-
Hello MLAers! We've re-enabled auto-approval for accounts. If you are still waiting on account approval, please check this thread for more information.
PPC DOS compatibility card in a Quadra 700
- Thread starter killvore
- Start date
Success!
It seems the PC disk image was getting corrupted when I copied stuff into it on my Quadra. I noticed it when I used the Win 3.11 image - after the copy operation completed, all the contents of the disk image disappeared
This might be due to the image being created with a different version of the compatibility software from what is running on my machine, who knows.
The solution was to set up the PC image in Sheepshaver using a different version of the compatibility software (since I think it requires 7.5.x and the Quadra is running 7.1), and so far this has worked GREAT! This whole setup is now working correctly - and thanks again for all your great help, this is really cool!
Still to do:
1. I need to figure out a solution for the cable-ing, since right now I can't close up the computer, also the PCB sticking out the back seems really exposed. Suggestions welcome!
2. Sound! Not sure this is even possible on a Quadra 700 board, I might have to swap in the 650
It seems the PC disk image was getting corrupted when I copied stuff into it on my Quadra. I noticed it when I used the Win 3.11 image - after the copy operation completed, all the contents of the disk image disappeared
This might be due to the image being created with a different version of the compatibility software from what is running on my machine, who knows.The solution was to set up the PC image in Sheepshaver using a different version of the compatibility software (since I think it requires 7.5.x and the Quadra is running 7.1), and so far this has worked GREAT! This whole setup is now working correctly - and thanks again for all your great help, this is really cool!
Still to do:
1. I need to figure out a solution for the cable-ing, since right now I can't close up the computer, also the PCB sticking out the back seems really exposed. Suggestions welcome!
2. Sound! Not sure this is even possible on a Quadra 700 board, I might have to swap in the 650
Here is the solution:
GitHub - alxlab-zone66x/Apple_DOS_Compatibility_Card_PDS_Extender: A Macintosh PDS DOS Compatibility card extender that allows you to use the DOS card in computer like the Quadra 700 and Quadra 950.
A Macintosh PDS DOS Compatibility card extender that allows you to use the DOS card in computer like the Quadra 700 and Quadra 950. - alxlab-zone66x/Apple_DOS_Compatibility_Card_PDS_Extender
github.com
About the sound problem, maybe you can make a cable to get the sound from SoundBlaster to plug it in Sound input of the Q700 (sorry, I don't know if I am very clear ... tell me if it is not the case)
I will look more closely at this, but I don't think the bracket will solve the problem because I have a different PCB with connectors on all 4 sides, and even if I could hook up all the connections I needed I would still have a PCB sticking out the back which I want to avoid.
For the sound - there is a (3 pin?) audio out on the PC card, and I know the Quadra 650 has identical connectors for CD audio passthrough, but I don't know that there is a similar way to "hook in" to the audio output!
For the sound - there is a (3 pin?) audio out on the PC card, and I know the Quadra 650 has identical connectors for CD audio passthrough, but I don't know that there is a similar way to "hook in" to the audio output!
on the DOS Compatibility Card, you have two 4 pins headers.
You can see them at the bottom left on this picture:
One is for sound input (sounf from CD/DVD drive) and one is for sound output to send (DOS + CD) mixed sound to motherboard so you should be able to make a simple cable with a female header in one side to connect to the card and a male jack to connect to the sound input of Q700 motherboard then by selecting the appropriate input in sound control panel, you should be able to get PC sound through "microphone input".
How does the CD audio connector work?
I am building a retro computer and found out that old CD drives have audio output connectors. But how does it work? The computer can read all data from the CD using ATAPI/IDE. Why is there an addit...
Another interesting thread about this card is here:
68kmla.org
Houdini II DOS compatibility card 486-66 with SB16 - software, hardware considerations on 68K
Good news!! A fresh install of Mac OS 7.6.1 and PC Setup 1.0.3 solved one half of my problem :) The PC is booting with the "TinyBootDisk", and PC Setup says: "PC running"! Still I am not able to get picture of the PC, seems like the monitor receives a signal which it cannot take. Do you think...
68kmla.org
This is super interesting! This is exactly the type of thing I'd hoped someone else had figured out I'm absolutely going to give this a try. I also have the extra audio connector from the PPC I took the DOS card from, maybe I can reuse that.
As an aside, I see there's some discussions about different monitor support in that thread, and I can tell you - it did not work with my Portrait Display
(but I wasn't expecting it to)
View attachment IMG_0887.MOV
I'm absolutely going to give this a try. I also have the extra audio connector from the PPC I took the DOS card from, maybe I can reuse that.As an aside, I see there's some discussions about different monitor support in that thread, and I can tell you - it did not work with my Portrait Display
(but I wasn't expecting it to)View attachment IMG_0887.MOV
Ha, I'd tried driving my Portrait display with the DOS card in my 6100 back in college. Out of the box, I obtained the result you've shown.
