1000EX with ISA cards

[Hatta]

I have a Tandy 1000EX I'd like to put some ISA cards in. I've read that the PLUS slots are electrically compatible with ISA slots, and all I'll need to do is make a ribbon cable with the appropriate IDC and card edge connectors.

That's easy enough, but the 1000EX does not have much room for cards. Fitting 2 cards in there plus an adaptor cable might be a bit much. So I was wondering if it's feasible to make an external expansion bay. Essentially I'd just run the ribbon cable out of the Tandy and into a project box with some ISA ports. Mainly my concern is with crosstalk on a lengthy cable. If crosstalk is likely to be a problem, could I use some twisted pair or something to deal with that?

Has anyone done this? Am I crazy? Should I try enlarging the 1000EX's expansion bay with a dremel instead? Or forget the whole thing?

 

[Chuck(G)]

I'd give it a try.

Back in the 80's I did some work for Visual, who was (attempting) to come out with a PC-compatible portable based on the Commuter, but with lots of memory and expanded functionality--it was to be called the "Barrister". I don't think it ever made it to production. The way this relates to the topic is that the enhancement Visual wanted to add involved a full-length ISA card. On their prototype (I assume that's what it was), they just ran a ribbon cable from the expansion header on the motherboard to a 62-position card-edge socket on the other end that plugged onto the card. They stuffed the whole mess into the case with a little foam--and it worked.

So ISA is pretty forgiving...

 

[Agent Orange]

Unless you are really into that 1000EX then I wouldn't go that way. If you're a big Tandy fan, like me, go with a 1000SX or TX. They're cheap, plentyful, and you get 5 slots to play with. Get into the forum's own XT-IDE controller project and you can have a nice box, IDE HD and all, which I think is a notch or two up on the IBM PCjr.

 

[Hatta]

I think what I'm going to end up doing is desoldering the pins on the memory expansion card and adding a smaller header to make some room in the expansion bay. I don't have any PLUS cards anyway.

I actually have the XT-IDE already. I'm going to get a CF-IDE adaptor and stash it between the floppy and the keyboard. I'm also going to put in a serial card, since the 1000EX didn't come with one.

This is my first Tandy, and I only chose this one because it was the first that I found. I have to ask, what would you use 5 expansion bays for? These things come with a lot stock.

 

[Agent Orange]

My 1000SX sports the 1) XT-IDE controller, 2) sound card, 3) VGA, 4) bus mouse card, and 5) RTC. A new mod is underway. The bus mouse will go in favor of a serial card, and the RTC card will be replaced by a Dallas RTC which simply sets below the BIOS chip. With the extra slot, I can permanetly install my SCSI card and SCSI HD. The SX has a small 'bridge' type chassis support which snaps in and out. A nice place to hang a HD with a little metal work.

Late edit: Adding a 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy and making it perform as 720 KB unit is a snap. You can have both floppy's, 360 KB and 720 KB, with no major alterations cash outlays.

 

[geoffm3]

I think what I'm going to end up doing is desoldering the pins on the memory expansion card and adding a smaller header to make some room in the expansion bay. I don't have any PLUS cards anyway.

I actually have the XT-IDE already. I'm going to get a CF-IDE adaptor and stash it between the floppy and the keyboard. I'm also going to put in a serial card, since the 1000EX didn't come with one.

This is my first Tandy, and I only chose this one because it was the first that I found. I have to ask, what would you use 5 expansion bays for? These things come with a lot stock.

This is what I've done on my HX... the card sandwiches nicely between the memory expansion card and the top cover. The CF adapter is loose in the keyboard. Works like a champ.