2-port USB Expansion that works with D8B

[Y-my-R]

For anybody who is looking to add a USB-port to their D8B or HDR, this part works (at least on the new board, but I think I also had this installed on the old board at some point... but I'm no longer certain... too long ago):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334461327689

And for $10 new, you really can't complain, IMO.

I already had a single Asus USB 1.1 board exactly like that (that I don't recall what other computer that came with, originally) in the D8B rack unit I turned into a Win98 computer, and it works great for that.

When I ran across that eBay offering, I bought another one and swapped it with the one in my Win98 D8B computer to make sure it works before ordering more.. and the new board works just like my old board. So, this is confirmed to work

I think that theoretically "any" USB 1 (or 1.1) expansion should work... but sometimes it's not clear from the product listing, and I bought two similar USB expansion boards before, that did NOT work with the D8B (probably wired for USB2, or some other pinout for the connector on the motherboard). I didn't want to "customize" the wiring of these other USB extenders I had ordered and was just waiting for a drop-in "as-is" solution to come along, and the link above seems to be it.

I just placed an order for another 2 of these ASUS USB/MIR boards, so I can keep one in each of my spares and/or use these D8B computers for additional vintage PC projects (i.e. my Win98 D8B computer exists to house my Ensoniq Soundscape Elite card (the soundcard I originally started writing/recording music with)... and is convenient for loading/converting old files of mine from back in the day). I can always remove that stuff again, if I'd need the spare for a D8B-mixer setup.

Besides, I have another ISA soundcard I can't use in the same converted D8B computer at the same time because of IRQ limitations (Terratec EWS64S - needs the same IRQs as the currently installed Ensoniq Soundscape Elite card), so I might just build another Win98 D8B computer for that from one of my spares (...although that card doesn't really have anything on it, that can't easily be recreated with software... the Soundscape card has a ASR/TS type FX chip on it (ESP/OTTO).

If anyone would like to explore the idea to run Win98SE on a D8B computer and use USB... you have to install an additional driver to make it recognize USB thumb drives/memory sticks. (NUSB 3.6).

When the USB port is in use with the D8B running the Mackie OS, what it can do with that port is rather limited. I don't remember off hand, but it either only supports a USB keyboard OR a USB mouse (I forgot, since I had used the only USB-expansion board that works with the D8B hardware, with that Win98 box, instead... but there is no USB driver for either one of those built into the Mackie OS... so, only one of them will work... forgot which. And I'd think that USB memory sticks likely also wouldn't be recognized when running the Mackie OS on the rack hardware... so, added functionality is pretty limited... but still - I looked for these expansion boards before a few years ago and couldn't find any. So, load up on new such boards while they're available, if you were thinking about expanding your D8B with USB ports

If you have a spare D8B computer and feel like turning it into a vintage Windows system, either to support old hardware (e.g. ISA cards) or as a vintage gaming system to play DOS-games, then you might want to look at this page... much of that stuff is useful, when bringing an old Win98 computer back in service, nowadays:

http://dk.toastednet.org/vogons/win98/

...or generally, the "Vogons" forum is good for that:

https://www.vogons.org/

(besides, Vogon poetry is the BEST!)

...oh, and just a thought: If your D8B no longer works as a mixer and your only using it with a ProBox, you could as well install Windows on the computer side of things and run that while using the D8B console with the ProBox. The rack computer literally does nothing when used with the ProBox, other than provide power. Might as well have it run Windows (or Linux) and be available for conversions or little test projects etc.
...and for that, the USB expansion board I'm linking to above, is really useful, IMO

[csp]

Y-my-R,

I wish that I had either your knowledge or came from the same planet as you, so that I could understand what you are saying !!!!!

Not that I expect to be doing what you have suggested, but do you know/think if it would work on a Win XP computer --- blew up my Win8 computer about 2yrs ago and no local computer repair place wants to touch it?

