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Another round of SCSI to IDE/CF/SD prototype boards?

Another round of SCSI to IDE/CF/SD prototype boards?

  • Yes, at $20 each prototype PCB for my own build and test

    Votes: 10 83.3%

  • Yes, at $20 each for someone else's build and test

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Total voters
    12
This one has me puzzled since the first posting.

Of course, it could be done with a commodity µC--SCSI-I is insanely simple, electrically speaking and from a software standpoint, it isn't much worse.

Heck, I've got a SASI ISA adapter with nothing but a few SSI TTL packages on it--mostly latches and transceivers. All of the magic is done in software--and this, mind you, was designed for a 4.77MHz 8088.

Or consider the Adaptec 1540--(not the A, B or C versions; but the original). All of the management is handled by a garden-variety 8085 CPU. And the 1540 was known as a high-performance adapter, back in the day.

The issue to me is that SCSI disk drives aren't particularly rare (perhaps SCSI floppies are, but that's a different matter), so there's really little impetus for this.
 
Chuck,

While 3.5" SCSI drives are not uncommon, several other similar/related items _are_:

1) 2.5" SCSI drives are very uncommon, unreliable, and very expensive, when found (I know, this project is not attempting this, but it's an easy re-package job, if the project succeeds)
2) 3.5" 50pin drives are starting to dry up, and not every system has room for a 50/68 or 50/SCA adapter
3) commercial SCRI bridge devices are _very_ expensive for a hobbyist

As a minor annoyance to me, all of the 50pin drives that I have, that still work, are starting to suffer from horrible bearing squeal. I'd love a nice quiet flash solution, especially considering that these systems don't need large amounts of storage, or high performance. Last, because of the large number of SCSI-based machines that I have, I've had to spend significant $ on SCSI/IDE and SCSI/SATA bridges, SCSI adapters (50/68, etc.), and the shrinking number of available drives. I'd like a final solution.

Just my 0.02...

- Alex
 
Torfinn,

I have one of those, already, and it does work fine, sometimes.

However, there are two issues with it. First, those things are expensive. I paid over $100 for mine. Second, it doesn't fit in the same form factor as an internal 3.5" HDD, as the required PCMCIA-to-CF adapter sticks out significantly. You can only use the other media slots if your SCSI implementation supports LUNs, and most older machines that I have don't.

- Alex
 
Hi! There are a couple of SCSI to IDE/SD prototype boards for any builders interested in moving the project along. Please send me an email for more information

http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcf...-from-IDE-drive-converter&p=201414#post201414

This is a build and test phase prototype. We know the basic board works well enough to boot to a debug monitor but have not confirmed 100% functionality nor do we have working firmware yet. Please join the project and help make this board happen!

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
PCD-50B scsi card readers.

PCD-50B scsi card readers.

I hope i am not in the wrong putting this out here-If so the admin can delete it, but i have some SCSI card readers with the latest firmware that will work on a host of machines. These have been used on mac,atari,amiga,and samplers. They are standard 50 pin narrow SCSI II drives and fit where floppy drives do(but are a bit longer).will also fit most hard drive bays.
They do require that your interface has parity(there are hacks out there by atari people) and if your scsi has lun support,you can use all slots(Most scsi on amiga accelerators can use the luns) other wise the pcmcia slot can be used with a pcmcia to cf adapter..The drives are good for ~4-5MB/s but depends on what cards are used with it.
They are not as cheap as the interface you guys are building(which is very cool!) but may be a solution for some of you.I can ship these worldwide and i ship quickly. Paypal is payment method.

I would appreciate any feedback on what machines,interfaces,and os's these are being used on.

I recommend you stick with the ones with pcmcia to cf adapters if you are unsure if your interface can use SCSI LUNS
.
you can find them here:
http://a4000t.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66_73

I also have scsi cables and molex power adapters/y cables etc.

Also,is there a way to get a PCB for the scsi-ide project you have going here. i love building stuff like this!

thanks,
Mike
 
Unfortunately, the fact that the PCD-50B + PCMCIA/CF adapter will not fit in the 3.5" bay precludes it being used in most of my machines. You pretty much need to put put in an old 3.5" SCSI tape chassis, or a 5.25" CD-ROM chassis, with a 3.5" adapter.

Note that the device, itself, fits perfectly in a 3.5" HDD bay, but all of the PCMCIA/CF adapters, that I could find, protrude quite a bit.

So, neat device, but the scsi-ide adapter will be usable in more situations.

- Alex
 
If your scsi controller supports luns this is not a problem,because you can use the CF slot,but otherwise you are right.
most Amiga SCSI controllers can use luns and all the card slots so the pcmcia slot is not needed so much i guess.I run them in the A4000 and 4000T's floppy bays.
What machine are you referring to alex? Is it the length of the drive itself(even without pcmcia) that is a problem? There seems to be many a controller out there that didn't follow the scsi standards correctly or have working luns.

Mike
 
In my case, machines that can't fit the PCD are:

DEC Multia
Mac IIci
SparcStation 2

I'm using it in my Mac IIx, as it fits, easily, in that huge case. Unfortunately, all of those machines have derivatives of the NCR 53c90 SCSI controller (53c94, I believe), and they don't support LUNs.

- Alex
 
Hi
I got another small batch of SCSI to IDE/SD boards for another round of prototyping. We need to finish and/or improve the firmware on this project. If you would like to contribute your efforts to a free and open SCSI-1 drive replacement please contact me.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi

I will be getting additional SCSI to IDE/SD PCBs in mid-January 2012 in case anyone would like some

Douglas's working SCSI to IDE/SD board with a firmware release is here

http://groups.google.com/group/n8vem/browse_thread/thread/5d5fb5bf2f197082#

The KiCAD EDA files are also posted on the N8VEM wiki

http://n8vem-sbc.pbworks.com/w/browse/#view=ViewFolder&param=MINI SCSI to IDE prototypes

It is not complete yet but a working Zapple debug monitor is *major progress* towards a working bridge converter.

Am looking for additional development team members to finish out the firmware on this project.

We are very close and just need some additional effort to complete the project.

Serious responses only please.

Andrew Lynch
 
If anyone wishes to pick up a mostly completed board sans SD card connector and a few other minor components, please contact me. I have not gotten around to smoke testing the board, but the hard to find bits are on there already. For political reasons I'm not likely to get back to this and it's probably best that I pass this board on. I'd like to get at least the cost of the board and components out of it (and the components were not cheap, sadly).
 
Hi,

I am not quite sure I understand what is going on with the above mentioned SCSI to IDE/SD prototype board. Maybe its better that way...

However if someone would like to pick up the SCSI to IDE/SD bridge board and complete it we certainly could use the help on the project. It is rather stalled out at the moment and another builder could take this board the rest of the way. We know for certain the board runs at least a debug monitor software.

Anyone interested? Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch
 
Hi
Yes, there are still several of the PCBs left in case anyone would like to join in. The board was running a debug monitor last time I checked so it is mostly there. Still needs some driver code written for the IDE and SCSI though. Much of it can be reused from existing projects like N8VEM and others.

Please contact me if interested in a PCB. Thanks!

Andrew Lynch
 
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