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Anyone Selling XT-IDE Cards?
- Thread starter tempest
- Start date
giobbi
Veteran Member
I got the two XT-IDE kits from Glitch today (ugh, about 46 US$ of import tax !). I've already built one, and it works fine. BTW, great design and great quality PCB!
@Glitch: if I can suggest a trivial mod on the silk text, I would rotate 180° the IC text (i.e. 74LS....), so the text on the PCB and the stamped code on ICs are oriented at the same way. This should help airhead people like me to avoid soldering ICs in the wrong way, LOL (this time I did everything correct at first try!).
I then programmed the flash rom with the latest beta firmware (2.00 beta 3 => ide_xt.bin) using my eprom programmer.
It works fine, but I didn't find a way boot from it if the MFM disk is present. I'm working with the default switch settings, "Enable ROM" = ON.
It appears the Xt-IDE ROM text, but I didn't find a way to boot from the XT-IDE. I pressed F8, no way.
If I unplug the MFM hard disk (without to change the motherboard jumpers) after a way I got an 1701 error code (HDD error I think) and then it boot from the XT-IDE drive.
Any way to boot from the XT-IDE on-the-fly?
------------
BTW the Speed mode (Chuck's mod) doesn't work for me. Currenty I'm using an 8088 XT Clone.
@Glitch: if I can suggest a trivial mod on the silk text, I would rotate 180° the IC text (i.e. 74LS....), so the text on the PCB and the stamped code on ICs are oriented at the same way. This should help airhead people like me to avoid soldering ICs in the wrong way, LOL (this time I did everything correct at first try!).
I then programmed the flash rom with the latest beta firmware (2.00 beta 3 => ide_xt.bin) using my eprom programmer.
It works fine, but I didn't find a way boot from it if the MFM disk is present. I'm working with the default switch settings, "Enable ROM" = ON.
It appears the Xt-IDE ROM text, but I didn't find a way to boot from the XT-IDE. I pressed F8, no way.
If I unplug the MFM hard disk (without to change the motherboard jumpers) after a way I got an 1701 error code (HDD error I think) and then it boot from the XT-IDE drive.
Any way to boot from the XT-IDE on-the-fly?
------------
BTW the Speed mode (Chuck's mod) doesn't work for me. Currenty I'm using an 8088 XT Clone.
giobbi
Veteran Member
mmh, which bios? Note: I flashed the chip with an eprom programmer before to insert it in its socket.
Thank you, I didn't know about that. I'll give a try.
glitch
Veteran Member
If your MFM controller has an EPROM on it, it's probably conflicting with the XT-IDE. Just set the ROM address DIP switches to another setting and try again. No software config changes are required to adjust the ROM address.
I will probably rotate the IC values in the silkscreens as you suggested -- I noticed this myself while assembling boards! They're positioned with the default KiCad orientation, and of course I didn't think anything about it until I had assembled 20 or so of them
I will probably rotate the IC values in the silkscreens as you suggested -- I noticed this myself while assembling boards! They're positioned with the default KiCad orientation, and of course I didn't think anything about it until I had assembled 20 or so of them
modem7
10k Member
My configuration is shown at [here].
When I start the computer, what I see is shown at [here]. The "Foreign Hard Disk" is the MFM drive.
I then use the up/down arrow keys on the keypad to select what I want to boot from, then press the ENTER key.
Note that my computer was successfully booting from the MFM drive before I added the XT-IDE card.
modem7
10k Member
Are you aware that this requires two changes:
1. Change of the two jumpers on the XT-IDE Rev 3 card; and
2. Reconfigure the XTIDE Universal BIOS
giobbi
Veteran Member
The 2nd board I assembled was returning ROM ERR. I thought it was due to the R591 release. I flashed the rom again with the 1.5 stable rel: again ROM ERR
And now also the previously working board is returning ROM ERR.
What's could it be?
And now also the previously working board is returning ROM ERR.
What's could it be?
modem7
10k Member
Using XTIDECFG.COM to flash the EEPROM will automatically calculate and use the required checksum.
alecv
Experienced Member
giobbi Use a long 32K BIOS version 'IDE_XTL.BIN' and configure it with XTIDECFG.COM as modem7 suggested (and set jumpers for 27256). 'Short' 8K version has no MODULE_BOOT_MENU module.
I have two negative reports about coexistence with MFM BIOS-es. One controller was a DTC-51xx. The symptom was as you described: both controllers work single well but does not boot together. Jumper setting was correct: 320/C800 for MFM controller and 300/D000 for XT IDE.
