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Amstrad PPC640's expansion box.

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Luke

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Hello, I'am thinking about making an expansion box for my PPC640 to connect HDD to it. I have running 20 MB MFM drive with controller, but the main problem is that signals from expansion ports are unbuffered and unlathed so it will be nessesary to use eletronic.

Here is link to article how to make box with 3 exp. slots.
http://fidonet.sensationcontent.com/echomail/classic_computer/605faff6f59fc9ce.html

And here at the end of page are signals from expansion connectors:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/portable.htm

I want to make it as simple as it can be, with one expansion slot. Has anybody ever made something like this and could help me a bit?
 
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I've done some work like this on a PCjr. We've gotten 8 bit ISA hard disk adapters and network adapters to hang off of a PCjr, which is no small feat.

For short distances, unlatched and unbuffered is not a big deal, especially on slower speed buses. Proper grounding and shielding is a much bigger deal.

There is an excellent book called "Interfacing to the IBM PC" by Lewis C. Eggebrecht. While not specific to the Amstrad, the concepts are the same. There are other books as well.

I am not an electrical engineer, but I sure wish I was ... (In addition to being a software engineer, of course.)
 
Proper grounding and shielding is a much bigger deal.
Click to expand...

Can you explain? I don't know electric terms in english...

I've heard about this book, but finding it in my country would be very hard.
It's really so simple? Just connect unbuffered signals to 74HC244, unlathed to 10k resistors and build little case?
 
The key to any good design on any project is to protect the circuits from stray signals. On longs lengths of wire that run parallel to each other, it is possible to 'induce' (cause) a signal between two different wires, which is usually a bad thing.

MattCarp is a member here, and di the hard work on the PCjr to ISA bus adapter .. if he sees this maybe he'll throw in a few words.
 
Amstrad PPC640's expansion box

Amstrad PPC640's expansion box

I also would like to build a PPC640 expansion boxs for me two PPC640's.
I have found some usefull information.

The Amstrad PPC Technical Reference Manual is available online at:
http://www.seasip.info/AmstradXT/ppctech/index.html

http://www.seasip.info/AmstradXT/index.html
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/portable.htm

It looks like you could upgrade the com ports from 8250 uart (max 9600 baud) with 16550 UART thear could be problems with the BIOS but a IC socket could be used so the old 8250 UART coude be replased.

Also the inbuild CGA graphics adaptor can be disabled and a standerd VGA 16 bit ISA graphics adaptor could be used I have used 16 bit graphics adaptors in IBM XT's with no problems, also other 16 bit ISA cards may also be used.

I have two PPC640 one of them has an internal 40MB hard drive I would also like to clone

Dous anyone wont the work on it with me???

http://classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2003-April/013351.html
http://classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2003-April/013397.html
 
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Try to get a copy of the book that I referenced above - it is a real gem for this kind of a project.

I don't have enough of a EE background to make it work .. I need some basic education on how to use caps and resistors. (I understand their function, but not how to apply them to a circuit.) Some day ...
 
PPC640's expansion box

PPC640's expansion box

I have a copy of "Interfacing to the IBM PC" someware I will look for it.
 
Where is hard disk card and HDD in your PPC? I'am interesting in doing that but I have no enough knowledge in electronic. I want to make only one expansion slot for HD controller. PPC have also EGA mode that's similar to VGA, but if you want VGA... you should make expansion box...
 
Amstrad PPC640's expansion box

Amstrad PPC640's expansion box

one of my links is to a online copy of the ppc640 hardware manul and I think that the EGA option is for a EGA or VGA ISA card in a expansion box, it just disables the onboard CGA.

The PPC640 with the hard drive has a controler board added that conects the IDE hard drive to the main board.
It may be possable to copy it, the ROM on the controler would also need coping.

I have found someone that desigend and built a expansion box for his PPC640 in 1991 his name is called Steve Asher and I contacted him through his BBS.
he has emailed me all the documents about it and I am going over them.

I would like to put them here so you all can have a look
 
Yes, true it's for external EGA. PC1640 had internal EGA, so i thought that PPC 'd have too. I'am interesting with the documentation.
 