So I thought, "I know what I'll do" which was to install a Unix-alike on the DOS card that could run XFree86. In those days, this variant of the X Window System was configured by a scary text file called XF86Config, which required the user to specify low-level monitor details like vertical and horizontal refresh rates. You had to edit this file by hand (and then pray) to get graphics! I thought, "Sure, this is a scary game, but this file gives me the power and expressiveness I need to get the video system on the DOS card to drive the Portrait display."
Now I can hear what you're saying: "Hey @stepleton, even back in the day, Linux wanted to talk to the hard drive hardware directly, and that doesn't work since the DOS card only lets you read and write to the 'hard drive' (disk image file) through BIOS calls!" To which I'd say "sure, but who said anything about Linux? MINIX is a UNIX-ish OS that's happy to get by with BIOS calls, or at least it was back then."
After a moment you say "But come now @stepleton, there was only MINIX 2 while you were in college and that version of MINIX couldn't support XFree86 or any other X variant!" To which I'd say "That is true, but you forget there was also Minix-vmd, which DID do XFree86, that's part of what it was for." And that's what I run on my "DOS" card even today; it works just fine.
So what about the Portrait display? Well, I messed around a little bit and made the monitor flash a bit, but was never fully successful. Not in a "it can't work" way but more in a "I'll get back to this later" way. I went back to the regular colour CRT... and now well more than 20 years have passed. I've been meaning to get around to it, and I even have a Portrait display to try it with --- but I'll need to recap it first.
If someone else would like to get the Portrait display to work with their DOS card, my first recommendation is to try XF86Config hacking under Minix-vmd. (IIRC the current MINIX generation --- MINIX 3 --- dropped support for BIOS-based HD access, but you should check.) I think there's still a chance this approach could work, and it may be easier and even more useful than writing your own program that talks directly to the video system under DOS or whatever. Good luck!
So I thought, "I know what I'll do" which was to install a Unix-alike on the DOS card that could run XFree86. In those days, this variant of the X Window System was configured by a scary text file called XF86Config, which required the user to specify low-level monitor details like vertical and horizontal refresh rates. You had to edit this file by hand (and then pray) to get graphics! I thought, "Sure, this is a scary game, but this file gives me the power and expressiveness I need to get the video system on the DOS card to drive the Portrait display."
Now I can hear what you're saying: "Hey @stepleton, even back in the day, Linux wanted to talk to the hard drive hardware directly, and that doesn't work since the DOS card only lets you read and write to the 'hard drive' (disk image file) through BIOS calls!" To which I'd say "sure, but who said anything about Linux? MINIX is a UNIX-ish OS that's happy to get by with BIOS calls, or at least it was back then."
After a moment you say "But come now @stepleton, there was only MINIX 2 while you were in college and that version of MINIX couldn't support XFree86 or any other X variant!" To which I'd say "That is true, but you forget there was also Minix-vmd, which DID do XFree86, that's part of what it was for." And that's what I run on my "DOS" card even today; it works just fine.
So what about the Portrait display? Well, I messed around a little bit and made the monitor flash a bit, but was never fully successful. Not in a "it can't work" way but more in a "I'll get back to this later" way. I went back to the regular colour CRT... and now well more than 20 years have passed. I've been meaning to get around to it, and I even have a Portrait display to try it with --- but I'll need to recap it first.
If someone else would like to get the Portrait display to work with their DOS card, my first recommendation is to try XF86Config hacking under Minix-vmd. (IIRC the current MINIX generation --- MINIX 3 --- dropped support for BIOS-based HD access, but you should check.) I think there's still a chance this approach could work, and it may be easier and even more useful than writing your own program that talks directly to the video system under DOS or whatever. Good luck!
Oof that's too involved for me For me, the DOS card is all about playing maybe a dozen very specific DOS games - and so the portrait display is actually kind of a waste for this setup! But I was curious what Ultima Underworld might look like on a black and white CRT
As it stands, I can't even see it in 640x480 because I have to figure out how configure all this EMS bullsh*t that I never had to deal with while growing up!
For me, the DOS card is all about playing maybe a dozen very specific DOS games - and so the portrait display is actually kind of a waste for this setup! But I was curious what Ultima Underworld might look like on a black and white CRT As it stands, I can't even see it in 640x480 because I have to figure out how configure all this EMS bullsh*t that I never had to deal with while growing up!
Tip: pick up a set of “desoldering needles”. They’re hollow metal tubes intended to clear vias, dubious utility in that department. But they are amazing CPU pin straighteners!
I have also heard the tip of a mechanical pencil can do the job in a pinch.
Similar threads