David

[Y-my-R]

I just used these kinds of computers when they were new and haven' forgotten it all just yet, haha (but I clearly forgot some of it... as is evident of the multiple "I don't remembers" in my first post above.
I got rid of all that old stuff back when I got new computers again and again, over the years. And at some point, I noticed that I have no computer hardware left, that could utilize my old soundcards, etc., and started keeping an eye out for an old computer with ISA slots for this purpose (that was still before I had a D8B).

Eventually, I ended up with two Error 43 D8Bs and a ProBox (I was really just looking for a Mackie HUI because I wanted LED meters for the channels... figured the D8B/ProBox is better/bigger than the HUI), and realized that I could just use the D8B computer for the "ISA slot computer" purpose, and that I'm finally done looking for a vintage computer mainboard with ISA slots that can fit a full-length ISA card like that Ensoniq soundcard.

So, the D8B and the "spares" I keep for it, really serve multiple purposes for me. Mixer, Controller, old-Soundcard-host, and to some degree, vintage gaming (although much of that is easier in virtual machines, IMO... but every now and then, I feel nostalgic and play a round of Doom or Herectic on that Win98 D8B computer).

But about your question: If your PC came with XP when it was new, then it probably already has USB 2.0 ports and the part I shared will NOT work for that.

Also, most newer boards had the USB ports "permanently attached" to the motherboard, and many had no extra connections for more USB expansion boards. Some motherboards DO have some extra pins where you could connect extra expansion boards similar to what I shared here (but most likely for USB 2.0... or even USB 3.0 or higher, if the hardware is from towards the end of Windows XP's life).

To be sure what fits, you'd need to research that with your computer model (if it's a brand name model, like a Dell or something), or MUCH better, by looking for the name of the motherboard inside it, looking at the specifications for it, and determining if it has "headers" (pins on the board) to connect such an expansion board, and what type.

Newer USB2, USB3 and USB3.1 expansion boards like that are readily available and a dime a dozen... and if you order a random one, it has a much higher probability of fitting that computer, than when trying to find oooooooold stuff like the USB 1.1 expansion for the D8B.

So, you shouldn't have any problem at all, finding a USB expansion board for your Windows 8 computer, as long as it has a header for that on the motherboard.

However, these expansion boards don't have their own USB controller chip on them, but rely on the USB controller chip on the mainboard.
So, if you mean that you physically/electrically blew up the USB controller on your Windows 8 computer, an extension board like that will not fix the USB controller, and USB still won't work.

...if you meant if you can run WinXP on the D8B computer... probably not - at least not comfortably. It's too old. There's really no point trying to use that computer for any sort of modern/serious tasks... it only makes sense for "vintage" special projects, like running old hardware or games, etc. Or just to have access to a floppy drive via DOS (but you could already do that with a "regular" D8B, by just booting it from a DOS or Linux boot floppy...

For any "modern" work, that computer is too old, by far.

I don't want to go as far off topic as asking what the problem with the computer is and what happened... troubleshooting "random" windows computer hardware would likely go WAY outside the scope of the already long e-mails I'm typing here... but part of the reason I'm not a fan of Windows PCs, is that they sooner or later slow down or eventually give up, from all the junk that accumulates and is allowed to get in the way of the operating system's performance.
So... are you sure you have a hardware problem with that Windows PC, and it isn't something that a simple format/reinstall can't fix? IMO, Windows computers need that every now and then, if you dare to go online with them, hahaha

[csp]

Y-my-R,

To answer your last part re the Win 8 computer.

It is a tower type computer and has small vent holes in the side (as well as a fan in the rear). One day while I had it on and there was an electrical light flash from both of the side vents and the unit shut down.

On re-booting it started to boot when it started to make a bleeping sound and simply stopped loading (no screen message). I shut down and re-booted about three times (from memory) but each time at about the same loading position (or booting time) it started to beep.

I took the cover off to see if I could find/see the problem but everything looked OK (ie nothing burnt, etc), so I re booted to see if I could see anything as it booted but nothing apart from the bleeping through the internal speaker.

I then gave up and a few days later called some of the local computer repair places, but none were interested in even looking at it --- "way to old".

It has since been placed betwen mine and my wife's computers and is being used as a stand for our internet modem and the master station for our Uniden DEC phone system.

David