SE/30 Common Fixable problems — #10

Post #10 by trag

Source Forum	68kMLA
Category	Networking
Post Date	Wed, 3 Feb 2010 - 17:18
Original URL	https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/se-30-common-fixable-problems.19764/

Post

Really? If the Mac didn't have a programming language then how was it programmed?

I believe the original development system for the Mac was in Pascal, but the very first may have been 68000 assembly language.

I would like to use the computer to run automated light shows and basically overall automated control. To put things into a larger perspective, I been thinking about using the Mac to automate props for a haunted house project I am working on.

Have you considered using a microcontroller system? Some of the Freescale 9S12 development boards are very nice.

http://www.technologicalarts.ca/catalog/index.php?cPath=50&osCsid=623a6ebbcf863be1fabe316d5ee7b4d7

As I said above...is there a way to get onto the internet via a serial to ethernet hookup? Would that make things easier? If so then it could open up the door to the Classic II since that computer doesn't have the capability for a network expansion card.

There are SCSI to ethernet adapters. I forgot to mention those. They're usually slower than a PDS ethernet card. I'm not sure one would be any less expensive than a PDS ethernet card. As far as I know there was no serial to ethernet adapter, but the LocalTalk to Ethernet bridges I mentioned in an earlier post are effectively the same thing. They connect to the serial port (when it is configured as a LocalTalk port) and translate LocalTalk packets to ethernet. Unfortunately, I don't think they translate TCP/IP, although I think there are some bridges that will.

Oh, Ok, so this printer will then hook up directly to the Mac.

The specs for the LaserJet 4 says it has an RS-422 port

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpl02076&locale=en_US&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=25487&prodTypeId=18972

I'm not sure if that port is a mini-DIN8 or a DB9. It really is nice to get one with a JetDirect card. I think the HP LaserJet 2100 also supports the older Macs. Ah, yes, the 2100 has a LocalTalk port built in and one can add ethernet via the EIO slot.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpl06416&locale=en_US&prodSeriesId=25469&prodTypeId=18972#A1

The HP 2100 has the advantage of being a much newer model than the 4, 4 Plus and 5, but it is probably not as well built as those ancient work horses.

Oh! almost forgot...very important...what is the tell - tale description of an early Mac that the computer is working, but the hard drive is bad? Perhaps I might be better off finding one like this than one with a bad display.

The Mac boots nicely with a good "Bong" and the screen comes on, and it settles to a little icon of a floppy disk in the center of a gray screen with a flashing question mark in the middle of the disk icon. This comes up if there's no bootable disk connected. If there's a bootable floppy inserted then it will just boot from the floppy.

I did a bit more digging and I read that if you change the processor in an SE/30 to a 68040 then the computer can handle up to Mac OS 8.1. I am not sure if that would benefit for TCP/IP connections but I would have my reservations about issues with a color OS running on a B&W monitor. But with that change supposedly that is the last version of the Mac OS that would run on the SE/30. Would a processor change be difficult?

It's not a processor swap. It involves adding an accelerator card. The 68040 accelerator isn't horribly rare, but can be pricey. However, the SE/30 needs an adapter to connect the 68040 accelerator and that adapter for the sE/30 is rather rare and pricey.