The number of machines in my vintage network has increased and there are now three distinct groups of machines, requiring expanded use of WiFi to connect them.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Friday, November 12, 2021
BlueSCSI to the Rescue
Using BlueSCSI to Rescue Vintage Macs from SCSI Hard Drive failures
I have several Vintage Macintoshes that use internal SCSI hard drives and also have DB25 SCSI ports: a Mac Plus, a Macintosh TV, a Color Classic II, a Performa 6300CD, and a PowerMac 5400/120.
I have had SCSI internal drives fail before. After 30+ years they are prone to fail for a variety of reasons. Most well known is that Quantum drives commonly used in vintage Macs have two posts covered in rubber that after decades turn to sticky goo and lock the drive head. DIY attempts to repair these drives are iffy at best because they can be easily damaged further in the process of trying to repair them. I have also found that the case screws which need to be removed are often almost impossible to get off with a screwdriver, even after applying WD-40. After two recent drive failures in a short span of time I purchased plastic inserts which may resolve the stuck head issue but as of yet been unable to open a drive to test them.
SD based alternatives have been available for a while so I decided to consider that rather than continue to depend upon 30+ year old SCSI drives.
I decided to try BlueSCSI. BlueSCSI is a very affordable micro-SD solution that works on most Macs that have a SCSI port. They can be built from a kit if you have the tools and skills, or, as I did, purchased from a approved builder.
The BlueSCSI is designed to replace an internal hard drive, so to allow the flexibility of plugging it into a DB25 port I also purchased the OverEasy II Adapter. I prefer not to have to open my vintage computer to get to the SD card.
Using BlueSCSI with a Color Classic II
I purchased my first BlueSCSI and OverEasy II Adapter after the recent failure of my Color Classic II internal drive. Plugging into the SCSI port is doable but would block a serial port. Because the CCII lacks an internal CD-ROM drive I would also like to use an external CD-ROM drive and use the SCSI port for that. I also tested using an Iomega SCSI Zip drive connected to the port and the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II connected to that.
The Color Classic II is running MacOS 7.1 with System Update 3.0
I was able to chain the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II to the Zip drive to the SCSI port and use both the BlueSCSI to boot off of and access the Zip drive.
I was able to connect the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II using a CN50M-DB2F adapter to the CD-ROM drive Centronics port while connecting the CD-ROM drive to the Mac SCSI port. This allowed both booting and accessing the CD-ROM drive.
I was unfortunately not able to use all three devices at the same time. This would cause Bus errors even though all devices have unique SCSI IDs and termination was set correctly on only the end of the chain. I don't know if having the internal hard drive still connected even though it fails might be causing this issue.
Because the CD-ROM drive is more useful to me than the Iomega Zip drive, I decided to go with connecting the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II to the CD-ROM drive, and the CD-ROM drive to the Mac SCSI port.
Using BlueSCSI with a Macintosh TV
Having had to replace the Macintosh TV internal SCSI drive in the past and dreading drive failure on booting, I would like the boot drive to be a reliable solution and the internal drive used only as a secondary data drive. I do not need to chain any SCSI devices on the port so the BlueSCSI connected via OverEasy II adapter to the port makes sense.
The SCSI port on the Macintosh TV is close to the serial printer port and it would be blocked if the OverEasy II is plugged directly into the SCSI port. I considered two options that would prevent serial port blockage: using a short SCSI cable so that the BlueSCSI could be in front of the computer and easy to access; or using a right angle DB25 adapter that would allow the BlueSCSI to be plugged in vertically. A third option I did not test but might also work would be to use a MM DB25 adapter and FF DB25 adapter to extend the port out.
Using a short SCSI cable turned out to be problematic. First, getting one is a problem. The DB25 short cables you can buy now are usually parallel cables, not SCSI cables, and the one I purchased did not work at all. The short cables that come with an Iomega Zip SCSI drive seem like they should work work except they have two male ends. So I purchased a set of 5 FF DB25 adapters. Though using the combination of a Zip SCSI cable, a FF DB25 adapter, and the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II, I had inconsistent results. Usually the drive would not mount and show on the SCSI bus despite the LED light on the BlueSCSI being lit up. It is possible that the FF adapter I purchased was faulty, but I purchased 5 and it doesn't stand to reason that all of them are faulty. It occurred to me that termination power may not being passed through the Zip drive cable, but providing 5v power to the BlueSCI directly using its micro-USB port did not improve the inconsistent results. So I abandoned this approach.
I did have success with the second option: using a right angle DB25 adapter and BlueSCSI+OverEasy II adapter. This allowed the BlueSCSI to be set up vertically and did not block the serial port.
