RE: Macintosh Portable

[Sam O'nella]

Did you end up trying anything yet? Isn't there some requirement for a working 
battery for it to power on or was that just the power routing through the 
battery so a corroded one isn't a simple run without it fix?
 Original message From: Chris Pye <p...@mactec.com.au> Date: 
11/26/16  12:26 AM  (GMT-06:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic 
Posts" <cctalk@classiccmp.org> Subject: Macintosh Portable 
Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I know that 
the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.

Re: Macintosh Portable

[drlegendre .]

If that old Conner is still good, you're one of the lucky ones for sure..

We had to build a new disk for ours, and if I recall, you only need to load
the correct version of standard MacOS (6.0.4?) and it will recognize the
portable and install the correct software for it. There may also have been
a special system extension (or two..) for the portable.

The portable is effectively a Mac Plus, I think. You might already know all
of this.

On Sun, Nov 27, 2016 at 11:40 PM, Chris Pye  wrote:

>
> > On 28 Nov 2016, at 3:31 pm, drlegendre .  wrote:
> >
> > Yep, that's exactly what you needed!
> >
> > I'll be very interested to hear how it works out. Do you plan to mount
> > another conventional disk, or will you try a SCSI2SD type option?
>
> As far as I know, the old Conner SCSI drive should (might) still work. If
> so, I just want to image it for prosperity.
>
> If it’s dead I do have a SCSI2SD that I will try as a replacement.

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Chris Pye]

> On 28 Nov 2016, at 3:31 pm, drlegendre .  wrote:
> 
> Yep, that's exactly what you needed!
> 
> I'll be very interested to hear how it works out. Do you plan to mount
> another conventional disk, or will you try a SCSI2SD type option?

As far as I know, the old Conner SCSI drive should (might) still work. If so, I 
just want to image it for prosperity.

If it’s dead I do have a SCSI2SD that I will try as a replacement.

Re: Macintosh Portable

[drlegendre .]

Yep, that's exactly what you needed!

I'll be very interested to hear how it works out. Do you plan to mount
another conventional disk, or will you try a SCSI2SD type option?

On Sun, Nov 27, 2016 at 11:20 PM, Chris Pye <p...@mactec.com.au> wrote:

>
> > On 27 Nov 2016, at 6:57 am, Chris Hanson <cmhan...@eschatologist.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > Not really proprietary, it was before tiny portable SCSI drives were
> really standardized, and Apple published everything so third parties could
> create compatible hardware.
> >
> > It’s just a 34-pin connector carrying both SCSI signal and power.
> Details are on page 5-31 (Chapter 5: Hardware) of the Macintosh Portable
> Developer Note, Table 5-6: SCSI Internal Connector Pinout. It should be
> simple to make an adapter for a SCSI2SD or equivalent.
>
>
> Thank you, I think I have found the appropriate diagram and can make an
> adapter.
>
> http://antinode.info/mac/port_scsi.html
>
> Cheers,
> Chris...

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Chris Pye]

> On 27 Nov 2016, at 6:57 am, Chris Hanson <cmhan...@eschatologist.net> wrote:
> 
> Not really proprietary, it was before tiny portable SCSI drives were really 
> standardized, and Apple published everything so third parties could create 
> compatible hardware.
> 
> It’s just a 34-pin connector carrying both SCSI signal and power. Details are 
> on page 5-31 (Chapter 5: Hardware) of the Macintosh Portable Developer Note, 
> Table 5-6: SCSI Internal Connector Pinout. It should be simple to make an 
> adapter for a SCSI2SD or equivalent.


Thank you, I think I have found the appropriate diagram and can make an adapter.

http://antinode.info/mac/port_scsi.html

Cheers,
Chris...

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Chris Pye]

> On 28 Nov 2016, at 4:49 am, Stephen Pereira  wrote:
> 
> I am not certain exactly what you mean by polarity in this case, but I’m 
> guessing that you are asking which contact is positive and which is negative.
> If that’s the case, the center socket is positive, and the outer jacket band 
> is negative.

Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to know.

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Stephen Pereira]

I am not certain exactly what you mean by polarity in this case, but I’m 
guessing that you are asking which contact is positive and which is negative.
If that’s the case, the center socket is positive, and the outer jacket band is 
negative.

I hope this helps.

smp
--
Stephen M. Pereira
Bedford, NH  03110
KB1SXE


> On Nov 27, 2016, at 1:00 PM, cctech-requ...@classiccmp.org wrote:
> 
> --
> 
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2016 16:26:43 +1000
> From: Chris Pye <p...@mactec.com.au <mailto:p...@mactec.com.au>>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>   <cctalk@classiccmp.org <mailto:cctalk@classiccmp.org>>
> Subject: Macintosh Portable
> Message-ID: <00d543b1-7e32-40de-8829-91e3ebfcb...@mactec.com.au 
> <mailto:00d543b1-7e32-40de-8829-91e3ebfcb...@mactec.com.au>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> 
> Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I know 
> that the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.
> 
> I did have have a PB100 power supply that I used with mine, but 
> (unfortunately) no longer have it.
> 
> Also (if it still works) what is the easiest way to image the old Conner SCSI 
> drive? It doesn?t appear to have a standard connector.
> 
> I have googled this, but didn?t come up with anything useful.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris...
> 
> 
> 

Re: Macintosh Portable

[drlegendre .]

Chris,

"Not really proprietary, it was before tiny portable SCSI drives were
really standardized, and Apple published everything so third parties could
create compatible hardware."

I wasn't aware that Apple had published the specs for that connector, so
you're correct that it's not proprietary in the strongest sense of the term
(trade secret). It would have been more correct to say it was an
implementation unique to Apple, and to the Mac Portable specifically - or
at least so far as I've ever known.

