PEB interface card replacement?

[Vorticon]

Do you guys think it's time to consider a modern replacement for it? I'm willing to experiment with it if I can get my hands on a schematic. There has got to be a better alternative then that firehose cable and the bulky side connector...

[Shift838]

i think it's long over due.

[+Ksarul]

The schematic is up on WHT. . .and it IS a good idea.

[+RXB]

Yea not like I am a hardware guy and can fix my two PEB Interface cards as I think that is why my repaired PGRAM cards will not work properly.

[slinkeey]

Is that 32K sideport project a good stepping stone.

 

Could build a PEB Interface shield.

 

Stolen From --- Ω --- :

Edited November 3, 2016 by slinkeey

[+Schmitzi]

yes very good project

[aftyde]

I'd advance purchase such a thing - I never understood why the firehose couldn't be replaced with a simple multiplexed connection running over an ethernet cable.

[mizapf]

I'd advance purchase such a thing - I never understood why the firehose couldn't be replaced with a simple multiplexed connection running over an ethernet cable.

 

I remember we had a calculation some time ago concerning that idea. You must not forget how many cables we have in that firehose, and that very many of them must be able to switch independently from another at a 333 ns rate. A 100 MBit/s connection would not be sufficient; you'd have to go for a gigabit connection.

[aftyde]

Agreed - but I'm not saying we use Ethernet (though PEB over IP would be cool) - just the cable between a small circuit board (perhaps stuffed into a speech synth box) and a PEB card.

 

 

 

I remember we had a calculation some time ago concerning that idea. You must not forget how many cables we have in that firehose, and that very many of them must be able to switch independently from another at a 333 ns rate. A 100 MBit/s connection would not be sufficient; you'd have to go for a gigabit connection.

[atrax27407]

There was a smaller, more flexible cable produced in the past. In fact, it was advertised in MICROpendium if memory serves.

[+Schmitzi]

If an IP-Adapter, then my Emulator can connect to the real PEB ?

And my TI can connect to a VirtualPEB, running in my Emulator ?

[Vorticon]

I would be happy if there is a way to reduce cable size and the side connector form factor. The main drive here is to improve reliability given the aging hardware...

[+OLD CS1]

I still believe that packetizing line transitions and synthesizing certain signals it could be done. We would likely lose the ability to have audio source devices in the PEB, though (SIDMaster, ForTI, Rave99, etc.)

 

But for that matter, why not something like a SCSI cable (68-pin?) Even 50-pin cables would be workable.

[Sinphaltimus]

Something like this..

 

[+fimbulvetr]

I would definitely be interested in a new PEB interface that wasn't so bulky. It would be great to not have that big chunk o plastic sticking out of the side of the TI. I never could understand why they went with that ridiculous design.

[atrax27407]

There was a cable produced in 1984 to move the "foot" of the interface cable out of the way. It was a thin cable with a right-angle connector. See MICROpendium June 1984 page 20.

[+arcadeshopper]

there's a current device to do that as well:

 

[Shift838]

I know some of us have even used a Flex Cable Interface cable extension to move the bulky cable out of the way and use the extension to neatly tuck under the console and to the expansion port.

 

Like this one.

 

Which can be found HERE

 

this is the exact one I use for this method.

[+Schmitzi]

There was a cable produced in 1984 to move the "foot" of the interface cable out of the way. It was a thin cable with a right-angle connector. See MICROpendium June 1984 page 20.

 

this is the page:

 

mp8406-page-20.pdf

[+Schmitzi]

I know some of us have even used a Flex Cable Interface cable extension to move the bulky cable out of the way and use the extension to neatly tuck under the console and to the expansion port.

 

Like this one.

 

Which can be found HERE

 

this is the exact one I use for this method.

 

yes this one is perfect. I use this to move my CPS-99 a bit around the TI

[EKMELSOFT]

I like that PEB cable splitter - maybe make a little plastic box/case for it - I don't like boards out in the open. Looks like it has mount holes.

[+Ksarul]

It does have mounting holes, so it would be relatively easy to put it into a project box or to put some nylon posts on it to ensure it stays level.

[sparkdrummer]

Even though I have one of Ksarul's fine splitter cards I am presently using an Axiom printer interface on my second system it's been in place for a few years.

[+fimbulvetr]

I have one of those extension cables and have nothing but trouble with it, due to the two pieces of circuit board stuck into one end to make a male connector. The slightest jostle and it stops working, and is super fiddely to get working again. It wasn't cheap with shipping to Canada, either.

[+Ksarul]

I should probably do a 44-pin finger-board set layout, then the edge connectors in those things would be one piece, and much less finicky. Looks like I have another weekend project. . .