machine to boot from floppy disk.

The starfield above boots into VGA mode 13h (320×200 256 colors)

This one also has a Sound Blaster, so I can test music in a boot sector also!

My 8088 (v40) board has VGA also now.
I’m waiting for my ISA-PCMCIA card as replacement for a harddisk/floppy

Computer

Another logic probe

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I’ve build a logic probe a while ago. (Mentioned here)

Wire wrap

Today I got the EIStar LP-1. Its just a cheap easy probe, but does the job.
My version is only TTL and this one is TTL/CMOS (cmos is better when measuring arduino’s outputs)
TTL – Logic 1 = 4.75 -> 5V
CMOS – Logic 1 = more around the 3.3/3.7V

Only thing my version has which i’m missing is a pulse detector.
One millisecond puls gets clocked into a latch and keeps a led on.

Schematic I found (some similarities can be seen with my version)

From freeshell website

Computer

ISA prototyping board – IO chips

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Followup on

UPDATE 20230702 20230703 20230714

ISA Prototyping print

While working on a Lidar project, my mouser components came in.

Now I have to find a IO address decoder schematic I made a while ago.

This ISA board is going to have a Wirewrapped setup. There is a 8255 IO chip, and uses 3x 74138 for IO address decoding, OR i will use a setup i’ve made for my 6502 using an atf22v10.

What to controll using this 8255? First some Leds, later a LCD display.

Below the 3 mentioned IC’s

The 8255 is a chip like the 6522 used in my DIY 6502 elsewhere on my site.

Overview of comparable IO chips. ( Not interchangeable due to bus timing!)
Most of them have 8 data lines and 2x 8 IO bi-directional lines.

CHIPNOTES
65226502 based machines
82558088/8068 based machines
Z84C2008Z80 (called PIO)
81558085 / 8088
852068000 amiga
68216800

6821 example

UPDATE 20230702

Started wirewrapping, luckily i’ve got a big choice of colors. That makes finding the right signals a breeze.

UPDATE 20230703

Found my schematic

Above uses 3 74138 decoders, address can be “programmed” using jumpers (not used on my prototype board) . Address 0400h in above example.

A15 – 0
A14,13,12 – decodes to OUT-0
A11 – 0
A10,9,8 – decodes to OUT-4
A7 – 0
A6,5,4 – decodes to OUT-0
A3 and A2 are not used (see note)
A1 and A0 are register select on the 8255

Address 0000,0100,0000,xxrr
xx can be a 0 or 1
the 8255 can be controlled using
0400h 0401h 0402h
but also
0404h 0405h 0406h
0408h 0409h ….
040Ch ……

UPDATE 20230714 – Alternative address decode test with ATF22V10

UPDATE 20230803

UPDATE

Miswired second 74138.
Tested with below code

mov dx,503h # control register
mov al,80h # output port a,b,c as standard IO/output
out dx,al # 16 bit IO mapped IO out
mov dx,500h # data register
mov al,0  # 0/ff all on/all off
out dx,al
Computer

Micro cassettes with computer programs.

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I’ve got some micro cassettes with programs for P2000 and the Microtrainer (SDK-85).

Lets try to get this into executable code again.

(I sold my Philips P2000 last year before I found these tapes)

I bought a Cassette player (voice memo recorder) from Marktplaats (dutch ebay), and a mini jack cable (2.5mm to 3.5mm)

There are two things i’m going to try.

Converting the recorded audio into executable code using python or Puredata.
And making a print to connect the tape player to the SDK-85.

Connecting the player to a soundcard gave me:
Signed 16bit 44.1 kHz

(there are simular projects like this for C64 tapes and alike)
So there will be FFT tricks involved.

While browsing though this book:

I found this schematic: (page A1-39)

So that’s next to build

Computer

ISA Prototyping print

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Got a delivery today …
Woot .. let the 8088/v20 hardware hacking commence!

https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/PC_XT_ISA_8_bit_retro_Protoboard.html

First to do: LEDs, everybody loves blinking leds.
Next: Probably a address decoder with a VIA/CIA and a LCD Display.

Now I have to wait for my mouser order to be delivered.

Computer

Machine code Monitor in ROM on real BBC Acorn Hardware

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My BBC Acorn model B is working again. The original monitor is still dead.

Time to play with some machine code and ROMs.

My machine has a NFS rom installed. (NetFS)

Econet was Acorn Computers’s low-cost local area network system, intended for use by schools and small businesses. It was widely used in those areas, and was supported by a large number of different computer and server systems produced both by Acorn and by other companies.

I found a ROM online called Gremlin. It is a 16K rom file. But at the moment I only got some 28C64 (8k) or 28C256 (32k) eeproms.

32k it is. But de beeb having address line A14 floating high, I need to flash the upper 16k of the 32k ROM.

So I made the 16K rom into a 32K using cat 

cp Gremlin\ v1.21\ \(1983\)\(Computer\ Concepts\).rom 16k.rom
cat Gremlin\ v1.21\ \(1983\)\(Computer\ Concepts\).rom >> 16k.rom

minipro -w 16k.rom -p AT28C256

I got the rom from this page:
https://acorn.huininga.nl/pub/unsorted/roms/Gremlin%20v1.21%20(1983)(Computer%20Concepts).rom

Below booting straight into the monitor program.

Manual:

CC_Gremlin_ROMDownload