alternate of 80386/486 microprocessor

[shemii]

Hi, i want to upgrade testing device for target detection which is based on 80386/486 processor, and obsolete in the market, their spare parts/cards are not available in the market. For this reason i want to know about alternate motherboard, which can be utilized for testing purpose, to run the device again.

 

[danadak]

What operating system is running on the board you are using now ?


Regards, Dana.

 

[shemii]

it's basically a DOS 3.3 based system, using QB 4.5, BC 7 language. It is on old technology tester, that is why i want to upgrade it.

 

[danadak]

You can use consider many different boards if you consider using a DOS Emulator to run
your applications.

Top 9 DOS Emulators - Play DOS Games On Other Devices- Dr.Fone

DOS is one of the most recognized early operating system, the most commercialized version is that one of Microsoft, christened as “MS DOS” as there are other versions such as DR- DOS. MS DOS was devel

drfone.wondershare.com

Top 20 DOS Emulators For Windows, Android, Mac, Linux | Gaming Shift

For a lot of old-school computer geeks who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, MS-DOS was the OS they learned to work with.…

gamingshift.com

Category:DOS emulators - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Regards, Dana.

 

[unclejed613]

some old test box systems won't work with a DOS emulator under windows, because windows uses hardware virtualization, and some of those old systems had proprietary cards that required the software to talk directly to the hardware. things like data acquisition, motor driver, programmable voltage and signal source cards, were usually this type of hardware. the software interfaced directly with registers in the cards without resorting to "driver" software as we see in later operating systems. this might not work through a windows virtualization layer.

 

[Ian Rogers]

If it's a 486 based board and not a PC as such then the DO box will not help as I very much doubt it has ANY of the required peripherals... Possibly you can buy an old 486 PC off ebay and rob the parts? Most 386 / 486 processors had removable CPU's

 

[Pommie]

Assuming the PC (or other) is controlling some hardware (CNC machine or other) then it might be worth trying to figure out what signals are being sent to the hardware and try to reproduce them in a more modern system.

Mike.
Edit, sometimes it's as simple a G-code sent over RS232. Tell us more about what it does.

 

[unclejed613]

if you want to upgrade the OS itself, try freedos

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

As we've no idea whatsoever what it's doing, or what's required, then it's not really possible to make suggestions.

However, if he has the QB source, then it should be fairly easy to convert to something more modern - depending on what's needed (and what it does) it might be possible to convert to a Raspberry PI, or even a simple PIC etc.

 

[cooperhow]

There are some 386/486 processors still made today, though as a system om chip. They are used in some industrial control application, where it is crucial to run the original sw. You could search for x86 soc industrial, and you will find some.

 

[Pommie]

Without knowing what it interfaces to it's impossible to give meaningful answers.

Also, the OP hasn't been back to look at any answers.

Mike.