Atari PC1 ROM version changes?!?

[jedie]

http://www.ataripc.net/biosrom-images/ contains the ROM versions 3.05, 3.06, 3.07 and 3.08...

 

Does anybody knowns something about the changes in these versions?!?

 

The question is: The floppy controller chip "Intel P8272" seems to support HD disk drives. But my ROM v3.05 does only support DD...

[jedie]

btw. has anybody successfull tried the Super PC/Turbo XT BIOS ?

• http://www.phatcode.net/downloads.php?id=101
• https://github.com/andreas-jonsson/pcxtbios

On a PC1, PC2 or PC3 ?!?

 

I only made a quick test, that doesn't work. Think it's needed to include the ROM for the onboard EGA Graphics (NSI Logic EVC315-S)...

 

 

[jedie]

I read my v3.05 ROMs on my Atari PC1 via "GETBIOS.COM"

 

The DOS programs creates three files:

• C000.ROM
• E000.ROM
• F000.ROM

It seems that E000.ROM is only "garbage"... C000 and F000 contains the real ROM. I just glue the real ROM together and compares the String in it with the newer one:

 

3.06 -> First 20734 Bytes are identical. There are some new Strings:

Quote

MOTHERBOARD PARITY ERROR

IO CHANNEL PARITY ERROR

Diff between 3.06 and 3.07 looks differently than 3.05 vs. 3.06 -> The first ~8KB seems to be completely different. Think this is the NSI Video BIOS part, isn't it?

 

3.07 vs. 3.08 -> First part is equal. Seems that 3.08 adds some new code in a empty space. It contains additional Strings:

Quote

ATARI

REAL TIME CLOCK ERROR

CMOS RAM ERROR, CHECK BATTERY

I collect all date timestamps (These timestamps are in the BIOS but didn't printed on boot). First is the BIOS, second is the Video BIOS:

• v3.05 - 09/17/87 - 9/26/86
• v3.06 - 10/01/87 - 9/26/86
• v3.07 - 10/19/87 - 2/9/87
• v3.08 - 12/15/87 - 2/9/87

My conclusion is:

• v3.05 -> v3.06: Adds Parity checks
• v3.06 -> v3.07: Update NSI Video BIOS
• v3.07 -> v3.08: Adds RTC Support

 

About RTC: Maybe a solution like https://hackaday.io/project/168972-rtc-isa-8-bits-pcxt  in a XT-Adapter will work?

 

Another Question: Will it be possible to read the ROM via XTIDE? Are the ROM EPROM pin compatible? And can i flash a new version on a AT28C256 and use it in the PC1 ?!?

[Mazzspeed]

The PC1's a pretty rare machine, I've personally never even seen one. I honestly don't know if anyone here will have the answer you're looking for, as while it's an 8bit Atari machine, it's the wrong type of 8bit Atari machine.