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Everex STEP Megacube Part Deux

It's been a long time, but I am pretty sure I had the Winner 2000 going with Univbe 6.53. I tested the card with GTA1 using 320x200 and 640x480 modes.
 
Okay more updates:

I tried to install the disk subsystem but so far it has proved to be quite a pain:
1. SCSI isn't working because of termination issues and the
2. 5 1/4 FDD doesn't work.

The FDD is a Teac Drive installed on a CC IV w/ a std. twisted FDD cable. Drive A: (1.44) works fine and the 1.2 is initialized by the computer and comes up as B:. However, on accessing it there is a loud "thack" and then immediate abort, retry, fail error.

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I also got the replacement cam locks however, due to a slight issue w/ orientation the new cam locks only allow the keys to be removed when the enclosure is unlocked and prevent removal when then closure is locked! I am trying to get cam locks now that allow removal of the keys in either position.

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New Cam Lock on left old ones on right:
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So the quest goes on!
 
Progress was made this week. I replaced the AHA-1742A SCSI controller w/ a AHA-2740W. This is dual channel wide controller. A little more recent then the 1742A plus it supports wide SCSI devices. No floppy controller on this but w/ a CCIV I don't need a FDC on the SCSI controller! Using the new card I was able to get the HDD drive to work. Unfortunately it is LOUD! Almost to the point of being unusable. So I am waiting for a Wide SCSI HDD to arrive which will hopefully be quieter. However, in the meantime I decided to prepare some of th either components in the SCSI chain.

I had a Conner CTS-8000 Tape Drive which can store up to 4GB on one tape drive. I bought this back in the day for backup and offline storage first w/ TapeDisk and then w/ Seagate Direct Tape Access. It still works and is going into the Megacube. However, the CTS-8000 only comes in beige and not black. So out comes the spray can ;)

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And the finished product:

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I was also able to get a new set of camlocks which more closely match the old ones in size. These also allow removal of the key in either locked or unlocked position so I am hopefully they will work better:

The rightmost is the original replacement I got that did not work, the middle one is the original camlocks that came w/ the megacube, and left most is the new replacements:

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Hello, new user here. Once and so often I search for info on the Everex Cube and, what do you know, something new popped up. I have a pair of these, 486/33, one functional and the other with a bad PS. The funtional one is nearly mint and full-house; 3x2GB Narrow SCSI HDD on Adaptec (can't remember the model (maybe 1642, it has a built in BIOS), but it's not the 1542 that it came with), 64MB on riser card, black 1.2MB 5.25" and 3.5'" (cap unknown), quad-speed Sony CD-ROM (beige, unfortunately) and has been upgraded with a 486DX2/66 proc, an ATI Graphics Ultra Pro and 2 - 100mb Intel ISA NICs. This box got me through my NT4.0 MCSE. I think it now boots NT4.0, Winframe 1...umm... .6? .8? and maybe DOS or Redhat via System Commander. Been a while since I wound it up. Working a helpdesk back in the 90's, I had no loss of obsolete disks to sub in and out, including 2 - 3GB 5.25" FULL HEIGHT Seagates (that added to the 2 - 250MB half height Seagates is likely what torqued the original PS). We used to have several of these running Novell 3.11 as servers for our design department, and the mint one I have had cush duty as an accounting workstation (Win3.1). Even the door locks down and the keys work. You may find the tab that the door locks into rattling around the bottom of the case front, though you've probably had it complete apart already. I reattached mine with silicone caulk. Mine are not EISA, just ISA.

Other antiques in my collection include: Abit BP6 w/ 2x400MHz, Abit IT5H w/ AMD K6-233, Maxtor Maxattach 4100 file server (in service), Nokia ip530 firewall appliance (in service), and a bunch of odd parts, like a combined 3.5/5.25 floppy, a 4 disk NEC CD changer, etc., etc.

Anyway, looks like I've got some winter reading ahead!

Peder

EDIT: I may be imagining things, but I think this box was the PC Magazine Dream Machine around 1990, I think their setup was around $10K. I haven't been able to corroborate that.
 
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Wow, great job with the spray paint!

The 2740/42 is a really nice controller. I've been running mine with a 2GB wide barracuda for years, and it's still going strong. However, the drive is quite noisy and I'd really like to find a quiet and fast replacement. Let me know if you have any luck finding something.

Alternatively I'm thinking of using a SCSI to IDE converter and using compact flash instead.
 
Anonymous Coward said:
Wow, great job with the spray paint!

The 2740/42 is a really nice controller. I've been running mine with a 2GB wide barracuda for years, and it's still going strong. However, the drive is quite noisy and I'd really like to find a quiet and fast replacement. Let me know if you have any luck finding something.

Alternatively I'm thinking of using a SCSI to IDE converter and using compact flash instead.
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AC,

Unfortunately that is the drive that I have coming in as well, a 7200RPM 2GB Barracuda. Looks like I won't be getting away from the noise either!

EDIT: I just cheked on those SCSI to IDE adapters and they are very expensive! $150 for the adapter, and then $30 more for a CF to IDE.... But it will be quiet and fast!
 
