Running DOS on the Behringer DDX3216 with a DIY BIOS from scratch
In 1994 I got my first computer: an Intel i486 DX2-66 with 4 MB RAM and a 512MB harddisk. The software was IBMs OS/2 and Microsofts Windows 3.11. In the next four years I was upgrading this machine every few months with more RAM (up to 16MB), a CD-ROM-drive and a soundblaster card. So I learned upgrading this machine, installing new software and finally learned how to program new software using BASIC. But I never got in touch with the boot-process or the details of MS-DOS.
In 2026, 32 years later, I learned from some screenshots of the DDX3216, that Behringer used a real 386 processor within this machine. Immediately, some of my neurons fired in my head and I pondered if I could boot software and even a full operating system on this device. My goal was to learn how an x86-system is booting, how DOS takes over and what is necessary to get into the shell.
Christian Noding
So this introduction is a bit cryptic if you're not aware of what a DDX3216 is - I sure had no idea. The Behringer DDX3216 is a digital mixing console for use in music studios, and I think it's about 25 years old or so. Apparently it's built around a 386, and as Noding details in this article, that means it can be made to run DOS. It also happens to have a small black and white LCD, so there's a place to route output to, as well. Furthermore, once you open it up, you'll find things like a BIOS chip, PCMCIA slot, a floppy controller, serial/parallel port controller, and more.
Sure sounds like a PC to me.
After talking to companies and individuals who might have a BIOS compatible with the AMD 386 SoC used in the device bore no fruit, Noding decided to develop his own BIOS, which involves getting all the devices, interfaces, and even the display to work properly as well. The next step was getting DOS to work, and after MS-DOS 6.22 refused to work, FreeDOS did the trick and booted just fine.
There's still a ton more possible things that can be done here, but this is already quite amazing.