Olivetti P500

Type XP 2650

p500ud18.exe (IMA) P500 Setup and Diagnostics

Paradise/WD VGA files (Metropoli BBS files, archived)

Olivetti P500 Brochure (Italian, from VintAds)
Pocket Service Guide - P500 (selected pages only)
System Software Configuration (Setup Utility)

MC microcomputer - Olivetti P500 (Italian magazine article)
Science & Vie Micro (SVM) - Olivetti P500 (French magazine article)

SuperVinx's Olivetti P500 Photo Gallery
Mastodonic Personal Computers - Olivetti P500

Specifications
P500 Planar P4.1
P500 Planar P5
Jumper Settings
System Firmware
   ROM Images
   BIOS Revision Levels
Power Supply


Specifications

CPU: i386SX @ 16 MHz
Coprocessor: i387SX (some units also support i387DX?)
Memory: 4x 30-pin SIMM slots, 256 KB or 1 MB 100 ns SIMMs
   max. 4 MB on planar; max. 16 MB total w/ memory exp. board MEM 26-503
Bus: 6x 16-bit MCA slot (one internal for HDD controller; one with AVE)
Video: WD Paradise PVGA1A (on-board), ? KB video RAM
HDD: GO787 WD1006V ST506, GO788 WD1007V ESDI, GO525 ESDI controllers
   40 MB ST506, 80 ESDI, 135 MB ESDI
FDD: 3.5" 1.44 MB (34-pin, different brands)
I/O: PS/2 keyboard & mouse, 1x 25-pin serial, 1x parallel

Planar ID F7FF, machine model/submodel F8/00.


P500 Planar P4.1 BA823 (1 MB), BA827 (2 MB), "497877", "cod. 497805M/?" [P] (source: UMMR)

DL4,5 PE-23131 15 ns delay line
F1 Keyboard/mouse? fuse
J1 Internal 16-bit MCA slot (HDD ctrl.)
J2,4-6 16-bit MCA slot
J3 16-bit MCA slot w/ AVE
J7 HDD15 video connector
J8 DB25 serial port
J9 Parallel port
J010 Mouse port
J011 Keyboard port
J012 Power connector
J13 34-pin floppy header (industry std.)
J014 6-pin front panel connector
J17,19 HDD power connector
J18 Pads for HDD power connector
J20 FDD power connector
J021 4-pin speaker? connector
JP01 Memory bank jumper
JP2,3 RAS0,1 enable jumpers
JP5 SIMM size jumper
JP10 Password override
U17C RTC & CMOS RAM PAL "WS"
UA8 387DX socket? (or pads only)
UA11 386SX-16 CPU (QFP socket?)
UB10 32.000 MHz osc (CPU)
UCC9 Clock PAL "SG"
UD8 Intel 82307-16 DMA/CACP
UD9 Clock PAL "HS"
UD11 387SX socket
UDA13 27C512 BIOS ROM (low)
UDB13 27C512 BIOS ROM (high)
UF2 Bt471KPJ35 RAMDAC
UF13A Reset PAL "PRS4" "PLSN"
UG10 Intel 82308-16 MCBC
UGA5 25.175 MHz osc (VGA)
UGB5 14.31818 MHz osc (VGA)
UHA6,7 PE-21212 or 10T500 delay line
UHB2 1.8432 MHz osc
UHB6 PE-21712 delay line
UHC5 28.322 MHz osc (VGA)
UI4 WD Paradise PVGA1A (alt)
UI8 Intel 82309-16 ABC
UIC2 NS16550AV UART
UJ3/4,UK3/4,UL3/4,UM3/4 ? video RAM
UJ5 VGA PAL "SK" "SM"
UJ6,UKA6 Intel 8259A PIC
UJ10,ULA10 30-pin SIMM sockets Bank 0
UKA10,UKB10 30-pin SIMM sockets Bank 1
UL7 LM386 Audio Op-Amp? (PC Speaker)
UMA13 MC146818A RTC+CMOS
UMB13 8 KB SRAM (NVRAM)
UN1 Intel 8742 KBC "CSLA"
UN4 POS registers PAL "SL"
UNA10 Intel 82306-16 LCSC
UNB11 NEC µPD765AC-2 FDC
UNB3,UNC3,UP4 Spare DIPs
UZIA5? 36.000? MHz osc
XTAL1 32.768 KHz xtal (RTC)

Built around the Intel 82310 Micro Channel chipset.

The board uses a rather unusual reference designator scheme for ICs. The standard "U" prefix is followed by one or more letters indicating the column (A-P, left to right) which is then followed by one or two digits denoting the row (1-13, top to bottom). Additional letters are sometimes used for in-between positions. But there are a few exceptions that break these rules.


P500 Planar P5 BA242 (1 MB), BA243 (2 MB)

A slightly different layout compared to the P4.1 planar above.

The right-most two SIMM sockets are Bank 0, the left-most two are Bank 1.


Jumper Settings

JumperSettingDescription
JP01INOne memory bank only installed (2x 1 MB SIMM)
OUTTwo memory banks installed (4x 256 KB SIMM or 4x 1 MB SIMM)
JP2 & JP31-21 MB installed on system board / RAS 0 enable (Bank 0)
2-32 or 4 MB installed on system board / RAS 1 enable (Bank 0 and 1)
JP51-21 MB SIMM Modules
2-3256 KB SIMM Modules
JP10INDisables password at power-up
OUTNormal position


System Firmware (POST & BIOS)

Firmware stored in EPROM (2x 27C512, 128 KB total).

ROM Images

No ROM images available yet.

BIOS Revision Levels

ROM BIOS 1.06

Solves: Handling problems with IBM 3270 board

ROM BIOS 1.09

Solves: "Real Time Clock" random errors

For use with the user diskette Ver. 1.06 update 4

ROM BIOS 1.14

Solves:

  • System crashes during initialization of the mouse drive if the network password is enabled. The Keyboard controller can not accept the password
  • Problem with the Intel chip set during access to the system board port 107h.
  • Problem with the "Monitor detect routine" when the monitor is not present
  • Problem in hard disk initialization when an error is found in the configuration of the HD controller even when configured correctly
  • Problem in initialization of the IBM twin serial port board
  • Incorrect video management
  • System slow down caused by operation of Real Time Clock
  • System crash when the parallel port functions are used under Microsoft OS/2 and the ABIOS interface
  • ABIOS initialization problems

For use with the user diskette Ver. 1.07 update 2

ROM BIOS 1.16

Solves: Compatibility problems with standard VGA

For use with the user diskette Ver. 1.08 update 2

ROM BIOS 1.18

Solves:

  • PS/2 mouse faults
  • IBM 8514/A installation problems
  • Parity error when BUS is loaded with different boards
  • SW IBM 4700 problems in banking environment

Power Supply

Type PS13A, 140 W, manufactured by Hantarex.

Uses the same connector/plug as the Model 60/65/80 PSU. It's however unknown whether Olivetti duplicated IBM's pinout.

Content created and/or collected by:
Louis Ohland, Peter Wendt, David Beem, William Walsh, Tatsuo Sunagawa, Jim Shorney, Tim Clarke, Kevin Bowling, Tomáš Slavotínek, and many others.

Ardent Tool of Capitalism - MAD Edition! is maintained by Tomáš Slavotínek.
Last update: 30 Jul 2023 - Changelog | Legal Info & Contact