Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMZ56H9?th=1
Not sure if ZuluID is supporting UHS-3 otherwise cheaper models would also be sufficient
wrote:Wouldn't it be much more easier to simply create a new control board interface with an Micro SD-Card extension on it, optimized for the front panel. So the ZuluIDE itself goes in the back of the 5.25 bay and is connected with the front panel with the SD-Card extension and the Qwiic Port?
The recent design of the ZuluIDE isn't optimized for what you a trying to do. A Micro SD-Card extension could quite easily solve this problem and they aren't very expensive.
I completely get where you’re coming from — however, the reason I’m doing it this way is because the existing design already has units made and we want to have it support that at first.
I do intend to try making a modified layout for the control board that allows it to be mounted directly to the bezel so that it’s less of a problem for things like the switches, screen, etc.
As for SD card extensions…I inherently don’t really trust them much, but I may give them a shot here at some point.
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-16, 11:02:Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMZ56H9?th=1
Not sure if ZuluID is supporting UHS-3 otherwise cheaper models would also be sufficient
wow that gave me a very nice idea, better than any 3d printed thing.
An old broken cdrom drive , you take the guts out, you keep the plastic front, you install zuluide with one of those extensions inside.
And in the front plastic of the cdrom you make a small horizontal hole to put the extension in it.
that way you remove and insert the microsd card when you wish easy and you keep the retro pc with and old look and feel.
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-16, 11:02:Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMZ56H9?th=1
Not sure if ZuluIDE is supporting UHS-3 otherwise cheaper models would also be sufficient
Is there any information what kind of MicroSD standard ZuluIDE is using/supporting?
Is it "only" class 10 or is it supporting faster cards with U1 or U3 or even faster with UHS-I, UHS-II or UHS-III?
Would be quite interesting when working with an SDCard extender or as a buying guide for SDCards...
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-17, 16:27:Is there any information what kind of MicroSD standard ZuluIDE is using/supporting? Is it "only" class 10 or is it supporting […]
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-16, 11:02:Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMZ56H9?th=1
Not sure if ZuluIDE is supporting UHS-3 otherwise cheaper models would also be sufficient
Is there any information what kind of MicroSD standard ZuluIDE is using/supporting?
Is it "only" class 10 or is it supporting faster cards with U1 or U3 or even faster with UHS-I, UHS-II or UHS-III?Would be quite interesting when working with an SDCard extender or as a buying guide for SDCards...
I think the maximum SD card speed the rp pico can do is 25M in 1 bit mode, so theoretically 100M in 4bit mode.
Though that would be completely linear read or write max speed.
Probably someone else's googlefu might give some clearer answers.
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mbalmer wrote on 2025-03-16, 21:26:I completely get where you’re coming from — however, the reason I’m doing it this way is because the existing design already has […]
wrote:Wouldn't it be much more easier to simply create a new control board interface with an Micro SD-Card extension on it, optimized for the front panel. So the ZuluIDE itself goes in the back of the 5.25 bay and is connected with the front panel with the SD-Card extension and the Qwiic Port?
The recent design of the ZuluIDE isn't optimized for what you a trying to do. A Micro SD-Card extension could quite easily solve this problem and they aren't very expensive.
I completely get where you’re coming from — however, the reason I’m doing it this way is because the existing design already has units made and we want to have it support that at first.
I do intend to try making a modified layout for the control board that allows it to be mounted directly to the bezel so that it’s less of a problem for things like the switches, screen, etc.
As for SD card extensions…I inherently don’t really trust them much, but I may give them a shot here at some point.
will zuluide work fine connected via ide cable straight to a soundblaster 16 isa card that has IDE interface in the pcb? like a CT2290 for example?
What is the official way to get support? Is it through support@zuluide.com or is there a forum, redit, Discord or something else?
I'm having trouble getting the Rasperry Pico W on the Audio-Shield working.
