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For reference the drive bay door is in the middle of the image and is original. There was still a bit of extra sheen in the photo that I knocked down with a matt finish. Now, it’s a perfect match. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f6b09b16-30a7-4dc7-99ff-d525c41600e1/IMG_6948.JPG Blog - Too Many Indigos - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2a07104e-540c-47eb-adba-d6a29677bc7b/IMG_6947.JPG Blog - Too Many Indigos - Make it stand out The R4000 Indigo with Elan Graphics https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/dead-indigo-psu-atx monthly 0.5 2022-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f34ffba1-8096-452a-960a-8b043d32d527/IMG_6748.JPG Blog - Dead Indigo PSU, ATX? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e634cf7e-9e85-40d6-abd3-74272e479d8f/IMG_6775.JPG Blog - Dead Indigo PSU, ATX? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f6444b73-0797-48fb-8bde-703a833e39ba/IMG_6773.jpg Blog - Dead Indigo PSU, ATX? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e31b3e4d-d313-4332-86fd-a2ecaab7e6da/IMG_6774.JPG Blog - Dead Indigo PSU, ATX? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/i-got-lucky-in-texas-the-ibm-5150-is-back-on-track monthly 0.5 2022-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0e77d368-51fe-4c69-bbe1-bca846fdac02/IMG_6696.jpg Blog - I Got Lucky In Texas, The IBM 5155 is Back on Track - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/259b4f04-6dcb-41b9-9e1b-ab76d617f524/IMG_6703.JPG Blog - I Got Lucky In Texas, The IBM 5155 is Back on Track - Make it stand out Testing out the new drives in the 286 Test Mule computer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4c4f2394-6537-4c0e-a8fd-fcfe1ae76ef3/IMG_6694.jpg Blog - I Got Lucky In Texas, The IBM 5155 is Back on Track - Make it stand out IBM 5155 Portable https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ae6cfa2c-c633-4af5-a8cd-3593597f3512/IMG_6691.JPG Blog - I Got Lucky In Texas, The IBM 5155 is Back on Track - Make it stand out My two New, Old Qume 142 Floppy Diskette Drives, never used https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c3a5c06a-0c15-4b7c-b891-ef608dac4813/IMG_0268.jpg Blog - I Got Lucky In Texas, The IBM 5155 is Back on Track - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/time-to-launch-oldsilicon monthly 0.5 2022-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1645046159331-WJ57OCJIIVUGF10C9Y4I/Screen+Shot+2022-02-16+at+2.13.33+PM.png Blog - It’s Time to Launch OldSilicon.com - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/Sun+Ultra+1 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SGI monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/Sun+Microsystems monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation+20 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation+10 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/Silicon+Graphic+Indy monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation+5 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/Silicon+Graphics+Indigo monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/DiskImage monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation+2 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/blog/tag/SPARCstation+1 monthly 0.5 https://www.oldsilicon.com/home-old daily 0.75 2022-06-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642006844880-6K8PBJ6GBPHPPPWNWEVP/Pcjr.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642007009751-AC0AJMB8RIXLG2US3K77/Osbourne.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642007046924-4CT5YG6OKPVKNQ5VDFWC/Kaypro.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642007078517-V580NZ1D3RBFBNPYE2HS/SX64.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642007112496-TVGMPD7HCOU781VL9NDF/Compaq.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1642007234455-WHNSA1QDP1UWER10QLQG/MacColorClassicII.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643410879156-I446QE48VJM4SVI343AZ/IMG_6473.jpeg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643414967954-AFGER2V7PO9ZN8XZGAV1/IMG_6472.jpeg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643580488538-HL90I3MN5DILSLE50TH9/IMG_0008-2.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643580918106-L7LKF8I4R2QP6GUEXMF8/IMG_0032-3.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643583008606-NOB5NEQDPWMH7NEX23X4/IMG_0027-3.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1643583213404-5X774G4B0SNYBPQLXJWH/IMG_0038-3.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1653245984893-R4NI8IJ22J7EI8CW9ITX/Front2.jpg Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1653338368041-CFNIR9IKTQH0N6FZRYFE/IMG_6794.JPG Home (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1656535781193-1S5T5R8DGQ0HOS5BSALF/IMG_7897-2.jpg Home (old) https://www.oldsilicon.com/benchmule daily 0.75 2022-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847921926-YXCEN2JVL6T6OEYSBTQG/image-asset.jpeg BenchMule https://www.oldsilicon.com/about daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c2d33fb2-4b10-4aaf-aea3-492a39a45c5a/ToddMargPhoto.jpg About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/sparkstation-ipc daily 0.75 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/10435ba7-d26a-42fb-88ad-d4db40c67963/IMG_0019-4.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Acquisition I acquired this IPC via eBay from a Sun salvage guy on March 11th 2021. It arrived in nearly perfect condition with a 424Mb hard drive and Sun OS 4.1.2 installed. Upon booting the IPC, and examining the syslog, I found that in its past life it was named Salisbury, and the last time it had been booted up was January 7th, 1995, about 26 years, 2 months earlier. There was one user configured - a fellow named Mitch Mathena. I tried reaching out to a likely candidate on LinkedIn but did not get a response. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6418e1f5-6bd4-4f36-ae14-288c6d110849/IMG_10016.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Configuration The SPARCstation IPC incorporates a single 25 MHz Fujitsu MB86901A or LSI L64801 processor. This IPC has an LSI chip. IPC’s have twelve SIMM memory slots, in three 4-slot groups. Each group of 4 slots can be filled with either four 1MB SIMMs or four 4MB SIMMs, for a maximum of 48MB of RAM memory. My IPC arrived outfitted with 48M of RAM. The SPARCstation IPC can hold one internal 3.5", 50-pin, single ended, fast-narrow SE SCSI disk drive and a 3.5" 1.44MB floppy drive. Both are mounted in the top cover of the case. The hard disk slot supports taller drives than the 1 inch format that became standard later. It also supports external SCSI devices. The largest hard disk shipped by Sun with the IPC was 2.1GB drive. When I replaced the hard drive with a SCSI2SD board, I built a custom 3D printed SBus plastic board and mounted the SCSI2SD to it for access to the SDCard , making it easy to change out or backup the SDCard occasionally without opening the shell. The original floppy drive was stored on the shelf for future needs. In the page banner photo above, the IPC is shown with the Sun Voyager Keyboard. The Voyager was a portable (luggable?) that Sun produced a few years later with a built in LCD display. I would love to find one one day, but when I saw the keyboard come up on eBay i had to buy it. It registers as a type 5 keyboard and technically doesn’t work well with the IPC due to ROM incompatibility (the arrow keys don’t work). But in a case of form-over-function I thought it looked great with the IPC. It does however work fine with the IPX and SPARCstation 10 in my collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b46febfc-661b-455f-b914-c9f9f5b134c3/M48T02-Timekeeper.png SPARCstation IPC - TimeKeeper Update Like most SPARCstations, this one arrived with a faulty Timekeeper chip. The timekeeper chip is a M48T02 that contains a real-time clock, battery, and battery backed NVRAM. This chip, when programmed, also holds the machine’s Ethernet address, system type, and system serial number. When replaced, it is necessary to reprogram 16 bytes of static memory in the chip to return the system to full functionality. You do this via commands at the OpenBoot prompt. Generally, you don’t know the original Ethernet address so you have to make one up, which creates no problems in practice, but if you have several workstations you have to keep track of ones you have used and be careful to reuse them on the same network. I randomly chose an address from a block apparently owned by Canon, as my network monitor seems to believe my SPARCstation is a Camera! Procedure for reseting IDPROM values on a Sun Workstation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2fa1b19b-4f7f-4fc1-8908-04442055c0c7/2021-03-25-0001.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Hard Drive Replacement I exclusively use ZuluSCSI RP2040 cards in my workstations. Initially, about half of my systems were equipped with SCSI2SD V6 cards, which worked great. However, during the pandemic, parts for those cards became nearly impossible to obtain. Toward the end of the pandemic, ZuluSCSI cards were introduced to the market, offering significant improvements. One of the main enhancements is the use of standard files for disk images. This was a game changer, making it much easier to back up and share images. You can read more about how I use and configure ZuluSCSI here. The setup is generally the same across all my workstations. For many, such as IPC, I add a daughter card that I designed to replace the green power LED with a bi-color LED. This modification results in a green LED when the system is powered on, and the LED changes to blue when the disk is accessed. It’s nice to have a visual indication when the disk is being accessed, especially since we’ve come to expect instant results from our computers. However, these systems were released back in a time when disk access took a bit longer! Link to my bi-color LED daughter card https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/978127dc-573d-422b-b407-beed76d88acd/Screen+Shot+2022-02-15+at+3.18.02+PM.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Operating Systems Sun IPC’s were generally released with SunOS 4, the last of the SunOS branded OS’s based on 4.3BSD with System V IPC. Later boxes were released with the Solaris OS. The IPC can run a variety of OS’s including SunOS 4.0.3c onwards, Solaris 2.0 to Solaris 7, some distributions of Linux, NetBSD/sparc32 since 1.0, OpenBSD up to 5.9. My goal was to install SunOS 4.1.x on the IPC, as I felt it was the most period correct OS and the one I used back at NASA in the Sun glory days. Setting up the first 800Mb of the card to be a SCSI CDROM drive (SCSI Device 3, as is common with SPARCstations) allowed me to easily copy new CD ISO images to the card at offset zero. This can technically be anywhere on the card but then you need to keep track of the byte offset when copying another image onto the card later. Once the image is copied, I was able to boot the image from the OpenBoot prompt with “boot cdrom”. Before installing the OS, you need to label the disk (basically formatting and partitioning the simulated hard disk). This was the second portion of the SDCard that I set to be a 2.1Gb Sun Disk, the largest Sun size disk sold at the time and plenty of space for my needs. The installation in the end went well, but it took a few tries to get correct. After installation I could boot from the “Ok” prompt as expected with Ok “boot disk,” and with the TimeKeeper repair could setup the SPARCstation IPC to now automatically boot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/835b9207-6f2a-48f3-839c-4609c0626ef1/FillerImage.png SPARCstation IPC - TGX+ Graphics The world we live in is now is dominated by LCD displays, and Sun’s default resolution of 1152x900 does not fit neatly into any default pixel resolutions of common LCD monitors (even Sun’s). In order to solve this problem, I decided to get a TGX+ Graphics board so I could display the workstation output at 1280x1024. This was nice addition, and these cards are reasonably easy to come by through resellers. Sun produced a staggering number of Sbus graphics cards labeled “cgsix” at various resolution, refresh rates, and frame buffering. I found through trial and error that that cgsix TGX+ board is fine for my needs. It supports the resolution I need (still at 8bit color) and only takes up a single Sbus slot. It was a snug fit next to my 3D printed Sbus SCSI2SD carrier card, but it works out fine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2186f637-2b86-45e3-8ab0-faf417b641e6/Screen+Shot+2022-02-15+at+3.12.24+PM.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Account Setup and Default Shell The SunOS 4.1.3 default user shell is sh. For anyone that regularly uses Unix/Linux machines, the lack of shell tab completion is a non-starter. I decided to try and find an older tcsh source that would compile with the SunOS compiler. The default C compiler for 4.X was a K&R compiler that did not require function prototypes. I could have found a new tcsh or any shell for that matter, but i decided to keep it period correct. I ended up finding an early version to tcsh source that would work and compiled if from source. Much to my relief it works great! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d692565a-4332-4591-80c6-eea5dff2351a/FillerImage.png SPARCstation IPC - OpenWindows vs X11R7 Back in the 80’s, I was never an OpenWindows fan. It “looked” ok, but I found the UI paradigm strange, so I always ran straight X11R5. I wrote a lot of X Windows code on that box and traversed up the layers of Xlib, Xt, and finally Xm, that I bought through Metro Link. I ended up writing a full commercial app using that stack and I remember it fondly. Of course later, Motif was included in CDE environments that included CDE, which I think was everyone. After getting this IPC running, I decided to install X11R6. All I could find was the X11 source on the Internet, so I compiled it from source. It took around 4 hours to compile and worked like champ the first time. I elected to set up the twm window manager (its legend now what that stands for) which is minimal but super fast and a staple of the X11R7 era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2c017f44-c35f-4f74-a478-32e6cfe2badd/UsenetDNS.jpg SPARCstation IPC - Network and DNS Setup The Sun Lunchbox computers don’t take 10baseT ethernet natively. Instead, you need to get an Ethernet AUI adaptor. You can buy these new or used at a variety of price points. I chose to buy a new one from Blackbox. Setup of IP address and default route was reasonably easy and completely manual as things were back then. For anyone that has used an AUI adaptor you probably remember the goofy connector that “sort of" locks onto the computer, then provides a 10baseT (or whatever) on the other end. The “lock” doesn’t work, never worked, and is just a pain to use. But, thats what we are working with here. Same mess with my recently acquired SGI Indigo. The real struggle came when it came time to setup DNS. In this area of Sun, the focus was on Yellow Pages/NIS. This was an over-complicated name resolution system that just kinda sucked. It’s an example of a community of software engineers trying to solve a problem in a too complicated way, and it eventually failed. Anyway… My experience with workstations really started when I worked at NASA. I recall at the time that Sun was focused on NIS and NASA, and as I recall many Universities had no interest in a proprietary name resolution system. As a result, these organizations refused to support NIS lookups and demanded DNS name resolution. Sun, not wanting to break with their decided upon standard at the time, supplied an alternate library archive that the customer could patch libc with to provide DNS name resolution. This allowed all the programs that used the libc library (which was all of them) to use DNS for name lookups rather than the brain-dead NIS system. This was “kind-of” listening to your customer in 1991. I ultimately found the instructions on how to do this in a usenet thread where the University of Colorado Boulder (in my own back yard) described a procedure of opening the libc library, deleting a few functions, then adding replacement functions of the same name from the alternate archive not dependent on NIS. After replacing those and adding the required /etc/resolv.conf file. DNS name lookup worked like it works today. The procedure to patch libc in SunOS 4.1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ddf859b0-1688-4a75-b862-57a6549b65fa/Screen+Shot+2022-02-12+at+4.04.00+PM.png SPARCstation IPC - Editor Setup My standard editor for nearly any OS is uEmacs (ie, micro emacs). I started using uEmacs back in 1988 or so and I have never looked back. Its super fast and just works for what I do. It’s basically my “vi” without all the brain damage. I know just enough vi to get an account setup on a box and compile uEmacs. It’s one of the most portable editors available in source code. There are several derivatives out there, and after restoring many systems from different era’s, I decided to quit fighting the different source trees and standardized on a version that I have put together starting with the 3.9 Linus Torvolds version on GitHub. (Yes, the Linux Linus). My version has my own additions, dependent on OS version, but works really nice on old machines and my modern Macs. Every time I changed jobs in my career, the first few days was compiling this editor on whatever machine was next, HP, AIX, DOS, Windows, whatever! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/223f31f4-04cb-471c-b5b6-c081b50e6c2c/FillerImage.png SPARCstation IPC - Final Thoughts A SPARCstation IPC was the first workstation I used on a regular basis at NASA, where I worked in the 80’s. In fact, I bought an IPC to write code at home. When everyone else had a PC or Mac, I had an IPC. It was an innovative time in computers, and the IPC was for me a glimpse of the future of how personal computers should work. So glad I took on the challenge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/57d4cb8b-da8e-47cc-95c4-bd6a6f8e6d13/2021-03-05-0001.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/97e4416d-d9bb-4d53-8b26-a6f9661e645e/2021-03-10-0003.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/316d4fba-cad3-4550-aedb-edb1ac4fb976/2021-03-13-0001.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/19d7060b-227c-4ed4-8c4c-9b00dec92df9/2021-03-21-0000.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0f145716-5496-4e8d-a903-e5582413d998/2021-03-25-0001.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/76b68359-4697-4af5-b948-6b99cc562c3c/2021-03-25-0003.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dac9485b-14c7-46f1-8338-5bdc9c761675/DriveLightClip.gif SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5d00be8d-185c-4390-bb49-e6a358f27ce8/IMG_0004-3.jpg SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/00ab5bdb-a274-4d45-a1bc-db0600822b8f/IMG_0005.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fefd35a4-19ac-47fe-b5e7-424a470304eb/IMG_0007.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1df0454a-1afd-4ef6-8d46-9adabc34691e/IMG_0009.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0d019bde-d392-418a-8451-ca6a6e1bd2a9/IMG_0030.JPG SPARCstation IPC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d39fc3b2-2dd3-4e87-86ca-617529fdb717/SCSI2SD+Light.png SPARCstation IPC https://www.oldsilicon.com/sparcstation-ipx daily 0.75 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/aa1c94d2-3768-4048-a786-1764a05452ec/SunIPXFlyer.jpg SPARCstation IPX - Acquisition I acquired this IPX via eBay from a Sun salvage guy in 2020. It arrived in nearly perfect condition with a 1Mb hard drive and Solaris 2.5 installed. The power supply is attached to the upper part of the clam shell, and, when I opened the box, the attachment screw socket had been broken off the top of the clamshell. Fortunately, it was still attached to the mounting screw, so I later used JB weld to reconnect the socket to upper part of the clam shell, and it has worked flawlessly since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4d99ba30-052a-4c1e-85d0-66672ad0abf6/IMG_0004-3.jpg SPARCstation IPX - Configuration The SPARCstation IPX incorporates a 40 MHz Fujitsu MB86903 or Weitek W8701 processor. Weitek sold an 80 MHz aftermarket "SPARC POWER µP" (2000A-080 GCD) processor [1] for the IPX, which requires a ROM update to v2.9. This IPX has the Weitek W8701 processor and the v2.9 Rom. When I purchased it, I verified the Rom was 2.9, as I wanted to test NetBSD on the IPX and the NetBSD installer required certain aspects of v2.9. NetBSD 9 later proved to be a bit much for the IPX, and I experimented with it on the Sun SPARCstation 10 restore. The SPARCstation IPX has four 72-pin SIMM slots for memory expansion. The memory uses parity Fast Page Memory (FPM) SIMM's with speeds of 50-80 ns. Slots can be filled individually, giving a maximum of 64MB memory. This IPX came with 64Mb of RAM installed. Additional 32 and 64MB SBus "Above Board" RAM expanders will fit and work with the IPX using the 8-pin J101 header, which contains additional power and clock signals next to the DMA/Cache controller. The SPARCstation IPX can hold one internal 3.5", 50-pin, single-ended, fast-narrow SE SCSI disk drive and a 3.5" 1.44MB floppy drive. Both are mounted in the top cover of the case. The hard disk slot supports taller drives than the 1-inch format that became standard later. It also supports external SCSI devices. The largest hard disk shipped by Sun with the IPX was 2.1G drive. When I replaced the hard drive with a SCSI2SD board, I built a custom 3D printed SBUS plastic board and mounted the SCSI2SD on that for access to the SDCard shot hole for the SBUS Card. This makes it easy to change out or backup the SDCard occasionally without opening the shell. This is the same design used on the SPARCstation IPC restore. The IPX came with a cgthree color frame buffer on the motherboard. Like all SPARCstations, the default resolution was 1152x900. I added a few different frame buffers over the following year before settling on the one mentioned below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b861dfc0-c2e3-4b09-8360-3b7ca5fa3fe6/Screen+Shot+2022-02-12+at+12.44.10+PM.png SPARCstation IPX - Timekeeper Update Unlike the IPC, this IPX came with a modified TimeKeeper chip installed. A common fix for the dead TimeKeeper chip is to remove the oversized chip and cut the top off with a Dremel saw. The top part of the chip contains the battery, and if you are careful, you can connect a common coin style battery like the CR2032 to the exposed leads on the sides of the chip, then reprogram the chip and be good to go. This modification had already been completely done on this IPX and seemed to work fine. Having had success getting a compatible replacement for the IPC, I decided to try the same with the IPX. The IPX has a bit of history of not liking the currently available replacement chip, the M48T02. My luck was no better. The chip simply could not be programmed, so I ended up just using the original modified chip. The CR2032 can be seen in the photo with the white insulation around it. The procedure, if I needed to do it, would have been the same as the IPC. For those that want to replace the chip entirely, allegedly the M48T02-70PC1, and M48T02-200PC1 do not work, but the M48T12-150PC1 is reported to work. Procedure for reseting IDPROM values on a Sun Workstation Video: replacing the IDPROM on a SPARCstation 20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9197080d-98be-4220-8050-57547fb7e464/Screenshot+2024-08-15+at+9.08.24%E2%80%AFAM.png SPARCstation IPX - Hard Drive Replacement I exclusively use ZuluSCSI RP2040 cards in my workstations. Initially, about half of my systems were equipped with SCSI2SD V6 cards, which worked great. However, during the pandemic, parts for those cards became nearly impossible to obtain. Toward the end of the pandemic, ZuluSCSI cards were introduced to the market, offering significant improvements. One of the main enhancements is the use of standard files for disk images. This was a game changer, making it much easier to back up and share images. You can read more about how I use and configure ZuluSCSI here. The setup is generally the same across all my workstations. For many, such as IPX, I add a daughter card that I designed to replace the green power LED with a bi-color LED. This modification results in a green LED when the system is powered on, and the LED changes to blue when the disk is accessed. It’s nice to have a visual indication when the disk is being accessed, especially since we’ve come to expect instant results from our computers. However, these systems were released back in a time when disk access took a bit longer! Link to ZuluSCSI information and my bi-color LED daughter card https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7255ffa4-0d4e-4b2f-9afa-77f14b824439/Screen+Shot+2022-02-15+at+2.18.47+PM.png SPARCstation IPX - Operating Systems The Sun IPX was generally released with SunOS 4, the last of the SunOS branded OS’s based on 4.3BSD with System V IPC. Later boxes were released with the Solaris OS. The IPX can run a variety of OS’s, including SunOS 4.1.1 onwards, Solaris 2.0 to Solaris 7, some distributions of Linux, NetBSD/sparc32 since 1.0, and OpenBSD up to 5.9. At this point I was already running 4.1.3 on my SPARCstation IPC so I decided to try NetBSD 9.1 and Solaris 2.6. I got both OS’s working fine on the IPX, but ultimately I decided that NetBSD 9.1 was just a bit slow on the IPX. NetBSD is a fairly modern Unix compared to Solaris 2.6. A later part of the NetBSD install asks if you would like to setup a SSH server and create server encryption keys? I said yes and it took hours to compute the keys! A similar problem surfaced starting the X Window server. All the modern extensions took so long to load that it just wasn’t worth it. I finally decided on Solaris 2.6 which is more period correct anyway. Solaris 2.6 had integrated CDE by this point which I found a pretty nice window manager at the time and works great on the IPX. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9b9fefb5-e612-49e2-9adb-ac1055d2344e/FillerImage.png SPARCstation IPX - TGX+ Graphics While the IPX integrated color graphics on the motherboard, I ultimately decided to upgrade that to the TGX+ SBus card like I ended up using on the IPC. It’s not really a high-performance card but it does allow you to run X Windows in 1280x1024 mode, a resolution that is much more appealing with available LCDs. The SPARCstation 10 that I recently restored, by chance, came with a version of this card, and as a result I just upgraded the IPC and IPX to the same card as it had fine performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1b329068-ba93-43c4-be43-208a4e0313df/UnixpackagesLogo.jpg SPARCstation IPX - Account Setup, Default Shell, UnixPackages.com The Solaris 2.6 default user shell is sh. Having had to scramble a bit to find old tcsh source to compile on the IPC, I ended up grabbing a binary package with tcsh from UnixPackages.com. Im sure some people bristle at the idea of paying for software that was originally free. I don’t really feel that way, i find its nice sometimes to just grab something you want and pay a minimal fee for it. UnixPackages has save me some significant time and if you need Solaris 2.6 binaries, this is your place. It was so nice to not have to build stuff I needed even though you do have to pay a little for these packages. By Solaris 2.6 there were system admin scripts to add users and such, so that was a bit easier to configure than SunOS 4.1. The DNS situation was more mainstream at that point, as well, making configuring DNS resolution more straight forward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c8977f0e-0abd-4e61-9531-27c3aa7da52b/C+Programming+Language+Book.jpg SPARCstation IPX - The Golden Age - of no more compiler As I recall SunOS 4.X was the last OS from Sun that included a C compiler by default. I ended up grabbing a binary install of GCC from the gnu site and installing that. It worked great, and, as I recall from back in the day, it was pretty common to use GCC even on SunOS. I’ve since gone on to use it on the SGI Indy as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e39b4ebc-5d9d-4b01-83e9-4027046c84ff/FillerImage.png SPARCstation IPX - OpenWindows + CDE As stated above, I never liked OpenWindows under SunOS. It was much more put together than X-Windows and its default window managers, but it just felt clunky to me. As a result, I ended with straight X-Windows R7 on the IPC. With the addition of CDE on the Solaris 2.6 OpenWindows system, I elected to keep with OpenWindows but use the CDE window manager. As I noted, X Windows under NetBSD was way too slow to be usable on the IPX, but OpenWindows/CDE on 2.6 was about the right tradeoff of speed vs capability on the IPX. I also ended up adopting this configuration on the SPARCstation 10. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7593b72c-a47e-4020-9768-ef4288e06836/IMG_0032-3.jpg SPARCstation IPX - Final Thoughts My original goal when buying the IPC was to recreate the computer of my youth that really made me love programming. The IPC fulfilled that dream, but it was almost a little too bare, a little too slow, and little too incompatible (the ROM version) to really put me back in that place. So part way through the IPC restore I bought the IPX. The IPX is right at the top of my favorite machines in the collection. It feels like 1991 but is responsive enough to still be fun. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ee697c90-e2fb-45f2-968b-85950b21a234/2021-04-30-0016.JPG SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ec276998-5642-4359-8f3c-25b6687422d0/IMG_0036.JPG SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/93bb422f-c04c-4b2c-9ffd-e2c8692ff8c1/IMG_3498.png SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7f5e5650-a766-42cd-8ea1-dbb8adeca24e/IMG_3530.png SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d4b1a7d4-1245-4b4a-80a0-701e7c97d0bf/IMG_3556.png SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b53089be-5b0a-42ee-9ee1-011388fa2aa3/IMG_3559.png SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1b3db25d-9c98-4e00-88f8-617377c7ad28/IMG_3560.png SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7b1f692b-c9f1-46b4-808c-e169f951373f/IMG_6476.jpeg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1aedbf7b-adaa-4356-854b-62bd227a624a/IMG_6483.jpeg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e524cbe8-69ba-47a6-9aad-48cd494f0e56/IMG_6484.jpeg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c46f304e-c593-4507-a1d2-cf2b7c61a62c/IMG_6509-2.jpg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/eb9c1c6f-666c-47fd-87e0-f67fdead70e9/IMG_6512.JPG SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1f4fcc9c-796f-4036-9fc2-f17d1058281c/IMG_6513.JPG SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669241977124-VJ641BMWA6CJ3RR0JT0W/IMG_10023.jpg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669241996039-5OC7FN6SIQ2YDUN7BVUX/IMG_10029.jpg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669242032913-PERKR3QQ9IEDWA5E0K8D/IMG_10048.jpg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669242069482-IVVCD6EHJ3FZPUQ0OA58/IMG_10052.jpg SPARCstation IPX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/61543fab-e978-4972-9d9f-97f5ac0a141c/SunIPXFlyer.png SPARCstation IPX https://www.oldsilicon.com/retrobrite daily 0.75 2022-01-29 https://www.oldsilicon.com/next-station-color daily 0.75 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/073eb7a2-7b84-43e1-a414-140ce4427bae/IMG_0008-2.jpg NeXTstation Color - Acquisition The NeXTstation Color CPU was given to me as a gift. It didn’t come with any peripherals, but the CPU unit itself was in great shape; only the front logo is a bit scuffed. Over the following months I acquired a keyboard and mouse from Ebay. The remaining piece of the puzzle was to acquire a genuine NeXT Sound Box. They are increasingly rare, but I was able to find one that was cosmetically in bad shape but functioned perfectly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/be6f7771-8d7a-42a8-9923-79c46651ea37/NextBattery.jpeg NeXTstation Color - Initial Testing At the onset I only had the main system unit, so ascertaining the condition of the box was difficult. It needed a new fan which was obvious from the sounds of the fan bearings. In addition, it needed a new clock battery, both easy to find on the internet. The box is powered on by a key on the keyboard. I didn’t have a keyboard, so after some research I determined there was a pin on the 13W3 video connector that carries the active low power-on signal from the keyboard. To boot the box without a keyboard, I shorted the power-on signal pin to ground on the connector and then plugged in a 13W3-VGA cable to an extra Sun Monitor. Happily, it did boot up. I couldn’t do anything but I could see that it would boot! