PB686 chipset: TI TACT82301, 82302 and 82303, not Chips and Technologies

Revised 2026-10-25. Applies to: Packard Bell PB686 (badge PACKMATE I, assembly 99109-913-, Made in Korea); TI TACT82000 chipset; one board, read in August and September 2026

The Packard Bell PB686 on my bench uses the Texas Instruments TACT82000 chipset: a TACT82301PB, a TACT82302 and a TACT82303, read off the parts on the board itself. There is no Chips and Technologies part on it. The Micro House Encyclopedia of Main Boards (1992) entry for the "PACKARD BELL PB686 SERIES (AXCEL I/LEGEND I/PACK-MATE I)" says the chipset is C&T. For this board that field is wrong. At minimum, the model name alone isn't enough to identify the chipset.

So if you have a PB686, look at the chips before you trust any document that only knows the model name.

Applies to

The Packard Bell PB686 in my workshop: case badge PACKMATE I, board assembly number 99109-913- (partly hidden), made in Korea, ISA slots on a riser marked PBC22-9887-2.
The chipset as fitted: TI TACT82301PB at U36 (QFP, also marked NNBU92608 JAPAN), TI TACT82302 at U42 (QFP), and a TI TACT82303. None of the three is socketed.
Other boards sold as "PB686" may differ. I've only seen this one.

Evidence

TACT82301PB at U36 and TACT82302 at U42: measured on real hardware [I] (measured on real hardware). Read directly off the parts and photographed, on record by 2026-08-30.
TACT82303 present: measured on real hardware [I] (measured on real hardware), with a caveat. I confirmed it by eye on 2026-08-30, but its position on the board still isn't in any photo, so I can't give you a U number for it yet.
No discrete timer, interrupt controller or DMA chip: measured on real hardware [I] (measured on real hardware). Every DIP chip on the board was identified, and none of them is an 8254, 8253, 82C54, 8259 or 8237. Those functions are inside the chipset.
The jumpers don't match Micro House either: measured on real hardware [I] (measured on real hardware). Micro House draws JP1, JP2, JP5, JP23, JP24, JP27 and JP33. This board also has JP6, JP7, JP14, JP15, JP17, JP20, JP21 and JP22, which the diagram doesn't show at all. What those extra jumpers do is still unknown.
What's inside each part: not established. I haven't found a TI datasheet for any of the three.
The TACT82000 is a three-chip set: documented only [D] (documented only, not measured). TheRetroWeb lists the PB686 SERIES with the TACT82000 (3-chip 286): TACT82301, TACT82302 and TACT82303.

The Micro House entry isn't useless, by the way. Its board layout drawing (the coprocessor socket just above the CPU, the two BIOS ROMs beside them) matched this board. Only the chipset field is wrong.

Check it yourself

Power off, open the case and find the large square flat packages (QFPs) on the motherboard.
Read the markings. On this board U36 reads TACT82301PB and U42 reads TACT82302, with U42 beside the 14.31818 MHz crystal (Y2). Look for the third part, marked TACT82303. If you photograph where it sits on your board, I'd like to see it, because I still haven't.
Compare the jumpers you can see with the Micro House drawing. If your board has jumpers the drawing doesn't show, your board and the drawing describe different variants.

Sources

TheRetroWeb, Packard Bell PB686 SERIES: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/packard-bell-pb686-series (chipset TI TACT82000, parts TACT82301, TACT82302, TACT82303).
Micro House Encyclopedia of Main Boards (Micro House, 1992), entry "PACKARD BELL PB686 SERIES (AXCEL I/LEGEND I/PACK-MATE I)". The source of the "C & T" chipset field. I don't have a public link for it.

Revised

2026-10-25.

Revision log:

2026-10-25: first version. Reviewed before publishing: the "more than one board" explanation and an unverified EU-regulation citation were taken out.

Wrong about something? Tell me at [email protected].