Looking for an 8-bit ISA (XT) IDE, Compact Flash, or SD drive card.

[rcooke]

This is to repair the XT-based machine in this post:

http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcf...urplus-for-Seagate-ST-225&p=382216#post382216

As you can see from the photos, the back of the computer case is blocked. So I would rather use a card that has its connector or CF card socket on top. I don't think the cards that let the CF (Compact Flash) card poke out the rear of the computer will fit.

I need somebody to make and test a card. Unless you have a known working card to sell.

Please PM me or reply to this post if your interested or have questions.

Thanks in advance.

Rich.

 

[wesleyfurr]

For some reason it won't let me PM you...doesn't give that option when I click on your name...?

My first thought would be the lo-tech ISA Compactflash card - https://www.lo-tech.co.uk/product/lo-tech-isa-compactflash-pcb/ I think if you put on a right-angle IDE connector and let the plug-in adapter face up, it would work, since it appears you have a lot of vertical space in that system. I was going to suggest ordering and assembling one of them (if you're up to soldering and such), but looks like he is out of stock on PCB's at the moment.

If no one else is able to help, shoot me a PM, we can probably work something out. I've got the parts here for one I've not yet assembled...though it is an earlier rev without the address jumper option.

Wesley

 

[rcooke]

Thank you for your time.

For some reason it won't let me PM you...doesn't give that option when I click on your name...?

I can't figure out how to PM you either!

Please contact me at: richard (dot) cooke (at) gnv (dot) ca


Thanks,
Rich.

 

[modem7]

I can't figure out how to PM you either!

You only have 10 posts, and because of that, I guess that you are still on probation. One of the restrictions (done to counter possible spammers) for probationary members is a lack of PM ability (because spammers started to use PMs).

No, I do not know when the moderators (or maybe it is the vBulletin software) will release you from probation.

 

[rcooke]

Thanks for your input and offers of assistance!

I have selected somebody to work with on this project.

Regards,
Richard.

 

[rcooke]

Just to wrap this up with some technical details for those that have to do this themselves.

Working with Wesley (since he has a working XT for testing) we did this:

1. Wesley bought the XT-IDE rev 2 card kit, assembled it, and tested it
2. Wesley bought Compact Flash Drive Modules off of e-bay. These are "industrial rated" modules intended to be used as hard drives. I wanted to be sure it would survive the temperature fluctuations common in machine shops.
3. Using Virtual Box, we built a booting VM of their machine from backup floppy disks. This was hard because there was not a single complete backup. We had to piece it together from several backup sets. A lot of disks were not readable, or had been erased.
4. Wesley setup the CF module with the files off of the VM.
5. Wesley tested that his XT could boot from the ISA-IDE + CF module, then shipped it to me.
6. I removed the old controller, installed the ISA-IDE card. Connected the CF module and power.
7. Powered up and it WORKED!

Excitement was short-lived when we figured out that a program they need to run the machine was missing. Thankfully, another machine in their shop (using an IBM-AT for its controller) had a copy. So we transferred it over via floppy.

The floppies turned out to be a bit of fun too. The XT could only use Double-sided, Double Density (DSDD). The AT was using Double sided, High density (DSHD). The challenge was to get a floppy formatted DSDD that would be read/writeable to both drives.

But it worked out in the end. Everybody is happy!

 

[Stone]

The floppies turned out to be a bit of fun too. The XT could only use Single-sided, and I think Single Density. The AT was using Double sided, double density. The challenge was to get a floppy formatted SS, SD that would be readable to both drives.

In all likelihood the XT uses double sided, double density (DSDD) and the AT uses double sided, high density (DSHD).