AMD Geode: Difference between revisions
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* 3 RS-232 serial interfaces (only the main serial interface is given a port) | * 3 RS-232 serial interfaces (only the main serial interface is given a port) | ||
* 8 GPIO pins (you don't see x86 boards with GPIO often) | * 8 GPIO pins (you don't see x86 boards with GPIO often) | ||
*No [[nopl]] instruction support | *No [[nopl]] instruction support (not documentated) | ||
Note that the IDE connector on the board is 2.0mm pitch, not the standard 2.54mm pitch most IDE cables use. | Note that the IDE connector on the board is 2.0mm pitch, not the standard 2.54mm pitch most IDE cables use. | ||
Revision as of 10:02, 12 February 2022
I have a board with an AMD Geode CPU for some light retrocomputing development. This page details it and whatever I get up to with it.
Motivation
For a while I've been searching for a small computer with these requirements:
- Runs real mode DOS programs
- Has a somewhat antiquated CPU
- Has an Ethernet card and DOS packet driver
- Doesn't consume too much power
The use case here is to run my Twitch DOS Bot I've been developing over the years.
After the searching I found that there were a few systems that could approximate this:
- A Raspberry Pi running DOSBox-X
- Thin client machines that used VIA CPUs
- Expensive single-board computers using a Vortex86 chip
- Cheaper 86Duino boards
- An old Eee PC 1000HA I had
I eventually decided to go with option 1, a Raspberry Pi emulating DOS.
At least, until I saw an offer on eBay: a used Advantech PCM-9375F for only $50 AUD, which is over $400 less than new.
Why such a huge discount? Video output is broken. Which means you can't really do much with this machine. This at minimum would let me run by Internet-connected DOS bot and talk to DOS over a serial port.
I've also not had an x86 board with GPIO before, so that seems like something fun to play with.
I bought it on November 7 2021 and received it on November 12 2021.
See AMD Geode/Troubleshooting for details on the troubleshooting process.
See AMD Geode/Video 1 for details on the troubleshooting video production.
Board specifications
The PCM-9375 A3 specifications shows these points that interest me:
- AMD Geode LX800 500 MHz CPU (see the AMD Geode LX Processors Data Book for more information)
- AMD Geode CS5536 chipset (see the AMD Geode CS5536 Companion Device Data Book for more information)
- Dual RTL8139 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet (second requires breakout board that I have)
- 5V power supply (12V needed for optional LCD)
- CompactFlash storage
- 3 RS-232 serial interfaces (only the main serial interface is given a port)
- 8 GPIO pins (you don't see x86 boards with GPIO often)
- No nopl instruction support (not documentated)
Note that the IDE connector on the board is 2.0mm pitch, not the standard 2.54mm pitch most IDE cables use.
TODO: Look at board again and validate and clarify these specifications.
Setup
TODO: rename this maybe?
- USB power
- CompactFlash
- Null Modem Cable