68kMLA Classic Interface

This is a version of the 68kMLA forums for viewing on your favorite old mac. Visitors on modern platforms may prefer the main site.

Click here to select a new forum.
x86 card revival thread
Posted by: Powerbase on 2023-01-04 09:05:04
@Powerbase here's the completed version. The xlsx and photoshop files should corroborate each other.

View attachment 50788

I don't seem to get any contact on the init/error pins for the LPT or several of the gameport pins I'd expect would be needed for a complete implementation, so there may be more to discover there.
Thank you!!
Posted by: Byrd on 2023-02-10 20:45:10
I was given a PowerMac 7200/120 "PC compatible" (an odd breed of lowly PPC601 CPU yet PCI slots), with that gleaming 7" Cyrix 5x86 100Mhz PC compatibility card. The card had an 8MB DIMM installed, put in a 64MB stick and it POSTs with a 486 style AMIBIOS screen (detecting the CPU as 486 100Mhz). The Cyrix has some Pentium-style instructions and seems to run Windows 95 quite well with good video, I've not tried anything else yet.

It didn't come with any external dongles, but it has a daughter card that connects internally to a connector on the 7200 motherboard for internal, crisp switchable video between the Mac OS and x86 environment. The question ... the connector on the 7200 board appears to be the same connector as found on 5400/5500/6400/6500/TAM machines. However, on these later Macs, this is where an external video out cable can be plugged in. Does anyone know if this is the same; could internal video be routed through later Macs?

Thanks

JB
Posted by: jeremywork on 2023-02-22 00:55:53
The question ... the connector on the 7200 board appears to be the same connector as found on 5400/5500/6400/6500/TAM machines. However, on these later Macs, this is where an external video out cable can be plugged in. Does anyone know if this is the same; could internal video be routed through later Macs?
Precisely, usually called the GIMO connector, and at least on the machines you mentioned it also provides an audio loopback. I think @jessenator reported the 7200's GIMO worked with video but without audio (and factory PC compatible models have been spotted with the two audio cables installed between the CD drive and the logic board.) There are a couple pictures of the Apple OE version of the PC compatible GIMO connector upthread.

The 5200/6200 and 5300/6300 have one too, though the version of the DOS card which interfaces with it uses a direct riser-style PCB instead of a ribbon cable. The 580, 630 DOS, 631CD, late model 636/636CD, and 640CD each have one too. Their DOS cards do use a very small ribbon cable for GIMO connection.

More recently I spotted but didn't win the aftermarket Radius version of the 7" card, "Détente AX" or "DOM / AX" which runs at 133MHz and includes a GIMO loopback with passthrough capabilities so you don't have to forfeit your DA-15 aux port or Focus Enhancements composite/S-vdeo if preinstalled.
i-img1200x1200-1662443821r6dv1x356220.jpegi-img1200x1200-1662443821dkws7p356220.jpeg
Posted by: jeremywork on 2023-02-22 00:56:55
Thank you!!
You're welcome! Let me know if I can help with any ambiguity or troubleshooting.
Posted by: jessenator on 2023-02-22 16:31:32
I think @jessenator reported the 7200's GIMO worked with video but without audio (and factory PC compatible models have been spotted with the two audio cables installed between the CD drive and the logic board.)
If there was anything in the PC Setup software to choose another audio source, I couldn't find it 🙁 but it's been a while since I was deep into this topic, or even tried it. Was it in Sound / Monitors & Sound control panel? I swear I didn't see another option there.

Do the Alchemy and Gazelle boards route audio through the GIMO? Sorry , haven't delved into the topic in some time.

I mean, even if they don't do audio, the GIMO is nice on the other equipped PCI Macs so you don't have to use that space-sucking y-cable.
Posted by: jeremywork on 2023-02-22 16:50:40
If there was anything in the PC Setup software to choose another audio source, I couldn't find it 🙁 but it's been a while since I was deep into this topic, or even tried it. Was it in Sound / Monitors & Sound control panel? I swear I didn't see another option there.

Do the Alchemy and Gazelle boards route audio through the GIMO? Sorry , haven't delved into the topic in some time.

I mean, even if they don't do audio, the GIMO is nice on the other equipped PCI Macs so you don't have to use that space-sucking y-cable.
If my memory serves (no parity here either) PC Sound is selectable in the Monitors & Sound panel on the 6500, but simply listed as 'TV/Video' so it mixes with TV/FM/RCA sound.

My running theory is they only added sound to the GIMO on the edge connector systems (since the CD audio routing is beyond the edge connector,) and not on the 7200 (which has easy access to the CD audio plugs and no video-in circuitry to share with.)

Also in my experience, SSW 7.x typically handles all the audio switching seamlessly, so it may not reflect transparently in the control panel which output channel is being used. In later 8-9x systems, that automatic handoff is basically broken (so TV or FM might not have any sound unless TV/Video is selected first in Monitors & Sound) and it's then easier to discern what's going on.
Posted by: Byrd on 2023-02-22 18:28:44
Thanks for the info - I'm not sure if a 100Mhz Cyrix card in a TAM will be a permanent placement, but it sure sounds fun to try. The card seems a waste in a cavernous plasticky 7200/120. Audio could be routed via some hacked up CD-ROM audio cable to 3.5" out if I was super keen.
Posted by: jeremywork on 2023-02-22 18:44:35
Thanks for the info - I'm not sure if a 100Mhz Cyrix card in a TAM will be a permanent placement, but it sure sounds fun to try. The card seems a waste in a cavernous plasticky 7200/120. Audio could be routed via some hacked up CD-ROM audio cable to 3.5" out if I was super keen.
I've thought about trying this too- I just wonder what the LCD will do with modes other than 800x600. It doesn't use a scaler, even for TV/Video (unless I just haven't known how to use it.)

