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SE/30 with ProColorServer Graphics Card
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-22 23:54:04
Just in time for the holidays! A freshly recapped SE/30 with a ProColor Server Graphics card. I have a 17" silver LCD due to arrive and a DB15-HD15 convertor on the way.

Haven't powered it on yet, the box it came in seemed a tiny bit wet so I'm taking extra precautions to not fry anything when I plug it in.

The hunt for the perfect 68K mac is done on my end. Development + games + color are a go for me.

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Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-23 03:43:34
After a few hours of fiddling with it and not realizing why it didn't want to boot from any other medium, I realized that the PDS video card was keeping it from booting. Removed the card for the time being so I can install 7.1 -> 7.5.3 and 7.5.5 until the external monitor and adaptor arrives. If anyone was wondering if an SE with a 030 16MHZ upgrade card is just as fast as an SE/30, I can say it directly: nope, not at all. I can feel the difference.
Posted by: ArmorAlley on 2020-12-23 04:14:37
If anyone was wondering if an SE with a 030 16MHZ upgrade card is just as fast as an SE/30, I can say it directly: nope, not at all. I can feel the difference.
The differences, between an SE with an 16MHz Upgrade card and an SE/30 that might make a difference are:

 1. the bus-speed - 8 MHz on the SE but 16 MHz on the SE/30;

 2. the bus-width - 16-bit vs. 32-bit;

 3. the speed of the RAM - 150ns vs. 120ns;

Have I overlooked anything? Would there be anything in the ROM that is handles 68030 code better?
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-23 04:45:42
the bus-speed - 8 MHz on the SE but 16 MHz on the SE/30;

 2. the bus-width - 16-bit vs. 32-bit;
I don't know why but I thought the bus used would be the one from the 030 card and it would bypass the actual CPU and BUS from the motherboard. I know in some Total System brochures they were advertising that a SE with a TS Mercury 030 + Ram board + low ns ram would be a tiny bit faster than a stock SE/30.

Noperinno, this thing flies.
Posted by: ArmorAlley on 2020-12-23 04:59:59
I don't know why but I thought the bus used would be the one from the 030 card and it would bypass the actual CPU and BUS from the motherboard. I know in some Total System brochures they were advertising that a SE with a TS Mercury 030 + Ram board + low ns ram would be a tiny bit faster than a stock SE/30.

Noperinno, this thing flies.
@Bolle is the person we need here.

The bus runs all over the motherboard from the CPU out to all of the other components (RAM, HD etc.). There is a crystal on the motherboard that sets the speed although there may be another one on the CPU-board that sets the new speed. I don't know how the bus-width is determined.
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-23 10:19:19
Well, turns out the FDD on this SE/30 is busted. The one I had in my SE was busted as well. Opened this one up and it seems that the tension spring is really untensioned. As in, it's > 1cm away from the floppy.
Posted by: nickpunt on 2020-12-23 21:49:31
Got any pics of the procolorserver video card? Haven't seen any in the wild.
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-24 01:03:33
Got any pics of the procolorserver video card? Haven't seen any in the wild.
Here you go!

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Posted by: nickpunt on 2020-12-25 19:36:31
@BacioiuC thanks! Looks like a more compact version of my LC-slot variant.
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-26 01:38:13
I wouldn't call it compact, as it barely fits into the SE/30 PDS Slot. Plugging it in or out is a nightmare as it almost scratches the backside of the CRT. But I agree, they seem to be the same thing with minor changes.

How does your connector look like? Mine outputs to a 2 line 15 pins female header and getting my hands on an adapter for it is tricky. Nothing locally, and ebay'ers are on holliday and not responding to my requests/questions. Can't wait to have it functional tho'.
Posted by: cheesestraws on 2020-12-26 01:46:31
Mine outputs to a 2 line 15 pins female header and getting my hands on an adapter for it is tricky. Nothing locally, and ebay'ers are on holliday and not responding to my requests/questions. Can't wait to have it functional tho'.


Do you have the thingy on the back to provide the 15-pin D-type?  VGA adapters for that are reasonably available over here.  If all else fails and you can't find one I'd be happy for you to send me one here and I courier it over to you.
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-26 01:49:53
Yep, I do. Just, getting the adapter to convert from it to VGA is the tricky part. That would be an option, to buy it via Amazon.uk to you and get it couriered. Thank you. If I can't solve it within the next few days I might take you up on the offer 🙂

Posted by: cheesestraws on 2020-12-26 01:51:53
If I can't solve it within the next few days I might take you up on the offer 🙂


Let me know.  It's easy for me to arrange here 🙂 .
Posted by: nickpunt on 2020-12-26 11:31:53
How does your connector look like?
The LC variant has the standard Mac DB15 on the back, which you can get an adapter to output VGA. It worked fine in my Mystic Color Classic. As for compactness... the LC one is maybe 80-85% the size of the color classic / 575 logic board, its a monster! On closer inspection I think the boards are about the same size tho, just different proportions. 
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2020-12-26 16:14:29
@nickpunt what's the top 24bit resolution of your card and how high can it go at lower bit depths?
Posted by: nickpunt on 2020-12-26 17:37:03
@nickpunt what's the top 24bit resolution of your card and how high can it go at lower bit depths?


Don’t remember unfortunately. Pinot on twitter has one, looks like at least 1024x768 
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-27 00:41:29
I have a screenshot from the guy that sold me the mac and the card from when he was testing it:

1lapis.jpg

3lapis.jpg

2lapis.jpg
Posted by: BacioiuC on 2020-12-28 21:56:02
LCD came in! Now I just have to get my hands on an adapter. Ordered one from ebay but that is going to take about 3 weeks. 
 

tried contacting some european sellers to see if I can pay any extra so they can dhl express it overnight but none accepted.

Guess I’ll have to wait the 3 weeks before I can use the new screen. 

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Posted by: BacioiuC on 2021-01-03 03:47:32
As a small update - an adapter is on it's way to my place and I should have it by Thursday morning. I've installed the graphics card back in to the SE/30 and I'm using the drivers I've got from here: https://www.macintoshrepository.org/29669-lapis-video-card-drivers-colorserver-displayserver .

The problem is, I don't think any of those drivers work for my SE/30 as the mac doesn't boot up. I hear the bong, I can see the activity light on the SCSI2SD but it stops on blank screen (just before it says Welcome to Macintosh). From what I understand, without the proper drivers, it cannot load the settings needed and boot the OS.

My question is: Does anyone have the proper drivers for ProColorServer 24 PDS/30? 🙁

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