AST Research
Before AST became one of the largest PC-compatible manufacturers in the world, they created graphics cards, memory expansion cards, processor upgrade boards and multi I/O cards for IBM's PC range (PC, XT and AT).
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Graphics Cards
AST-3G Model 1 and AST-3G Plus
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AST-3G Plus IIIntroduced: 1987 The graphics resolution could be pushed as high as 640 x 400 is a multisync monitor was used. Click here for the user manual. More Images |
AST-VGA
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AST-VGA Plus / AST-VGA PremiumLaunched: 1987 Despite being a 16-bit ISA card, the VGA Plus could operate in an 8-bit slot (see switch settings below). The memory could be expanded to 512 KB by installing 8 additional DRAM ICs into the leftmost memory bank. SW1 ON - Monitor attached is a multisynch operating in analog mode. OFF - Monitor attached is a PS/2 or other analog display. SW2 ON - Data transfer rate is 16-bit (board must be in 16-bit slot). OFF - Data transfer rate is 8-bit. SW3 ON - Adds one wait state to bus speed. OFF - Board operates at speed of bus. SW4 OFF - AT ALL TIMES More Images |
Processor Boards
AST also produced CPU cards that would replace the motherboard's CPU completely, providing a cost-effective upgrade path for those looking to get better performance from their PC for a cheaper price than replacing the entire computer.
AST HotShot/286Introduced: 1987 The HotShot/286 was a CPU upgrade board for the IBM PC or PC/XT computer. It contained an Intel 80286-10 CPU and cache memory. It also provided a socket for an 80287 math coprocessor. The expansion card came with a ribbon cable which connected it to a small CPU daughtercard that plugged into the motherboard's CPU socket after you removed the original CPU from the motherboard and put it on this daughtercard instead. A set of 8 DIP switches on the card's backplate could be used to define the areas of the 1 MB address space to be cached. A jumper, JP1, was used to set the default boot-up mode of the card (either 80286 mode or 8088/8086 mode). Actual performance improvements were limited to the 80286 CPU being able to process instructions faster/more efficiently than the original CPU, though given that it was on an 8-bit expansion card, communication with the motherboard was still limited to the slower 8-bit speed. This is where the card's onboard cache came into play. By caching the memory, the card was able to counter what would otherwise seriously limit the performance gains of the card. The card came with a drivers & utilities disk that included HOTSHOT.EXE to switch between the 8088 and 80286 CPU. One of the main reasons for this capability to switch between the original CPU and the HotShot/286's onboard 80286 CPU without the need for a reboot was to get around potential problems with old device drivers that didn't play well with the 286. The 80286 does not allow an OUT instruction to be followed by another I/O instruction unless the OUT is immediately followed by a JMP SHORT $+2 instruction to introduce an I/O wait state. Many of the 8088/86 device drivers were written before the 80286 was introduced and do not contain correct 80286 coding technique, which may cause system hangs if running the system in 286 mode. If you come across any system hangs or other problems using such device drivers, run the HotShot/286 in 8088/8086 mode. Cached Memory Settings for Base (0-640K): SW1 SW2 SW3 Cached Area --- --- --- -------------- OFF OFF OFF Cache Disabled * ON ON OFF 0-256 KB ON OFF ON 0-512 KB ON ON ON 0-640 KB * = Default Setting Cached Memory Settings for Extended (640KB-1024KB): SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 Cached Area --- --- --- --- --------------- OFF OFF OFF OFF Cached Disabled * ON OFF OFF OFF 0C0000-0CFFFFH ON ON OFF OFF 0C4000-0D3FFFH OFF ON OFF OFF 0C8000-0D7000H OFF ON ON OFF 0CC000-0DBFFFH OFF OFF ON OFF 0D0000-0DFFFFH ON OFF ON OFF 0D4000-0E3FFFH ON ON ON OFF 0D8000-0E7FFFH ON ON ON ON 0DC000-0EBFFFH OFF ON ON ON 0E0000-0EFFFFH OFF OFF ON ON 0CC000-0EFFFFH ON OFF ON ON 0A0000-0AFFFFH ON OFF OFF ON 0A0000-0B7FFFH ON ON OFF ON 0CC000-0DBFFFH and 0A0000-0AFFFFH OFF ON OFF ON 0CC000-0DBFFFH and 0A0000-0B7FFFH OFF OFF OFF ON 0D0000-0DFFFFH and 0A0000-0B7FFFH * = Default Setting More Images |
AST Xformer/286Introduced: 1987 This motherboard was designed as a direct swap for PC and XT-class computers, and came with an Intel 80286 running at 10 MHz, and 512 KB of RAM which was expandable up to 1 MB. It came with four 16-bit ISA and four 8-bit ISA expansion slots. The Xformer/286 came with a utility diskette that allowed you to configure the card. You would simply run 'ASTUTE' from the floppy disk. The CPU speed could be switched from 6, 8 or 10 MHz using Ctrl-Alt-Up and Ctrl-Alt-Down, all at zero wait states.
