WysePC 286 WY-2200-01

[jh1523]

I have just picked up on ebay a 286 motherboard from a WysePC 286 AT clone, WY-2200-01 and its matching power supply (as it has nonstandard power connector)

There's precious little information about this system on the net. All I could find is a brochure http://www.thecomputerarchive.com/thearchive/Computers/PC desktops/Wyse pc286.PDF and a post on reddit from a few years ago from someone who has the complete system https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/4ryzmc/wyse_286_ibm_clone_1987/ unfortunately closed to new comments. This system is not in TH99, I scanned it both by company and by image and came out with nothing.

Does anyone here own such a system, and if so would perhaps help me with sharing manuals, disks (especially the BIOS configuration disk) or any information about it? Many thanks in advance.

(edit) FWIW the DB11 connector is for a Wyse terminal keyboard, not modem.

 

[PeterNC]

Nope. Good luck!

Here is an ad from a later version of this system. They tried a modular approach. Other's tried as well in that period. It never worked out of course.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I used to have a set of Xenix disks and manuals for the Wyse PC. I kept copies of the disks, but the original material went to a fellow in Japan. I believe the 386 was the end of the line for the Wyse PC.

What's a DB11 connector?

 

[jh1523]

The one that looks like a phone jack next to the AT keyboard connector.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Do you mean RJ11? (6P4C)

 

[jh1523]

You're correct of course. Being used to posting about DB connectors, the hand slipped.

 

[Chuck(G)]

You're correct of course. Being used to posting about DB connectors, the hand slipped.

You had me looking all over the literature for a B-shell D-sub connector with 11 pins...

 

[jh1523]

That being said, the board does have some unusual connectors on it. One is next to the main power connector, looks like an inline 6-pin connector where probably the one visible in the last power supply picture plugs. There are 2 more in the same style at the opposite end of the board, one long and one short. No idea what goes there - front panel connectors maybe?

 

[Chuck(G)]

I'd say that was a fair guess, as I don't see any other front-panel headers.

 

[jh1523]

I used to have a set of Xenix disks and manuals for the Wyse PC. I kept copies of the disks, but the original material went to a fellow in Japan.

If you still have the copies I would be interested to try a classic Unix on this machine once I have it up and running.

 

[Chuck(G)]

The Xenix 386 wasn't really any different from the generic ones. It came with a set of 286-based tools, which was a bit odd. The installer checked for a Wyse PC, but it was a simple BIOS signature check, so it was easy to hack around.

 

[Doug G]

I don't know how similar it is, I have a WY2108-01 complete unit out in the garage. I seem to recall there is a full-length daughterboard with the actual processor on it, if there is a cpu chip on your motherboard it's probably pretty different. I will try to pull the computer I have out of the pile and take a look at it's innards, take some pictures. It worked last time I turned it on which was probably around 1990.

I'm pretty sure my system used a proprietary keyboard and you couldn't use a standard PC keyboard.

EDIT: The front panel has a small LCD display.
EDIT2: I pulled my wy2108-01 out, your motherboard is completely different. The 2108 does have a "triple" daughterboard with cpu ram all connected with an over-the-top connector board. I can take pics if you want but they probably will be no help with your board.

 

[jh1523]

Thanks for doing that; but yes, the Wyse 2100 series is quite different from the 2200. I think the 2100 is more recent and that the 2200 is an earlier copy of the AT and pretty close to it. I found a few docs about the 2100s and also several versions are in TH99, whereas the 2200 isn't.
The CPU on this motherboard is under the small metallic clip - if the seller is correct there should be a CLCC R80286-10 there. I'll post better pictures once I receive the board which should be next Tuesday.

 

[dieymir]

I have images of the MS-DOS (3.21 and 3.30) original system disks, if you need them. They have some specific utilities for that HW (i.e. an utility to manage the LCD)

 

[jh1523]

I have managed to obtain images for the setup disk, as well as images for DOS 3.1 and DOS 3.3 for that system.
Which LCD is that? All I have is a motherboard and a power supply. I have received them today, some pictures below.

Interesting that the PS has a lithium battery warning on it- in the 1980s. There's a small box bolted to the side of the PS from which a short cable emerges that terminates in a 6-pin connector that matches one on the motherboard close to the main power plug. I bet that box contains a backup battery.

 

[Agent Orange]

JH

I have a set of Wyse 5.25 floppies that came with an AT. If you like, I could image them for you.

 

[jh1523]

Sure, if it's something I don't have. Like I said what I did obtain is:
-360k test/setup disk, which is a boot disk with TestAT.exe and an autoexec.bat that launches it; it's different from the setup/diagnostic disk from regular IBM ATs
-two 360k floppy images with DOS 3.1 (marked SYS and SUP)
-1.2M image with DOS 3.3

Also, I'm attaching the contents of the 2 EPROMs on the board, first chip is the one closer to the board's edge. I've also included a bitwise merge of the 2 files. Both chips are 27128.

 

[jh1523]

I've mapped the power supply connector. Here's a drawing as seen from the PS side (motherboard connector would be mirrored)

GND, +5V, -5V, +9.81V (probably supposed to be 9V) and -12V. Or maybe the 9.81V is supposed to be +12V and it's out of spec? The color yellow suggests so.

Also the little box bolted to the side of the PS holds an oscillator, not a battery.

 

[jh1523]

Seems to be working. This is just the motherboard, PS and a VGA card.

 

[jh1523]

Okay I hit a wall.

The system boots with only a VGA card in. I tried several VGA cards and they all work, though some seem picky about which slot they're inserted in.

But as soon as I add a second ISA card, it doesn't POST anymore. I tried several combinations of different VGA and IO cards, changed slots etc. Bottom line is: it boots with one card in, it doesn't with 2 cards.

I suspected the PS may be flaky. I measured the voltages in different combinations, and the picture isn't convincing.

First off, the yellow is indeed +12V. Even though it reads below 10V without a load, when connected to the motherboard and with one VGA card in (configuration that boots) the yellow reads 12.48V. Wit a second ISA card plugged, it reads 12.00V. A significant drop, sure, but still perfectly within specs.

The 5V line (red) reads 4.90V when one card is inserted (and boots) and 4.96V with 2 cards (and doesn't boot).

The -5V and -12V don't change significantly with 1 or 2 cards plugged, still read very close to the picture above.
The white line reads 5.00V also not changing with the number of cards.

So overall it doesn't make much sense. Yes there is a drop on the 12V line, but I think not significant enough to stop it from booting. And the 5V line voltage actually goes up and closer to 5V with 2 cards.

CAn anyone think of an explanation?

Ancillary question: can you identify the type of connector that the power supply uses? If I could find another one like it I could make an adapter to try and use a regular AT power supply instead. The only marking on the connector is "J H P22" printed on one side.