"Real Computers" (was Re: Trivia Question)

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun Feb 23 16:40:00 2003

> On Sun, 23 Feb 2003, Tony Duell wrote:
> > Yes... In fact I have a mini-purple-wall :-). The Techrefs for :
> >
> > PC
>
> If you have a choice, get the "version 2.02" (round white sticker on
> spine). It has substantial updates and a few corrections from the
> original, and contains some accessory boards that weren't around for the
> first edition

I think mine is an even later edition. It doesn't include expansion cards
at all (they['re in the O&A TechRef). I think it does contain 2 versions
of the RIOS (or maybe that's the XT manual -- the AT manual I have
certainly includes 2 versions of the BIOS source)


> > > PS/2 Hardware (this one contains no schematics, but it does have pinouts,
> > > and it was given to me so I am not moaning).
>
> In addition to no longer having schematics, the PS/2 manuals also no
> longer have source code for the BIOS! They do have fairly nice detail for

Sure. Mind you I wouldn't expect a hardware manual to contain BIOS
source, but the 'BIOS Interface Technical Reference' didn't either...

> calling BIOS routines (contained in the opening comments for each section
> in the source), but it's just not the same as having the full source.

Agreed. The soruce code is the one thing to look at when you can't quite
work out what the description is telling you.

I am working wiht a product at the moment where I have 2 descriptions of
how the handshake lines on the interfave behave, and a flowchart of the
handshake sequence. All 3 are slightly different. How I wish I had the
source code of the microcontroller program to sort it out for once and
for all...

-tony
Received on Sun Feb 23 2003 - 16:40:00 GMT