What's this? : parallel port thing

Galaxy · 04 September 2006, 10:59

Does anyone know what this is for (see attachment).

I got it with a pile of amiga stuff recently, and thought "oh, another cyclone cartridge" when I saw it. However, it is not a cyclone, or any other type of copy cartridge as it has the correct no. of pins for the parallel or serial port (or scsi I guess).

I think it is for the parallel port due to the direction that the screws are set - ie it is designed to be screwed into a female connector. It has a pass-thru and when you open it up there are two chips wired onto a small board inside. There are no markings on the board or case to identify it.

jabsy · 04 September 2006, 11:14

Software protection dongle???

I love getting old boxes of assorted unknown junk, you never know what treasures you might find.

DrBong · 04 September 2006, 17:38

What jabsy said. Could also be a parallel to SCSI adapter for Amiga HDs like the Tiny Tiger or Paradox. My dark horse pick is the CIA Guard by Phoenix Microtechnologies. What does the outside of the device look like? Plain gray plastic with no distinctive patterns? Any evidence that a sticker might have come off the outside?

Secret Vampire · 04 September 2006, 18:05

It's on stripboard or perfboard, so it's probably home made, or prototype.
the lower chip is a tri-state buffer, not sure what the upper is as I can't read the markings.
I had a quick look in hard/hack, but couldn't see any likely candidates.

Galaxy · 04 September 2006, 23:59

Thanks for the replies.

@DrBong - outside of case is very plain, no evidence of any stickers.

@Secret Vampire - i'll have another check of the insides later and note down the chip ids.

_ThEcRoW · 05 September 2006, 00:06

Maybe a clock cartridge?

alexh · 05 September 2006, 00:44

74LS244 is an Octal Line buffer

http://elektronik.kai-uwe-schmidt.de...=%2274ls244%22

I wonder if it is a game dongle but it's not Robocop 3 as it is a mouse dongle it seems to easy to copy though.

If I could just see the writing on the other chip.

Galaxy · 05 September 2006, 10:11

Both chips are labelled

74LS244 PC
8651 U Singapore

alexh · 05 September 2006, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galaxy

8651 U Singapore

Hmm, I am unable to find any reference to a 20-pin PDIP chip named 8651 are you sure that is the numbering?

Galaxy · 05 September 2006, 11:22

I should clarify:

both the chips are identical:

top line (larger letters: 74LS244 PC); second line (smaller: 8651 U Singapore)

alexh · 05 September 2006, 12:19

I am wondering if this is a PC2Amiga 4 or 8-wire parallel port adapter?

Converting a 1:1 25DB cable into a PC2Amiga cable.

It would explain the "homebrew" nature of this.

When you say "It has a pass through" do you just mean it is wired to both connectors? Or do you mean it has true pass through and that parallel port data passes through it unmolested?

Can you run a printer say with this in between the amiga and the printer?

Zetr0 · 06 September 2006, 01:33

looks remarkably like the first load of amiga-par to external IO-Mega ZIP drive...

hmmm

remarkably like them.....

well thats my 2p's worth....

BippyM · 06 September 2006, 01:35

well you can come put your 2p's in my copper jar

redblade · 06 September 2006, 02:06

a Time machine perhaps?

Retro1234 · 06 September 2006, 16:08

That looks like a Hardware backup/copyer to me
I got one ill open it up and see whats in side?

Jope · 06 September 2006, 17:54

My vote goes to it being a disk copying dongle too.

I counted only 23 pins there, not 25!

alewis · 06 September 2006, 19:09

@Galaxy - how many pins has it? You post indicates 25, but I can only count 23.

Its bloody similar to the gubbins of the MAC-II (blatant SCA-II rip off) hardware

alewis · 06 September 2006, 19:11

Um, thinking about it, there was a hardware copier combo that fitted into the parallel port... I'm going right the way back into the 80's, but it did exist.

Galaxy · 07 September 2006, 09:55

It is definitely 25 pin.

@alexh, i don't know if there is a direct passthru that referred to the fact that there is a female connector on one side and a male on the other.

