VOGONS


Short on ISA slots? Try this.

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Reply 80 of 92, by RTChaser07

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GuillermoXT wrote on 2024-04-02, 18:42:
RTChaser07 wrote on 2022-05-01, 22:13:

Hello all,

I ordered one of these in the 3 slot variety. Works with an E-ATX case with a bit of work.

http://www.douglas.com/index.php/fc-6-de-63.html

Is there someone still working on these? Since there are some nice cheap compact MATX cases with some 90° rotated extra slots and AT IO Shield it could be at least be possible to get some Baby AT Boards to work with barely all slots used.....?

GuillermoXT,

Looks like the website moved to a new domain.

https://www.douglaspcb.com/index.php/fc-6-de-63.html

Reply 81 of 92, by Samir

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Pretty interesting. Back in the day there were companies that sold passive backplanes like this for industrial computing (they also had some neat stuff like a full motherboard on a card so you get a passive backplane and then add a 'motherboard' card to it for a full PC). They were pretty expensive if memory serves me right, but they were fascinating to check out. I wish I remembered what some of the company names were--I wish even more that I still had those catalogs.

But having more slots comes with its own issues. Our first PC build was our 486 and we got a soyo motherboard with 12 isa slots on it since we had ambitious plans. At the end, we used 8 slots and couldn't use any of the remaining 4 because of space in the case and also because were out of interrupts.

Last edited by Samir on 2024-04-03, 19:17. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 82 of 92, by GuillermoXT

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RTChaser07 wrote on 2024-04-02, 23:58:
GuillermoXT, […]
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GuillermoXT wrote on 2024-04-02, 18:42:
RTChaser07 wrote on 2022-05-01, 22:13:

Hello all,

I ordered one of these in the 3 slot variety. Works with an E-ATX case with a bit of work.

http://www.douglas.com/index.php/fc-6-de-63.html

Is there someone still working on these? Since there are some nice cheap compact MATX cases with some 90° rotated extra slots and AT IO Shield it could be at least be possible to get some Baby AT Boards to work with barely all slots used.....?

GuillermoXT,

Looks like the website moved to a new domain.

https://www.douglaspcb.com/index.php/fc-6-de-63.html

Thx for the correct link 👍

I also found something that could be interesting
(Not meaning the breadboard)

https://www.rehsdonline.com/post/isa-slot-ext … and-proto-board

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Reply 83 of 92, by bytesaber

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My question to the group, is if the below idea has any realistic chance of working. I'd like to combine jwt27's Male with ribbon extender, and the Douglas Electronics female side to be a new floating ISA slot at the bottom of my case. The reason I like jwt27, is the right angle pin headers, as space is very narrow for leaving a shared PCI/ISA slot from my motherboard.

I am trying utilize the ISA slot, of a shared PCI/ISA slot of my ASUS CUBX-E motherbaord. The 2nd to bottom slot is populated with a PCI card, leaving the shared ISA slot unused. My understanding is, that if I can find a way to squeeze a card into it, then it's usable. (I could be completely wrong!). The bottom most ISA slot is not shared, and is populated by a AWE64 sound card. I'm trying to find a way to have the unused shared ISA slot just above, physically "jump over" the sound card below it. I'm envisioning a ribbon extender approach to reach out and around the sound card below it, to add a new floating ISA slot to rest in the empty case space below the AWE64 card. If this works, then I could add a MPU-401 card.

I am interested in building these, with right angle pin headers, intead of tall straight headers that Douglas Electronics uses.

jwt27 wrote on 2014-11-30, 23:10:
Step 1: Get some of these cards. Cost: $24.45 for three (minimum order, free shipping). https://i.imgur.com/PDTpEeo.jpg […]
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Step 1:
Get some of these cards. Cost: $24.45 for three (minimum order, free shipping).
PDTpEeo.jpg

Step 2:
Get all this stuff. Cost: $17.49 for a set of 2 cards, with 2ft (60cm) cable.
0SCq2G6.jpg

I would like to create this, and use the right angle headers with a custom length ribbon to reach out and wrap around the AWE64. But then I would need a protoboard to attach this too. Could the Douglas Electronics female board match this ribbion pinout from jwt27, and become a single slot protoboard?

So in the end, would this...

jwt27 wrote on 2014-11-30, 23:10:
Step 5: https://i.imgur.com/snWnfvL.jpg […]
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Step 5:
snWnfvL.jpg

Fit into this the receiving / slot, half of this?

The attachment w-67-2-fc-6-de-63-2_11.jpg is no longer available

Then I could find a way to place the Douglas ISA slot below in my case for an MPU-401 card (Or whatever else I'd like to use here.)

Reply 84 of 92, by Samir

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You know, your idea got me thinking of another one. I wonder if those usb pcie type of extenders could be made for the isa bus? Much cleaner and would use standard usb cables.

Reply 85 of 92, by weedeewee

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Samir wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:49:

You know, your idea got me thinking of another one. I wonder if those usb pcie type of extenders could be made for the isa bus? Much cleaner and would use standard usb cables.