Using BlueSCSI with a Macintosh Plus
For the Macintosh Plus I had several options. The Macintosh Plus does not have an internal hard drive, but I have a large noisy non-Apple functional hard drive in a case that can chain a SCSI device as well as a second smaller silent non-Apple functional case that lacks a port for chaining that I could put the BlueSCSI inside and connect to power using a Molex to Berg adapter with no need for the OverEasy II. I could also plug the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II into the Mac Plus SCSI port, though I would also need to use a right angle DB25 adapter to prevent blocking the serial printer port. Using the port directly would also require adding a power source for termination since, unlike later Macs, the Mac Plus SCSI port does not provide power for termination, so a 5V charger and micro-USB cable would also be needed.
The first option I tested was connecting the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II to the large noisy but period correct external hard drive via a CN50M-DB2F adapter. This proved successful with both drives mounting consistently. Functional but very loud. And considering the small amount of software, two hard drives are not really needed. For what it is worth this did look period correct though.
The second option I tested was connecting the BlueSCSI+OverEasy II to the Mac SCSI port using a right angle DB25 adapter. Because the Mac SCSI port does not provide termination power I also connected a 5v charger into the BlueSCSI via its micro-USB port. This proved successful and completely silent. And because the Mac Plus and the 5v charger are plugged into the same power strip, the BlueSCSI will always have power when the Mac Plus is turned on.
The third option, and the one I decided to use, was to mount the BlueSCSI inside a small external case connected to the Mac SCSI port with a standard DB25 Male to Centronics 50 Male SCSI cable. The case has its own external power and to connect that to the BlueSCSI for termination power I used a Molex to Berg adapter. One advantage of this solution is that the BlueSCSI is mounted inside a case offering it some protection. This particular case has a plastic lid, so I still have easy access to the BlueSCSI in case I want to swap out or backup its micro-SD.
My Vintage Apple Computers
I've been a regular Apple computer user since 1979 and owner since 1986 when I first purchased an Apple IIGS computer. I used early Macintosh computers for college courses in the 80's and started using them at home in the 90's, at first as a necessary accessory for my Apple Newton MessagePad and later for other household purposes and entertainment. Over the years there have been opportunities to purchase or acquire Apple computer equipment and I have only rarely discarded anything so I now have a small collection. This post covers only vintage (i.e. pre-Intel based) Apple computers in my collection. I am not including devices such as printers, routers, iPods, iPads, iPhones, Apple TV, etc.
Apple II Family
Apple ][+ (aka Apple II+, Apple II Plus) (1979)
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| Not my Apple II+, but similar |
The Apple ][+ is had an 8-bit 6502 CPU running at 1 MHz, a built-in keyboard, 7 slots for peripheral cards, a hand controller port, and composite output that could be used with a television or a computer monitor. Typical storage was a pair of 5.25" Disk ][ 140K floppy drives connected via a Disk ][ interface card in Slot 6, but it also had a port that could be used to load programs from an audio source such as a cassette tape. This computer is not connected to my network.
Model: A2S1048A
Serial #: A2S2-559930
Logic Board: 820-0044-D, manufactured 1979 (RFI Revision 2 board) (this is the latest version of Apple II+)
Memory: 64K
Peripheral cards and internal modifications:
Apple Disk ][ interface card
Apple 16K Language card
Peripherals:
Apple Disk ][ 5.25" floppy drive
Apple Hand Controllers (paddles) (The Keyboard Company, model K680-0003)
Apple Monitor /// (composite monochrome)
Apple Studio Display (composite color)
Not in use:
Apple Monitor /// stand
Joystick adapter
Kensington System Saver
Apple IIGS (aka Apple IIgs) (1986)
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| Not my "Woz" Apple IIGS, but similar |
The IIGS has a 16 bit processor that could emulate the 8 bit 65C02 chip used in the Apple //e and //c, allowing it to run all Apple II 8 bit software at up to 2.8 MHz as well as IIGS specific 16 bit software. The Apple Desktop Bus keyboard and mouse were introduced with the IIGS and later became standard on the Macintosh family. The IIGS has peripheral slots like the ][+ and //e but also ports for connecting ADB devices, modem, printer, AppleTalk network, composite or RBG monitor, joystick, and "smartport" for chaining Apple 3.5" and 5.25" floppy disk drives.
Because this IIGS lacks a hard drive, I have it configured to boot off of a 3.5" disk and mount a shared folder on the PowerMac 5400/120. Then the IIGS Finder can be launched from the shared folder.
