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5150 with Hercules - Text but no graphics

N

normanator

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May 12, 2017
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Recently acquired a 5150 with Hercules GB100 card in place of the IBM MDA. I've run the IBM Diag v2.2 tests on the system, and all checks out good except for the Video Card (option 1) and Video Sync (option 12). Everything text based looks nice and crisp. The Video graphics tests show a distorted/wavy blob. Trying to run any IBM PC compatible game results in a blank screen. Also ran a copy of IBM Diag v1.x, and as soon as it booted, it looked like it was torturing the display. Guessing that diag version starts with some sort of graphic.

The Hercules card has 2 electrolytic capacitors, and I'm wondering if they have given up the ghost and need replacing (see pics). Neither is particularly bulging or gassing, but they both have a blue hue on top which makes me think the electrolyte has evaporated. I don't have another monitor to test with (not my first choice to be the problem child anyway). Am trying to dig up a different video card and see if it makes a difference.

Anyone ever seen this behavior with a Hercules and/or 5150?

Herc Cap1.jpgHerc Cap2.jpgHercules.jpg
 
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First of all, congratulations on an early-model 5150 with the black PSU! Also never seen a Hercules card with a wide, black backplate for an early 5150.

Keep in mind that games have to be Hercules-compatible or they won’t work. Also, IBM’s own diagnostics don’t support Hercules.
 
Never had a Hercules before, so that didn't occur to me. Thanks! I'll definitely test that route before disturbing the board with new components. I've not seen such an early Hercules either.

And yes, very serendipitous find of a nice Series A 16/64 mobo system. Has the middle 5700671 BIOS. Came with 5151 monitor, matching keyboard and the boxed docs and disks (Diag, DOS, Basic). Very clean unit inside and out with no cracks, scratches or blemishes. Also came with a Mouse Systems optical mouse (M2 I think) along with the reflective mouse pad. Very cool!
 
normanator said:
Never had a Hercules before, so that didn't occur to me. Thanks! I'll definitely test that route before disturbing the board with new components. I've not seen such an early Hercules either.

And yes, very serendipitous find of a nice Series A 16/64 mobo system. Has the middle 5700671 BIOS. Came with 5151 monitor, matching keyboard and the boxed docs and disks (Diag, DOS, Basic). Very clean unit inside and out with no cracks, scratches or blemishes. Also came with a Mouse Systems optical mouse (M2 I think) along with the reflective mouse pad. Very cool!
Click to expand...

I also have an IBM 5150 with a Hercules card. I can't speak to your exact card but, in general, they work extremely well together. However, to run CGA programs on a Hercules card you need SIMCGA, which is a brilliant little TSR(Terminate-Stay-Resident) program which tricks the program into thinking that the Hercules card is a CGA card. If you want, I can email you a disk image of the SIMCGA software if you PM me your email address.
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Success! The Hercules board works great in both native and SIMCGA mode.

Found a game supporting native Hercules. Loaded without SIMCGA:
Hercules Native Mode.jpg

Next, loaded SIMCGA and a true-blue CGA game:
SIMCGA Mode.JPG


Many thanks to Exceter for cluing me in and providing the utility. Any many, many thanks to Chuck(G) for creating this thing in the first place!

One last caveat: When I load SIMCGA, the screen goes completely blank. I have to issue a SETMONO command to get back to A: prompt. Then, issue SIMCGA again, to get an A: prompt. Then everything works in CGA.
 
You're most welcome! I usually launch all of my programs from batch files so that I can individually tailor the environment to what they need without having to remember every time. Some need simcga, some need mouse and some need both. I'll load whatever they need at the beginning of the batch file and unload it at the end so they don't trip up the next program.
 
Sort of agree, depending on the circumstances. I unpacked this .IMG on a Windows 10 system using 7Zip, and then sneaker-netted the files to my Tween system to get onto 5.25".

Thanks for sharing this additional link, though. The other downloads just might come in handy. I recently came into some ISA NIC cards, so the 3Com drivers might come in handy.
 
I'd guess the 720K version, as the 5150 can't handle the high density drives, at least with the IBM floppy controller.

I have a tweener running Windows 7 Pro/DOS 6.22 dual boot, and can network in Windows, then write 720K floppies from DOS. No sneaker net needed.
 
lafos said:
I have a tweener running Windows 7 Pro/DOS 6.22 dual boot, and can network in Windows, then write 720K floppies from DOS. No sneaker net needed.
Click to expand...
My tweener runs DOS 7, has both 5¼" and 3½" floppy drives has USB in DOS so I use a USB flash drive to transfer files between it and any contemporary machines.
 
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