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Blackbird PDS expansion cards?

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Trash80toG4
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Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
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Joined: Apr 1, 2022
Posts: 1,131
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Feb 12, 2025 - #1
Looks like it boils down to card connector availability. Anybody know the spec or source offhand?

Crazy notion popped in the noggin' for the fabulous Compact Flash card for 030 PDS @zigzagjoe has in development over yonder. Figured someone here might have the answers. Tech chops here far outstrip what remains over there. Too bad there's not more discussion in the threads here, is most all activity in Discord?

Fast! CompactFlash for Macintosh PDS/NuBus

@David Cook tbh compactflash is still current (even if specifically eg in term of consumer cameras its a limited market atm) and you can still buy a new 64mb media if your particular industrial machine still needed it. like this for example...
[Image: 68kmla.org] 68kmla.org
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ClassicHasClass
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Feb 12, 2025 - #2
Seems like just making more of the PCMCIA card cages would be more useful in the long run, I should think.

Liked by eric

eric
Administrator
MN
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Joined: Sep 2, 2021
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Feb 12, 2025 - #3
I know there are some people sourcing new PCMCIA cards for PC PicoGUS cards and the like (saw some crazy PCMCIA hardware debugging tools at VCFMW) - what is the end goal? I thought the 500 series powerbook was PCMCIA already - to clone some cards? (if so, which)

Trash80toG4
Active Tinkerer
Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
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Joined: Apr 1, 2022
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Likes: 329
Feb 12, 2025 - #4
PCMCIA is a whole different kettle of fish I think. Such requires the likes of the T-REX ASIC on the bottom of the 1400 Card Cage Daughtercard.

How much overhead is entailed by going through the full implementation? Going directly from 030 PDS to CF @joethezombie appears to be getting close to Fast/Narrow SCSI level thruput? If PCMCIA adapted CF was anywhere near that fast I imagine I'd have heard about it?



CF adapted PCMCIA on my 190/5300/1400 contingent doesn't seem any faster than logic board IDE, only about the same.


Still need specs/source for those connectors though. ;)
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ClassicHasClass
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Feb 13, 2025 - #5
>> eric said:
I know there are some people sourcing new PCMCIA cards for PC PicoGUS cards and the like (saw some crazy PCMCIA hardware debugging tools at VCFMW) - what is the end goal? I thought the 500 series powerbook was PCMCIA already - to clone some cards? (if so, which) Click to expand...
Only if you install the PC Card Cage, which was an option. My own 540c doesn't have one.

Trash80toG4
Active Tinkerer
Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
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Joined: Apr 1, 2022
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 329
Feb 13, 2025 - #6
>> ClassicHasClass said:
Only if you install the PC Card Cage, which was an option. My own 540c doesn't have one. Click to expand...
Hence, my near obsession level interest in Blackbirds all of a sudden.

I've a box of internal parts from here and there with no real desire to get them up and running. I'd then need to source what I consider its unfortunate, thankfully very short lived, industrial design departure from the PowerBook case path. I imagine that might be what draws so many to the things?

Has anyone seen comparisons of CF performance vs. standard equipment drives?

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