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--- blog:286_pc [2021/02/18 10:06] – [Conclusion] john
+++ blog:286_pc [2021/06/15 09:29] (current) – [So What Did I End Up With?] john
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== 286 PC - History and Repairs ======
+====== 286 PC Adventures ======
 The 286 PC was my first ever IBM compatible. I had owned Spectrums, a VIC 20 as well as various consoles and video game systems, but around 1991/92 I sold most of my toys (I was only about 13 at the time) and a lot of my video games to buy my first proper PC.
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    * {{ :blog:bios.zip |}}, 64kbyte, M27C512 EPROM. BIOS date 04/07/93
+----
+=== Multi-IO ===
+I am using one of the two 16-bit Multi-IO ISA cards in my collection:
+{{:blog:img20210119093926.jpg?400|}}
+----
+=== XTIDE / Networking ===
+Using an XTIDE BIOS ROM on a 3Com network card gives you ethernet networking and LBA hard drive support, so it's a no-brainer:
+{{:blog:img20210119094409.jpg?400|}}
+----
+=== Sound ===
+{{:blog:img20210119093958.jpg?400|}}
+I'm using a basic Creative SB16 for (OPL3) Adlib/FM music and digital effects.
+{{:blog:img20210124174108.jpg?300|}} {{:blog:img20210124174022.jpg?300|}}
+MIDI out is handled by a genuine Roland MPU-IPC-T ISA card and breakout box.
 ----
@@ Line 237: / Line 265: @@
 One more thing was getting mouse support - I knew that lots of games I wanted to play on this would be mouse driven; adventures, strategy games etc. Using a serial mouse is not an option, as whatever system I set up, it has to be compatible with a VGA+PS/2 KVM switch - that's just the way it has to be, as I don't have space for multiple keyboards, mice or monitors all over the place.
+{{:blog:img_1880.jpg?400|}}
 Fortunately, in the last couple of years, some ingenious folks have created a range of Serial to PS/2 mouse adapters, one even being built into a [[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=67488|neat little 8bit ISA card]].
@@ Line 244: / Line 274: @@
 === Motherboard ===
-This is the main factor in the performance of such an old system, so we'll have to try and source a few likely speedy 286 mothers, do a bit of research and quite a bit of testing here....
+This is the main factor in the performance of such an old system, so we'll have to try and source a few likely speedy 286 motherboards, do a bit of research and quite a bit of testing here....
 ===== Next Steps - 286 Motherboard Shootout! =====
@@ Line 352: / Line 382: @@
 There are some __odd__ benchmark results in video performance - mainly around BIOS and low-level routines from CheckIT, Landmark and CompTest; these show the HT12/A board with substantially quicker synthetic results (and it //is// quick, no doubt about it), but when it comes to games, the all-round improvement of the VLSI VL82C201 has it ahead in every single test.
+===== So What Did I End Up With? =====
+{{:blog:286:img20210615102218.jpg?500|}} {{:blog:286:img20210615102226.jpg?500|}}
+   * VLSI VL82C200 Motherboard
+   * 25MHz Harris 286 CPU (currently clocked at 20MHz)
+   * Intel 287XL FPU
+   * 4MB 60ns RAM
+   * Generic Multi-IO card
+   * Tseng Labs ET4000AX VGA
+   * Soundblaster 16 CT2770
+   * Midiman MM401 MPU401 card
+   * 3Com 3C509B NIC / XTIDE BIOS host
+   * Everex EV178 8MB EMS card
+   * Internal MT32-Pi MIDI module
+   * RS232 to PS/2 mouse adapter dongle
+   * 3.5" 1.44MB FDD
+   * 8GB CF card