Edge Connector to Centronics Adaptor

Started by PCWMan, 17:22, 21 June 22

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PCWMan

Simple question. Has any such adaptor (Edge Connector to Centronics) been created. I have a wifi modem kit for the PCW but sadly it is built with the centronics connector instead of the UK edge connector 

cj7hawk

Seems we were just talking about the topic a few posts earlier.

But when you say "Wifi" - that was a really early technology back in the days of the PCW - so I'd love to hear more about this kit - Is it recent or is it something from back when it was called wavelan?

Also, there may be multiple ways to achieve your goals - what were you attempting to do? I'd love to hear more about these kits and what functionality they provide to the PCW if you can provide more information?

Thanks and Regards
David

PCWMan

I purchased it off of eBay because it seemed like a neat little project to do at some point. The kit however, is only directly compatible with a centronics connector.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155043909956?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cVf-e0DNS9G&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=zZAKw5EgTSW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Bryce

Quote from: cj7hawk on 03:27, 22 June 22Seems we were just talking about the topic a few posts earlier.

But when you say "Wifi" - that was a really early technology back in the days of the PCW - so I'd love to hear more about this kit - Is it recent or is it something from back when it was called wavelan?

Also, there may be multiple ways to achieve your goals - what were you attempting to do? I'd love to hear more about these kits and what functionality they provide to the PCW if you can provide more information?

Thanks and Regards
David

It wasn't "early technology" It didn't commercially exist at all back then. There were no WLAN (not even WaveLAN) devices available during the lifetime of the PCW. WaveLAN was introduced in 1990, two years after the PCW had been discontinued.

Bryce.

ComSoft6128

IIRC the CPM PCW's were made into the mid nineties.

Bryce

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 13:42, 22 June 22IIRC the CPM PCW's were made into the mid nineties.

They weren't "real" PCW's :D For me, the PCW ended when the "8" changed to a "9".

Bryce.

Richard_Lloyd

The ebay listing is only for the PCB. I assume you are also sourcing all the components from somewhere?

You could make a convertor using IDC connectors and a piece of 50way ribbon cable.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254023354209?hash=item3b24f8c761:g:NDAAAOSwvZNgBctk

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391507935311?hash=item5b27b1004f:g:2VkAAOSw6h9dnG8w

The end result won't be pretty as the finished item will be hanging off the back of your PCW. I have no connection with the above listings, you may want to look around and choose your own supplier. Good luck.
Richard
CPC464, CPC6128, PCW8512, PCW10, BSA & NSP

GUNHED

The PcW was produced until 1998:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_PCW

Be glad to have a cool and reliable Centronics port for the PcW Wi-Fi expansion. A cable adapter is very simple to be made, just use both needed 50 pin sockets and crimp them using a flat cable. That's the way is works for me.  :)
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
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cj7hawk

Quote from: Bryce on 13:50, 22 June 22
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 13:42, 22 June 22IIRC the CPM PCW's were made into the mid nineties.

They weren't "real" PCW's :D For me, the PCW ended when the "8" changed to a "9".

Bryce.


LoL, That's pretty harsh. The 9512 isn't that far from the 8256. I'd love to hear about the change that made you disown Alan Sugar's later kids - :)

cj7hawk

Quote from: PCWMan on 08:43, 22 June 22I purchased it off of eBay because it seemed like a neat little project to do at some point. The kit however, is only directly compatible with a centronics connector.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155043909956?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cVf-e0DNS9G&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=zZAKw5EgTSW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY


I don't think that's a centronics connector... I think it's a PCW Edge Connector. You can get some from China cheap that should fit perfectly... And it looks like it has the same circuit as the default PCW Serial Port as discussed in the other thread.

I'm not 100% certain about that, but that's certainly what it looks like to me.

I would guess the seller wasn't the designer and confused that it's a "Centronics Adapter Based PCB" with "It's a PCW interface that NORMALLY has a centronics and serial output".

As for the Centronics, the one you are thinking of only has 34 pins, and that interface PCB has 50, so there's no way someone was expecting you to solder in a centronics port.

Make sure you know which way is up before connecting it.

David

Bryce

Quote from: cj7hawk on 13:43, 23 June 22
Quote from: Bryce on 13:50, 22 June 22
Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 13:42, 22 June 22IIRC the CPM PCW's were made into the mid nineties.

They weren't "real" PCW's :D For me, the PCW ended when the "8" changed to a "9".

Bryce.


LoL, That's pretty harsh. The 9512 isn't that far from the 8256. I'd love to hear about the change that made you disown Alan Sugar's later kids - :)
Moving the electronics and drives out of the screen was the deciding factor :D

Bryce.

Richard_Lloyd

@cj7hawk Many PCWs and CPCs (mainly export) had 50 pin centronics connectors as did all the CPC Plus machines. Centronics goes from 14 to 50 pins. You are right about the PCB seller, he neatly modifed an existing design to suit the PCW. It can be tracked on GITHub but he doesn't seem to publish the Gerbers so it is easiest to buy PCBs from him.
@PCWMan If you decide to make an adaptor, also make sure you buy the correct centronics connectors - there are plug and socket versions. If you solder the correct one to the PCB it will fit a 'centronics' PCW if you ever get one. Then you need an IDC version for the ribbon cable. You'll figure it out I'm sure. Richard.
Richard
CPC464, CPC6128, PCW8512, PCW10, BSA & NSP

PCWMan

An update now its been delivered

I've noticed that on the instruction page of the github it mentions the  "Edge connector PCB version" so I'm assuming that @cj7hawk is correct. https://github.com/VapourSoft/PCWWiFiModem/wiki/Hardware-Assembly 

Aside from that this looks fairly straightforward to put together.

Ashen

Quote from: PCWMan on 16:47, 24 June 22An update now its been delivered

I've noticed that on the instruction page of the github it mentions the  "Edge connector PCB version" so I'm assuming that @cj7hawk is correct. https://github.com/VapourSoft/PCWWiFiModem/wiki/Hardware-Assembly

Aside from that this looks fairly straightforward to put together.


Did you get it working? There is now an Edge connector version on eBay ...

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