And now the A2286 bridgeboard.

[Xanxi]

Hello.

After several months of work with my A2386 bridgeboard, it is now up and running fine in my A4000.

I am now planning to upgrade my second bridgeboard, the A2286.
It has not been used for many many years, but i checked 2 months ago and it was seen in the early startup, so i assume it is still fine.

The board has a PLLC 286 CPU, clocked at 8 MHz, as the crystal on the board is rated at 16 MHz. This is not very powerful, but there has been faster 286 chips, up to 25 MHz. According to many sources, a 286-16 chip is equivalent in true power to a 386sx-16.
So, provinding, the A2286 can handle a change of crystal and CPU, it should be almost as good as a non-upgraded A2386, except it would have less RAM on board.

Before beginning the operations, i would like to know if someone here has some experience with this board, and if an overclock is possible on the board.

[Zac67]

Not only the CPU needs to be able to run at the speed but also the rest of the board. Also, the 286 has no virtual mode, so any software using it won't run.

[Xanxi]

Yes, we definitly need some infos about that.
With all the crazy overclockers out there, surely someone will have something to report.
On the A2386 at least, the cpu bus clock is independant of the ISA bus clock and the limit to the overclock is just the PAL chips of the board that overheat badly.

[Zac67]

Erm...

If you're not fixed to a bridgeboard, why not use one of those PC-on-a-card thingies? Got a 486/66 board that I'd wanted to put inside my 3k - but failed to see the point at a certain time. Should be way faster than any existing bridgeboard.

[Xanxi]

I have just found a 25 MHz 286 PLLC CPU

@Zac67: sure but where would be the fun?

[Nostalgiac]

no-one should be allowed to have TWO bridgeboards while there are poor souls having none :p

Tom UK

[Xanxi]

no-one should be allowed to have TWO bridgeboards while there are poor souls having none :p

Tom UK

Actually, i have all three of them as i also own the 2088