BlueSCSI v2 Pico - Low cost, open hardware, fast SCSI device!

[JDW]

...here's a new release with a fix for the ROM drive...

@eric
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is that fix exactly?

With a ROM-inator II ROM SIMM, you can press R to boot from a ROM disk or press A to load that ROM disk into RAM and boot from that (which offers edibility). The ROM SIMM from @Zane Kaminski goes further with its own app to allow mounting of the ROM disk even if you boot from a SCSI drive!

So I am curious what the problem was which required a fix.

 

[eric]

So I am curious what the problem was which required a fix.

The complete details are in the ticket linked to in the release notes. This has nothing to do with a Macintosh ROM - it is the ROM drive (flash memory on the Pico) on the BlueSCSI.

 

[JDW]

The complete details are in the ticket linked to in the release notes.

I clicked that before I posted, and I even checked the following page, but didn't (and still don't) fully understand...

Fix rom drive by erichelgeson · Pull Request #57 · BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2

Resolves #53

github.com

This has nothing to do with a Macintosh ROM - it is the ROM drive (flash memory on the Pico) on the BlueSCSI.

OK. I'm doing a video on ROM SIMMs now, and I wanted to confirm that point. Not related to ROM SIMMs... Got it! Thanks!

 

[eric]

The ticket linked to the fix, but the fix didn't link to the ticket, I've updated it. You can see the user report here that it fixed https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/issues/53

 

[Garrett]

Posting this here for those looking for a mount that brings the 50 pin connector to nearly the same position as an OEM hard drive. It won't work in the compact Macs, as they require side mounting screws. Tested to work in devices where the original drive screws in from the bottom. Also including an STL for the V1, because why not.

 

[eric]

I look forward to seeing that the 3D printed case designs will look like.

Close to final version from @Javmast3r !

Very nice fit and sturdy

 

[Androda]

Been working on an update to the BlueSCSI Desktop board for awhile, and it's not quite done yet. But figured I'd clue you all in: Initiator Mode
This allows BlueSCSI V2 to in-place take byte-level images of original SCSI drives without needing the actual host machine. It could also lead to other interesting features...

Just how many features are we going to cram onto a single Pico-W stick? All of them.
SCSI Target
SCSI Initiator
WiFi (looking at you, Potato-Fi)
I2C?

 

[This Does Not Compute]

Perhaps I missed something, but I'm having trouble getting JLCPCB to process the BOM and CPL files for the v2 desktop board -- it just keeps throwing a generic error. I tried removing the through-hole parts from the CPL but that didn't help. Maybe JLCPCB is just having server problems today, but are there other edits I need to make?

 

[eric]

Just tried in Firefox (i have seen ad blockers and other weird things mess with JLCPCB) - only "error" i get is this (these are just the Jumpers/headers and the Pico, which are not part of the PNP assembly)

It should be safe to hit continue (and verify parts placement in the next pages)

 

[eric]

New (big) release! https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/releases/tag/v2023.10.12

What's new!​

Add SCSI ethernet support, emulating a Dayna SCSI/Link by @jcs in #59​

BlueSCSI can emulate a SCSI Network adapter if you have a Pico-W! Full details here: https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/WiFi-DaynaPORT

Initiator mode support by @androda in #80​

Initiator mode allows BlueSCSI to clone drives without a host computer. BlueSCSI will act as the initiator and clone the drive the the SD Card. Usability improvements were made the the cloning process to avoid bad or partial clones.
Note Initiator does require a hardware update - which you can read about here https://androda.work/bluescsi-initiator-mode-and-stock-update/
Documentation: https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/Initiator-Mode

BlueSCSI Toolbox goes 1.0 by @erichelgeson in #79​

BlueSCSI Toolbox is a suite of apps that allow you to do things like change CD's or transfer files directly from your SD card to your vintage machine. Find out more here: https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/Toolbox

Fixes​

• Fix #64 - Issue with implicit CD changing when hidden files are in dir by @erichelgeson in #68
• Update DB25 schematic for greater clarity by @androda in #74
• Fix issue with unaligned read when checking RAW or ROM drives. by @erichelgeson in #75
• Fix Apple vendor mode page @PetteriAimonen 0abf488
• Various Xebec fixes via@jjakob
• Set vendor / product id with image file name via @phe78 b52ab09

Full Changelog: v2023.08.10...v2023.10.12

Contributors​

@jcs, @mactcp, @androda, @mynameistroy, @erichelgeson, @PetteriAimonen, @jjakob, @phe78

How to update​

https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/Updating-Firmware

Need Help?​

Find us on Discord, TinkerDifferent, or Github Issues/Discussions.

 

[Androda]

The super cool thing about this release is that it works across all existing BlueSCSI V2 Hardware. We don't have separate builds for WiFi, or separate builds for Initiator hardware. One binary for all, no confusion, no mess.

And speaking of Initiator hardware, that's merged into the BlueSCSI V2 repo and available for download now. It's a 4-layer design to better help keep the electrons from falling out (as Dave Jones likes to say).