Chain · 07 September 2006, 12:09

parralel buffer for iomega zip? just guessin

04 September 2006, 10:59	#1
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	What's this? : parallel port thing Does anyone know what this is for (see attachment). I got it with a pile of amiga stuff recently, and thought "oh, another cyclone cartridge" when I saw it. However, it is not a cyclone, or any other type of copy cartridge as it has the correct no. of pins for the parallel or serial port (or scsi I guess). I think it is for the parallel port due to the direction that the screws are set - ie it is designed to be screwed into a female connector. It has a pass-thru and when you open it up there are two chips wired onto a small board inside. There are no markings on the board or case to identify it. Attached Thumbnails

05 September 2006, 00:44	#7
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,335	74LS244 is an Octal Line buffer http://elektronik.kai-uwe-schmidt.de...=%2274ls244%22 I wonder if it is a game dongle but it's not Robocop 3 as it is a mouse dongle it seems to easy to copy though. If I could just see the writing on the other chip. Last edited by alexh; 05 September 2006 at 00:49.

05 September 2006, 12:19	#11
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,335	I am wondering if this is a PC2Amiga 4 or 8-wire parallel port adapter? Converting a 1:1 25DB cable into a PC2Amiga cable. It would explain the "homebrew" nature of this. When you say "It has a pass through" do you just mean it is wired to both connectors? Or do you mean it has true pass through and that parallel port data passes through it unmolested? Can you run a printer say with this in between the amiga and the printer? Last edited by alexh; 05 September 2006 at 12:26.

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04 September 2006, 11:14	#2
jabsy Yeah Hup! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Australia Age: 54 Posts: 345	Software protection dongle??? I love getting old boxes of assorted unknown junk, you never know what treasures you might find.

04 September 2006, 17:38	#3
DrBong HOL / AMR Team Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 2,632	What jabsy said. Could also be a parallel to SCSI adapter for Amiga HDs like the Tiny Tiger or Paradox. My dark horse pick is the CIA Guard by Phoenix Microtechnologies. What does the outside of the device look like? Plain gray plastic with no distinctive patterns? Any evidence that a sticker might have come off the outside?

04 September 2006, 18:05	#4
Secret Vampire Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Birmingham UK Age: 42 Posts: 214	It's on stripboard or perfboard, so it's probably home made, or prototype. the lower chip is a tri-state buffer, not sure what the upper is as I can't read the markings. I had a quick look in hard/hack, but couldn't see any likely candidates.

04 September 2006, 23:59	#5
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	Thanks for the replies. @DrBong - outside of case is very plain, no evidence of any stickers. @Secret Vampire - i'll have another check of the insides later and note down the chip ids.

05 September 2006, 00:06	#6
_ThEcRoW Amiga NetRunner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Spain Age: 45 Posts: 941	Maybe a clock cartridge?

05 September 2006, 10:11	#8
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	Both chips are labelled 74LS244 PC 8651 U Singapore

05 September 2006, 11:22	#10
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	I should clarify: both the chips are identical: top line (larger letters: 74LS244 PC); second line (smaller: 8651 U Singapore)

06 September 2006, 01:33	#12
Zetr0 Ya' like it Retr0? Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: United Kingdom Age: 49 Posts: 9,768	looks remarkably like the first load of amiga-par to external IO-Mega ZIP drive... hmmm remarkably like them..... well thats my 2p's worth....

06 September 2006, 01:35	#13
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	well you can come put your 2p's in my copper jar

06 September 2006, 02:06	#14
redblade Zone Friend Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Middle Earth Age: 40 Posts: 2,127	a Time machine perhaps?

06 September 2006, 16:08	#15
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773	That looks like a Hardware backup/copyer to me I got one ill open it up and see whats in side?

06 September 2006, 17:54	#16
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	My vote goes to it being a disk copying dongle too. I counted only 23 pins there, not 25!

06 September 2006, 19:09	#17
alewis Monochrome and 8 bit Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Underbarrow, Gods Country Age: 57 Posts: 600	@Galaxy - how many pins has it? You post indicates 25, but I can only count 23. Its bloody similar to the gubbins of the MAC-II (blatant SCA-II rip off) hardware

06 September 2006, 19:11	#18
alewis Monochrome and 8 bit Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Underbarrow, Gods Country Age: 57 Posts: 600	Um, thinking about it, there was a hardware copier combo that fitted into the parallel port... I'm going right the way back into the 80's, but it did exist.

07 September 2006, 09:55	#19
Galaxy Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Canberra, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 1,417	It is definitely 25 pin. @alexh, i don't know if there is a direct passthru that referred to the fact that there is a female connector on one side and a male on the other.

07 September 2006, 12:09	#20
Chain A-Collector, repairments Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Czech Rep. Age: 50 Posts: 1,536	parralel buffer for iomega zip? just guessin

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