Toledogeek's SE/30 Build

[toledogeek]

I wanted to build a SE/30 as good as i could make it. it took a bit of doing, and too much money, but here goes.

The specs:

68030 @ 40Mhz via Daystar Powercache

Artmix TwinSpark

128MB RAM

16GB SSD via a SCSI2SD

COLOR graphics /2nd monitor via a modified Radius Pivot

Ethernet via an Asante MacCon



As you can see, it hits all the upgrade wonderfulness.. more than twice as fast, external color graphics and you can get on the interwebz with it.

First things first,  Recap the logic board and your power supply. you're going to need an electrically perfect board to pull this off. also, incidentally, is a good way to sniff out PDS issues.

Making it all fit.  the Artmix TwinSpark makes things pretty easy to have an accelerator and an expansion card, but what if you want 2 expansion cards? you'll need to do some soldering.

The Radius Pivot for IIsi, that wonderfully cheap card that ever so barely fits in a SE/30 needs further modification.  In order to plug another card into the PDS passthru, you're going to have to change out the connector for a right angle one. they are available on digikey part # A32307-ND .  you'll also need to remove the jumper block at the end of the card, and solder bridges in its place in order to clear the narrow space between the CRT and case. and of course, cut off the one end of the card as seen multiple times before.

I removed the AAUI connector on the ethernet card and put the DB15 from the radius in its place. you'd never know there was a graphics card inside with the case on.



i added an 80mm fan to help keep the already overclocked accelerator cool



so, that's about it really. I don't think i could fit yet another card in this.

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Wow. Screw that IIsi adapter I wanted to design for the SE/30. I'm going to replicate what you did here mate, it's awesome!!!

So, let me recap:

Artmix TwinSpark on the bottom

IIsi color pivot in the middle

MacCon on top

right?

Could you show us some pics of your IIsi Cutting-edge job? (pun definitely intended)

And, although we can't see it on the pics, is your Powercache on the very bottom of the PDS slot or does it replace the original CPU (like mine)?

I really hope it's not directly connected to the slot, otherwise I'm a bit screwed.

 

[PB145B]

That's really cool! Good job!

 

[joethezombie]

Very nice build! I love the SE/30 and the PDS hacks that go along with it.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

FABULOUS! Did you remove the ThickNet portion of the NIC's breakout board to install the video connector? Love the wrong angle connector hack and sawed off section of the Pivot card.Got a detail pic of the excised sections? Surprised you didn't remove the connector and hardwire the cable. Are you doing your VGA adaptation in the wire harness?

 

[omidimo]

Excellent work! 

Did the PowerCache 030 card work without a hitch in the TwinSpark? I recall reading having to remove the FPU, but that could just be a bed reading.

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Well, it might depend on the version... I think toledogeek has the socketed one, I do.

 

[68krazy]

I'm loving this!  That is one sweet SE/30.

 

[toledogeek]

Wow. Screw that IIsi adapter I wanted to design for the SE/30. I'm going to replicate what you did here mate, it's awesome!!!

So, let me recap:

Artmix TwinSpark on the bottom

IIsi color pivot in the middle

MacCon on top

right?

Could you show us some pics of your IIsi Cutting-edge job? (pun definitely intended)

And, although we can't see it on the pics, is your Powercache on the very bottom of the PDS slot or does it replace the original CPU (like mine)?

I really hope it's not directly connected to the slot, otherwise I'm a bit screwed.

you have the order right, and the powercache sits in the cache slot of the TwinSpark. I'll take a photo of the cut when i get home, but as long as you keep your cut just outside the traces you'll be fine. make sure you dont short the center layers together, as they are +5 and GND. jumpers are just removed, and i soldered kyner wire across the pads instead... which gives an extra 2mm of clearance in the front.

 

[toledogeek]

FABULOUS! Did you remove the ThickNet portion of the NIC's breakout board to install the video connector? Love the wrong angle connector hack and sawed off section of the Pivot card.Got a detail pic of the excised sections? Surprised you didn't remove the connector and hardwire the cable. Are you doing your VGA adaptation in the wire harness?

i did. i already had a DB15 wired up for these cards, so i just removed the DB15 connector from the MacCon's board and installed mine in the void left behind.  I didnt want to hard wire the cable, as it would make it a pain to disassemble.

 

[toledogeek]

Excellent work! 

Did the PowerCache 030 card work without a hitch in the TwinSpark? I recall reading having to remove the FPU, but that could just be a bed reading.

my PowerCache works flawlessly in the TwinSpark. its the 40Mhz socketed version.

 

[TPope]

What system are you running?

Thanks

TPope

 

[Juror22]

System 7.1.1 - it was in the first pic, where it also detailed the crazy amount of RAM.

Very nice build!

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

First things first,  Recap the logic board and your power supply. you're going to need an electrically perfect board to pull this off. also, incidentally, is a good way to sniff out PDS issues.

< snip >

.  .  .   you'll also need to remove the jumper block at the end of the card, and solder bridges in its place in order to clear the narrow space between the CRT and case. and of course, cut off the one end of the card as seen multiple times before.

Again, fab job!  What were your PDS issues?

What ROM are you using? I'm having a hella' time getting any clean ROM SIMM to work. Original ROM  & mode 32 will be fine with any OS I likely want to use, but cleaner be gooder! [] ]'>

Not really all that important, but retaining address flexibility can be achieved by moving headers/jumpers to the solder side of the Pivot can be easily done. Plenty of room between card and case, but solid top "grip-ring? jumpers will keep the headers off the inner surface of the bucket if the cards were to shift.

edit: forgot to ask if you replacement cap values are standard or up-rated?

 

[tact]

wow nice job cramming all that in there ! Bet you could still fit another pds card on the top of that network adapter tho i don't know what else could be =p

 

[nottomhanks]

Technically you could put a Micron XCEED card horizontally along the top if you had the room and a way to support it..  Has anyone tried that before?  Can you have two different video cards in an SE30 as long as they're on different addresses?

Craig

 

[aeberbach]

Technically even one extra video card is a second card in a SE/30 - the onboard video simulates a NuBus card in slot E. I don't know if anyone has tried adding two video cards but I don't know why it would not work.