No. unless you want to use about 10 or 11 USB3A cables

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Reply 86 of 92, by Samir

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weedeewee wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:53:
Samir wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:49:

You know, your idea got me thinking of another one. I wonder if those usb pcie type of extenders could be made for the isa bus? Much cleaner and would use standard usb cables.

No. unless you want to use about 10 or 11 USB3A cables

Not for something like this:
61EZ-JNVuBL._AC_SX425_.jpg

Just change the pcie stuff for isa, no?

Reply 87 of 92, by weedeewee

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Samir wrote on 2024-04-29, 20:07:
Not for something like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61EZ-JNVuBL._AC_SX425_.jpg […]
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weedeewee wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:53:
Samir wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:49:

You know, your idea got me thinking of another one. I wonder if those usb pcie type of extenders could be made for the isa bus? Much cleaner and would use standard usb cables.

No. unless you want to use about 10 or 11 USB3A cables

Not for something like this:
61EZ-JNVuBL._AC_SX425_.jpg

Just change the pcie stuff for isa, no?

Yes, you need about 11 USB3 cables to make that for the ISA bus.

ISA bus is parallel bus with seperate address & data & control signals to get all those signals you need 11 USB3 cable
PCIe is serial bus with differential pairs for PCIex1 you need 1 USB3 cable

Right to repair is fundamental. You own it, you're allowed to fix it.
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Do not ask Why !
https://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Serial_port

Reply 88 of 92, by Samir

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weedeewee wrote on 2024-04-29, 20:12:
Yes, you need about 11 USB3 cables to make that for the ISA bus. […]
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Samir wrote on 2024-04-29, 20:07:
Not for something like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61EZ-JNVuBL._AC_SX425_.jpg […]
Show full quote
weedeewee wrote on 2024-04-29, 19:53:

No. unless you want to use about 10 or 11 USB3A cables

Not for something like this:
61EZ-JNVuBL._AC_SX425_.jpg

Just change the pcie stuff for isa, no?

Yes, you need about 11 USB3 cables to make that for the ISA bus.

ISA bus is parallel bus with seperate address & data & control signals to get all those signals you need 11 USB3 cable
PCIe is serial bus with differential pairs for PCIex1 you need 1 USB3 cable

I didn't know that ISA was parallel vs PCIe being serial. I guess one could try to mux and demux the parallel lines but that may introduce its own issues.

Makes me wonder what MCA was--parallel or serial?

Reply 89 of 92, by maxtherabbit

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MCA was also parallel, internal serial busses in PCs didn't get popular until SATA

Reply 90 of 92, by Samir

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maxtherabbit wrote on 2024-04-30, 12:10:

MCA was also parallel, internal serial busses in PCs didn't get popular until SATA

Neat considering the original PCI header and the MCA one are almost identical physically. Yeah, I remember how much faster laplink was via the parallel port vs the serial port. I still have those cables somewhere. Microsoft's interlink was a really cool way to make that setup work via almost any file manager and even in windows.

Reply 91 of 92, by bytesaber

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jwt27 wrote on 2014-11-30, 23:10:

Step 3: (optional)
If you have any cards that need -5V, but your ATX power supply doesn't provide it

How does one know if they need -5v? I am trying to find a clever way to attach a sound card or MPU-401 card to the unreachable "shared ISA/PCI" slot, since a PCI card is already in it. The board with right angle pins and ribbon appears to allow a way. Everything fits and clears. Just haven't picked out the external slot yet.

Here are the ISA breakout boards, just blank.

The attachment PXL_20240511_222126846.jpg is no longer available

I placed the blank into the slot. Seems to clear.

The attachment PXL_20240511_222114640.jpg is no longer available

Here you can see a PCI card above, with a blank ISA board in the slot.

The attachment PXL_20240511_222053391.jpg is no longer available

Really just not sure if I need -5v.

Reply 92 of 92, by kingcake

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bytesaber wrote on 2024-05-12, 23:23:
How does one know if they need -5v? I am trying to find a clever way to attach a sound card or MPU-401 card to the unreachable […]
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jwt27 wrote on 2014-11-30, 23:10:

Step 3: (optional)
If you have any cards that need -5V, but your ATX power supply doesn't provide it

How does one know if they need -5v? I am trying to find a clever way to attach a sound card or MPU-401 card to the unreachable "shared ISA/PCI" slot, since a PCI card is already in it. The board with right angle pins and ribbon appears to allow a way. Everything fits and clears. Just haven't picked out the external slot yet.

Here are the ISA breakout boards, just blank.
PXL_20240511_222126846.jpg

I placed the blank into the slot. Seems to clear.
PXL_20240511_222114640.jpg

Here you can see a PCI card above, with a blank ISA board in the slot.
PXL_20240511_222053391.jpg

Really just not sure if I need -5v.

You can count the number of ISA cards that need -5V on one hand. Search Vogons, there's a thread with the known cards listed.

99.9% of ISA cards made that need -5V have a 7905 onboard to get it from -12V for noise rejection reasons.