The TC486/TC386 PC/AT compatible processor modules have
been designed to meet the standard of the PC/104 specification. Both can
be used as the processor module in a PC/104 stack or as a stand-alone single
board computer. The TC486/TC386 differ only in the processor fitted.
Choice of Processor
The only difference between the TC486 and TC386 is the processor fitted.
The TC486 is fitted with a 25MHz 486SLC and the TC386 is fitted with a 25MHz
386SX.
PC Compatible
The TC486/TC386 is an IBM PC/AT compatible computer. It provides a familiar
programming environment allowing the use of popular PC programs and compilers
to develop applications. On-board resources include standard PC interrupt
and DMA controllers and timers.
DRAM
The module has sockets for ZIP packaged DRAM which can accept 512K, 1M,
2M or 4M bytes of DRAM. As standard the module is supplied without DRAM.
BIOS
PC/AT compatible BIOS installed in 128K EPROM.
Solid State Disk
Two DIL byte-wide memory sockets are provided. One accepts EPROMs from 128K
to 1M byte and has the factory fitted BIOS EPROM. By using larger devices,
users can build a bootable solid state disk containing MS-DOS and application
code with the supplied ROMdisk utilities.
The second socket accepts EPROMS (128K to 1M), Flash devices
up to 512K and SRAM (128K or 512K) which can be used for a second ROMdisk
or a RAMdisk. RAMdisk drivers are provided with the TC486-UTILS disk.
Serial I/O
Two fully featured RS232 serial ports are provided (Com1, Com2).
Parallel I/O
One parallel port is provided and can be used as a Centronics printer port
or for general purpose digital I/O.
Operator Interface
Keyboard and mouse ports are included for input and sound output for an
external speaker.
Utility Circuits
Reset control circuitry ensures power fail detection and issues clean reset
pulses. The watchdog circuitry can automatically restart the TC486/TC386
if the application stalls. An external battery connection is provided for
back-up of the on-board calendar clock. An on-board Vpp voltage generator
for programming Flash EEPROM is included.
Development Platforms
The TCDEV development board provides VGA graphics,
floppy and IDE disk controllers, standard PC connectors and a PC/104 site
for the processor module and I/O modules. The board is mounted over a 3½
inch floppy drive and space is available for a 2½ inch hard disk
drive. Also available is the TCPAK486 and
TCPAK386 starter kits which includes the TCDEV,
TC486 or TC386, power supply, utilities and manuals for a plug-and-go system
(DRAM is ordered separately).
DiskOnChip
The DiskOnChip provides a TC486/TC386 PC/104 processor module with a solid
state disk in a 28 pin DIP package. It gives an easy way to add up to 2M
bytes of system read/write disk storage.
Solid State Disk
The DiskOnChip offers up to 2M bytes of non-volatile solid state disk.
When installing a DiskOnChip instead of mechanical disks, system power
requirements will be reduced and system reliability will be increased.
High Performance
The DiskOnChip module is fast! The data read rate can be up to 32Mbit/second
and the data write rate is up to 280Kbit/second. DiskOnChip is ideal for
application software storage - it gives the ability to load applications
quickly and to update them as needed.
Easy To Use
Follow the simple instructions to install the device on a TC486/TC386 processor
module, power on the system, boot MS-DOS and the DiskOnChip will be ready
to partition and format.
Bootable
The DiskOnChip can be formatted as an MS-DOS bootable system disk!
Flash File System
Each DiskOnChip module is supplied with Flash File System software. This
software is pre-programmed into the module. The Flash File System software
is installed automatically each time the system is powered on. This software
manages the data storage in the DiskOnChip so that applications can read
and write files using the MS-DOS file management functions. This software
also optimises the allocation of the flash memory in the DiskOnChip to
ensure wear leveling. The DiskOnChip module is specified for a minimum
of 100,000 erase cycles.
Save Space
The DiskOnChip module is installed into the socket beside the BIOS EPROM
on the TC486/TC386. The overall system size stays the same.
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