Ardent Tool of Capitalism

2016 - 2019 Changelog

For more recent changes go HERE.

Note: Only the more significant changes were tracked during the early years, so this list is very much incomplete.

26 Dec 2019 – 27 Dec 2019

• Minor index and disks page tweaks
• Links/media links update

01 Dec 2019 – 16 Dec 2019

• Index page update, sections reorganized
• Minor Operator/Indicator Panel changes, 85 Indicator Panel schematic update
• Added Flash ROM info page
• Reworked 85 K/N planar outline and description
• Updated 9595, Bermuda, and Lacuna planar outlines and description
• Merge of the latest Louis' changes; snapshot taken 15 Dec 2019

20 Nov 2019 – 23 Nov 2019

• Index page update, new index menu, reworked sub-sections, a little bit of SEO
• Fixed some broken links and URL case inconsistencies.

14 Nov 2019 – 16 Nov 2019

• Updated and fixed the Processor Complex Matrix (from Louis)
• Added Tech. Ref. for PS/2 76/77 i/s, Server 85, Server 95, 95A (INF) (from Louis)
• Index page update (simplified and reorganized)
• New index pages for PC, RT, RS/6000, ThinkPads, and other systems
• Tweaked colors of the PS/2 form factor previews
• New index image (from Wikipedia, made by Raymangold22, public domain - CC0)
• Reorganized the Needham's Programmers section a bit
• Added a few more IBM patents
• Added some new POST/IML error codes + other minor tweaks

26 Sep 2019

• Model 76/77 - added some more flash BIOS files, minor cleanup

21 Aug 2019 – 23 Aug 2019

• Added RM Nimbus index and files
• Added some Olivetti files
• A few additions to the Link collection
• Minor index update and some other changes
• Tweaked "Peter H. Wendt's Adapter Picture Collection" and made it available locally

18 Aug 2019

• Made The website available online at ardent-tool.com. Finally!

04 Jul 2019 – 17 Aug 2019

• Cleaned up a few pages
• Imported a few more linked pages, added internal links
• Promoted the "ALR Files" page to a proper ALR index page
• Added NCR index page, NCR file libraries, system files, documents, etc.
• Added Olivetti index page, Olivetti system list, service guides, documents, etc.
• Configuration index and Technical Background index are now two separate pages
• Technical Background - added info about MCA-specific programming routines
• Imported Model 25 pages from William R. Walsh's website + new sub-index
• Imported EduQuest pages from William R. Walsh's website + new sub-index
• Added Apricot index page, system info, and some files.
• Merge of the latest Louis' changes; snapshot taken 17 Jul 2019
• 95/95A planar cleanup, new outlines, fixed links
• Parallel port & mouse cleanup (fixed links, imported files, reworked tables, etc.)
• Floppy pinouts reworked tables, added 40-pin planar pinout, cable diagrams...
• Resolved the networking index vs adapters index vs main index redundancy
• Imported Token Ring NIC benchmarking info from Wolfgang Gehl
• Added Infotronic IGP64 CHROMA/MCA page, based on info from Wolfgang Gehl
• Resolved the 9590 planar vs 9590 Common Devices redundancy
• Added a proper 9590 index page, cleaned up the 9590 pages, new planar outline
• Cleaned up the Op Panel page, replaced all the ASCII-art with proper schematics
• Added some more PS/2 and MCA patents held by IBM, new patent folder and index
• Added memory technology docs from IBM Microelectronics (DRAM, VRAM, etc.)
• Reworked the Op Panel page, added schematics for 85, 95 XP, and 95A panels, pinouts and much more...
• Imported Intel FDIV Processor Replacement Program pages
• Imported Processor Complex-related IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletins + links
• Reworked the PS/55 and Multistation index pages, fixed up a few other PS/55 pages.
• Added memory chip conversion chart (DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, FLASH...)
• Fixed a multitude of broken links and URL case inconsistencies.
• Some final pre-release touches across the board.

29 May 2019 – 25 Jun 2019

• Merge of the latest Louis' changes; snapshot taken 29 May 2019
• Cleaned up a few pages
• Imported a few more linked pages
• Fixed some internal links
• Added a few more scans/articles
• Removed some more duplicate pages (serial, parallel, error index, etc.)
• Added a list of the RETAIN books
• Added PS/2 brochures (from 1000bit.it)

30 Apr 2017 – 13 Jun 2017

• Merge of the latest Louis' changes (apart from some "broken" bits, and parts that were already tweaked in this version); snapshot taken 30 Apr 2017
• Added PS/2 Model List and PS/2 Form Factor pages
• Added a collection of PS/2 and MCA articles from PCMag, InfoWorld & other mags.
  (Only links to individual images at this time. Thx Google Books!)
• Added a few more PS/2 PDFs
• Added local copy of reconstructed Piper Research website
• Added Kingston Files
• Cleaned up a few pages (burn in hell WYSIWYG HTML editors!)
• Imported a few more linked pages
• Some plain text tables reworked to HTML format
• Added 6900 - Personal Typing System page with info and pics from Scott Peterson
• Added detailed 8580 20 MHz planar outline and component list
• Reworked/corrected/added a few more planar outlines (8525, 8530...)
• Added a list of common IBM PS/2 ASICs
• Added Technical Information Catalog (by IBM) - list only, no files
• Added PCI/Micro Channel White Paper (by IBM) - PCI/MCA comparison
• Added local copy of (MCDA) Micro Channel Developers Association, just for fun...
• New fancy index images
• Tweaked the PS/55 and Multistation "Timeline" pages
• Tweaked a few more PS/55 and Multistation pages (mostly formatting fixes)
• Added Kentie's Model 95 and Model 95 Case Conversion pages
• Reorganized the Networking sections
• Added CNet 650E/2 adapter info and files
• Imported 3Com EtherLink/TokenLink files

16 Aug 2016 – 01 Sep 2016

• Imported pages from many other PS/2 and MCA-oriented websites. Namely:
  
  • Peter Wendt's MCA Mafia (incl. The Blue Book)
  • Sandy's Personal System/55
  • Mr.Tahara's 5550 Multistation
  • Michael Lang linux pages
  • MAD Max's Extreme Computing with Microchannel
  • Jim Shorney's pages (P70, etc.)
• Index page reworked
• PDF Documents section extended and cleaned up (added files from MCA Mafia, schematics...)
• Some missing bits and pieces (pages, pictures...) recovered. Thanks web.archive.org!
• Imported many external pages and files (pictures, documents, binaries...)
• Many internal links fixed
• Some duplicate pages and sections removed or merged; links updated accordingly
  (Like the four, mostly identical, versions of the "SCSI w/Cache" page.)
• Some plain text tables reworked to HTML format
• Some pictures reworked, tidied up, etc.
• Fixed formating of many pages (to a truly unified form shared across the website)
• Other minor changes (typos, text formating, file names, dir. hierarchy...)

16 Aug 2016

• Created an offline copy of Louis' Ardent Tool for personal use. Read the full story HERE.