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e818c6aa-504a-44b2-901a-d490ec0ec67f/IMG_0036-2.jpg NeXTstation Color - Configuration The NeXTstation Color uses a 25Mhz 68040 CPU. It came with 12MB of RAM installed expandable to 32Mb. This NeXTstation Color has 32mb of RAM installed. In context of the time these were reasonably small memory sizes and a testament to the efficiency of the operating system at the time. It has a 2.88Mb floppy drive. I don’t know the original size hard disk that came with the box, as I replaced it soon after acquiring it and before I could really boot it. As with most NeXT machines, the keyboard and mouse use a proprietary protocol, while some late model NeXT machines used ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) protocol for input devices. It has onboard 10baseT networking as well as a coax network connection. Video is delivered via a 13W3 connector, however the NeXT uses a proprietary “Y-Cable” where the video signals go direct to the monitor, and the other pins go to a DB19 connector that connects to the NeXT Soundbox. The general configuration is as follows: Motorola 68040 25MHz CPU Motorola 56001 25MHz Digital Signal Processor 15 Dhrystone MIPS 2 MFLOPS DP LINPACK 12MB to 32MB of main memory expandable using SIMM's 1.5MB VRAM video memory 16 bits/pixel color 4 bits/pixel alpha channel 4096 simultaneously displayable colors Screen resolution 1120x832 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/128cf566-2fa1-4776-b579-e14a6fe6f172/IMG_5429.jpg NeXTstation Color - Hard Drive Replacement The functional Hard Drive was replaced with a new ZuluSCSI card. I exclusively use ZuluSCSI RP2040 cards in my workstations. Initially, about half of my systems were equipped with SCSI2SD V6 cards, which worked great. However, during the pandemic, parts for those cards became nearly impossible to obtain. Toward the end of the pandemic, ZuluSCSI cards were introduced to the market, offering significant improvements. One of the main enhancements is the use of standard files for disk images. This was a game changer, making it much easier to back up and share images. Link to ZuluSCSI information Download the STL for the SCSI2SD board floppy drive bay adaptor Download the STL for the SCSI2SD board to hard drive bay adaptor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5a3a3a27-87a6-4347-90e9-b563f3d4a483/NeXTLogo.png NeXTstation Color - NeXT OS 3.3 Installation Much to my delight, the OS install on NeXTstation color was the easiest I have encountered. After googling, I found a site that maintains a NeXTstation working disk image. This is generally used by people running emulation software but works great on a real box. After configuring the SCSI2SD board for the requisite SCSI devices, it was just a matter of bit copying the drive image onto the virtual hard disk on the memory card. And... it booted! Install ISO Images Installed Base OS Image that comes with ‘Previous’ NeXT emulator https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2b1ceeb8-548f-4b60-91b6-38cce0cc3ae1/IMG_10057-3.jpg NeXTstation Color - What a Joy to use! Prior to this acquisition I had never played with a NeXTstation for more than a few minutes. The hardware is well built (the chassis is made of cast magnesium), the keyboard is delightful and has a very different feel than most keyboards I have, and the mouse - well the mouse sucks, but I guess you can’t win them all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fa941da6-022b-48a1-ae1f-75faaf027a52/Screen+Shot+2022-02-15+at+3.44.17+PM.jpg NeXTstation Color - The Soundbox Hunt The original NeXT machines came with the MegaPixel black and white display (CRT). The NeXT station would connect to the Mega Pixel display and the keyboard would connect to the display. The mouse would then connect to the keyboard. All very Apple-ish. Then, when NeXT moved into the color machine business, they decided that having the display “in-the-loop” was getting problematic (probably due to cost). So, they simply removed the small circuit board from the Mega Pixel display and placed it into a new enclosure known as the SoundBox. From this point on, the CPU connected to the Display via 13w3 analog RGB (as was common for the time) and the sound box via a DB19 connector requiring a very special cable Y-cable. The Soundbox had a microphone and a speaker as well a transcoding logic to input keyboard+mouse information and multiplex it with bi-directional sound data to and from the CPU. If you don’t have a soundbox with a NeXTstation Color, you don’t have a computer. Realizing that finding a working soundbox was going to be difficult, I found a nice gentleman that makes and sells a soundbox workaround board. It’s a workaround because it doesn’t (yet) handle any sound, just the interface between the keyboard+mouse and the CPU. His job is exasperated by a worldwide shortage of DB19 connectors that nobody uses for anything any longer and no one used a lot of at the time. As a result, he 3D prints the connectors and installs the connection pins in them by hand. If you don’t have a soundbox, be thankful he exists! In the end, I did finally acquire a NeXT Soundbox on Ebay. It was in a lot of other NeXT things including a Floptical Drive for a NeXT Cube and several various cables including two of the hard-to-find Y-Cables. In the interim I had made a Y-Cable myself out of necessity. How to make a NeXTstation Color Y-Cable The SoundBox had a lot of cosmetic damage in the form of scratches. Fortunately, it refinished nicely, and you would never know it had been reworked. If at this point you are feeling like getting a NeXTstation Color is going to be a labor of love, you would be correct! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/571e5631-fda8-434d-8ed9-e35e5032c168/Screen+Shot+2022-02-15+at+4.11.27+PM.jpg NeXTstation Color - The Challenges of LCD Displays with Retro Workstations Getting an adequate color display device for any of these workstations of this area is also a bit of work. All of the workstations of this era, NeXT, Sun, SGI, use analog color signals generally delivered via a 13W3 cable. Virtually none of the CRT’s from the 80’s and 90’s work any longer, so you need to find LCD monitors that work with these boxes. You can construct (or buy) 13w3 to VGA cables (or adaptors), as VGA was also an analog color signal. The real issue with all these boxes is they are what is known as Sync-on-green (SOG). This means the sync signal is part of the green signal (or monochrome for video cards that are not color). Not all monitors will use this sync signal so you must do your research here. But, I have found the more modern, yet still old, Sun Microsystems LCD’s do work pretty well. This is simply due to the fact the Sun was the only Workstation Vendor to survive long enough to make it into the LCD display era. Thankfully, most monitors of the 2000+ era are multisync as well. They will generally sync to anything from the 80’s or 90’s. So, I used my go to model of Sun LCD for the NeXTstation Color, a Sun Model 365-1432-01 or 02). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c849eedc-7ca7-4175-a2f8-0e4b60b3844e/IMG_6588+2-Enhanced.jpg NeXTstation Color - Resolution The Sun color LCD’s of the 2000’s do an adequate job of displaying the NeXTstation color’s display. They don’t do a great job of it. The problem really lies in the resolutions used in that era. Sun’s default was 1152x900, the NeXT is 1120x832. None of these resolutions are what later became “standard” resolutions in the PC industry. This is a problem because LCD’s are so good at pixel perfect, you end up seeing very clearly the aliasing of the source pixels into a display that has a different number of pixels natively. My SGI Indy looks great because they used a framebuffer size of 1280x1024 (what later became a ‘normal’ LCD native display resolution). I fixed the problem with my Suns by acquiring TGX+ cards that could display at 1280x1024. But sadly, the NeXT never became popular enough to escape its odd-ball resolution issue. It works fine, but the screen will never look much better without some sort of resolution scaling solution. (People are working on it in the community however). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5696373d-ec18-469c-8dae-e92a3569834d/IMG_5641-2.jpg NeXTstation Color - A Retro Reimagined NeXT LCD Monitor Using an old Sun LCD on a restored NeXTstation Color didn’t really feel like it gave justice to how much fun the NeXTstation is to use. So, I got an idea. I had several of the Sun LCD Monitors mentioned above. What if I did a retro-recreation of what a NeXT LCD might have been like? See how I created a re-imagined NeXT Color LCD Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3effa1e7-d819-4653-ac96-53ee29bd0540/FillerImage.png NeXTstation Color - Final Thoughts In many ways the NeXT restoration was one of the most difficult ones of the Workstation series. There were only 10K NeXT boxes made in total, so there just isn’t the breadth of information available online. I took some time to sort out issues like the crazy Y-cable and to find a keyboard and mouse. In the end, I’m really glad I did it. The NeXTstation color is a joy to use. It feels more sluggish than workstations of that era, but it also feels more refined than Macs of that era. It combines the heritage of the Mac with the forward-looking optimism of a modern mac based on Unix. It was the machine that could not happen at Apple, but it ended up defining Apple computers of the future. https://www.oldsilicon.com/silicon-graphics-indy daily 0.75 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3e0451b6-db77-40ba-8136-456fd8fcf016/IMG_0038-3.jpg Silicon Graphics Indy - Acquisition I acquired this Silicon Graphics Indy R5000 from Ebay. I believe in a previous life it was used as some sort of color matching system. It came with some specialized hardware that was not complete, and I couldn’t really find any relevant information about hardware on the Internet. Cosmetically and functionally, this Indy is in great shape. It came with a granite-colored keyboard and mouse, both in working condition. When I purchased the Indy it came with a SGI 17” Trinitron CRT as well. Unfortunately, the display has some significant issues so it’s on the shelf until I devote time to figuring out its problems. The LCD monitor that is pictured is a retro-recreation that I created from a SUN LCD screen from the 2000’s era, painted and badged to match the Indy. The machine also came with an external SCSI CDROM drive that did not work, and a complete set of CD Installation Media for Irix 6.5 including developer CD’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e9d1a582-7a9b-4dbf-a086-13be0edf0049/IMG_0044.jpg Silicon Graphics Indy - Configuration This Indy has an R5000 processor running at 180 Mhz, which was the higher end version of Indy line. Various other Indy configurations were released with R4000, R4400, R4600 chips. The Indy is the first SGI machine to utilize the QED R5000 microprocessor, which offers significant advantages over the R4400 and R4600 it replaced. This box came configured with 256 Mbytes of RAM installed. It has the entry graphics subsystem that is 8bit 1024x756. While it has a standard VGA connector, it also has a 13w3 connector. Both ports show the same image, however. All Indy models shipped with AUI/10BASE-T Ethernet and ISDN as standard equipment. The Ethernet ports are half-duplex only. Notably, I have seen the machine Kernal panic with some network gear that is configured to auto-negotiate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c2c2f1b7-2d48-4447-bf74-ce620a6b5cdc/IMG_4678+2.JPG Silicon Graphics Indy - Hard Drive Replacement The functional Hard Drive was replaced with a new ZuluSCSI card. I exclusively use ZuluSCSI RP2040 cards in my workstations. Initially, about half of my systems were equipped with SCSI2SD V6 cards, which worked great. However, during the pandemic, parts for those cards became nearly impossible to obtain. Toward the end of the pandemic, ZuluSCSI cards were introduced to the market, offering significant improvements. One of the main enhancements is the use of standard files for disk images. This was a game changer, making it much easier to back up and share images. Link to ZuluSCSI overview here Photos of the SCSI2SD board mounted in the Indy Floppy Bay Download the STL file for the SCSI2SD to Indy Floppy bay adaptor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/45c2ec6a-2e83-44e9-aa08-242f22ceb089/IMG_6678.jpeg Silicon Graphics Indy - Operating System - Irix 6.5 Installation The machine came with a full set of OS Media on CD. As it also came with a SCSI CDROM drive, my first attempts to install the OS were using this device. I had little luck with this drive as read errors were common. I happen to own a Sun CDROM drive as well, so I set it to correct SCSI ID and gave it a try. It ended up working perfectly, and the OS and Developer CD installs went flawlessly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/efeb3337-0616-4bca-907e-ab8bb0b2838d/IMG_6518.JPG Silicon Graphics Indy - Retro-Reimagined LCD Display When i found my Indy, it came with a keyboard, mouse and CRT display. They were all in the SGI “Stone” motif. The CRT was in bad shape so I set it aside and started using one of my Sun LCD monitors with it. Sun monitors work well with workstations of this era. After completing the job, I just didn’t think the Sun monitor did the Indy justice, but wasn’t sure exactly what to do about it. I went on to do a NeXTstation Color restoration and at the end of that I got the idea of doing a retro-recreation of a NeXT LCD Monitor using one of the Sun Monitors. The NeXT turned out really well, and so I decided that I would do the same for the Indy. Obviously, the Indy was more difficult as it was a more complex color than black. I started poking around at the hardware store and found a base color that looked like a possibility. In the end it turned out great! If you want to learn more about how I recreated something that never existed, check out the link below. Creating the retro-reimagined SGI Indy Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5ed2eb08-58b2-41e6-8658-ea7e3d03af65/Screen+Shot+2022-01-31+at+3.31.41+PM.png Silicon Graphics Indy - Final Thoughts I originally bought the Indy because I wasn’t having any luck finding an original Indigo. I had the opportunity to use an Indigo at NASA back in the day and really loved that machine. I settled for an Indy (a much newer and faster machine). Once the Indy was up and running, I was amazed how current the Indy felt aside from the lower screen resolution. It’s fast, responsive, and even compiles code fast with the GCC Compiler. It feels the fastest of all the Unix machines I currently have in my collection. Amazing SGI didn’t make it in the end; I really feel like it could have challenged the PC dynasty. https://www.oldsilicon.com/full-page-sparcstation-ipc daily 0.75 2022-02-04 https://www.oldsilicon.com/contact-us daily 0.75 2022-02-21 https://www.oldsilicon.com/suno-using-dns-without-nis daily 0.75 2022-12-06 https://www.oldsilicon.com/next-y-cable-diagram daily 0.75 2022-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f59c2d3b-1c00-4b74-a180-aef9dc6b2305/Screen+Shot+2022-02-13+at+1.04.59+PM.png NeXT Y-Cable Diagram - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/indy-scsi2sd-photos daily 0.75 2022-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/71d238b0-72d3-4556-a40c-46b028ec5701/IMG_4674+3.JPG Indy SCSI2SD Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/df77111b-9525-4cbb-8b55-7cb9664d0e71/IMG_4678+2.JPG Indy SCSI2SD Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9b9e1acf-679f-4a05-b0ec-b0e48b7dfd3d/IMG_4679+2.JPG Indy SCSI2SD Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bd7e6407-e97b-4f03-83d4-8df282f4212e/IMG_4680.JPG Indy SCSI2SD Photos https://www.oldsilicon.com/indy-retroreimagined-display daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1aea9a24-a430-4022-9a1b-94dd0f6f1707/Screen+Shot+2022-02-13+at+2.16.47+PM.png Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786969582-1EC8RS1OQ82DCSHMDT7J/IMG_6148.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786901992-1WKBX23K4ZV6HS1Z29KA/IMG_6078.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786841606-BIMZ9TN0W431DTA7PHSC/IMG_6067.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786766737-K4913IME2EXUKCSRNFFC/IMG_6063.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786814604-CNFHMHOIC52CGKK98RB4/IMG_6066.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1644786578668-EQAZB3Y2KGW0WQZ3G00T/IMG_6062.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d0fa9240-7a04-4183-8fbd-025f366329d0/IMG_6061.JPG Indy Retro-Reimagined Display https://www.oldsilicon.com/next-retroreimagined-display daily 0.75 2022-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1aea9a24-a430-4022-9a1b-94dd0f6f1707/Screen+Shot+2022-02-13+at+2.16.47+PM.png NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8c331ea0-0924-4c94-a2d9-7aa1a7faea65/IMG_5633.JPG NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/135af039-fcfd-4b59-a7e8-0e1dd6c77c57/IMG_5640.jpg NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/165c07c6-2bc4-42a3-8d7c-3416d129e659/IMG_5641-2.jpg NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/58212055-5e71-4155-aba4-ca21eb606f0a/IMG_6587+2.JPG NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7c7327a2-6816-4b42-b8e0-a45bc723233a/IMG_5635+2.JPG NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cf94bb90-4beb-443c-bf12-1d12b2743844/IMG_5636+2.JPG NeXT Retro-Reimagined Display https://www.oldsilicon.com/restoration-philosophy2 daily 0.75 2022-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3cee5bb6-6396-4247-97e5-89347e515287/CJDS8276.JPG Restoration Philosophy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/work-in-progress daily 0.75 2022-02-14 https://www.oldsilicon.com/indy-scsi2sd-config daily 0.75 2022-02-15 https://www.oldsilicon.com/resetting-idprom-on-sun-workstations daily 0.75 2022-02-16 https://www.oldsilicon.com/technologies-techniques daily 0.75 2022-02-18 https://www.oldsilicon.com/technologies-techniques-1 daily 0.75 2024-08-21 https://www.oldsilicon.com/ibm-5155 daily 0.75 2022-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3effa1e7-d819-4653-ac96-53ee29bd0540/FillerImage.png IBM 5155 - Acquisition I acquired the 5155 on eBay in November or 2021. The computer was in fair condition. Both floppy drives were wedged into the case to make them appear original, but both were a tan color, of different types, and neither worked when I acquired it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/703b47ab-444c-4fa3-aef3-e0b225310a69/IMG_5513.jpeg IBM 5155 - Process To assess the computer's condition, I opened the machine and removed the two broken drives. I had a functional 360K drive on my bench PC, so I installed that and booted DOS 6.1 to verify that the rest of the machine functioned correctly. Fortunately, it did, so I removed the drive and disassembled everything except the CRT compartment. The 5155 consisted of the motherboard, a stock IBM XT motherboard, the original floppy controller card, a very large CGA display board, and a parallel port card. I ran all the boards through the dishwasher and then placed them in a 100 deg oven for 6 hours to dry. I reassembled the machine, took the XTIDE flash card drive out of my bench 286, and installed it in the 5155 to test boot it again and try a few software programs like CheckIt to see how the machine was configured. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0a5638c3-ca76-462a-b4de-3d4c628ceb3d/IMG_7551.jpg IBM 5155 - CGA Adapter Situation One of the things I noticed immediately is how incredibly horrible the IBM CGA adaptor is in the 5155. It worked perfectly; however, the display would flash every time the text would scroll in DOS. I'm not talking about the sparkling effect you see sometimes that is caused by the CPU changing video ram at the same time the raster is updating the screen, I'm talking about complete blanking for what had to be 150ms or so. In the back of my mind, I knew this was normal for this adaptor, but never having owned a PC in this era, I was startled by just how bad it was. This effect is actually "by-design" to avoid the contention of the raster image scan and the CPU accessing memory simultaneously. What amazed me so much is how much better the Compaq I handles this, and it proceeded the 5155 by a year. I found it so jarring to my brain that I hit the various online computer groups for a solution. There were a few solutions to the problem, but none involved the IBM CGA card. The most appealing was trying to obtain an ATI EGA Wonder 800 Card and configure it in CGA mode. This card has the internal composite connector for the internal amber display. It took a bit of time to find an ATI EGA Wonder, and I ended up finding one somewhere in Europe, as I recall. After it arrived, I configured the card and installed it, and the difference was soooo much better. It's a later card compared to the IBM card (which I placed on the shelf), but the scrolling is much smoother (not any faster, mind you); otherwise, the functionality was the same. In fact, the card can do a great deal more than I'm asking it to do as it is an EGA card. It was a lot of work for a computer that I'm likely not to spend too much time with, but it was just an annoyance that I could not tolerate, and I'm surprised IBM customers did. The 5155 was a short-lived PC being replaced within a year of release, so there you go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5eec720e-2606-48e1-a702-902618e64ce6/IMG_6719.jpg IBM 5155 - XT-IDE Hard Drive I obtained a new XT-IDE Card for the 5155 and configured it with DOS 6.2, as with most of my DOS machines (except the PCjr, which runs a modified DOS 5.0). These are great devices as you can plug the flashcard into your Mac or PC and drag and drop software onto them. I put my staples on the drive, including Turbo C 2.0, Turbo Pascal, and a few other utilities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7b56440a-6826-4680-8f38-b228df64352f/IMG_6696.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dee2c95e-c06c-4ebd-8c0f-7707c1d7bfa7/IMG_6465.jpeg IBM 5155 Then a revelation occurred to me. I had messed with so many of these drives that it finally dawned on me that I had done this before. The first machine I restored was an IBM PCjr. The machine I bought was in bad shape, and the drive was a complete loss. But it was also a Qume 142 with the IBM logo. When I was restoring the PCjr a year prior, I got on eBay and started looking. I found a "PCjr Diskette Drive Upgrade Kit" that was new old stock (old but never opened or used). A little background here: as IBM was approaching the home market with the ill-fated PCjr, IBM thought some people might buy a PCjr without a floppy diskette drive. Once the consumer had the computer for a while, they would realize that not having a diskette drive sucked and would want to add it, so IBM made a kit. It had the diskette drive, a carrier plastic piece, a fan, and a diskette drive controller card. Being IBM, they made quite a few of them. Well, hardly anyone A) bought a PCjr in the first place, and B) if they did, they got it with the Diskette Drive from the beginning as this was past the era of the cassette drive loading software. So as a result, a lot of these kits were stashed away in old warehouses. When I bought the kit to restore the PCjr, I didn't think twice about it, I needed a drive, so I bought the kit. Fast forward back to the time of the 5155 restore. I started googling a bit and found out IBM shipped that floppy drive with PCjr's and IBM 5155 portables and only those two computers! Wow, this would be my ticket; if I could find two PCjr Diskette Drive Upgrade Kits (unopened), I would have the two drives I needed, and new nonetheless! After searching for some time, they never came up on eBay. I started hitting the forums I regular but nothing. One guy mentioned that Computer Reset in TX had a stack of them a while back. Computer Reset is a salvage place that has/had tons of old computer gear that people are welcome to come and haul away. I think most things of value end up being sold on eBay. The fellow in the forum said they were all gone now, but several of the Upgrade Kits were there recently. I tried to join a computer forum for the Dallas Ft Worth area as that is where Computer Reset is located. The forum moderator wouldn't let me join as I did not live there but offered to make a post for me about trying to find the Kits. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a3629dcb-49c6-4bc5-9cf3-201107b60eff/IMG_6691.jpeg IBM 5155 Some time went by, and then a guy from TX messaged me on Facebook that he had two kits. He offered to sell them to me for $30 each. That was a GREAT deal compared with my past experiences (which I won't enumerate here). When they arrived, both drives worked flawlessly (they had never been opened). I did grease the headrails, but they were the noisy clanky drives just as they had been designed to be. At this point, the rebuild was nearly complete! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/058127b4-3bc3-4dd8-a154-505db6432c99/Screen+Shot+2022-05-22+at+10.47.13+AM.png IBM 5155 - 3C509 Network Card The two additions I generally make to my DOS machines are the XT-IDE Flash drive and a network card. The network card is strictly not required as you can install software easily by just moving the Flash Card back and forth via sneakernet, but having networking is nice as I have an FTP server setup on my local network, and it makes it easy to move files around between computers. In the DOS world, TCP/IP was a new thing back in the day. Network cards existed at the time (mid 80's), but they were a mixed bag, and they were expensive. As DOS was not a multitasking or threaded operating system, most cards were used with early Windows installs that postdated these computers. However, years later, some enterprising software types figured out how to create "packet drivers" for DOS. A packet driver is TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program that is run from the command line; it sets up some memory it copies itself into, attaches to the network card via a hardware interrupt, and makes sure DOS doesn't use the memory for the next program, and exits. This way, when the card receives a packet, the interrupt calls the TSR and fills a software buffer other programs can access to communicate. None of this would be helpful without some TCP tools that Mike Brutman had written years ago. Mikes TCP tools (i.e., telnet, FTP, DNS) are standard Unix-type tools with the TCP stack compiled into them. These tools know how to talk to the packet drivers for various cards. When it's all said and done, you have modern networking for old computers. You need to research what cards work and then find deals. Their old cards can go from $20 to $400. I have a stash of $20 ones, so I put one in the 5155. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7b74ffdd-ce47-4907-9ac1-e6ed6efd38e6/IMG_7526.jpeg IBM 5155 The two cards I have tried are both 3Com Cards. My 286 Mule computer has a 3C503 8bit card in it and works great. Those cards are quite expensive however so when doing the 5155 I bought a 3C509 card. It’s a 16bit card but will work in 8bit mode. You do have to configure the card with a utility in a more modern computer however using the original 3Com software. I did this on my 286 Mule computer. Using the utility you set up the port address you need to use based on the host you are putting it in, and the interrupt you want to use based on free interrupts on the host. More on Packet Drivers with DOS. More info on getting a 3C509 card to work in an 8bit DOS Machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2ddf8a45-36fb-411c-869e-14a29daef1e1/IMG_6869.jpg IBM 5155 - Retrobright and The Model F Keyboard IBM machines age well with regards to case yellowing. Many machines don't do as well. Mine was pretty good, although very dirty. I decided to retro-bright the keyboard; if it turned out significantly better than the body, I would do it as well. So this meant disassembling the keyboard, cleaning all the parts, and treating the plastic parts in the Sun with hydrogen peroxide for several hours. For those uninitiated, older IBM keyboards are famous for their clicky sound. This comes from a rather famous design and patent known as a buckling spring design. When you press the key, a spring holds up until a particular force is obtained, at which the spring buckles and the key plunges down, making the iconic click sound. The 5155 uses a Model F keyboard, one of the buckling spring designs. When you disassemble the keyboard, it literally comes apart into over 400 parts (each key has several components, including the spring). Once you clean them all and get them back into the right place, you have a damn fine keyboard. But that takes a bit of work. You don't want to drop the keyboard while reassembling it (which I did once). A good video about restoring a Model F keyboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/80b83c01-c7c0-4932-b7c5-37025ff51bf7/Screen+Shot+2022-05-22+at+10.49.45+AM.png IBM 5155 - Realtime Clock Addition Computers in this era didn't have a timekeeper chip that keeps time while the computer is powered off. As a result, you would need to reset the time and date each time you started the computer. Computers a little newer began to incorporate the chip, and there was a market back in the day to add the chip to older machines like the 5155. Usually, they were included on other cards you might buy or, in some cases, built into the chip socket, which you could add under a socketed chip. After some research, I determined that a small ISA card would be the way to go as I had two slots still open. I found a fellow who occasionally does a run of this simple card and sells them on Tindie a maker site.. He was out of them, so I signed up to hear when he had more. Probably six months past then I got the email. I bought three of them so I could outfit the 5155 and the Compaq 1 and have a spare. The BIOS on these computers are not expecting a clock, so you need to modify AUTOEXEC.BAT to execute a few programs to take the time from the chip and set the DOS time when the computers boots up. You can get these utilities precompiled on Github. Link to the board on Tindie Software for Realtime clock on GitHub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3effa1e7-d819-4653-ac96-53ee29bd0540/FillerImage.png IBM 5155 - Final Thoughts This IBM 5155 is an interesting computer. It was made in a hurry by a company that doesn't make things in a hurry. It is smaller than Compaq I and has a much better keyboard. It's reasonably usable, but the CGA adaptor that shipped with it was so bad I can't believe they sold any of them. I suspect the "nobody gets fired for buying IBM" was involved in many purchases. That said, it's a good-looking computer; this restoration is probably 99% on my scale, as the never before used floppy drives really make the machine. It was a lot of fun, and although everything about the Compaq I is better, the Compaq I keyboard is such a battle to type on. If I could only have one on an island, it would probably be the 5155. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a07ba330-58cf-4c00-a1f8-c6f60e80daf5/Front.jpg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bf5c6c46-6f85-4297-82ab-67470908afec/IMG_5507.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/de594fd3-2caa-40d3-ba25-400320f64212/IMG_5513.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/029773c9-da81-4a34-a6e3-e41adb42126a/IMG_5514.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8314eeea-e7f9-49b1-b3f0-4b38faafb126/IMG_5515.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c4592381-9071-435e-82b1-3a9aaa7fb6f0/IMG_6689.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8ec3706a-08a4-45ae-b415-a60228b7c63e/IMG_6690.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dbb265fa-3dac-45eb-8190-eccac825c252/IMG_6691.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f3102a45-2123-4070-9a8b-91f3ea37c086/IMG_6694+2.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9e228eea-a580-4f35-9ff5-397aeee91708/IMG_6695.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2c94018c-3244-4e53-8578-8fe6b7eeec96/IMG_6702.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0c6181ae-5645-4b82-8279-37668975854f/IMG_6704.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5b3497c5-28aa-4f7a-959e-b11e8f9baf14/IMG_6711.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dc2ceffa-9c21-44f3-98af-f375a9460aa4/IMG_6712.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c5dcefc5-807b-47bd-aa11-0b673f1ae249/IMG_6716.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a31b2374-984c-415b-8676-5d8e5bad0d38/IMG_6719.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d4e06aea-5fd2-45f5-b7cf-8f2e4985f7e9/IMG_6869.jpg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/23b94d3c-84e1-46e6-b0a3-22f161bf6118/IMG_7524.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/de524382-70ba-48cc-86dc-f9b4a64d0321/IMG_7526.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/db2862ce-455d-4d58-834e-79d0af07e38c/IMG_7551.jpeg IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6cee14c0-6555-4376-b20f-fc15d631d174/IMG_8054.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ac68086f-4d0b-4df1-abfa-b2ccdd0e1dcb/IMG_8055.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0549bf6a-b412-4262-86df-f388744711d1/IMG_8057.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b3b7334a-fac8-436f-b240-b7d44cd63274/IMG_8059.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4d475973-5348-4e75-a461-4e269245c4f4/IMG_8060.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b4ff12a1-bc84-4018-a3b0-24abcb1327f5/IMG_8069.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ce07e5f9-e039-4b89-8922-be8d96c294d5/IMG_8070.JPG IBM 5155 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c685c886-0544-48e4-8379-d76723950650/Screen+Shot+2022-07-04+at+2.35.25+PM.png IBM 5155 https://www.oldsilicon.com/silicon-graphics-indigo-r4000 daily 0.75 2024-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1656535781193-1S5T5R8DGQ0HOS5BSALF/IMG_7897-2.jpg Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Acquisition I acquired the R4400 while working on the R3000 Indigo with the failed power supply. The R4400 is superior to the R3000 as it is faster, runs a more recent version of Irix, and has much better graphics. I met the previous owner on a forum talking about the SGI machines. He was moving and needed to get rid of several computers (in fact, an entire garage full). I thought about it for a day, but that R4400 was too good to pass up. It arrived a week later. A lot of indigos out there have been pretty beat up. In contrast this machine was in very good shape and was mostly restored by the last owner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9b73bc2c-e850-4cfb-ab07-653faf05ad25/IMG_7953.JPG Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Configuration Model: Indigo R4K Elan, XS, XS24 CPU: 1 150Mhz MIPS R4400(IP20) Processor, MIPS R4000 FPU Main Memory: 384MB of Memory Data Cache: 16KB Instruction Cache: 16KB Secondary Instruction-Data Cache: 1MB Operating System: Irix Release 6.5 Audio: Iris Audio Processor revision 10 Graphics: GR2-Elan Graphics Info: Graphics Board 0 is “GR2” graphics. Managed(“:0.0”) 1280x1024. 