Kaypro 286

System Profile

The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In.
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286

Processor:	80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
Video/Display:	Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
Memory:	1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
Disk Storage:	One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
Ports:	AT-compatible serial and parallel
Expansion:	Nine slots, five available for user options
Keyboard:	Enhanced 101-style keyboard

Exterior

Chris Singleton's 286

CPU board

Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286

Required Backplane (AKA Bus Board)

Notice the two backplanes below. The upper one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Backplane or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies.
(Profiles, July 1988)

Hard drive controller

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and 12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade."
(Profiles, September 1988)

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Articles

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.