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How to obtain legacy 386 OMF specification

uecssGH
Beginner
4,097 Views

Looking for the following legacy document but it doesn't appear in the public domain nor to be easily available from Intel:

 

“Specification 386™ Object Modules Format”, 1990, 1991.

Order Number    482991-002

 

Is there an Intel customer support for legacy documentation?

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29 Replies
Alberto_R_Intel
Moderator
2,728 Views

uecssGH, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.


In reference to this scenario, we will do further research on this matter to confirm if the documentation that you are requesting is currently available. Just to confirm, what kind of Intel® product is that one that you are making reference to? Is it a microprocessor, chipset, processor? By any chance do you have the model of it?


Any questions, please let me know.


Regards,

Albert R.


Intel Customer Support Technician


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uecssGH
Beginner
2,705 Views

Hi Albert,

 

Thanks for responding.

The product is a specification related to the Intel 386 processor.

I'm supporting an old legacy system for which I've recently had to re-compile the software baseline using Intel iAPX 386 utilities. The product of the software build is a file in the Intel file format called OMF-386. The specification for the older 286 processor is in the public domain but while looking for the specification for OMF-386 the only information I found was the as follows:

"Intel OMF386 Format, Code 97
This data translation format is considered by Intel to be proprietary
information. Contact your local Intel representative or call (408) 987-8080
for information about the structure of this format."

Unfortunately I've struggled to contact an Intel reprehensive as the Intel web site directs you to an appropriate person by requiring you to select from a range of Intel products. The 386 processor isn't an option nor is there any default Customer Support that I could see.

 

 

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
2,701 Views

Nice Freudian Slip there; I sometimes find Intel reprehensive too - and I worked there!        ;^)

...S

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,698 Views

Oops, sorry
As you say must have been a subconscious mistake! No doubt bought on by the frustration of trying to find someone who can help LOL

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Alberto_R_Intel
Moderator
2,678 Views

Hi uecssGH, You are very welcome, thank you very much for providing that information.


We will do further research on this matter to try to provide the most accurate response to your inquiry or to point you n the right direction. As soon as I get any updates, I will post all the details on this thread.


Regards,

Albert R.


Intel Customer Support Technician


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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,671 Views

I do understand that legacy documentation is available on Intel.com. I have no idea how far back they will go. And. The information seems to be provided by Texas Instruments. https://www.datasheetarchive.com/Specification%20386%20Object%20Modules%20Format%20482991-002-datasheet.html 

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,650 Views

I hope you are correct and that Intel has made it's legacy documentation available but so far I've ben unable to find what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the link but I've already trawled these documents. The first document in the list (1995 - BLD386) is a very useful one. The object file I'm trying to find the specification on is produced by the Intel tool "BLD386)".

 

It's actually this document that I pulled the reference information for the OMF-386 specification I'm looking for. The third referenced document may also have the information I need but I didn't ask for this in my initial post as I thought the eventual solution would be contact details of someone inside Intel - 

[1] Intel Corporation: “Specification 386™ Object Modules Format”, 1990, 1991.
Order Number
482991-002

[3] Intel Corporation: “Simple Bootloadable Files in 386™ Object Modules Format”, 1990, 1991
Order Number
483164-001

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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,665 Views

Here is another link. This will guide you to a PDF

https://css.csail.mit.edu/6.858/2014/readings/i386.pdf 

This is for programming.

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,649 Views

Thanks, the 386 Programming reference Guide is a great document. If you are writing assembly code for the 386 processor or writing the Assemblers or compilers this is your bible.

 

Unfortunately this is a level lower than the document I'm looking for

 

The OMF-386 specification should define the Objects Modules Format produced by assemblers and compilers.

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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,643 Views

I could refer you to this link; http://downloads.ti.com/docs/esd/SLAU131K/Content/SLAU131K_HTML/introduction_to_object_modules.html 

I just want to know you're talking about intel 80386. And what environment stage you worked on before. The more you ask the more I go to .vbs with Microsoft Office 2000 and Visual Basic programs.

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,619 Views

The information I need is more specific than that given in the link.

Sorry, I was being lazy but yes I'm referring to the Intel 80386 processor.

Not sure I understand what you mean by environment stage but I think you are saying the information is for use in Microsoft Office apps? If so then no, I need this information for burning PROMs with firmware.

I can build the programs using Intel's building tools but need to extract the actual program data from the file, reassemble the data in it's correct address location and then split the whole ting in half so it can be burnt into two PROMs. The the OMF-386 specification explains the various OMFs used with the 8-386 processor. 

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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,643 Views

Can you be serious? And explain exactly what you are working on.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_file 

Because this is programming and you are in a hardware topic.

Screen-Shot-2018-12-31-at-2.51.58-PM.png

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,617 Views

Sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't being serious.

My about reply gives more information on what I'm trying to do.

Perhaps I'm posting in the wrong topic. I don't know how Intel works. They could treat all silicone type development as hardware and any software development as software, but I was guessing that their hardware development would be a mix of skills and the end result would be the release of some form of 80386 support package. This package would have the raw electrical information for the processor, the internal workings of the processor (the programming guide) and the basic tools to develop software.

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Alberto_R_Intel
Moderator
2,633 Views

Hello uecssGH, I just received an update on this matter.


Since the component that you are making reference to is a microprocessor, in that case in order to try to gather the information that you are looking for, please visit and submit your inquiries in the links below since they handle all the information related to microprocessors:

https://www.rocelec.com/

https://marketplace.intel.com/s/pmp-partner-program/a723b0000008PICAA2/distributor?language=en_US



Regards,

Albert R.


Intel Customer Support Technician



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uecssGH
Beginner
2,616 Views

I'm afraid that link doesn't work for me, I get access denied.

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Alberto_R_Intel
Moderator
2,603 Views

uecssGH, Thank you for letting us know those updates.

 

We are sorry to hear the link is not working for you. In that case, please try the link for Rochester Electronics, they should be able to further assist you with this matter:

https://www.rocelec.com/

 

Regards,

Albert R.

 

Intel Customer Support Technician

 

 

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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,556 Views

I can't help you with your question. Your question sounds wrong.

Because I know a guy that uses computer processors for turn signal relays switch in a Volvo.

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uecssGH
Beginner
2,537 Views

Not sure how to reply to this question???

First a reminder of what I'm looking for, I'm looking for a contact in Intel who can I talk to and see if it's possible to obtain the document I'm looking for.

To answer what I think you were asking. If I was writing something simple like a turn signal in a Volvo then I wouldn't need the OMF-386 Bootloadable specification. Well, that is unless the code I was working on was over thirty years old and the programmer/ICE hardware had long ago died, and I needed to write my own program to format the output from the build tool, so I could use another tool to load the software into the target hardware.

I my case though I'm not using a programmer or an ICE but instead I need to reformat the build object into two PROM images that I can then use any PROM programmer to burn the software into PROMs.

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lEdge
New Contributor I
2,515 Views

I remember now. Amazon Advanced Book search. They even make that you can search by skus. Here's what I got with a quick search.

Screenshot (16).png

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