XEL-CF3 MPBI-IDE Compact Flash Drive
A peripheral IDE interface for the 1088XEL's unique MPBI expansion port, allowing for an internal Compact Flash HDD to be deployed while not stealing cartridge port access.
The 2-Piece design keeps the electronic interface close to the MPBI port, while attaching to the CF-IDE44 adapter board via a ribbon cable. The IDE44 data bus is buffered, thereby supporting longer cables* and multiple (Master/Slave) drives. And so that this doesn't become a dead end device, MPBI pass-thru has also been provided through an extended pin female connector. *To minimize address bus loading, keep IDE cable under 10 inches long if possible.
Due to the larger size of these boards, going through an alternative PCB manufacturing service like JLCPCB or ALLPCB might be a good way to save money (the PCB Gerber files have been provided for this possibility). IMPORTANT: In order for this board to work in your 1088XEL, a special U1MB BIOS created by flashJazzcat is required for this device to be recognized, taking the place of the original SIDE PBI and Loader. Even if you don't plan on using the XEL-CF board, the new BIOS brings a lot of cool new features specific to the 1088XEL platform, making it well worth the effort to re-flash the stock firmware that came with the U1MB. Get the new firmware here. For Best Results
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Mounting Board Allows Easy Panel Mounting of CF-IDE44 Adapters (hardware specified in BOM)
CF-IDE44 Adapter Boards Connect CF Cards to IDE
Choose SINGLE or DUAL CF Adapter Board
Disclaimer: Reliable operation is not guaranteed with all Compact Flash cards. Cards rated for speeds of 30 MB/s or lower appear to work best, and Sandisk cards appear to be the most reliable and consistent media to use. Please take this into consideration before purchasing Compact Flash cards, or embarking on the project to build an XEL-CF3. |