[11ms] Platform: ZuluIDE RP2040
[11ms] FW Version: 2025.02.28-release Feb 28 2025 20:46:02
[11ms] DIP switch settings: cablesel 0, drive_id 0 debug log 0
[12ms] Flash chip size: 2048 kB
[13ms] Flash unique ID: 0x237C8A0F184064E6
[99ms] FPGA initialization succeeded
[99ms] I2S audio to expansion header enabled
[100ms] -- System clock is set to 135428571Hz
[101ms] Hardware UI not found.
[101ms] I2C server found
[117ms] SD card detected, FAT64 volume size: 121935 MB
[117ms] SD MID: 0x03, OID: 0x53 0x44
[118ms] SD Name: SD128
[118ms] SD Date: 1/2021
[118ms] SD Serial: 0xD9E250FA
[153ms] Device is a CDROM drive
[153ms] Initialized platform with device control.
[155ms] Set SSID from INI file to XXXXX
[155ms] Set PASSWORD from INI file.
[155ms] Initialized platform controller with the status controller.
[157ms] Initialized platform controller with the display controller.
[157ms] Initialized platform controller with input receiver.
[165ms] Device 0 configuration:
[165ms] -- Max PIO mode: 3 (phy max 3)
[166ms] -- Max UDMA mode: 0 (phy max 0)
[166ms] -- Max blocksize: 4096 (phy max 4096)
[218ms] Loading first image XXXXXXXXXX
[218ms] Loading image "XXXXXXXX"
[222ms] ---- Cue sheet XXXXXXX.cue loaded with 1 tracks
[247ms] Initialization complete!
[268ms] I2C Client subscribed to updates.
[1168ms] I2C Client subscribed to updates.
[2000ms] FPGA license request code: 0xE6 0x64 0x40 0x18 0x0F 0x8A 0x7C 0x23 0xFF 0xF7 0xFF 0xFF 0x91 0x81 0x53 0x24 0x80
[2000ms] FPGA license accepted with status 0x83
Logfiles seems fine, but the Pico W is not connecting to my network...
Problem solved. Just in case someone else has a similar problem:
If you have special characters in your WiFi password try putting the password in your zuluide.ini inside double quotes!
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-17, 16:27:Is there any information what kind of MicroSD standard ZuluIDE is using/supporting?
Is it "only" class 10 or is it supporting faster cards with U1 or U3 or even faster with UHS-I, UHS-II or UHS-III?Would be quite interesting when working with an SDCard extender or as a buying guide for SDCards...
A Class 10 card is the minimum you'd want to use. Usually, cards 4GB and smaller are the ones that don't get recognized by the device, and unless you're using particularly old stock, this shouldn't be much of an issue unless you're using cards manufactured prior to around 2008. Cards that old also tend to not get recognized.
As for transfer speed limits, the real limitation isn't so much the card as it is the RP2040, which can go as fast as PIO Mode 3 or UDMA mode 0 with all of the data being pushed over its I/O pins. We are working on ways to squeeze more speed out of things, and we hope to achieve PIO Mode 4 and, on systems that support it, higher UDMA modes than 0.
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-18, 16:26:Problem solved. Just in case someone else has a similar problem:
If you have special characters in your WiFi password try putting the password in your zuluide.ini inside double quotes!
Good catch! I'll add that to our documentation. Can you specify what "special characters" means in your case?
EPoX wrote on 2025-03-17, 17:24:will zuluide work fine connected via ide cable straight to a soundblaster 16 isa card that has IDE interface in the pcb? like a CT2290 for example?
It absolutely should. Assuming that the interface on your SB card isn't one of the oddball proprietary interfaces that look like it's IDE and actually isn't, if you're using the card as an optical drive, it should come right up.
HOWEVER, if you're trying to use the ZuluIDE in one of its other modes (HDD mode, ZIP mode, LS-120 mode) it may not get recognized because the interface on those cards is typically only able to be connected to an optical drive.
If your CDROM driver doesn't spot it for some reason:
mbalmer wrote on 2025-03-18, 19:25:Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-18, 16:26:Problem solved. Just in case someone else has a similar problem:
If you have special characters in your WiFi password try putting the password in your zuluide.ini inside double quotes!
Good catch! I'll add that to our documentation. Can you specify what "special characters" means in your case?
