Solution possible for inconveniently placed ISA slot? \ VOGONS

Solution possible for inconveniently placed ISA slot?

Topic actions

First post, by ultranothing

Posted on 2021-04-01, 23:26

ultranothing Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 33
Joined: 2017-08-06, 22:41

Hi! I'm going through some sound card related issues I'm discussing in another thread and it was suggested that for a pure DOS system I should stick with ISA sound cards so I'm scrapping the Live! and going to pick up an ISA card. Another stumbling block on the road to successfully building this system but that's okay because I'm learning and having fun. Sometimes.

The problem is that I've got the guts set up inside of a modern case. A cheap case, but a new case nonetheless. As you can imagine, it doesn't seem to care about the fact that my motherboard has an ISA slot. Here's what I'm looking at:

So right now, there's no way I'm getting an ISA sound card into this system. I was wondering if there was such a thing as a flexible ISA male to female ribbon cable or adapter that I could use to connect a card and then maybe bend it back up into one of the PCI openings. It would be backwards and I'd have to maybe flip the bracket somehow, but right now that's the only thing I can think of to make it work. Unfortunately I can't seem to find that such a cable exists or has ever existed.

Could I or someone make such a cable? Would a cable work? How might YOU get an ISA sound card into this case, should you have to?

Reply 1 of 3, by Doornkaat

Posted on 2021-04-01, 23:39

Doornkaat Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 2328
Joined: 2017-04-02, 06:50

Have you actually tried inserting an ISA card into the slot? Chances are it'll work just fine! 😃👍
ISA cards are flipped compared to PCI. They have their components on the upside when mounted while PCI cards have them on the underside. The ISA slot shares a case opening / slot bracket with the lowest PCI slot. You should be able to mount an ISA card in that slot. Depending on the individual card you may need some insulation to prevent bare contacts from touching the case though since there apparently isn't that much space underneath.

Last edited by Doornkaat on 2021-04-01, 23:56. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 2 of 3, by ultranothing

Posted on 2021-04-01, 23:43

ultranothing Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 33
Joined: 2017-08-06, 22:41

Doornkaat wrote on 2021-04-01, 23:39:

Have you tried actually inserting an ISA card into the slot? Chances are it'll work just fine! 😃👍
ISA cards are flipped compared to PCI. They have their components on the upside when mounted while PCI cards have them on the underside. The ISA slot shares a slot bracket with the lowest PCI slot. You should be able to mount an ISA card in that slot. Depending on the individual card you may need some insulation to prevent bare contacts from touching the case though.

Holy hell, no I haven't. Actually, I think I might even have one laying around somewhere...

That's great news if it works! I will try it now! THANK. YOU!

Edit: How embarrassing. I don't know why I never tried in the first place. The ISA slot was so close to the bottom that I just assumed it wouldn't fit. It does. Thanks.

Reply 3 of 3, by Doornkaat

Posted on 2021-04-01, 23:56

Doornkaat Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 2328
Joined: 2017-04-02, 06:50

No worries, glad it works! 👌😃

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to Sound