Congratulations getting those last glitches fixed and Win 1.0 running! I remember getting it running on the family's XT in 87 with 512KB and dual 360K floppies...so much disk swapping but MS Paint was worth the effort.
Thanks, just the Mouse to go then I think I will have a go at re-building with the faster 80C88 and get rid of DMA and the power strip bus connections (these cause most of the reliability issues). Going to play with a few other Windows 1.0 Apps but hope the hard drive doesn't get corrupted. Seems to be intermittent problem where the directory entries and FAT gets corrupted :-( Dave
Closing out 2024, you should be proud. You managed to prove that breadboards are not just for testing and small-scale projects. I enjoyed every video, even the ones that were a bit harder to watch. Be well and I hope the new year brings you even greater successes. Happy New Year!!!
Thanks, I record the videos partly to remind myself what I did (and for anyone daft enough to try what I am doing). Not always for audience retention/entertainment - sorry. Next project will try to make the videos a bit easier going! Dave
I've been watching you periodically since doing your 6809 computer. This is incredible! What a herculean task! This is incredible. My hat's off to you, sir!
Thanks, though there are some bits I would do differently next time around. Leave out DMA and more data bus buffering! Thinking about doing a version 2 which SHOULD be a lot quicker! Dave
You and me both! Video controllers are by far the most complex part of PCs (old and new). Timings down to 10ns matter even at VGA resolution and despite the best of plans, a certain amount of trial and error. I partly use the videos to remind myself of what I have done (like the Nanocomp snow ones), so not always going to be short and snappy! I think I have reached the limit of Breadboard based PC compatible video controllers. VGA has about 300 registers and dedicated VLSI chips for handling the video logic! (EGA is not much better). I thought MCGA may be an option but Windows driver was 286 only and still in black and white just 640x400 rows, not 640x200! Let me know what you would be interested for the next series? Dave
@@breadboardinglabs I am glad to took my comment in the spirit it was meant! Its a great achievement to get Windows running on a breadboard computer, so hearty congratulations. As for the future, how about returning to the Motorola family with 68008 or full 68000? And if you have had your fill of vintage video controllers, maybe take the easy way out with a Pi Pico or ESP32 VGA solution?
Thanks! If I wasn't so stubborn I would have given up with CGA. I do have a 68008 somewhere, but I also have a new 80C88 which can run at 8Mhz and also a 386DX 33MHz (will need some form of PCB adaptor). May do a BBPC version 2 with 80C88 which should be much easer (and quicker) if I leave out DMA etc. The big issue with any video solution even, with Pico or ESP32 is the register compatibility with VGA and the complexity of 300 registers and associated logic (CGA was simple in comparison). I have been thinking about using a PI Zero and an ISA 5V to 3.3V interface then run some doctored DOSBox or similar virtualization to map the IO registers and RAM via ISA bus to the PI and connect via HDMI. Writing a register compatible VGA or SuperVGA emulator would be a huge amount of work, but mapping IO ports and video RAM on breadboard to GPIO and mangling DOSBOX video code to take inputs from GPIO would be more manageable. Either that or just build Sergey's Trident 9000 VGA card using surface mount chips on a PCB with a ISA to breadboard connector (feels like cheating!). Plenty to think about! Dave
@@breadboardinglabs Are there merits in trying the 80188 or even the 80186 to reduce the chip count? The RM Nimbus (80186-based) ran Windows, but I don't know if it was a special version.
I was trying to use DIP chips initially rather than needing to buy/make PLCC type adapters. I will have to do this for the 386 I have but there aren't any alternatives. The other option is to use a Raspberry PI running an emulator but that feels like cheating! Dave
Congratulations getting those last glitches fixed and Win 1.0 running! I remember getting it running on the family's XT in 87 with 512KB and dual 360K floppies...so much disk swapping but MS Paint was worth the effort.
Thanks, just the Mouse to go then I think I will have a go at re-building with the faster 80C88 and get rid of DMA and the power strip bus connections (these cause most of the reliability issues).
Going to play with a few other Windows 1.0 Apps but hope the hard drive doesn't get corrupted. Seems to be intermittent problem where the directory entries and FAT gets corrupted :-( Dave
Closing out 2024, you should be proud. You managed to prove that breadboards are not just for testing and small-scale projects. I enjoyed every video, even the ones that were a bit harder to watch. Be well and I hope the new year brings you even greater successes. Happy New Year!!!
Thanks, I record the videos partly to remind myself what I did (and for anyone daft enough to try what I am doing). Not always for audience retention/entertainment - sorry. Next project will try to make the videos a bit easier going! Dave
I've been watching you periodically since doing your 6809 computer. This is incredible! What a herculean task! This is incredible. My hat's off to you, sir!
Thanks, though there are some bits I would do differently next time around. Leave out DMA and more data bus buffering! Thinking about doing a version 2 which SHOULD be a lot quicker! Dave
I was loosing the will to live half way through the CGA videos, so pleased to see we are now moving on!😀
You and me both! Video controllers are by far the most complex part of PCs (old and new). Timings down to 10ns matter even at VGA resolution and despite the best of plans, a certain amount of trial and error. I partly use the videos to remind myself of what I have done (like the Nanocomp snow ones), so not always going to be short and snappy!
I think I have reached the limit of Breadboard based PC compatible video controllers. VGA has about 300 registers and dedicated VLSI chips for handling the video logic! (EGA is not much better). I thought MCGA may be an option but Windows driver was 286 only and still in black and white just 640x400 rows, not 640x200! Let me know what you would be interested for the next series? Dave
@@breadboardinglabs I am glad to took my comment in the spirit it was meant! Its a great achievement to get Windows running on a breadboard computer, so hearty congratulations. As for the future, how about returning to the Motorola family with 68008 or full 68000? And if you have had your fill of vintage video controllers, maybe take the easy way out with a Pi Pico or ESP32 VGA solution?
Thanks! If I wasn't so stubborn I would have given up with CGA. I do have a 68008 somewhere, but I also have a new 80C88 which can run at 8Mhz and also a 386DX 33MHz (will need some form of PCB adaptor).
May do a BBPC version 2 with 80C88 which should be much easer (and quicker) if I leave out DMA etc.
The big issue with any video solution even, with Pico or ESP32 is the register compatibility with VGA and the complexity of 300 registers and associated logic (CGA was simple in comparison). I have been thinking about using a PI Zero and an ISA 5V to 3.3V interface then run some doctored DOSBox or similar virtualization to map the IO registers and RAM via ISA bus to the PI and connect via HDMI. Writing a register compatible VGA or SuperVGA emulator would be a huge amount of work, but mapping IO ports and video RAM on breadboard to GPIO and mangling DOSBOX video code to take inputs from GPIO would be more manageable. Either that or just build Sergey's Trident 9000 VGA card using surface mount chips on a PCB with a ISA to breadboard connector (feels like cheating!). Plenty to think about! Dave
@@breadboardinglabs Are there merits in trying the 80188 or even the 80186 to reduce the chip count? The RM Nimbus (80186-based) ran Windows, but I don't know if it was a special version.
I was trying to use DIP chips initially rather than needing to buy/make PLCC type adapters. I will have to do this for the 386 I have but there aren't any alternatives. The other option is to use a Raspberry PI running an emulator but that feels like cheating! Dave