Connection OS 10.4 to OS 7.5 via SCSI-USB adapter cable--how to?

Hi,

Since you mentioned the Performa's printer port, do you mean a USB-to-serial adapter (not USB-to-SCSI)? The printer port is a MiniDIN-8F (not the DB-25F used in the computer for SCSI). A direct USB-to-SCSI computer-to-computer connection would probably not work under any circumstances.

If it is a USB-to-serial adapter, have you checked whether AppleTalk/LocalTalk is supported at all? If not, the AppleShare Chooser extension cannot be used. One possibility in that case could be to carry out a plain serial (null-modem) transfer instead, which would require a terminal emulation program with file transfer capabilities (such as ZTerm, or the communications section of ClarisWorks/AppleWorks) on both computers .

Jan

Hi again,

Test the plain serial method indicated above with this adapter to begin with. ClarisWorks may already be installed on the Performa. ZTerm (shareware) is available in versions for both Mac OS 9 (and earlier) and Mac OS X.

To look for an appropriate Ethernet card for the Performa could of course be an alternative. Use TCP/IP instead of AppleTalk. You may have to update the system software (7.5.3/7.5.5 can be downloaded from Apple), possibly a problem here. This web page may also be of interest.

Smaller files could be transferred on 1.44 MB diskettes (via an appropriate USB floppy drive for the iMac), or you could use a serial modem connected to the Performa's modem port for a dial-up connection.

Jan

E nmnm,

Here is an example of one USB adapter:
http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/usb-serial_03.html

If you could provide a similar description for your device it would clear up some details. Maybe your device claims to do the extraordinary. Or, something may have gotten lost in the translation.

I may be totally wrong about your adapter but I think you are trying to grow oranges on a lemon tree. Let me explain, USB is not a network protocol. If you have a USB printer sitting in between two computers, you cannot plug the printer into a hub and have two CPUs talk to the one printer. USB allows one CPU to talk to many devices but, to the best of my knowledge, USB can only have one brain at a time telling it what to do.

Here is Wikipedia's quote:
"A USB hub is a device that expands a single USB port into several so that there are more ports available to connect devices to a host system."

Notice the language 'a host system.' One host, one CPU.

Contrast that to this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EthernetoverUSB

Ethernet is a network protocol. Networking is between two or more brains or CPUs. The fact that you can send Ethernet over USB devices is still ethernet, not USB (universal serial bus to serial port on another computer.) SCSI is yet another protocol. It also does not like to have two brains connected. Target disk mode is a system level feature, not an accessory feature.

RS232 is also a communication protocol for transferring information between two brains or CPUs. I remember driving to Redmond, Washington in 1988 or '89 to buy the very first RS232 file transfer cable from the headquarters of the software company that wrote LapLink Mac. It allowed the user to transfer files from a PC comm port to a Mac modem port, motherboard to motherboard. Call it a Vulcan mind meld, if you like. If your device will let USB talk to a serial port on another CPU, I would love to learn more about it.

I think your phrase "put the SCSI cable into the Performa's printer port and the USB side ...into the USB port" gives the wrong description of your device. More specific product information would be helpful. Thanks.

Jim

BTW, we have ethernet cards for Performas still in the shrink wrapped boxes. Should not be too hard to find.

E nmnm,

You are absolutely correct. You have a good grasp of the problem. A serial device is a serial device. Now, having said that, if the internal hard drive for that Performa is an IDE device, you can buy an adapter on eBay for $10 that will convert IDE drives to USB drives. I bought one. Now do you think I can find it again? No. My daughter needs one and all I can find are the $20 ones! Even the eBay history has expired so no listing there, either.

Having the Performa drive connected to a newer computer will still not solve the problem of classic files needing classic apps. I still use a 1992 Quadra because it does what I need it to do and has done so faithfully for fifteen years. Migrating files is not always an easy task so keeping old machines is just fine. Have raw data backups of important information because the new software will not open the old stuff like Ready Set Go. Very easy program to use. Died because the market went to fancy and complex.

Seems like keeping the best of both worlds still makes sense. Zip drives fill the gap between old files and new computers.

Good luck,

Jim

E nmnm,

An Ethernet card would be the best solution.

However, the USB-to-serial adapter that you mentioned is probably going to create a proper null-modem link between the Performa 475 and a modern computer, when combined with a MiniDIN-8M to MiniDIN-8M Mac serial printer cable. This can be checked through terminal emulators on both sides (as indicated above).

Even more interesting would be the serial null-modem in connection with PPP and TCP/IP. A case with a Macintosh SE and a Windows PC has been described by a Peter Sin (a link to his instructions can be found in this article at The Mac SE Support Pages, maintained by Chris Adams). You may want to experiment with a similar method between your two Macs.

MacTCP is already part of System 7.5. One PPP program for the Performa 475 could be MacPPP 2.5, which can be downloaded from Apple ( here). Some other Internet programs can be found through ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/mac/info-mac/_Internet/. Server software for the Performa could be, for example, NetPresenz or MacHTTP (try a web search).

Good luck!

Jan