• Anyone interested in an NCR 3421?

    From Lubo@21:1/5 to All on Wed Nov 16 18:31:25 2022
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both
    internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on the
    second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and has
    DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and the antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow. They can
    be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The SCSI and
    ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and @5608 for
    Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a packet driver,
    and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and pinged briefly, but
    then stops. It appears the hardware works and it is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also read
    they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up, since
    these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more than the
    computer at this point.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From richard smice@21:1/5 to Lubo on Thu Nov 17 06:13:17 2022
    On Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 9:31:28 PM UTC-5, Lubo wrote:
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on the second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and has
    DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and the antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow. They can
    be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The SCSI and ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and @5608 for
    Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a packet driver,
    and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and pinged briefly, but
    then stops. It appears the hardware works and it is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also read
    they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up, since
    these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more than the computer at this point.
    I'm interested, what would the shipping be to 13904 Binhamton ny and any packaging costs..

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Louis Ohland@21:1/5 to Louis Ohland on Thu Nov 17 08:32:18 2022
    77c22(e) this one IIRC is sordid a mystery chip, but NCR has drivers.
    53C90 SCSI, I think...

    Louis Ohland wrote:
    NCR System 3300 Class 3421
    Thought this was a classless society...

    3421 (Micro Channel i386) System Software https://www5.ncr.com/support/support_drivers_patches.asp?Class=pc_library_3421


    3421 Reference Disk 1 of 1 ver 2.00 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_REF.EXE

    Binary code file to make BIOS v.2.00 for 3421 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_200.EXE

    http://ps-2.kev009.com/mcabase/mcb/adp/adf/@7F4D.ADF
    Wow, looks pretty flexible and capable.

    https://www.ardent-tool.com/adapters/adf/@5608.adf
    Nothing mind-shattering


    Errata, nothing huge
    1x 16-bit AVE slot
    3x 16-bit MCA

    Power connector could be for a 50/70 style PSU, -OR- like the Model 90
    PSU with the edge card socket. I dunno.

    Looks to be two "SIMMs" worth of memory soldered to the board, unknown
    size. But each "SIMM" has 8 chips, plus 4 smaller chips. My SWAG is 8x
    data, 4x parity.


    "i486 upgrade board" Do tell...

    Lubo wrote:
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both
    internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on
    the second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and
    has DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and
    the antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow.
    They can be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The
    SCSI and ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and
    @5608 for Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a
    packet driver, and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and
    pinged briefly, but then stops. It appears the hardware works and it
    is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also
    read they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up,
    since these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more
    than the computer at this point.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Louis Ohland@21:1/5 to Lubo on Thu Nov 17 08:17:01 2022
    NCR System 3300 Class 3421
    Thought this was a classless society...

    3421 (Micro Channel i386) System Software https://www5.ncr.com/support/support_drivers_patches.asp?Class=pc_library_3421

    3421 Reference Disk 1 of 1 ver 2.00 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_REF.EXE

    Binary code file to make BIOS v.2.00 for 3421 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_200.EXE

    http://ps-2.kev009.com/mcabase/mcb/adp/adf/@7F4D.ADF
    Wow, looks pretty flexible and capable.

    https://www.ardent-tool.com/adapters/adf/@5608.adf
    Nothing mind-shattering


    Errata, nothing huge
    1x 16-bit AVE slot
    3x 16-bit MCA

    Power connector could be for a 50/70 style PSU, -OR- like the Model 90
    PSU with the edge card socket. I dunno.

    Looks to be two "SIMMs" worth of memory soldered to the board, unknown
    size. But each "SIMM" has 8 chips, plus 4 smaller chips. My SWAG is 8x
    data, 4x parity.


    "i486 upgrade board" Do tell...

    Lubo wrote:
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on the second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and has
    DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and the antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow. They can
    be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The SCSI and ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and @5608 for
    Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a packet driver,
    and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and pinged briefly, but
    then stops. It appears the hardware works and it is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also read
    they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up, since
    these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more than the computer at this point.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lubo@21:1/5 to richard smice on Thu Nov 17 18:21:17 2022
    richard smice wrote:
    On Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 9:31:28 PM UTC-5, Lubo wrote:
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both
    internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on the
    second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and has
    DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and the
    antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow. They can
    be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The SCSI and
    ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and @5608 for
    Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a packet driver,
    and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and pinged briefly, but
    then stops. It appears the hardware works and it is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also read
    they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up, since
    these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more than the
    computer at this point.
    I'm interested, what would the shipping be to 13904 Binhamton ny and any packaging costs..

    Here is what I found so far.
    17"(L)x6"(H)x15"(W) These are the ballpark numbers for the exterior
    dimensions of the computer case, not including packaging. It is a
    desktop form factor.
    Approx. 24.4 lbs.

    It seems the USPS is the most affordable option for something this size.
    It just misses the mark for their large flat rate box, unfortunately.

