Blizzard 1230/1260 scsi interface port

[xyzzy]

Has anyone considered the feasability of making a (DMA-capable) IDE / SATA interface card that plugs into the same port that the Blizzard SCSI kit does?

If space permits maybe even some embedded SDRAM?

[Matt_H]

Should be possible. In fact, phase5 even asked customers what sort of expansions they'd like to see for the connector on the registration card for the 1260. SCSI was the only one they ever released, though.

The challenges:
-Market is limited to 1230/1260 owners interested in such an expansion - a small subset of a small subset
-Don't know if the appropriate documentation for the connector is available.
-You could achieve essentially the same result with a SCSI-to-SATA converter attached to the SCSI kit for probably less than a new expansion would cost

[Jose]

A kick ass use for that port would be a gfx card.

[Zac67]

I'd vote for a graphics card with SATA and USB ports. (Not that anything is going to happen, of course.)

[Akiko]

Is there even any documentation on the Blizzard expansion port?

[xyzzy]

It's a 100-pin connector. I'm examining the PCB traces and am working out where each bus goes.

So far its appears to carry A31-A0, and D31-D0... work still in progress.

Edit:

So far I have: (numbering from edge of card)

1,2 Power & GND
3-18 A31 to A16
19,20 Power & GND
21-36 A15 to A0
37,38 Power & GND
39-54 D31 to D16
55,56 Power & GND
57-72 D15 to D0
73,74 Power & GND

after this it gets a bit fuzzy, I have identified the following signals:

/DSACK0, /DSACK1, SIZE0, SIZE1, /STERM, /AS, R/W and /INT2

The rest appear to be connected to the PLDs, which I haven't traced out yet.

[Matt_H]

The phase5.a1k.org guys might have the pinout information.

[magnetic]

The phase5.a1k.org guys might have the pinout information.

If I remember correctly for talking to TK and Gerald of bPlan DCE purchased all the rights and documentations from the former Phase5. But this is froma  conversation from several years ago and dont know what these guys from that link would have. Seems to me if they had full schematics they would have them on that site for download. Its pretty comprehensive.

[delshay]

That's interesting I wonder what can be added at connector instead of SCSI, makes me think what can be added to apollo cards, of course when all signals are identified, then its the difficulty of intergrating a new device.

Maybe if someone has the SCSI device it maybe easier to trace remaining signals.