PPC640's expansion box

PPC640's expansion box

The book I have is "how to interface PCs by R.A. Penfold" not "Interfacing to the IBM PC" by Lewis C. Eggebrecht
 
Instructions for building an expansion box for the Amstrad PPC 512/640

Instructions for building an expansion box for the Amstrad PPC 512/640

Here are the notes and drawings for building an expansion box for the Amstrad PPC512 / 640 portable computer from Steve A

http://www.xaragmata.thebbs.org/ppc.html
74hc244.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Rough drawing of 74HC244 IC pin layout

Here is a list of the files.

bottom.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Drawing of underside of printed board layout

cardslot.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Drawing of IBM card slot pin & signal layout, with notes

ppc-trm1.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Cover pic of PPC Technical Reference Manual

ppc-trm2.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic of Expansion Connector A in PPC Technical Reference Manual

ppc-trm3.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic of Expansion Connector B in PPC Technical Reference Manual

ppc-trm4.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic of Expansion Connector A, with my notes, in PPC Technical Reference Manual

ppc-trm5.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic of Expansion Connector B, with my notes, in PPC Technical Reference Manual

ppc.txt Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Overview and parts list

ppcwire1.txt Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - First description of wiring run

ppcwire2.txt Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Second description of wiring run

top.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Drawing of top side of printed board layout

wiring1.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic 1 of my rough wiring notes

wiring2.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic 2 of my rough wiring notes

wiring3.jpg Amstrad PPC Expansion Box - Pic 3 of my rough wiring notes


The Amstrad PPC Technical Reference Manual is available online at
http://www.seasip.info/AmstradXT/ppctech/index.html
 
PPC640's expansion box

PPC640's expansion box

I have looked up the HC series and found out that thay have a small fan-out of 2.5, that means that a HC series IC can only run 2.5 orignal 74 series ic's or 10 LS series ic's.
I have found a TTL series that has about the same fan-in as the HC but a lower propagation delay and a fan-out of 5, its the 74ALS series.

Why I think it should be used is becos I think that the ISA card's may use orignal 74 series ic's or lots of LS series ic's and exceed the current rating of the output of the 74HC244.

The 74HC244 and 74ALS244 should be pin compatible.

I found a web page that showes the product life cycle of TTL and CMOS Families and 74ALS244 is not obsolete.
http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Logic_Family_Selection.html

I have looked at the cost of the ic's
74HC244 £0.32 UK 2.22 in zloty
74ALS244 £0.51 UK 3.52 in zloty
I got the price from RS Components UK www.rswww.com there is a
RS Components International www.rs-components.com there is a RS in Poland
 
IDE drive in the PPC640

IDE drive in the PPC640

thare are controlers that were made to work in the IBM XT that would work in the PPC640 expansion box I am using a SCSI one in my XT and ABC Computers in the USA sells a 8 bit ISA hard drive controler for $48 us dollers you could probley use a 500MB hard drive on it or with some clever software upto about 8GB I think.

http://www.abcresellers.bigstep.com/homepage.html
under coltrolers, PC-XT IDE controler

Also a 2.5 inch IDE laptop hard drive could be used to keep things small and power requirments down.

I am also looking in to how to upgrade the com ports from a maxamun speed of 9k to 115k.
 
8 Bit IDE Hard Disk Adapter ADP50

8 Bit IDE Hard Disk Adapter ADP50

I found a 8 Bit IDE Hard Disk Adapter for $10 us dollers at
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item294.htm

Western Digital 8 bit ISA hard drive controler for $10
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item280.htm

CD-ROM Controller for Pan,Sony,Mitsumi by SunMoonStar not IDE for $10
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item291.htm

a big list of 8bit cards
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/subcat33.htm

8 Bit Floppy Drive Interface Card for 1.44mb disk drives $5
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item214.htm

8 Bit EGA/LPT/Extended Memory Card $10http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item164.htm

Everex Micro Enhancer Deluxe EGA/VGA VCard $10
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item256.htm

SIIG E-Lan 100 8-Bit Ethernet Card (Coax or AUI) $10
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item110.htm

XT Style 150 Watt Power Supply $5
http://computerjunk.com/catalog/items/item169.htm
 
That's a lot to digest .. I'm going to come back to your posts later tonight and try to digest them.

Is the Penfold book good? Extra reference material never hurts.

8 bit IDE might be a trap .. You need to find a drive that has an 8 bit transfer mode. Only the very oldest IDE drives do that ... newer drives expect 16 bit transfers, and don't implement the 8 bit transfer part of the specification because it is optional.

I've had 8 bit SCSI cards running on my expansion adapter with brand new drives. They are a better bet.
 
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