Compaq Portable II Questions

[wierd_w]

The option is under the image menu.

 

 

Selecting the option brings up a dialog window.

 

 

Select 1.44 MB (which is the default), and click OK.

 

Winimage will convert the disk image into that format.  Then you can use the 1.44mb diskette drive in your "tweener" system to write the diskette. (Or you can use Fastlynx to copy the disk image file along with rawwrite to the compaq, and write it there, but that assumes you have already booted the system.)

 

 

[bluejay]

So, I got a jumpered sound blaster(higher on the priority list than the other stuff I need). But what do these jumpers do?
https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/sound-cards-multimedia/CREATIVE-LABS-INC-Sound-card-VIBRA-16.html
I found this, but I'm not sure on how I should set the jumpers to work on in the Compaq.

Edit: nevermind. default settings worked just fine. It's playing lovely AdLib Lemmings music:)

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[bluejay]

Whelp, I'm not entirely sure it's the correct settings. 8088 Domination won't detect the card and some games aren't giving me any sound.

[wierd_w]

Did you give a blaster variable?

 

Try typing this at the console first:

 

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6

 

(where A220 is your base (A)ddress at 220, (I)RQ is 5, (D)MA is 1, (H)igh DMA is 5, MPU (P)ort is 330 and card (T)ype is type 6.)

(Alter wherever appropriate)

 

If it still does not work after that, try rejumpering the card for IRQ7 instead of 5 (or vise-versa)

Edited August 22, 2020 by wierd_w

[bluejay]

Ok I'll try that.

That's exactly what the jumpers control, so I'll try and set the jumpers to those.

Edit: That worked perfectly! Thanks!

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[wierd_w]

Yes, the jumpers control it, but the blaster variable tells SOFTWARE where to look for the card.   Rather than implement a messing autodetect routine, old game software would just grab the info from the blaster variable. You need to set it even for jumpered cards.

 

Your multi-IO board has a parallel port, which will be living on either IRQ5 or IRQ7, per industry standards. (Usually IRQ7 in my experience, but sometimes it is 5.) This means that wherever that parallel port is, your soundblaster should take the other one.

Edited August 22, 2020 by wierd_w

[bluejay]

Oh ok. Thanks a lot!

I'm watching 8088 Domination right now, and I'm pretty impressed by that. Can't believe that stuff runs on an original 5150.

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[wierd_w]

The soundblaster's IRQ and DMA handling does most of the heavy lifting, at least as concerns getting things in and out of memory, and handling software timing loops. It's a very clever hack. The rest is very clever programming of the CGA controller.

[bluejay]

So the soundblaster is there to not only provide sound but to actually help run the whole program? That's cool.
Now all I need is more RAM!

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[wierd_w]

Yeah, The soundblaster fires off an IRQ when its data buffer empties, to tell the computer to send it more data. The creator of 8088 corruption (and the author of 8088 domination later did the same trick) uses this to form the "metronome" for his timing loop. This frees the CPU to be doing more useful tasks, like managing the CGA card, or fetching data from disk into memory.

 

He made a presentation on it even.

 

 

[bluejay]

1 minute ago, wierd_w said:

Yeah, The soundblaster fires off an IRQ when its data buffer empties, to tell the computer to send it more data. The creator of 8088 corruption (and the author of 8088 domination later did the same trick) uses this to form the "metronome" for his timing loop. This frees the CPU to be doing more useful tasks, like managing the CGA card, or fetching data from disk into memory.

 

He made a presentation on it even.

 

 

Hats off to the creator.

[wierd_w]

(now all I need is more RAM)

 

Since you are now down to an 8bit slot, you will have to make do with something like an intel aboveboard, or other 8bit ISA RAM expansion.

[bluejay]

8 minutes ago, wierd_w said:

(now all I need is more RAM)

 

Since you are now down to an 8bit slot, you will have to make do with something like an intel aboveboard, or other 8bit ISA RAM expansion.

I mean, the thing is, most 8 bit isa cards are designed for PC XTs with 256k RAM or less, and to bring them up to 640k. 8 bit ISA RAM expansions that are to bring 640k machines up to 1mb or more are so rare and expensive that it'd literally be better to buy a new computer with himem.

Meanwhile, I'm messing around with AdLib visual composer. I like arranging music, and while the interface isn't the best I'll eventually figure it out.

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[wierd_w]

No no, the aboveboard and pals could go up to 8mb

 

take for instance, this rampage 2.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-AST-Rampage-286-8-Bit-ISA-Expansion-Card-202141-301X3-IBM-Tandy-Clone/124302860012?hash=item1cf1071eec:g:71AAAOSwcNJfOzd0

 

 

That is NOT a rampage 286, that is a rampage.

 

It can hold up to 2mb of RAM.

https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/memory-cards/AST-RESEARCH-INC-Memory-card-RAMPAGE.html

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by wierd_w

[bluejay]

1 minute ago, wierd_w said:

No no, the aboveboard and pals could go up to 8mb

2 minutes ago, bluejay said:

8 bit ISA RAM expansions that are to bring 640k machines up to 1mb or more are so rare and expensive that it'd literally be better to buy a new computer with himem.

Only result of "intel aboveboard" on ebay was a 16 bit isa card. They're just too damn rare and expensive.

[wierd_w]

Just linked to an AST RAMPAGE that is 8bit, and can hold 2mb ~80$.

 

And drivers here

http://ibm-pc.org/drivers/other/ast/ASTRAMPAGE.zip

Edited August 22, 2020 by wierd_w

[bluejay]

11 minutes ago, wierd_w said:

No no, the aboveboard and pals could go up to 8mb

 

take for instance, this rampage 2.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-AST-Rampage-286-8-Bit-ISA-Expansion-Card-202141-301X3-IBM-Tandy-Clone/124302860012?hash=item1cf1071eec:g:71AAAOSwcNJfOzd0

 

 

That is NOT a rampage 286, that is a rampage.

 

It can hold up to 2mb of RAM.

https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/memory-cards/AST-RESEARCH-INC-Memory-card-RAMPAGE.html

But I'll have to buy the chips separately to have 2mb, right?

[wierd_w]

yeah, but not that expensive. Order them from mouser or something.

[bluejay]

I did some research and apparently compaq actually produced a 1.5mb memory expansion board that plugs into a special slot on the motherboard instead of using an isa slot. I'll have to look into that.

[wierd_w]

Probably pricey.

[bluejay]

3 minutes ago, wierd_w said:

Probably pricey.

true, but you never know.

Edit: yeah, youre probably right. although price isn't a problem yet; I can find barely any documentation on the thing at all!

Edited August 22, 2020 by bluejay

[wierd_w]

I would totally jump on that AST rampage, personally. It is configurable on where/how it maps, and can give you some much needed EMS memory. (sadly not XMS capable. You would need a 16bit slot for that, and one of those bocaramAT type things with simm slots. Should have grabbed one of those aztech 8bit soundblaster clones instead, but *shrug* )

[wierd_w]

HERE-- this is ghetto, and might wear out your CF card... but it could limp you along.

 

http://ibm-pc.org/drivers/memory/Abovdisk.zip

 

It's basically ghetto virtual memory (EMS only) for DOS.  Uses some disk space to simulate EMS.

[bluejay]

what's the difference between ems and xms?

[wierd_w]

XMS memory is directly accessible by the CPU over its address lines.

 

EMS memory is paged memory that gets mapped in and out of a small 64kb page block. 

 

 

Basically.

 

The above program fakes paged memory, by writing pages to disk instead.