I have two negative reports about coexistence with MFM BIOS-es. One controller was a DTC-51xx. The symptom was as you described: both controllers work single well but does not boot together. Jumper setting was correct: 320/C800 for MFM controller and 300/D000 for XT IDE.
giobbi
Veteran Member
I solved flashing with xtidecfg.com and 1.15 rel.; now it's working fine, it appears the menu as shown by modem7, and I can choose to boot from MFM or IDE.
The other two releases, 2.00 beta 3 and 591 doesn't work for me. So I agree with Glitch's decision to supply programmed eeprom with the stable release.
What I don't understand is why it was booting with the 2.00 beta 3 release, even with limitations (no menu, etc.) and it stopped suddenly to work, returning ROM ERR. No changes were made to the eeprom content or the MFM config.
I haven't a spare 27256: I should erase one from another project to do the test alecv suggested, and the 8k version is enough for me, so I will stop here; at least everything is working fine and I have no time for further debug for now!
BTW Are 27512 pin to pin compatible with 27256? In other words, can I use a 27512 instead of 27256, programming the lower half and use it in the XT-IDE like a 27256?
Thank you for your help!
The other two releases, 2.00 beta 3 and 591 doesn't work for me. So I agree with Glitch's decision to supply programmed eeprom with the stable release.
What I don't understand is why it was booting with the 2.00 beta 3 release, even with limitations (no menu, etc.) and it stopped suddenly to work, returning ROM ERR. No changes were made to the eeprom content or the MFM config.
I haven't a spare 27256: I should erase one from another project to do the test alecv suggested, and the 8k version is enough for me, so I will stop here; at least everything is working fine and I have no time for further debug for now!
BTW Are 27512 pin to pin compatible with 27256? In other words, can I use a 27512 instead of 27256, programming the lower half and use it in the XT-IDE like a 27256?
Thank you for your help!
giobbi
Veteran Member
I solved that problem using the 1.15 stable release.
giobbi
Veteran Member
I knew about the two jumpers, but I didn't know about reconfiguring the BIOS. Maybe it was explained in a previous post? I read the whole thread, but maybe I miss it...
Can you explain how to do?
alecv
Experienced Member
Edited
http://www.z80.info/gfx/eprom.gif
http://www.s100computers.com/My System Pages/PROM Board/PROM Board.htm
28c256: 1=A14, 27=WE (as traced on the AT-IDE v3 PCB)
27c256: 1=unused, 27=A14
27c512: 1=A15, 27=A14
To use 27512 in the 28c256 socket just connect A15 of the 27c512 (pin 1) to GND and A14 (pin27 of chip) to A14 (pin 1 of socket), and write a first half of 27512 with 256 image.
What MFM controller do you use ? I have positive report with r591 and WD MFM controller (unknown model).
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modem7
10k Member
The Compatibility/Hi-Speed jumpers change which register map is used (hardware).
The XTIDE Universal BIOS (software) needs to know which map is in use.
More technical information about that is at [here].
You are using version 1.1.5 of the XTIDE Universal BIOS. It does not 'know' about hi-speed mode.
To use hi-speed mode, you would either have to:
* Upgrade to a 2.x.x version of the XTIDE Universal BIOS; or
* Find the hacked 1.x.x version of the XTIDE Universal BIOS (hacked for hi-speed mode).
glitch
Veteran Member
Apparently people are having trouble finding the XUB 1.1.5 ZIP file, so I've uploaded it here:
ftp://filedump.glitchwrks.com/xt_ide/bios/xub_1.1.5.zip (FTP)
http://filedump.glitchwrks.com/xt_ide/bios/xub_1.1.5.zip (HTTP)
ftp://filedump.glitchwrks.com/xt_ide/bios/xub_1.1.5.zip (FTP)
http://filedump.glitchwrks.com/xt_ide/bios/xub_1.1.5.zip (HTTP)
giobbi
Veteran Member
Trixter
Veteran Member
Why would anyone intentionally run the older version? Doesn't 2.x have all of the features and more?
A common problem with a lot of old controllers is that they expect to be the only harddrive controller in the system and so they don't play nicely with any other controllers*. I've been trying to come up with a way to fix this and one possibility might be to restore the total harddrive count (at 0:475h) to what they expect before calling the previous handler in the Int13h chain.
* If they play nicely at all. I'm currently looking at this MFM controller BIOS in IDA and not only is it using the total harddrive count in 'unusual' ways, it's also playing games with the BIOS timer ticks since midnight counter (at 0:46Ch), overwriting it willy nilly. It's no wonder why people, during the '80s, thought of buying hardware (or software for that matter) as playing the lottery as far as compatibility goes.
The 'hacked' version was actually hargle's BIOS modified by Chuck, not XUB 1.1.5. You might want to revise that image.
I keep asking myself the same question.
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