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AST 386 DaughterboardPart Number: 202347-002 Don't be fooled by this one - it's not a 286 CPU upgrade card like Intel's InBoard 386/PC or 386/AT. Its actually the main daughterboard in the AST Premium 386 desktop computer range. For the Premium 386 launched in 1989, AST attempted to innovate the internal layout of a desktop PC, by having a mainboard which consisted almost entirely of just the usual ISA expansion slots, but two of these slots had a proprietary extension into which would be installed this "386 CPU" daughterboard. On the daughterboard was a 386DX CPU running at either 25 or 33 MHz, 387 coprocessor, and main memory via four SIMM slots. The second ISA slot that also had this proprietary extension could be used for other AST cards, such as a FastRAM memory expansion card. Strangely, and unlike almost all other ISA slot cards, the 386 daughterboard had its components on the rear side of the card. Also quite a rare choice, the board supported only the Weitek 3167 math coprocessor, not the more common Intel 80387 series or compatibles. More Images |
AST 486 DaughterboardPart Number: 202397-003 As with the 386 Daughterboard, the 486 Daughterboard is *not* a CPU upgrade card that can be put into a 386 machine. Instead, AST used these cards in their PCs as the main CPU, memory, and cache subsystem - the motherboard itself in these PCs was really nothing more than a backplane. More Images
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Memory Expansion and Multi I/O Cards
SixPakPlusIntroduced: 1983 The AST SixPakPlus was a memory expansion board for the IBM PC or PC/XT computer. It came with anywhere from 64 KB to 384 KB of onboard memory using 64 KB DRAM ICs that were 200ns speed, and also provided a realtime clock, serial port, and parallel port. Some cards also featured a game port. The maximum memory upgrade for the original SixPakPlus could bring your PC up to 640 KB. There was no support for EMS memory or AST's Enhanced EMS. Click here for the user manual. More Images |
SixPakPremiumIntroduced: 1986 The AST SixPakPremium supported between 256 KB and 1024 KB of onboard memory using 256 KB 150ns DRAM ICs. Like the SixPakPlus, the Premium also provided a realtime clock, serial port, and parallel port. Some cards also featured a game port and a second serial port. Any memory above 640 KB was configured as EMS, compatible with the LIM EMS 3.2, 4.0, or AST's EEMS standard. |
SixPak 286Introduced: 1985? Designed for their Bravo/286, Premium/286, Premium Workstation, as well as other IBM PC/AT compatibles, the AST SixPak 286 supported up to 4 MB of onboard RAM via its 30-pin SIMM slots. These were configured in two banks, Bank 0 at the far left of the board, and Bank 1 further in. In addition, daughterboards called the I/O Pak 286 (part #500560-002) could be added to the SixPak 286 to provide a serial port or parallel port. Unlike earlier memory configuration cards from AST, the SixPak 286 was fully configurable through software instead of jumpers. More Images |