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N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7631]

Tue, 12 May 2020 07:55

rcini
Messages: 64
Registered: October 2015
Location: Long Island, NY

Member

All --

While I continue to play with the N8 I built a few years ago, I discovered that I didn't populate the ECB connector at the time. All of the pictures I see, and the BOM, specify the male right-angle ECB connector. Would it be better to populate with a right-angle *female* version to be compatible with the other ECB boards (even though I'm not sure how many would work with the system), or was male selected to avoid confusion with other boards?

Thanks!
Rich

Rich Cini

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7632 is a reply to message #7631]

Tue, 12 May 2020 08:59

jcoffman
Messages: 332
Registered: October 2015

Senior Member

URGENT: Rich, do not install a female connector. To do so would reverse the A & C rows.

--John

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7633 is a reply to message #7632]

Tue, 12 May 2020 09:28

rcini
Messages: 64
Registered: October 2015
Location: Long Island, NY

Member

Thanks John. I haven't ordered the connector yet, so I guess I won't bother.

What was the design decision behind using the male (ECB card) connector layout rather than the female (backplane) layout? It would mean that none of the existing ECB cards would be usable without a suitable single F-F adapter board or plugging it into a backplane. But. plugging it into a backplane would change the physical orientation of things and make it less "home computer" like. Maybe that's by design since the N8HC has everything already. Just curious.

Rich

Rich Cini

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7635 is a reply to message #7633]

Tue, 12 May 2020 10:30

jcoffman
Messages: 332
Registered: October 2015

Senior Member

I think A.L.'s intention with the N8 Home Computer was that it be completely self contained. I don't know of anyone who ever plugged it into a backplane. I'm not sure the connector is worth the $$.

The only realistic "large" card to plug into a backplane would be a VME size (6U Eurocard) used in the Siemens 6508 case with a 12-slot backplane.

--John

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7636 is a reply to message #7635]

Tue, 12 May 2020 14:56

mscane
Messages: 111
Registered: October 2015

Senior Member

I seem to recall that there was a cartridge adapter you could plug into the ECB connector.

Max

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7638 is a reply to message #7636]

Tue, 12 May 2020 15:50

rcini
Messages: 64
Registered: October 2015
Location: Long Island, NY

Member

That would make sense. I've never seen it though.

Rich

Rich Cini

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7639 is a reply to message #7638]

Tue, 12 May 2020 16:09

mscane
Messages: 111
Registered: October 2015

Senior Member

Looks like it didn't make it into the new WiKi.

Have a look here:

https://retrobrewcomputers.org/n8vem-pbwiki-archive/0/358453 34/48860720/35845587/index.htm

Cheers!

Max

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7640 is a reply to message #7639]

Tue, 12 May 2020 16:14

rcini
Messages: 64
Registered: October 2015
Location: Long Island, NY

Member

Oh, interesting. It looks like it's designed to work with a backplane and another ECB board (maybe the Z80) to read the cartridge.

Thanks for digging that up.
Rich

Rich Cini

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Re: N8 Home Computer ECB connector question [message #7641 is a reply to message #7640]

Tue, 12 May 2020 20:24

jcoffman
Messages: 332
Registered: October 2015

Senior Member

RE: cartridge reader

Both the N8 and the cartridge reader are laid out to have a male connector soldered in place. The cartridge reader may plug into the N8 with a female connector on the N8, but with rows A & C reversed I am willing to bet it never worked.

The cartridge reader is made to work with a CPU board plugged into a backplane (M-F) connection. Then backplane to cartridge reader with a (F-M) connection. Rows A & C don't get confused.

Anyone have any experience with this cartridge reader with any of the Z80/Z180 boards?

--John

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