Cool! Thanks for the assist, knocked together a low profile display version. 50MHz puts out a lotta RFI anyway, but there's still a passthru if needed.
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Farallon ETHERMAC LC NSC w/NuBus drivers in the SE/30 PDS?
- Thread starter Trash80toHP_Mini
- Start date
I love the drawing, really makes this feel like it can work! I actually like this layout, I assume one pass-through is for video and another for cache/processor upgrade? Then we add conversions for the LC PDS on the rear? This would be nice as it really maximizes internal space.
Exactly, that's Bolle's DiiMO style PowerCache Adapter with a fourth connector grafted onto it ass. IF we can get this up and running that will provide networking for those without Asante NICs or the like, but are lucky enough to have an accelerator or are planning to source one. Might as well get all that done on one card. Especially for folks uncomfortable with the Idea of doing the wrong angle hack on an expensive SE/30/IIsi NIC.
I'm torn on what I'd want to do with with a clear case. It would be very cool to display the leaning tower of Grayscale if that's your thing. But seems better to me to keep the big toys in a standard case with its shielding for the bits toiling away at transmitting RFI in the 50MHz range. I'm thinking it would be better to use the clear case for a more stock setup where PSU, CRT, cabling etc are clearly seen, not blocked by PCBs wallpapering the entire side of the case.
That's why I tend more toward the passive display adapter design. With only the passthru connector (held in reserve) peeking up from behind the chassis and the shark fin/LC NIC/WiFi setup lending some current tech/hack cool factor that's clearly displayed (with activity LED even) at the back with a clear view into the goodness that made the SE/30 such a great machine it seems like a winning combo.
Didn't have time to post anything better before work today. Here's a clear chassis view of the passive board with the three possible clearance issues/limitations indicated. At the bottom, the NIC has to be far enough back to clear that horrible, oversized stock HDD cage's overhang. At the top, it seems like it will need to be tilted back to clear the neck board? Those constraints drum up the problem in the middle, which would be clearance for anything like a video output connector.
Anyway, that's the one I like most for the SE/30, but mine's not slated to emerge from the bench setup anytime soon. A clear bucket would be much better for my SE with its Radius 16 under the floorboards and the Radius TPD card displayed on the back wall with a clear view of the insides. The LC NIC will look better as its component side will be facing forward. TPD Card's components face the back. :/
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Looks like I have to re-do the CRT layer of my graphics. The neck/neck board are farther back than the diagram would indicate, but matters not. There's about a half inch of play vertically for the NIC between the deck and the neck board. Better yet with the NIC raised to the level of the neck board there appears to be almost a half inch of clearance between the two when set in the same plane.
Now if only my P33 will clear the socket and NIC mounted on the tail end of your adapter card, Bolle. [
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Now if only my P33 will clear the socket and NIC mounted on the tail end of your adapter card, Bolle. [
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I think I like the low profile version, especially if used in conjunction with the clear case. 
OCD AI session most of the day so I'm beat, crosseyed and my back hurts . . . but my wrists are fine! [
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Scaling errors almost got the best of me, so I gave up and tried to underlay a photo that was distorted every which way and I'm knocking this crap off until I can make a Physical mockup of the adapter and take my own pics of the real deal and finally let it go. I have real life issues for brushing up my OCD/ADD skills for a week or so. The mockup will take a less than an hour to do. :lol:
View attachment Display Adapter-Beta-2.PDF
] Scaling errors almost got the best of me, so I gave up and tried to underlay a photo that was distorted every which way and I'm knocking this crap off until I can make a Physical mockup of the adapter and take my own pics of the real deal and finally let it go. I have real life issues for brushing up my OCD/ADD skills for a week or so. The mockup will take a less than an hour to do. :lol:
View attachment Display Adapter-Beta-2.PDF
A few thought before I knock off for the night:
Chamfered top rear corner is probably way off. It's simply amazing to me that the Jobsian signature profile detail of the Classic Mac Case is nigh on impossible to find in a pic online. Anybody got a link to a good one? The case looks so much better in oblique views that it's not all that surprising the boring profile appears to go undocumented. It's really not all that becoming a view save for its utility as a reference.
Dunno how accurate the scaling of the above mess (now the below mess : ) might be overall . . . not very. But the CRT Neck Board and LC NIC are set in a worst case approximation. The physical mockup will tell that tale. It's better to keep them on different planes on purpose, matching planes with a bobbleheaded Neck Board is a losing proposition.
In keeping with the Clear ProtoMac motif of maceffects clear bucket, and the crazy coolness of finally (hopefully) pulling off an LC NIC hack, I've set the specification for a stretch feature of my own in stone. If PDS traces don't detour in and out of thruholes for an outboard PCI Slot connector I'll NEVER forgive anyone building a card anything like this. The EuroDIN 120 connector is sadly outdated in this era of Pi and the 10cm x 10cm SEEED square PCB. It takes up far too much board area for prototypind and the connectors are expensive. Compatibility with a connector sized for $10 prototyping boards for SE/30 development is an opportunity not to be sacrificed. Alternately/eventually, a low profile ProtoBoard or expansion board can be mounted to headers installed on the inboard side of the LC NIC Adapter board.
