Comm Slot II Repoduction?

[Chopsticks]

As we all know Comm Slot II cards are worth rare and expensive to buy when they become available for sale.

im wondering if it would be possible to make a modern reproduction board using NOS parts?
Im not sure what model exactly but there is a Farallon Comm slot II card that used the Intel DC1096b as its main IC and it appears you can still buy those online at a couple places, there are a couple smaller IC's on the pcb too but from the few pictures I found I couldn't make out the markings...


Not sure if this has been discussed before and lacking a comm slot II card myself I can't really reverse engineer the pcb but maybe someone on the forums here has looked into this themselves and knows more?

 

[David Cook]

I've looked into the com slot fairly extensively:

Apple Communications Slot technical documentation?

Does anyone know of technical documentation for the Apple Communication Slot interface present in the LC/Performa 575 series, Quadra/Performa 630 series, and early PowerPC models? The most I've found are pinouts and some current draw / compatibility information...

68kmla.org

Hope that helps. I haven't updated the thread in a while because I've gotten distracted by a few other Mac projects, but I intend to continue working on the card at some point.

 

[Byrd]

Isn’t it electrically a PCI slot - maybe some sort of bridge board/riser that converts to PCI?

 

[Phipli]

Isn’t it electrically a PCI slot - maybe some sort of bridge board/riser that converts to PCI?

It contains at least two interfaces PCI and Serial. Not sure if there are more. Dual purpose CS1 and CS2 notched cards were basically just serial devices I read. Hence my CSII machine fitted with a modem having a blanking cap on the rear modem port.

 

[Phipli]

@cheesestraws

CS1 and CS2 (dual notch) AirTalk card? Should be electrically almost identical, but you can install it internally in your 5400

Need an external antenna.

Something to fill the huge quantity of free time you don't have

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Haven't looked at the CSII NIC in ages, was interested in implementing a NIC of some type in the form factor of the CSII Riser in the TAM at one point. That would have freed CSII cubic for a tightly spaced two Slot PCI riser.

Can confirm CSII is a prime example of an Apple customized (bodged and borked excuse for a) PCI Slot. No luck bodging signals from it to a three slot PCI riser in an attempt to parlay its available signals into a third, full function PCI slot.

That said, studying chipsets for the available 10bT NICs would be a good place to start. I've got a MiniPCI wireless NIC and PCI Slot adapter card for it. Didn't get it working, but didn't try all that had, drivers are above my pay grade and networking's not my thing at all. Assumption was that any NIC with drivers/chipset compatible with standard PCI slots in Alchemy/Gazelle might be worth trying to stuff its 10lbs of I/O into CSII's 5LB bag?


edit: you've piqued my curiosity, how much have CSII 10bT NICs been fetching these days?

 

[zefrenchtoon]

edit: you've piqued my curiosity, how much have CSII 10bT NICs been fetching these days?

in France, there is one for 100€:

https://www.leboncoin.fr/informatique/2158606255.htm

 

[Phipli]

€100 is excessive, I've paid €30 (+p&p) in the last few months for one and though that was ott given there are alternatives like SCSI ethernet adapters.

 

[zefrenchtoon]

€100 is excessive, I've paid €30 (+p&p) in the last few months for one and though that was ott given there are alternatives like SCSI ethernet adapters.

I agree with you. I will not pay 100€ for this item. If you check others items this seller try to sell, you will see that they are all overpriced imo.

 

[Chopsticks]

@David Cook great work there with the pcb, not sure if you have plans to release the files but even the physical pcb dimensions and the comm slot edge connector would certainly be handy to anyone working on projects for these slots.


@Byrd yes as far as im aware the comm slot I was nubs or 030PDS based and comm slot II is PCI based. beyond that Im not sure if all the same signals are present or not.

@Trash80toHP_Mini im in Australia and Ive never seen a comm slot ii card for sale here in Australia but I probably see a couple a year on eBay around $400-500 asking price . maybe im just unlucky in what ive seen for sale price wise but to me that's silly money to pay for a network card. and in not sure if the cards ive seen over the last couple years ever sold for that on eBay.


@Phipli I do have SCSI to ethernet solutions available in fact I use a few scuznet devices that run pretty decent. I was just wondering how feasible making a new comm slot NIC would be or if its even doable.

 

[defor]

Are you sure CSII 10bt ethernet are actually in short supply? I definitely have a few, both Apple and third party..
The only CSII that feels anywhere close to rare are the 100bt cards...

 

[Chopsticks]

Are you sure CSII 10bt ethernet are actually in short supply? I definitely have a few, both Apple and third party..
The only CSII that feels anywhere close to rare are the 100bt cards...

honestly I haven't taken much attention to if the CSII NIC's are 10 or 100, and it wouldn't bother me what speed they support if I could get one in Australia at a fair price, but so far ive had no luck these last 2 years to find one unless I want to speed silly money.

where about are you from though? I only ask because perhaps these cards are more common in different regions the others?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Haven't got the link handy, but someone developed a very cool diagnostics card for ComSlot I and his board layout would be the perfect starting point for a ComSlot II project. The mechanics of the interface are done. Rearranging the signals on a riser to match up with a PCI connector as much as possible would be my notion for starters.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Found it:

Apple Communications Slot technical documentation?

Does anyone know of technical documentation for the Apple Communication Slot interface present in the LC/Performa 575 series, Quadra/Performa 630 series, and early PowerPC models? The most I've found are pinouts and some current draw / compatibility information...

68kmla.org

https://68kmla.org/bb/index.php?attachments/f0d3fe96574a635e0d9cb6066fc1cd0e-png.41809/

LOL! just spotted your post above, whatcha think? Forgive my muddled state, covid recovery in progress, still dopier than usual.