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ISA Sound Card CD-ROM controller question

njroadfan said:
Yes, use the program ES1868.COM in config.sys before loading your CD-ROM device driver. It is a PnP setup manager for just the CD-ROM interface, you specify the I/O address and IRQ with switches.
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Interesting - so the adapter should work with the 'software-only XT/IDE' approach then.
 
I know its a little off topic as not relating to sound card, however on-topic on getting a CD-ROM working.

The Portable 386 has IDE internal to the main unit, why couldn't you modify a CD drive to fit one of the internal bays? Like make a CD & floppy combo in one bay, or go with a CF card for a hard drive, and put a CD-ROM in the hard drive bay (which has an external cover plate). You CAN find CD-ROM drives in that 1/3 height configuration to fit the bezel perfectly, or you could modify a laptop one like you had planned to fit.
 
Caluser2000 said:
Yes. It'd be just a matter getting the driver/sound card/drive combo right.

If you wanted a bigger for internal storage you could go with an XT/IDE rom fitted to the nic, assuming IDE is on board of course, on the nic and either a bigger drive or CF adapter and card. Another option is overlay software, which is what I've done on my generic 386DX25.
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Wait, so I can actually stick a hard drive controller BIOS rom into the socket of an ISA network card? Are there any other tricks you can do with that socket?

RWallmow said:
I know its a little off topic as not relating to sound card, however on-topic on getting a CD-ROM working.

The Portable 386 has IDE internal to the main unit, why couldn't you modify a CD drive to fit one of the internal bays? Like make a CD & floppy combo in one bay, or go with a CF card for a hard drive, and put a CD-ROM in the hard drive bay (which has an external cover plate). You CAN find CD-ROM drives in that 1/3 height configuration to fit the bezel perfectly, or you could modify a laptop one like you had planned to fit.
Click to expand...

I've got a 3.5 and 5.25 drive that are going to take up both slots in the actual computer. I'm going to try using an IDE to CF adapter for hard drive storage so that won't take up hardly any space.

If the Sound Card to laptop IDE CD drive setup works, then I'll probably get some extra plastic and make a mount for it and use that in place of the normal cover the the expansion bay. That way I won't have ruined any of the original plastics if I decide not to use the CD drive later. (Plus that expansion bay cover is a PITA to take off...)
 
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