The outboard PCI Slot connector will be incompatible with the standard clear bucket (or any bucket for that matter) if installed, but who keeps a BenchMac in a case anyway? Maybe some flawed shots can be earmarked for a reduced cost development case product. Drill a hole or six in the side of a flawed case where the outboard connector will protrude and I'll be first in line for one of those puppies! [
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Chamfered top rear corner is probably way off. It's simply amazing to me that the Jobsian signature profile detail of the Classic Mac Case is nigh on impossible to find in a pic online. Anybody got a link to a good one? The case looks so much better in oblique views that it's not all that surprising the boring profile appears to go undocumented. It's really not all that becoming a view save for its utility as a reference.
Dunno how accurate the scaling of the above mess (now the below mess :
) might be overall . . . not very. But the CRT Neck Board and LC NIC are set in a worst case approximation. The physical mockup will tell that tale. It's better to keep them on different planes on purpose, matching planes with a bobbleheaded Neck Board is a losing proposition.In keeping with the Clear ProtoMac motif of maceffects clear bucket, and the crazy coolness of finally (hopefully) pulling off an LC NIC hack, I've set the specification for a stretch feature of my own in stone. If PDS traces don't detour in and out of thruholes for an outboard PCI Slot connector I'll NEVER forgive anyone building a card anything like this. The EuroDIN 120 connector is sadly outdated in this era of Pi and the 10cm x 10cm SEEED square PCB. It takes up far too much board area for prototypind and the connectors are expensive. Compatibility with a connector sized for $10 prototyping boards for SE/30 development is an opportunity not to be sacrificed. Alternately/eventually, a low profile ProtoBoard or expansion board can be mounted to headers installed on the inboard side of the LC NIC Adapter board.
The outboard PCI Slot connector will be incompatible with the standard clear bucket (or any bucket for that matter) if installed, but who keeps a BenchMac in a case anyway? Maybe some flawed shots can be earmarked for a reduced cost development case product. Drill a hole or six in the side of a flawed case where the outboard connector will protrude and I'll be first in line for one of those puppies! [
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edit: iCrap!!!!! I always seem to hit the page break discontinuity barrier!
View attachment 27034
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Crazy compositing mess, but it shows how much additional room there sholuld be between the NIC and Neck Board.
Crazy compositing mess, but it shows how much additional room there sholuld be between the NIC and Neck Board.
Would PCI even be an option? I feel like it would require a lot to make that happen?
LOL, heavens no! PCI as an I/O interface isn't even remotely an option. However the PCI SLOT a very handy physical interface for use as a board interconnect. A PCI slot connector costs less than using sockets/headers for board interconnect for the first rev of a prototype. The edge connector contacts and card shape fit nicely within the baseline 10cm x 10cm short run PCB format. After that first PCI connector is installed, there's ZERO cost for additional connectors for any number of prototyping boards. The contacts and router path outline become a copy/paste type standard for 68030 PDS prototyping playtime of all sorts. [
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I like what I am seeing! I think one of the biggest challenges here is that the cost of the connectors alone can be costly. I'm going to start talking to some of my contacts in China to see if there are any options.
It fits. Back to stripping < 80 more kynar connections, then wrapping commenses.
While that is certainly a very tedious step, it means that the next step will be the most exciting :-D
OK, now all of the toys are heading back into their respective project boxen. Took a break, fiddled around laminating another sheet of posterboard to the mockup, fired up the hot glue gun and got out the camera.
View attachment 27119
View attachment 27122
Breakout board cubic remains unobstructed, NIC clears stupid long stock HDD Cage. Offset adequate from neck board on all three axes.
PCI riser is a stand in for 10cm x 10cm development board. Edge card interface is for BenchMac use only, it will almost certainly interfere with a bucket. Four rows of 8.35mm sockets fpr Pi shields remain within the chassis' confines for bucket compatibility. Using high profile headers on the prototype PCB will mount it vertically with adequate clearance. PCI slot connectors are less money and edgecard contacts are free(?) on SEEED type boards, so that's the solution I like. Makes alignment issues go away.
RPi on the PDS anyone? SCSIfreeSD?
Finito, it's on to stripping wires!
View attachment 27119
View attachment 27122
Breakout board cubic remains unobstructed, NIC clears stupid long stock HDD Cage. Offset adequate from neck board on all three axes.
PCI riser is a stand in for 10cm x 10cm development board. Edge card interface is for BenchMac use only, it will almost certainly interfere with a bucket. Four rows of 8.35mm sockets fpr Pi shields remain within the chassis' confines for bucket compatibility. Using high profile headers on the prototype PCB will mount it vertically with adequate clearance. PCI slot connectors are less money and edgecard contacts are free(?) on SEEED type boards, so that's the solution I like. Makes alignment issues go away.
RPi on the PDS anyone? SCSIfreeSD?
Finito, it's on to stripping wires!
Wow! Very cool to see how it would. I have to be honest, it looks amazing. Can't wait to see what's next. Nice work!
Thanks! [] The only thing I see changing would be to cant the passthru connector back to match the DiiMO adapter angle to keep full size cards parallel to the front bezel and clear of the CRT. But that's a very minor thing far beyond the scope of my prototyping for fitment.
WIRES ARE CALLING MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :blink:
] The only thing I see changing would be to cant the passthru connector back to match the DiiMO adapter angle to keep full size cards parallel to the front bezel and clear of the CRT. But that's a very minor thing far beyond the scope of my prototyping for fitment.WIRES ARE CALLING MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :blink:
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