And I ought to have Desktop Initiator PCBs available on my site starting tomorrow.

 

[This Does Not Compute]

Are there any recommended alternate parts for U3 and SD1? Both are low/no stock at JLCPCB. (The 100mW 100-ohm resistors at R39 etc are also low-stock, but part C160517 appears to be equivalent.)

 

[eric]

Big release for BlueSCSI with tons of fixes for initiator - If you watched Adrian's Digital Basement's video on initiator we've fixed all but one issue he ran into. Last one unfortunately we cant reproduce with the drives we have.

New​

• New Quirks X68000 aa77d67 @aotta
• Allow for floppy image dirs e8cb024 @erichelgeson

Initiator Bug Fixes​

• initiator: allow multiple ZIP disks to be cycled in one session 164ab5e @erichelgeson
• initiator: Eject CD devices and continue to look for media on them. 5860b48 @erichelgeson
• initiator: add InitiatorMaxRetry to allow 0-255 retries. Default 5. e1a1734 @erichelgeson
• initiator: print percent complete - dont make user do math. 908af73 @erichelgeson
• initiator: dont make user grep through file to see if there were bad sectors, just tell them at the end. 71ce1da @erichelgeson
• initiator: target_file is never read from, open write only. b4cf5b7 @erichelgeson
• initiator: fix logging of retry count 45f8e73 @erichelgeson
• initiator: Fix issue causing some drives to hang d926dd7 @erichelgeson
• Some drives report SCSI3, so check < 2 to assert SCSI1 5c5833a @androda
• initiator: properly detect scsi-1 devices c80f3c0 @erichelgeson
• initiator: Fix issue with LED on Pico-W 638a053 @erichelgeson
• initiator: add unlikely to platform_is_initiator_mode_enabled 11eef85 @erichelgeson
• initiator: fixed 2 images when device/host were 0/7. 857bbf6 @morio
• READ(6) bug in Initiator mode with oddly-sized HDD 3f3f4ae @ZigZagJoe

SCSI​

• scsi: correctly send back sense data for non-0 LUN scenarios 39efa85 @erichelgeson
• scsi: Only set valid to true when we are sending valid SENSE data back. 66e980f @erichelgeson
• sasi: Added Xebec (SASI E0 and E4 Commands) handling e1ed361 @peclark1
• Fixed Watchdog Timeout Issues @morio fa722d0 & ef5a668

Platform​

• platformio: update to platformio/[email protected] 9e4c0d9 @erichelgeson
• Add back Serial USB logging with SRAM optimizations. 34da988 @morio
• BlueSCSI_platform_RP2040: re-apply 28f6de1 f895a6d to set uart to 115200 28f6de1 @jcs
• Fix SD card IO timeout wrapping bc7ee25 @morio

Hardware​

• DB25 Hardware Version 2024.01a, Narrower a34f493 @androda
• Desktop 2023.10a design 9d9e8d6 @androda

Docs​

• docs: Update readme to point to wiki for hardware 9e815ed @erichelgeson
• Add copyright notices to source files missing them 8a9b78d @androda & @PetteriAimonen
• 143 Wiki updates from 19 authors! - Benedict-1966 VicTheVicar jacexpo bobsahib uweseimet parabellum mac84tv OneGeekArmy androda attila.wagner ben bruce carey.gene.brown erichelgeson gutbomb jcs plaes toyoshim

Release v2024.02.22 · BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2

What's Changed New New Quirks X68000 aa77d67 @aotta Allow for floppy image dirs e8cb024 @erichelgeson Initiator Bug Fixes initiator: allow multiple ZIP disks to be cycled in one session 164ab5...

github.com

 

[eric]

In other news next release should have screens and buttons (oh my!) (on any 2023.09 and later hardware rev)

 

[eric]

Added Interactive BOM's for each of the current models

https://bluescsi.com/boms/2023.10a-50pin
https://bluescsi.com/boms/2024.01a-DB25
https://bluescsi.com/boms/2023.10a-PowerBook
https://bluescsi.com/boms/2023.10a-Centronics

All linked on the docs Hardware page.

 

[eric]

RobSmithDev added an Amiga Wi-Fi driver for BlueSCSI! You can now get your old Amiga computers online -

 

[svenson]

Dear community, dear Eric, is it already possible to use a qwiic display with V2?

 

[eric]

Dear community, dear Eric, is it already possible to use a qwiic display with V2?

Not yet! Should be coming soon though, just need more free time to wrap it up. I do have a menuing system and UI built out. I'll likely post a beta here so stay tuned.

 

[svenson]

Not yet! Should be coming soon though, just need more free time to wrap it up. I do have a menuing system and UI built out. I'll likely post a beta here so stay tuned.

Hey Eric, that's great news! Looking forward for the beta release. Thank you for your great effort in BlueSCSI!

 

[eric]

Retronaut shows off the beta WiFi functionality for Amiga users of BlueSCSI. Step by step process on how he got it setup and playing some tunes over the network. Subscribe because he'll have a demo of some new Amiga apps for the BlueSCSI!