4 GE’s, 1R.E. 24 bitplanes, 4 auxplanes, 4 cidplanes, Z-buffer GR2 revision 2, VB1.1, HQ2 rev A, GE7 rev B, RE3 rev D, MC rev B. Monitor Unknown, Assumed 19: monitor Network: Interated Ethernet: ec0, version 1 Parallel Ports: On-board bi-directional parallel port. SCSI Controller: WD33C93B Units In Use: 1, 6 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/659b5db5-82d3-4745-8b68-768b086985c4/IMG_7945.jpg Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - ZuluSCSI Configuration I have to say the R4400 was in perfect condition. The previous owner had installed a SCSI2SD V6 drive in the top bay and had even 3D printed a new inner drive bezel to allow the LED to be seen through it when the Indigo drive bay door is open. He did a top-notch job. The machine was running Irix 5.x, and I used it that way for a bit, but I ended up installing Irix 6.5 onto the box, as that is what my Indy runs. Irix 6.5 is just a bit more mature and more standard version of Irix. I exclusively use ZuluSCSI RP2040 cards in my workstations. Initially, about half of my systems were equipped with SCSI2SD V6 cards, which worked great. However, during the pandemic, parts for those cards became nearly impossible to obtain. Toward the end of the pandemic, ZuluSCSI cards were introduced to the market, offering significant improvements. One of the main enhancements is the use of standard files for disk images. This was a game changer, making it much easier to back up and share images. Link to a quick overview of ZuluSCSI here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c0117759-f3eb-44e4-8ea3-e5100d50d12a/IMG_7947.JPG Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Cleanup This computer did not need any significant work, which was nice. I did take it all apart and ran the boards through the dishwasher on the fast cycle, then dried them in a warm oven (100 deg for 6 hours). I took the chassis with the backplane in it to my workshop and blew it out with compressed air, then wiped everything down with isopropyl alcohol. The iconic Indigo blue case was in pretty good shape. It had a few scuffs but was serviceable. I had purchased a new old stock case a month or so earlier, and it was marginally better, so when I reassembled the Indigo, I used the new case. The hinges on the front door of indigos are almost always broken in any Indigo I have seen for sale or otherwise. The case that I got with the R4000 had new plastic hinges fabricated (and the work was impeccable), but my new case had original hinges so went with that. I think Indigos with Elan Graphics that came from SGI in that configuration had an Elan Graphics logo on the door. None of my cases had that, but I’m not sure that’s uncommon if the box was upgraded to Elan graphics along the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2b96fbdd-5bed-4f6a-88e1-adf4866ab028/IMG_6678.jpg Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Irix 6.5 Install I really wanted Irix 6.5 on the box, and it was running Irix 5.x. When I restored my SGI Indy, I ended up using my Sun CDROM drive, and it worked perfectly. All the workstation CDROM drives back in the day used 512-byte sectors. Most newer CDROM drives use much larger sector sizes and, as a result, don’t work well with period workstations. Some devices, specifically used in early SCSI macs often have a sector-size jumper that you can set and they too will work with Workstations of this era. When I acquired my SGI Indy, it came with a complete set of 6.5 OS CDs. This was extremely fortunate because I'm not sure how I would have done the install with just CD images on the SCSI2CD. A full Irix 6.5 install is like 10 CDs, and you shuffle them in and out a lot. Fortunately, the install went without a hitch, and in no time (well a day), it was up and running on my network. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3443ea6b-7aca-485d-8c44-14403aff73ea/TinyBlankImage.png Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Power Supply This Indigo came with a working power supply. My R3000 did as well but quickly failed after I received it. The R4400 Indigo seems to work fine, except I can see faint noise on the screen. I think it’s probably a failing filter capacitor that hasn’t completely failed yet. I have never been a proactive capacitor replacer in any of my machines. Electrolytics from the 90’s era fail quite often, but earlier and later capacitors tend to be much better. I am considering proactively replacing the capacitors in the R4400 supply, especially knowing how much work it takes to build a new power supply as I did for the R3000. The Indigos all use substantial current at both +5 and +12 volts. The +5V amp rating is around 35A. That is well beyond the specs of most ATX-style modern computer power supplies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/099afa61-6bf4-4e05-907e-9dc781369a5a/IMG_6941.JPG Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Retro-Recreation Monitor The Indigo is such a joy to use. It's fast, and the Desktop UI was light years ahead of where the other workstation vendors were at the time. The R4000 with Elan graphics has a native resolution of 1280x1024 that works perfectly with one of my go-to LCD displays for period workstations. I enjoyed using the Indigo so much that I decided to, again, create another retro-recreation LCD monitor for the R4000 matching the SGI Indigo Purple/Blue perfectly using only two different colors of paint. I had done the same with the Teal SGI Indy, and it turned out perfectly. After a few days of messing around in my workshop, the monitor was ready to go. I acquired another SGI Logo (the same person I bought from for the Indy), and it was done. The machine is an absolute gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d692565a-4332-4591-80c6-eea5dff2351a/FillerImage.png Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 - Final Thoughts As I mentioned, the R4400 Indigo is probably my favorite in my collection, with the possible exception of Sun IPX. The Indigo is the superior machine for the era, in my opinion, but the IPX was just such a great swiss army knife and my first Workstation class computer, so I will always have a soft spot for the IPX. https://www.oldsilicon.com/home daily 1.0 2024-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c0cf5c1d-83ca-4cbe-94c4-51ef2b284dc3/IMG_6472.JPG Home Apple IIe Platinum In January 1987 came the final revision of the Apple IIe, often referred to as the Platinum IIe, due to the color change of its case to the light-grey color scheme that Apple dubbed "Platinum". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669135637656-LL0U852YZF25KEWL2OI5/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.12.23+PM.png Home IBM PCjr The IBM PCjr was a home computer produced and marketed by IBM from March 1984 to May 1985, intended as a lower-cost variant of the IBM PC with hardware capabilities better suited for video games in order to compete more directly with other home computers such as the Apple II and Commodore 64. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1681167829018-C2T87DK5W9TBNU7V4C3K/IMG_1237.jpg Home NCR PC4 The NCR PC4 was the first PC Compatible that NCR built. It had a striking industrial design that was probably its most outstanding feature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1698175230357-9UT4PG6458AWN7CQ3WIU/IMG_3741.jpg Home Sun SPARCstation Voyager The SPARCstation Voyager (Sun S240, code-named Gypsy) is a portable workstation sold by Sun Microsystems, introduced in 1994. It is based on the sun4m architecture and was the first SPARCStation designed to be portable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1645231013454-1YCBR29V7Z1XJMQQRV8F/IMG_0019-2.jpg Home Sun SPARCstation IPC The SPARCstation IPC (Sun 4/40, code-named Phoenix) is a workstation sold by Sun Microsystems, introduced July 1990. It is based on the sun4c architecture and was the first SPARCStation to be enclosed in a lunchbox chassis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1656608018296-SMTN28P61BO536TPQMQA/Front2.jpg Home IBM 5155 Portable The IBM 5155 Portable was released in February of 1984. It was an answer to the Compaq Portable one that beat it to market by a year. Its introductory price was $,4225. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1656535781193-1S5T5R8DGQ0HOS5BSALF/IMG_7897-2.jpg Home Silicon Graphics Indigo R4400 The Silicon Graphics R4400 is my favorite computer in the collection. It’s very nice to use (still today) and the Elan graphics package looks fantastic. I’m hoping to finish documenting this restoration that I did concurrently with the R3000 restoration soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1662412922800-AQV6R75B0PI1SRDXS4P0/IMG_8834-2.jpg Home Osborne 1 The Osborne 1 is the first commercially successful portable computer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1666640364954-D30TNGIYK8FOE5XLOJ58/Screen%2BShot%2B2022-09-06%2Bat%2B8.01.24%2BAM.jpg Home Mac Color Classic The Macintosh Color Classic is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from February 1993 to May 1995. The Color Classic is the final model of the original "compact" family of Macintosh computers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1645231123553-2YW8QRZZEPFE8GCUISSJ/IMG_0032-2.jpg Home Sun SPARCstation IPX The SPARCstation IPX (Sun 4/50, code-named “Hobbes”) is a workstation that was sold by Sun Microsystems, introduced July 1991. It is based on the sun4c architecture and is enclosed in a lunchbox chassis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a6acebbd-4191-4e44-b239-d802b2aaca5f/IMG_7934+2.jpg Home Kaypro II Kaypro began as Non-Linear Systems, a maker of electronic test equipment, founded in 1952 by Andrew Kay. The Kaypro II was the company's first personal computer released and was designed to compete with the Osborne I. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3e0451b6-db77-40ba-8136-456fd8fcf016/IMG_0038-3.jpg Home Silicon Graphics Indy The Indy, code-named "Guinness", is a low-end multimedia workstation introduced on July 12, 1993. Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI) developed, manufactured, and marketed Indy as the lowest end of its product line. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1666034427859-8XS35BTCODI1XYJJZ4AY/Screen%2BShot%2B2022-07-02%2Bat%2B4.19.58%2BPM.jpg Home Commodore SX-64 The Commodore SX-64, also known as the Executive 64, or VIP-64 in Europe, is a portable ("pluggable") version of the popular Commodore 64 home computer and is believed to be the first full-color portable computer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1645231597908-D3GR1299VNH2EVYDXSEG/IMG_0003.JPG Home Next NextStation Color The NeXTstation was released as a more affordable alternative to the NeXTcube. Several models were produced. The NeXTstation Color (25 MHz) in the collection is 68040 processor. In total, NeXT sold about 50,000 computers (not including sales to government organizations), making the NeXTstation a rarity today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1666034405522-PV0VOWXQVSRTM3VJ8RXM/IMG_8027-2.jpg Home Compaq Portable 1 The Compaq Portable was one of the first IBM PC compatible systems and contained a reverse-engineered BIOS, making it 100% compatible with the IBM 5150. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1646355961701-2Z8KAIEN2VAGXA1HFHFC/IMG_6774.JPG Home Silicon Graphics Indigo R3000 Since I started collecting and restoring various older computers, I really wanted an Indigo. This R3000 was my first acquisition and it’s been a handful. I plan to dig in and work on the long story soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1667062448919-WJNK1JBEO1Y5U2RHHIJ5/IMG_9350.jpg Home Compaq Portable III The Compaq Portable III was the third generation of IBM PC compatible portable system released by Compaq Corporation. It featured a Gas Plasma display making the machine much smaller than its predecessors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1666120522765-BUPDU1MNMVRMWEUBFJOU/IMG_9096-2.jpg Home Compaq Portable II The Compaq Portable II was the second generation of IBM PC compatible portable system released by Compaq Corporation. It had a 286 processor and was smaller that Portable I https://www.oldsilicon.com/kaypro-ii daily 0.75 2022-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1e6640e3-ebe2-4d0f-b28b-ccddcaf6a283/IMG_7941+2.jpg Kaypro II - Background The Kaypro II was the first consumer computer released by Non-Linear Systems in 1982. Kaypro was a subsidiary of Non-Linear Systems that was formed to sell consumer computers. Non-Linear Systems, located in San Diego, CA, was a factory automation company that was started in the 1950s. The company had a lot of experience with early microprocessors through their factory automation business, and when they saw the consumer success of Osborne I, they decided to enter the consumer computer market with the Kaypro II. There was never a Kaypro I (roman numeral) but there was later a Kaypro 1. Marketing was probably not their strong suit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/40910294-c50b-44e7-bf65-bc7c1ba96c17/EV91I2pWkAM8mND.jpg Kaypro II The Kaypro II was unusual in that its shell was aluminum rather than plastic, which most of the industry used and continues to this day. As a result, Kaypro II's are very tough, and many still look pretty good 35 years later, not suffering from the yellowing plastic typical of computers of this era. The Kaypro II is a luggable computer weighing in at 28lbs. It's a Z80 CPU-based computer, as were all machines running CPM at the time. Software titles for CPM systems numbered in the thousands, even in these early times. Most software for CPM was business or engineering type software, although some text-based games existed. Software that ran on one CPM computer would often run on another without modification. The only problem was that most systems used different floppy diskette formats, which made software distribution more difficult than it should have been. A Kaypro II fun fact; Arther C Clarke used a Kaypro II to write the novel "2010," the sequel to "2001 a Space Odyssey ". He sent the final manuscript from his Kaypro II equipped with a modem from Sri Lanka via modem in 1982. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ee3a0055-df8f-4ae3-a5e1-fcbf7b8659d2/IMG_7964.JPG Kaypro II - Acquisition I bought my Kaypro II from a Gentleman in Canada who had posted it on a Facebook group that I was part of. It cost me more to ship it than to buy it. I had been looking for a Kaypro II or an Osborne I for some time, and when I saw the photos showing that the screen worked and it would at least boot to the 'insert disk' screen, I figured I had a fighting chance to restore it. The computer has an awesome 9" green screen CRT with a crystal-clear picture producing super legible text. This was pre-graphics, people! This Kaypro II is the first CPM machine I've ever touched. I had zero experience with CPM or any Z80-based system before acquiring it, and I paid about $125 for the computer and about the same for shipping. It arrived about a week later. I was fortunate to get all, or at least most, of the manuals that came with it originally. You must appreciate an age where the same manual that shows various parts of the circuit design is only one scant chapter away from how to use the word processor that came with it. The average user back then was a bit savvier than today's average MacBook buyer! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/730433d9-d48c-4c22-918a-f0c4b5edf8e5/IMG_7958.jpg Kaypro II - Condition The computer arrived packed reasonably well. As I recall, the previous owner didn't want to ship it and was looking for someone local to buy it. I talked him into shipping it, which was why shipping was expensive. I wish I could say that all the computers and computer parts I receive were this well packed, but it's the exception rather than the rule. The Kaypro II enclosure is all aluminum. That's a bit unusual as nearly every other computer is generally a metal frame with an injection-molded plastic case. The enclosure was in pretty good condition except for a dent in the bottom of the keyboard. Like many of these "luggable" machines of the time, the keyboard attaches to the main box and becomes the bottom of the case during transport. Clearly, this machine had been dropped, which bent the keyboard case. It appeared fixable, another benefit of metal rather than https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/61b1e614-4c02-4f38-bd8e-a2d7818bcd90/IMG_7958.jpg Kaypro II The Kaypro II, like the Apple II, comes from an era when most, or at least a lot, of the chips on the circuit board are discrete logic and socketed. Sockets are a handy feature as you can easily troubleshoot the computer by swapping chips. This would come in handy as I restored the system. One can still find most chips used in the Kaypro II today as most are 7400 TTL Logic. Many of these chips were so widely used that they are still in production today. Some of the more specific chips you may have to get from a digital salvage place can be a bit pricier. In some cases, you can find the binaries for specific ROMs online and burn your own ROMs if necessary. That was not necessary for this restoration, but I have done it for my SPARCstation IPC. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/077b38ba-4e07-4f09-9d20-4c88f0175b76/IMG_4409.png Kaypro II - First Boot I took the case off the Kaypro II to check the internal condition before turning on the power. The major components are bolted down well from the factory. Still, many of these boxes have been reworked by different people, often losing the correct screws along the way, so examination is advised before applying power. Fortunately, everything looked good when I inspected the inside. This box came without a keyboard cable, and the previous owner had disclosed that to me. As an aside, I think it's pretty common not to include the cable or keyboard if the seller suspects the box has a problem. This way, the new owner can't easily check it right away. I've been down this road before, so I knew what I was getting into. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/069c5b14-4228-45d5-ade9-c491f6e5554d/IMG_4402.png Kaypro II I had fabricated a keyboard cable before the computer's arrival. As I recall, it uses a four-conductor phone handset cable as its keyboard cable. This was the same cable used to connect a telephone handset to its base. This is different than the cable that connected the base to the wall. All this would likely be quite foreign to anyone 45 or younger! When I powered on the Kaypro II, I immediately noticed a few problems. First, the diskette drive motors would spin, but the red "Read" LED on the floppy diskette drive never lit up, and the floppy diskette Read-head did not seek. That was not good. These boxes boot up quickly when everything is working with an inserted diskette. Even if the diskette is incorrect, you hear the Read-heads seeking and not finding what they want. This box did nothing; not great. The previous owner had photos of it booted into CPM, so I thought something might be unseated on the motherboard or a cable disconnected in transport. Disconnected or unseated components are common with older systems that have been shipped. I already had the machine somewhat disassembled, so I started removing some of the connectors and used my voltmeter to check +5 and +12 voltages. Everything seemed fine, and when I plugged things back together, it started working. A likely cause was some oxidation on a connector that got worn away by plugging and unplugging things. I later determined that if the box had been "on" for a while, it would generally boot CPM from the boot diskette but not always. If the box had been powered down for a while, it would not. Clearly, the diskette drive was somewhat marginal and affected by temperature. This is not uncommon with older machines like this. Second, I noticed the keyboard wasn't working. I noticed this when it would boot CPM to the A: prompt, and when I entered the "DIR" command, no keystrokes would register. I surmised that the keyboard was functional, as it would make a little sound from an internal speaker contained in the keyboard when you press a key. That told me the microcontroller that decodes the keyboard keys was working, but the keystrokes were getting lost on their way to, or once on, the motherboard. I believe the protocol between the keyboard and motherboard is serial RS232, so something was likely broken in that path. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a3e9b347-640e-4adb-af90-e9f3bef98d67/Screen+Shot+2022-07-04+at+7.07.11+AM.png Kaypro II - Fixing the Keyboard Problem As I was digging into the keyboard issues, naturally, I tried googling, "Kaypro II keyboard not working." Much to my surprise, the first item returned was a blog post someone had written twelve years earlier about the same problem. It turned out to be the baud rate generator chip on the motherboard. I bought a replacement chip on the Internet, and a few days later, I popped it in the socket on the motherboard. It worked perfectly! The Internet is a wonderful source of information for fixing these machines, but I had never been quite that lucky before! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3fe1b41e-5ee2-40c7-9380-fa2372d8bc39/Screen+Shot+2022-07-04+at+7.42.11+AM.png Kaypro II - Moving on the Restoration Phase I generally try to get new old-boxes functional as quickly as possible to see the issues before putting more money into them, making them look good. At this point, I knew I had a working computer. First, I ordered a floppy disk emulator to replace the A (top) floppy drive. A floppy disk emulator appears like a floppy disk drive to the host computer but keeps the actual diskette images on an SDCard or USB Stick. This way, you can easily download old diskette images from the Internet and put them on the card using a modern computer. Buttons on the front of the emulator let you change diskette images just as you would change floppy diskettes. I ordered a HxC2001 floppy emulator from a company in Europe (I can't recall where). There are several versions of these devices for older computers, and they are all based on the same open-source designs. I got mine from https://hxc2001.com/ because I knew it worked well with the Kaypro II as someone on YouTube had used this device on his Kaypro II as well. While I was at it, I ordered two of them so I would have an extra. A lot of these devices from different small companies have rotary knobs on them, which I did not want. These devices are used in everything from industrial machines (i.e., sewing machines) that used floppy disks originally to electronic musical keyboards that stored "samples on diskette" in the 80s and 90s. As a result, it's "unlikely" that you will find specific directions on how to make the device work with your specific computer. There's a bit of trial and error in this step, but with diligence, you will figure it out. In the end, there were only a few makers of floppy drives in this era. The emulation is quite good, but the cabling is confusing, and some of the settings lack any real useful documentation. The emulators I ordered make a ticking noise when the real floppy drive would do a Head-seek. It doesn't sound that real, but back in the day, it was a real cue that everything was working correctly, and I like it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/81ea35ec-3c6d-4711-b23e-d1d4954a9106/IMG_7962.JPG Kaypro II With that out of the way, I proceeded to disassemble the machine, leaving the power supply and CRT alone. CRTs can be dangerous to work on unless you are careful. This CRT worked perfectly, so I elected to just let it be. I had to dig into my Mac Color Classic, and the entire CRT thing took quite a while and a bit of nerve to overcome! Glad I didn’t have to go there with this machine. The Kaypro II is basically a single motherboard with all the logic on it. There are no slots or daughterboards to contend with. Depending on the machine, I generally run motherboards through the dishwasher on a 60-minute cycle, then dry them in a warm oven at about 100 deg F for 4-6 hours. I've had great luck with this for years. Since the Kaypro II has all socketed IC chips, I decided to remove all the chips before cleaning the board. I generally don't do this, as it seems to work fine either way. I took a photo of the motherboard, printed it out on my laser printer, and placed all the chips in their respective areas to avoid any reassembly problems. After this was complete, I reassembled the computer and tested it again. Everything was great! Or so I thought at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3a8f89d2-a3fb-4f80-a7c5-06334a72863c/IMG_7936+2.JPG Kaypro II - Installing the HxC2001 Floppy Emulator Several weeks later, my floppy emulators arrived. While I was awaiting them, I gathered a few Kaypro II floppy images from the Internet and placed them on a formatted SDCard. It took a bit of fiddling around to get the drive connected to the motherboard correctly. There really weren't hard and fast standards for the drive ribbon cables back then, so again the Internet is your friend. Once I had it all sorted out, I was able to boot off the floppy image from the floppy emulator. This was a relief as the original diskette drive was very unreliable. Up until this point, I hadn't really learned a lot of CPM commands or really done much with the computer. Now that it had a working "floppy drive," I decided to try some common things like list files (DIR), create new files, rename files, etc. This is where the restoration came to an abrupt halt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e13a9e71-88a6-4d64-aecb-100466acf563/Screen+Shot+2022-07-04+at+7.19.16+AM.png Kaypro II - I can’t write to floppy disks! At first, I thought the problem was just my lack of understanding of CPM. CPM does have a more robust file locking ability than early DOS on PCs. So, for a while, I thought I just wasn't doing things correctly. If I tried to create a new file or save an old one, I would get a CPM "Bdos Error disk is R/O" on the screen. Basically, CPM was saying the diskette was write-protected (which it wasn't). In fact, I wasn't even using a real floppy drive, so I put the real device back in. Same result. As I kept debugging, I tried formatting real and simulated diskettes. It would appear to format but then fail when the computer checked the format. Literally, anything that tried to change anything on a diskette was failing. When I got the Kaypro II, I never tried writing to diskettes as I only had the ones that came with it and didn't want to risk messing up the only boot diskette I had. Had I really come all this way to not be able to really use the computer? I ended up hitting up some old computer forums. Most advice was not great, but one guy looking at the schematics suggested I check the write logic line coming from the disk controller on the motherboard. This line tells the drive it should "write," and the drive won't change data without the line being set. I busted out my oscilloscope and placed a probe on the write-enable pin coming out of the floppy controller chip. Sure enough, it was sending an active high signal during writes and low voltage otherwise. That was good news as that is one of the chips it would have been harder to find. That active high signal (that's a way of saying the control chip sets that pin at +5V when it wants the floppy drive to write to the diskette) then goes through an inverter chip. The inverter changes the high signal to low as that is what the floppy drives interpret as a "write" signal (i.e., write is "active low" on floppy drives.) When I placed the scope probe on the output of the inverter, it was always high (i.e., "don't write”). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1a51cd08-748c-41cc-a2e2-3364e593c599/IMG_5111.jpg Kaypro II Bingo! The signal from that chip never changed. I had a bad inverter chip! I pulled the chip out of the socket, and it turned out I didn't have a bad hex inverter chip. What I had was a bent pin on the chip. When I reinstalled the chip after cleaning the motherboard, the pin was bent under the chip, not contacting the circuit board. Straightening the pin and reinserting, everything worked great. Two weeks of messing around for a bent pin. I had actually thought it might be something like this, so I had visually inspected the board twice. But without pulling the chip out, it was impossible to see the pin bent underneath (at least with my eyes). My Internet helper had pointed me to the right place, and the computer was now 100% functional! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/03d06e2c-b718-4361-b2dd-3f121457240d/Screen+Shot+2022-07-04+at+7.05.21+AM.png Kaypro II - Cosmetic Fixes The keyboard, which had a bent housing, was fairly easy to fix in the vice at my workshop. It's not perfect but not as noticeable now. Since I replaced a full-height floppy drive with a small diskette emulator, I needed to fabricate a new bracket and front bezel for the A drive area. I've become pretty good at creating parts in SketchUp on my Mac and printing them on my 3D printer. After a few attempts and tweaks, I had the part I needed. Since the bracket/bezel is so prominent on the front of the computer, I finished the part with automotive Bondo, sanding it smooth and painting it a mat black. It turned out pretty good, and I'm happy with the appearance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/509c504e-078d-4ba6-8d03-12083803c60d/IMG_7937+2.jpg Kaypro II - Having Fun with Turbo Pascal I spent a lot of my professional life as a software engineer. The first real language I learned was Turbo Pascal on the IBM PCjr. I knew that Turbo also supported CPM back in the day, so I found a disk image of TP for CPM for the Kaypro II on the Internet and made an image for the floppy emulator. It worked perfectly and was quite fast as it was on DOS three decades earlier. I played around writing some code to list directories and such. It was a great payoff for all the work to get the box into working condition! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/223f31f4-04cb-471c-b5b6-c081b50e6c2c/FillerImage.png Kaypro II - Final Thoughts As a complete package, the Kaypro II is a great little machine. I would have been over the moon to have this computer back in high school. It's zippy for what it is, it's easy to work on, and it's not 'that' heavy to move around. The screen is large and easy to read, and the keyboard is wonderful, even with the arrow keys in a wacky place. I'm working on my Osborne I now and look forward to comparing the experience between the two. I can say it's much lighter than the DOS luggables in my collection, and it's built like a tank! The biggest downside to the CPM machines I have is there is no way to add a hard disk or hard disk emulator. You are trapped in the confines of the 180kb diskettes or diskette images. Fun computer! Glad I have it. https://www.oldsilicon.com/osborne-1 daily 0.75 2023-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/83f5e39f-4526-4bea-a2aa-47c32dc66f31/Screen+Shot+2022-09-02+at+2.28.20+PM.png Osborne 1 - Background The Osborne 1 was developed by Adam Osborne and designed by Lee Felsenstein, first announced in early 1981. Osborne, an author of computer books decided that he wanted to break the price of computers. The computer's design was based largely on the Xerox NoteTaker, a prototype developed at Xerox PARC in 1976 by Alan Kay. It was designed to be portable, with a rugged ABS plastic case and a handle. The Osborne 1 is about the size and weight of a sewing machine and was advertised as the only computer that would fit underneath an airline seat. It is classified as a "luggable" computer. This Osborne I is the oldest computer in my collection by six years, so I wanted to do it justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/657c0441-11c4-419b-a934-dcb75b96f178/IMG_4668.jpeg Osborne 1 - Acquisition I bought this Osborne I from a friend, JJ Dasher, on the Vintage Computers forum in August of 2021. JJ runs Dasher Deals and I have purchased several things from him over the years. Sometimes Ebay sellers can be a little sketchy, but JJ, is a good dude. I highly recommend checking out his stuff. This Osborne I has a green screen. Osborne triple sourced the CRT’s in the Osborne I so you will find some with green phosphor, amber phosphor, and white phosphor. The screens were tooled for the IBM 5100 portable computer and Osborne adopted that tooling to expedite delivery of the Osborne I. I was in the middle of the Kaypro II restoration when it came up in my group feed. It had been partially restored, so I felt more comfortable grabbing it. Osborne I's are not that rare at this point, so that gave me some confidence that if I messed it up, I wouldn't be entirely out of luck. This would turn out to be a good thing during restoration as I did need to get a second Osborne I for parts along the way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/44fa9b8a-3ed4-401d-8851-a324f3fff4f8/IMG_4669.jpeg Osborne 1 - Condition This Osborne I was in pretty good shape when I received it. It was well packed and booted right up from the B drive. Osborne computers can boot from the B drive, unlike Kaypro II's. It can, however, be a bit confusing to use the computer after booting it up from the B drive, as it logically swaps the drives. After booting it from B drive the rest of the session, A is on the right, and B is on the left. I'm sure more than a few mistakes have been made after booting from the B drive! The computer, like nearly all Osborne I's, was extremely yellowed (see the section below titled “retrobrite” for a comparison). It was almost Fall when I got the computer, so I decided I would retrobrite the computer the following summer. This turned out to be quite a task, as I will outline below. The previous owner had installed a Gotek floppy emulator running Flash Floppy in a 3D printed carrier. The machine came with a USB stick with some common OS images and a handful of games. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b92224d0-1bb0-4747-a315-83ee2352dbe8/Screen+Shot+2022-09-02+at+2.48.39+PM.png Osborne 1 - Acknowledgments When you start a restoration project, you often know nothing about the computer you are restoring. I was pretty new to the Osborne I but knew a bit about CPM from the Kaypro II restoration I had done prior. By the time you are done restoring a computer, you literally have 20 or 30 documents and weblinks, you found along the way. I ultimately use these documents to do these documentation pages at the end of the project. With regard to my Osborne I restoration, I would be remiss not to point out a huge source of information on the Osborne I. Richard Loxley wrote an incredible 18-part blog post on restoring his Osborne I in 2018, and many things I did came directly from those posts or indirectly from links he referenced. I can honestly say, I’m not sure I would have finished this restore without the excellent information contained on his site. I encourage anyone that is attempting an Osborne I restoration to read this excellent source of information. Richard Loxley 2018 Retro Challenge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/eb19e33f-6389-4012-ae42-bfa23a8268de/IMG_8479.jpeg Osborne 1 - Deconstruction I wanted to install a newer Gotek with an OLED screen in place of the existing one, and as with most of my machines, I wanted to give the inside a good cleaning. Since I planned to retrobrite the case, I just resorted to completely taking the machine apart. The Osborne seems tough, but once you take it apart, it kind of falls into many parts. Its strength comes from being assembled. The main components are the top case, the bottom case, the front bezel, and a pretty flimsy tray that the monitor, drives, and motherboard attach to. All the parts appear to be some sort of ABS plastic. None of the internal cables are very long, so you end up with parts on their side, and upside down, etc. Osborne I's are one of the more complicated computers to run while disassembled, and, to work on anything, it pretty much has to be completely disassembled. After disassembly, I decided to temporarily install a spare HxC floppy emulator I had on the shelf. It initially worked fine. Over the next few days, I moved parts around just testing a few things, and then suddenly, the HxC drive stopped working. While debugging HxC, the real floppy stopped working. Things were going downhill fast! Then one day, I turned on the computer, and the speaker just screamed, and the screen was full of garbage. The entire thing was just dead. Wow, I single-handedly destroyed an Osborne I. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2159352c-92fe-4ae8-8613-239bc44bba27/IMG_8453.jpeg Osborne 1 - Debugging the Broken Motherboard After doing some research, I found out that often a bad RAM chip can cause the behavior that I was seeing. Some online forums suggested letting the computer warm up and then feeling each RAM chip with your finger. If one chip feels warmer than the others, then that is likely the bad chip. As I mentioned, doing this with the Osborne is a bit of a challenge due to the short wire lengths and layout of the system on the bench. After plugging and unplugging things several times, I noticed that the system started acting normally again. After thinking about this, I noticed when plugging and unplugging things, I would always grab the board in the same location on the corner. More debugging revealed a bad electrolytic cap in the corner of the board (C12 next to the blue piezo speaker) that, when touched, would make the system stop and start working. Electrolytic capacitors are a notorious failure point on these older systems, so this didn't really come as a surprise, but the Cap looked fine. Once I determined it was definitely that capacitor, I de-soldered it from the board, revealing that the bottom of the Cap easily broke off and the electrolyte looked brown and old. (Seen in the photo as the green Cap laying off to the side.). The Osborne I motherboard has very few caps on it, so I just ordered and replaced them all at one time, along with the double-density diskette daughter board that I had removed to test the RAM chips. While I was at it I recapped the power supply board as well, although, it looked like it had been partially done at some point in the past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0f9a9370-f1dc-40ba-a715-1e5db10daa5f/Screen+Shot+2022-09-02+at+2.37.37+PM.png Osborne 1 - On to the Diskette Drive I was now clawing my way back to a functional system. I realized that while debugging the drive issues, I had plugged in the HxC drive upside down, as well as the Gotek, as well as the original floppy drive. The Osborne has one of the dumbest design features I've ever seen. The computer routes +5V and +12V over the floppy signal cable. To make matters worse, the floppy cable card edge connectors are not keyed to prevent you from plugging the cable in upside down. If you plug the floppy ribbon cable in upside down, you end up feeding +12V to sensitive TTL +5V logic and frying at least a chip or two. While debugging my drive issues, I accidentally cooked three different drives before I figured out what was happening. On any other system, I've restored, plugging a floppy cable in incorrectly generally just yields a non-working system with no harm done. Not on the Osborne, you clever engineers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7c5a9dfe-3ce7-4ecf-9d54-805097325107/IMG_8543.JPG Osborne 1 When I received the system, it had a homegrown adaptor between the ribbon's card edge connector and the Gotek that avoided this problem. Osborne uses the old-school card edge connectors for floppy drives, and new drive emulators use a more standard 34-pin inline connector. You generally need some sort of adaptor (or a completely custom cable) to break out the power lines on the ribbon cable to route them to a separate power connector on the emulator. After doing some research, I found an open source board that adapts the Gotek to the Osborne 1, breaking out the +5V pins and dropping the +12V pins to avoid all this. (the purple board in the photo) The design is on GitHub here, and there’s a link on the page to have a PC board company print you a circuit board. I bought three of them and the required connectors, and when they arrived, I assembled them. It was a bit confusing to get an A and B drive working. The Gotek has a drive-select jumper, and so does the adaptor board. I soon realized that Gotek jumpers always needed to be configured for a B drive. Then, using the jumpers on the adaptor board, you set the drive to be either the A or B. There is next to no documentation out there on configuring both an A and B drive on the Osborne, so this took a bit of time to hash out. I did successfully stop frying drives and did make it all work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/64daa17d-ebc1-4bb5-8853-7c5577cf5d46/IMG_8561.jpeg Osborne 1 - Bringing the real floppy back to life. The real floppy drive was cooked from the wrong drive cable orientation, but I thought it might be easily fixed. Using the schematics that are published in the Osborne Technical Manual, I made a diagram of what chips are erroneously connected to +12V if the drive cable was connected upside down. It turned out to be several gates on a single IC chip U17. Those connections control things like head-seek and write-enable lines and a few other functions. I did notice that the floppy drive head never would seek after misconnecting the cable one time, so that was a pretty good sign I might be onto something. I ordered the chip plus a few extras off the web. While waiting for the chips to arrive, I de-soldered the U17 chip from the board on the diskette drive and installed a socket. When the chip came in, I installed one in the socket, and the floppy drive worked once again. In the end, I left the real floppy on the shelf, as the system is much more usable with two Gotek installed, but I have it for reinstallation at some point if I wish to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/98c5a918-be75-4319-a680-937534fbff85/IMG_8533.jpg Osborne 1 - Mounting the Gotek Drive Emulators Gotek’s don't physically fit super well in the Osborne. The Osborne front bezel covers the front of most of each floppy drive. I really didn't like the look of the installation like that. Not wanting to modify the Osborne bezel, I decided to design and 3d print a custom drive carrier for the Gotek that stacked Gotek controls vertically. On top is the OLED screen, in the middle is the USB port, and at the bottom is the rotary knob used to change disk images (i.e., floppy disks). The guts of Gotek emulators are on three different circuit boards making this configuration possible with longer jumper wires installed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8f112f64-c4ee-4289-b0e2-fd45e2061e65/IMG_8544.jpg Osborne 1 After a good bit of design work on Sketchup, I printed out all the parts and assembled them. To give the drive bezels a more finished look, I applied automotive Bondo glazing compound, sanded each bezel front smooth, and painted each with a flat black paint. To give the parts a bit more durability, I finished each bezel with a clear matt enamel finish to protect against body oils from fingers. The Gotek has a green read/write mini-LED on the board, but I wanted to replace that with a larger red LED in the correct location for a period drive. I removed the LED on the board and replaced it with wires leading out to an LED I installed in the carrier. The hole in the carrier matches with the hole in the Osborne bezel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dfe8950e-6668-48aa-9667-3dc2f848d81c/Gotek+LED+Mod.png Osborne 1 You can use the existing LED leads on the Gotek (after unsoldering the existing LED), but I ended up connecting the LED to the drive-select line and an unused positive test point on the Gotek with a current limiting resistor inline. This allowed me to select my own value for the current limiting resistor and LED, dialing in the brightness where I wanted it. I believe I used a 470-ohm resistor inline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/aff724f9-863a-4db7-8a7c-052320d6a628/IMG_8800.JPG Osborne 1 I think the result looks fantastic, and it’s quite usable. When the drive is accessed, the red light comes on as it would on a real drive. I wanted sound from the drive emulator, so I connected a piezo speaker to the Gotek board. This is a nice addition as it makes a ticking sound when the virtual head changes virtual tracks. These old machines aren't very fast, so any feedback that something is working is welcome. The rotary knob on the Gotek, used to select the specific floppy image, just clears the keyboard keys when the keyboard is attached to the unit for storage or transport. If you want to print and assemble the parts for your own Osborne I install, they are located here. STL File for Bottom STL File for the USB Board Shelf STL File for the USB Shelf Spacer STL File for the Front Bezel STL File for the Support Bracket https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8c15a93f-507f-482a-bc3d-c6adbdfe58be/IMG_8601.jpeg Osborne 1 - Getting Software onto the box My system doesn't have a real floppy drive installed in it. You can, however, create and modify Osborne I disk images with various tools, including the cpmtools package on GitHub here. This is the popular way to take individual files (like program files, etc.) and put them into disk image files that the Osborne treats as floppy diskettes via the Gotek devices. Unfortunately, after a lot of effort, I never could successfully modify disk image files. They would always end up corrupt on the actual machine, yielding CPM Bdos Errors. I ended up abandoning that effort and moving to directly sending files to the Osborne via a serial cable from my Mac laptop. To do this, you start with an existing disk image (i.e., floppy) on the Gotek and delete the individual files from CPM on the Osborne with the ERA command. Once you have a blank image, make several copies of that. When you want a new "floppy disk," copy the blank image to a new name, and you are ready to transfer files to it via the serial cable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/93ff8ca7-16dc-4141-a9e7-2623cd0ad32e/Screen+Shot+2022-09-02+at+3.29.04+PM.png Osborne 1 Now the trick here is you need a reliable program to transfer files over serial. That would generally be Kermit from Columbia University. Except there's a chicken and egg problem here, as you need Kermit on the Osborne to get Kermit to the Osborne. Fortunately, I found a description of how to solve this dilemma online. CPM comes with a program called PIP (Peripheral Interchange program). It allows copying data from the serial port into a file. PIP, while useful, is also pretty dumb. PIP reads bytes (uncorrected) into memory, and when the buffer is full, writes to buffer to diskette (or diskette emulator as in my case). However, if the transfer is larger than the memory area that PIP uses, then it writes the full buffer to the diskette, and PIP loses any incoming data while doing that, corrupting anything you send larger than the size of that memory buffer. Reading the Toni Westbrook article online (see image), I learned you could successfully transfer an ASCII Hex dump of Kermit to the Osborne in parts, then append the parts together, load the resulting file into the debugger, and then write the full Kermit executable out to the diskette (or my case emulated diskette) It's a lot of fiddling around, but once you have Kermit on the Osborne, then future transfers are super easy without all these arduous steps. The most challenging aspect is reassembling the ASCII hex files on the Osborne. PIP can concatenate files which is half the battle; however, the individual files always end up with blank lines in them. These must be removed before loading into the debugger as the debugger is not very smart. The only way to do that on the Osborne is using the ED.COM editor. The CPM editor ED.COM was designed to be used on teletypes, so its use could not be more foreign and laborious. In the end, I only needed to delete three blank lines from the file I concatenated all the parts into in the combined file, but it took me several hours to get it done. After that, the rest of the process went smoothly, (although my debugger addresses were different than Toni’s) and much to my surprise, I ended up with a fully functional Kermit executable on a disk image I could use going forward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cc018693-9a77-4c76-88aa-044e3251d426/Screen+Shot+2022-09-05+at+3.58.16+PM.png Osborne 1 After this, software transfer was trivial from my Mac laptop. I used the Mac program "Serial," available for free in the AppStore. Serial has a “send a file using Kermit protocol” feature that works great with Kermit running on the Osborne. Kermit can resend packets if a corrupt one arrives and handles pausing downloads while writing to the diskette. Unlike the totally non-standard floppy drive cable on the Osborne, the serial cable is simply a straight-through cable as the Osborne I was designed to act like a terminal. A simple USB serial port from the mac (USB to 9Pin male) cable attached to a (9pin female to 25pin male) cable does the trick just fine. You do need all the control lines, so don't just try to connect the TX, RX, and GND pins; that won't work. The process Is slow (1200 baud), but then again, programs from this time were not that large. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a3262e33-347d-4920-bc0e-b42dc5c1f651/Screen+Shot+2022-09-02+at+3.44.31+PM.png Osborne 1 - Troubles with Turbo I was a programmer for a lot of my career, and my first real language was Pascal, specifically Turbo Pascal 2.0, then 3.0, before moving on to C, C++, etc. Turbo Pascal runs great on CPM machines and old DOS machines and is widely recognized as the first Developer IDE (Integrated Development Environment). It has an integrated editor and single pass compiler that compiles straight to memory, making it easy to build apps fast on machines that are not fast. I run Turbo on my Kaypro II as well as all my DOS boxes. While it takes a bit of time to get back into the Pascal mindset, Turbo is quite nice for building small software utilities quickly. In addition, there is a lot of Turbo Pascal source code out there for various programs people wrote back in the day. Turbo Pascal 2 and 3 also run on CPM machines, including the Osborne. In all environments, DOS or CPM, you first run TINST.COM to install the program. The name is a bit misleading as it really doesn't install the program but rather modifies some configuration information, so the program understands the hardware on the specific computer. Running Turbo Pascal on CPM, getting the TINST.COM configuration correct is important as most CPM systems were built to double as terminals. The problem is that they all emulated different terminals. TINST.COM configures the terminal escape sequences much like Termcap does on Unix or Linux computers. When you run TINST.COM you select the terminal type, and there is a selection for Osborne I. Unfortunately, the terminal definition appears to not be correct, or something else is wrong because I was never able to successfully configure Turbo for CPM on an Osborne I. The main IDE screen appears to work fine, but when the program drops into editor mode, the screen is garbage, and the machine freezes up. I had no problems configuring Turbo for the Kaypro II, so I was surprised it just didn’t work on the Osborne. I tried all this with two different versions of Turbo Pascal (2 and 3) and got different but equally nonfunctional results. If you know something about how to do this successfully, please contact me with the link on the site and correct the error of my ways. Link to Turbo Tutor a great getting started manual. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/732a68c9-5eed-4971-a6bb-9f896d143d8a/IMG_8843-2.jpg Osborne 1 - Retrobrite The Osborne I was a tough restore. When I got the machine, like all Osbornes of that era, the plastic case was bright yellow from UV light damage. The keycaps were green, and the plastic was yellow. It just looked horrible. Not bad, horrible. I knew from the beginning I was going to retrobrite the entire case, keyboard, keys, everything. I also knew from experience that these old machines are very difficult to retrobrite successfully. The only way I have been successful with older machines is to completely submerse the parts in hydrogen peroxide + water + sunlight; otherwise, the plastic streaks, and you can basically ruin the box. The Osborne comes apart into many parts, but you still need a reasonably large container to retrobrite the individual components. I also went through probably $30 of hydrogen peroxide in the process as there are a lot of parts, and most needed at least two days in the sun to get back to normal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7fd69b3e-d0df-4cb6-af01-ee56c5b7c7b4/IMG_8768.jpg Osborne 1 Despite my forethought and care, I initially made a serious mistake. With a lot of my restored machines, I have started this process by running individual plastic parts through the dishwasher on the fast cycle. I do this with circuit boards all the time, and it works great. I've done it with more modern plastic cases, and keyboard sections with no problem. When I did this with the Osborne I upper section and keyboard housing, they literally melted. This was a really bad situation. I realized there was no recovery from this, so I started looking for a second broken Osborne I that was for sale but with a good case. I soon found one with a good plastic case and did not repeat that mistake. In the end, I used the power supply from the second box after recapping it, and I have various spares for the future (some parts working, some not). After two days of retrobrite efforts, all the parts came out looking quite good. It's a little tricky to get them all about the same color and close to the original color, but It's doable with patience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/223f31f4-04cb-471c-b5b6-c081b50e6c2c/FillerImage.png Osborne 1 - Final Thoughts The Osborne kind of grows on you as you play with it. Its tiny 5" screen is readable, at least at its 52-character width. While 40-character screens always felt too limiting to me, 52 works for a lot of programs just fine. From what I understand from reading various forums, it was pretty typical for users to have an external monitor where they could use a larger screen when at home or in the office. Osborne sold a ScreenPac upgrade that let you select more standard screen sizes, but to me, that feels like that was probably incompatibilities on top of incompatibilities. In comparison, the Kaypro II, which followed the Osborne I, was a much nicer experience (although larger and heavier) but had a 9" 80x24 characters screen. Hands down, If I had to make a choice, I would select the Kaypro II. Nonetheless, there is something charming about the Osborne I, and once you got used to its quirks, I'm sure the original owners were quite happy with the machine. https://www.oldsilicon.com/compaq-portable-ii daily 0.75 2022-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/26e3fa05-6115-4fa1-8fc0-92e89ee0418d/Screen+Shot+2022-10-28+at+4.38.30+PM.png Compaq Portable II - Acquisition After looking for a CP2 for quite a while online, I finally found one in reasonably good shape. I believe I paid around $200-$250. I like the design aesthetics of the CP2, and I remember it on the showroom floor when I was graduating from college. The CP2 is one of the first DOS machines that looked “designed” to me rather than a purely functional collection of parts. I think the design language of the CP2 has also stood the test of time. The size of the machine, while still large, is much smaller and lighter than the CP1 or the IBM 5155 while still retaining the 9” screen. The front bezel looks cool, the one-third-height floppy drive is nice looking, and everything looks balanced. This level of design, which was unusual for the time, does present a problem when wanting to restore the computer, however. If you want the machine to look correct, you really have to use the proper floppy drive. This limits your options. Trying to find the correct floppy drive can be difficult for any computer, but this computer had to be the one-third-height drive in the correct color, only sold by Compaq. Finding the right working floppy drive can be tough, as I documented in my IBM 5155 post. For this reason, I decided I needed to find one that had a working floppy drive. Fortunately, I think these drives were pretty reliable. I had the same challenge with the CP3, but most of the CP2s and CP3s I looked at appeared to have working floppy drives. Link to Compaq Portable II Technical Reference Manual https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ca78dfe3-e709-46bd-b2e3-7c2677e518e6/IMG_9117.JPG Compaq Portable II - Process When I received the CP2, I powered it on straight away. This CP2 was represented as working with photos of the screen, and it arrived in the condition I expected. The machine booted off its original 20Mb Connor Hard Disk, and before long, the screen was displaying the Compaq DOS 3.1 C: prompt. I found that while the keyboard technically worked, it didn’t work very well. Often you had to mash keys hard to get them to register, and in some situations, the key would register twice. The alt key didn’t seem to have any support under it, and it was obvious the keyboard was a foam-and-foil style made for Compaq by Keytronic. It was clear to me the keyboard would need to be completely rebuilt, which is not unusual for this style of keyboard. The Compaq portables are all an endoskeleton design of lightweight steel with a plastic panel on the outside to give them their appearance. The CP2 plastic case is a nice design that slides off the body easily, and, mostly, in one piece. The CP2 departs from the CP1 by almost exclusively using Torx screws, and mostly, the same size for all the major parts. The plastic case connects to the endoskeleton chassis with four screws. The computer's bezel (front face) is connected to the endoskeleton with six screws. Four of the six plastic mounts, however, were broken off in all four corners of the bezel. I think this is common for this computer. I felt confident I could fix these based on other computers I’ve encountered with similar issues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d90ea972-1efa-43ac-aa99-769ca6c8920e/IMG_9411.jpg Compaq Portable II - Compaq BIOS Settings Compaq computers of this era did not have BIOS modification screens built into ROM as became the standard in the industry. With most machines, you can hold some combinations of keys on the keyboard while the machine is booting up and get to a configuration screen before DOS loads. Compaq machines, however, use a different strategy. The only way to change BIOS variables is to boot the Compaq Diagnostics Diskette, which then provides the user interface to make changes to the BIOS. If you don’t have that diskette, you aren’t going to be successful with a CP2 or CP3. After some research, I found the configuration utility. Amazingly it was still available on an anonymous HP FTP server. There are two versions of the utility, I found that confusing at first. It turns out the utility, when executed, creates two utility floppy diskettes. One version creates 720Kb 3.5” floppy disks, and the other creates 360K floppy diskettes. I grabbed both programs and have hosted both on this site for download, as it’s getting harder to find these files. You don’t need to run these executables on the Compaq as they simply unpack and create floppy diskettes that you then boot on the Compaq. I ran the utility on my Bench 286 and created 2, 360K floppy diskettes. I then booted the CP2 on the first floppy diskette and was into the BIOS setup. I knew I had BIOS changes to make, but I had some things to do first. So, I created labels for them and put the diskettes aside until I had sorted out the hard disk setup and changed the battery. Compaq Diagnostics floppy creation utility for 360K floppy diskettes Compaq Diagnostics floppy creation utility for 720K floppy diskettes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c23264a2-feca-41da-bbcc-9ea964ce0f85/Screen+Shot+2022-10-28+at+2.53.53+PM.png Compaq Portable II - Hard Disks and early Compaq Computers The Compaq Portable II and Portable III BIOS only understand a select set of hard disks. These are referred to as “Disk Types” by Compaq. Each type has settings like heads, cylinders, etc., but you can’t edit (or even see) those things. All Compaq machines from this era had a sticker on the front bezel telling you what drive type it had installed; this machine was a “Type 2” or a 20M Conner Hard Disk. The largest disk the BIOS understands is a type 42 drive that is about 500MB. Ultimately, I decided to disable the IDE controller in the CP2 and use the IDE controller on the modern XT-IDE ISA Card. The XT-IDE has its own BIOS extension code that installs at boot time, removing this limitation and allowing nearly any size compact flash card to be used as the hard disk. This is, by far, my go-to for adding modern flash card support to a retro DOS machine. This, however, does not work on the CP3 that I restored simultaneously with the CP2. More on that in the upcoming CP3 page. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/405ef5ed-fae9-4556-8e54-bb914aa358dc/IMG_9376.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6a3eef9f-8142-4312-a526-5d6643bc80ce/IMG_8888.JPG Compaq Portable II These early Keytronic keyboards are a capacitive design. The keys, when pushed, bring two conductors sandwiched by foam into proximity of each other, creating a capacitor that the keyboard processor detects. Each key has a plunger that freely moves up and down with the key, a rubber dome that gives the key a ’breaking feel’ and holds the key up, and a foam-and-foil insert that holds the foil conductor off the circuit board until you squish it with your finger. These keyboards fail mainly due to the foam becoming brittle and breaking, requiring you to change all the round foil-and-foam inserts out with new ones. After installing all the new foam-and-foil inserts, I reassembled the keyboard and tested it. However, much to my surprise, I encountered a new, odd problem with its functionality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d9e1a325-6cde-470e-b32a-43e3265068c8/Screen+Shot+2022-10-28+at+3.22.49+PM.png Compaq Portable II Whenever the Enter key was pressed, the Enter ‘action’ would work as expected, but the computer would also make a beep sound. Debugging, I disassembled the keyboard and noticed that the Enter key had an unusual feature. It had two plungers, two foam-and-foil pads, and two rubber domes. When I was reassembling, I installed all these parts in every key that I encountered. Obviously, the keyboard was designed to have all these parts installed, so I installed them. I didn’t have any extra parts, nor was I missing any, although all the new foam-and-foil pads were new. I debugged the keyboard (disassembled) with the computer connected and quickly determined that the upper Plunger of the Enter key (nearest the top edge of the computer) was the Plunger being recognized as the ‘Enter” key. The lower Plunger seems to make the ‘Beep’ sound, not contributing to anything but annoyance. This was curious. Keytronics clearly designed the keyboard this way, assuming both plungers would be active. It also makes sense because the Enter key is large and can be pressed at different locations and different angles. I would assume the thinking was that the keyboard processor firmware would differentiate between the two plungers taking the first signal and discarding the second key. Yet, that is not the case. Imagining the history of this design, I would assume that some firmware issue was encountered, and they ditched the design. Instead, leaving the Plunger without the foam-and-foil insert so the lower Plunger would never register. I first just removed the foil from the foam insert on the lower Plunger and tried the keyboard that way. That worked, getting rid of the errant ‘beep’ sound. But, after testing, I found the keypress to be rather resistive. Once again, I took everything apart and removed the foam from the lower Plunger but still left the rubber dome to keep the key flat upon its two plungers. That seemed to be the best feel for the key, although still now what I would call normal. It’s a strange situation. If anyone knows the history of this, please shoot me a message. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c0013b7c-527b-4475-ad7b-213037078636/IMG_9122.JPG Compaq Portable II - Installing the XT-IDE Hard Drive Like most of my older DOS machines, I run a Blue Lava XT-IDE card in my CP2. They are a breeze to install and work great. I won’t go into any more detail here, as you can read about it in my IBM 5155 post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/058127b4-3bc3-4dd8-a154-505db6432c99/Screen+Shot+2022-05-22+at+10.47.13+AM.png Compaq Portable II - 3C509 Network Card The two additions I generally make to my DOS machines are the XTIDE Flash drive and a network card. The network card is strictly unnecessary as you can install software easily by moving the Flash Card back and forth via sneakernet. Still, networking is nice as I have an FTP server setup on my local network, and it makes it easy to move files around between computers. The process of adding the network card to the CP1 was virtually identical to the process of adding the card to the IBM 5155. How I added the 3C503 to the IBM 5155 More on Packet Drivers with DOS. More info on getting a 3C509 card to work in an 8bit DOS Machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/36011a89-3739-458c-a354-f6bffe2e7792/Screen+Shot+2022-10-28+at+3.08.23+PM.png Compaq Portable II - Front Bezel Fix The Front Bezel looked fine on the CP2. As I mentioned above, during the tear-down, I noticed that four of the six screw stays were broken off. Fortunately, the stays were still attached to the screws, so I decided to reattach them using JBWeld. JBWeld is a two-part epoxy that is very strong when cured. JBWeld works well for this kind of repair as the epoxy has a lot of strength itself. You can build up a thick blob around a broken part and create a much stronger part than was originally manufactured. The tradeoff is can only use this fix for areas you don’t see, as it's very noticeable. Fortunately, the machine screw stays are not visible in any way other than when the machine is apart. After the epoxied stays cured, all the front bezel screws worked great. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b2885dda-3148-4a38-82e2-9a8d690afce3/IMG_9131.JPG Compaq Portable II - Battery Replacement Most machines of the 286 era and later have some kind of battery backup device for the timekeeper chip. Battery backup allows the machine to maintain the time when turned off. Most of these batteries fail after 20 years or more, so they need to be replaced. Sometimes the battery and timekeeper chip are in the same chip (google: Dallas Chips). That’s not usually a good thing, as the likelihood of the chip still being in production is low. Fortunately, the CP2 uses a separate battery that is still readily available online. Brand: Tadiran Model: TL-5104/S Lithium 3.6 Volt 2100 mAh Series: MBU Shelf Life: Up to 20 years Chemistry: Lithium Thionyl Chloride (LiSOCl2) (Primary) Dimensions: 0.56" Diameter X 1.97" Long Connector Type: Button Top Description: AA cell lithium battery Stable voltage and broad temperature range: -67°F to 185°F (-55°C to 85°C) Using the BIOS utility, I set the time, and everything worked fine, and the BIOS had no problem with a 2022 date. Purchase the battery from BatteryGuy.