3 ms·

A project like this would be interesting for a computer that controls some other long lived thing, like an industrial control computer. There is an awful number

A project like this would be interesting for a computer that controls some other long lived thing, like an industrial control computer. There is an awful number of old beige boxes running Windows 95 controlling some very expensive machinery. The lack of software updates is not a problem (until somebody tries to introduce IIoT...), but finding replacement parts can become quite difficult.

smackeyacky 5y ago
There is a small business near me that has a wool testing machine that absolutely relies on custom DOS 3.3 based software and an old school serial card. They have had to become very astute at picking up old parts to keep their old rigs running as the guy who wrote the control software passed on, and they don't want to invest money in rewriting it. You would think commodity hardware would run this setup but all attempts at shifting it have failed. The problem with old electronics is that once the chips fall out of fashion, you are never getting replacement parts. Does anybody still manufacture DDR2 ram for example? Its just not that long ago it got replaced by DDR3 and DDR4 but in 10 short years if you need a couple of sticks of it, your only option is 2nd hand. The e-waste issue is very real and the relentless pace of change doesn't help, but I don't have a good answer for solving it.
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  Amazon still shows as DDR2 being available from brands such as Tecmiyo and Kuesuny. With prime shipping even. You can even get DDR1 still. Now whether it's new memory or just recycled memory that's been repackaged I have no idea.
  - BenjiWiebe 5y ago
    It sure looks like new. I recently ordered some DDR2 for a printer's mainboard.
- boznz 5y ago
  If it transfers data through serial it is generally pretty easy to capture the traffic and reverse engineer, two of my jobs have been projects exactly like this. Only on one occasion have I had to replace the control electronics in the machine where the 8755 ROM/IO chip had failed and the program data was lost
dusted 5y ago
not too long ago I did a flux image of a floppy, that floppy was required to boot a perfectly good cnc machine, and if it died, the machine would need its computer replaced (read: need to be replaced itself), the floppy drive was then replaced by a floppy emulator with a USB stick, and the guy now has two backups. It was not too early either, the first tracks of that floppy were visibly worn...

smackeyacky 5y ago

There is a small business near me that has a wool testing machine that absolutely relies on custom DOS 3.3 based software and an old school serial card. They have had to become very astute at picking up old parts to keep their old rigs running as the guy who wrote the control software passed on, and they don't want to invest money in rewriting it. You would think commodity hardware would run this setup but all attempts at shifting it have failed. The problem with old electronics is that once the chips fall out of fashion, you are never getting replacement parts. Does anybody still manufacture DDR2 ram for example? Its just not that long ago it got replaced by DDR3 and DDR4 but in 10 short years if you need a couple of sticks of it, your only option is 2nd hand. The e-waste issue is very real and the relentless pace of change doesn't help, but I don't have a good answer for solving it.

salamandersauce 5y ago
Amazon still shows as DDR2 being available from brands such as Tecmiyo and Kuesuny. With prime shipping even. You can even get DDR1 still. Now whether it's new memory or just recycled memory that's been repackaged I have no idea.
- BenjiWiebe 5y ago
  It sure looks like new. I recently ordered some DDR2 for a printer's mainboard.
boznz 5y ago
If it transfers data through serial it is generally pretty easy to capture the traffic and reverse engineer, two of my jobs have been projects exactly like this. Only on one occasion have I had to replace the control electronics in the machine where the 8755 ROM/IO chip had failed and the program data was lost

dusted 5y ago

not too long ago I did a flux image of a floppy, that floppy was required to boot a perfectly good cnc machine, and if it died, the machine would need its computer replaced (read: need to be replaced itself), the floppy drive was then replaced by a floppy emulator with a USB stick, and the guy now has two backups. It was not too early either, the first tracks of that floppy were visibly worn...