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5155 questions

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Floppies_only

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Joined
Feb 15, 2008
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Hi Gang,

I've got some questions about an IBM 5155 that I'm thinking about buying. It has two floppy drives and this website:

http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5155.html

says that it should have one full length slot available, which I want to use for a memory card. On the website the configuration of the slots and cards is in a table halfway down the page. Can anybody tell me if this is the correct set up for a functioning 5155?

Another question I have is, how long are the hard drive controllers if a person wanted to put one in? Not that I do want to go that route, but others might so I'm asking.

Thanks in advance as always,
Sean
 
Floppies_only said:
I've got some questions about an IBM 5155 that I'm thinking about buying. It has two floppy drives and this website:

http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5155.html

says that it should have one full length slot available, which I want to use for a memory card. On the website the configuration of the slots and cards is in a table halfway down the page. Can anybody tell me if this is the correct set up for a functioning 5155?
Click to expand...

The table shows what I believe was the standard factory configuration of the 5155. You can put any cards in any slot you want as long as they fit. The only thing to remember is that 5155s use the same motherboard as the IBM XT, and so slot 8 is wired slightly different.

Floppies_only said:
Another question I have is, how long are the hard drive controllers if a person wanted to put one in? Not that I do want to go that route, but others might so I'm asking.
Click to expand...

There were lots of XT hard disk controllers, and they varied in size. The original IBM controller found in the 5160 was full-length. It should be noted that IBM didn't offer the 5155 with a hard disk, but users commonly installed them, just as they did on the 5150s.
 
My 5155 came with a Tandon TM 262? hard drive attached
to a short controller card. The previous owner still had the original
second floppy drive so he gave me that also. The Tandon was
really noisy so I removed it and installed a Seagate ST-225.

I think two full length slots are occupied, one with the CGA card
the other with the floppy controller.
 
mikey99 said:
My 5155 came with a Tandon TM 262? hard drive attached
to a short controller card. The previous owner still had the original
second floppy drive so he gave me that also. The Tandon was
really noisy so I removed it and installed a Seagate ST-225.

I think two full length slots are occupied, one with the CGA card
the other with the floppy controller.
Click to expand...

You can replace the full length floppy controller with a smaller version, you can also replace the full length video with much shorter ATI Wonder card.

My 5155 has the following:

Ati Graphics Solution
Quadram Memory Card
1.44/360k Floppy Controller and Drives
Acculogic 8bit IDE Card - 2 CF Cards
Orchid Tiny Turbo with 80287 Chip
8bit Sound Blaster Card
Microsoft Mouse Card

The computer came with only 1 floppy, the original
360k 5 1/4, I added a 1.44 meg floppy black to
match the original IBM.

If I manage to get another 360k 5155 floppy i will
probalby put that in, to give the computer
its original look.

:)
 
gerrydoire said:
You can replace the full length floppy controller with a smaller version, you can also replace the full length video with much shorter ATI Wonder card.
Click to expand...

But how do you use the internal monitor? I kind of doubt that the ATI Wonder has the composite header pins that it connects to.

The IBM floppy controller was not full length.

I can't speak for the noise level of Tandon hard disks, but my Pentium's original HD was a 1GB Quantum Fireball. Now those things were loud. If you do some searching on the net, you'll find many references to the noisiness of Quantum drives.
 
per said:
Even most EGA wonders got them. Take a look here.
Click to expand...

Ok, I stand corrected. Now that I think about it, many PC luggables had monochrome composite monitors (Panasonic Sr. Partner, Kaypro 16, etc.), so the IBM CGA card could not have been unique in having the header pins.
 
Fallo said:
But how do you use the internal monitor? I kind of doubt that the ATI Wonder has the composite header pins that it connects to.

The IBM floppy controller was not full length.

I can't speak for the noise level of Tandon hard disks, but my Pentium's original HD was a 1GB Quantum Fireball. Now those things were loud. If you do some searching on the net, you'll find many references to the noisiness of Quantum drives.
Click to expand...

Two specific ATI Cards were made for the 5155.

More may exist, I have the CGA version. :cool:
 
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