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/68996203-ad0e-48c0-902a-b4b96b5c49d7/Screen+Shot+2022-10-29+at+8.29.51+AM.png Compaq Portable II - Retrobright I decided to Retrobrite the entire plastic case and keyboard. It was a pricy exercise as the main plastic case is one piece and reasonably large. I use the Retrobrite immersion method exclusively. First, I obtained a large plastic bin and 30 bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide from Walmart ($30, $1 a bottle). Over a two-day period in the summer heat, I submerged the parts in the bin in Hydrogen Peroxide and water. The case was already close to the original color before treatment, so there wasn’t a huge change in its appearance. The keyboard keys, however, were very yellow and benefited greatly from the process. First Retrobrite Blog Post https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e2ec0ebf-9ba0-4457-bb37-5d2ff02aa6c4/IMG_9129.JPG Compaq Portable II - Hard Disk Access Light Having removed the original Hard Disk from the CP2, and installing the XT-IDE, the front bezel, the hard disk LED was no longer hooked up. I removed the old LED and replaced it with a modern 3.3V LED and connected it to the XT-IDE Card. I experimented with different current-limiting resistors to get the brightness I wanted. I settled for something a bit brighter than the original but still period-looking. Finally, I used hot glue to attach the LED back on the bezel lens. I like the result. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/37c23e8a-6525-42b0-a630-23e63809088c/IMG_9386.jpg Compaq Portable II - Final Thoughts I really love the looks and size of the CP2. The screen is razor sharp (better than the photos), and the keyboard, while still not great, is usable. Compaq never solved their keyboard issues until the CP3, which has a great keyboard, after switching from Keytronics to Input Devices Keyboards. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy good rubber dome keyboards like the types provided with Sun Microsystems, Sparc Workstations (also Keytronics), but at this point in time, Keytronics just didn’t have it worked out yet, IMHO. There is something special about this computer. I would take it to a coffee shop today, plug it in and write some code, just to make a stir. The 80286 is fast enough to compile C code and pop around in DOS 6.22. You might be happy with the keyboard unless you used the CP3 keyboard, and then it would always seem like a compromise. The size and weight are manageable in the same way the Osborne I is manageable. Would I take it everywhere? No. Would I take it to a lot of places? Sure. It’s an entire computer, of the day, in an easy-to-transport case. This computer, with the CP3 keyboard, would be my fav DOS machine in the collection. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/940af4ce-a19f-4cc5-8065-e9374c346291/IMG_8888.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/983fe982-2553-4d06-b503-f9f8f586f9bc/IMG_8900.jpeg Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0d474a72-0ad4-4cca-8625-84ee688bb878/IMG_8903.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bb83b635-8671-464c-a366-2db070f7f3a7/IMG_8904.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b7013000-8c29-48c1-805f-0a641022e0cc/IMG_8905.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9a5325d6-104f-4d00-a206-3a6cf029e4a1/IMG_9057.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bb4d353f-4f1e-4d5f-8eb8-403911c10768/IMG_9074.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3b7d0cc5-1b2f-4ea7-8e24-5d9692f0964d/IMG_9075.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669240043564-VR57YNRV484YDPIBBJVE/IMG_9079.jpg Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/126cfedc-f8d0-4ad9-83f8-f7b12c21ab2f/IMG_9081.jpg Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0ebf4893-d7d5-4020-95e9-d87d692d4feb/IMG_9089.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ac2ed1f6-24a9-437c-b045-bc95e99664fc/IMG_9091.jpg Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6a58d6ac-23a9-48c5-8e43-342f57831f90/IMG_9117.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/58fc90db-f2e9-44e8-8c09-ca356447e393/IMG_9119.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/060ca58a-4f6e-4759-8f26-7c75ecdfd4b4/IMG_9120.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fc99b1ff-37be-4726-8ba6-04a19c0d00e5/IMG_9121.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4b51dfae-a736-4b48-9690-378e86bcc664/IMG_9122.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/21764ae3-6a0c-4652-8061-b663d240c599/IMG_9123.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9bc16ec6-f4d0-4eab-b873-03dfc3b36e79/IMG_9124.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/af56979e-4482-4374-a23e-3418106f2a93/IMG_9125.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/496c069e-321d-48eb-ac3a-a1c0ee115f29/IMG_9126.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5ca5b4e3-1fc9-4dd7-b6fa-4bcdc3f54d14/IMG_9127.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/20edeabc-0cdd-4302-8cc2-2c2b2d2fe8ab/IMG_9128.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2c4efd18-16f8-4f5e-8d87-a165beb53785/IMG_9129.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3ba99bbb-e4b8-4692-90d4-f2ba5d97d9e2/IMG_9130.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/49fe2000-0839-43cf-af6e-d8efb0f0a742/IMG_9131.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/403cf813-d5cc-4db5-9ed6-4ab81769ea8e/IMG_9132.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c41480ae-5e4e-4269-8eae-f34b060a32f1/IMG_9296.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a54ca4c6-88c7-4c79-bad4-e84bb452d669/IMG_9382.JPG Compaq Portable II https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9980df37-a099-4b46-8c95-11b944b8bb4a/IMG_9397.JPG Compaq Portable II https://www.oldsilicon.com/compaq-portable-i daily 0.75 2022-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3732833c-7a29-40c7-8c83-74c93497bb5d/IMG_8019.JPG Compaq Portable I - Acquisition I acquired this Compaq Portable I, which I'll refer to as the CP1, in 2021. It was the second MSDOS machine in my collection. The first was the IBM PCjr that I restored in 2020. I can't remember what I paid for the machine, but it was likely around $300. The computer was fully functional but very dirty. The appearance was good, but like all Compaq systems, the keyboard was very yellow and the plastic a bit brittle. It's a classic 8088 machine with 640K of RAM. It has a custom CGA-compatible board that I would later learn is light years better than the CGA board that IBM shipped with the 5155 Portable. More information on the 5155 restore and video card. The CRT was crisp and worked great; both floppy drives worked fine. In short, the electronics were solid. Compaq did a great job on this computer as they probably had to "kill the king" (IBM) or not survive past their first computer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9e471658-727a-4cb1-9f06-0d576b29cab9/IMG_8142.JPG Compaq Portable I - Process Like most of my systems, I just hooked it up and turned it on! You will read a lot online about "never doing that," as the power supply condition is unknown, etc. That's all well and good, but in my mind, you don't know what you are working with until you "check out the patient." Yes, sometimes a capacitor in the power supply blows up; likely, the seller has already powered it up before listing it anyway, and if a power supply capacitor does blow up, it's easier to find. In any case, the machine powered right up and booted into Compaq DOS 3.3 from the 360K floppy A drive. Both full height floppy drives worked, so I just greased the rails with silicon spray, cleaned the heads with alcohol and left them alone. I had just finished building my 286 Bridge PC that I use to make floppy disks for my DOS and CPM machines where I became familiar with XTIDE devices. These cards are an IDE compact flash card on an 8-bit ISA Card. They hook into the BIOS via an extension ROM that most PC’s look for at boot time. I took the ISA card out of my 286 Bench computer and gave it shot in CP1 and it worked great. That allowed me to run CheckIt and take a look at the configuration. I ordered another XTIDE from Blue Lava Systems and started taking the machine apart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c84ed0a4-8b4e-48a1-8409-206402824115/IMG_5187.jpg Compaq Portable I - Clean up With probably half of my systems, I disassemble them and run the circuit boards through the fast cycle in the dishwasher with standard cleaning pods. Many of these systems are more than 30 years old and some were in pretty harsh environments. This machine was, middle of the road, but after examining the boards I thought it could use a good wash. When I take them out of the dishwasher, I heat the oven to 120 deg F and turn it off. Then place all the boards on a cookie sheet or two and let them sit in there for 6 hours to dry. (Pro tip, put a sign on the oven knobs, NOT to turn the oven on.) Some people don’t feel like washing boards in the dishwasher is a good idea. Some don’t like the soap pods. I haven’t had any issues. When circuit boards are created and populated the manufacturer does a similar step to clean flux from the boards, so it doesn’t seem that unusual to me. I have removed all the chips on some systems, like the Kaypro II, where they are all socketed. I haven’t seen a difference either way as long as they are totally dry before reassembly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b21678ba-c9f6-4198-a5bd-72b49de2518b/IMG_8004-2.jpg Compaq Portable I - The least favorite Keyboard in my collection This machine is big, It's heavy, but it does function well. However, the achilleas heal of this machine is the god-awful keyboard made by Key Tronic. The keyboard feel is horrible. It's like you are fighting the machine with every key press. The required force when you press a key increases as you depress the key. It's like typing through the mud. To be fair, keyboards were the wild west back when this computer was designed and released. IBM's now iconic buckling-spring design was an emerging standard if you were an IBM 370 or Selectric Typewriter person. The hard plastic bakelite keys on old keyboards from the early terminals were completely mechanical, linear, and bottomed out fast with a clack (i.e., the Osborne I and Kaypro II). Personally I love them. They have long throughs, but the sound is satisfying! In 1978 Key Tronics (later Keytronics) came on the scene and used an innovative capacitive design that used what's called "foam and foil" to provide the tactile feedback and the make-or-break action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7eb69e31-530a-4ea3-91fb-9fe5f7e8dc3b/IMG_8969.jpg Compaq Portable I A foam and foil keyboard uses two parts to create the electrical contact and the keyboard feel. A capacitive circuit senses the electrical connection. The keyboard backplane is a circuit board with two-thirds of a capacitor printed on the board: a conductive pad and a dielectric layer. The key has the final conductive pad as part of the key, and when the key is pressed, the foil part of the foam and foil insert comes close to the dielectric and forms a proper capacitor, and a keystroke is sensed. The foam, attached to foil, is a tactile element that opposes your finger when you press the key. In addition, there is generally some sort of rubber dome that also provides a kind of buckling feel for your finger. This mechanism approximates the IBM bucking spring feel but is much more quite. The problem with these keyboards is the foam degrades, the rubber domes degrade, and things don't work well anymore. This keyboard is one of Key Tronics first designs, I believe, and to be honest it sucks. The Compaq Portable II also uses a similar design (photo to the right), but it’s a bit better. The Compaq Portable III uses a completely different keyboard built by Advance Input Devices, now (Advanced Input Systems) and is a joy to type on. You can get new foam and foil inserts from TexElec here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/336b7b71-aeda-4000-84b4-88cf9923b24b/Screen+Shot+2022-10-16+at+3.27.53+PM.png Compaq Portable I - Retro-bright Compaq computers seem to not yellow too bad with age. The exception to this is the keyboard and keys. It's a total mess and required a partial disassembly and treatment. After a few hours in the sun with hydrogen peroxide, the keycaps looked new. I didn't do the body of CP1 (I did the body of CP2, and it didn't make a big difference). The Keyboard visual restoration was really apparent and worth the effort. If you choose to disassemble any keyboard, be sure and buy a keycap puller. They only cast a few dollars but are worth it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5eec720e-2606-48e1-a702-902618e64ce6/IMG_6719.jpg Compaq Portable I - XT-IDE Hard Drive I obtained a new XTIDE Card for the CP1 from Blue Lava Systems and configured it with DOS 6.22, as with most of my DOS machines (except the PCjr, which runs a modified DOS 5.0). These are great devices as you can plug the flashcard into your Mac or PC and drag and drop software onto them. I put my staples on the drive, including Turbo C 2.0, Turbo Pascal, and other utilities. The card plugs into any 8bit ISA slot. As this computer only has 8bit ISA slots, all went well. XTIDE cards have an expansion ROM that hooks into the system, allowing "hard disk" devices to work with older BIOS that didn’t know about Hard Disks. These are incredible for these old systems that likely never had a hard disk. This method works for almost any DOS machine that looks for expansion ROMs, with, I believe, most machines other than gen 1 IBM 5150s with the 64Kb motherboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/058127b4-3bc3-4dd8-a154-505db6432c99/Screen+Shot+2022-05-22+at+10.47.13+AM.png Compaq Portable I - 3C509 Network Card The two additions I generally make to my DOS machines are the XTIDE Flash drive and a network card. The network card is strictly unnecessary as you can install software easily by moving the Flash Card back and forth via sneakernet. Still, networking is nice as I have an FTP server setup on my local network, and it makes it easy to move files around between computers. The process of adding the network card to the CP1 was virtually identical to the process of adding the card to the IBM 5155. How I added the 3C503 to the IBM 5155 More on Packet Drivers with DOS. More info on getting a 3C509 card to work in an 8bit DOS Machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/024f512c-9705-4ddd-9bb8-7ef568a5b3d2/IMG_8149.jpg Compaq Portable I - Realtime Clock Addition Computers in this era didn't have a timekeeper chip that keeps time while the computer is powered off. As a result, you would need to reset the time and date each time you started the computer. Computers a little newer began to incorporate the chip, and there was a market back in the day to add the chip to older machines like the CP1. Usually, they were included on other cards you might buy or, in some cases, built into the chip socket, which you could add under a socketed chip. After some research, I determined that a small ISA card would be the way to go as I had two slots still open. I found a fellow who occasionally does a run of this simple card and sells them on Tindie a maker site.. He was out of them, so I signed up to hear when he had more. Probably six months past then I got the email. I bought three of them so I could outfit the 5155 and the Compaq 1 and have a spare. The BIOS on these computers are not expecting a clock, so you need to modify AUTOEXEC.BAT to execute a few programs to take the time from the chip and set the DOS time when the computers boots up. You can get these utilities precompiled on Github. Link to the board on Tindie Software for Realtime clock on GitHub https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a73a5d36-e689-4c1b-9a74-5b4d24b0bdf1/Screen+Shot+2022-10-16+at+3.47.40+PM.jpg Compaq Portable I - Final Thoughts I was excited to get the Compaq Portable I. When I was in college, a professor in the economics department had one. I signed up for office hours to check it out. I was not a business student, so my request probably seemed a bit odd. I confessed I was there just to check out his new computer when I got there. He was nice enough and proceeded to show me the system (I didn't get to touch it). Years later, a friend of mine had his dad's old CP1. He lent it to me for a few weeks. Then, like now, I found the keyboard off-putting. Revisiting the CP1 now, with the benefit of time and history, you have to appreciate what this machine brought to the table. Luggability! While it seems incomprehensible now that anyone would throw out their back to have a computer of this size, "go with you," the CP1 was easy to pack up and go. That professor knew that his computer was cool, and that's why he lugged it to work, and that's why I sought it out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/55258cfa-f49e-429a-81d4-796f885862f4/IMG_8152.JPG Compaq Portable I Shortly after the release of CP1, IBM, under pressure, released the IBM 5155. It's actually a much better computer, in my opinion, but like the CP1 had a fatal flaw. The CGA video card. As bad as the CP1 keyboard is, the IBM CGA video card is much, much, much worse. You can read about it here on my 5155 restore page. In reality, I would have died for this computer back in the day. I was deep in the Commodore 64 world as that was all I could afford. The CP1 was a bold computer released by an aggressive company under the gun, taking on Big Blue. It's an excellent computer that has held up well. In the rearview mirror, I'll take the 5155. But, if you were on the leading edge in 1983, you didn't have a choice, and you would have jumped to have this computer! Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7f0f0a09-a844-4c77-b0bb-1d1c9cfdba45/IMG_5187.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1669240659443-UF0WV7E3S5DAHNPXLP7E/IMG_5201.jpg Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a686162f-dedf-4e1a-b475-a33b2f3f8d8e/IMG_7994.jpg Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dbcbb832-6a2c-48e9-8fb2-3a7cfeda41d1/IMG_8017.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1eacbd7b-e0a3-4d51-ad7e-eb9dc5af9232/IMG_8019.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8b4ba08a-6899-4db5-8a40-c4d220ca60dd/IMG_8129.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/03b82b80-67ba-47ea-9c6e-4b5be2bd2947/IMG_8131.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c8c221ee-029f-49a0-b19d-ff12f32c75cb/IMG_8133.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/172096a4-0047-4768-bf94-3e9f4c843987/IMG_8135.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7b5682ba-dc27-404a-8b02-2ba6255e3682/IMG_8136.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2fe656ff-f21b-4e56-8fb9-72e78aed5906/IMG_8137.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f374104e-7c72-41ab-a9db-e68c7785069a/IMG_8138.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/933f2200-3591-4271-a564-67aa62b2b90d/IMG_8139.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cd284ab8-77f9-481b-b8b4-7d272f8e9edc/IMG_8141.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6fc25e5d-784e-4317-bd85-660d0af5129d/IMG_8144.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e9ed00e9-cebc-42fc-9531-421932a4eb1d/IMG_8154.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d28eeb00-89f0-4d2a-bdd9-d5f052d9123d/IMG_8157.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5152b0e3-0be2-4f4f-90ea-63f4005c6ae7/IMG_8969.JPG Compaq Portable I https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/41930fda-6f67-45af-9a48-fc22afeffdbd/Screen+Shot+2022-10-16+at+3.27.53+PM.png Compaq Portable I https://www.oldsilicon.com/compaq-portable-iii daily 0.75 2022-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2a8546a0-4a09-491e-9ab6-5002afaf6682/Screen+Shot+2022-11-02+at+4.41.54+PM.png Compaq Portable III - Acquisition I found this CP3 on eBay shortly after I started the CP2 restoration. It had a 20Mb Hard Disk installed that still worked. I believe it was an original Conner Drive. This computer also had a 1200 baud modem specifically designed for a small expansion slot on the side of the computer. When searching for a CP3, I found that a lot of CP3s and Compaq Portable 386 machines have broken screens. This usually manifests itself as horizontal or vertical lines of pixels that are on all the time. It's probably unlikely that a machine in this state can ever be fixed, much like stuck pixels on modern LED displays. For both reasons, I made it a point to find a working system. When the computer arrived, it was completely functional and booted up into Compaq DOS 3.3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6ff8edbd-c513-4040-8b7b-d07289cfadd9/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+3.32.50+PM.png Compaq Portable III - Ahh, the Keyboard doesn’t suck, finally! When the computer arrived, the keyboard was extremely yellowed, this is a common problem with the ABS plastic that Compaq used. I fixed this by retrobriting the keycaps. You can read about that on the CP2 restore here. Much to my delight, the keyboard on the CP3 is very nice to type on. The CP1 and CP2 both used a Keytronics-supplied keyboard that uses Foil-and-foam inserts with rubber domes under the keys providing tactile feedback. These Keytronics boards are horrible to type on, even after being fixed. You can read about that in the CP1 and CP2 posts. By contrast, the CP3 keyboard was manufactured by Advanced Input Devices and is great. Amazingly Advanced Input is still around today, 40 years later. Like the Keytronics keyboard, this keyboard is a capacitive design, but removes the foil-and-foam inserts and replaces them with a small carbon pad that touches the PCB board when the rubber dome is depressed. It has a great feel and has stood the test of time. This keyboard was completely functional and needed nothing other than cosmetic work when I got it. I suspect some people upgraded to the CP3 just for the keyboard, it’s lightyears better. The keyboard cable, however, is another matter. The cable has not stood the test of time. Literally every CP3 you find out there will have a keyboard cable that is brittle, broken, or non-existent. These cables suffered from a total breakdown of the insolation. My machine literally had no insulation left, and the conductors were covered with electrical tape. I document the arduous replacement process below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5c605dea-beb1-4a00-9bb2-1e53b2bb55f4/IMG_9361.jpg Compaq Portable III - Process It was obvious a lot of the work was going to involve replacing the hard disk with an ISA2CF board, fixing the keyboard cable, replacing the battery, and devising some way to access the CF card without opening the case. Compaq plastic from this era is pretty brittle, so the less opening and closing, the better after the machine is finished. First, I removed the back of the case. This is fairly easy as the case is held together with four very long, very skinny machine screws. You do not want to lose these as it's unlikely you could ever find a suitable replacement for them. Once removed, the back of the case comes off easily, revealing the motherboard. At this point, you can also remove the side bezel revealing the drive sled containing the floppy drive and hard drive. You can then slide out the drive sled from the side. It's a nice feature that the cables are long enough to allow drive operation with the sled completely removed. I ran the system this way for weeks while doing other work on the system. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7ebf6ccd-07cf-4646-ad10-f8ec29a6e507/Screen+Shot+2022-11-02+at+4.57.31+PM.png Compaq Portable III I watched a few disassembly videos online before really getting into it. I wanted to look at the power supply, but that appears impossible to do without removing the plasma screen. After watching a video of someone removing the plasma display, I decided it was probably easy to break the display just for a look at the power supply, and I didn't go any further. I removed all the screws holding the motherboard to the chassis and looked at the underside of the motherboard. I thought this was necessary to access the drive sled, but you can do that simply by removing the top screw on the sled and pulling it out. Realizing this, I put all the motherboard screws back in except one that also holds the modem in place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d90ea972-1efa-43ac-aa99-769ca6c8920e/IMG_9411.jpg Compaq Portable III - Compaq BIOS Settings As I mentioned in the CP2 post, early Compaq Machines didn't have a BIOS modification user interface program in ROM, like most machines of this era. Instead, you need to obtain a program that creates bootable floppy diskettes that you can then boot the machine from. I ended up restoring the CP3 and CP2 simultaneously, so I used those same diskettes on the CP3. To read how to create Compaq Diagnostics Diskettes, read the CP2 Post Compaq Diagnostics floppy creation utility for 360K floppy diskettes Compaq Diagnostics floppy creation utility for 720K floppy diskettes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/53e792e5-f693-4939-8ca3-e497e6acd7ba/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+8.37.48+AM.png Compaq Portable III - Battery Replacement My CP3 had a motherboard with a separate battery and a Dallas timekeeper chip. I believe there may be other revisions of this motherboard where Compaq used a single self-contained Dallas Chip with a Battery. I was happy to see mine was separate, as it's much easier to install a battery than to find a Dallas chip with an embedded battery. I ran into this on my SparcStation IPX, where the Dallas chip had to be cut apart with a Dremel, attaching new wires to stubs inside the Dallas chip. After that, you can connect the wires to a CR2032 battery. A mess, really. The original battery is fairly large, with four posts that fit into “cups” in the motherboard. Two of the posts are positive leads, and two are negative leads. The battery is not soldered in, but rather the posts just contact the "cups" soldered into holes in the motherboard board. I believe the reason for the four posts is so at least one positive and one negative lead is touching one of the cups. The battery is then held in by hot glue. The NeXT workstation uses a similar design with three legs and a round battery. The NeXT battery is held in with a rubber band attached to the motherboard, which is a novel design. The battery for the CP3 appeared to no longer be in production, but fortunately, I found an enthusiast-developed design on GitHub for a small circuit board that contains a CR2032 battery holder and header pins that fit perfectly into the motherboard cups. Like the original battery, you can hot glue the assembly onto the motherboard, and you have a fine solution with an easily replaceable battery for the future. The GitHub link has links to have a PCB manufacturer create the board and a link to the Bill Of Materials to order the remaining parts easily. Here is the link to the GitHub project. After installing the new battery board, I ran the Compaq Diagnostics BIOS settings program to reset the time and date. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6dfc09c7-e9e1-49bc-b169-e2b661786e1d/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+9.23.30+AM.png Compaq Portable III - Installing the IDE2CF Card In nearly all my DOS computers, I install a modern XT-IDE card that provides a compact flash hard disk. I did this on the CP2 as well and disabled the CP2's built-in IDE controller. It was clear that this was not an option with the CP3 as the machine has no IDE slots without adding the expansion sidecar. I really didn't want to add the expansion sidecar, so I had to find a different way to add compact flash storage to the CP3. Fortunately, there are IDE2CF cards out there. I bought this card from StarTech and it works great. This is a board that hooks up the IDE cable, the same way a hard disk would connect, but presents a flash card as the hard disk. I usually favor the ISA slot XT-IDE because it's dead simple and installs its own extension BIOS as boot time, allowing more options for sizes of hard disks. However, the IDE2CF card works fine as well. Using the IDE2CF board on the CP3, you need to assign a "Disk Type" to the IDE2CF that the Compaq supports. As I mentioned in the CP2 post, the "Disk Type" is an index into a table of disk geometry settings. I had a 4GB CF Card, but the largest Hard Disk the Compaq BIOS understands is a Type 42 Hard Disk which is about 500MB. So that's what I went with. It's large enough, but it is a good example of why the XT-IDE is a better choice for most situations if an ISA slot is available. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/64093cf9-ef8d-46f3-afbf-6341c5d2d2cc/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+9.14.46+AM.png Compaq Portable III - Accessing the CF Card In my other systems where I use XT-IDE cards, it's easy to physically get to the CF Card as it's accessible via the end of the ISA Card. This is not the case with the IDE2CF Board that needs to be adapted to a drive bay. In my other DOS machines, this wouldn't necessarily be a big deal as I also usually install an ethernet card allowing me to FTP programs to the box. The lack of ISA support made it necessary to mount the IDE2CF card in such a way that I could easily remove it to install new software from my desktop Mac. I set out to design a 3D-printed bracket for the IDE2CF card based on the dimensions of the floppy drive. This had the advantage that I had an example device (the floppy drive) to use for gathering correct dimensions from, then transferring to my design in SketchUp. The bracket would then contain the new bezel and would replace the blank bezel in the drive sled cover. After a few iterations, I got the design to fit the sled, fit the board, and be placed exactly correctly in the CP2's side cover. The only thing remaining was the color and texture of the plastic (PLA) of the printed part. Here are links to the STL files to print your own CF Cardholder. The side piece needs to be printed twice, one reversed, then assembled with JB Weld or similar epoxy. Link to Front Bezel Link to Card standoff Link to Sidearms https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f1a27fc3-d8fb-49de-9052-ce45329f7498/IMG_9149.jpg Compaq Portable III I have had pretty good luck painting custom plastic parts to match some of the older computers in my collection. I did this on my reimagined NeXT LCD Monitor, SGI Indigo Monitor, and SGI Indy monitor. It's a little tricky to find the combinations of paints that get you where you need to go. After some experimentation, I found two colors that, when combined in just the right way, perfectly matched the darker Compaq plastic color. The two colors are a base of Rust-oleum Satin Driftwood with a few puffs of Krylon Satin Khaki. I generally apply both colors in the same session to allow them to mix on the surface while wet. I then come back the next day to see how it turned out. Once happy with the results, I do several coats of satin clear enamel over the part to create a more tough finish. The photo to right shows the finished color next to the original drive cover bezel on test sample. Before painting, I used Bondo Glazing putty on the front of the bezel, sanding it after it dried. 3D printed parts always have a pattern in them from the strata of plastic being added. The Bondo sands smooth, and with the addition of a sandable primer coat, creates a nice surface. Once completed, the bracket both worked and looked great. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/442599e1-06b9-4478-816f-25f3f0524656/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+11.41.10+AM.png Compaq Portable III - The Keyboard Cable Situation As I mentioned, no CP3 keyboard cable has survived for 30 years. The outer rubber layer is very brittle and breaks away. I knew it had to be replaced. I wanted to match the original cable color, which is the darker color (the same as the drive bezel). I thought perhaps I could find a newer cable from a later model Compaq that I could adapt to the job. I found one on eBay. The CP3 keyboard cable has a standard AT plug on the computer side and is soldered to the keyboard motherboard on the keyboard end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/34c71e41-2d90-4f70-89d3-136881dd8056/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+11.47.34+AM.png Compaq Portable III I found that the new (old) cable wasn't quite right. It had a larger diameter wind to it than what I believed the original had. The cable needs to fit inside a tray below the screen when you close the system, and this cable did not fit well. After doing some research on the web, I found that these spiral cables are made by wrapping the cable around a steel rod and then heating them. Once cooled, the cable retains the wind. I used this method to wind the new (old) cable around a ¼ inch steel rod and heated it with a heat gun. It worked, but problems were still looming with this cable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/02e26088-8069-4190-9a0a-429409038524/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+11.57.35+AM.png Compaq Portable III Before trying to install the new (old) cable, I took the keyboard apart and used a multimeter to ring out the signals from the AT 5 Pin Male DIN connector to the Keyboard PCB to be absolutely sure I knew what wire was connected to what pin. It's probably a good thing I did that. The keyboard PC board has numbers next to the wire connection pads, but they did not match the standard numbering scheme for a five-pin DIN AT keyboard. I made myself a legend (posted to the right) and desoldered the original cable from the keyboard motherboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/266af377-328e-4401-b20b-599349a579d6/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+12.08.09+PM.png Compaq Portable III I have a reasonably good desoldering station and have had great luck desoldering all kinds of parts through the years. However, the traces on the keyboard PCB are very thin, and I ended up lifting the pads on two of the four wires. It took some effort to effectively solder the new wires on as I had to find traces to connect some of the wires to due to the lifted pads. Finally, after getting them all connected and, in some cases, fixed, the keyboard did work again. While this was a success, it was short-lived. The new (old) cable started to split at some of the points of stress, specifically where the cable enters the keyboard. Damn! After a few days of living in denial that I would need to, once again, replace the keyboard cable, I ended up finding a keyboard extension cable on eBay. It wasn't the darker Compaq color, but it seemed to match the body of the computer well. I had no idea if the diameter was correct, but it was only $5.50, so I bought it. Happily, it matched well, was new, and had the male end already installed. All I needed to do was connect it to the keyboard PCB. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b97faa19-333a-4f21-a52a-75ac883790b3/IMG_9361.jpg Compaq Portable III I knew I couldn't desolder those wires again without even bigger problems, so I elected to solder the wires together inside the keyboard housing. My suggestion if you ever need to replace a CP3 keyboard cable is to use this technique and leave the PCB alone! After putting the keyboard back together, the new cable worked perfectly and it looks like it could have been original. That was a lot of work on just the keyboard, but at least is a good keyboard! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/81616885-9f4e-4e63-8e2b-489ab6935da0/IMG_9350.jpg Compaq Portable III - Final Thoughts The CP3 is an unusual portable. It's much smaller and could easily be transported to work and back. It would fit under an airplane seat with room to spare and probably really fits the portable name rather than the luggable category. The screen is fascinating. It's bright and easy to read but is a bit fatiguing on the eyes after a while. The keyboard is the star of this computer. I could easily use this keyboard every day. The keyboard has good action, a short travel, and makes all the right sounds. Of course, nobody is going to use a 286 machine from 30 years ago, but if I had to, it would probably be this computer. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/43998f8d-6156-4750-b85f-34e283d080ab/IMG_0086.JPG Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8e46d780-5cd4-4de4-b785-2d3c857d6e9a/IMG_9364.JPG Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a31a2f36-2278-4021-b568-53a633e4f3be/IMG_8952.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b09d351a-c70b-448e-82e1-2977a4f8433f/IMG_8953.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/57c22cd8-ef4e-4489-97d9-bb008ecbcdef/IMG_9038.JPG Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/35092cc5-0b01-48e7-90de-9cc0f22c14bf/IMG_9040.JPG Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b422e86f-bf73-43ce-ae39-54c0316c0775/IMG_9041.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/566f3d0e-b563-483c-8895-199785121601/IMG_9044.JPG Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7c86101e-d356-4a13-9712-8e239c664e93/IMG_9149.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c700c158-0137-47e6-ba11-d478f6c44604/IMG_9185.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2d3ea505-316d-45d4-bb15-e4f3ca576023/IMG_9186.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7b4f7a70-632b-4fc1-be11-7a39480bab79/IMG_9187.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dc83e1ae-d7c9-4f62-8f73-f8b6f1489e81/IMG_9188.jpeg Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/51bbaf68-1ef1-409d-8adc-bff99f008751/IMG_9189.jpeg Compaq Portable III 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8be97b61-ac1d-4dd3-9228-c90deffaa457/Screen+Shot+2022-11-02+at+5.15.11+PM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0d16f47d-0bbe-47f1-8e8f-c500f4ce8656/Screen+Shot+2022-11-02+at+5.22.01+PM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8ce228c6-6b3b-4d65-8359-3650b7d2ad63/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+3.32.50+PM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/57f5831e-57ef-4cb6-bd9e-b53ddf9e3e9a/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+9.14.46+AM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4107d801-224a-410e-b217-877370df8463/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+9.23.30+AM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/15184ef3-8769-41dd-99c6-2de50f47e09b/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+11.41.10+AM.png Compaq Portable III https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b3e5e2fb-f966-4ef9-91fd-deae6ccca04e/Screen+Shot+2022-11-03+at+11.57.35+AM.png Compaq Portable III https://www.oldsilicon.com/ibm-pcjr daily 0.75 2022-11-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b114ee25-32b9-461e-b956-14727deeffc0/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.49.23+PM.png IBM PCjr - Background The PCjr had major problems in the market. IBM likely got into the home computer market a bit early for such a staid company. They already had the iconic IBM PC (Model 5150) on the market but sold at a much higher price point and targeted at businesses. At the same time, Apple was selling the Apple II, straddling the school, home, and business markets. The Commodore 64 was a wild success in the home, mostly as a game machine, but was pretty useless as a business machine for all but the simplest tasks. As a result, IBM attempted to enter the home market with a lower-cost computer the PCjr (Model 4860), and, in doing so, created several incompatibilities, many on purpose, that hurt the success of the computer. But more than anything, IBM just didn’t understand who the buyer was and what they were going to do with the machine. An unusual faux pas for big blue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d71d87f1-4857-425e-a31e-e5d406f5e858/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.54.18+PM.png IBM PCjr The PCjr had cartridge slots and joystick ports like mass-market home computers of the time. It was envisioned that in the base system, buyers would use a cassette tape to load programs, and the base RAM was 64K bytes. All these assumptions were woefully outdated by the time the machine launched. Over the three years, the PCjr was marketed and sold; it went through several transitions attempting to make it more appealing to would-be customers. The most notable change was the replacement of the chicklet keyboard, universally panned, with an almost equally bad rubber dome design. The machine had a single diskette drive that was sold with the enhanced machine bundle that included an additional 64K of RAM for a total of 128K RAM, likely the only configuration that most owners ended up buying as IBM continued to bundle more and more into the machine to make it more appealing for consumers. All the connectors on the back are burg type and are unique to the PCjr. Using more standard peripherals like a CGA monitor or other keyboards was impossible, or at least very difficult, at the time. Very few software titles ended up being released on cartridge, and there was not a Hard disk option for the machine (at least produced by IBM). The machine lacked a DMA controller, not allowing keyboard input during diskette drive access, resulting in an annoying beep from the system. The original IBM PC (model 5150) had a DMA controller, used mostly for DRAM refresh. This was accomplished on the PCjr with the Video circuitry in the first 128KB of memory. Memory sidecars offered later had to provide their own means of DRAM refresh, complicating the design of those devices. IBM eventually managed to sell 240,000 PCjrs after deep discounting and bundling. Huge supplies of upgrades saturated the markets for decades to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0daba1c7-e57a-49bf-bcbc-906a141e91b8/Screen+Shot+2022-11-20+at+2.03.31+PM.jpg IBM PCjr Despite all the machine's shortcomings, there is a small but strong following for the PCjr in the retro world. Part of this is due to the continued availability of parts, as IBM produced a lot of upgrades that they believed would be purchased by buyers at the time. Most upgrades were likely bundled, and those packaged for consumer sales eventually ended up in recycling centers, now available as new, old stock parts (old, unused parts sold as new) unopened in original packaging. Many parts, including the CRT monitor and joysticks, can still be readily purchased today, unopened and in new condition. (lots and lots of joysticks.) The PCjr was surprisingly robust except for the under-engineered and often underpowered power supply board, which often failed. Original, unopened power supply boards are still available on eBay, as are joysticks, keyboards, and parallel port sidecars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/564925cd-9f1a-4ee0-b068-fc2fcbd6e3e5/IMG_9598.JPG IBM PCjr - Acquisition The PCjr was the second computer I owned. My first was the Commodore 64. I bought my original PCjr machine in 1984 while in college. I wanted to pursue software development beyond BASIC programming. I wanted an IBM PC, but the cost was prohibitive. The PCjr was being deeply discounted, I didn’t play games, so I bought it. The PCjr was also the second retro computer I decided to restore after restoring a Commodore 64 also in my collection. I purchased this PCjr on eBay in 2020, and as I recall, I paid around $60. It was advertised as not powering on and did not have a floppy drive. It was pretty cheap (I have a second one I bought later for even less), so I figured if it didn’t work out, nothing really was lost. If I had to do it again, I would probably be a bit pickier about which one I bought as they are available quite often on eBay in a variety of conditions and price points. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5be7a2d4-2560-4dd9-88ee-bdcfecb5a134/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.16.00+PM.png IBM PCjr - Condition When I received the PCjr, it was not working. That was fine, as it was advertised as not working. When I took the cover off, it was obvious what the problem, or, at least, one problem was. A capacitor on the power supply board' was literally blown apart (you might be able to see it below). The inside of the machine was covered in black soot. It must have been a dramatic situation when that capacitor cracked open! The machine did not have a floppy diskette drive installed, also as advertised, although it most certainly was sold with one originally. It had a floppy drive controller card installed, so it certainly had a floppy drive at one time, as the card comes with the floppy drive either factory installed or as an upgrade. I ordered a new, old stock power supply card on eBay for $30. The power supply board probably would have been a fairly easy fix, but this was my first restore, so I took the easy way out. I also purchased a new, old stock PCjr CGA monitor. When I got the new, old stock power supply board, it was considerably larger and rated at 45W, the original was rated at 33W. Clearly, another price-cutting effort by IBM that went bad, forcing a rework. If you are in need of a new power supply, there’s also another option. A guy in PCjr community designed a picoATX style supply and sells a kit for it here. I haven’t tried it, but others have, and it appears to work well. I took the main unit apart as everything that was usable inside needed a major cleaning. When the power supply capacitor failed, black soot was spread to every internal component. I scrubbed the inside of the empty plastic case and ran it through the dishwasher. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cf9ef94d-fb41-494b-ac76-1ea045b71848/2020-03-02-0012.JPG IBM PCjr - Bootup After cleaning everything up, I installed the motherboard in the case and installed the new power supply board. I attached the PCjr monitor with its proprietary cable to the machine and placed the rubber dome keyboard in front of the unit after replacing the keyboard battery. The Keyboard uses an IR link or an optional telephone-like cable. The machine booted into an error screen with Error codes B and H. After some research, it turned out that Error B is caused when communication between the wireless keyboard and the system unit is not working. I changed the battery in the keyboard; however, that did not help. I later discovered that the IR unit on the motherboard was non-functional. I created a keyboard cable, and that solved the problem. Error H had to do with the lack of a functional floppy diskette drive. This would be solved later. I was happy to see that the machine would boot into the BASIC cartridge once the keyboard issue was solved. The PCjr has service screens that can be obtained by holding <CTRL><ALT><INS> during boot up. There are also undocumented manufacturing burn-in tests that can be obtained by using joystick buttons once in the service screens. They are all documented on Brutman’s PCjr Forum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e513dfd9-c02c-4fdf-9e10-21a227e8314e/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.25.39+PM.png IBM PCjr - Wait, is that the original Keyboard? No, this is not the original PCjr Keyboard. To be precise, there were two keyboards available for the PCjr, and many people had both. That was because the original "chicklet" keyboard was simply God-awful. IBM offered a replacement for free that was better (lower image to the right), but still pretty poor in retrospect. When I got my original PCjr in 1984, mine came with just the second (lower), rubber-dome type keyboard. I used the Keyboard for years, and it was fine. It feels similar to the Compaq Portable II keyboard. I find them both a little too stiff feeling. The Keyboard pictured here (upper image to the right) with my PCjr is the IBM SSK (Space Saving Keyboard). It's basically the famous Model M, patented buckling spring design, without the numeric keypad. It's a bit rare and in high demand in the collector world. I paid $250 for this one, which I thought was crazy, but I routinely see them now for $500. It's a great keyboard. As I understand it, it was more of an industrial keyboard that was often delivered to Industry as part of factory systems. The automotive industry used them on “roll-around” workstations where the wider size of the model M was a problem. Some are gray in color, but most are the standard IBM Color Scheme. You can regularly find auctions on eBay where the best versions go for $500 or more. (the blue badge versions are OG). Why is it attached to my PCjr? Because, in my mind, it’s the Keyboard that “should have” been provided with the PCjr. It's the right size, and it matches the color scheme. It's a clicky joy to use. It's perfect. Perhaps a little too loud for a computer that is designed to be in the home, but it's great, and I've decided this is where it belongs in my collection. Pound for pound it’s probably one of the more valuable things in the collection (although it weighs a lot!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/21489529-1561-4141-816a-45f0e080664b/IMG_6465.jpg IBM PCjr - Floppy Diskette Drive Replacement My system did not come with a floppy diskette drive, but it did come with a floppy drive controller card. I looked around on eBay for a Qume 142 floppy diskette drive, and much to my surprise, I found a PCjr floppy drive upgrade kit as new, old stock. The price was around $20, so I bought it. When it arrived, it was clear this kit was designed for people that had bought a base mode PCjr with no floppy drive (probably two people, ever). Years later, when doing my IBM 5155 portable restore, I realized that at one time, there were a lot of these upgrade kits available, and to be honest, these kits saved the 5155 restore as the same Qume 142 diskette drive was used on the 5155 portable as well. The kit includes a floppy disk controller card, a Qume 142 half-height floppy diskette drive, and a plastic sled with a fan on the back. I installed the floppy diskette drive using the original controller card, but the machine didn't seem to recognize that the floppy drive was installed. Since I had a new, old stock controller card that came with the floppy diskette drive kit, I installed the new card, and the computer booted right up. Perhaps that capacitor took out a few things when it blew! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0b7719c9-ad24-4d0f-a218-2baff6874fc6/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.31.10+PM.png IBM PCjr - Upgrading your PCjr was not easy Anyone that owned a PCjr, back in the day, knows how difficult it was to upgrade the machine in any meaningful way. Even adding a second floppy drive was very difficult as it was not designed to ever have one. A few companies, Racore, Rapport, and Techmar, released expansion chassis' that would install on top of the machine and contained a second floppy diskette drive. As part of the upgrade kit, you received the second floppy diskette drive, a new floppy diskette controller card that would recognize two drives (the original was hobbled), and a second power supply brick and second internal power supply board. It was an expensive upgrade, a bit clumsy, and probably made people think about moving on to another computer entirely. I had the Racore Drive Two, a second floppy drive upgrade, when I was in college. The upgrade worked well, although the price was more than half the cost of the machine in the first place. There were also Hard Disk variants of some of these products that were even more expensive. That was about all you could do for the machine back then. Read on, it’s a whole new world now… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4d1f8fca-b6ad-46ea-8ed1-c650ec73b69f/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.33.44+PM.png IBM PCjr - jr-IDE, the Miracle Sidecar Now 39 years later, there’s a curious enthusiast-developed card that was created for the PCjr by Alan Hightower and brainstormed on the Brutman.com PCjr forum around 2011. Mike Brutman was experimenting with grafting an XTIDE ISA board to the PCjr sidecar bus, which has most of the required IDE signals. jr-IDE is a PCjr Sidecar design that brings the same capabilities of an XTIDE to the PCjr through a custom board and hacked version of the XT-IDE extension BIOS. The conception of this device is an interesting read and chronicled on Brutman’s forum here. http://www.brutman.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=180 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/096d1ad4-1c7b-4645-a325-da7192dae8f8/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.43.11+PM.png IBM PCjr The XTIDE project itself is another enthusiast-developed project that allows older PCs to use an IDE Hard Disk or a Compact Flash card as a Hard Disk. The jr-IDE card uses an extension BIOS code modified by Mike, along with two custom CPLD’s designed by Alan, that implement functionality similar to the XT-IDE but adds additional functionality required for the PCjr. In addition, the board layout and connections are such that the card can be installed in a user-supplied Sidecar Plastic shell. There is also a 3D STL file floating around on the web to allow you to print your own sidecar shell here. In a nutshell, the jr-IDE Sidecar is a PCjr Sidecar board design that fixes a lot (not all) of the problems with PCjr design. jr-IDE contains 1M of static RAM that boosts the PCjr to 736K of memory. the PCjr only refreshed DRAM in the first 128K of RAM using the video circuitry, requiring sidecar memory expansion to implement DRAM refresh on their own. The jr-IDE uses SRAM that does not need refresh cycles, making memory access slightly faster. jr-IDE also contains an IDE connector that can then be connected to an IDE hard disk. The board also contains a real-time clock chip and battery socket, a 7-segment display that shows POST codes during boot up, and an extension 512K ROM that makes all these things seamlessly work with the PCjr. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d278f781-b390-4929-9eaf-7889ad08413b/IMG_9611.JPG IBM PCjr It's pretty common to attach a CF2IDE board to the IDE connector and use a Compact Flash card as a hard disk. Using both together fits nicely inside the plastic SideCar housing. The jr-IDE is literally the Swiss army knife that makes the PCjr fun to use. The card was designed in 2011, and for years the card was available as a kit, produced in limited production runs by Alan. Today you can purchase a later revision of the card from TexElec. I bought my card from TexElec, and I highly suggest doing the same if you have a PCjr in your collection. After obtaining the card and installing the battery, I booted the PCjr and saw the magic of the expansion ROM take control of the box. I booted from a DOS 3 floppy I had obtained online and partitioned the Compact Flash card and formatted the compact flash hard diskette. I installed a patched DOS 5 (more on this later) and configured the JRCONFIG.SYS and CONFIG.SYS files that make it all work. When you add a sidecar to a PCjr, you remove the plastic cover on the last sidecar and then attach it to the new one. The little posts that hold the cover in place break. I believe all of them in the world are broken now. If you need to fix a broken cover, here is a 3D STL file to print new posts that attach to the sidecar panel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f8b5fb95-7e67-4ba0-9af3-cc9770bafc7e/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.52.05+PM.png IBM PCjr - Understanding the Wacky PCjr Memory Map To better understand the limitations and some of the functionality of jr-IDE, it’s helpful to understand at a high level how the base PCjr was delivered. The PCjr came with 64K of memory on the motherboard. Additionally, there is a custom card inside the case that adds 64K Bytes of expansion memory. I doubt the machine was ever sold without this extra 64K of memory. When released, the machine was advertised only to support 128K of memory, likely because of the DRAM refresh design choice. After release, several enterprising companies found that memory could be added up to 640K by using sidecar expansion. And later, IBM itself released sidecar expansion memory. Perhaps more surprising is that sidecar memory is faster than system memory. The PCjr, unlike the 5150, used system memory for the CGA frame buffer. This was a cost-cutting measure. The PCjr video circuity maps the 32K of video memory found on a standard PC into a lower address range in the first 128K of standard memory on the PCjr. Software still thinks video RAM is in the conventional location, but in reality, it is not. This shared system and video memory require that the CPU and the video circuitry share this resource which required modifications to be made to how they both access that memory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/38701163-1be4-418c-82a4-0836d7da3aa8/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.01.37+PM.png IBM PCjr For this design to work, CPU wait-states had to be introduced so the CPU would not access that memory at the same time the video circuity was accessing it. The video framebuffer was always located in the lower memory (even though they appeared to software as being at a standard address), so true upper memory addresses did not require wait-states, hence accessing memory above 128K was not subject to wait-states and was faster to access by 15-20%. The JRCONFIG.SYS driver takes advantage of this PCjr' feature and maps all of DOS system memory above the first 128K of memory. A properly configured PCjr with a jr-IDE is much faster than a stock PCjr and, in fact, faster than the original IBM PC by a bit (see bench marks to the right). Typically, JRCONFIG.SYS device driver places a RAM disk in lower memory with the frame buffer, and DOS uses all the memory above 128K leaving 640K for DOS programs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a9a3b8a9-bf51-436f-a7f5-6a418ec1e82b/Screen+Shot+2022-11-20+at+2.13.21+PM.png IBM PCjr - Creating a Bootable CF Card with patched DOS 5 The PCjr originally came with DOS 2.1, released specifically to support the PCjr. A jr-IDE upgraded machine can run versions of DOS up to but not including DOS 5 unmodified. There is an easy-to-apply patch for DOS 5, however. The patch patches the DOS boot record to look at the total memory installed rather than the value the BIOS reports. This is required due to the wacky memory map described above. Here is a document I created on how to create a bootable CF Card with patched DOS 5. A more detailed explanation of the patch is located on Brutman's site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/56218607-5b30-4f40-b0e6-00b029b95bdb/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.06.47+PM.jpg IBM PCjr - Final Thoughts Although the PCjr was a commercial failure, it has an amazingly strong fan base, although probably small. It has the best support forums of any machine I have restored. That is largely due to Mike Brutman and the excellent resources he has provided. A dedicated group of people who frequent the forum is the lifeblood of the continued progress of the group. PCjrs are still reasonably easy to come by, and they generally cosmetically age well, as do most IBM machines. The PCjr limitations were by design, but the fan base is so strong that the machine has been significantly improved (fixed) from its original configuration. The PCjr is not the machine for every collector. If you restore the computer to its original configuration, it's pretty much useless. If you add the jr-IDE, which is not expensive, and put a little effort into it, it's a fine DOS retro machine. It's not a game machine but more of an experience machine. I use mine to run Turbo Pascal 2.0 and do some assembly programming for fun, and for those purposes, it's more than fine. The PCjr was the second machine I restored after the Commodore 64. This was also the order in which I originally owned these machines. I still love the design language of the little computer, and it was approachable, back in the day, especially for a box IBM designed. I suspect I was not the only PCjr buyer that came from a C64 or perhaps an Atari first, even though all these machines are technically contemporaries. I have a lot of DOS boxes now, mostly all portables, but I love this little computer even with its fatal flaws. The PCjr has received more post-life love from its fans than any other computer in my collection. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cf724232-2572-46a5-ba41-680ad79fa569/IMG_9549.jpg IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3ee43b7c-98ba-4cbb-bd68-6991bf9e5d24/2020-03-02-0012.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/347ed6eb-d5f8-4b2b-bdfe-4904009a6431/2020-03-16-0002.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/120b6975-8a6d-47a5-a1e3-e468fd602308/CJDS8276.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f5e68358-7fbc-4499-9bfb-ac4de242091b/IMG_0188.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/02f6aba6-a310-4a4c-8178-02259c07ff7c/IMG_0242.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/619fe7df-fbe9-49f9-b46e-6f1ccbabea4a/IMG_0263.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/43544766-8333-44d3-ad56-ffb69f7787e4/IMG_0267.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6a208ef4-ab25-4ac3-9390-cb3cc9ef9b0e/IMG_0268.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/562e8dee-873d-45a0-aea7-cdd89bb69893/IMG_9600.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2332ac50-1296-40cd-a339-8147a3a92f07/IMG_9604.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0faf0780-af48-4660-b2f5-b4253e978bcb/IMG_9605.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/dcf3fcdc-e574-4826-8155-e17e3a1f2511/IMG_9609.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/eec6bd96-52f8-4ee8-b9c2-afc116003552/IMG_9611.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d7914bc6-6d6e-4eda-bc84-ee3516ac6ae8/IMG_9614.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/000243d8-d17e-4bf0-9114-10d3709b6c61/IMG_9615.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b77607c9-f4f9-4f5a-a562-368855d2a58f/IMG_9616.JPG IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/65972490-16d4-4e4b-ac9e-0f4a914fe884/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.12.23+PM.png IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2273cf7e-5efe-490b-bd30-d064bd7aea81/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+1.38.03+PM.png IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c89553b4-8423-4990-82d0-5d27f0ca0ed3/Screen+Shot+2022-11-19+at+2.01.37+PM.png IBM PCjr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ce7a8864-1e46-4dd6-afaf-3b94d8b97cd2/PostImage.png IBM PCjr 3D STL File for new sidecar cover post https://www.oldsilicon.com/collection-release-dates daily 0.75 2022-11-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c1fd6841-f7bb-4822-9057-fbed28803e1e/Screenshot+2022-11-28+at+3.15.38+PM.png https://www.oldsilicon.com/ncr-pc4 daily 0.75 2023-04-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/abdbf7bd-d583-44e0-8233-d6a2a9d5ab61/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+8.35.11+AM.png NCR PC4 - Acquisition I found this PC4 on eBay in January of 2023, I paid around $299 plus shipping. I’ve always liked the design of this computer. It just looks like a computer from the future, even today! This PC4 was particularly attractive to me because its case was nearly flawless. A few parts were a bit yellow, like the floppy drive bezel and the bottom of the keyboard, but not nearly as bad as some units. While most computers of the era were metal or plastic, the case of the PC4 appears to be molded from hard resin and then painted. The case is quite thick, it’s very strong, It's HEAVY, and the painted finish is tough. I was confident it could cosmetically get back to 100%. Computers like this can be a little tricky to buy and restore. The industrial design of the machine is so important you have to have all the original parts to really pull off the restoration. The working floppy drive was key as were the controls on the front. The keyboard was in perfect condition as well. On the downside, the machine was listed for parts or repair. The listing said it would not power on. I don’t generally buy machines in a completely unknown condition, especially with an integrated CRT. But, I made an exception for this computer, hoping its problem would be obvious once I took it apart. Early 8088 computers use few custom chips so you can generally find any part you need. When I received the computer, it was packed in a cardboard box with two additional layers of cardboard but little other packing material around it. Despite that, it looked fine when I unpacked it, and it suffered no ill consequences of its travel, although my back suffered carrying it downstairs into the lab! To say this computer is heavy is an understatement. The PC4 is between 50 and 60 lbs. Due to its form factor and the offset mass of the CRT, it’s a bear to handle. In other words, this is not an easy computer to move around, although apparently, that was a selling point of the all-in-one design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a095517f-21f2-4ec3-845e-25d443797011/IMG_0805.JPG NCR PC4 - Disassembly and First Looks I was anxious to disassemble the chassis to see what I bought. Two things strike you immediately when you disassemble this computer. First, NCR was bound and determined to achieve this industrial design. The motherboard has a hole in the middle for the yoke of the CRT, and the ISA cards are embedded inside the computer. It’s a very unusual design. The second is how many bodge wires there are on the motherboard and some of the cards. NCR clearly did not feel the need to get these boards perfect before shipping the system. I suspect NCR was a little under the gun to get a machine into the market, and the margins on computers at that point allowed for a little manual work. Also of interest is the sheer number of different screw types, heads, etc. Other manufacturers of the time were already trying to use the same hardware as much as possible. At one point I probably had 20 labeled envelopes with screws and parts I knew I would forget unless I labeled them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/49f320e7-9f57-45a0-9fd8-ae348dd2ccc8/IMG_0711.jpg NCR PC4 When disassembling the PC4, I was first looking for a smoking gun regarding why the machine was not working. I was not disappointed as I immediately found an electrolytic capacitor that had exploded on the motherboard. It had burned three other capacitors near it and melted part of the connector from the power supply board. Black smoke had coated other parts of the inside of the case as well. This was humourous because the seller on eBay stated, “Nothing is burned on the inside.” That seems odd statement to put in the description, especially when something is obviously burned on the inside, LOL. In any case, I saw this as pretty good news and likely the cause, or perhaps a symptom, of the problem. It's always nice to have a place to start when repairing a broken machine. I continued disassembling the machine until I got to the power supply unit. The power supply appeared to be in good condition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a824bc82-d41a-4023-83c1-6e11d25d2691/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+11.06.18+AM.png NCR PC4 - The Parts My PC4 was configured with a 720 x 348 monochrome graphics card with Hercules Graphics emulation that appeared original to the machine. It has a Teac 55B-62-U 360K Floppy Drive in perfect working condition that appeared original to the machine. This model of floppy drive is very reliable in my experience. The floppy controller and Winchester Hard Drive controller boards appear to be original as they have similar QA notes on the top of them that match the style on the motherboard and both appear in the Hardware Reference Manual. The Memo-576 RAM expansion card was partially populated with 384K of memory chips. This card was certainly an addition made by a previous owner, a system integrator, or a retail store. The Hardware reference shows an additional RAM card, but this is not that card. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/01113d1d-c35e-4f59-917c-d0c557eedd04/Screen+Shot+2023-04-08+at+1.28.34+PM.png NCR PC4 - Obtaining the Schematics I bought this machine without knowing if the schematics were available. That’s not a good idea with machines like this. Computers from this era had excellent Hardware Reference Manuals that were hundreds of pages long, including full schematics of the motherboard, power supply, analog video board, and all the original peripheral cards. I believe the PC4 was NCRs first attempt at a PC compatible. The second attempt was the PC4/i which reportedly has better compatibility. I quickly found the PC4/i Hardware Reference with schematics, but it was obvious by looking at them that these two machines had very different motherboards and physical configurations inside the machine. After a few days of digging on the internet, I found the correct Manual with schematics, and it was a good thing as I would spend a lot of time with them restoring this computer! Link to the NCR PC4 Hardware Maintenance and Service Manual (Part 1) Link to the NCR PC4 Hardware Maintenance and Service Manual (Part 2) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0fdbbf7b-2ba0-404a-8751-0a1b19ee9413/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+3.53.27+PM.png NCR PC4 - Source of the Capacitor Explosion Using the schematics as a guide, I determined that the exploded capacitor on the motherboard was a filter capacitor for the +5V input from the power supply. I’ve found that the schematics often don’t match the board perfectly. In this case, the schematics show two different capacitors in parallel to ground for most of the inputs. The .1uF capacitors on the schematic did not exist but the 33uF capacitors did. I then tested the power supply on the bench and found that none of the outputs (+5, -5, +12, and -12) were working. The fuse on the input of the machine and the several fuses on power supply itself, all appeared to be in good condition. After removing the damaged capacitor and its adjacent friends from the motherboard and the five others from the power supply, I ordered replacements from Digikey. Capacitors are cheap, and it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of a shotgun approach to changing them out. In addition, I replaced the two AC line level RIFA X2 Capacitors as they are routine failure points for power supply of this age. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/46fc66d5-441f-4b29-b170-2d5ebb863672/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.01.02+PM.png NCR PC4 - Debugging the Power Supply After recapping the power supply, I tested it again and was pleased to see that the +5V supply was now functioning. However, the other outputs still weren't working. After thinking about this a little more and consulting the schematics again, I noticed the presence of a current sensing circuit. I realized that the other power supply rails might not be enabled unless power is drawn from the +5V supply line. I had seen this with other computers and power supplies. Not sure what else to do, I decided to put the system back together and try it. The machine booted up successfully from the floppy drive! I checked all the supply rails, and they were all functioning correctly. Win! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f166f4df-217a-47ac-aaac-25515e7e6dea/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.02.26+PM.jpg NCR PC4 Although I'm unsure of what caused the +5V capacitor on the logic board to fail, I suspect it either shorted due to age or someone accidentally connected the power supply to the motherboard cable backward. The connector is not keyed that well, and I could see how someone not paying that close of attention might get the connector on there backward or offset a pin or two. Despite not knowing the exact cause of the issue, I feel confident that recapping all the other voltage rails was a good idea. After removal, I noticed that one of the old capacitors was leaking a bit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5583752c-1f87-47f8-87fb-dc2d237b42c8/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.04.32+PM.jpg NCR PC4 - Now we are getting somewhere! I finally got to see the screen! At this point, I had had the computer for weeks and had yet to know if the screen actually worked. I thought it probably did because I could see the tube heater was powering on, but you never know. During the power supply testing - in system, I encountered several BIOS errors on the screen while booting but assumed those to be related to all the missing cards that I had removed from the system during test. Once I returned all the cards individually, I was left only with a Keyboard error. I disassembled and inspected the keyboard, but everything appeared to be in good condition. At this point, I thought a key was stuck in a depressed state, causing the error. I don’t know, just guessing at this point! Since I had the keyboard disassembled, I went ahead and cleaned all the keycaps and keyboard PC boards. Surprisingly, the keyboard was in excellent condition and even featured Cherry switches, renowned for their high quality. The PC4 was the first machine I encountered with Cherry key switches from that era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/948b6bc7-f4d9-424c-9aec-e47339024ba4/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.06.41+PM.png NCR PC4 - Keyboard Issues I started with the keyboard itself to troubleshoot the keyboard issue, suspecting a stuck key switch. I connected the keyboard to a bench power supply and connected the data and clock lines to my oscilloscope. I was fairly sure the keyboard was working because pressing the caps lock would light the LED, and pressing it again would unlight the LED. This generally means the keyboard controller IC works on older machines. In later machines, the computer controlled the state of these lights, but the XT Keyboard design only uses unidirectional communications from the keyboard to the CPU. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ced4ecc7-fa27-45b5-9175-13bc6ec18340/IMG_0842.jpg NCR PC4 Typing on the keyboard showed that the clock signal (yellow) was working fine, and the data lines (blue) were switching between states as one would expect Every key had a different blue bit pattern also what you would expect to see. Key presses and Key releases send different codes. The difference between a key press and a key release is only the first bit (ie sign bit), making it pretty easy to see on the scope that the data was valid. However, the keyboard did not announce itself when powered on. I was pretty sure it should, but I never confirmed that. Happy that it was transmitting what looked to be correct data and clock, I just decided to press forward. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/43854f40-32bb-492a-b715-fc64947e6a7d/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+10.40.35+AM.png NCR PC4 I then turned to the motherboard schematics. My plan of attack was first to see if Interrupt 1 was firing. From what I gather, Interrupt 1 is fired when a complete keycode is received serially from the keyboard. This interrupt tells the CPU that a keycode has been received and is ready to read. I looked at the schematic and highlighted the clock and data signals that passed through the system. The Clock is the yellow line to the left, and data is the purple line coming in from the right side of the diagram. Starting at the serial-load parallel-out shift register that fires the interrupt (Cyan line on the right), it was, in fact not ever triggering. Working backward, I could see the clock and data being presented to the chip, but nothing came out. I had a similar debug session on my Kaypro II, but it was one of the earlier buffer chips in the data path that was broken. On the PC4 the signal reached the 74LS322 shift register, then died. Lending some credence to this, the Hardware Reference Manual suggested this chip might be the problem, AND this chip was located adjacent to the capacitor that had exploded. I ordered a new 74LS322 and replaced it after removing the original chip and installing a socket. Interestingly, the faulty IC was located next to the exploded capacitor, lending some credence that this was indeed the problem. After the new IC was installed, the keyboard started working again. However, this would not be the last keyboard mystery I would encounter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a66d0137-9212-4738-a905-8c4c44d9a967/IMG_1106.jpg NCR PC4 - It Works! Almost! After putting most of the parts back together in the chassis, I again encountered keyboard errors. I had a hunch that the metal cross braces that connect to the chassis and support the ISA cards were possibly touching something on the motherboard, causing issues. I had already ruled out actual keyboard issues during my previous debugging with the machine taken apart, and it was now working consistently disassembled. To test my theory, I applied adhesive paper to the metal parts' inside (motherboard-facing) side and reinstalled them. This solution worked perfectly, and I encountered no further problems through multiple assembly and disassembly cycles. I surmised that perhaps a plastic liner was originally included in the design to insulate the motherboard and brace that had been lost or forgotten along the way. None was mentioned in the hardware manual, but who knows? In any case, finally, all the keyboard-related phantoms seem to be gone for good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/40146cec-6630-416d-9e9a-c96a6b7e11b2/IMG_8138.jpg NCR PC4 - Replacing the Hard Drive with an XT-IDE I try to remove rotating hard disks from my computer restorations. If they haven’t failed after 30+ years, they will soon. I replace rotating media with some kind of Compact Flash or SDCard solution. Depending on the era of the computer, they can be faster or slower than the original disk, but longevity is really my goal. My go-to for older DOS machines is the XT-IDE board. It contains a BIOS extension that the system calls upon boot that installs code to allow these older machines to look for an IDE disk to boot from. (Most of these machines had no original ability to boot from a hard disk. In fact, for some boxes, there was no hard disk invented yet). IBM was smart, however, and they included the concept of the extension BIOS. Machines, from very early on, would look for a ROM at a specific address and run the code if a ROM was found there. The XT-IDE is a modern card designed by enthusiasts to breathe life into older computers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fc6dcac8-3416-47f6-aeeb-7b9ec5823787/IMG_1139.jpg NCR PC4 Installing these boards is very simple. Format at Compact Flash card for FAT and install DOS on it. Put the card in the CF slot on the ISA Card and plug it in. It has literally never been harder than that on any of my older DOS boxes, and the PC4 was no different. I have restored many DOS machines at this point, so I just copy the files from one of the others and start making changes required based on the hardware configuration of each new computer. A problem did arise using the system for a while. I noticed something I haven’t previously encountered. Using the <CTRL><ALT><DEL> to warm boot the PC would not reset the computer sufficiently to boot again from the XT-IDE without hard cycling the power (i.e., Cold Boot). On a warm boot, the BIOS (either the Computers or the XT-IDE extension) would report “Error 60h!” and then boot from the floppy. I set this aside as an inconvenience deciding to solve this problem later. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c7aad994-4e90-48cb-ad9d-8e56240becde/IMG_1237.jpg NCR PC4 - A Solution for the Hard Drive Bezel The XT-IDE is such a great solution for older DOS computers. However, one complication with this approach was that the front of the original hard disk installed in the NCR was actually part of the bezel design of the system and included the drive activity LED. A closer inspection revealed that the bezel was attached to the original drive and could be removed. I needed to design a way for the bezel to appear in the front of the machine to restore the machine's original appearance, something that was important to the project. The bezel had the drive activity LED embedded into its design as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/99614ff1-b06e-4c3f-b932-aa99338bb967/Screenshot+2023-04-09+at+2.34.49+PM.png NCR PC4 I decided to create a 3D-printed bracket that would allow me to attach the bezel with the LED and mount it in the machine to make it look original. Moreover, I could connect the XT-IDE drive access LED connectors to the original LED in the bezel, making the machine look perfect, and the LED would flash as expected during drive activity. With older machines, having an HD access light was quite useful as they are relatively slow computers by today’s standards. It gives some feedback that everything is working as intended. link to the drive bay bezel bracket stl file https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/03bfc147-d7c9-442e-be9d-5b43145975fa/IMG_0833.jpg NCR PC4 After designing the bracket, I printed it and attached it to the bezel, making everything look very original. I tested the original LED on the bench with my power supply. It appeared to work fine. However, once connected to the XT-IDE it was very dim and if the disk was accessed quickly it was barely visible at all. At this point, I realized that the XT-IDE supplies a 3.3V output for the LED, while the LED was expecting 5V. In addition, the XT-IDE had some unknown value of current limiting resistor inline as well that all conspired against this solution. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/916479a7-66f0-47fb-883b-e48022f76273/IMG_1151.jpg NCR PC4 After some thought, I decided to try using a level-shifting IC that would convert the 3.3V to 5V. I had used these chips in some Arduino projects where I needed to use TTL logic with the lower-power 3.3V Arduino. I had a SN54AHCT125 Quad Bus Buffer Gate lying around, so I tried it, and it worked splendidly In addition, I decided to replace the 30-year-old LED with a better-performing modern LED and a better selection of current limiting resistor. Using a Dremel tool I ground off the back of the embedded LED until just the lens was left on the front side. I mounted the board on the new bezel support, and the combination looked and worked flawlessly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fac92791-91dc-44b9-bf24-7e628e2aa73b/IMG_0831.jpg NCR PC4 - Power Breakout Working on, or even using a voltmeter to check the power supply in this computer is difficult as it’s embedded under the CRT. With the original Hard Disk removed from the bay, the location made an excellent place to install a junction block for the different power rails before they made their way to the motherboard. I included stickers so would remember what each supply line was, making future testing much easier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c6dc5fdd-ceb0-40b6-983b-b5e479e695ff/IMG_1142.jpg NCR PC4 - Revisiting the <CTRL><ALT><DEL> warm boot issue. As explained previously, after a warm boot, the BIOS would report an error 60h and boot from the floppy drive. While cycling power was a temporary workaround, it put a lot of stress on the power supply and, more importantly, on that glorious orange switch! To solve this problem, I created an assembly program to run from the command line to jump the machine to the cold start reset vector when the “reboot” command is entered. It works great if you are at a DOS prompt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/190c5a90-7c33-4ec6-a24d-44e1550e0825/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.24.59+PM.png NCR PC4 - What I really needed was a reset button The reboot command solution worked well, but if the machine was locked up your really needed to reset button. After some research, I found an article from the 1980s on installing a reset switch on an IBM 5150 PC by connecting a momentary switch between GND (Pin 9) and RES (Pin 11) the clock generator IC. When pressed the machine does a cold boot as if the power had been turned off and back on again. That solution worked great, so I pressed ahead, finding a hidden place to mount the reset switch to the case. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/61b32602-19e2-475d-8f96-fdfc75661a46/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.31.53+PM.png NCR PC4 - Installing the reset button I happened to have a long neck micro switch left over from my restore of the Commodore SX-64, so I fabricated a bracket to affix it so it would barely protrude from the vents below the CRT display. Attaching the leads to the clock chip was the perfect solution, and its completely invisible from the outside of the machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/058127b4-3bc3-4dd8-a154-505db6432c99/Screen+Shot+2022-05-22+at+10.47.13+AM.png NCR PC4 - Network Card Addition The two additions I generally make to my DOS machines are the XT-IDE Flash drive and a network card. The network card is strictly not required as you can install software easily by just moving the Flash Card back and forth via sneakernet, but having networking is nice as I have an FTP server setup on my local network, and it makes it easy to move files around between computers. In the DOS world, TCP/IP was a new thing back in the day. Network cards existed at the time (mid 80's), but they were a mixed bag, and they were expensive. As DOS was not a multitasking or threaded operating system, most cards were used with early Windows installs that postdated these computers. However, years later, some enterprising software types figured out how to create "packet drivers" for DOS. A packet driver is TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program that is run from the command line; it sets up some memory it copies itself into, attaches to the network card via a hardware interrupt, and makes sure DOS doesn't use the memory for the next program, and exits. This way, when the card receives a packet, the interrupt calls the TSR and fills a software buffer other programs can access to communicate. None of this would be helpful without some TCP tools that Mike Brutman had written years ago. Mikes TCP tools (i.e., telnet, FTP, DNS) are standard Unix-type tools with the TCP stack compiled into them. These tools know how to talk to the packet drivers for various cards. When it's all said and done, you have modern networking for old computers. You need to research what cards work and then find deals. Their old cards can go from $20 to $400. I have a stash of $20 ones, so I put one in the 5155. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1334def0-38e5-4d1c-827f-7f5dfbedfd3c/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+1.01.53+PM.png NCR PC4 - Real-time clock addition I like to add a real-time clock to these older DOS machines so they automatically know the time when they are booted up. Machines of this era would have to ask you to enter the current date and time, which sucks. In other projects like the IBM 5155 or Compaq Portable 1, I’ve used a modern fan-produced ISA card with a real-time clock chip and a CR2032 battery. With a few modifications to the autoexec.bat file, everything works great. The problem with the PC4 was I was out of ISA slots. The PC4 only has five ISA slots, and they were all taken up by things more important than a clock. Interestingly it appears that the original intention was to have six ISA slots, as the metal bracing I mentioned above has a cutout for a sixth but another was not on the motherboard. Back in the 80s, a company, SMT, started making zero-slot real-time clock chips for these computers to work around this problem of “no slots left.” The chip would incorporate a small coin cell battery, a Dallas Timekeeper IC, and a socket. You would insert the chip into the BIOS socket and then insert the BIOS ROM into the socket on top of the timekeeper. The timekeeper would snoop the address bus for an address sequence only it would understand. When this sequence of addresses were found along with the OE (output enable) and CE (chip enable), then the embedded chip would start to read one of the address lines going to the ROM as if it were a serial communication line. With the proper software, the rest of the system was oblivious to data transfer. In the same way, the timekeeper could be told to put its data onto the data bus to report the time back upon system boot. During these transfers, the ROM’s CE was held in a state that it would not respond. It was quite ingenious and required no external address decoding on the motherboard. A link to the manual that describes its operation in more detail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c009837d-95d8-45f4-808d-a7b9a5538c40/Screen+Shot+2023-04-10+at+2.51.31+PM.png NCR PC4 While you can still find these chips (err, $24 from China), they are all dead as the battery only lasted ten years and is all 30 years old. However, you can breathe new life into the chip by taking a Dremel tool to the chip, removing its battery, and then attaching an external modern coil cell battery to the Timekeeper IC. Good video on how to do this here (note, mine had only battery embedded) This is precisely what I did. After obtaining the “Dallas DS1216E” IC, I removed the battery and soldered an external connector onto the IC. I 3D printed a second board with a CR2032 battery holder that snapped into the unused ROM socket next to the BIOS ROM and connected the two with leads for battery power. The IC that I bought was in pretty rough shape when I arrived. I used toilet bowl cleaner to clean rust off the socket on the chip, then ran it through the dishwasher, and it came out clean and ready to use. Video on using toilet bowl cleaner here After installing the required software utility from brutman.com and after setting the time, it worked great the first time. Things never work the first time! link to the STL for the batter holder board Link to Software used to set and get the time from the no-slot clock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/651f0d24-0eac-4299-b947-8617a002aed4/IMG_1237.JPG NCR PC4 - Final Thoughts This project was a lot of fun but also frustrating. I bought the machine on a bit of lark because I think it has such a unique industrial design. As a friend pointed out, “It’s all about the Orange button.” I always like the machine I just finished the most (usually), but this one is so unique it’s just fun to look at! The keyboard is quite nice, and the outside is nearly pristine. The screen is clear and readable, and all the parts work well. It is heavy as a beast, however. Such a great project that forced me to use a ton of stuff I learned way back in school when I didn’t know what I was going to do to make a living. It turned out to be software, but the hardware skills were still in there somewhere! Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/54953bb7-d878-483c-8fa0-12586107a71a/IMG_0742.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c00d03ef-914e-44a9-a7db-289892f05c96/IMG_1111.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8dea3c90-c616-4362-a46d-aedbca19c5ce/IMG_1112.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/abf30f7e-03ba-428c-ac8e-ff250a2b7aff/IMG_1113.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cc1f16e2-8f0b-4032-b479-c5cbe785a035/IMG_1139.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/04e6b1ce-5a8e-4d00-adfa-f3adf1a5cafb/IMG_1151.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/03bfc147-d7c9-442e-be9d-5b43145975fa/IMG_0833.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c7aad994-4e90-48cb-ad9d-8e56240becde/IMG_1237.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/99614ff1-b06e-4c3f-b932-aa99338bb967/Screenshot+2023-04-09+at+2.34.49+PM.png NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f166f4df-217a-47ac-aaac-25515e7e6dea/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.02.26+PM.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/651f0d24-0eac-4299-b947-8617a002aed4/IMG_1237.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a66d0137-9212-4738-a905-8c4c44d9a967/IMG_1106.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7d0314ee-3df0-4c63-86a7-e3b4129c143d/IMG_1142.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/84619727-1808-490f-8822-68f98a5d820d/IMG_0831.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/40146cec-6630-416d-9e9a-c96a6b7e11b2/IMG_8138.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ced4ecc7-fa27-45b5-9175-13bc6ec18340/IMG_0842.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1680977080276-8VOV38D3905OXBZMEYQO/IMG_1199.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/49f320e7-9f57-45a0-9fd8-ae348dd2ccc8/IMG_0711.jpg NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cac210f9-5f89-45ac-9dfd-847602d293c1/IMG_1144.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/190c5a90-7c33-4ec6-a24d-44e1550e0825/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.24.59+PM.png NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/77e3d786-634a-4d64-a7ec-c0d9454c1e11/IMG_1142.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2aca7e7e-fdb1-4071-b507-393a9e0c028b/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+4.02.26+PM.png NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a095517f-21f2-4ec3-845e-25d443797011/IMG_0805.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fab986d0-ce6c-4e1b-ab60-c78f28a65cae/IMG_0711.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/a60bfb8a-677d-4dfe-ac0d-618fea823054/IMG_1150.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cb007c67-842d-402e-afec-5e9b0a94a3d9/IMG_1152.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6be3b6ea-40ec-424d-bc3c-953b927dc3d1/IMG_1156.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/34425b28-d6fb-4dc3-97a9-fdaca0b53c5d/IMG_1157.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2287bda7-77df-4f03-b590-f85c94834824/IMG_1177.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bf24f947-f12e-4e04-9ccb-871395276d21/IMG_1181.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b7ab9d01-4ea0-4147-8cbe-1f83b7374964/IMG_1229.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3eed5449-af1a-467e-8a57-478a293a5ced/IMG_1110.JPG NCR PC4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/60fe2dd6-e4ff-49c6-a30c-1a4fadef044c/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+2.11.49+PM.png NCR PC4 https://www.oldsilicon.com/ncr-pc4-keypath-schematic daily 0.75 2023-04-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/60fe2dd6-e4ff-49c6-a30c-1a4fadef044c/Screen+Shot+2023-04-09+at+2.11.49+PM.png NCR Key Path Schematic - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.oldsilicon.com/sparc-station-lx-logic-board daily 0.75 2023-08-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3b73a7bb-efdb-42d4-a655-1af2e702e324/IMG_2524.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cc3753d4-a23a-445c-bf26-d4433980b413/IMG_2525.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bea33369-3caa-4125-bc28-4461982fa7ee/IMG_2526.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f28e098b-c904-43f4-b70e-da047e862adb/IMG_2527.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5b2a61fa-8a4f-4f1b-bcbc-bdeaed034910/IMG_2528.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/465f2f6a-3381-4af7-aaa7-71246b65564f/IMG_2529.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f4af2ee7-5490-412b-95ed-81d9352226e4/IMG_2530.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/61e9fd4d-0975-480f-b4d8-715aa446c17e/IMG_2531.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7adaf696-cf8e-4871-bd7b-5c5203b19d97/IMG_2532.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3abeb34b-ddb5-4332-a16b-ed628b86a824/IMG_2533.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bd3a3f53-3f32-4d4b-8c3a-15521129505d/IMG_2534.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6c52050c-c017-43b1-b765-00960af5534e/IMG_2535.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/39bf6125-1b36-4656-bd96-f4af679f4ca6/IMG_2536.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/800fd74c-d5e7-44d4-94af-bbff5a17dd1d/IMG_2537.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/34658703-7a8a-4dc4-89ec-4b992a86a885/IMG_2538.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8fd5192c-2291-4dd3-83a7-44747f4cd38a/IMG_2539.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c32e2087-7c2e-40ce-a79f-ba01c7ba0f8f/IMG_2540.jpeg SPARCstation LX Logic Board https://www.oldsilicon.com/sunos-4-1-4-image-download daily 0.75 2023-08-12 https://www.oldsilicon.com/sparcstation-voyager daily 0.75 2023-10-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ff127739-d9e7-40db-b1b0-4089e36d1422/Screenshot+2023-10-24+at+7.48.03+AM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Acquisition I had been searching for a Voyager for several years. They are not common machines to find and when you do they are often broken and nearly always expensive. The original 1994 price of a color Voyager was around $14,000 or about $29,000 in 2023 dollars. There are two types of Voyagers available: machines with broken screens and machines with screens on the verge of breaking. Nearly every machine you come across exhibits streaks of dead pixel lines. The machine I found was in working condition but with very little information available. I took a bit of a gamble on it, hoping it would mostly be in working order. At one point in its life it was owned by a company named DBStar. The internet wayback machine didn’t yield any useful results, but some links go back to Oracle, so I assume the company was a database consulting company that used this machine to go onsite and help customers with database configurations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d25c4173-695f-42b9-8b5b-9db43edf420c/2023-09-02-0014.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Unpacking Upon receiving the Voyager, I noticed that it was well-packaged and included the slide-in power supply and the slide-in battery. It's somewhat unusual to have the battery, as I've been told. I haven't done anything with the battery yet, as I assume its life expectancy has long since passed. The machine had 32 MB of RAM, 16 MB on the motherboard, and 16 MB on an original proprietary Sun branded memory card that's about the size of a PCMCIA card. To my surprise, the machine sprang to life, booting from its small SCSI laptop drive. Furthermore, to my amazement, the screen was somewhat functional. It would fade in and out, but there were no dead pixel lines. Unfortunately, I didn't have the login information for the machine at this point, so I was somewhat stuck. However, I remained optimistic that the device was in good condition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/81a48fe5-7a0e-4f30-9a93-547d031f5701/2023-09-02-0020.JPG SPARCstation Voyager - Configuration • 60-MHz microSPARC-II Processor • 32 Mbyte of RAM • Chassis dimensions are 5.5- by 14.5-inch • External SCSI Port • Internal mini laptop-style SCSI port • Built-in twisted-pair Ethernet • Onboard ISDN support • 1024x768 active matrix color LCD • Compact Type 5 keyboard • Infrared port for communications with PDAs and palmtop computers • PCMCIA expansion for modems, network options, and storage cards • Serial port https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/581ae7f4-4487-4774-8bf6-f9f37e929947/2023-09-02-0023.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Condition The machine would boot up from the internal laptop-style SCSI hard disk. However, due to a lack of credentials, I couldn't proceed any further. I observed that the drive made a clunking sound every few seconds. This noise could be attributed to the heads being parked due to inactivity or the drive being on the verge of failure. Nonetheless, it didn't concern me much, as I intended to replace the hard disk with a ZuluSCSI hard disk emulator. Inertial Computing makes a laptop version that fits perfectly in place of the original disk, and I acquired one from their website. The internal LCD screen posed a bit of a mystery. When it worked, it displayed impressive brightness and clarity, but unfortunately, it never remained operational for an extended period. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c44521a8-0464-4f30-a2d0-66931cf55f4c/2023-09-02-0022.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Timekeeper Update Like all Sun Workstations, the timekeeper chip was dead and needed to be replaced. The Voyager uses a M48T08-150, which I believe is out of production. The timekeeper chip performs a few functions in a Sun Workstation. The first is to keep the time when the power is turned off or removed from the machine. In addition, Timekeeper chips have a small amount of memory that the host machine can use to store certain parameters. In a Sun Workstation, that memory is generally used to store the machine ID that is used by the OS when booting, as well as holding the ethernet address. When the battery finally goes dead, usually after a decade or so, the chip needs to be replaced. Different workstation models use different timekeeper models, but they are quite similar. Many chip models are no longer produced, so it is common to use a Dremel tool to grind away the bottom of the chip and attach a new coin cell to the exposed leads. Once this is complete, the chip needs to be reprogrammed using the OBP software built into the Sun ROM. I was fortunate enough to already have a modified chip that a friend had given me, so all I needed to do was replace the chip with the one I had and then reprogram the information. Procedure for reseting IDPROM values on a Sun Workstation Video: replacing the IDPROM on a SPARCstation 20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/669384d5-3da1-4b95-a7b9-7f98fa6bb4ef/2023-09-07-0011.