Wasn't my catch, I asked Alex for support. 😉
In my case it was a Hash "#"...
wrote:Wasn't my catch, I asked Alex for support. 😉
Still a catch, nonetheless. I've added a quick line to the wiki.
Almost there: What I hope is the final version of it is running on the Prusa right now. Here's a look at what's there right now.
I've also finished a redesign of the control board that mounts all of the necessary components together in a dimension that will fit in an inset in the bezel.
The two photos are the drive mount for folks who have the current revision of the control board -- I'll make STL files available for folks once this last model prints and I'm sure that the ZuluIDE board mounts in the little tray without an issue. The two renders are for the version where the control board mounts directly to the bezel. Prototypes of the revised control board have been ordered and should be here relatively soon, once I get those I will make modifications to the bezel so that the revised control board can be screwed down.
Woahaa this looks nice! 😀
Looking more-or-less ready to go. These pictures are just a test mount to make sure the footprints for everything is good, nothing is actually wired up for real here.
I've added some chamfering to the inside of it so that the board will slide into the tray a little easier, and so it's easier to screw down.
There are two versions of the drive mount -- one that takes tactile switches, and another that takes SPST-NO pushbuttons. See below for the parts needed for each.
Here's the hardware and parts you'll need:
For the tactile switches, you'll need them to have actuators at least 6mm long or an "above PCB height" of 8mm or greater (for example, E-Switch TL1105CF250Q (Digi-Key link)). The bezel thickness where the switches are inset is about 1.5mm, and I've found that about 6mm long feels about right.
If you want the larger, panel-mount pushbuttons instead of tactile switches, you'll want any panel-mount switch with a thread diameter of no more than 7mm. These inexpensive switches (Amazon link) are ideal for the job. They'll come with spring washers -- you won't need them.
Printing details
Print it with the bottom of the drive mount on the bed:
That's the result you see in the pictures below. I haven't tried printing it with the bezel front on the bed, but the chamfering and filleting on the overhangs should make printing it face-down possible if you want to try it that way.
The next post will have further assembly details.
mbalmer wrote on 2025-03-16, 21:26:I completely get where you’re coming from — however, the reason I’m doing it this way is because the existing design already has units made and we want to have it support that at first.
Are you selling these somewhere? Preferably somewhere in Europe?
You should look at how the Bulky MT32 internal device is built.
You could mount a PCB 5.25 or 3.5 faceplate to the controller PCB. Then just have a 3d printed tray and rails.
Silkscreened PCB faceplates look really smart and are super cheap to have produced.
Assembly Details
The M2 x 4 self-tapping screws are to secure the OLED display down to the bezel. Don't overtighten! It's pretty easy to poke through the front of the bezel with these, but finding self-tapping M2 screws shorter than this is pretty tough 🤣
The M2.6 screws are used to mount the control board to the frame. When mounting the control board, make sure that the Qwiic connector faces the back of the mount as shown.
The M3 screws are used to mount the ZuluIDE into its tray. Slide the board as far forward as it will go and screw it down to the tray into the holes provided.
If you chose the 7mm pushbutton option, the fit is pretty snug. Tighten one of the buttons down all the way first and then use the footprint that the nut takes to act as a backstop to tighten down the second button -- like this:
A 10mm socket driver works perfectly to tighten down the rotary encoder and the pushbuttons, if you chose those.
For the 6mm tactile switches, I find that the initial fit is snug enough that it takes some effort to push the switches into the recess; once they're down, however, a small dot of hot glue or super glue on the edges of the buttons where they meet the back of the bezel should be enough to hold them in relatively well. The LED is also a pretty snug fit, but the same is true there -- once it's in, a little dot of hot glue or super glue will secure it in pretty well.
When running the wiring for the switches, solder to the bottom two pins of the switch footprints.
See the wiki for details about the LED pin header.
Lomdar67 wrote on 2025-03-21, 17:21:Are you selling these somewhere? Preferably somewhere in Europe?
The ZuluIDE is sold in Europe via our two authorized resellers: