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Just got my first vintage computer, an IBM PC/XT 5160

sqpat said:
Fair warning: The images I'm linking to have a pretty big resolution and might take a while to load if you're on dialup! I left them as urls because of their size.

Got a hold of it earlier this morning, here's what it looks like, along with some retr0bright ingredients i hope to run the case through over the next week or so (it's only 3% hydrogen peroxide)

http://sqpat.com/img/5160/1238800059524.jpg

It's not too messy, but it should look a lot better when I'm done with the cleaning process. Anyway, as I began to take the thing apart, noticed something that I don't think is standard on these cases:

http://sqpat.com/img/5160/1238800135810.jpg

Looked like a couple of serial ports that were hanging out over the back.

Anyway, I took the thing apart. Here's a list of what I found:

- Motherboard seems to be an AMD 8088 model. I assume this runs at the standard 4.77 MhZ or whatever. The 8088 processor says it was made in 1982. Elsewhere it says "64-256KB SYSTEM BOARD". Is this an AMD or IBM system board? I assume it's got 256 K of RAM on it.
- Hard drive is an IBM WD12, 5.25" 10 MB hard drive. Hopefully I can upgrade that to 20 or maybe even 40 later on.
- It's also got a 5.25" floppy drive.
- It had 5 ISA slots in use:
1. An IBM CGA adapter
2. An IBM Hard Drive Controller
3. An IBM 1503969 serial port control card
4. A Quadram Quadboard which seems to have 384 KB of ram, as well as a printer serial port and game port which hang out of the system's casing, as well as another 25 pin serial port in the back.
5. An "Acquisition and Control Adapter", model number is 281-088, this is the one that connects to the weird slot in the back and overall it seems to connect to a pair of 37-pin serial slots as well as some kind of 60 pin (2 rows of 30) device in the back. Here is an ebay listing (not mine) with good pictures of the thing I'm looking at. http://cgi.ebay.com/Acquisition-Con...296140960QQihZ015QQcategoryZ162QQcmdZViewItem

If you want to take a look at all the pictures I took of the thing, feel free to have yourself a look here: http://sqpat.com/img/5160/

Anyway, I also have a few questions as well...

1. I got a ps/2->AT adapter, but that probably wont be enough to make a keyboard work unless i flash the BIOS to a newer revision, right? I might eventually try to do such a thing, but for now, I might grab a cheaper XT keyboard I guess.

2. It seems to be a standard IBM CGA card on this thing. Will a simple 9 to 15 pin d-sub adapter work with a modern monitor? Will it properly handle CGA/Monochrome modes? Also, I want to eventually upgrade to an EGA or even VGA card (not to play games, etc, but to try and write some code on my own. I know the processor isn't powerful enough for a lot of that). Would that also be as simple as hooking it up to a modern monitor, or would there be some issue in supporting different display modes?

3. Will a modern computer/monitor power cord work for this thing? I notice it has a male and female port, so I assume that's just for convenience? You don't actually have to use both, do you?

Hopefully I'll have this thing running in a couple of weeks, once I'm done cleaning it up and gathering whatever else I need.
Click to expand...
I noticed you mentioned that you have the IBM PC Data Acquisition and Control Adapter. You don't by chance have the programming support manual or software for it do you? I easily found the hardware reference manual for it but nothing else. Let me know if you have anything, thanks!
 
Cyberstein said:
I noticed you mentioned that you have the IBM PC Data Acquisition and Control Adapter. You don't by chance have the programming support manual or software for it do you? I easily found the hardware reference manual for it but nothing else. Let me know if you have anything, thanks!
Click to expand...

Buddy... sorry to disappoint you, but this post is 14 years old... shortly after this post i traded that adapter for a thunderboard sound card to another member, sold my whole collection, changed jobs, moved across the country and across the world twice, changed jobs a couple more times, started a business, restarted my collection again... and so on. But thanks for the trip down memory road. :)
 
Yeah, I realize it's an old post. I was just hoping somebody archived the documentation and software at the time. Because that Angelfire link is now dead and the programming support manual/software are nowhere to be found on the internet anymore. :( Well thanks for the quick reply. Yeah I got into collecting IBM's as a hobby a few years ago. I have spent enough on it to buy a new car by now. If my wife knew she'd kill me. :)
 
sqpat said:
This angelfire link and this software linked to on the page.

I don't know about the IBM software but some google searching indicates there was some compatible software called ASYST made by MacMillan.
Click to expand...
OK well let me see if I can find this ASYST software. Thank you for the information. I Appreciate it! Just thinking, if you remember which member you sold that card too. And they are still an active member. They probably downloaded that software and documentation, perhaps they still have it. 🤔. It would be a longshot, I know.
 
I spent the last week searching for hours and hours on the internet. I was able to scrounge up some things. Some things I think Modem7 will want to add to his website. I found the user manuals for both the DACA and Interface Module. These are just the basic user manuals I think that came with the DACA and Interface modules. Give me time, there will be more to come, I am relentless! Especially because I bought these and I want to make them work lol!
 

Attachments

  • ibm-daca-adapt-man.pdf
    3.8 MB · Views: 4
  • ibm-daca-dist-man.pdf
    1.7 MB · Views: 3
Oh yeah and I found this info I pulled out of an old government research document.
 

Attachments

  • IBM DACA Programming Info.pdf
    313.3 KB · Views: 8
Have a good trip. I am attempting to get software working for the DACA. If I do or find anything else, I will post as well.
 
Just wanted to give an update, been very busy at work and also vacation. I am still unable to find the DACA programming manual. :( If anybody has it or knows someone who has it, that would be very helpful. I have not given up though, I am working on reverse engineering some software for it. Once I have something, I will post it. I am also putting together a document compiling all info I found online and during reverse engineering.
 
Update, was able to interface my DACA card, just haven't had time to finish the software. I am able to set the DAC outputs, sample the ADC inputs, set binary outputs and read binary inputs. I also found some software which I have yet to try out call UnkelScope which is supposed to work with it.
 
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