SE/30 PowerCache - options for dual PDS (NIC + video?) - Twinspark?

[Byrd]

Hi all,

Courtesy of @aeberbach I'm packing a Daystar/ @Bolle PowerCache in my SE/30 - the CPU socket version, after having grief with a flaky Sonnet Allegro upgrade I'd owned for years.

This SE/30 has a generic looking ?Farallon PDS ethernet card with no passthrough. I've also a Radius Pivot 030 video card and I'd love to see both working in the SE/30. I can live without ethernet, but wondered if the Stratos Twinspark adapter supports dual PDS cards - or just one PDS and one Cache/accelerator card according to the manual.

Stratos Technology TwinSpark adapter for Macintosh SE/30 PDS – ARTMIX.COM LLC. Direct Sales Page

artmix.com

The option option would be to search for the SE/30 MacCon ethernet card with passthrough.

Thanks

JB

 

[Bolle]

Which Radius card are we talking specifically?
The proper one for the SE/30 or the IIsi variant?
For the SE/30 one the easiest solution would be to get one of the MacCons with a passthrough and installing a right angle connector on it.
The IIsi variant of the Pivot card won’t fit on top of the MacCon and needs another riser to sit high enough to clear the chassis (after cutting off some of the cards PCB because otherwise you wouldn’t get the bucket back on)

The Twinspark wouldn’t help you at all. You can stack two SE/30 PDS cards on top of it but you can’t install SE/30 PDS cards in the horizontal facing slot if that was what you’re asking. That one is for IIci accelerators only and in fact you NEED to install an accelerator there for the machine to boot with the Twinspark installed. That would make the socketed accelerator useless then.

 

[Byrd]

It's the proper SE/30 Radius Pivot 030 card. Thanks for clarifying on the Twinspark - I thought I would be out of luck with it.

... any chance you've a MacCon or clone?

Thanks

JB

 

[amedeo_68k]

@Bolle may be a stupid question, the MacCon passthrough connector is a PDS exactly as the meinboard?

 

[nickpunt]

@amedeo_68k yes the maccon passthrough is a PDS, just angled to the right.

 

[amedeo_68k]

I see, thank you! btw I have a couple MacCon, one works and another won't, unsure if it is the main board or the external connector one

 

[nottomhanks]

Which Radius card are we talking specifically?
The proper one for the SE/30 or the IIsi variant?
For the SE/30 one the easiest solution would be to get one of the MacCons with a passthrough and installing a right angle connector on it.
The IIsi variant of the Pivot card won’t fit on top of the MacCon and needs another riser to sit high enough to clear the chassis (after cutting off some of the cards PCB because otherwise you wouldn’t get the bucket back on)

The Twinspark wouldn’t help you at all. You can stack two SE/30 PDS cards on top of it but you can’t install SE/30 PDS cards in the horizontal facing slot if that was what you’re asking. That one is for IIci accelerators only and in fact you NEED to install an accelerator there for the machine to boot with the Twinspark installed. That would make the socketed accelerator useless then.

Bolle, do your riser/topper cards still work even if there's no accelerator installed? I have the TwinSpark riser, and it doesn't work like you said unless there's one in there.

 

[Bolle]

Bolle, do your riser/topper cards still work even if there's no accelerator installed?

Yes. Depending on the version you have to put the "Carrera" jumper in place for it to work without an accelerator installed.
If your adapter doesn't have a jumper header installed there it will automatically detect if there's an accelerator installed and disable the onboard CPU accordingly (or keep it active in case there's none installed)

 

[nottomhanks]

Yes. Depending on the version you have to put the "Carrera" jumper in place for it to work without an accelerator installed.
If your adapter doesn't have a jumper header installed there it will automatically detect if there's an accelerator installed and disable the onboard CPU accordingly (or keep it active in case there's none installed)

Super cool, thanks. Who in this group can convert my MacCon to the straight up PDS (instead of the existing right angle?) I already have the adapter, but I know it’s 120 pins of soldering and desoldering.

 

[nottomhanks]

Also, is there any difference between the TwinSpark vs the Mac Con with your topper installed?