Centris 650 Upgrades

[phipli]

I picked up a Centris 650 a few weeks back and have been making a few upgrades. So far I have done the following :

• Upgraded the RAM to 104MB
• Added an AudioMedia II sound card
• Added the missing Reset / Interrupt buttons
• Added a Stage II Rocket
• Fitted a tray loading CD bezel
• Fitted a 600i CD drive
• Added 512k of VRAM (2x 256k)
• Modified the logic board so that the computer reports as a Quadra 800

Luckily the C650 is the variant with the full 68040 (25MHz), 8MB onboard RAM and built in AAUI Ethernet.

Still planned is to add a speed switchable overclock (33 and 40MHz most likely, possibly also 25MHz), and a larger SCSI (spinning rust) hard disk. Additionally, there are three missing chassis screws that I need to replace.

There are ROM mods to enable the C650 to address 128MB SIMMs, which I'm not sure if I will do or not as even 104MB of RAM is excessive. I'm more likely to solder in a ROM slot just for ROM hacking reasons.

Further useful suggestions for modifications are welcome. What should I put in the third Nubus slot?

 

[phipli]

Transferring data to a new internal disk... externally.

Handy bodge when you don't have many external SCSI enclosures

 

[eric]

Are you using something like this? I didnt know these existed and looks very handy!

https://www.amazon.com/Coolerguys-100-240v-Molex-Power-Adapter/dp/B000MGG6SC/

 

[Kai Robinson]

Oooh, whats the 50-pin to 25-pin adapter??

 

[phipli]

Are you using something like this? I didnt know these existed and looks very handy!

https://www.amazon.com/Coolerguys-100-240v-Molex-Power-Adapter/dp/B000MGG6SC/

Yeah, that sort of thing. There are loads cheap on eBay

Pardon our interruption...

 

[phipli]

Oooh, whats the 50-pin to 25-pin adapter??

I can't remember where I got it, but I also have one with a male IDC connector so I can plug a ribbon cable into it.

I also made my own centronics to IDC adapter so I could make my own enclosure

 

[phipli]

The Centronics adapter probably makes more sense as not everybody has Zip drive system->system SCSI leads knocking about

 

[fehervaria]

@phipli do you have the development files? (not the gerber, than the schematic and PCB design - in KiCad or so?)
Would be great to extend with a Centronics female connector to be able to connect the bus-terminator too. Then it is really a "boxless enclosure".

 

[phipli]

@phipli do you have the development files? (not the gerber, than the schematic and PCB design - in KiCad or so?)
Would be great to extend with a Centronics female connector to be able to connect the bus-terminator too. Then it is really a "boxless enclosure".

PCB?

The solution is wonderfully more simple than you're expecting. SCSI++

Pardon our interruption...

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I haven't verified the parts, just to warn you, but you get the idea

 

[fehervaria]

I haven't verified the parts, just to warn you, but you get the idea

Absolutely.
I just like the robust and stable solution. A cable solution is always a little flappy and a thicker PCB is like an adapter.

 

[Kai Robinson]

Would love a pcb/Gerber though

 

[phipli]

@fehervaria @Kai Robinson

The PCB isn't my design, so I don't have the design files, but it is entirely an adapter, not even any passives. It wouldn't take long to draw one up from the pinouts of the two connectors.

Most of my drives have an integrated terminator, so I just use that.

 

[fehervaria]

I have one Quasimodo from 1987 - but that has no bus-termination possibility either.
Create a bullet proven 50 -> 25 pinout is no problem

 

[phipli]

Passive (or active) termination wouldn't be difficult to add on board.

https://flylib.com/books/4/55/1/html/2/images/07fig20.jpg

 

[fehervaria]

I can't remember where I got it, but I also have one with a male IDC connector so I can plug a ribbon cable into it.

I also made my own centronics to IDC adapter so I could make my own enclosure

I find one very similar to those. AmigaKit.com sells it.
25-PIN FEMALE DSUB DB25 TO 50-WAY IDC FEMALE SCSI ADAPTER

 

[Mac84]

Oooh, whats the 50-pin to 25-pin adapter??

There are a few of these lovely things out there. Here is one that I got for my BlueSCSI. It's made by Stephen Arsenault and is titled the "Over Easy II", here's a link to their github: https://github.com/Stephen-Arsenault/OverEasy

It has a 50 pin SCSI (female) port with a 25 pin DB-25 SCSI (male) port. So it can help to connect things like a BlueSCSI to an external DB-25 SCSI port. Although since it's a solder-it-yoruself kit, you can swap out the DB-25 connector to a female one if that suits your needs.

 

[Kai Robinson]

There are a few of these lovely things out there. Here is one that I got for my BlueSCSI. It's made by Stephen Arsenault and is titled the "Over Easy II", here's a link to their github: https://github.com/Stephen-Arsenault/OverEasy

It has a 50 pin SCSI (female) port with a 25 pin DB-25 SCSI (male) port. So it can help to connect things like a BlueSCSI to an external DB-25 SCSI port. Although since it's a solder-it-yoruself kit, you can swap out the DB-25 connector to a female one if that suits your needs.

I bought two from amigakit in the end - pricey, but they work well and provide term power