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  • All the rockets!
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    robin-fo
    robin-fo
    It‘s a bit of a shame you can‘t have a dedicated video output for each Rocket without having to occupy another slot.. 🤓 so even with a 6 slot Mac II, you can only have three screens with a dedicated Rocket using it.
    I think it would theoretically be possible to add video circuitry to the Rocket and add the Driver to its DeclROM to get a single-slot solution?
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    max1zzz
    Well from a electrical standpoint the add on board connector should pretty much be a 040 PDS connector so it should be possible, from a software standpoint who knows. i'm not much of a software expert :)
    Snial
    Snial
    If a Squircle is a squared circle, is a Squillipse what used to be called a rounded rectangle ;-) ?
    A assembled rocket clone. A clone that worked the first damn time I tried it! :)
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    max1zzz
    @robin-fo that's the standard one with 30 pin simms, a prototype run of RAM boards and the associated are currently in production so I'll post pictures once I get them :)

    @cheesestraws yeah it makes sense but you know what people are like..... Anyway for those that want 30pin simm rockets there may be some available soon :)
    demik
    demik
    @max1zzz Since 72 pin isn't possible, I would rather prefer a custom RAM board with brand new connectors than dodgy reclaimed 30 pin sockets. IDC like connectors seems doable and period-correct, so…

    If the RAM board has open source gerbers or you do provide them, it's not really an issue imho, DRAM chips are everywhere.
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    max1zzz
    Yeah my plan was to open source the RAM board designs so people can still make new boards long after I get bored with them. I have also tried to design the boards to support as broad of a range of IC's as possible, I currently have 4 designs (2x 16mb with different chip types, 1x 32mb and 1x 64mb) all of which support 5v and 3.3v chips and both FPM and EDO chips
    • Like
    Reactions: demik
    demik
    demik
    I don't know if I'm waiting for the MacPro M4 Ultra Quadra Deluxe or this more
    Daniël
    Daniël
    Just curious, did you find a source for the board-to-board connectors? I know the SGI Indy uses similar connectors for the CPU card, so I'm kind of curious if they still exist for the potential of creating a custom CPU card for that machine (long ways off before I can manage that though!).
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    max1zzz
    Yes I did, they are a standard board to board connector of the same type (But not the same pin count) used by SCA SCSI. Can't remember the p/n offhand but they where available from digikey
    Just a few tracks on this one:
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    Tomorrows job is to delete half of it and redraw it again :ROFLMAO:
    robin-fo
    robin-fo
    Could you maybe cut the double slots? Or just solder the RAM chips directly to the board?
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    max1zzz
    I did consider both but soldering the RAM leaves it non upgradeable which is not idea and cutting the slots apart seemed like a lot of effort, moving things around to make the slots fit was not actually that bad and only took a couple of evenings to do. Test boards have now been finalised and sent off to JLC :)
    demik
    demik
    What about angled 72 pin SIMMs ? You can still get some at mouser and such
    A new project......
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    pizzigri
    pizzigri
    why no one of the PCB services offer this semitransparent FRP material???? I'd love to have my PCB have that vintage look.
    demik
    demik
    JLC yellow is close to that, you just have to not create big ground zones and remove the soldering mask outside of traces
    C
    cheesestraws
    Yeah, that's why I used yellow for most of the AirTalks, it's the nearest thing I could get to a 'period' look easily.
    Now that's quite a large board (And actually clears the connectors this time :) )
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    zefrenchtoon
    zefrenchtoon
    I did not see your post from April 12.
    Why is this version so large ? :unsure:
    Maybe you should add at least one hole to add something to hold the card at the other end ? (to prevent force on the PDS connector and to prevent ICs touching motherboard)
    robin-fo
    robin-fo
    What‘s that thing next to the floppy connector?
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    max1zzz
    Ohh, That is something I need yo post on github - it's a pldSHWIM which is a implementation of DosFox's SCHWIM in a single 16V8 PLD, It sits on the bus and shouts "I'm a IWM" at the appropriate time to get a system through the power on diagnostics with no IWM / SWIM fitted
    More new shiny things:
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    New shiny thing in testing:
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    max1zzz
    Well if someone wants to donate a LC PDS video card to the cause! :ROFLMAO:

    Adding multiple PDS cards gets a bit more complicated as you have to handle card selection, smooshing one card and a accelerator together is much easier as the accelerator is not really a PDS card. Maybe I need to get my hands on one of those crazy expansion chassis's that let you have multiple PDS card sin a LC.....
    • Like
    Reactions: Phipli
    robin-fo
    robin-fo
    I have a Radius Pivot LC PDS card. How would you clone the main ASIC there? Wouldn‘t it be more feasible to adapt some simple PDS video card logic (maybe even SE/30 internal video bumped to 640x480)?
    C
    cheesestraws
    yeah - I have a spare LC PDS graphics card but it looks like it relies on unobtainium chips so it probably wouldn't help you much.
    Revisions done, will give it one final once over tomorrow evening then send it to JLC :)
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    Powerbase
    Powerbase
    Man, that's awesome. My ole Iici didn't even turn on last I tried.
    jazzius
    jazzius
    I know I am super late to this, but could you link me the file to this? I am thinking about putting my iici on a new PCB because the cap leakage on it is pretty bad and some important pads on it for soft power ripped off on me a while back.
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    max1zzz
    Of course! If you want to get your own PCB's made the gerbers, PNP data and schematics are on my github (https://github.com/max234252/Macintosh-IIci-Reloaded) or if you want a single board I still have some available in purple with ENIG surface finish and with the bottom side passives all populated
    First draft:
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    Still needs a little tweaking but it;s almost there
    zigzagjoe
    zigzagjoe
    Yeah. I've got a source for the 15ns that's been reliable, but anything faster is impossible to get. I stripped some powermac cache modules when I was experimenting pushing my Diimo and Carrera clones. I did get some 10 or 7ns TAGs from Utsource, but they looked ... manky... so I've not tried to see if they're any good.
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    max1zzz
    Very likely they will be remarked 15ns parts. At least that is what the last batch of 10ns ones I brought from them seemed to be. Still real 71B74's though so are usable on designs that tolerate slower parts
    Phipli
    Phipli
    Don't forget the slot cover holes 😆
    As prototypes go I'll call this one a success :)
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    SophieRose
    SophieRose
    Looks like the inside of my Mega ST lol stack em high
    olePigeon
    olePigeon
    If you made it a full-size card with pass-through on either end, could you then put two smaller cards on either end? :)
    M
    max1zzz
    Sort of, this approach only works because this the accelerator is not really a PDS card, it is just hanging a faster CPU off the bus and the PDS connector happens to convinently have all the needed signals . If you wanted to do the same thing with two PDS cards you would need additional circuitry to handle the card selection.
    My end goal here to to integrate the nic onto the accelerator card :)
    Getting there.....
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    Phipli
    Phipli
    Could... I make a minor variation request? To add a small number of extra resistors to enable overclock experiments? I need to check exactly what is needed, but it would be like, 3 resistors and pretty easy to route (between a sig and a plain).
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    max1zzz
    Sure just let me know what is needed and i'll add it :)
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    These guys seem to be working fine after a few patches ;)
    Have had some issues with the sockets on the CPU card so future ones will have most of the chips soldered
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    Got some new PCB's today, Just waiting for a small boat load of 7400 series logic now :)
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