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Identifying a Plus 68030 upgrade?
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-07 09:44:14 I'm restoring a Plus that has a 25mHz 68030 / 25mHz 6888 math co-processor upgrade, but there are no identifying marks on it, on either side (well, it's soldered on so I can't see 100% of the underside, but from what I can see there's no labels/writing) - is there a way to tell who made it? There were quite a few upgrade options, so it's not easy to narrow it down that way.
Posted by: Crutch on 2020-10-07 12:46:25 That’s a Novy Quick30 and is a damn fine accelerator.
Posted by: techknight on 2020-10-07 22:57:15 It is a good accelerator, although it has issues with system 7 if you dont have the driver installed. I havent tried it with the driver yet.
Posted by: bigD on 2020-10-08 00:14:37 It is a good accelerator, although it has issues with system 7 if you dont have the driver installed. I havent tried it with the driver yet. That bad boy should be running 6 anyway! 😛
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-08 05:42:33 Oh wow thanks everyone! I got this 1986 beige for a song because the display had lost horizontal sweep (10 minute fix) I had no idea what was inside, so this was a pleasant surprise. Now I have that lucky / guilty feeling... haha
Posted by: techknight on 2020-10-08 10:51:54 That bad boy should be running 6 anyway! 😛 I never liked system 6. I dont know why, just didnt.
Posted by: bigD on 2020-10-08 20:59:22 I never liked system 6. I dont know why, just didnt. I'm a zealot about running System 6 - especially on compact Macs, but it's all in good fun!
Posted by: MOS8_030 on 2020-10-09 02:24:19 I'm restoring a Plus that has a 25mHz 68030 / 25mHz 6888 math co-processor upgrade, but there are no identifying marks on it, on either side (well, it's soldered on so I can't see 100% of the underside, but from what I can see there's no labels/writing) - is there a way to tell who made it? There were quite a few upgrade options, so it's not easy to narrow it down that way. Nice score! I have one I found in a $5 Plus I bought back in the late '90's. I made an over-long thread about mine.
Posted by: bigD on 2020-10-09 02:58:49 That thing is pretty cool. Curious, what’s the big connector along the right side of the board for?
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-09 03:45:03 I believe video? Honestly not sure. @MOS8_030?
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-09 03:49:03 Nice score! I have one I found in a $5 Plus I bought back in the late '90's. I made an over-long thread about mine. Sweet. Good info. This Plus doesn't have the extra PS... Do I need it? It did have the fan installed, but I removed it... it was exceptionally noisy, and I live in a cold environment... I can add another later if I need to, I just terminated the wires.
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-09 10:21:04 Ha - so I bought three Pluses from the same lot sale, dirt cheap - two 1986's, one 1988. This mobo is from 1986 #1. I finally opened up 1986 #2 tonight and - surprise - same upgrade. It has some more serious issues, potentially, but I haven't started troubleshooting yet. Crazy.
Posted by: MOS8_030 on 2020-10-09 13:39:01 I believe that side connector is for SCSI, but I have no documentation to that affect and I have never tried connecting anything to it. A lot (most) of these boards were powered by tapping into the Mac's analog board. Some connected directly to board with clips and some, like mine, tapped into the pig tail. Personally I think this may put unnecessary stress on the Mac's power circuit so installed the extra power supply and a new fan.
Posted by: techknight on 2020-10-11 15:03:27 I'm a zealot about running System 6 - especially on compact Macs, but it's all in good fun! Everyone has their thing I suppose. Nothing wrong with that. System 6 just isnt mine.
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-20 07:53:19 I believe that side connector is for SCSI, but I have no documentation to that affect and I have never tried connecting anything to it. A lot (most) of these boards were powered by tapping into the Mac's analog board. Some connected directly to board with clips and some, like mine, tapped into the pig tail. Personally I think this may put unnecessary stress on the Mac's power circuit so installed the extra power supply and a new fan. What did you use for the extra PSU?
Posted by: MOS8_030 on 2020-10-20 08:08:49 What did you use for the extra PSU? A Mean Well PD-25. It supplies 5v for the card and 12v for the fan.
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-20 08:12:43 A Mean Well PD-25. It supplies 5v for the card and 12v for the fan. I'll check it out - thanks a bunch! 🙂
Posted by: techknight on 2020-10-20 10:43:09 Interesting. Mine didnt have an external power supply. the card was hard-wired into the Plus existing harness.
Posted by: desertrout on 2020-10-20 12:58:08 Interesting. Mine didnt have an external power supply. the card was hard-wired into the Plus existing harness. That's how mine are currently as well, for both the fan and upgrade, but for $25 and some wire, an additional PSU seems to make good sense. I haven't booted with the drivers yet to see what the actual comparative draw is, but I have read elsewhere that you normally have to boost the voltage pot, and that some boards can be cranked higher than others making them better candidates for upgrades, so an additional PSU is probably prudent for longevity.
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