Fast I/O and storage for A3010?

Hi,

my A3010 is in general good shape (broken floppy eject button), but it needs some storage and fast I/O. The built-in RS232 is rather slow, if I understand correctly, with its 19k2.

Googline around I found multiple Ethernet modules for the A30x0, and multiple IDE modules. But I’d like to have both on one module :-) Or fast RS232 and IDE on one module. Isn’t there such a beast?

If not (my googling wasn’t successful), is the parallel port bidirectional, is there a PLIP driver for it?

The built-in RS232 is rather slow, if I understand correctly, with its 19k2.

The port should work fine up to at least 57600 baud. You need a competent serial buffer module however or you’ll get a lot of errors.

Googline around I found multiple Ethernet modules for the A30x0, and multiple IDE modules. But I’d like to have both on one module :-) Or fast RS232 and IDE on one module. Isn’t there such a beast?

I don’t know of any “Multi I/O (mini) podule”. There once was the HCCS micro podule stuff which allowed three micro podules on one mini podule, but I don’t think Ethernet was one of those available.

If not (my googling wasn’t successful), is the parallel port bidirectional, is there a PLIP driver for it?

I don’t think there is a PLIP driver, but the parallel port is standard PC stuff and definitely bidi.

You could use ZeriLink for data transfer via parallel port: http://www.zeridajh.org/software/zerilink/index.htm

The port should work fine up to at least 57600 baud. You need a competent serial buffer module however or you’ll get a lot of errors.

Thanks for pointing out, so I’d look for a buffer module with some FIFO bytes.

I don’t know of any “Multi I/O (mini) podule”. There once was the HCCS micro podule stuff which allowed three micro podules on one mini podule, but I don’t think Ethernet was one of those available.

Fast serial would be fine, too, I don’t see much difference in FTP’ing to a local machine, or logging in via Terminal and sz via ZMODEM, both fine for me. And with fast serial, I could do SLIP or PPP anyway. Sure, Ethernet’s faster, but if there is no combo with IDE possible …

You could use ZeriLink for data transfer via parallel port: http://www.zeridajh.org/software/zerilink/index.htm

Ah, good stuff, ta. This is the eqivalence to Laplink (PC, Mac) or PARCP (Linux, MSDOS, Atari, Mac). 2006’ish Linux source code most likely means that I’m bound to a 2.6 Linux kernel, but this is doable with some old Thinkpad.

If you are feeling brave, the ARM250 does contain an IDE controller, so you can bring it out with some electronic hackery.

After some more browsing the web, I found such a beast (called SuperIO podule) in an area that has been marked “dragons here!”:

Unfortunately, it’s unfinished. But it would have everything I’d want: fast I/O, IDE.

Close, so close …

If you are feeling brave, the ARM250 does contain an IDE controller, so you can bring it out with some electronic hackery.

I read about this, but the chance of frying my CPU or mainboard is too high for my soldering skills, thanks.

For transfering data, a 100 MB parallel port ZIP might be an option. Works fine on an A3010, and you can get USB drives that should still work on current PCs (not tested recently…I’d have to check first if you need the information). Not as comfortable as Ethernet, but a lot better than floppies, and you could dedicate the mini podule slot to IDE.

Have seen too many ZIP drives dying the CoD, but the idea is nice. Let’s see whether I can find a dual port IDE interface, and let’s attach some MO drive there. Wait, is there a driver for it? Ah, maybe I settle with ZeriLink. An old Thinkpad, ZeriLink on Linux there, and some NFS mapping to the real file server should do the trick.

IDE mini podules usually have old driver software. Really old driver software. Before ATAPI was a thing. So it is unlikely to get one that works with typical “removable media drives” like ZIP, SparQ, SyQuest stuff or JAZ. MOs have the additional problem that many used 2048 bytes/sector, which is incompatible to older filecore versions (pre RISC OS 5).

Known-good IDE podules with working drivers for ATAPI devices include Simtec IDE and I think later APDL IDE podules. I am not sure at all if there are any mini podules with such drivers.

But you could of course go for a SCSI mini podule, and use SCSI2SD or an Acard SCSI-IDE bridge. You can’t make data exchange complicated enough :-)

Two of my historic blog posts for those solutions:

• http://riscosblog.huber-net.de/2016/11/scsi2sd-eine-schoene-massenspeicherloesung-fuer-alte-geraete/
• http://riscosblog.huber-net.de/2016/09/sd-karte-am-a3000-eine-gewagte-konstruktion/

I was lucky to already have an IDE podule installed in my A3010 (owned since new in late-1992). While the original 2.5inch drive does still work, I’ve replaced it with an IDE to Compact Flash adapter and a 256mb CF card. Many have come across compatibility issues doing this (older CF cards seem to work better), but I was fortunate that it worked right away. It’s relatively easy to have the card accessible from the back of the machine with the lid on.

If you are in need of an IDE podule they do come up on eBay and there’s a forum member on Stardot who makes batches of them from time-to-time.

For data transfer, I’ve found that a Raspberry Pi running Risc OS 5.23 can read the CF card in a USB reader, so that’s been really useful for transferring files from ADFS floppies over to the Pi (e.g. images to use to ADFFS), and for copying downloaded software back over to the A3010.

