Installing SCSI board in Akai s2800: What am i missing?

Hi, I have a very simple question in light of what seems to be ZERO documentation online about this darned thing.

I have an Akai s2800. I procured an IB-301S scsi board, said to be compatible with the s2800. The seller told me the installation would consist of this board sliding right into an existing slot, and I trusted him instead of looking into it. So, I have no extra internal cables or daughter boards or anything like that prepared.

So: what hardware do I need?! Just a cable, or a daughter board too? I see posts talking about 50-pin ribbon cables, socketing them upside down etc, yet I only see a 64-pin slot available on my motherboard! But the card has both a 50 and a 64-pin slot on it. sooo, I get a 64-pin ribbon cable or? The manual gives no hints and Google yields very little.

Below is a photo showing everything I've got. There's nothing but the enclosure's bare metal under the SCSI card.

In the middle of your photo there’s a black square with 2 white edges, which looks like it can be tilted. There may be a connector hidden...

The SCSI card‘s black ribbon connector is used for internal, the blue one for external drives. The latter side is supposed to be mounted to the backside.

I assume what‘s missing is a connection cable between the mystery tilt construction and the white „side connector“ of the SCSI card.
On another photo of the card there are 2 multi-pin connectors (now filled with 2 small circuit boards) which makes the location a candidate for 2 expansion cards.

But it might as well be about a cable to the long connector at the upper edge of the main circuit board.
Tbh I have no idea (or rather no service manual), so just giving some hints.

Hi,

You need Connection Board Set mentioned on page 139 of User Manual.
I don't see it on the photo...
This set is mandatory for options like SCSI board and Digital I/O board

Cheerz
tOri

self-quoting:

Telefunky wrote:In the middle of your photo there’s a black square with 2 white edges, which looks like it can be tilted. There may be a connector hidden...
...
I assume what‘s missing is a connection cable between the mystery tilt construction and the white „side connector“ of the SCSI card.
On another photo of the card there are 2 multi-pin connectors (now filled with 2 small circuit boards) which makes the location a candidate for 2 expansion cards.

sorry - nonsense, these are memory expansions.

thanks @tOri for pointing at the right page of the user manual.

Hi

I suspect that proper connector is there (look on photo) but I am not sure 100% coz I don't have s2800



Cheerz
tOri

lurking in the plastic bag under the SCSI board...

LOL!

If marl3n3 doesn't have this piece of cable+connectors then it will be a not too good situation there...

tOri

You were quite right that it's a board I'm missing! T0ri was right that I need the mysterious thingy which was known, until I wrote the rest of this post, only as "connection board set" on that page of the manual. Whose absence is a terrible situation normally, but I got super-lucky and found one priced reasonably enough on Japanese Yahoo auctions

A little expensive considering the point of my s2800 was that I got it for 50 bucks originally-- but hey. It was $70 with the handling and shipping from Japan. Thank you guys.

Now for the big moment: the name. Dear community, here is some information I am not sure any person ever typed into their computer in the Anglosphere before: the model number of this part, known before as Connection Board Set of the Akai s2800, CD2800i, S3000i, and possibly other models, which is needed to hook up the IB-301S scsi module, is: L6022C5040 . I am the chosen one who bears the info you seek. Now: go forth and locate and purchase.


Now here's some extra fireworks for you, seeker of knowledge: the only surviving clear photos ever associated with these keywords in English online: the Connection Board Set for Akai s2800, required to connect up the IB-301S scsi module and that optical output one or whatever also, looks like this!: (sorry I can't attach an image directly onto this forum for permanent posterity, but here's an embed):
(descrip: it's a little board with two white 64-pin male connectors on it that fit the proprietary female 64-pin connector on the IB-301S scsi module. Coming off of the lil board is a (most likely) permanently attached, dangling 64-pin ribbon cable resembling an old IDE cable, except with more pins. No microcontrollers are apparent and it looks like this thing just creates the correct pinout by shunting things together: possibly all it does is combine both 64-pin busses into one.)

BOOOOM. this may only be for a very niche audience, but to that audience, that's what we call CONTENT.

thanks again for the good advice guys

Hi,

Full and nice doscription.
Thanks!

tOri

guys i am crying

my damn SCSI isn't being recognized after all these tribulations.



Mac seems to notice it exists, but I get the above weird recognition on the System Profiler. Mesa doesn't spot the sampler at all.

I've tried a number of configurations as far as channels go, I'll embed a few of those below. I've also rebooted and booted things scrupulously and all that. I've saved the SCSI configs to floppy so they are instantly loaded upon boot.





Anyone know what I should look for? I am crying. Today was supposed to be my birthday. I finally got these damn centronics headed scsi cables from 1963 or whenever. I was going to jam but now I'm sad.

sorry for your birthday trouble but it reads familiar: SCSI can be quite a mess on 1st encounter.
It depends on Computer, OS version, the SCSI interface model (in computer), ID setting and (so called) termination of the connected devices.
Basic intro for the S2800 starts on page 127 of the user manual (which you probably have).
Not all SCSI interfaces are compatible with Mac OSX and not all support „samplers“.
Which Mac, OS version and SCSI interface model do you have ?

I am running macos 9.2.2, a powerbook wallstreet with one of the HDI-30 scsi ports built in. I've spent over a month full-time tinkering on this damn computer (there's a nasty learning curve on this old tech as a non mac user) instead of making music and it's in tip top shape.

The interface with the Akai s2800 is the IB-301S. I know I've seen people interface this exact computer with Akai samplers, but they might've been the XLs. The sampler and the computer are the only two things on the SCSI network.

Everything I read says the Akai samplers are internally terminated. There's only one external port on the IB-301S SCSI interface, at any rate. How would I even terminate on that? Using a tee adapter to get a second port out of it?

And then again, since my computer's rocking a HDI-30 port, meaning 30 pins...does that mean I need some handling for the 20 lost pins? IB-301S takes a centronics 50 pin plug.

Don't bother sweating my question, guys! It's my birthday again!!!!!!!!

The weird characters appearin gin Apple System Profiler-- and the fact that the device doesn't appear in the third party "SCSI Probe" control panel I have installed-- appear to have been a red herring.

Even with those weird behaviors, and MESA not working, I installed Recycle and it immediately recognized the sampler over SCSI. So whatever issue I have with MESA 2 I'm sure I can get resolved (probably just a matter of what version of the SCSI plugins to include in the pouch folder).

Thanks, you guys!!!!! OMG it sent over those files SO fast!!!!

EDIT: man, the documentation is so spread out on this stuff. OK, so if you run a NON-XL akai s2800, s3000 or s3200, if you use the stock MESA II, which is at time of writing the only MESA II on the various apple repositories, the newer SCSI plugin included in that version will not work for you. You need to get an older version of the "scsi plug".

Right now you can find that file hosted at:

http://akaiscsifaq.digidude.net/stuff/M ... 20Plug.sit

Just replace the existing plug and put the new one. In the "Mesa pouch" folder.

Oh yeah, and I used local device 6, remote device 0 on the screen I posted screenshots of above. The "midi over scsi" page.

Take my advice if you're starting this journey fresh. Use a Windows XP box if you absolutely MUST use scuzzy. These old macs are fkng wildly difficult.