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8-Bit IDE Controller

wrljet said:
One thing to keep in mind is some of the pins (grounds) are connected directly to the large foils and sink away the heat from your soldering iron. If you aren't paying attention you could get a cold joint. So you need the proper tip and iron.

Bill
Click to expand...

I'm glad you mentioned this. Here's what I'm going to do. I have a Weller 25W pencil iron and a variac I made that can go up to 200W. I am going to mark the variac knob for 15-20W. So are you saying for the ground I need to increase the heat to 25W?

ALSO! I am going to buy new tips as I never replaced the tip in my iron and always relied on the terrible acid solder flux. I saw a video that said a flat tip is best. Is this true?

link to video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4
 
sombunall:

If your Variac is any thing like mine, you are varing the voltage not the power. You don't need a Variac to run a soldering iron. If you are concerned about too much heat, go to Radio Shack and pickup a 15 watt iron off the shelf. Your 25 watt Weller is okay for just about anything. Keep the tip clean and shiny with a damp sponge or old piece of terry cloth.
 
sombunall said:
I'm glad you mentioned this. Here's what I'm going to do. I have a Weller 25W pencil iron and a variac I made that can go up to 200W. I am going to mark the variac knob for 15-20W. So are you saying for the ground I need to increase the heat to 25W?

<snip>
Click to expand...

This issue is with thermal mass and delays from heating element to tip, more than wattage. A large foil area (or large component pin) can sink the heat off of a smaller tip.

Better/proper soldering irons (often called stations) have a feedback loop from tip temperature sensor to the heating element and tend to have higher power. (for example, the one I use for SMD work has a tiny 0.015" tip and is 65W) If the tip temp starts to drop, the controller can pour on the coals to maintain tip temperature.

But I guess I'm getting off the topic with all this.
 
hargle said:
<snip>
BTW: kicad is complaining about not having o_memory.lib and dips-s.lib when I try and open it. Can you put those in your next zip?
Thanks!

update: never mind. I found those libraries using this: http://per.launay.free.fr/kicad/kicad_php/composant.php
Click to expand...

Could you send me o_memory.lib (zipped), please. Those links run into a dead end now, and I can't find it anywhere on google.

Thanks.../Bill
 
wrljet:

I understand what you are saying and you are 100% correct. However, I've been soldering this and that for over 50 years and have had formal training in the art of solding through a vast and varied career. The gentleman in question is just putting together a small pc board, with garden variety components, not something on the space station. Maybe he could check this URL out: http://www.elexp.com/t_solder.htm
 
Your math is right but forget Ohm's Law on this one (I=E/R). Why not try the Variac on your electric range to just 'warm' that coffee pot? What I meant to convey is that a Variac primarily deals with voltage, not power, and is used mainly in troubleshooting potential excessive circuit loading. Yes, it will run junior's Lionel or make your bedstand lamp a very nice night light, but it just seems like a long way around the block for the sake of 10 watts. Personally, I wouldn't trust the voltage scale (or Ohm's Law) on that Variac to derive 15 watts out of a 25 watt iron. Maybe I've got this response in the wrong area - should have put in the Rants area. Good soldering techniques will more than compensate for the extra 10 watts. Oh what that heck - go ahead and use that Variac and lets us know how it works out for you.

P.S.

I once had to change a tire with a pair of water pump pliers when I was a little younger.
 
Agent Orange said:
...What I meant to convey is that a Variac primarily deals with voltage, not power, and is used mainly in troubleshooting potential excessive circuit loading...

...Personally, I wouldn't trust the voltage scale (or Ohm's Law) on that Variac to derive 15 watts out of a 25 watt iron...
Click to expand...

I used it to fix a vintage stereo. Pioneer SX-990 if you must know. It's a DIY. I intend to measure voltage and current with a meter and mark it off. Yes it's stupid but I already have it so why not? This is FUN! :frankenstein:
 
Hi all,


As far as I can see, all vintage computer experts are here on this forum gathered :D

I have an old HeadStart Explorer XT computer (http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/explode/) with a broken harddisk in it.
At first, I'll try a low level format by using DEBUG.
When this does not work, I have one 8-bit ISA channel which is free for use.
Is there currently a IDE adapter card available? I know there are a few (ie the Acculogic sIDE) but they are very hard to find as you all know.