Do you know of any other product that used the odd 34-pin SCSI data & power
connector? Or of any 3rd party drives ever made to replace the stock
Conner? I'm not aware that either case is true..

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 2:57 PM, Chris Hanson <cmhan...@eschatologist.net>
wrote:

> On Nov 26, 2016, at 1:52 AM, drlegendre . <drlegen...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > You're correct about the drive connector, it's one of those maddening
> > proprietary things that Apple was and still is prone to doing. If I
> recall,
> > the drive itself uses the standard SCSI interface, but the stock drive
> has
> > a permanently attached cable with its own pinout. And I think the drive
> > cable carries both data and power.
>
> Not really proprietary, it was before tiny portable SCSI drives were
> really standardized, and Apple published everything so third parties could
> create compatible hardware.
>
> It’s just a 34-pin connector carrying both SCSI signal and power. Details
> are on page 5-31 (Chapter 5: Hardware) of the Macintosh Portable Developer
> Note, Table 5-6: SCSI Internal Connector Pinout. It should be simple to
> make an adapter for a SCSI2SD or equivalent.
>
>   -- Chris
>
>

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Chris Hanson]

On Nov 26, 2016, at 1:52 AM, drlegendre . <drlegen...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> You're correct about the drive connector, it's one of those maddening
> proprietary things that Apple was and still is prone to doing. If I recall,
> the drive itself uses the standard SCSI interface, but the stock drive has
> a permanently attached cable with its own pinout. And I think the drive
> cable carries both data and power.

Not really proprietary, it was before tiny portable SCSI drives were really 
standardized, and Apple published everything so third parties could create 
compatible hardware.

It’s just a 34-pin connector carrying both SCSI signal and power. Details are 
on page 5-31 (Chapter 5: Hardware) of the Macintosh Portable Developer Note, 
Table 5-6: SCSI Internal Connector Pinout. It should be simple to make an 
adapter for a SCSI2SD or equivalent.

  -- Chris

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Brian Marstella]

Chris,

I remembered seeing this post from a couple of years ago when I was looking
at a Mac Portable. I ended up not buying it so I can't speak for whether
this will work, but it might point in the right direction. See especially
the links around the 4th post in the thread as it shows a 34 pin converter
method.

Regards, Brian.

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 5:16 AM, Alexandre Souza <
alexandre.tabaj...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Chris, is it a 40 pin cable?
>
> Enviado do meu Tele-Movel
>
> Em 26/11/2016 04:26, "Chris Pye"  escreveu:
>
> > Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I
> know
> > that the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.
> >
> > I did have have a PB100 power supply that I used with mine, but
> > (unfortunately) no longer have it.
> >
> > Also (if it still works) what is the easiest way to image the old Conner
> > SCSI drive? It doesn’t appear to have a standard connector.
> >
> > I have googled this, but didn’t come up with anything useful.
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Chris...
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

Re: Macintosh Portable

[Alexandre Souza]

Chris, is it a 40 pin cable?

Enviado do meu Tele-Movel

Em 26/11/2016 04:26, "Chris Pye"  escreveu:

> Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I know
> that the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.
>
> I did have have a PB100 power supply that I used with mine, but
> (unfortunately) no longer have it.
>
> Also (if it still works) what is the easiest way to image the old Conner
> SCSI drive? It doesn’t appear to have a standard connector.
>
> I have googled this, but didn’t come up with anything useful.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Chris...
>
>
>
>

Re: Macintosh Portable

[drlegendre .]

I can't answer your question about PSU polarity, but I do have some
experience with the Mac Portable hard drive. I had to 'make' a replacement
drive for one, almost 20 years ago now.. so forgive me if there are errors
in this!

You're correct about the drive connector, it's one of those maddening
proprietary things that Apple was and still is prone to doing. If I recall,
the drive itself uses the standard SCSI interface, but the stock drive has
a permanently attached cable with its own pinout. And I think the drive
cable carries both data and power.

If you can find the +correct+ 20 or 40MB (?) Conner hard disk, you can make
a cable that allows you to use one as a replacement for the stock drive,
which is very prone to failure. Apparently, the stock drive is a low-power
version of the otherwise identical Conner drives available at that time.
The stock drive has a red label, and if I recall, the similar but
not-low-power drive has a green label. So the common green-label drive
works fine, but it will consume more battery than the special low-power
version.

Point is, if it still exists, find the web page that shows how to make &
wire the adapter cable - and that should give you enough info to create a
data & power cable that will allow you to read the stock disk.

There was also some talk, at the time, that it was possible to transfer the
complete circuit board, with cable, to one of the green label drives.. and
have it work. Of course, this would only work if the drive had a physical
failure, rather than a failure with the board electronics. In my case, I
had to wire up a special cable.. it took a couple hrs, but worked fine.

On Sat, Nov 26, 2016 at 12:26 AM, Chris Pye  wrote:

> Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I know
> that the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.
>
> I did have have a PB100 power supply that I used with mine, but
> (unfortunately) no longer have it.
>
> Also (if it still works) what is the easiest way to image the old Conner
> SCSI drive? It doesn’t appear to have a standard connector.
>
> I have googled this, but didn’t come up with anything useful.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Chris...
>
>
>
>

Macintosh Portable

[Chris Pye]

Does anyone know off hand what polarity that Mac Portable requires? I know that 
the original was 7.5V @ 1.5A, but not sure of the polarity.

I did have have a PB100 power supply that I used with mine, but (unfortunately) 
no longer have it.

Also (if it still works) what is the easiest way to image the old Conner SCSI 
drive? It doesn’t appear to have a standard connector.

I have googled this, but didn’t come up with anything useful.


Thanks,
Chris...