Recently, I received a request for a 160mm long version of my existing MECB Prototype Card.
This is (of course), logical, as 100mm x 160mm is a standard size for the Eurocard based ECB bus.
It also is the size of the wire-wrap Euro square pad cards, that my late 70’s and early 80’s implemented designs were created using.
Join me as I walk through the background and design on the new Prototype 160mm Card.
Background
My Minimalist Europe Card Bus platform (or MECB as I’ve called it), continues to serve me well for all of my retro 8-bit microprocessor based projects.
This even extends to the recent Motorola MC68008 16/32 bit (internal) microprocessor based CPU Card.
As a reminder, my MECB platform was always intended to allow me to re-experience my early days of building 8-bit microprocessor system designs.
Back then, I used the Euro card bus system and most of my card designs were made using wire-wrap on Euro square pad cards.
These days, we have the benefit of computer aided circuit board design, along with cheap and easy PCB manufacture.
In keeping with my minimalist intentions, I standardised the MECB platform PCB’s to be based on a 100mm square PCB.
This sizing was arrived at to take advantage of the maximum prototype PCB size, to enable savings in PCB manufacture.
ECB Standard 160mm x 100mm Card Size
Those that have previously used the Eurocard Bus, will know that the most popular card size was actually 160mm x 100mm.
That is, a longer rectangular card, as opposed to the 100mm square card I’ve implemented for MECB.
In fact, as I earlier mentioned, my late 70’s and early 80’s implemented designs were created using wire-wrap on Euro square pad cards.
These Euro square pad cards were, of course, 160mm by 100mm.
Recently, I received a request for a 160mm long version of my existing MECB Prototype Card.
With my own background, this request (of course), tweaked my interest.
ECB Expansion (96-pin – 3 Row)
The original Euro Card Bus (ECB), has also evolved over the years. The most recent expanded iteration of it, is referred to as ECB Expansion.
This specifies a bus that now uses the full 3 row 96 pin DIN 41612 connector.
3 rows of 32 pins each, which are labelled as rows, A, B, and C.
The original Kontron ECB implementation, of the late 70’s, used only rows A & C, on a 64 pin connector.
Likewise, my MECB platform uses the A & C row 64 pin connector.
Prototype 160mm Card Design
So, it seemed to me that if I was to make a 160mm long version of my existing MECB Prototype Card, then to do it justice, I should re-design the card to allow either a 64-pin or a 96-pin connector to be used.
This would allow the 160mm long prototype card to be used with MECB based projects, where a tall card was desired, as well as using it with existing 160mm long card based original ECB systems.
In addition, the new 160mm prototype card could also be used with full 96 pin ECB Expansion based systems.
But, do note that for MECB system use, only the 64 pins of rows A & C are used (row B is not connected), as our MECB backplane is based on the A & C row 64 pin connectors.
Prototype 160mm Card PCB
So, with that background explained, let’s take a look at the new Prototype 160mm Card.
Here is my 3D render of the new Prototype 160mm Card.
You can see that support is there for the full 96 pin rows A, B, and C.
But, equally, you can just insert a 64 pin (rows A & C) connector, leaving Row B unused.
Other than this, the Prototype 160mm Card takes the existing MECB Prototype Card design, based on a 3×1 connected grid pattern, with power bars along each side of the card, and a free form 1×1 grid at the end of the card (for connectors).
The longer card simply extending the grid pattern to a 160mm length Card.
Prototype 160mm Card Kitset
To support the dual usage flexibility, I’m offering the new Prototype 160mm Card kitset with a choice of either a 64 pin Hardware Pack, or a 96 pin Hardware pack.
So, if you want to use the taller card with your existing MECB backplane, you can select the 64 pin Hardware pack.
Otherwise, if you are after a Prototype Card for an ECB Expansion based system. Specifically, if you have a 96 pin backplane system, then you can select the 96 pin Hardware pack option.
Now a Family of Seven different Prototype Cards
This Card addition now expands my Prototype card family to seven different Card options.
Hopefully, this should satisfy most needs!
Be sure to check them out on my Online Store.
Have fun!