Well, I don't know if it's going to work with Dell Diagnostics the same way it works with common utilities.
The reason I think it won't work like aida16 is because Dell Diagnostics uses a FAT16 file system (FS) with MANY "big" files in it. The other tools that are being somehow run under FDUBCD DOS are just a few simple files in a FAT12 FS.
In addition, I think the original intention of using a FAT16 FS for Dell diagnostics is for the user to put it in a partition in the HDD. The other option offered by Dell is to use an ISO image to boot from CD.
In any case, just to answer to your question (and in case you'd like to try it anyway), the method used by aida16 and some other DOS-based tools is the following (please, read all the post first, before getting into the actual work, whichever path you choose to follow).
First use
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<ubcd503-extracted>\ubcd\custom\custom.cfg
to add a new Syslinux entry for Dell.
If the size and FS wouldn't be a problem (but I think it *is*), the entry in "custom.cfg" would be something like:
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LABEL -
MENU LABEL Dell Diagnostics 1284
TEXT HELP
Dell Diagnostics 1284 BLAH BLAH BLAH
BLAH BLAH BLAH
ENDTEXT
LINUX /boot/syslinux/memdisk
INITRD /ubcd/images/fdubcd.img.gz
APPEND raw ubcdcmd=dell1284
The "APPEND" line might need changes ("raw" and/or any other additional argument, like the size of the ramdrive). Whichever the "APPEND" parameters used, you have to add the "ubcdcmd=dell1284" argument too, as shown in the example above.
That's the first stage (custom.cfg). Now you need to edit the "custom.INI" in that same
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<ubcd503-extracted>\ubcd\custom\custom.cfg
folder.
In the "custom.INI", you should add a new entry under the "[User Defined]" section:
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[User Defined]
dell1284; "startup.bat"; -$$; DELL1284 (Dell 1284 Diagnostics)
Now you need to create the "startup.bat" file with the correct commands. This "startup.bat" file is what is going to run after the normal "autoexec.bat" when you select "Dell Diagnostics1284" in the Syslinux menu.
I can't tell you which should be the content of the "startup.bat" file, since I don't really know how Dell Diagnostics works (boots). It is even possible that you would need a specific "config.sys" and "autoexec.bat", since the size and FS of Dell Diagnostics is much bigger than the normal tool that uses this method to boot under FDUBCD DOS.
In the "aida16.CAB" you can see which is the content (commands) of the "startup.bat" that aida16 uses/needs. I am NOT saying that you should use the same content. This is only a specific example, and as I already mentioned, aida16 does NOT need so many files/size to run, so the current "config.sys" and "autoexec.bat" are adequate for it. This may not be the case for Dell Diagnostics. An additional example in UBCD503 for the use of "startup.bat" is in "sst.cab".
After you build you "startup.bat", put it together with all the other files for Dell Diagnostics, and build a file named "dell1284.cab" with all the needed files/folders. The name of this CAB file is the name you used in the "custom.ini" file above (but without the "cab" extension). Note that "dell1284.cab" respects the 8.3 name format of DOS.
Finally, put this new "dell1284.cab" file in the
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<ubcd503-extracted>\ubcd\custom\custom.cfg
folder, and remaster your customized UBCD503-custom.iso.
Test it in a VM. Try changing the "APPEND" arguments so to make the ramdrive bigger.
If you need a specific "config.sys" and/or "autoexec.bat", this method is not the easier one. In that case, it should be easier to build a new complete floppy or HDD image, and boot it in a similar way as you boot fdubcd.img.gz. In such case, the Syslinux entry is different than the example above, and you don't need the "custom.ini" nor the "startup.bat" editions.
If you use a complete new floppy or HDD image, you would need the correct booting files (as the original FAT16 should use), and the correct bootsector (as the original FAT16 should use). I don't know if Dell Diagnostics is expecting a FAT16 floppy (bootsector, no MBR, no partitions), or a FAT16 partition. This 2 possibilities might be part of the problem of these methods.
All / any of these possibilities are not so simple to build, and that's why I still think your best option is to use the original ISO image from Dell, and use the correct Syslinux entry for the ISO image.
I know that other users have been successful with this type of tools, because they already posted during the UBCD 4.1.1 / 5.0beta era. Have you search/found/read those topics?
UBCD503 should be using more updated syslinux-related files than those used during its development, so I guess that the Syslinux version is not the problem (although, there are newer releases available).
Since you already have other customizations made in UBCD503, I would NOT recommend you to try the newest UBCD alpha, simply because it uses a different method to boot DOS-based tools, and I don't think it would improve your chances for this specific case.
My recommendation would be to search for those old topics in the forum, and read the proposed solutions. One important comment: if you read about downloading special versions of Syslinux/Isolinux files,
you don't need them!. Those syslinux versions were relevant 3 or 4 years ago. If you want to try newer Syslinux/Isolinux versions, then you should update ALL the related files to the newest package.
You may want to try other Dell Diagnostics versions (like the ones mentioned in those old topics with successful endings), just to be sure that the problem is not the specific tool you have. Once you manage to boo into those other Dell tools, you may change to your specific version. Use Qemu or VirtualBox to test.
Please let us know how you proceed and the results, or if you need/want more help. Feedback is important.