Macintosh Hardware Question

From: Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list_at_wfi-inc.com>
Date: Mon Oct 18 22:33:58 1999

On Mon, 18 Oct 1999, John Ruschmeyer wrote:

> > Can someone tell me whether the IIsi PDS slot is compatible with the PDS
> > slot on the IIfx? I know that the PDS slot in general is fairly different
> > between models, and the IIfx is fairly unique in a hardware context
> > anyway. What I want to do is use a PDS-based video card in a IIfx, and
> > it's a working pull from a IIsi...
>
> Nope, it's not.
>
> Basically, the II-series Macs have two PDS standards:
>
> - IIsi and SE/30
> - IIci, IIvi, IIvx, IIfx

I thought the IIci PDS slot was *only* for the cache card, no? I kind of
figured, when I looked more closely at the card and saw how different the
rear plate mount was..."Hmmm, that sure looks like the rear plate of that
SE/30 card..."

> They are *not* interchangeable and supposedly you will let out the magic
> smoke.

Ya, that's what I've heard about trying to put the IIci cache card into
another PDS slot, since they're both that Euro-120 connector.

> > Barring that, does anyone know if there was ever a 3rd party video card
> > for the PDS slot that is compatible with the IIfx?
>
> I don't think that there were ever any PDS video cards for other than the
> IIsi PDS. The IIci, etc. all had three-or-more open NuBUS slots, so there
> seemed little reason to need one.
>
> (Speaking of which, you have my curiousity up... why the desire for a
> PDS video card instead of a NuBus one? Don't tell me I'm not the only person
> to max out a 6-slot II-series Mac. :-)

Well, not quite, but close. I've got 2 nics, a CPS Hurdler, an 8*24GC, and
will soon attempt an gp-ib interface as well.

The reason I wanted to try the PDS card is that I was reading about how
the SE/30 could display complex graphics more quickly because of the speed
of the bus being so much faster than the pokey 10mhz nubus. The 8*24GC
doesn't work in accelerated mode under A/UX, and I was hoping I'd be able
to try something like a Supermac PDQ+ (since they're so cheap now).

Thanks for the info,

Aaron
Received on Mon Oct 18 1999 - 22:33:58 BST