Michael Wessel recently tried running his old DOS 3D graphics software on an 8088 PC, but he encountered a challenge. He wanted to add an 8087 co-processor to speed up rendering, but the process was not straightforward. This project serves as a reminder of the past when PCs had different processors and designs.
The story begins with the Schneider Euro PC, an all-in-one machine from Europe that featured a serviceable 8088 PC with a single floppy drive. The machine lacked the usual socket on the motherboard for the 8087 co-processor, making Wessel’s project more complicated.
To overcome this challenge, Wessel created a small PCB daughter board to accommodate both chips. This simple circuit proved effective in improving frame rates, but it remains uncertain how many other Euro PC users will need such an upgrade.
The 8087 co-processor was often sold as a daughter board that occupied the original CPU socket, and its upgrades were frequently used on older machines. The author shares their personal experience with upgrading an Amstrad PC1512 with coprocessors and discusses the story behind the development of the 8087 co-processor.
According to the designer, more than 50 years of labor went into designing and implementing the 8087 co-processor, which cost around $10M in today’s dollars. The project is considered successful if it sells over 100k units, but the author believes many were sold, especially among IT technicians who kept them as spare parts.
The comments section is open for discussion, and readers can share their own experiences with upgrading retro PCs or share information about the Schneider Euro PC and its history.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2025/02/17/a-forgotten-consumer-pc-becomes-a-floating-point-powerhouse