    USPS-Produced Box: 23-11/16" x 11-3/4" x 3" or 12" x 12" x 5-1/2"

    By weight and dimensions, the USPS rate calculator quotes $79.70 Retail
    Ground, with a ETA of 2-3 days.

    If you want to calculate shipping by another carrier, the zip here is 90019.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Lubo@21:1/5 to Louis Ohland on Thu Nov 17 18:43:58 2022
    Louis Ohland wrote:
    NCR System 3300 Class 3421
    Thought this was a classless society...

    3421 (Micro Channel i386) System Software https://www5.ncr.com/support/support_drivers_patches.asp?Class=pc_library_3421


    3421 Reference Disk 1 of 1 ver 2.00 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_REF.EXE

    Binary code file to make BIOS v.2.00 for 3421 http://www3.ncr.com/support/pc/pcfiles/Machines/34xx/3421/3421_200.EXE

    http://ps-2.kev009.com/mcabase/mcb/adp/adf/@7F4D.ADF
    Wow, looks pretty flexible and capable.

    https://www.ardent-tool.com/adapters/adf/@5608.adf
    Nothing mind-shattering


    Errata, nothing huge
    1x 16-bit AVE slot
    3x 16-bit MCA

    Power connector could be for a 50/70 style PSU, -OR- like the Model 90
    PSU with the edge card socket. I dunno.

    Looks to be two "SIMMs" worth of memory soldered to the board, unknown
    size. But each "SIMM" has 8 chips, plus 4 smaller chips. My SWAG is 8x
    data, 4x parity.


    "i486 upgrade board" Do tell...

    Lubo wrote:
    https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/ncr-class-3421

    This is an NCR system with MCA slots, 386 SX.
    What makes it interesting is it has SCSI on the motherboard, with both
    internal and external connections, the maximum RAM (8Mb), and a
    Cabletron Ethernet card with the standard RJ-45 jack and a working
    Conner Hard drive.

    I modified the onboard VGA connector, adding an opening on pin 9 on
    the second row, so current VGA cables fit now, no custom cabling needed.

    It boots, displays POST info including that it detects 8Mb RAM, and
    has DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.0 installed, though I commented windows and
    the antivirus out of autoexec.bat because they run glacially slow.
    They can be enabled by uncommenting or run manually by typing win. The
    SCSI and ethernet have the ADF files installed. @7F4D for SCSI and
    @5608 for Ethernet, which has a RJ-45 jack. I managed to install a
    packet driver, and DOS based DHCP, and it got an IP address, and
    pinged briefly, but then stops. It appears the hardware works and it
    is a software problem.

    These were used as POS terminals back in the day, but would work fine
    for retro-computing DOS games or (very slowly) Windows 3.x. I also
    read they take OS/2 up to version 2.0 but have not tested.

    I am in the Los Angeles area, in case anyone wants to pick it up,
    since these older models are all metal, so shipping might cost more
    than the computer at this point.

    I see I'm not the only one in this group who appreciates puns. Classy.
    Below Class 3421 it says Model 2010. If that helps narrow it down.

    It does indeed have what appears to be an edge connector between the
    power supply and motherboard, no fan inside the PSU, just one behind the
    Conner HD and to the side of the PSU which vents out the back. 2 MB on
    the motherboard, 3 slots that look like extra tall 30 pin SIMMs, but are
    said to be NCR proprietary, for 8 MB total. Empty socket for 387 marked
    U72, and an empty slot for a 486 upgrade, also said to be NCR proprietary.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Louis Ohland@21:1/5 to Lubo on Thu Nov 17 22:47:49 2022
    Methinks enough drivers and ref/diag/BIOS support exists for this for Win3.1x/OS2, maybe W95.

    I've not foundt any significant magazine article on it yet. Doubt I
    will... Nothing on the 486 upgrade, this is a 386sx-20, so the FLOAT pin
    should support a 486-ish clip on chip (16MHz 386sx had trouble).

    2x 1MB SIMM equivalents on system board. I've nothing on the SIMMs.
    Maybe Beem has better pictures so we can detail the chipset and do some
    Super High Intensity Tinkering...

    Looks like the Video memory is 256K? The luser's manuel mentions an
    800x600 resolution, but what color depth? Possumbly 16 or 256...

    Looks like this is the "class struggle" ?

    Lubo wrote:
    I see I'm not the only one in this group who appreciates puns. Classy.
    Below Class 3421 it says Model 2010. If that helps narrow it down.

    It does indeed have what appears to be an edge connector between the
    power supply and motherboard, no fan inside the PSU, just one behind the Conner HD and to the side of the PSU which vents out the back. 2 MB on
    the motherboard, 3 slots that look like extra tall 30 pin SIMMs, but are
    said to be NCR proprietary, for 8 MB total. Empty socket for 387 marked
    U72, and an empty slot for a 486 upgrade, also said to be NCR proprietary.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)