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. | |
| I decided I wanted a WarpSE accelerator. This is what I did to get one | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 12:41:54 The WarpSE is a 25MHz Motorola 68000 accelerator for the Mac SE. It was intended to be sold through Garrett's Workshop, but both it's development and Garrett's Workshop seemed to have come to an end. Every last product on Garrett's Workshop is out of stock and there hasn't been any update on the WarpSE GitHub page for over a year. There have been many starts and stops to this project since 2021 and it has been frustrating. I had originally decided to just use the SuperMac SuperCard accelerator I had and move on, but there was this feeling that there may still be a way get this accelerator. This is due to the fact that several were sent out to beta testers and using the current firmware, the accelerator was fully functional. You normally have two choices with projects like a BlueSCSI. You can build one yourself or purchase one from an authorized reseller. Since a WarpSE is not available for purchase, that only left building one. I will be the first to admit I do not have the skill set to even attempt trying to build something like this. I reached out to someone I know and asked if they would attempt to build one for me. This would be a time and materials project. An order a minimum quantity of PCBs was made, but then we ran into a serious issue. We came to find out that the current PCB on the GitHub repo is not compatible with the current firmware. There were board level changes that have occurred, but the firmware was not updated to match. The only choice was to order another minimum quantity of an earlier PCB that was sent out the beta testers. Once these came in, everything worked as expected. In the end I had two built. One to use now and the other as a spare or to go into another Mac SE in the future. This accelerator is really fast and totally compatible. It benchmarks just as fast a Mac Classic II and boots up in just seconds. I have run this through it's paces and there are no issues with software, the floppy, SCSI or audio. I am including some benchmarks using SpeedOMeter 3.23 for both a Classic II (it has an FPU card) and the SE with a WarpSE. I am also including photos of the two accelerators I had built. Just a couple closing items. First, the 2nd WarpSE I have is not for sale, second the person who built me this accelerator is going to remain anonymous. This has been touchy subject with some people and I don't want the person who helped me out to get dragged into this discussion. If they wish to come forward separately, they are free to do so. My whole point was to show it is possible to obtain one of these. I just wanted to share my experience giving some guidance on what to look out for with the GitHub repo as it currently stands. WarpSE GitHub repo: GitHub - garrettsworkshop/WarpSE: WIP 25 MHz MC68HC000-based accelerator card for Macintosh SEWIP 25 MHz MC68HC000-based accelerator card for Macintosh SE - garrettsworkshop/WarpSE
github.com
WarpSE discussion thread on Tinkerdifferent: 
WarpSE: 25 MHz 68HC000-based accelerator for Mac SEHi everyone. I wanted to post about my new design for a 25 MHz 68HC000-based Macintosh SE accelerator. As usual with my gizmos, this is a collaboration with Garrett Fellers of Garrett's Workshop. I'm the principal designer and Garrett is the codesigner and he manufactures our boards. My aim...
tinkerdifferent.com
| |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 12:42:19 WarpSE (Front) | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 12:42:55 WarpSE (Back) | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 12:43:29 SpeedOMeter 3.23 (WarpSE) | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 12:44:01 SpeedOMeter (Classic II w/FPU card) | |
| Posted by: adespoton on 2026-09-18 12:57:13 Interesting; I wonder if it would be possible to identify what needs to be done to the firmware code to make the newer design function too? | |
| Posted by: Builder68 on 2026-09-18 14:20:50 Since Zane Kaminski made the design open source (even for commercial use), it sounds like your goal with this post is to help others replicate the board under that same community spirit. That’s a great initiative! The only catch is that the post leaves out the exact details someone would need to actually replicate your success. You mentioned the current repo's PCB is incompatible and that you reverted to an earlier beta-tester board. Do you happen to know which specific commit, board revision, or Gerber files were used? Without knowing the exact version that works, it’s going to be really hard for anyone else to follow your lead. Since you and your builder already went through the headache of figuring out which older PCB files match the firmware, would you consider just forking the GitHub repo? Hosting the working Gerber files in a public fork (maybe with a quick heads-up about the broken newer layout) would be a massive help to the community and a perfect way to offer that guidance you mentioned. To be totally honest, the framing of the post just leaves me a little confused. Since you had an anonymous builder handle the project, nothing is for sale, and the exact file revisions aren't included, it's tough for the community to actually act on the information. Without those details, it comes across a bit more like a cool show-and-tell than a guide others can use. I'd love to see the specifics if you're open to sharing them! | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-18 19:16:38 I can ask the person who built these for me to see if they can share some details and post that info back here. I will make an inquiry and let you know. | |
| Posted by: jasa1063 on 2026-09-21 08:26:24 I heard back from the user that did the build and at this point they would prefer to stay out of the discussion. I understand their reasons. They did point out that all the information is publicly available and someone else should be able to replicate what has been done by them. | |
| Posted by: Builder68 on 2026-09-21 10:29:14 Totally respect the builder wanting to keep their distance, and nobody expects them to step into the spotlight. It sounds like digging through the GitHub commit history to find that perfect match between the older beta PCB and the current firmware is just going to be part of the adventure for anyone else who wants to take this project on. Thanks for sharing your success story and proving that getting a fully functional WarpSE is actually still possible! | |
| Posted by: Builder68 on 2026-09-26 09:36:45 In case anyone is interested, someone on Tinkedifferent seems to have managed to identify the PCB variant that actually works. | |
| 1 |