Kahenraz wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:16:

It might not be possible to repair this reliably for insertion and removal. But what you can do is cut away part of the protective housing of a connector and solder a bodge wire from from the pins to the PCB. Then, add some hot glue for mechanical support.

Because i am a little bit insane i drilled 2 0,7mm holes inside the pcb and the part i cut out of an old isa modem...
then i inserted pins from a pin header into the holes and superglued it together. the tiny gaps (where you could see superglue) i have filled with pcb saw dust from cutting the replacement.

it feels rock solid. i am actually surprised that it even worked...

Now i just need confirmation of the traces.

Well done, you just pocketed $6000 if you were a dentist 🤣

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:41:

Well done, you just pocketed $6000 if you were a dentist 🤣

That would be awesome.
If i count the hours that went (and will go) into the repair... that is a pretty expensive drive in the end. If it even works.
But... If you enjoy the job, is it even work? 😁

The only thing I would be worried about, drilling from the side like that, is shorting out a trace, via, or ground plane. You should be able to see what's inside by shining a bright light from the other side.

This is a very old PCB, so maybe this won't be a problem, but it does give me pause. Cosmetically, it looks great otherwise.

By the edge of it, only looks like a 2 layer, top and bottom, but yeah, multilayer you need to check you're not cutting or shorting anything.

The left hole is also very close to two vias. You wouldn't want to accidentally sever or short either of those.

Kahenraz wrote on 2023-11-09, 04:32:

The left hole is also very close to two vias. You wouldn't want to accidentally sever or short either of those.

I have checked that. it is just 2 layer. all vias around the drilling area are ground from the top to the bottom. i have calculated to hit them... And then the stabilisation pins are just ground...
but i have not hit them. i measured from the drill bit to all nearby vias and components.

Until now it looks good.

EvieSigma wrote on 2023-11-08, 00:14:

After looking at it pretty thoroughly, I think this is a somewhat hacky upgraded version of a Epson PC-286 (an Epson PC98 compatible) CPU card.

Great. Thanks for looking into that. Hell of an upgrade for a 286. I think it was worth saving.

ubiq wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:00:

This showed up today: IMG_6272.jpeg […]
Show full quote

This showed up today:
IMG_6272.jpeg

I tossed $10 at an eBay auction with no bids and ended up getting it. It came with CPU, RAM and a I/O faceplate. Looks like it actually works!
IMG_6273.jpeg

This fella is newer than what I usually mess with, so I was starting to think I didn't have an appropriate GPU for it when I dug up this thing I actually scavenged locally a while back:

I must have some sort of mental block, because I just don't remember this era of GPUs. Assuming the hideous HSF is aftermarket. Still, why is the card so weirdly huge yet sparse?

Anyway it works, FWIW

Looks way better without that plastic cladding, get a decent fan on it and might have something. 🤔

DerBaum wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:36:

Because i am a little bit insane i drilled 2 0,7mm holes inside the pcb and the part i cut out of an old isa modem...
then i inserted pins from a pin header into the holes and superglued it together. the tiny gaps (where you could see superglue) i have filled with pcb saw dust from cutting the replacement.

it feels rock solid. i am actually surprised that it even worked...

That is an excellent repair ! What did you use to drill like that ?

Tiido wrote on 2023-11-09, 12:52:

That is an excellent repair ! What did you use to drill like that ?

A local supermarket (Lidl) offered Microdrill sets for their "Dremel" clone.

BUT i used the drill just with my fingers to have more control.
The drills are quite sharp. One hole took about 5-10 minutes by hand.

Brings a new meaning to "hand drill" 😀

I will have to try this at some point, I didn't even think you could hand-drill this way 🤣. Definitely a great idea !

For a bit more torque, you can build up the drillbit with electrical tape to give you more to get hold of. There exists a thing called a "pin vise" specifically for doing this kind of thing. Some hobby knife (Xacto etc) sets have an equivalent tool you can get a bit clamped into. Tiny hand drills are a thing that have existed in the world, Tandy/RadioShack used to do one, which even came with a couple of tiny bits. Then also there are newer and older variations on this theme...
https://contenti.com/deluxe-spiral-hand-drill
Which are quite handy also.

