Found a decent use for a PC...

From: jpero_at_cgo.wave.ca <(jpero_at_cgo.wave.ca)>
Date: Mon Feb 23 13:13:16 1998

> On Mon, 23 Feb 1998 jpero_at_cgo.wave.ca wrote:
>
> > Early high end Dell series (I think!) had this dot matix that glows
> > yellow and rare motherboards that had POST display built in.
>
> That reminds me of a product idea. I'm pretty sure I won't get around to
> this one, but if you do, mention me in the prospectus :-)
>
> If I'm not mistaken, all modern Pentium CPUs have a secret ICE mode. You
> need an NDA from Intel to get the info, but this capability allows things
> like in-circuit emulators to get all sorts of good information about the
> chip, disable caching, stop the CPU while the clock keeps clocking, etc.
> It even gives you access to microcode (which is one reason why Intel
> doesn't tell you about it).
I think this have changed recently and you can search for that info
and one guy who fought intel for long time on the appendiz H issue
and partly won. I could be mistaken on this.

BTW on the floppy drives issues I found the drive I was looking for!
It's Teac model FD-235HF-117-U. Blown IC in question is stepper
driver type and it's labeled Teac, 3479-00B, 86.1 "6" with a line on
top. Is this relabeled IC or teac's custom ic? If anyone have a
worn out or dud teac, dig that out and send on to my way is mucho
appreciated! That floppy drive is also over 10 years old so this
rule fits too. :)

Jason D.

>
> All of the smarts are on the chip, so all you need is a relatively simple
> debug port on the mobo to get to this stuff. I don't know of anybody that
> has actually built this port into a standard PC mobo, but I would buy one
> if they did. You could use another PC as the "front-panel", so the
> expense burden of such a diagnostic tool would be shifted to those that
> needed this capability.
>
> -- Doug
>
>
>
email: jpero_at_cgo.wave.ca
Pero, Jason D.
Received on Mon Feb 23 1998 - 13:13:16 GMT