ProtoCache1.1 - IIsi/SE/30 PowerCache Adapter Prototype

[Bolle]

Boards for the large version just arrived:

None of the sellers from china could supply me with 120pin connectors so I went and bought a few from mouser.

I plan to have a few cards ready to be shipped out in January.

Price will be 70$ per card - each one put together with love  and tested in a 2 PDS card + 1 Accelerator setup.

Compatibility as far as I was able to test myself:



Topper


 


 


 


PowerCache


ok



Turbo040*





works but gives bus errors now and then – might be a driver/settings issue I could not resolve





Asante MacCon 30si





always needed/ok



Radius Iisi Pivot




ok – needs cutting to fit into case





Micron Xceed Color30





ok





Excelan/Shiva/Kinetics Etherport SE30



ok



 


 





 


Full size adapter


 


 


 


PowerCache


ok


Turbo040


ok


Asante MacCon 30si


ok


Micron Xceed Color30


ok


Excelan/Shiva/Kinetics Etherport SE30


ok


Radius Iisi Pivot


ok – needs cutting






The Topper will be shipped with the DiiMo configuration and a GAL with my guess of the equations the original DiiMo card used as it has been proven to work better than the Daystar approach with multiple PDS cards.

Configuration can be changed with jumpers and GAL can be reprogrammed for those of you who are curious

The full size card only uses the DiiMo setup.

Both cards also work as simple PDS extenders without an accelerator if the /BR jumper is removed. You could for example use the large card to fit an ethernet card and the IIsi Pivot into your SE/30.

*Gamba was basically running this setup back then with his IIsi adapter wrong angle hack. Running 4.11 on my Turbo040 - I did not yet go through testing the older firmwares or fiddling with the various settings in QuadControl extensively.

So it might still be possible to get the Topper to run reliably with the Turbo040.

 

[TPope]

Hey Bolle,

I don't mean to be a bug but will the Topper cards have the added power socett?

TPope

 

[Bolle]

Testing showed that the external power is not needed even for the Turbo040.

Got absolutely no differences in stability with either method of supplying power to the accelerator.

You can always just remove the solder bridges and feed in 5V through the AUX power port in case you want to start crazy experiments.

I would rather send out cards configured the standard way and set a small hurdle to jump for those who want to experiment. Applying power backwards to the AUX power will likely do damage to your logicboard and accelerator if using an external power supply.

 

[TPope]

Ok, Thanks.

TPope

 

[Unknown_K]

Anyone try these with other brands of 040 accel?

 

[Bolle]

Probably not going to work with the Carrera.

The adapters for the Carrera (and Sonnet I think as they just rebranded the Carrera?) are slightly different.

Also the Carrera was never supposed to be used in a SE/30 and will refuse to boot and say that the machine is not supported.

It would need modifications to either the ROM on the Carrera or the driver to work.

 

[archer174]

Awesome work! Count me in for one of each. Any interest in selling kits or bare boards?

 

[Unknown_K]

What about the Applied Engineering board?

Probably not going to work with the Carrera.

The adapters for the Carrera (and Sonnet I think as they just rebranded the Carrera?) are slightly different.

Also the Carrera was never supposed to be used in a SE/30 and will refuse to boot and say that the machine is not supported.

It would need modifications to either the ROM on the Carrera or the driver to work.

Anyone try these with other brands of 040 accel?

 

[Bolle]

Not sure about that one. Never actually seen it.

Rule of thumb is, if it works in the Daystar adapters, it will work in here.

If it is compatible with the SE/30 from a firmware/software point of view is another question. I remember reports from somewhere in the forums that the Mobius as well as the Carrera are supposed to not work in the SE/30 due to firmware and drivers are not willing to run.

The pinout differences can be addressed and I might be doing so on an adapter designed for the IIsi, where most of the other 040 accelerators do work. Only a few signals need to be swapped around. Basically the difference between the way Daystar and all the others did 040 accelerators was in the way they shut down the onboard 030 either via /CPUDIS on the cache slot or /BG, /BR and /BGACK signals on PDS adapter implementations.