Since it's basically the same board as a 6500, I'm pretty certain you won't need to worry about the audio; it will route through the GIMO connector along with the video.
Posted by: Byrd on 2023-02-24 22:10:33
Reporting back - installed the Apple 7" Cyrix 5x86 100Mhz PC Compatible card into my TAM, with the GIMO connector plugged into the motherboard. It's a fairly tall card and just touches whatever you have in the cache slot, so be careful you don't short anything out. A strip of cardboard saved mine.

Trialled with a fresh install of Mac OS 9.1 and PC Setup 1.6.4 running off original 603e CPU - card detects, however PC Setup control panel states "Not Supported" in the Monitor section.

Switching over to the X86 card, screen fades, LCD turns off with no video output. If you hold option + command on the "Monitor" section of PC Setup, you can alter unavailable monitor profiles and resolutions. I tried each one but they all exhibited the same issue, along with altering the resolution and colour depth on the Mac side.

I'm quite sure with the breakout cable + external monitor, it'd work fine, but that kind of defeats the purpose for an all in one unit.

I'll try PC Setup 2.1.7 next to see if anything changes.

JB
Posted by: mg.man on 2023-03-08 02:12:20
still searching for the pds-adapter...
It's been a while since you posted - are you still looking?
Posted by: taddy on 2023-03-08 04:03:36
It's been a while since you posted - are you still looking?
I am also looking for a 040PDS adapter for C610/Q610 so that I can plug Houdini2 into Centris660AV.
It's hard to find.
Posted by: micheledipaola on 2023-08-06 01:54:40

~1987 - PC Transporter by Applied Engineering - This card provides 8086 compatibility for the Apple IIe & IIGS using an NEC V30. This card provides analogue video out by way of an included "ColorSwitch" module. It also provides a header for 5.25" and/or 3.5" diskette drives. Inputs and memory can be shared from the Apple II.

There seem to be two revisions of this card, primarily due to different DRAM form factors. A DRAM upgrade was also produced for the earlier revision.
View attachment 32298
Just FYI, I created a specific thread in the Apple II section, where I am going to describe the process of setting up a PC Transporter card in my ROM03 Apple IIGS. The thread is here and in the main post I linked here as well:

Posted by: dr.zeissler on 2023-08-08 12:19:20
I am also looking for a 040PDS adapter for C610/Q610 so that I can plug Houdini2 into Centris660AV.
It's hard to find.
Yes I am still searching for a complete Houdini1 card to put it in my Quadra610.
I am not interested in putting the DX2/66 Houdini2 in that machine...I want to keep it original.

Currently I am facing another problem on my quadra700 with the orangepc nubus card...If I copy files from floppy the machine locks up...I get a Bad f-line instruction...regardless if I copy via "copy" or NortonCommander, Volkovkommaner, Dosshell..so seems to me either OrangePC Software perhaps 3.8.2 is to new or it's an issue with the bluscsi...before I used a real SCSI-HDD...strange...
Posted by: Phipli on 2023-08-08 12:45:37
Yes I am still searching for a complete Houdini1 card to put it in my Quadra610.
I am not interested in putting the DX2/66 Houdini2 in that machine...I want to keep it original.

Currently I am facing another problem on my quadra700 with the orangepc nubus card...If I copy files from floppy the machine locks up...I get a Bad f-line instruction...regardless if I copy via "copy" or NortonCommander, Volkovkommaner, Dosshell..so seems to me either OrangePC Software perhaps 3.8.2 is to new or it's an issue with the bluscsi...before I used a real SCSI-HDD...strange...
Is the Q700 overclocked?
Posted by: dr.zeissler on 2023-08-08 14:23:08
no and the issue seems to be floppy releated! put the original SCSI drive back in, same issue!
Installing the CD300 drivers and copying from there...everthing seems to be OK!
But it's hard to find working games/demos (quarter screen is useless, fullscreen is slow)...other programs seem to ne OK.
Posted by: taddy on 2023-09-10 05:04:10
Yes I am still searching for a complete Houdini1 card to put it in my Quadra610.
I am not interested in putting the DX2/66 Houdini2 in that machine...I want to keep it original.

Currently I am facing another problem on my quadra700 with the orangepc nubus card...If I copy files from floppy the machine locks up...I get a Bad f-line instruction...regardless if I copy via "copy" or NortonCommander, Volkovkommaner, Dosshell..so seems to me either OrangePC Software perhaps 3.8.2 is to new or it's an issue with the bluscsi...before I used a real SCSI-HDD...strange...
I was able to get the PDS adapter for Q610 that I had been looking for for a long time.
I can finally test Houdini II + Centris 660AV.
Posted by: dr.zeissler on 2023-09-10 05:37:52
Oh man, where did you get that one?
Posted by: taddy on 2023-09-10 06:17:38
Oh man, where did you get that one?
I bought this at a PayPay flea market in Japan.
It was $10 including shipping.
Posted by: dr.zeissler on 2023-09-10 06:27:43
no words!
Posted by: taddy on 2023-09-11 05:00:21
no words!
Anyway, I configured it with Q610 PDS + Houdini II + Cyrix 5x86 100GP.
Cyrix 5x86 100GP is an option from reply.
< 6 >