Interest in PBI serial device?

[BillC]

 

Yes, SCSI drives that are compatible can be challenging to find in working condition (I have a few and several have bearing issues characterized by loud grinding noises). Some folks seem to be adapting SCSI to IDE, but the adapters are expensive.

 

The other problem with the Multi I/O is the reliability of the SIPP memory... it just doesn't hold up and it's also hard to come by.

MEtalGuy66 has reverse engineered/updated the MIO. His version replaces the ZIP DRAM with a 30-pin SIMM, the serial and parallel port connectors to enable the use of common PC modem and printer cables, and also updates the firmware to enable the use of more SCSI HDDs(I believe Warerat was mainly responsible for the firmware).

 

The Rasterline 1MB MIO sells for US$300 + S&H, and repair/update services for ICD versions are also available.

http://www.rasterline.com/

[evilmoo]

I know this is answering a question you didn't ask, but I think if you're going to engineer a new piece of hardware, it's probably better to go with a more modern bus. I would like to see a PBI USB device, if only to let drivers be interrupt-driven rather than polled as they are with the USB cartridge. Then people could use USB serial adapters (assuming drivers were also developed), as well as other USB devices.

 

It would also be interesting to see some sort of I2C bus, but I realize that would not have the wider appeal that USB would have.