* David@ixibbs.iximd.com <David@ixibbs.iximd.com> on Sun, Apr 29, 2001:

> "A little brainstorming on paper (I mean E-Mail)"
> What do you think?
> Two questions:
> 

Ok, while we're "pipe-dreaming", let me add my thoughts into the pot:

> ONE: Is the Parallel port on the dreamcast a "Parallel Port" or are they
> just calling it that?  If it is a "Parallel Port" Why hasn't anyone
> thought about hooking up devices like ZIP or JAZZ Drives? (The first
> names to come to mind.)  This would be a great secondary storage option.
>  And why not printers too?
> 
> The site below also has info. on the "Parallel Port" Pin-Out.
> 

Nope, that's just the term "coined" for the expansion port, I've seen it
officially written both ways.  The expansion port is more like a
memory-mapped device than a I/O port, and IMHO most pins are connected
directly to the CPU, and the SH-4 doesn't sport a traditional parallel
interface.

> TWO:
> I found this site a while back about building a IDE & ISA adapter:
> http://members.nbci.com/_bitmaster_/dc-index.html
> I thought I would ask if this is worth anything to us for two main
> reasons:
> 
> 1. Secondary Storage (Harddrive) and MAYBE the 120 MB Super Floppy
> drives (This would allow us to use 1.44 MB Floppys & the "Fading out"
> 120 MB Super Floppys)
> 2. Multiple Options & adapters Such as: Multiple Network cards and
> modems (Would make the people that want to make the DC a firewall
> happy.)
> 2a. and maybe SCSI :-)  (I'm thinking SCSI Harddrives, CD-ROM's, and
> Scanners here.)
> 

This has been out Sept. 2000, and due to it's complexity, I've only heard
of 2 other people attempting to build it.  Yes this would be cool in the
"hardware hacking" dept., but you gotta remember that the current stock of
DC's belong to gamers - more so than they do hackers.  Even if you're able
to build bITmASTER's interface, do you have the resources to mass produce
it?  That would be the only way it would be useful to anyone besides a few
hackers ;-).  If the interface were that trivial to build, trust me, we'd
all have them right now (wincing at the memory of me building my serial
cable :).

An idea that a buddy and I tossed back and forth a bit was to take a BBA
and replace the RTL8139 with a PCI bus, e.g. the GAPS would bridge to not
just one PCI device, but to a full bus.  Another (fleeting) idea was to do
simple low-speed USB on the serial port.  Unfortunately, I'm not too much
of an EE person, so that'll probably just sit on the shelf with the
"Maple-to-USB adapter" idea. :)

M. R.