How to obtain legacy 386 OMF specification

[uecssGH]

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?

[uecssGH]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did try a search of Amazon.com and while I was at it I gave the US Google a go just in case it gave me something different from the UK one. No joy! I don't think the documents I'm looking for were in general publications, so wasn't expecting any success.

I was pointed at "https://www.rocelec.com/" which looks like a company that takes over legacy licenses and they got back to me quickly but only to tell me the information in the specifications are propriety. Still waiting to see if they can provide me with a contact within Intel that I can approach.

[lEdge]

Bad programmer!

Maybe I can ask you how old youare?

[uecssGH]

I hope you are not commenting on my programming skill, though its probably not far wrong LOL!!!

I'm in my early sixties. Old enough to remember being excited at work getting me a new PC with the 386 processor as my work/development machine

[lEdge]

I apologize. It's just that I'm not trying to develop the conversation into anything. You are just looking for an Intel white sheet. Since it's hard to find it appears to be very odd to invest a lot of time to find the documentation. It could be anything really. The white sheet you are looking for may just have submitted application subtext included and nothing about programming. You know that terms and conditions you hear at the end of a car commercial. You can find examples of white sheets they all have that same document number template. I watched some video about this device it just mentioned the design description and cache size and location. The only thing you are looking for is maybe the difference in omf and coff modules for c programming. Like lib and obj.

From that decade it does seems more beneficial to check manufacturer materials. And you still didn't say what you are programming. A kit or maybe an old computer.

[uecssGH]

No need to apologize, glad I'm getting some comments on my post as I'm trying to keep this active in the hope someone will see it that can point me at who I need to contact.

To be honest I've no idea what I'm trying to get as all I have is a couple of references. I don't know what an Intel white sheet is but can guess and it makes sense. The user document for the Intel software we use to program PROMs (iPPS) has the OMF-286 Bootloadable spec as an annex and it's only a page and a half.

My company produced a series of cards that used the Intel 80386 processor as the CPU. We used the Intel software compiler tools and an Intel PROM programmer as part of our development. The processor may no longer be produced but we still support customers and I've been asked to make a small change to the original code. So I dusted of the development environment and old documentation and did a re-build of the code baseline. As no one has done this in thirty years there were a few challenges!!! Unfortunately it all fell apart at the final stage as I can't burn the software onto PROM as the Intel PROM Programmer Software doesn't work properly without the programmer hardware, which is long deceased.

The solution is for me to write our own version of the iPPS. Only need to code the extraction of the data from the file produced by the software build so I can use any PROM programmer to burn the PROMs. There are expiations of OMF-386 but it has four different object modules and unfortunately the Bootloadable object module isn't one of them

The alternative is we re-spin the cards, move the software development from a DEC VAX to a PC and port it all to another compiler then re-test and certify!!! 

Could you expand on what I would need to do to check manufacturer materials?

[lEdge]

And again this topic is only touching the surface of your research. I would at least recommend a library visually, this time. Just for the lack of searching the internet flawlessly.

https://software.intel.com/content/www/us/en/develop/articles/introduction-to-intel-advanced-vector-extensions.html 

You may be looking for the wrong thing. Again I don't want to break anything. 

Here's that other stuff you mentioned. It just seems to be giving more recent results anyway.

https://software.intel.com/content/www/us/en/develop/tools/oneapi/components/ipp.html#gs.c62r4k 

https://software.intel.com/content/dam/develop/external/us/en/documents/ipps.pdf  

[uecssGH]

Thanks for trying but I'm guessing you found references to "IPP"?

The PROM programmer software I'm trying to replace is "iPPS" which is "Intel PROM Programmer System".

The links you provided had some nice information on Signal Processing :-), but unfortunately nothing on the OMF-386 Bootloadable format

I wasn't too sure I understood correctly what you were saying about a Library? I'm guessing you are suggesting I go to a library and have a look for the documents (or is that white papers?) I'm looking for. Don't think this will work as I don't think the info was released and was restricted to those who contacted Intel directly  requesting the documents?

[lEdge]

I have to deal with old programs myself. And I don't exactly get the support for the compatibility. And I'm talking about programs for everyday use. It's a shame really. I do get some bugs from time to time. "There's a time in the way crushing." Bill Cruise!

[uecssGH]

I can understand why getting old legacy information can be difficult from a company like Intel. There is a point where it doesn't make sense to continue support so they drop the product and focus on more current projects.

It would be nice if they just put any dropped projects into the public domain or at least moved all the project material into a central library where it could be obtained.