• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

hard disc, and memory for 5155

B

bettablue

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
1,647
Location
Eugene, OR
I am the proud new owner of an IBM 5155 luggable, with d y'all floppies. With that in mind, I also want to upgrade the memory to the computers maximum of 576 Kb. So what drive will be the best for adding it to the computer? Is there also a short card for upgrading the memory.

As always, thanks in advance.

Thomas
 
Hey Thomas! That's Awesome!!!

The 5155 actually has an XT motherboard in it (64-256KB one, same as a 5160) so you could go to 640KB on the board - have a look here (thanks modem7!) for instructions.

Bobby.
 
An AST 6 Pack Plus or similar is always a nice upgrade... real time clock, ram, and some extra ports.

-J
 
compu_85 said:
An AST 6 Pack Plus or similar is always a nice upgrade... real time clock, ram, and some extra ports.
Click to expand...
I agree.

A photo of the inside of my IBM 5155 is at [here].

The AST SixPakPlus (or equivalent) is well suited card. Mine provides 384K of conventional memory starting at address 256K, taking total conventional memory to 640K. And it adds a real-time clock, a serial port, a parallel port (via external cable and connector), and a game port (via external cable and connector).

As for hard drive functionality (controller + drive), these days, I would instead use a CF based solution; so, XT-IDE card + CF-to-IDE adapter + CF (one example of many shown [here]).
 
And with a multi-function card like that, you can remove the existing serial and parallel (if present) cards, freeing up slots for other stuff.

Do note that you can put 640k on the motherboard, though, with some mods.

The other way to go is things like the AST SixPakPremium, if you want to have some backfilling EEMS/EMS 4.0 RAM. That's what I've got in my 5155, and it means I can map RAM wherever I want, and have UMBs to load things high. Harder to find things like that, though.

As far as mass storage, I concur that CompactFlash is a better solution. I've got a ST-277R and a WD1002-27X controller in mine, but ultimately, CF is more practical, cheaper, lower power consumption, and much quieter. And, you keep the second floppy drive.
 
lyonadmiral said:
Would a 2nd rev XT motherboard, the one that has 640k, fit in a 5155?
Click to expand...

IBM PC 5155 discontinued in Apr 1986.
BIOS was just Rev.1 of IBM PC 5160 (11/08/1982).

It is not possible to upgrade RAM to 640KB without modification.
(I have modified motherboard of IBM PC 5155 with 640KB RAM.)
 
FWIW, the entire MOD required for this consists of:

1) Soldering a small jumper between two pads of a jumper block.

2) Inserting a chip into a socket which already exists on the board.

Doesn't get too much easier. :)
 
There should be plenty of XT-IDE rev 3 boards available, if you decide you want one of those for hard disk functionality.
 
I own a 5155 myself. It is very run down and after standing around it does not work anymore. Reading many articles on minuszerodegree mada me believe to revive it, but after examining the board, I noticed many yellow wires. Is that normal?
 
Either PCB errata or bad tracks repaired with jumpers I guess. Can you post a picture?
 
Thanks for the replys. But I'm afraid I need some clarification. I have one XTIDE card currently is installed in another one of my other 5155. If I were to add my current XTIDE into my 5155 luggable, is there any pre-configuring I will need to perform?

Again, thanks in advance.

bettablue AKA Thomas
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top