Given that I want to target i486 with @OS1337 but don't want to deal with obsolete hardware that is dying of old age, I think it's more fitting to consider a sort-of mainboard to shove some 486SX-SOM with PC/104-Plus on and have the few necessities hooked up to it. Maybe even put it inside a THINN #Pizzabox-style #case?

It would also make a new "bridge" machine to interface old PCI & ISA hardware and allow connecting i.e. a #QuadFlop and roll with that...

https://github.com/OS-1337/tiny486

Thoughts, @rasteri @polpo @TechTangents @lazygamereviews @foone ??

#Tiny486 #embedded #EmbeddedComputing #retro #RetroComputing #Linux #EmbeddedLinux #Development #DevKit #DevelopmentKit #ideas #concepts #Hardware #OpenSource #OpenSourceHardware #Mainboard #i486 #i386 #i487 #486SX #486DX #PCI #ISA #BridgeMachine #Bridge #PC104 #PC104Plus

@PaulaMaddox @rasteri @polpo which makes total sense...

Personally, if I had like €1M I'd propably consider starting a company that basically builds a "#TinyRetro" with like a #FlashFloppy, #PicoGUS, #QuadFlop and all the other parts (incl. #IDE controller & IDE->SATA Adaptor) on a #MiniITX form factor (with one of those SOMs) and a spare #ISA slot which then fits into a compact case like the #M350 or similar.

Think of it as a faster alternative to the #NuXT...

  • And OFC I'd offer both #FreeDOS & @OS1337 as options (the latter one mostly for diagnostics and data recovery)...

@cleverboi @FandaSin @BrodieOnLinux @neal @OS1337 I mean, I wish I was wrong, but #ISA can't be well-tunneled like #PCI can be tunneled in #PCIe.

Otherwise @rasteri and others wouldn't go out if their way to deal with #ISA & #PC104...

At least #TexElec started to build new #Floppy Controllers with the #QuadFlop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjNBPHjUSHE via @TechTangents

https://texelec.com/product/quad-flop-four-port-isa-floppy-controller/
https://infosec.space/@kkarhan/114739012019769556

New 4 Drive Floppy Controller - TexElec Quad-Flop

YouTube

@foone @ann3nova @TechTangents @texec @fuchsiii which reminds me that I'm still looking for a 5,25" 1200kB FDD and a 3,5" 2880kB FDD to shove into my #Z600 which is the newest machine I have that supports #FDD|s with an onboard controller and I'm not in the position to like build a #dISAppointed - Adapter or a #WeeCee like @rasteri did.

I mean, I'd love to see a #PC104 version of the #QuadFlop for like a #archival & #datarecovery machine...

Add an ISA slot to Modern Motherboards!

YouTube

@foone @ann3nova didn't @TechTangents do a 4+ #Floppy setup?

I mean, everyone knows the @texec / #TexElec #QuadFlop controller?

More than two floppy drives?

YouTube

@foone I have both one of these USB-FDD - Controller boards as well as Floppy Emulators and physical 3,5" FDDs.

Do you need some?

Sadly the USB-FDD-Controller can only handle 1440kB FDDs and nothing else, so I guess one needs to get a #TexElec #QuadFlop controller or #KryoFlux and matching dives instead.

@polpo potentially...

I really want to get my hands on the #Hand386 amd #Book8088 simply because they are nifty machines...

All I need for those would be an #ISA-based dock with stuff like the #TexElec #QuadFlop and ISA #XTIDE controller and some #Ethernet card that does at least #10BaseT...

Thx to @TechTangents for the #QuadFlop review.

I guess I'll have to wait till it's released for some #retro #DOS build...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjNBPHjUSHE

New 4 Drive Floppy Controller - TexElec Quad-Flop

YouTube