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Peder,

Welcome to the board. Its nice to have another MegaCube fan specially one with not one but two cubes :). You are some what right, it was PC Computing. If you read my first post there is a number of references there including an ad form Infoworld referencing the PC Computing articles! The PS seems to be a weak point on these units. Mine was also bad but thanks to help from members of this forum it is now working. You may want to check some of the other threads I have started on these beasts discussing the PS issues.

Currently I am upgrading mine w/ period specific items. I have also found replacement for some of the parts including the door latch and the cam locks. The cam locks on my unit work as well but unfortunately I never had the keys so I just replaced them. BTW, Do you have any manuals that you can post or do you have an extra set you want to get rid off ;)?

p.s. You should post some pics of your mint unit. I and others would love to see it!
 
You should be able to get the SCSIDE adapter a lot cheaper than that. I paid $40 for the narrow version several years ago, and at the time they had the wide version going for the same price. It appears there are presently none available on ebay at that price, but keep your eyes open. I believe the part you want is 7720UW

The CF converter costs $1 (china special).
 
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Shadow Lord said:
BTW, Do you have any manuals that you can post or do you have an extra set you want to get rid off ;)?

p.s. You should post some pics of your mint unit. I and others would love to see it!
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No manuals, but I do have a couple of DOS executables that I think I downloaded from Everex many years ago. One will display whatever text you want on the LED display and the other will display text in banner/scrolling form. I corresponded with a fellow maybe 10 years ago who had an EISA version, and he was under the impression that there was a addon board for a second processor. Not sure how true that was, I suspected he was missing the memory board, but who knows. Oh, this box also had a couple of Boca memory boards in it for a while, if you remember those. PS, the SCSI card is an AHA-1542CF.
 
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Anonymous Coward said:
This place sells the 7720UW for $80. It's not cheap, but it's better than $150.

http://www.netcomdirect.com/acaeulwiscbr1.html

Here's one that sold on ebay for $35 not too long ago:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ACARD-AEC-7720U...080?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563f4f3d38
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Thanks for the linkage. I'll have to see how things sound once the drives are installed and placed in the computer w/ the sides on. I may also try slower drive (5400RPM) to see if it has better acoustics!
 
Provels said:
No manuals, but I do have a couple of DOS executables that I think I downloaded from Everex many years ago. One will display whatever text you want on the LED display and the other will display text in banner/scrolling form. I corresponded with a fellow maybe 10 years ago who had an EISA version, and he was under the impression that there was a addon board for a second processor. Not sure how true that was, I suspected he was missing the memory board, but who knows. Oh, this box also had a couple of Boca memory boards in it for a while, if you remember those. PS, the SCSI card is an AHA-1542CF.
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Provels,

I'd appreciate it if you could post those utilities to this board as an attachment. Or if it is easier I can PM you w/ my e-mail address. It would be a cool use of the LCD. As far as a secondary CPU, while possible, I believe it is unlikely. I never heard of such a thing for this computer and back then most SMP systems tended to be very particular. The 1542CF sounds right for the time period. The 1742 was a later revision of the 1542 for EISA bus, which is what originally came w/ my system. As far as Adaptec and EISA go the 2740W/2742W is the pinnacle of the technology. So since your system is a bit older/ISA only I am not surprised that they went/ a 1542. BTW: Adaptec still has the drivers and manuals for that card posted on their web site.
 
Here you are. Probably been 12 years since I looked at them. Don't remember if you point them towards a text file or just type the actual text after the command. The "panel.com" I don't remember, maybe it's the same as "display.exe". Or maybe "display" is something different. Anyway, that all the binaries. I think I remember the display showing something like "BOOT EXE" when the original 1542 jumper-monster was in there and it changed to "EVEREX" when I changed it to the 1542CF. Happy executing!

EDIT: Check out this archived thread on Megacube MP. You have a new quest!
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.unix.xenix.sco/browse_thread/thread/12664d59de965317/c9b9bf35b577266e?hl=en&q=everex+cube+mp
 

Attachments

  • BANNER.ZIP
    887 bytes · Views: 1
  • DISPLAY.ZIP
    2.6 KB · Views: 1
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Why must you feed the beast? :D So I stand corrected there was a MP version which seems did not do so well. MP back then was more voodoo then science. I am not surprised they had so many problems. Plus, MP back then wasn't like now where you see benefits because of multithreading apps and os. I wonder how it performed w/ NT vs. *nix!

BTW: Here are the boards for MP.

P.S. Thanks for the files! I will give them a try tomorrow!
 
Success,

The new cam locks worked perfectly!

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The 5 1/4" floppy problem is fixed now, and the SCSI issue appears to be all, but finished. I am hoping to begin installing an actual OS on this thing soon, followed by some of the accessory HW (e.g. Copy II PC Card, Sound Cards, etc...)
 
Provels said:
Thanks, that's really cool. Also, if you ever figure out how to change from bunny speed to turtle speed, let me know. I think there may originally have been a TSR that responded to a keypress combo.
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Provels,

Will Do. Have you by any chance the password setting utility for the cube?
 
Shadow Lord said:
Provels,

Will Do. Have you by any chance the password setting utility for the cube?
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No. Mine, being ISA, had the same BIOS features as the hundreds of Everex desktops we had. DEL, F1, or whatever key listed at POST. Haven't fired it up yet, but I will soon and send some pix.
 
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