cab@opus.ATT.COM (C. Anthony) (03/01/89)
I posted a message about 3 weeks ago asking for leads on
386SX Drop in boards, to replace thet '286 processor in an AT.
So far the only manufacturer I've heard of working on such a product
is Cumulus Corp. I don't have their address or number, (and can't
find the PC magazine containing it. If some kind soul will send it to
me, I'll follow up.
--
-CAB-
_____/ _ || _\___
lNYCl_ ______ __|) Standard disclaimer.
== (0) (0) jim@belltec.UUCP (Mr. Jim's Own Logon) (03/01/89)
In article <96@opus.ATT.COM>, cab@opus.ATT.COM (C. Anthony) writes: > I posted a message about 3 weeks ago asking for leads on > 386SX Drop in boards, to replace thet '286 processor in an AT. > > So far the only manufacturer I've heard of working on such a product > is Cumulus Corp. I don't have their address or number, (and can't > find the PC magazine containing it. If some kind soul will send it to > me, I'll follow up. > There are basically three problems with designing and then selling such a product. The first: limitations to what it can do. Because of the floating point changes on the 386SX it is completely incompatible with the 80287 (although at one time Intel did try to come up with a circuit that would allow the two to work together). And the cost of the 387SX is high enough to avoid adding it in for all cases. The second: varying timing requirements for PC compatibles. Since there never was a specification for any timing on the original IBM PC, and since not all vendors actually meet all the published timings for the 286 in their designs (probably less than 1/3 actually meet all worst case timings), the 386SX design is extremely difficult to make work in more than half of the PCs on the market. RAM timing problems mostly, but interrupts, DMA, and (the most varying) the bus slot timing. Making it work for just a few of the machines out there is a difficult thing to justify, and even more difficult to support. The third: customer support. The magnitude of problems that you will encounter is astronomical. One portion of the calls will be from people that can't get the board to work in their BigBomb AT compatible, and they want $200 worth of support time for a board that cost $150. A bigger problem is someone who buys the 386SX card and then installs 32 bit UNIX on it. And it doesn't work just quite right. The UNIX vendor will instantly pass the blame to the 386SX adaptor. You now have to try and support all of the code that this guy is going to run on his new processor. You also have to answer the problems of "this DOS program used to run, and now it gets errors when I run it on the 386SX, why is that?". Anyway, there are more problems if you really want to know about them: mechanical constraints to the adaptor, PGA vs. PLCC 286s, power requirements, noise from the 286 machine, FCC issues. Not simple problems. Several companies which announced products have already pulled them back. You may never see them on the open market. Being sold to large companies trying to upgrade several hundred identical 286 machines, well, thats a different story. -Jim Wall Bell Technologies, Inc.
mark@intek01.UUCP (Mark McWiggins) (03/02/89)
Cumulus is at 216-464-2211. They've slipped some and are now saying "final testing now, shipping early to mid March." They're supposed to call me when that happens; I'll post my experiences when I get one. -- Mark McWiggins UUCP: uunet!intek01!mark DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong. INTERNET: intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net (206) 455-9935
rsj@wa4mei.UUCP (Randy Jarrett WA4MEI) (03/03/89)
In article <96@opus.ATT.COM> cab@opus.ATT.COM (C. Anthony) writes:
I posted a message about 3 weeks ago asking for leads on
386SX Drop in boards, to replace thet '286 processor in an AT.
So far the only manufacturer I've heard of working on such a product
is Cumulus Corp. I don't have their address or number, (and can't
You might check with Periperal Technology in Marietta GA. I believe that
they have a 386SX drop in board also. I am not familiar with this product
but have used many of their other products and find them to be of very good
quality and design.
Peripheral Technology
1480 Terrell Mill Rd.
Suite 870
Marietta, GA 30067
(404) 984-0742
--
Randy Jarrett WA4MEI
UUCP ...!gatech!wa4mei!rsj | US SNAIL: P.O. Box 941217
PHONE +1 404 493 9017 | Atlanta, GA 30341-0217mem@zinn.MV.COM (Mark E. Mallett) (03/08/89)
In article <96@opus.ATT.COM> cab@opus.ATT.COM (C. Anthony) writes: >I posted a message about 3 weeks ago asking for leads on >386SX Drop in boards, to replace thet '286 processor in an AT. > >So far the only manufacturer I've heard of working on such a product >is Cumulus Corp. I don't have their address or number, (and can't >find the PC magazine containing it. If some kind soul will send it to >me, I'll follow up. A company called AOX was supposed to be ready with such a board soon; you might try calling them. I know nothing about them except for the rumor, and their address, which follows. Aox Inc. 486 Totten Pond Rd. Waltham, MA 02514 617) 890-4402 -mm- -- Mark E. Mallett Zinn Computer Co/ PO Box 4188/ Manchester NH/ 03103 Bus. Phone: 603 645 5069 Home: 603 424 8129 BIX: mmallett uucp: mem@zinn.MV.COM ( ...{decvax|elrond|harvard}!zinn!mem ) Northern MA and Southern NH consultants: Ask me about MV.COM
noel@ubbs-nh.MV.COM (Noel Del More) (03/08/89)
In article <473@zinn.MV.COM> mem@zinn.MV.COM (Mark E. Mallett) writes: > >A company called AOX was supposed to be ready with such a board >soon; you might try calling them. > >I know nothing about them except for the rumor, and their address, >which follows. Mark is correct, AOX does have a drop in 386SX board for the pc/at, however, when I contacted them concerning it (about three months ago) I was informed that they were only making the board available to OEM's and had no plans to sell it to end users. They also mentioned that Intel had expressed an interest in it. Price quoted was in th $700 - 800 range. If you follow up and discover that AOX has decided to make the board available after all please post an update. Noel -- Noel B. Del More | {decvax|harvard}!zinn!ubbs-nh!noel 17 Meredith Drive | noel@ubbs-nh.mv.com Nashua, New Hampshire 03063 | It's unix me son! `taint spozed tah make cents