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

[eric]

Maybe we should add a setting "NoSeekDelaySoBenchmarksGoVroom=true"

 

[eric]

New release v2025.07.07​

Updating​

Note: You can only use the new SD Bootloader after you flash this release via .uf2.
https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/Updating-Firmware

Changes​

SD Card Bootloader Added Back​

We've restored the ability to update your firmware via SD card. Place the appropriate bin file onto the root of your SD card and power cycle the BlueSCSI.

Note you must flash the .uf2 this release to get the boot loader, then use the .bin files for future updates.

Fixes: #77

Present SD Card as USB Mass Storage​

Plugging your BlueSCSI into a computer will now present the SD card as a USB Mass Storage device. This allows you to easily copy files to and from the SD card without needing to remove it from the BlueSCSI.

NOTE: The USB connection speed is USB 1.1. This can be disabled via the ini setting EnableUSBMassStorage=false.

https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/USB-Thumb-Drive-Mode

USB -> SCSI Bridge Mode​

Want to boot your Windows 11 computer off that old SCSI drive? This will allow you to do that. This is currently disabled in this build as it needs more testing.

Fixes #212, Replaces PR #221.
https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/USB-Bridge

Present SCSI Images via USB Mass Storage​

Instead of presenting the SD card contents, you can present the images on the BlueSCSI to your computer. This allows you to work with files directly on an image. Note: Your computer must support the file system of that image.

Enable it via: USBMassStoragePresentImages=true

Fixes #13

https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/USB-Thumb-Drive-Mode

Fast20 20MB/s SCSI Bus Timings​

We now support Fast20 SCSI bus timings, which allow for up to 18MB/s transfer speeds.

See: https://github.com/BlueSCSI/BlueSCSI-v2/wiki/Ultra-SCSI-Fast20-OverClock

Buttons on all hardware​

Allow users to hook up to two buttons to any BlueSCSI hardware. It will automatically configure them to any removable drives such as CDs. You will can also manually set them if you have more than two removable drives.

Buttons are available on all hardware revs, see Buttons

Interactive USB Console​

You can now interact with the BlueSCSI via a USB Serial connection. Currently, the available commands are: reboot, reboot into bootloader, and reboot into USB Mass Storage mode. This is useful for debugging and development. Ideas for new commands are welcome! This replaces PR #215.

Other​

• Updated frameworks:
  • SdFat 2.2.3 (Fixes #258)
  • Arduino core 4.3.0
• Bug fixes:
  • Fixed issue with ROM drive overwriting firmware (#98)
  • Fixed PicoW/Pico LED on common firmware
  • Don't warn on non-Apple images, instead check if it's an HFS volume
• Features
  • Default to 200MHz clock now that it's the default in the PicoSDK
  • No longer auto join any open WiFi SSID. Use ini or the WiFi utilities to join
• Various other bug fixes and improvements.

Thanks to all the contributors!

And thanks to you for using BlueSCSI.

 

[eric]

Bugfix release v2025.07.11​

• Fix #276 - Issue entering initiator mode
• Fix issue with MacPlus booting
• Additional 1-2% performance improvement on PicoW
• Bugfix with USB<>SCSI Bridge mode.

 

[Fizzbinn]

Wow.

So, just to bring the average reader of this thread "up to speed" (he he)...

As per what is written here, those super fast transfer rates reported by @Androda require a "SCSI card that supports Ultra SCSI (Fast20)." That means we can't just flash our BSv2 units with the latest firmware, then plunk it into something like a largely stock PowerMac 9600 and expect any faster performance than older BSv2 firmware. An UltraSCSI card is required.

BlueSCSI cant go faster than the bus it's on - but since you mentioned a 9600 which has a 10MB/sec bus you actually will see a ~5-10% improvement just with the overclock. If you checked the release notes too we bumped the base clock up to 200MHz as Pi Foundation upped them a while ago. So you will get a bump next time you update, but to get the biggest bump, You'll need an Ultra card. Coincidentally my 9600 has a U160 card in it.

I was trying to figure out a drive for my newly acquired Power Computing PowerCenter Pro, which happens to have shipped with a Ultra/20Mb SCSI Adaptec 2930 SCSI PCI card... Looks like I need to pick up another BlueSCSI!

I have a Sonnet ATA66 PCI card in my PM 7300 sporting a PATA SSD but with this new speed bump BlueSCSI seems likes its getting more competitive price/performance wise for PCI Macs! The ATA PCI cards are not exactly cheap and it looks like there are a bunch of Adaptec 2930 PCI cards on eBay for $20-$30, although I'm not sure about the firmware. I wonder what other Mac Ultra SCSI compatible adapters are out there. Might already be a list somewhere...

 

[KennyPowers]

I'm sure others were probably already aware of this, though maybe had never tried it on real hardware, but I was happy to discover that BlueSCSI's floppy emulation happily mounts 2.88MB floppy images created from flux dumps, so now there's a decent archival path for 2.88MB NeXT floppies (assuming you find a 2.88MB drive with separate power and pair it with a specific Greaseweazle model): https://www.nextcomputers.org/forums/index.php?topic=6025.0

 

[Fizzbinn]

Power Computing PowerCenter Pro 180 with stock bundled Adaptec 2930B SCSI card (AHA-2930B MAC).
- Desktop BlueSCSI 2022.12a - Pico 1
- SanDisk Industrial 16GB Micro SD Memory Card Class 10 UHS-I MicroSDHC
- FWB Hard Disk Toolkit PE 2.0.6 SCSI driver
15.954MB/sec read, and 7.382MB/sec write.

For this Adaptec 2930B SCSI PCI card I needed to use an Adaptec control panel to enable "UltraSCSI". I can't find mention of needing to do that in the Power Computing docs so I wonder if the one I have was disabled in the past, perhaps for compatibility with a different drive.

This ever so descriptively named "Board Control" control panel (version 2.0.1 A, 1996) for the 2930B can be downloaded from the Macintosh Garden: Adaptec 2930BU Driver (PowerComputing). To enable (or check) the speed, open the control panel, select your card then choose "Target Options..." from the Special menu.

 

[Fizzbinn]

I had an unassembled BlueSCSI v2 PowerBook / 2.5 Inch SCSI 2022.11b kit that I finally got around to building (it's going to go in a PowerBook 165c I'm fixing up). I put in a Pico W in anticipation of using the DanaPORT WiFi feature and also did the "wake from sleep fix" for older BlueSCSI boards documented here:

Hardware

BlueSCSI v2 Documentation

bluescsi.com

I had some 1/4 watt resistors that I'm sure were overkill but with some careful lead bending I'm pretty happy how it turned out!

 

[eric]

@Androda was busy over the new years break https://hachyderm.io/@TechByAndroda/115820927411081128

For all you CD Audio fans out there, get ready: #BlueSCSI V2 is going to support audio output soon, on hardware versions 2023.09a and later!
Over the Christmas break I took a look at the two audio output options available to the framework (I2S and S/PDIF). I2S unfortunately doesn’t pan out for V2 because we only have two spare GPIO, and I2S needs three. S/PDIF on the other hand requires only a single signal line.
With a cheap S/PDIF converter box in hand, I have successfully updated the framework to make it functional on Pico and Pico 2. Currently only one clock speed is supported for S/PDIF but we might be able to make it work in other modes.
The primary changes are:
* Not using the SPI peripheral (it’s not available on our two spare pins), switched to PIO
* Getting the clock divider right
Next Steps:
* Software release
* Hardware design, to make something which plugs into the QWIIC port for ease of use