Version: Woz Limited Edition - ROM 00 upgraded to ROM 01
Peripheral cards:
Applied Engineering 4 MB Memory card
Peripheral cards and internal modifications:
Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard (A9M0330 introduced with IIGS)
Apple Desktop Bus Mouse (model A9M0331 introduced with IIGS)
Kensington Turbo Mouse ADB
Kensington System Saver IIGS (Revision B)
Apple IIc/IIGS monitor stand
Apple IIGS RGB Monitor
Apple 3.5" drive
PhoneNet connector for AppleTalk
Internal battery holder installed and original battery replaced (2021)
Apple IIGS (aka Apple IIgs) (1986)
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| Apple standard Apple IIGS photo |
The IIGS has a 16 bit processor that could emulate the 8 bit 65C02 chip used in the Apple //e and //c, allowing it to run all Apple II 8 bit software at up to 2.8 MHz as well as IIGS specific 16 bit software. The Apple Desktop Bus keyboard and mouse were introduced with the IIGS and later became standard on the Macintosh family. The IIGS has peripheral slots like the ][+ and //e but also ports for connecting ADB devices, modem, printer, AppleTalk network, composite or RBG monitor, joystick, and "smartport" for chaining Apple 3.5" and 5.25" floppy disk drives. I have a single Apple 3.5" drive connected and the modern BMOW FloppyEmu connected as well as 2 Apple Disk II 5.25" drives.
Version: ROM 01
Peripheral cards and internal modifications:
BOOTi storage card (modern USB-based storage)
Applied Engineering Transwarp GS Accelerator 7 MHz
ROM 01 chip replaced with Transwarp GS chip
GG Labs 8 MB RAM card (modern)
Internal battery holder installed and original battery replaced, 2019
Peripherals:
BMOW FloppyEmu (modern SD-based floppy drive emulator)
Apple 3.5" drive
2 Apple Disk ][ 5.25" drives chained using a Redmond Cable adapter (the second drive is not accessible while using the FloppyEmu)
Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard (A9M0330 introduced with IIGS)
Apple Desktop Bus Mouse (model A9M0331 introduced with IIGS)
Kensington System Saver IIGS
Applied Engineering Heavy Duty Power Supply
Apple IIGS RGB Monitor
Epyx 500XJ Joystick
PhoneNet connector for AppleTalk
Not in use:
CVTech RamFAST SCSI card (replaced with BOOTi card because it stopped working properly)
Original ROM chip
Apple //c Plus (aka Apple //c+, Apple IIc+) (1988)
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| Not my Apple //c Plus, but similar |
The final new model of the Apple II family to be released, the Apple //c Plus ran a 65C02 CPU at 4 MHz, used an internal 3.5" floppy drive, adopted the smartport from the IIGS allowing additional floppy drives to be chained, could use composite or RGB monitors, and used a combination port for a joystick or Apple //c mouse. Standard memory on a //c Plus is 128K. This computer is not connected to my network.
For video my //c Plus is connected to the composite video input on a Macintosh Performa 6300CD. The Apple II video can then be viewed through the Apple Video Player application, which also allows screen capturing and recording.
Peripheral cards and internal modifications:
ROM 5x (12/10/17) updated ROM (Ctrl-Opt-Reset to access)
Apple 3.5" drive
American Micro Research Half Height 5.25" drive
Apple Mouse (A2M4015)
Not in use:
Apple //c monochrome monitor
Original ROM chip
Macintosh Family
Macintosh Plus (1986)
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| Not my Mac Plus, but similar |
The Macintosh Plus was the first Macintosh to include an 800K internal floppy drive and a SCSI port for storage expansion. This Macintosh Plus was rescued from a Hollywood prop house in 2021 and included the computer, non-Apple external hard drive, keyboard, and mouse. The internal floppy drive eject gear needed to be replaced, the battery replaced, the external SCSI hard drive replaced, and a period correct Macintosh 800K External Drive added.
Memory: 4 MB
Original battery replaced, 2021
Ejection gear on internal floppy drive failed and replaced, 2021
Peripherals:
Apple Mouse (M0100)
Macintosh Plus keyboard
PhoneNet connector for AppleTalk
Kensington Mac System Saver
TMS Peripherals Shadow drive case with a BlueSCSI inside connected internally to power with a Molex to Berg adapter.
Not in use:
Non-Apple External SCSI Hard Drive
Macintosh Color Classic II (1993)
Sold only outside the United States (this particular one was sold in Japan), the Color Classic II is the last of the compact all-in-one Macintoshes. Purchased used in 2021 this Macintosh Color Classic II had already been modded to allow 640x480 video and included an Ethernet PDS card. A 32 bit machine capable of operating in 24 bit mode, the CCII is compatible with the Apple II PDS card though that would sacrifice the PDS Ethernet card.
