PCI to PCMCIA/CardBus Adapters

[Charlieman]

I am looking for tips and links about using these in any PCI PowerMac. Ultimately, I'd like to try one in a Pippin (yes, I have the PCI adapter board, a selection of ROMs and RAM cards, external SCSI etc) to see how much further it might be stretched.

The sort of questions for which I seek answers include: Do adapters require a software driver, or do they function as seamless bridges? What are the OS requirements above System 7.5.2? Am I right to assume that if a Mac PCMCIA or CardBus driver exists, it will function with a card mounted in an adapter?

Please note that I am not asking anyone to do my homework and merely seek a few pointers.

 

[MacJunky]

I would also be interested in this sort of information. :b&w:

 

[PowerPup]

Hm.. Well I do know that a PCMCIA extension does exist in the Mac OS. It's called something like "PowerBook PCMCIA extension" though I don't know which PowerBooks required it and whatnot.

My guess is a driver/extension of some kind would be required. But it doesn't hurt to try without any. It probably won't work, but it won't hurt.

 

[MacJunky]

hmm..

http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/adapter/p111.php

http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/support/pfaq/apple.php

Now, to fess up I did not know I needed one of these in a Mac until this thread was made.

I wonder if it is possible to have a bootable PCI->Cardbus->CompactFlash setup?

 

[Charlieman]

PowerPup is thinking along the right lines. PowerBooks based on PCI architecture must use a PCI to PCMCIA or CardBus bridge chipset. Therefore a driver for that chipset is part of the OS. So what bridges were used on PCI PowerBooks? Apologies for asking in the wrong forum.

PowerPup: My bet (without booting my PowerBook 5xx with the card reader that sometimes works with WiFi cards) is that the extension you mention extends the ability of NuBus architecture PBs.

 

[Gorgonops]

My completely ignorant reply would be that *if* the OS recognizes the bridge chipset as being the same/similar enough to one in a Cardbus-capable Powerbook (Which would be, what, the 3400 at minimum?) than it might well work, unless the Apple driver specifically looks for other Powerbook-specific attributes before loading it. Otherwise you're probably out of luck. (There are not very many makers of Cardbus bridges, I believe the one in the 3400/Kanga was made by Texas Instruments. If you're still looking for the adapter I'd probably try to match the bridge in a Powerbook as closely as possible.)

The only PCMCIA slot adapter I have any experience with is an ISA-to-PCMCIA (no Cardbus) model. Linux worked basically out of the box with that using the appropriate bridge chip driver, although I had to modify the modules config in Debian to load it. (It's not on the list of drivers which probe automatically.) With said bridge I can actually seamlessly join my 1997 vintage Dolch lunchbox to WPA1 encrypted networks via a WaveLan Silver card pulled from a dead gray AirPort. Yay! ;^b

Edit:

http://people.wallawalla.edu/~Rob.Frohne/Cardbus/Cardbus.html

The 3400 used a TI PCI 1130, apparently.

 

[Charlieman]

Cheers, MacJunky. I spotted those cards too but was discouraged by the Mac OS 9 requirement.

The PB 3400 is a good starting point. It will run System 7.6 onwards and supports PCI to PCMCIA/CardBus bridges. I was very discouraged by internet searches previously, but I am now more positive. If, off the top of your head, you know which chipsets were used for this purpose in PCI PowerBooks, please shout up.

(As I write, Gorgonops comes to the same conclusions.)

 

[MacJunky]

I know that this does not really help the System 7 part initially but perhaps we should be making a list of the chipsets used in all the PCI based PowerBooks just as a starting point then hunt down the desktop versions after that? That way we can cover Macs running 8 and 9 at the same time.

Lombard:

(TI) PCI1211PGE

WS/PDQ:

(TI) PCI1131PDV