28 Apr
2005
28 Apr
'05
3:23 p.m.
The other reason to keep original IBM PC cards is that
the schematics
and tech info are published, so they're easy to modify and/or use for
Agreed.
special purposes, like the disk conversion devices and
functions people
are always talking about here. It's pretty easy to make an original IBM
Floppy Controller work with anything that the 765 controller will talk
to.
Although some of the clone cards with a 765 and that little 8 pin data
separator chip (9216 IIRC) were also very hackable.
I hope I'm not the only person with a fairly complete IBM-published
hardware 'technical reference' set for the PC/XT/AT line.
Depends on what you mean by 'complete'. I have :
PC
PC/XT and Portable
AT (with the update for the 8MHz board, later BIOS, etc), it ended up in
2 binders)
These are the later manuals covering just the mainboard, keyboard, PSU.
But then I also have :
Options and Adapters (2 volumes) covering the cards, monitors, drives for
the PC and XT
AT supplement for the O&A manual
Scinetific Options and Adapters (GPIB, data aquisition, Professional
graphics)
EGA Techref
PCjr Trechref
All the above are real manauls with schematics, BIOS listings, etc in them.
PS/2 Hardware Interface Techref -- no scheamtics, no source code, but
better than nothing. It was given to me by a firend, so I am not going to
complain.
I also have the Hardware Maintenance and Service manaul for the AT. It's
a boardswapper guid, but it was given to me (I bought the AT Techref
second-hand, it came with it). It actually has some useful info on
repairing the 5152 printer (== Epson MX80, basically).
I don't have all the O&A suplements, and I don't have the XT/286 techref,
although that machine is pretty close the AT in hardware.
-tony