Are you guys able to create one yourself?
 
What you need to do is send a PM to LYNCHAJ. He has some unpopulated pcb's on hand from the XT-IDE Vintage Forum 8 bit IDE HD controller project. He can point you in the right direction as to where to obtain the required components.
 
sombunall said:
...This thread endorses using a variac which I already have built. I want to try to get by without automatic temperature control.

I am puzzled by what you said Orange. Decreasing the voltage does not decrease power? What about P=V^2/R ?
Click to expand...
I'm not surprised that you're puzzled ;-)
Power is voltage times current, at least in a simple resistive circuit like this, so obviously reducing voltage reduces power.
 
MikeS:

It was never a question of power. I was refering to percent of actual regulation possible 'in the real world'.
 
Last edited:
I don't know if it applies to soldering iron heating elements, but many resistive things like that change with temperature. Like light bulbs. Hotter they get the higher the resistance and lower current. Which would make a constant-voltage control of iron temperature unrealistic.
 
I would like to apologzed to all out there who have taken part in this thread. I certainly didn't intend for this to turn into some sort of a engineering session. My take was that I thought it was an 'over kill' to have to use Variac on a simple 25 watt soldering iron to achieve the proper soldering temperature. A 15 watt soldering pencil from Radio Shack (Model: 64-2051) is still available for under 9 dollars. I have now changed my view. If you would like to use a Variac, by all means go for it. If you would like to drag your Honda generator into your work area and run it at 'idle' or so, to obtain the temperature(s) that you need, then please do that. Next time I'll try to keep my nose out of it as it seems that life long on the job practicle experience is not what counts, when one is seeking help on a small 'kitchen table' soldering project.
 
There's nothing wrong with an engineering session, is there? We're all just "bench racing" here over a beer.
 
Blog entry about my XT-IDE build

Blog entry about my XT-IDE build

Hi all, I just posted a new blog entry on my building experience of the XT-IDE controller. Once I rounded up all the parts, I would say it only took an hour or so to actually build. Great job people. I have to thank anyone here who had a part in designing this pcb and firmware. It's really nice to be able to use a common hard drive in my old XT. Please give me some diggs too if you are on digg. :)

http://www.notanon.com/electronics/how-to-build-an-8-bit-ide-controller-for-a-pc-xt/2010/07/30/
 
Hey kids! Just a reminder not to plug your XTIDE in backwards like I just did!

ISA has no key. U6 and the Eprom got hot but no smoke. Left running for about a minute before I realized the folly. Have to try again tomorrow after changing all the chips just to be sure.
 
geordy said:
http://www.notanon.com/electronics/how-to-build-an-8-bit-ide-controller-for-a-pc-xt/2010/07/30/
Click to expand...

this is great! Nice pictures too.

Just a clarification:
I see that you're saying that 01110111 for the dipswitch is not what it says in the build instructions. With your settings, you've got it set to IO 300h and address E000h with the last 4 switches set to 0111. Our "normal" defaults is D000h, which is 1011, as it says on the instructions page.
If it works, excellent, but the build instructions are technically correct.

I think the fault is that the silkscreen * denoting the default address for the eeprom side is in the exact same spot as a thru hole, but it's actually right up there by the "D1FF"
 
Yeah, I see what you mean about the astrisk being in a hole. Oddly, it works with the switches set to 01110111 for my friend James and me. He flashed the eeproms for both of our controllers with an external eeprom programmer so not with the utility. He tried the other dip setting first but it would not work until we set it to 01110111.

Whatever the case, it works great on both of our systems. I'm having a little trouble getting it to boot from a compact flash device but my friend's seems to work with no trouble.

Does the controller favor certain flash cards or flash-ide adapters over others?
 
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