ISA/EISA Card replacement PCI connection

[Rigo]

Old computer conundrum
Just received a mechanic shop computer today still running on DOS for the equipment they use. 2.6GB IDE drive + ancient RAM.
It's using some ISA/EISA cards and some parallel port cards for connecting the diagnostics devices.
Either the motherboard or the PSU or both are dead.
I've got some Win98/XP era motherboards with PCI but without ISA connectors that might be able to run the OS.
Any idea if there is any hope for this project?

 

[GTP]

All I can suggest is reach out to computer groups on facebook or instagram. You could do a search for old hardware on facebook etc.
There maybe someone who can do board level repairs?
There will be someone somewhere out there that may have some old gear laying around.

A few weeks ago, I had a clean out of my spare room and threw a lot of old computer stuff like this in the Bunnings recycle bin. Never thought anyone would ever have a use for it.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Brings back the wayback machine...I worked on computers running DOS and other stuff, and as ISA ports started to retire and some clients ran old software that wanted legacy peripherals (and ways to communicate with them via the old fashioned IRQ and COMs)....I used to use Lavalink cards.

Parallel Cards Archives - LAVA Ports

The Parallel PCI’s strength lies in its Moko ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). This chip consolidates a number of separate components into one chip, and is only available on LAVA products. Adding efficiency in manufacture, this card virtually eliminates any possibility of component...

lavalink.com

They have other cards with different ports...

LAVA Computer MFG Inc. – Enterprise Connectivity Devices for Mobile and Computers

lavalink.com

There are some companies that still build/sell industrialized legacy OS computers.

 

[Blues]

Are the cards special or just Parallel port cards? I would consider a more modern hardware the you can access w/ support for Parallel ports and that can run a DOS application. I remember doing something like that back in early 2000s for a medical office that ran a DOS application and parallel connected green bar dot matrix printer and continued this setup until the office closed when the doctor retired in 2019.

 

[timeshifter]

I'd go looking for the same motherboard, processor, etc. on eBay and try to build the same machine again. Hopefully the expansion cards didn't fail too.

 

[timeshifter]

Are the cards special or just Parallel port cards

Wouldn't parallel port cards (for a printer) have a female connector?

Those cards may be using SCSI or some other proprietary connection for a data acquisition device.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Wouldn't parallel port cards (for a printer) have a female connector?

The adapters in the pic are DN37....something different (37 pins)....
The other card looks parallel, and...hard to see what the top 2 are on the system board with the ribbon cables...either COM and/or LPT.

 

[britechguy]

I'd also check in to whether the software can run on a later version of Windows and whether a USB-to-{connection type here} adapter (with driver) is available.

If both can be used, it's a better long term solution. I was shocked when I was able to get a USB-to-DVI adapter that worked (and is still working) flawlessly for someone who didn't want to dump a large monitor that had neither HDMI nor DisplayPort ports.

 

[Rigo]

The adapters in the pic are DN37....something different (37 pins)....
The other card looks parallel, and...hard to see what the top 2 are on the system board with the ribbon cables...either COM and/or LPT.

Both connectors are 37 pins.
Don't know why one is blue. It connects to the card through the ribbon cable.
Too wide for LPT?

 

[Rigo]

All I can suggest is reach out to computer groups on facebook or instagram. You could do a search for old hardware on facebook etc.
There maybe someone who can do board level repairs?
There will be someone somewhere out there that may have some old gear laying around.

A few weeks ago, I had a clean out of my spare room and threw a lot of old computer stuff like this in the Bunnings recycle bin. Never thought anyone would ever have a use for it.

I did a similar clean up last December too.
Motherboards, kboards, RAM, PSUs, etc, mostly from upgrades, not failure.
After keeping them for so many years
Repairing might be an option as I do have a couple of contacts who enjoy the pain

 

[GTP]

I did a similar clean up last December too.
Motherboards, kboards, RAM, PSUs, etc, mostly from upgrades, not failure.
After keeping them for so many years
Repairing might be an option as I do have a couple of contacts who enjoy the pain

"Ain't it always the way" as James Reyne said. You keep this stuff for so long until you decide to chuck it out and of course someone needs it!

I don't know where my local Bunnings sends old IT stuff but it would be too late to try to track it down now anyway.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Brand new computer running Windows 11.

Modern card installed to add the COM and LPT ports as required.

Install Dosbox, configure. FreeDOS is an alternative to be run via Hyper-V (Windows Pro), VirtualBox, or VMWare Workstation.

There is zero reason to hold onto that old hardware!

The hard part is getting a copy of what's on that hard disk!