Backplane Mini-ITX for retro projects \ VOGONS

Backplane Mini-ITX for retro projects

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First post, by spark2k06

Posted on 2020-07-15, 11:00

spark2k06 Offline

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Hello,

I present the following project that I have started to develop:

The initial use I had in mind for it is to be able to host the Micro8088 or Xi8088 projects of Sergey Kiselev, to which we should add the rest of internal ISAs without brackets for their correct operation. However, as I was placing components I have realized that one could go further. In the area of the I / O shield would be fixedly a VGA with MonochromeVGA integrated, and two DB9. These will then be used internally to connect to two serial ports on PC (COM1 and COM2), or a serial port and a standard Atari Joystick, etc ...

It would also have a 16-bit PC / 104 socket. This would serve, in addition to being able to put a VGA in this format, other cards or even a complete 286/386, which as there is available a 16-bit ISA with bracket would give game. If the PC / 104 is not used, you would have another 3 internal 8-bit ISAs available ... for example to place the low-profile RTC I designed or the Internal OPL3 sound card also low-profile I designed, and with the HDAudio connection you could connect to the front of a case of this format, many current cases already have it.

The idea, with some additional holes added that will serve as a support to add a second PCB higher in the I / O shield to add, this time, concrete things for which project. For the PC you could add a Compact Flash with its corresponding IDE connector, a parallel port, etc ...

Other projects adapted to either of the two formats could be added (as MiSTer FPGA DE10-Nano), although PC / 104 is more compact in height and would perhaps allow its use in slim type cases.

Official Mini-ITX measurements: 170 mm (length) x 170 mm (width)

Customized to locate ISA1 external slot, and give margin to the other connectors: 184,899 mm (length) x 181,026 mm (width)
To take into account when purchasing a Mini-ITX format box for the project

More info in the project URL of my Hackaday account:

https://hackaday.io/project/175340-u...-itx-backplane

Project sources on my GitHub:

https://github.com/spark2k06/Universal-ITX-Backplane

Ideas, suggestions as always are welcome, because this is in full development.

Last edited by spark2k06 on 2020-10-20, 09:02. Edited 8 times in total.

https://www.tindie.com/stores/spark2k06/
https://hackaday.io/spark2k06

Reply 1 of 8, by imi

Posted on 2020-07-15, 11:56

imi Offline

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I like this a lot and had similar ideas previously ^^ though my motivation isn't high enough atm to actually go through with it.

did you think about making it mini-DTX instead, adding another regular ISA slot below the SBC slot?
there is a lot of ITX cases that have 2 card slots so you could mount one card with bracket at least, and seeing as this is a custom design anyways, adhering to standards isn't the most important ^^

Reply 2 of 8, by spark2k06

Posted on 2020-07-15, 12:46

spark2k06 Offline

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imi wrote on 2020-07-15, 11:56:

I like this a lot and had similar ideas previously ^^ though my motivation isn't high enough atm to actually go through with it.

did you think about making it mini-DTX instead, adding another regular ISA slot below the SBC slot?
there is a lot of ITX cases that have 2 card slots so you could mount one card with bracket at least, and seeing as this is a custom design anyways, adhering to standards isn't the most important ^^

The case where I want to mount it only has an available slot, it would not fit in Mini-DTX format. The board I am designing is not exactly Mini-ITX, it is a little (very little) wider... so that the ISA slot fits in the only available slot in my case. I just left it written in the first post of this thread, so there is no doubt about it.

https://www.tindie.com/stores/spark2k06/
https://hackaday.io/spark2k06

Reply 3 of 8, by spark2k06

Posted on 2020-07-19, 17:39

spark2k06 Offline

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Integration tests in a high profile Mini-ITX case and Micro8088 board inside:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM8HTva8 … XdlODItTUxIV0pn

https://www.tindie.com/stores/spark2k06/
https://hackaday.io/spark2k06

Reply 4 of 8, by imi

Posted on 2020-07-19, 20:08

imi Offline

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how I hate those cases x3
a DTX board would easily fit there if they'd have aligned the board more to the upper edge.
but nice nonetheless.

Reply 5 of 8, by spark2k06

Posted on 2020-10-12, 18:00

spark2k06 Offline

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Kicad project and more info available:

https://github.com/spark2k06/Universal-ITX-Backplane

https://www.tindie.com/stores/spark2k06/
https://hackaday.io/spark2k06

Reply 6 of 8, by spark2k06

Posted on 2020-12-03, 17:48

spark2k06 Offline

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Rank: Newbie
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Still in development but is taking shape. I have not yet come up with the design of a PCB for the upper part of the I / O ports, as well as a shield for this one also in PCB format for it ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKXY5dlXFwU

https://www.tindie.com/stores/spark2k06/
https://hackaday.io/spark2k06

Reply 7 of 8, by dinth

Posted on 2021-06-09, 18:39

dinth Offline

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Just wanted to update the topic, as the backplate is already available on Tindie, in fact there are only 2 left: https://www.tindie.com/products/spark2k06/uni … ackplane/#specs

Reply 8 of 8, by dionb

Posted on 2021-06-10, 22:24

dionb Offline

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This is cool in so many ways. You now have one less left 😉

I have an unused AMD Elan-based PC104 SBC and a couple of mITX cases I'm not currently using...

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