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Author Topic: 286 bridgeboard  (Read 3826 times)

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Offline Matt_H

Re: 286 bridgeboard
« on: August 26, 2004, 01:55:34 AM »
Setting up an actual drive is very difficult. I can get you going with a hardfile, though:

(paraphrased from the manual)

Add 'run >nil: sys/pc/pcdisk' to the startup-sequence right after BindDrivers.
From the PCInstall disk, run 'makeab drive:directory/hardfile' (with the real destination for the file).
It will ask for some drive parameters. Heads typically range from 4-8. Sectors/Track are typically 17. Cylinders max out at 1024.
Size in bytes = Heads*Cyls*SectorsPerTrack*512
4 heads, 17 sectors/track, 306 cyls will give you a 10MB drive.
Finally. create the file SYS:PC/ABOOT.CTRL; it should contain the nothing but the full path to the hardfile (EX, DH0:file)
The PC should autodetect it, and you can prep it with FDISK.

My dad ran a 486 bridgeboard many years ago with its own ISA hard card. If you want to get a real drive going, that might be the easiest way.

If a manual turns up for sale somewhere, I strongly suggest you pick it up. These things were not easy to configure.

Good luck!
 

Offline Matt_H

Re: 286 bridgeboard
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2004, 04:47:17 PM »
Such a device already exists. See here.

The problem with rebuilding a similar product today would probably be sourcing a large supply of decent ISA GFX cards.