Recent content by n0p

True, Book8088 managed to get my nostalgic part :)

I don't know how true my test setup is, but works here. 8088 clone chip Paradise EGA 2a Windows 3.0 -- If you're trying to set Windows up, not to replace CGA/EGA driver on already installed one, you might get lock up, as it will try to use original unpacked driver. -- Edit: I've made and...

I somehow almost skipped 386/486 era, after conscription service i got me a Pentium 90, so it was rather big jump :) Here's the screen with device specs (something about $240) Not an ad, and i'm personally not getting one, just to show what you can get for similar money in portable form:

It uses base of Hand386, M6117 SoC, but unknown submodel so far. There's a breakout named "Parallel port" (but not "COM"?) which might be interesting, as M6117 variant used in Hand386 has no integrated COM/LPT ports. Main problem with Hand386 - power supply not enough, it was discharging fast...

I have a new story to tell :) I've got an ET826 multimeter, it has frequency measurement feature, that i used to test power line quality from main, genset, etc. Quite useful tbh. Sure, i got thin probe set for it. So i decided to put FAFO method to some use as i had some spare time. Since i...

I wouldn't say so. V1 is easier to mod at least - for example you can connect RGB2HDMI to it with ease.

So i found one CH375B chip locally aaaand (internal speaker removed right now): How it looks ATM (prototyping now):

I wish i fully understand that myself :) The problem is that V2 doesn't have TTL CGA outputs on it's board and i want to have them. But i'm unsure how they can be found and if they exist at all. Here's Book V1 CGA "B" chip pinout: We see here needed pins, and they are already broken out on the...

I have a request for community. Can someone with Book V2 and CGA card + some knowledge and oscilloscope try to find TTL R,G,B,I pins on B2 chip, if those are present (i'm not sure). Yes, i've seen V1 (B1) and standalone CGA card (B3) schematics, but pins config looks different for B2. The only...

IIRC i finished at least first level on my Poisk-1 back then :)

I'm still reading about that, so far it's not clear to me if that would work on system start at all and/or will keep CPU in disconnected state. Having a hardware-like switch is just much simpler to my understanding.

As for FDC support - all work is done by Sergey, my BIOS release is just a fork of his 10 years work with some added features :) I actually removed real FDC support in first releases, but put back when i managed to implement BIOS settings support for Book. Great it works, thanks for reporting...

The only "real" FDC i have tested BIOS on is MiSTer FPGA PC XT core :) BIOS expects FDC at port 0x3Fx, but for that to work you need to set floppy type - enter settings (press F1 before mem test completes) and select drive 0 and/or drive 1 type, as there no autodetect. I've described logic here...

You will need to remove power button cap with pliers (first times i was putting some thin cloth not to damage it), CF card (i forgot to put it out at least lwo times :)). Remove battery (i couldn't in V2 rev. 1 tbh) On Book V2 you might also remove 5 screws that hold ports board, as there holes...

I didn't dig that deep, though i admit having music would be great. Well, i took a deeper look. I thought (from those times) that GOLD.EXE is just a stub that runs AXE.DAT. Boy i was wrong. GOLD.EXE is music driver expecting to be run at about 875Hz. So now there's a version with music :) It...