VOGONS


First post, by valnar

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Does anyone have some guidance on how to make a SB-LINK cable to connect a sound card to a SB-LINK header on a motherboard? I imagine I could probably hack up an old CD audio cable, but I don't know the pinouts. I'd like to do this with the least amount of trial an error.

Thanks.

Reply 1 of 33, by gerwin

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Behold!

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  • sblink.jpg
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    sblink.jpg
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    18741 views
    File comment
    Home-made SB-link cable
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 3 of 33, by gerwin

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You don't need a crimper for these. keywords: female 2x3 RM/Pitch 2.54
In Holland or Germany you can buy such things at Conrad mail order.

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 6 of 33, by gerwin

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Stull wrote:

Is this cable the same pin-for-pin on both ends?

It has been a while since I messed with it, but that is what it seems to be on the photo.

Here is more info on the signals, as found in an Asus P2B Manual. DGND / 'Digital Ground' is easy to verify.

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  • SB_LINK.GIF
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    SB_LINK.GIF
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    7.3 KiB
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    16495 views
    File comment
    SB-Link Pinout Mainboard
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

--> ISA Soundcard Overview // Doom MBF 2.04 // SetMul

Reply 7 of 33, by ik777

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Is it enough to replace real or DIY one?

Just $1 for each.

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    16349 views
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Reply 8 of 33, by Scylla

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Now that we speak about this SB_LINK stuff, is Sound Blaster AWE64 PCI the only card with a SB_LINK header?

I have this header also on my IBM PC 300PL and I haven't been able to secure one single card that uses this stuff.

Reply 10 of 33, by jhill1977

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Can anyone point me to a source for a SB-LINK cable here in the US? I'm playing around with building a DOS gaming box and have an old SE440BX-2 board with a PC/PCI port and need the cable to attach to my Yamaha PCI sound card

Thank....

Reply 12 of 33, by jxalex

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what for is the SB-LINK cable exactly? Which emulation does work and does not work without that cable?

Current project: DOS ISA soundcard with 24bit/96Khz digital I/O, SB16 compatible switchable.
newly made SB-clone ...with 24bit and AES/EBU... join in development!

Reply 13 of 33, by Jo22

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In simple words, SB-Link provides the DMA and IRQ lines of the ISA bus, so that old DOS software can program - or see -
PCI sound cards exactly the same as ISA sound cards. Unlike the other methods, this is no emulation per se.

See http://ftp.tekwind.co.jp/pub/asustw/misc/sb_link.pdf

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In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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Reply 14 of 33, by gdjacobs

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PC/PCI carries ISA specific I/O information over these external cables. DDMA allows those same signals to be carried internally over the PCI bus, but it requires a compliant PCI controller. DSDMA/Ensoniq AudioPCI/Aureal etc. do it with software tricks.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 15 of 33, by egrabczewski

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Quick update. This SB-LINK cable is getting very difficult to find but I've managed to track down a generic version on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/CablesOnline-12-inch-2 … 2/dp/B078LM31J9

Reply 16 of 33, by GigAHerZ

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There shouldn't be anything special about SB-Link cable, therefore any 6pin ribbon cable would work. From AliExpress one can buy such cable for less than 0.50$.

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - And i intend to get every last bit out of it even after loading every damn driver!

Reply 18 of 33, by appiah4

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Just buy a pack of female to female dupont cables and connect the pins individually. If you really want, you can use electric tape to on either end to bundle them into 2x3 connectors.

Retronautics: A digital gallery of my retro computers, hardware and projects.

Reply 19 of 33, by Cuttoon

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...or you could just saw a random old floppy cable or COM breakout into pieces or go to town with a soldering iron ;)

Nobody has a pinout, ever.
Everyone has a continuity tester!

I like jumpers.