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Hard Drive Replacement Instead of immediately addressing the screen issue, I concentrated on getting the ZuluSCSI emulator functional and booting Solaris. Since I have several systems running Solaris 2.6 on Zulu boards, I opted to copy one of my Solaris 2.6 images onto a mini SD card and give it a shot. To my delight, the machine booted up promptly. Solaris 2.6 worked great with the Voyager and even presented the hibernate menu item that is unique to the Voyager from the CDE shutdown menu. I ran the Voyager for a few days with an external monitor attached, and it proved to be highly stable and surprisingly fast on my standard compiler tests. Link to ZuluSCSI Laptop Edition https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/106e4c2b-2be6-4e97-93f5-c6791d84a86e/Screenshot+2023-10-23+at+3.59.04+PM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Disassembly From the onset, I was cautiously optimistic that I could get the original LCD panel to work. The problems seemed manageable, and my initial suspicion was that failing capacitors might be the issue. Monitors attached to the rear of the machine worked fine, and according to the Voyager Service Manual, the rear display and internal display use the same graphics card. The rear display port worked, so I could rule out the video card as the likely problem. In the back of my mind, I also considered the possibility of replacing the nearly 30-year-old LCD with a modern one, a modification I had successfully undertaken in my Commodore SX64. A new modern LCD isn't that expensive; I believe I paid $60 for a new 12.1 1024x768 screen with a controller on eBay, so I decided to order one just in case, as the lead time on these is often 30 days or more from China. Disassembling the Voyager and its screen was a somewhat time-consuming and intricate process. I highly suggest grabbing the Voyager Service Manual and following the disassembly and reassembly instructions, as there are plastic bits that could easily be broken if you don't perform those tasks correctly. I knew I would have the Voyager disassembled for some time, so I carefully placed the specific screws and specialty parts in envelopes with their purpose written on each envelope. I started to adopt this process when I disassembled the NCR PC that I restored last year. That computer used so many different screw sizes, thread pitches, and lengths that it was clear that trying to remember all of that would be futile. I've also learned that even with the best intentions, the parts get lost after a few months. Link to SPARCstation Voyager Service Manual https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b8e60634-34c3-44ef-8999-dfaebe293c13/Screenshot+2023-10-24+at+11.04.32+AM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Attempting to fix the original LCD panel The screen assembly is easily removed with two screws that attach it to the top of the Voyager. Voyagers were sometimes sold without a screen, and, in that case, a plastic part is installed over the connector. The electrical connections are routed through a very large micro-pitch DSub-looking connector with 68 pins. All video, as well as +5 and +12 power, routes through the connector. Once I separated the screen assembly from the system, I made a few observations. When I initially noticed the screen flickering and fading in and out during operation, I suspected it might be related to the backlight. However, after disassembling the machine and the screen assembly and running it on the bench, I realized that the backlight was consistently functioning well. In fact, the screen uses a fluorescent backlight. Fluorescent fixtures generally don’t dim, and the backlight was completely functional. Upon closer inspection, the issue appeared to be related to the changing opacity of the pixels, which indicated a problem with the LCD controller board. Upon removing the controller board from the back of the screen assembly, I discovered several failing electrolytic capacitors with leaking liquid. Using my trusty magnifying glass, I recorded the values of all the visibly failing capacitors and ordered replacements. I did not try replacing capacitors that looked fine. Once the new capacitors arrived, I carefully removed the old surface-mount caps and replaced them with the new ones. Powering the system back up resulted in a significantly improved image, although some issues remained. I left the machine running for a few hours, but upon returning, the screen had deteriorated further. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work correctly again, and it would consistently go to bright white shortly after booting, with a distorted image fading into white. In addition, it now had the telltale pixel lines that eventually appear on all Voyagers. At this point, I decided to call it quits on the original screen and proceeded to explore the replacement option. I’m glad I was able to see the original screen working for a bit of time. It was very nice, and I’m sure at the time it was designed, it was quite expensive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c19b0631-9290-4b11-b09f-77572f4a1d9d/Screenshot+2023-10-23+at+4.02.59+PM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Moving on to the replacement LCD panel As mentioned earlier, I had already ordered a modern LCD screen when I first received the computer. I had a feeling that if fixing the original screen were a straightforward task, there would be more information available online regarding the process. I found none in my searches. While there is an abundance of low-cost, high-quality LCD screens available on eBay, Alibaba, and even Amazon these days, they primarily support VGA (analog) and HDMI (digital) standards, and not the unique, non-standard, custom format of the Voyager screen. It would be a substantial engineering effort to adapt the digital interface to modern analog VGA screens and frankly way beyond my ability. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/19df3d22-22b0-45f8-86ff-af73df3a0940/Screenshot+2023-10-23+at+4.07.02+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/669e8964-13e8-40dd-b149-a9f8801181f2/IMG_3698.jpg SPARCstation Voyager Digging into the substantial 68-pin connector that linked the screen controller on the back of LCD panel to the video card in the Voyager, I quickly realized that the screen utilized a parallel digital interface, which posed a problem. The labeling of the RGB bits is unusual, for instance Green is G0, G1, G2, G3, G10, G11, G12, G13. There are 8bits as you would expect (8bit color) but why do they jump from G3 to G10 and continue. If you have idea why this is the way it is feel free to use the link above to send me an message, I’m just curious. Setting that aside for a moment, I decided to experiment with getting the new LCD panel to function via the rear 13w3 video connector. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4445d5ca-849f-444a-9d83-75d30d890595/Screenshot+2023-10-24+at+11.09.29+AM.png SPARCstation Voyager I had acquired the 12.1” 1024x768 panel with a controller board, which matched the resolution and physical dimensions of the original LCD panel. However, I soon realized that the external 13w3 video connector was by default Sun's standard 1152x820 resolution. This resolution was too high for the LCD and was unlikely to synchronize properly. Both concerns proved to be accurate. I looked for 1280x1024 panel but they are not available in 12.1 format that fits the Voyager screen bezel. After some research, it appeared that the Voyager might support a 1024x768 resolution on the external connection, just as its internal graphics connector did for the original LCD display. The Voyager uses the same graphics card for both the internal and external displays. If you connect the external display, the internal display is ignored, except the backlight remains on. Information I obtained said the 1024x768 resolution was supported at a 77Hz update rate. I tried that with the new panel, and the panel complained about that frequency being out of its range. Possible solutions were starting to narrow. After some more research, I discovered that other Sun graphics cards in the same family supported an undocumented resolution of 1024x768 at 70 Hz. While this was a bit of a long shot, I tried it and it worked. The screen could sync up and seemed to work fine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/0530e8fa-26df-4a52-8a28-d1799f26b8ff/Screenshot+2023-10-23+at+4.30.08+PM.png SPARCstation Voyager Originally, I constructed a cable using only the RGB signals and their respective grounds. Upon first inspection, this seemed to work fine. After a bit of playing around with the system, I noticed that the screen would lose sync when the Xserver would start. If I power-cycled the screen after the Xserver started, I noticed the screen would reacquire sync. Sun machines emit a sync signal on the green component signal, and while the panel seemed fine with that on boot-up, I believe it failed to reacquire sync if the image on the screen changed dramatically. More research uncovered that the Voyager also outputs a horizontal sync on one of the other pins on the connector. After connecting that signal to its VGA counterpart, everything seemed to work fine. I believe transitioning to all black pixels would throw the sync off, and without the horizontal sync line, the panel could not, or would not, reacquire. I’ve included the wiring diagram for the cable I ended up using that worked with this panel and controller. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/b419d826-11f4-49d3-b3a9-6ea1472da954/Screenshot+2023-10-24+at+11.43.46+AM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Powering the new LCD panel Having successfully resolved how to make the modern LCD work with the Voyager, I needed to find a way to integrate it seamlessly into the Voyager's compact chassis. Up to this point, everything had been spread out on the workbench. The Voyager's interior space is limited, to begin with, and often to debug the system would require parts precariously connected on the bench during operation. The new LCD screen required two things: a VGA signal and 12V power. Finding the 12V power source was relatively straightforward, as it was available on the breakout board that previously fed the original LCD controller in the screen assembly. It wasn’t labeled but it was obvious on the breakout board that the white connector fed power to the original LCD panel. Left to Right the pins were GND,+5V,+5V,GND, +12V +12V. I ended up using the GND toward the middle and the far right +12V. Note that the +12 was closer to +15V but seemed to work fine. Not all voltages were accessible on that connector without a screen attached, but fortunately, the +12V and GND pins seemed to be active without the original screen attached and those are the only two I needed as the new controller and panel formulated its own voltages from a single 12V supply. Before connecting the new panel and controller to the Voyager's existing power supply through the internal screen assembly connector, I wanted to assess the power consumption of the original screen. The wires that breakout the 68-pin connector are quite small and could probably not support too much current. I assumed that the modern screen would draw considerably less current than the original as the modern screen uses a LED backlight design rather than fluorescent backlight. I connected the original screen and booted the system. The backlight was likely the highest current draw, and it worked fine on the original screen, so I measured the 12V current, and it turned out to stabilize around 900mA. On my bench, I connected the new screen and controller to my bench power supply and measured that the new panel and controller drew about 600mA. This was as expected and good news, meaning it would work but also give the 30-year-old power supply and DC-DC converter in the Voyager a little extra headroom during operation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7d7156e4-0b9d-4de9-892f-842e0507f09d/IMG_3756.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Routing the VGA signal to the new panel Getting the new VGA signal routed to the display was a bit more complicated. The native screen connector was not suitable for these signals, as it was directly attached to the graphics card in the Voyager. On the display side, I decided to create a new wiring path behind the screen, hidden from the user's view, which would still allow for screen articulation. In order to run the video signal internal to the Voyager, I needed to remove the floppy drive as there was a passthrough available in that location from the backside of the machine to the front side of the machine. This was not a problem as I intended to mount the ZuluSCSI board in the floppy location for easy access to the SDCard. I now had a path from the front of the machine adjacent to the articulating screen assembly to the rear of the machine where the 13w3 external video connector was. Originally, my plan was to solder the VGA connections to the backside of the original 13w3 connector internal to the computer. While this may have been possible, it seemed risky to execute as the connections are VERY small. Instead, I opted to 3D print a housing for the mating 13w3 connector that would loop the signals back into the computer. It was a little makeshift but works. I may someday go back and do the more extensive surgery, probably with a microscope, to remove the dongle from the back of the system. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/22e46992-29f4-4984-9e48-d33364f86c6f/IMG_3754.jpg SPARCstation Voyager Routing the VGA signals from the internal cable to the screen required a different approach. I couldn't use the internal connector, so I decided to route the signals from the front of the Voyager behind the screen to the rear of the screen assembly inside to the video controller board. This approach worked well and did not affect screen articulation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9d7ee420-f900-48e1-83fd-b5b4285d7b8e/IMG_3221.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Fitting the new LCD panel to the screen assembly I was reasonably sure that physically the new screen and controller would fit in the Voyager bezel. Modern LCD displays use LED backlight and are much thinner and lighter than the original display. The controller, however, being more capable, was a bit thicker than the special-purpose controller integrated into the original display. After some design work in Sketchup, I was able to make a display adapter that held the new screen in place using the existing display mounts in the bezel and also held the display controller and the display power adapter board. It took a bit of trial and error to find a way that it all fit in the screen bezel assembly but I was eventually successful. In addition, the controller came with a small user input board that lets you adjust the screen image contrast, color, etc. Using the buttons on this board represents the worst interface you can imagine. The controller also contains an IR sensor as well as a small remote that makes these changes easier. I elected to drill a small hole in the bottom of the screen bezel out of sight for the IR sensor to sit so the remote could be used to adjust the screen on occasion. Link to Controller Board Mount Frame STL file (glue to blocks below for a complete assembly) Link to Screen Corner Mounting Block STL file (print four with mirrored geometry) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d9fc28d3-a433-4790-bf4b-2466401e763b/Screenshot+2023-10-24+at+1.08.29+PM.png SPARCstation Voyager - Accessing the SDCard through the floppy slot I really wanted access to the SDCard with the machine closed up. I generally place the Zulu board in the floppy drive area, allowing SDCard access through the floppy slot. That solution might have worked with the Voyager as well except there wasn’t enough room for the 50-pin ribbon cable to fit into the floppy bay from the hard drive bay below it. Instead, I opted for an SDCard extender available on Amazon that connects to the micro SDCard slot on the Zulu board and extends through a micro-ribbon cable to a full size card slot housed in plastic. After some design and 3D printing work, I developed a design to secure the SDCard extension slot in the floppy bay and attached it to the Voyager right side plastic assembly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/e53dee2e-61d2-46cd-ad49-ca9d49590ea3/IMG_3741+2.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Closing up the patient! Getting everything to function on the workbench and getting it all to work within the constraints of the Voyager are two distinct challenges. I made the mistake of connecting and mounting everything without testing along the way. When the machine booted, it raised an error regarding the SCSI terminator fuse. To maintain my composure, I decided to take a break and had lunch. After lunch, I resolved to tackle the SCSI issue. I once again disassembled the entire chassis of the Voyager, requiring the screen to be removed again. I took this opportunity to reassemble everything adding some wire ties and a few bits of hot glue to secure cables and connectors. During the reassembly I noticed that the 50 pin SCSI connector had been shifted one pin to the right. Apparently, this made the Voyager think its SCSI termination power fuse had blown producing the error at boot. At each stage I booted the system and indeed the SCSI cable was the problem. I then proceeded to put the machine back together and it worked flawlessly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9f3712da-be38-4125-b753-ed7e635a840c/IMG_3720.jpg SPARCstation Voyager - Conclusion This project has been a massive amount of fun. It took about three months to complete. I didn’t know what exactly I was in for when I started the project. To be honest, I was biased toward replacing the screen with a modern LCD panel but I would have postponed that if I could have fixed or original screen. Nothing I did precludes fixing it in the future however. There are certain machines that have chronic problems and even when they work, you are constantly concerned that by using them you are shortening their life. I felt this way about the Voyager and feel better using a less perishable version that I’ve constructed. The panel I used was good, but not great. I’m temped to find a better model and now that I’ve proven the design it should be easy to retrofit. The Voyager is pretty fast, fun to use, and I really didn’t want the inevitable death of that LCD screen hanging over my head. I really feel like this machine can now go another 30 years. Probably not the power supply however, it’s always the power supply! Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/33058aa3-4c93-4d80-9500-1258edce4a4a/2023-09-02-0015.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f9b57da6-24b9-4353-ae08-5512459f0f25/2023-09-02-0014.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/81a48fe5-7a0e-4f30-9a93-547d031f5701/2023-09-02-0020.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/bd8c7383-0bd7-497c-ba47-f9fbb918ad63/2023-09-02-0021.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/65b26eec-c9f6-4eee-b3af-16c068cba0fc/2023-09-02-0022.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c4484689-e419-4bec-b0e8-ef8605c427c4/2023-09-02-0024.JPG SPARCstation Voyager 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/183d616b-6a73-40dd-ae87-d97e9578e242/IMG_3221.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/cd569c37-1b51-4ed7-b166-60044cfa017f/IMG_3225.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/eb20d438-67d1-4f65-ab68-9d411421e043/IMG_3247.JPG SPARCstation Voyager https://www.oldsilicon.com/commodore-sx-64 daily 0.75 2023-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d1135d89-b611-488f-83ea-679daee08ba1/FullSizeRender.jpg Commodore SX-64 - Acquisition I bought my SX-64 on eBay in February of 2021. In College my first computer was a C64, and I remember seeing the SX computer in a specialty computer store at the time and thought it was pretty cool. Portables at the time were much larger than the SX, and none of them had color screens. The screen was reasonably readable, especially for a young guy. This SX-64 was in very good condition. It's very common for machines on eBay to not have a keyboard cable and for the teal-colored endcaps on the handle to be missing. This computer was complete, so I paid a bit extra for it, although I don't remember what I paid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/4c57ce71-3285-4611-9f1f-24f7451741c7/IMG_7966.jpg Commodore SX-64 - Condition When the SX-64 arrived, it was packed well, and when I started it up, everything worked pretty well except the keyboard. Several keys didn't work correctly, which is not uncommon for this computer after 30 years. Visibly, the computer was nearly perfect, as it had all its parts. The most noticeable visual issue was the space bar, which was yellowed. I had noticed this in the listing but was sure it could be returned to its original appearance. Link to SX-64 Schematic Diagrams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/77ba688d-8046-4d36-820e-7451eee10d4a/Screenshot+2023-10-25+at+12.32.54+PM.png Commodore SX-64 - Keyboard The keyboard problem is very common with this computer. The keyboard has a carbon membrane that sits between the key mechanism and the keyboard circuit board. There is a replacement manufactured by someone in Europe for around $25. So I went ahead and ordered a new one. After taking the keyboard apart, I noticed that most of the internal standoffs that the keyboard mechanism screws to had been broken off. In addition, the standoffs that the keyboard connector screws onto had broken. Basically, there was very little holding the keyboard itself inside its shell. I had a sense of this, as the unit seemed to rattle a bit before I took it apart. I decided to design and 3D print new standoffs for the keyboard socket on the back of the keyboard and for the mounts that hold the keyboard to the bottom half of the housing. I filed down the remaining standoffs and 3D printed new versions. After a few iterations to get the sizes of the parts exactly correct, I used JB Weld to glue new parts in place. I think the new parts are actually much better than the originals as the originals had become quite brittle. Since I had all the keycaps removed to get to the membrane, I individually cleaned all the keycaps with soap and water. The spacebar was pretty yellowed from UV light exposure. Interestingly, it seems that the space bar on a significant number of old computer systems I have restored seems to be made from a different plastic than the other keycaps and is often more yellowed than the other keycaps. To correct the space bar color, I placed the space bar in Hydrogen Peroxide and placed it under a blacklight for 6 hours, and it returned to its normal color. I left all the keycaps on the kitchen counter overnight to dry. This turned out to be a mistake, as the next morning one of my Labrador Retrievers had retrieved the spacebar from the counter and was carrying it around quite proud of herself. Thankfully, only minor scars were present. I developed a rule for myself a few years ago after other keyboard incidents. You only keep the caps off the keyboard for the absolute minimal time to prevent entropy accidents like this. Other times I've lost a key in the dishwasher and another in the garbage disposal. The sooner you figure out it's missing, the better! Once I received the membrane, I reassembled the keyboard, and it worked flawlessly and looked like new (except for the small nick in the spacebar). Link to the Keyboard Membrane replacement I used Link to the STL file for the front keyboard standoffs I designed Link to the STL file for the keyboard cable bracket I designed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d38940a6-7534-40f5-b2db-0821dc9e0584/Screenshot+2023-10-25+at+12.38.36+PM.png Commodore SX-64 - LCD Screen and Audio Conversion Researching the SX-64, I came across a series of Mods that people had done to replace the small color CRT with a 5.6 LCD Screen. The SX-64 was the first portable computer with a color screen. The original screen is a small Sony Trinitron CRT that works quite well, but due to its requirement for an electron beam shadow mask, it's just never going to be great. The SX-64 and C64 were somewhat unusual for the time as they could provide separate Chrominance and Luminance signals to supporting monitors (essentially early S-Video). That improved the signal quite a bit over composite video. The C64 used the Commodore 1701 and 1702 monitors to take advantage of these signals. The SX-64 also took advantage of these signals to provide a better image on the internal CRT. The LCD mod was developed by an SX-64 enthusiast in Europe. He obtained a relatively inexpensive LCD display and controller from Alibaba. The display has composite inputs as well as chroma luma inputs. When connected to the SX-64, the picture is very good, and the size of the display is perfect for retrofitting into the case. The mod takes a minor firmware change to the controller. I found someone who was selling the display and the modified controller on their website for $70 and decided to purchase it. It took a while to receive the unit, but once it showed up, I proceeded to remove the CRT/Speaker unit from the machine, carefully documenting every step with photos. The CRT unit weighs quite a bit, making the machine a lot lighter with the LCD display, another added benefit of the LCD upgrade. I was careful to retain all the original parts in the event I wanted to put the machine back to stock. I doubt that I will ever do that, perhaps if I sell the machine someday, a buyer would prefer it in the original condition. I removed one wiring harness that led from the image controls on the right side of the front of the unit and stored it with the CRT. I modified the 12V power connection to allow it to connect to the screen controller as well as a new audio amplifier I added. The display has next to no documentation that comes with it, although there are a few videos on YouTube that people have made that are sufficient to get the display hooked up and working. Link to replacement instructions and image adjustment control board Link to replacement LCD Screen and Controller Link to the video by Reviving Retro that I used to do the LCD replacement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/396f69a0-183e-413c-9559-45711ebe731b/IMG_0344.JPG Commodore SX-64 - Mounting the LCD Screen It is amazing how much better the LCD looks. At this point, I started working on a mounting scheme for the screen as well as a new speaker and amplifier board that I purchased on eBay inside the machine. There are a few 3D designs available online for the screen mount. I printed one but didn't like how close the controller was to the screen. Also, tolerances in my chassis made the screen look slightly off skew when installed. I ended up designing my own mount, and it worked out fine after a few tweaks. When the speaker and amplifier board arrived (both less than $10 each), I designed another mount for those that attaches to existing mounting holes in the chassis and installed everything. I hadn't done much with sound up until this point, so when I got it all connected back together, the sound was pretty faint. I did some debugging and googling, and the consensus on the internet was that the SID chip was failing. Link to the STL file for the panel mount I designed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/43297f9e-03bb-4bc2-8483-0af1d64571f3/IMG_0342.jpg Commodore SX-64 - Amplifier and Speaker Mount I tried a small pre-amp to attach the volume potentiometer to, but I always got too much noise in the circuit for some reason. In the end, I used the potentiometer with an additional shunt resistor to set the volume range. I needed a way to mount the speaker and the small amplifier board inside the now quite empty left side of the chassis. Using Sketchup, I designed a plastic insert to hold the parts in place using existing mounting holes in the chassis. The resulting unit was quite a bit lighter than the original. Link to the STL file for the speaker platform I designed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/808f3864-39bf-4b9a-9086-11e6c8af2447/Screenshot+2023-10-25+at+12.50.27+PM.png Commodore SX-64 - Replacing the SID Chip The SID is a custom IC that was produced by Commodore/MOS and a common failure in C64's. After doing some research, I ended up buying a replacement called the ARMSID. It's a modern replacement that gets high reviews. That too was a Europe purchase, so that took a few weeks to arrive. Once installed in the system, surprisingly, it didn't make that much difference. After doing some more debugging, it turns out I had swapped the signal and ground inputs into the amplifier board that connect the SID output to the amplifier board. Once that was straightened out, the sound worked great. So now I have an extra SID chip. Link to purchase ARMSID https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/11d3c56a-a41d-4587-b3df-fb935b0df812/IMG_3761.jpg Commodore SX-64 - LCD Control Panel The LCD mod leaves the built-in controls on the right side of the unit largely unneeded (except for the speaker volume). Another enthusiast produced design is a replacement circuit board that mounts where the video controls potentiometers are located and allows you to control the settings on the LCD panel. At this point, I was kind of all in on the mod, so I ordered that circuit board from a board manufacturer and the components to populate the board from Mouser. The board took about 6 weeks to receive, and the other parts about 1 day. When everything arrived, I soldered the components on the board and installed the board and tested. It worked fine to control the screen and the sound volume for the amplifier. Link to replacement instructions and image adjustment control board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/9dd6211d-ae6b-4590-9cca-5082fd9b0c6e/IMG_3763.jpg Commodore SX-64 - Adding a Drive select Switch I really wanted to add a drive select switch to SX-64 to control the address of the internal 1541 floppy diskette drive. Most Commodore software expects to be run from Drive #8 that is the default for the internal drive. The problem here is that it's useful to connect a drive emulator to the 64 that runs software from a disk emulator. But to do this, the emulator generally needs to be drive 8. Many people put a switch right on the front of the unit to change the drive number of the internal drive. I don't like this approach as they generally put the switch in the cubby above the diskette drive. You need most of the space in that cubby to hold the keyboard cable when not in use. Lacking that space leads to losing that cable. Once you lose that cable, you have an issue. I decided to use the cubby space for the switch but put the switch on the inside wall of the cubby. The lack of the CRT left room for this mounting style. It works great, and you can't see it in normal use, leaving the machine stock-looking. Connecting the switch to the diskette controller board is trivial and well-documented on the internet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/59648df2-ed46-4c4b-8bd9-038efcd44b19/IMG_0347.JPG Commodore SX-64 - Conclusion I like the SX-64. It's kind of cute. I love the LCD mod, and in fact, it makes the machine useful enough that I might sell my C64. The SX is much easier to move around and pretty much fully replaces anything I might want to do with the C64. I also believe the SX is more reliable than the C64. I have several C64's, in completely restored and several partially restored units. I think the SX-64 was a bit of computer looking for a user when it was released. While some people used the 64's for business, most really just used them for games. The SX is clearly more of a business machine, and I'm just not sure how much business there was to do! My SX is in excellent shape. I have the original parts, and to be honest, it's much more usable in its enhanced configuration. Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/eb20d438-67d1-4f65-ab68-9d411421e043/IMG_3247.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c8d9e041-2b51-42d4-bb94-82659d3ec1dd/IMG_3761.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/407f1e35-e866-40f1-a2d2-87992e3ff752/IMG_3762.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c1d0fc85-9499-46ba-8513-b03992fe7999/IMG_3763.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/baabf7bf-f569-44bd-9c21-c6f56c78b85c/IMG_3764.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/7efb5675-3187-4114-9a8f-c9e9ef4abce2/IMG_3765.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/fcf1c0e9-bdc5-4c84-b8cc-2c20e58e39e3/IMG_3767.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/24454fab-dfae-458d-b8fd-fed37bae19f0/IMG_3768.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/89577e71-0dc9-44a2-9352-ee1993368e68/IMG_3769.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/8d4f376b-4bd9-48fd-a911-70a4a4946c96/IMG_3770.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/748c9450-85da-44c1-bbce-c0e37b4e0962/IMG_3771.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/5261928a-1556-4c37-b88a-54a819d71b42/IMG_3772.jpeg Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/04fc1a61-4490-44b5-b515-5ca19b18f1e1/IMG_0349.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/c9976a4a-7ea4-4a0e-8444-e1086e3a1a2c/IMG_0001.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f4d97e95-6dae-4cdf-a8a5-6725d6a3bafa/IMG_0006.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/1a17fea3-96d8-416e-958f-da988444c9f5/IMG_0007.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/03144bc6-70e5-4d61-a641-e7471a8c12c0/IMG_0011.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/234349b7-b208-499e-9d8e-6471a175632c/IMG_0012.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/14163656-9947-4282-b692-e33adc107a55/IMG_0014.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d20ee478-146e-4712-893d-1eade8e9ebff/IMG_0016.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/2e565310-dfd2-4e8e-9985-0af8bb63cb6e/IMG_0017.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/92a81456-4893-4f39-8235-89a30676004c/IMG_0018.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/60b74f35-8f38-4e49-b4bb-b13fbf6da241/IMG_0019.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/386c0767-c8e3-4a68-9654-e14f0b8cec7c/IMG_0028.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/f1ef59ee-f10c-40a6-af8c-177d4d941371/IMG_0029.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/d4bc0749-b955-4b5c-9d3a-835000b70cda/IMG_0030.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/ac8ef008-dea2-42b5-ba13-924c3434ffb1/IMG_0031.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/92616cdc-ee24-4409-a378-8d16454237f2/IMG_0032.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/3e89f1e9-f5a8-439b-93cf-a789c225fccf/IMG_0033.JPG Commodore SX-64 https://www.oldsilicon.com/sunos-4-1-4-image-download-2 daily 0.75 2024-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61dcc098859107749a35f37b/6fc279ea-175b-4192-96f4-d610b021199a/IMG_6007.jpg SunOS 4.1.4 Image Version 2 - 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