+++ title = "Retro Computing - Unisys CWD-4002" categories = [ "Retro Computing", "Unisys" ] date = "2018-02-10T13:55:47+02:00" thumbnail = "/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-1.jpg" +++ ## Intro I saw a video on [LGR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddgmzmw6_qE) and thought, this is a nice system to run my own operating system on. The Unisys CWD-4002 came as a i486 DX/2, 66 MHz, 16 MB RAM and a 512 MB hard drive. sweet. And fits under my monitor, together with a Aten KVM switch and an Alix 1.E minicomputer: {{< figure src="/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-backside.jpg" alt="Backside view" >}} Ok, I increased the memory to a whooping 32 MB. And I bought an IDE-to-SD-adapter as the 512 MB hard disk is not enough for a basic installation of Archlinux32 and I don't know how long the hard disk would work anyway: {{< figure src="/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-sd-ide.jpg" alt="SD card in a SD/IDE-adapter" >}} And old hard disks are generally really noisy. The SD-adapter contains an 8 GB SD card, I'm still wondering how many GBs the BIOS can swallow. At least booting from within the first 512 MB over a Grub on DOS seems to work. Also due to the 2 GB limit on LBA in the BIOS I fear some old operating systems can only access the first 2 GB. With a Linux I may be able to use the disk space above 2 GB. The motherboard is a "486-DBA", First International Computer. It's quite a neat design, enough room to add an IDE raiser for one small ISA card: {{< figure src="/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-inside.jpg" alt="Inside the CDW-4002" >}} On the back size there is a paper attached which tells about all the jumpers you can play with: {{< figure src="/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-schematics.jpg" alt="Schematics of the board" >}} There is a built-in network card (NE2000 compatible, an Accton/UNISYS UK0022, the chips says on the outside). The graphic card is a Cirrus Logic GD5424 which is pretty standard. I also put in a sound card, the box has quite an unique ISA-riser design and due to it's size you have to use a later model of an ISA 16-bit sound blaster which is small enough to fit. I went with a Creative Sound Blaster Vibra 16XV CT4170: {{< figure src="/images/blog/retro-computing-unisys/unisys-CDW-4002-soundcard.jpg" alt="ISA 16-bit sound card, CT4710" >}} Instead of repeating all information I found, I have made a list of interesting videos, globs, articles, forums and download locations. You find them at the bottom of the article. ## DOS 6.22 and Window 3.11 First of all you have to bootstrap the machine somehow. I decided to go via DOS 6.22 und first install the 3 standard disks (after doing a fdisk setup with [BasicLinux](http://distro.ibiblio.org/baslinux/)). BL has the advantage of being able to boot from two 1.44 MB floppies. Then I had to install the NE2000 drivers for the Accton/UNISYS UK0022 integrated network card. The network driver is started by giving it the I/O-address and the IRQ number: ``` C:\NET\NE2000.COM 0x60 10 ``` You can then use FreeDOS' wget port to fetch the rest of the software to install via network to avoid a cramp while swapping floppies. ## Windows 3.11 The installation is pretty standard, just remember to install the TCP/IP-Stack to get network connectivity. For the sound card install the CTCU and CTCM programs (ISA plug- and-play for auto-configuration ant utility). ## Native Oberon This installation deserves it's own blog article. Just very short: Using the latest Native Oberon version from the ETH, install from the OBERON0.DSK floppy. Have the additional files ready on the C:\ drive. There is an excellent blog about how to use Oberon on Vintage Computers, check out the [Oberon Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do2O1yFrnos) series on Youtube by Andres Ramos. ## Future plans I want to be able to boot a modern Linux kernel and distribution on it. Currently I'm working on a "port" of [Archlinux32](http://www.archlinux32.org) to the i486 architecture using the [crosstool-ng](https://crosstool-ng.github.io/) toolchain (see [bootstrap32](https://github.com/archlinux32/bootstrap32)). The installation process has to be something over iPXE, as a 1.44MB floppy really doesn't hold a kernel 4.15.x anymore. iPXE itself will need some patching for i486 too. ## Videos and Links * LGR: [My Smallest 486 Desktop PC: Unisys CWD-4002](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddgmzmw6_qE) * HighTreason610: [Leo Data Book 486-DBA Overview (Very small computer)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTuJXf0if2A) * Andres Ramos: [Oberon Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do2O1yFrnos) ### Blogs and articles * [Gered's Ramblings, Follow-up: Unisys CWD 4001](http://blarg.ca/follow-up-unisys-cwd-4001/) * [Unisys CWD Surplus info Page](http://mule.sworks.com/keng/unisys.shtml) * https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=55212: post in the Vogons.org by some CWD 4001 users * [8 bit museum](http://museo8bits.com/wiki/index.php/Unisys_CDW5001): Though it's about the Pentium based successor, it's worth a look * [French blog](http://www.win3x.org/win3board/viewtopic.php?t=20276) * [Windows 3.11 software installation](http://stephan.win31.de/w31mm_d1.htm): in German * http://blarg.ca/mini-486-pc/ ### Hardware * SD to IDE adapter on [Ebay](http://www.ebay.com/itm/291873933509) * [Soundblaster VIBRA 16, CT4170](http://www.amoretro.de/2012/09/creative-sound-blaster-16-waveffects-ct4170.html): in German * [French page with drivers](http://nwserveur.no-ip.org/win3xorg/devices/UNISYS%20CWD/Model%204001/Drivers/) ### DOS drivers * http://www.brutman.com/mTCP/: TCP/IP software for DOS * [DOS drivers for the NE2000](http://www.georgpotthast.de/sioux/packet.htm), the NE2000.EXE package driver * [Vibra 16 Soundblaster drivers on Vogons.org](http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?fileid=33&menustate=0) ### Windows 3.1 drivers * [Cirrus Logic GD5424](http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=47) ### Windows 3.1 software * [Windows 3.1x Utilities](http://www.k7tty.com/Utilities/Windows31/): some packages with useful Windows 3.1x software bundled * [FTP client](https://www.systemhaus-brandenburg.de/download/tools/win3x/ftp/ftp.html): as the windows TCP/IP-32 stack for Windows 3.11 provides only quite an ugly text based FTP client. * [Netscape 3.04](http://ftp.vim.org/netscape/communicator/english/3.04/windows/windows3.1/navigator_gold/) ### Games: * [DOS Games](http://www.abandonwaredos.com) ### Other Links * [Index of Interesting DOS programs](http://www.opus.co.tt/dave/indexall.htm)