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From: pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Grant Prellwitz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 6300 upgrade
Message-ID: <2511@sphinx.uchicago.edu>
Date: Sun, 25-Oct-87 23:19:25 EST
Article-I.D.: sphinx.2511
Posted: Sun Oct 25 23:19:25 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Oct-87 00:56:35 EST
References: <2478@sphinx.uchicago.edu> <1823@homxc.UUCP>
Reply-To: pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu.UUCP (Grant Prellwitz)
Organization: U Chicago Computation Center
Lines: 53
Keywords: 80x86 accelerator for 6300?

In article <1823@homxc.UUCP> rps@homxc.UUCP (R.SHARPLES) writes:
>In article <2478@sphinx.uchicago.edu>, pgil@sphinx.uchicago.edu (paul  gilna) writes:
>> 	SO. Can the 6300 be upgraded to 80x86 status by use
>> 	of accelerator boards etc. Fact, Fiction or wishful
>> 	thinking? (Intel has just announced a 80386 InBoard
>> 	for 8088 machines). 
>> 
>> 	Thank you muchly,		Paul Gilna.
>> 	...!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!pgil
>> 	pgil@sphinx.uchicago.edu
>
>[...]
>unusual for compatibles.  The only compatible I have seen that truly 
>duplicates the physical structure of the IBM PC/XT was Kaypro.
>
>Russ Sharples
>homxc!rps
>
>NOTE:
>
>The above in NO WAY reflects the opinions of AT&T.
>These opinions are my own and the results of un-scientific and 
>highly irregular analysis methods.

I agree that the 6300 is only 90% compatible.  I disagree, however, that the
Kaypro uses the same physical structure as the Original IBM PC.
The Kaypro took the approach of putting EVERYTHING on a bare buss board.
The only thing that is on the board that is attached to the bottom of the
chassis is the built in clock/calendar and battery.  The buss is an AT style
buss (16 data lines), rather than the 8 data line buss used in the PC.  The
Kaypro then puts the processor on a full length card in the first slot.  The
768KB memory, serial, and parallel ports, and floppy disk controller are on
another full length board next to the hard drive enclosure.  This setup makes
it easy to replace the standard Kaypro PC card with an 80286 card.  Note the
advantage here over the cards that were talked about previously:  we are 
completely replacing the 8088 (actually V-20) and its support chips and 
replacing them with a 80286 running at 6MHz, but using the full 16 data line
buss.  This means, of course, that you can use an AT style hard drive and 
controller and any AT style cards.  Well, almost any cards.  You have the same
height limitations on this upgraded machine that you have in IBM's 286XT.

If you know for a fact that you want an AT compatible to start with, it is
therefore better to start out with Kaypro's 286i, whose mother board DOES
very closely resemble that of an IBM PC-AT.

The above views are my own, but are influenced by my work for a Kaypro dealer.


-- 
=====================Grant Prellwitz==========================
!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!pre1          pre1@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP 
76474,2121 (CIS)                                    pre1 (BIX)  
The DOCTOR didn't need a funny line, why do I?