The internal SCSI hard drive failed so a BlueSCSI SD storage solution is being used. Initially the BlueSCSI was plugged into Stephen Arsenault's OverEasy II adapter which in turn was plugged into a CN50M-DB25F SCSI adapter which was plugged into an Apple CD-ROM drive attached to the Mac SCSI port. There was some instability with this approach when booting which was resolved by disconnecting the failed internal hard drive and connecting the BlueSCSI internally (I'm using a Molex to Berg adapter for power but this may actually not be necessary with a CCII).
Memory: 32 MB
Peripherals:
Apple Extended Keyboard II
Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II
Apple CD-ROM External SCSI Drive
Iomega Zip 100 External SCSI Drive
Apple StyleWriter II printer
Apple microphone (round style)
PhoneNet connector for AppleTalk
BlueSCSI 1.0c (modern SD-based storage) connected internally and powered via a Molex to Berg adapter
Issues:
Internal SCSI hard drive failed and is disconnected but not removed.
The BlueSCSI is internal but is not secured. It fit well in the area directly behind the hard drive and the SD slot should be accessible when the case is removed.
Not in use:
Japanese Apple Keyboard II
Macintosh TV (1993)
The Macintosh TV is the rarest member of the Macintosh family. Similar to all-on-one models at the time it has a 68030 processor, internal SCSI hard drive, internal CD-ROM and 1.44 MB floppy drive. Its internal PDS slot is occupied by a TV tuner card. It has ADB, SCSI, and serial ports as well as video in ports. Its credit card sized remote control can be used to turn on and off the computer and control all functions of the TV card and CD drive. It has a stunning all black appearance and shipped with an all-black Apple Keyboard II and all-black Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II.
Memory: 8 MB
Original battery replaced
Original SCSI drive replaced
Peripherals:
Macintosh TV ADB Keyboard (Black) and Mouse (Black)
Apple TV Remote Control
PhoneNet connector for AppleTalk
BlueSCSI 1.0c (modern SD-based storage) connected to the SCSI port with Stephen Arsenault's OverEasy II DB25 to 50 pin SCSI adapter and a right angle DB25 adapter so that the serial port isn't blocked.
Issues:
Sound volume is very low. This was first noticed 11/21 and is a recent development. This indicates leaking capacitors (likely surface mount capacitors on the motherboard (aka logic board), but could also be the analog board- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ20_57y-rA).
Macintosh Performa 6300CD (1996)
The Performa 6300CD has a 94 MHz 603e processor. This computer contains everything but the kitchen sink in terms of slots and ports. It has an internal hard drive, CD-ROM drive and 1.44 MB floppy drive. It has a dedicated communications slot for a modem or ethernet card. It has a PDS slot for PDS cards (though because it is 32 bit machine unable to operate in 24 bit mode it is is not compatible with the Apple II PDS card). It has a slot for an TV card and video input. It has ADB, SCSI, and serial ports. It has IR for a remote control. Other than a Mac Mini G4 this is the only vintage desktop Macintosh I have that requires a monitor.
Memory: 64 MB
Original battery replaced with 3 AAA battery kit, 2021
Original floppy drive replaced
Peripherals:
AppleColor Plus 14" Display (not the 15" display normally included w/6300CD)
Apple Adjustable Keyboard (without the numeric keypad)
Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II
Kensington Turbo Mouse ADB v5.0
Apple PlainTalk microphone
Apple TV Tuner card and video input cards
Farallon Ethernet Communications Card
Issues:
One I/O door latch broken off
2 Metal fence screws missing
Not in use:
PDS Ethernet card
Power Macintosh 5400/120 (1996)
Original battery replaced 2020
Peripherals:
Apple Keyboard II
Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II
Issues:
Front bezel latches broken off
Brightness increase button broken
G3 Blue & White 350 MHz Tower (1999)
G3 iMac 350 MHz Indigo (Summer 2000)
Original battery replaced 2021
Peripherals:
Apple USB Keyboard (transparent w/ black keys)
Apple USB mouse (black)
TEAK USB 1.44 MB external floppy drive
Issues:
Internal CD-ROM drive not working - needs to be replaced
Signs of capacitor failure - will eventually require capacity replacement (i.e., recapping)
iBook G4 1.42 MHz (2005)
Issues:
Screen fades out periodically
Battery no longer holds charge
Mac Mini G4 (Jan 2005) (not currently in use)
Upgraded to 1 GB RAM
Newton Family
MessagePad 110
MessagePad 130
MessagePad 2100 (upgraded from 2000)
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