SE/30 NuBus/PDS Expansion Hack Thread . . .

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Some discussion about using the IIsi NuBus Adapter Card in the SE/30 has been cropping up with regularity around here, so as a former mod of this forum and . . .

. . . shall we say . . . slightly imbalanced* . . . student and hacker of the NuBus Architecture . . .

It's time to take a serious look at the possibilities:

Compact Mac Thread: IISI nubus adapter in an SE/30 by IamSpartacus:

Bunsen's Campaign/instigation

________________________________________

* B@6$3!^Crazy

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

While others are experimenting with the IIsi Adapter, I'm doing mission planning for a deep penetration raid around the NuChip 30 Architecture opposition's left flank.

I can't do much else on my own, lacking logistical support regarding the SE/30 or any other of the NuChip NuBus Bridge ASIC Architecture Macs ( II, IIx and IIcx ) being absent in my own collection.

But with the GttMFH™ map sections in hand, mission planning for GunShip support of the campaign has commenced, but I'll need some volunteers for staff planning and photo-recon.

Specific Mission Requirements:

The physical layout, scaled photos, Physical Layout and a pencil rubbing of the Japanese Adapter Card's solder-side in order to make use of it's general config as a jump off point for pinpointing a Daisy-Cutter blown LZ from the SE/30's, 3.5" Form Factor, Rotary HDD installation as a firebase for smaller form factor Mass Storage Artillery caliber ranges and a PDS/NuBus Strike Force Base of Ops.

High Detail, low level Photo Recon of the NuChip ASIC installations in the Macs II, IIx and IIcx are necessary.

One live IIcx MoBo for DownGrading one of my Q700 Triplets, Cap leakage riddled DOA MoBos of the II and IIx versions for research purposes and any of the three for ASIC/Transceiver Donors.

PCB layout specialist for constructing working training facilities.

SE/30 and NuChip Mac support specialists.

A cr@p!0@d of other stuff I haven't thought of yet.

Staff to identify the aforementioned cr@p . . .

_____________________________________________

Troops, step forward for volunteer duty. :approve:

< . . . idly muses about a NuChipped NuBusSE™ campaign . . . >

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

bbraun gave me the link to the .jp TwinSpark adapter docs . . .

http://www.artmix.com/pdffiles/ST_TS_adapt_E.pdf

. . . so it's certain that the PAL on the board converts the basic 68030 PDS to a IIci Cache Slot.

I've spent the years since Shreve Systems clearance put a Daystar PowerCache IIcx Adapter (MIA, the box is empty :-/ ) and several LCIII adapters into my grubby little paws collecting every 68030 PDS and Bridge Chip Adapter ASIC available for this NuBus conversion project. This is an outgrowth of the NuBusMiniDock™ project for the DuoBoomBoxDock™ hack, intended to win the Doctor Webster Prize (a free Mac of some sort) over on 'fritter back in the day.

I don't remember if there was a PAL on the IIx adapter, there likely was, but there is not a single IC on the LCIII Adapter, just some digital glue! The layout of this adapter coupled witht the Pinout/Signal Assignments of the LCIII ought to get one of our Schematically Literate techs a leg up on modeling the characteristics of the SE/30/IIsi PDS <-> IIci Cache Slot for clean room cloning of the PALs on the Daystar and TwinSpark PowerCache Adapters.

techknight, wanna have an LCIII adapter sent your way? [] ]'>

Any volunteers? :?:

 

[Bunsen]

High Detail, low level Photo Recon of the NuChip ASIC installations in the Macs II, IIx and IIcx are necessary.

Have you checked the Nubus Mafia?

 

[spiceyokooko]

Trash

I have a IIcx, IIx, II and IIfx if you let me know precisely what part you want photographed I can probably do that for you.

Cheers.

 

[Bunsen]

Subject: IISI nubus adapter in an SE/30

Pin C2 on the IIsi 68030 PDS /NuBus NuBus space address
Pin C2 on the SE/30 68030 PDS /NuBus

indicates address in the range $6000 0000 to $FFFF FFFF. This signal is active when the CPU addresses the built-in video display. (Expansion cards can use this signal and further decode the slot ranges to avoid conflict with the video logic)

Ok, call me crazy (it wouldn't be the first time) but ... is there any value in the following approach, even for diagnostic investigations:

Make a male-female PDS-PDS riser and bring C2 from both the logic board and card side out to a jumper pair, then:

• Investigate running the adapter without C2 bridged.
  
• Connect card-side C2 to ??? on the logic board.
  
• Build [magic] that intervenes between logic-board-side and card-side C2.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I'm not really clear on what you're trying to diagnose, but what the heck? [] ]'>

Our DeclROM Boffin, off for some R&R ATM, will likely find a way around the video address conflict, if he hasn't already. I have trouble deciphering his updates.

One ray of hope for backwards compatibility of the SE/30/NuChip 30 bridge chipset might be found in the Duo/DuoDock's cross generational Nuchip30/Nuchip90(?) compatability.

 

[Bunsen]

I'm not really clear on what you're trying to diagnose

Well, me neither! [)] ]'> Just wondering if taking that pin out of the equation altogether, or making it available for intervention, was any use.

 

[Bunsen]

This signal is active when the CPU addresses the built-in video display.

Is that the crux of the problem, right there? ie, if that signal was not active, or de-activated, one would expect the IIsi adapter to work?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

That's exactly what I've been trying to get across from the very beginning! :approve:

Check with bbraun about the "further decoding" necessary to use that adapter in the SE/30. He's our DeclROM addressing boffin.