DOS ain't dead

SeedStudios also seems to stock them now. To USA Zip Code 93021, $6 mark up ($45 for 86duino Zero) plus $4 for Singapore Parcel Post (0-30 days), $9 for USPS, $32 for UPS Express Saver, $34 for FedEx, more options available. But limited to buying 5 qty.

The DMP International Shop has gotten better with their shipping rates. And still $39 (NTD 1,209 before exchange rate).

Qty - $
1 - $38
10 - $58
25 - $114
50 - $172
100 - $200
1000 - $200



> > Hi, 86duino was discused some months ago, now I got my own one from big
> > chinese shop via friend for a quite good price:
> >
> http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.28.2rkW0Y&id=39527849950&ns=1#detail
> > Also you can order it from this shop in germany:
> > http://www.watterott.com/de/86Duino-ZERO
> >
> > Here are some photos http://rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/86duino_zero/
> >
> > I have a question to RoBoardLab if still visit here...

> Did you ever get the 86duino in a usable state or get a DOS system running
> using it?

Some one else has asked me, so I paste here my email:

Hi,
I didn't have much time to play with 86duino. The CPU core seems to be well compatible with intel pentium MMX or so. I can run 32bit DJGPP console programs without problems. But there's several limitaion that 86duino don't have VGA. The console communication is simply redirected via CTTY command to COM port (you need to do this change yourself on SD boot image). Also you need to call a small utility that configure crossbar registers that change GPIO to UART behavior. This mean that you can run only programs with simple stdout output via dos but not programs with colored menus like a Norton Commander. There's no terminal emulation support in BIOS.
I'm trying to attach external PCI-E VGA. I made a simple adaptor from x1 to x16 and configured the jumpers but monitor is blank. I didn't get any reply on 86duino forum yet. Unfortunatelly yesterday night I shooted COM1 Tx line, maybe due to ESD or some misconnection, my bad... So 1st I need to reroute COM4 to pin header and add some simple protection circuit - there was not any! Rx, Tx was connected directly to CPU pins...
* keyboard/mouse there should be HW interface on CPU but it's not available on Zero, maybe it's on One. If it is on CPU module pin, it could be wired out.
* audio - it's HDA without dos SB emulation but there's available soud library for DJGPP that supports it.
* network - yes there's a packet and MSN client driver. I didn't made an adapter from header to RJ yet but shouldn't be problem.
The product is intended more to make a Arduino compatible module with more power than generic PC so if you want huge peripherals support you should buy som another bigger PC/104 MB...
Martin

ps. in attachment there's my CPU info and PCI device listing that I ran on 86duino


http://rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/86duino_zero/VORT86EX.LOG
http://rayer.g6.cz/1tmp/86duino_zero/VORT86EX.PCI

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DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.