Daystar is converting the /CPUDIS signal supplied by the accelerator to the matching /BG, /BR, /BGACK signals on the PDS slot to shut the 030 down.

The others are somehow doing this right on the accelerator. Their adapters leave /CPUDIS open and connect the other signals appropriately. 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

h34r:   Could you test a really nasty WAG for me? Will the SE/30 run without the socketed 68030 on board with PowerCache in our adapters? The Socketed PowerCache does away with it after all.

edit: dunno if Bolle's SE/30s are socketed. Can someone else test this CPU removed configuration with a standard DayStar setup for me? If it works, that's one heckuva spot to put a current design PDS Card.

 

[Bolle]

I desoldered the 030 on one of my boards to test that already. It does run without it.

Same for the IIci. I had a board with a broken CPU that I replaced and tested PowerCache and Turbo040 when the broken 030 was removed.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Niiiice! Suddenly we have a handy prototyping slot!  [] Now that you and joe have torn the PowerCache adaptation windmill to its very foundations I need a new impossible dream.

Lets call it the PDS2SD™ for want of a better term for the time being. The main reason for the NuBus in SE/30 project was to get my JackHammer running in there. [}] The SE/30 SCSI controller is the last major bottleneck. Time for a new thread!

 

[Von]

*bonus*

I know what you have been waiting for:

View attachment 20855

It works and fits into the case :evil:

Wow, fantastic work. I believe the answer is no, but this config with a Daystar 040 accelerator will not work, correct? Gamba said no but he didn't have your card...

Also, does this config clear the Floppy chassis and HD? 

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

It works AND fits in the case last I heard. Bolle came up the great idea of building only the top half of the DiiMo form factor adapter board. It plugs into the "wrong angle hacked" connector on the NIC at the left on the bottom of the stack and his GS card plugs into the adapter's passthru connector. VERY slick!

His second version is the baseline DiiMo form factor for those without a NIC.

edit: it clears the full height OEM HDD Cage.

 

[hfrazier]

This is all so amazing. I would love to order one of these cards, assembled or even bare, I have several of each of the euro connectors on hand!

... I’ve got a IIsi pivot and MacCon... Anyone have a Turbo040 they want to sell? 

 

[Von]

With a screen shot showing the Asante NiC, DayStar 040 and Micron Xceed card all running together I will buy one as I have all 3.  Is the mod the Asante where its secondary PDS points up required or can a right angle adapter be used?  Also, is the a FW minimum on the 040? Mine says ROM v4.01...

 

[Bolle]

The firmware on the Micron is not compatible with 040 CPUs. This still applies today as it did in the good old Gamba days

I still have fully assembled boards of both types for sale. Just PM me which one you want.

Another shot for size comparisons:

Also take a notice of the compatibilty issues I encountered while testing the cards I have access to with 040 Upgrades in the SE/30. Check my post on page one in this thread right here:

https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/53710-protocache11-iisise30-powercache-adapter-prototype/&do=findComment&comment=571472

Note that the Turbo040 is especially picky in a two PDS card setup as it seems to be running very aggressive timing on the host bus to achieve part of its speed bost. This does not go too well with more than one PDS card in most of my tests. Probably also because this was never supposed to be used this way.

The 030 upgrades are all safe to be used with multiple cards as far as I can tell.

 

[Bolle]

Is the mod the Asante where its secondary PDS points up required or can a right angle adapter be used?

It is required. With just plugging in a right angle adapter the stack is most likely not going to hold against the force of the accelerator pulling it down.

 

[hfrazier]

It is required. With just plugging in a right angle adapter the stack is most likely not going to hold against the force of the accelerator pulling it down.

I figured this. Is a desoldering gun the recommended tool for the job?

..I just ordered one, I needed it anyways..

 

[Bolle]

I do this the old fashioned way using an iron and a solder sucker. Works well enough for me.

A gun should do just as well.