Anyone recognize this CD-ROM enclosure?

[RickNel]

I picked this up from my usual supplier of quality vintage goods - the tip shop.

No markings or brands. IEC AC input for 12v/5v PSU and a parallel/IDE multiplexer of some sort, housing a CD-ROM with RCA stereo audio out.



The case is very solid, radiation shielded, little fan next to the CD-ROM, looks like meant to sit under a CRT monitor or similar heavy box.



Rear labels on DB25 sockets are "Printer" and "IDE Port"



Logic chip on the multiplexer board is KingByte KBIC-051A / 9644. Made in Taiwan.

Nearest I could get from Google is that KingsByte made parallel/IDE interfaces for various non-name peripherals.

This looks like it might have been designed to go with something like a Tandy or Commodore or the like?
The case top has small square recess where a proprietary logo might be expected - but it's empty.

There are some drivers on DriverGuide that might work for some older DOS-based system before ATAPI standards - Win 3.1 or so - but I don't know how IDE would interface to a DB25 - was there a special standard or would the driver assume standard LPT pinout?

If this is not worth preserving as an external CDROM for my oldest machines, the case with PSU could be re-used as a handy enclosure for a modern mini single-board device of some sort.

Rick

 

[krebizfan]

I would think it is more a generic Parallel port IDE CR-ROM so the CD-ROM drive itself is a stock ATAPI model. The "IDE Port" label is probably on the port that connects to the PC's parallel port while "Printer" label indicates the one that is used for printer passthrough. Parallel port daisy chaining didn't always work though so if you can give printers, zips, and cd-roms different ports you should.

Most of the enclosures similar to that one were intended for the 386-Pentium era IBM PC compatibles running DOS up to Win 9x but depending on drivers could work with earlier systems. I don't know of any models that worked with non-IBM PC compatibles but I won't be surprised if one existed.

Some of enclosures similar to that one can work with other IDE/ATAPI devices like hard drives or super floppies.

 

[Old Thrashbarg]

Looks like a generic external SCSI CD-ROM. Those ports on the back are SCSI IN/OUT ports.

No, as krebizfan mentioned, it is indeed a parallel port drive. They were somewhat popular in the mid '90s, before laptops started coming standard with CD-ROM drives. The Micro Solutions 'Backpack' drives were the most common, but I've seen those generic ones before too.

I think it would also be prudent to mention, though: Do NOT try to plug that thing into a SCSI port, you will probably kill both the SCSI controller and the drive if you do so. I remember that happening with the parallel port Zip drives.

 

[Chuckster_in_Jax]

It would have helped if I had looked at picture #3.
I have a couple of external SCSI boxes that look identical, but the connectors go directly to the CD-ROM without any board in between.
This one doesn't have a thumbwheel switch to set the SCSI address either.

 

[RickNel]

Thanks for the intelligence. I had wondered about SCSI because of the daisy-chain set-up, but the labels clearly say IDE.

The only SCSI port in my collection is on a Mac Classic, used for Zip drive, and I won't be connecting that to this box.

Drivers are the next issue.

I guess that the KingsByte chip works with the driver to arbitrate between data calls to the CDROM and to the printer?

A typical operation would be to be printing a file from the CDROM to the printer, so both peripherals in use for the same operation via the same parallel port.

What should I expect in terms of driver software? I might have to modify something if I'm not lucky.

Here's what I would guess: any Read function is filtered to go to the CDROM, any Write call is filtered to go to the printer. But both peripherals will also send Status signals and receive Command signals using the same port lines.

Rick

 

[Chuck(G)]

The KingByte KL3000 series is a type of port replicator. It uses a non-standard protocol over the parallel port that printers are blind to. For example, if instead of using the STROBE/ line on pin 1, the device uses pin 14, AUTOFEED/, as a strobe, the printer won't see it. Similarly, getting data back in the opposite direction can use the 5 printer status signals and "nibble" things back. Usually, some sort of logical protocol is built on top of this to allow multiple devices to use the parallel "back door". I'm simplifying a bit, but you get the idea.

So, there's no conflict between printer and whatever other device you care to hook onto the port.

 

[RickNel]

The KingByte KL3000 series is a type of port replicator. It uses a non-standard protocol over the parallel port that printers are blind to. For example, if instead of using the STROBE/ line on pin 1, the device uses pin 14, AUTOFEED/, as a strobe, the printer won't see it. Similarly, getting data back in the opposite direction can use the 5 printer status signals and "nibble" things back. Usually, some sort of logical protocol is built on top of this to allow multiple devices to use the parallel "back door". I'm simplifying a bit, but you get the idea.

So, there's no conflict between printer and whatever other device you care to hook onto the port.

OK - that's encouraging. So the right driver will be essential.

If the driver sets/assumes the port as SPP, I should expect nibble mode reads from the CD-ROM. Pretty slow? Or, if lucky, the driver might test the port for bi-directional capability and use 8-bit reads on an EPP port. I'm guessing this is 1996 vintage - a couple of serial numbers have 96 prefix.

The hardware is set up for audio with a volume-controlled headphone pre-amp and RCA line output. But if I have any real use for this, it will be to load software on pre-USB laptops. Slow reads would be significant only if using it to run CDROM games. It's huge and heavy, definitely designed for desktop rather than portable use.

Rick

 

[Chuck(G)]

By 1996, most parallel-port devices could understand at least PS/2 bi-directional mode. IEEE 1284 was released in 1994, so it's possible that EPP and ECP aren't recognized.

 

[RickNel]

Trying different search word combinations in different orders gets different results from Google. [rant]If the word "driver" is included, you get pages of nuisance commercial sites that claim to be free, but then want you to subscribe to some futile "service" they offer, and generally don't even have the rare driver you are seeking![/rant]

I'm now fairly confident this box is a product of "3'C Bridge" in Taiwan. They have a rudimentary surviving website, with a photo of a box with very similar external design features, though a different (I assume later) parallel-to-IDE model. No driver there. But a driver package listed under KingByte parallel-to-IDE at DriverGuide has some Readme notes that use identical sentences to the 3'C Bridge Support FAQ, so I'll try that when I get the time.

The notes indicate this driver has automatic detection of EPP and advise checking BIOS to enable EPP, so that is hopeful.

Notes say the driver should work with anyting from DOS up to NT 4.0, but there is a warning that it won't work with XP because XP will not register a port for more than one device. Not that I have any reason to use this box with an XP system.

Also suggests the adapter and driver will work with any IDE/ATAPI device including DVD-R if write speeds are kept low. So a parallel-connected HDD is also an option.

Rick