In 1989 , AST completed its exit from the Apple market and sold the rights and technologies for the cards to Orange Micro , a long-time player in the Apple marketplace. Orange Micro would go on to make a successful line of coprocessor cards based on the 80x86 processor family. Ultimately, Orange Micro would exit the coprocessor market to concentrate on USB and FireWire products.
In 1992, Orange Micro discontinued the Mac286 board. Support for the card was discontinued sometime later.
There are three distinct versions of the Mac286 hardware:
- The original AST version consists of a pair of full-length NuBus cards, joined by two ribbon cables. The first board consists of a CPU card while the second board acts as a disk controller and memory card.
- The early Orange Micro version is similar to the AST version. It was reworked in some areas and contains additional circuitry, permitting memory upgrades.
- The later Orange Micro version consists of a single board with a greater degree of VLSI chips.
Of the three versions, the AST appears to be the most common.
Details of the hardware are as follows:
- Intel 80286 processor, operating at 8mhz or 12mhz, depending on version. (A 10mhz version may also exist.)
- Socket for an optional Intel 80287 math coprocessor
- Phoenix Technologies 286 BIOS v3.00 (This is an AT BIOS.)
- 1MB Non-parity RAM, organized as 4 256K SIMMs (640K visible to MS-DOS)
- NEC 765-based floppy controller (: Unlike most PC floppy controller boards, the circuit in the Mac286 allows for Single Density operation. This is primarily of interest to those wishing to read older CP/M diskettes with the appropriate software.)
- 37-pin port for optional external floppy (Apple 5.25" PC Drive or equivalent)
The Mac286 software provides emulation of the following additional hardware:
- CGA or Hercules Graphics Card (switchable)
- 1.44MB Floppy drive as drive A: (if a SuperDrive is installed in the Macintosh)
- 20MB Hard disk, stored as a file on the host Mac.
- Access to the file system of the Mac via an emulated drive D:
- 0, 1, or 2 COM ports (These are mapped to the Mac's Modem and Printer ports.)
- Printer port, emulating either an Epson MX80 or an Apple LaserWriter . (The latter is only available if a real LaserWriter is connected to the system.)
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