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logo XT-CF-Lite - XTIDE

It can't be quieter any more!

Basically I love the beautiful old MFM hard disks, but sometimes the volume can really get on your nerves. In this case I like to use the XT-CF-Lite card from Sergey Malinov as a replacement for the hard disk. What a wonderful silence!

My IBM PC configurations:

Actually it is only important that you select the ROM BIOS and I/O port address(es) correctly. I am using the default settings 0xD0000 and 0x300. These settings are compatible with both the VGA card (0xC0000) and a standard XT hard disk controller (0xC8000).

Update: 2019-06-28

I made the effort to reflash the XTIDE Universal BIOS (XUB). It works fine and is relatively easy to do. You only need the corresponding file XTIDECFG.COM, which also fits to the existing release and that was it.

Just follow the links below, everything will be explained there.

Update: 2020-12-21 (1)

Very important: I like to use EEPROMS (ATMEL AT28C64B) with the XT-CF-Lite, because it can also flash it. But! After a successful test, be sure to switch SW2.2 (enable writing) to OFF! Why? I don't know the exact reason, but after using it several times, one single byte actually flipped and the XT-CF-Lite „disappeared“. It took me several hours to find the byte that had flipped over. I didn't know what to look for! Perhaps my XT-CF-Lite also has a fault, but basically it works perfectly.

Update: 2020-12-21 (2)

This is also important: Changing the IDE address (default: 300) requires reconfiguring and reflashing with XTIDECFG! Changing the ROM address (default: D0000) requires NO reflashing, just change it. But do not use twice!

CompactFlash (CF) cards

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Actually you think you could take any CF card, but that's not the case! On the one hand there are the limits of the operating system and on the other hand not every CF card is bootable!

PC/MS-DOS partition limitations

Bootable or not / fixed or removable disk?

I still have some old CF cards from about 1999. Although these are consumer cards, they are still bootable, but ... Since the middle of the 2000s the big companies have put a stop to this and developed so-called industrial cards. These were also much more expensive at that time! Not any more today.

Consumer CF cards can only be used as a removable disk, whereas Industrial CF cards are used as a fixed disk.
Original citation Transend.

So don't be surprised if one or the other CF card is not bootable. All cards can be formatted and described, you will only notice the difference at booting.

XT-CF-Lite, Sergey Kiselev
XT-CF-Lite, Sergey Kiselev
XT-CF-Lite, Sergey Kiselev
XT-CF-Lite, Sergey Kiselev

SW2-2 is important! Set it to OFF after your are done with testing/flashing.

My CompactFlash Cards
My "bootable" CompactFlash Cards

How to prepare the CF card

The easiest way is to create a bootable CF card under DOS 5.0-6.22.

  1. Create a suitable Partition with FDISK and make it ACTIVE
  2. Initialize with FORMAT /S
  3. FDISK /MBR

Step 3 is very important. Every "bootable" CF card should now be bootable, if not use another card. If you don't use DOS 5.0-6.22, see also the last link to WipeDisk!

Links

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