Sounds like you know what you are doing on the serial networking side. I have used both a Raspberry Pi and an ESP8266 to get my old Psion 3a online, and was planning to do something similar with the A3010, but just haven’t found the time yet. ESP8266 can be used with SLIP and I think PPP should be possible with an ESP32 module, but to be honest a Pi Zero W will be the most cost effective way (if you can find one). There are a few cheap, DIY designs online for an ESP8266 ‘retro modem’, which makes it possible to connect to modern BBS sites over telnet (I just used one of the Wemos development boards with a MAX3232 serial board and that worked with my Psion and BBC Master Compact).

I do recall that setting up the full Internet TCP/IP stack on the A3010 used up quite a lot of the available RAM – you’ll definitely need 4mb if you don’t already.

@Steffen Huber – thanks for the tip on serial buffers. Will try using David Pilling’s module if I get around to setting up PPP.

@Steffen Huber: So with a SCSI podule I could attach 2 devices, 1 internally, 1 externally (or even more, as SCSI allows at least 6 per bus plus initiator)? Then I could have some mass storage inside, and externally a MO drive.

(Googling for SCSI drivers for SCSI-ethernet-bridges – I’m not giving up. Yet.)

@Andy: Which brand/type is your IDE interface?

So with a SCSI podule I could attach 2 devices, 1 internally, 1 externally (or even more, as SCSI allows at least 6 per bus plus initiator)? Then I could have some mass storage inside, and externally a MO drive.

In theory, the “intern/extern” idea is good, but most SCSI mini podules I know of only provide an external connector, so you’d need a bit of creative wiring/cabling. I think the Lingenuity SCSI mini podule had also an internal port, as well as the HCCS SCSI micro podule for their “Ultimate Expansion” system. Good luck finding any of those in the wild…

SCSI can have 8 devices on a bus, 1 of them is the host. So you can connnect 7 devices you’d like. One SCSI2SD can represent 4 devices, so even with dumb driver software without partitioning support you can have 2 GB of storage. Additionally, I’d recommend an MO, a ZIP, a SyQuest and a CD writer :-)

You won’t have much luck with other devices. AFAIK, there was never support for “processor” or “network” or “printer” devices. Scanners and tape drives have limited software support.

@Steffen Huber: The HCCS has a “26pin 3 row D.socket for external connection”, so that’s rather odd; in contrast the Lingenuity has “normal” 25pin 2row D-Subs, so I’d go for these.

And if I have the 3.5" MO externally, I can add some “Stratos Monster“ SCSI-to-everything board in the same case.

The press back then seems to have covered the Lingenuity mostly for their “SCSI network”, which wouldn’t be my main goal. This is still a normal SCSI hostadapter, too?

The Lingenuity is available as NOS from CJE Micro, it seems.

@Gotz – I have an ‘Alsystems’ podule, branded Power-tec. These are still supported by Partis computing I believe (http://www.partis.org/) I don’t think they’re one of the more common types but I could be wrong (bought it at a Risc OS show circa 1993/1994).

It also has a BBC Micro-style User Port, which I think is designed to allow some BBC peripherals to be used with the machine. I don’t see it being any use for storage/networking, and as the port didn’t come as standard on any Acorn/Archimedes machines it’s not something that’s been widely used. Not sure I’ve ever used it.

If you plan on using CF or SD cards it’d be worth searching on the forums at https://stardot.org.uk/ to see who’s had success with what.

@Gotz – I have an ‘Alsystems’ podule, branded Power-tec. These are still supported by Partis computing I believe (http://www.partis.org/) I don’t think they’re one of the more common types but I could be wrong (bought it at a Risc OS show circa 1993/1994).

I don’t think there was a Partis/Alsystems/Power-tec SCSI mini podule available (even Chris’ Acorn know nothing about such a thing), they only had standard podules which won’t fit into an A3010. And their early DMA-enabled models (DEBI for Risc PC) had problems when operating in old podule compatibility mode, where speed dropped down basically to floppy speed, so they’re not even a good choice for an A4xx or A5000. I think the consensus was that the best “old-style” SCSI podule was the “Morley Cached” – fast, reliable software, best device compatibility. Unless you’d need RISCiX compatibility of course, in that case it’s back to Acorn SCSI IIRC.

The Lingenuity is available as NOS from CJE Micro, it seems.

You’re right! Even if a bit pricey.

One other thing: ISTR that there was at least one SCSI podule, and it might have been a Lingenuity, where you could – due to inflexible termination – not have devices on both the internal and the external connector. Ask before you buy.

@Steffen Huber – it’s an IDE minipodule, not SCSCI. Definitely purchased from Alsystems, I remember like it was yesterday and the driver disk has ‘Power IDE’ printed on it.

I don’t think there was a Partis/Alsystems/Power-tec SCSI mini podule available … And their early DMA-enabled models (DEBI for Risc PC) had problems when operating in old podule compatibility mode, where speed dropped down basically to floppy speed, so they’re not even a good choice for an A4xx or A5000.

I got hit by that when I bought the Kinetic. I was using fast SCSI drives, but DMA being disabled absolutely slaughtered tem. I had to drop back to the motherboard IDE, as even IDE podules needed DMA to get a decent speed across the board (their larger file performance was still better, but ADFS’s buffering meant smaller transfers were much quicker). The Kinetic was very much 1 step forward in one direction, and two steps back in every other. In the end I went back to a 233MHz StrongARM until the Iyonix came along.