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Newlife Computer Corp CD308D Upgrade Card for Mac plus?
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-24 15:35:49
Bought an Newlife Computer upgrade card on eBay out of curiousity. It is pretty cool, has a 68030 + coprocessor on board, 4 memory simms, and looks like SCSI port add-on. Looks like it is for a Mac Plus or 128k/512k. Does anyone know about these? Check it out! :beige:







Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2011-10-24 16:29:20
Is there a DB-9 connector as well as the SCSI Port? I can't see from the pics?

Does the second cable hooks up to a header for a DB-9?

I had a similar one 20 some years ago.
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-24 17:25:22
No DB9 connector, just the SCSI connector and some other connector.

I am pretty sure this is for a Mac Plus after looking at mobo pics online, but I am not really sure how this is hooked up, use the socket under the board or the extra connector cable. I don't have a mac plus to try it out on :-/

Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2011-10-24 17:49:30
Post a shot of the other connector, please.

The board is installed on top of the 68000, using a Killy Klip (a 68000 socket with a clip-on mechanism) or by soldering a socket to the legs of the 68000 and plugging into that.
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-24 18:55:42
The other connector is pictured, it looks like it might plug in to the lower left of the board(first pic labeled J1) and the other end is the rectangular connector type, like ribbon cables have.

Do these "Killy Klips" exist somewhere?
Posted by: LCGuy on 2011-10-24 20:09:01
My question is though - if its for the Plus, why would it have SCSI when the Plus already has onboard SCSI? I'm guessing this is for the 128k/512k....I'd hate to imagine how much it would have cost back in the day...
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-24 20:15:27
That is a good point about the scsi, however see the mac plus motherboard below, it looks like everything would line up?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syl2m/3484941105/
Posted by: Strimkind on 2011-10-24 20:16:58
I wonder if it is for the SE rather than a 128k/512k(e)/plus. I have heard of upgrades for the SE included SCSI thanks to some weirdness in the onboard SCSI hardware (slow or something).

The 030 sounds like an appropriate upgrade for an SE and the May '93 date on the CPU makes it a good bet.

Edit: SE Motherboard may not fit due to the PDS slot unless it is meant to cover the slot.

Going by the Plus logic board, it looks like the RAM would get in the way with all 4 slots full.
Posted by: jongleur on 2011-10-24 20:21:26
My question is though - if its for the Plus, why would it have SCSI when the Plus already has onboard SCSI? I'm guessing this is for the 128k/512k....I'd hate to imagine how much it would have cost back in the day...
My thoughts as well. It looks like the SCSI connector replaces the battery cover, but I can't figure out what the other grey cable is. Is that a "green" earth lead connected to it?
Posted by: jongleur on 2011-10-24 20:33:27
Anybody got a August 20, 1991 MacWEEK magazine handy?

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-11173654/newlife-accelerates-classics-newlife.html
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-24 20:36:40
Yes, it is a green ground cable on the gray cable. I just noticed a label on this gray cable that says "Video A"...? It looks like the rectangular "ribbon" cable connector end of this cable could also fit on the 16 pin jumper connector on the top middle of the board. (above the yellowish column of chips)
Posted by: jongleur on 2011-10-24 20:46:21
Found this entry by JDW back in 2009:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4524&start=25#p115031

Newlife also had an upgrade which I could never afford. It installedin a Plus or 512KE and provided a fast 68030, memory expansion, SCSI

and video out. I really wanted that one. I think it's memory

could go to 16 MB. The Mac ROM didn't support more than 4 MB, but

the way I understood it, the extra memory became a RAM disk, and then

one took advantage of the 68030's PMMU to implement virtual memory

which turned around and used the RAM disk for its scratch space, thus

turning the extra RAM into available RAM in an bass-ackwards kind of

way. One had to have Connectix's "Virtual" to make this work.
Posted by: IamSpartacus on 2011-10-25 10:06:34
This upgrade replaces so many of the Plus's features they might as well have just made a motherboard replacement. Seriously, CPU, memory bus, scsi bus, video...after that what's the point of the rest of the Mac Plus?
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2011-10-25 10:35:56
It was for the 128k/512k, not the ke or Plus. The Video Out for a spanned or replacement Monitor was a HUGE advantage for the Hackintosh Maniacs of the day . . .

Calling the installation of OS-X on a current ATOM or CORE system "Hackintoshing" is clearly a misnomer. That'd be more properly called an OS-XintoshHack . . .

. . . Hackintosh is a retro-tech HARDWARE Hack!

Most present day "Hackintoshers" have likely never even heard of creating a real Hackintosh, and of those few who know of this ancient tradition . . .

. . . most can probably only dream of having the chops to create such a curious beast! :approve:

Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-25 15:27:52
Cool, does anyone know what else would be required to install this kit? I thought the 68000 chips were soldered on? I would buy a 512k just to try this out.

I'm thinking this board will work with both the 128k/512k and 512ke/Plus. If you look, the Newlife board has clearance cutouts for both the power connections used on the macs.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2011-10-25 17:02:33
I'm not sure if it'll work on a 512ke, but it will on the 128k & 512k MoBos. You'll need to find a socket the same size as the 68000's and solder its legs onto the upper legs of the existing 68000. After that, you can just plug it in, Hopefully, you'll have found the drivers for the card in the meantime.

I wonder if the additional connector is to input the audio I/O of a CD hooked up to SCSI? :?:

Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-10-25 19:40:10
Thanks, if anyone could help me with instructions, drivers, "killy klip", or anything related to this upgrade that would be awesome. I'd love to see it hooked up to a computer again. :beige:

Posted by: trag on 2011-11-01 14:22:44
Newlife provided two methods to connect this type of upgrade to your Mac. One was the Killy Clip and the other was a set of header strips.

The Killy Clip is a clear plastic housing with contacts inside and pins sticking up from the two long edges of the top surface. One snapped the housing over the 68000 CPU and the internal contacts connected to the pins of the DIP 68000. Then the pins above the clip plugged into the 64 pin socket you see on the bottom of the NewLife upgrade.

The chances of you finding a Killy Clip in the wild are extremely low. I have one. It's not leaving my sweaty little palms.







The second method of connection is something you should be able to manage. First, get a header strip. A header strip is just a strip of pins held together by plastic.



Get a pair of these, 32 pins long.

Get another 64 pin socket like the one soldered to the board.



Install the two header strips in the socket. Now ease the header strips/socket assembly over the top of the 68000, so that the pins of the header strips are each touching one pin on the 68000. Yes, this looks upside down, as the pins of the socket are sticking up in the air.

If you can, get someone else to hold it in position, or maybe apply a little modeling clay to the top of the 68000 and over one of the plastic crossbars on the socket, so that the strip/socket assembly is held in position.

Now carefully solder the pins of the header strips to the pins of the 68000 chip. It's probably best to do the four corner pins first, as that will hold the assembly in place while you do the rest of the pins.

When you finish soldering, remove the socket from the header strips. It was just there to hold the header strips in the proper position.

Now plug the socket of your NewLife upgrade into the soldered and properly positioned header strips projecting from the 68000 chip. If you need a little more vertical clearance, leave the first socket in place, although this does introduce extra connections which could affect reliability.

Yes, the other connector/cable on that upgrade is for some form of external video. I really want one of these upgrades back in the day with the external video option. Unfortunately, you might need a driver to make the video work. I'm not sure.
Posted by: Brooklyn on 2011-11-01 18:40:46
Awesome, thanks for the advice. Yea, after doing some research I was pretty sure I would not find a killy klip. Thanks for the pictures. Once I get my hands on a 512k, I will give this a shot for sure.

Thanks! 😎

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