I have also found it handy to have a loose small drill chuck, just as a knob/handle for small bits... if you have a hand drill, you can find a bolt same thread as the one the chuck is on and use the chuck by hand for small stuff. That's if it isn't a really cheap chuck that falls apart when you unscrew it all the way or is too low precision to grip anything under 1/8th. (3mm ish)

DerBaum wrote on 2023-11-09, 12:58:

A local supermarket (Lidl) offered Microdrill sets for their "Dremel" clone. 2023-11-09 13.54.56.jpg […]
Show full quote

Tiido wrote on 2023-11-09, 12:52:

That is an excellent repair ! What did you use to drill like that ?

A local supermarket (Lidl) offered Microdrill sets for their "Dremel" clone.
2023-11-09 13.54.56.jpg

BUT i used the drill just with my fingers to have more control.
The drills are quite sharp. One hole took about 5-10 minutes by hand.

I have a lot of tools from them.
Prices are actually good for basic tools.
I think I have a pressure washer, a stand/magnifier/led for my soldering iron. A SMAW welding machine. A few other tools...

Not always the best equipment but generally ok and cheap

DerBaum wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:36:

Because i am a little bit insane i drilled 2 0,7mm holes inside the pcb and the part i cut out of an old isa modem... then i ins […]
Show full quote

Kahenraz wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:16:

It might not be possible to repair this reliably for insertion and removal. But what you can do is cut away part of the protective housing of a connector and solder a bodge wire from from the pins to the PCB. Then, add some hot glue for mechanical support.

Because i am a little bit insane i drilled 2 0,7mm holes inside the pcb and the part i cut out of an old isa modem...
then i inserted pins from a pin header into the holes and superglued it together. the tiny gaps (where you could see superglue) i have filled with pcb saw dust from cutting the replacement.

it feels rock solid. i am actually surprised that it even worked...

2023-11-09 02.44.23.jpg2023-11-09 02.44.38.jpg2023-11-09 03.29.30.jpg
Now i just need confirmation of the traces.

Nicely done !

looking at the pinout... I wonder, are any of those pins that were missing really required for the computer to interface with the drive ?

weedeewee wrote on 2023-11-09, 16:56:

looking at the pinout... I wonder, are any of those pins that were missing really required for the computer to interface with the drive ?

Every time i look a floppy pinouts i am more confused than before.

The teac drive is a multi speed drive. It should be abled to read many formats. I am not sure if the density select signal is used for that.
All of the pins that are missing have connections into the circuit (from the number of traces in the area).

ubiq wrote on 2023-11-09, 05:36:

This fella is newer than what I usually mess with, so I was starting to think I didn't have an appropriate GPU for it when I dug […]
Show full quote

ubiq wrote on 2023-11-09, 02:00:

This showed up today: IMG_6272.jpeg […]
Show full quote

This showed up today:
IMG_6272.jpeg

I tossed $10 at an eBay auction with no bids and ended up getting it. It came with CPU, RAM and a I/O faceplate. Looks like it actually works!
IMG_6273.jpeg

This fella is newer than what I usually mess with, so I was starting to think I didn't have an appropriate GPU for it when I dug up this thing I actually scavenged locally a while back:
IMG_6274.jpeg
IMG_6275.jpeg

I must have some sort of mental block, because I just don't remember this era of GPUs. Assuming the hideous HSF is aftermarket. Still, why is the card so weirdly huge yet sparse?
IMG_6278.jpeg
IMG_6277.jpeg

Anyway it works, FWIW
IMG_6279.jpeg

Looks way better without that plastic cladding, get a decent fan on it and might have something. 🤔

Yeah that was a great score for $10 and quite a beast of a GPU you found for it, relative to AGP availability.

Can't wait to bench this beauty. (Upgrade from a SX 25.)

DX4 100 Overdrive SZ959

Wooohooo, speed demon 🤣 But yah, are you stuck with a fixed clock of 25 and only get 75 out of it, or can you give it 33 and let 'er rip?