Newbie question. PCI1 connected to modern machine

[ulrikP]

I have some old hardware that must run through a specific OEM PCB featuring a PCI1 connector. Would I need to build or buy an old machine and insert such a PCB directly on the motherboard or is there a neater way where I can encase the PCB and connect it to a more modern machine through USB or something like that? If I do need to insert it directly on a motherboard what should I look out for when buying a machine?

The driver for the software (or maybe it is actually a driver for the PCB?) only runs on XP so don't want to run into compatibility problems if I can avoid it.

Thanks!

 

[Dlaw]

What hardware are you trying to run? If it's PCI, many modern boards still have one or two PCI slots for legacy hardware. For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130779. Here is a cheap example.

 

[ulrikP]

It's an old photo scanner that is connected to a PCB that also has a PCI1 connection. The scanning controller software and driver works for Windows XP only. Originally the PCB was connected to a ATX motherboard. Scanners were made from late nineties to around 2005. Does it sound realistic that an old driver will work on a modern ATX motherboard with newer CPUs or would I have to use the exact same motherboard?

I also considered if the PCB could be put in an external box and convert the PCI1 to FireWire or USB, but don't know if that is just asking for trouble.

Your replies are highly appreciated.

 

[Dlaw]

What is the make and model, so we can look up specs on it?

I picture might help as well.

 

[ulrikP]

The scanners are part of bigger minilab setups featuring colour proofing device, commercial photo printers and sometimes even developing machines. A controller PC is at the heart of it. Diagrams of the setup can be seen here:

file:///Users/plate/Downloads/noritsu_EN33SDSEQ_1.pdf

Page 1 and 11 (bottom left area) are the ones that made most sense to me and shows how the system is connected.

The scanner connects through both a fiber optic cable and a LVDS cable. An image of a set of cut cables as well as the PCB boards in question:

 

[Dlaw]

This has a PCI slot and XP support. I don't know how powerful the system you need is, but that's all you really need to worry about from a compatibility standpoint. As long as the manufacturer for the board provides drivers for XP, you can run it.

 

[petteyg359]

a PCI1 connection.

Stop that. There is no such thing as "PCI1". It's just PCI The only thing to worry about incompatibility is PCI 3.3v (with the notch near to the end of the card instead of the middle), but it's been a very long time since those cards were around.

99% of modern motherboards still have PCI slots.

That's an expensive card...

 

[ulrikP]

Thanks a lot! It is a costly experiment at almost $1800 for the scanner, $800 for the PCBs and $4-500 in software. But it seems that it could actually work, which would be awesome.

petteyg359, I can see now that it was simply the PCI slots being numbered in the diagrams referred to.

Does it sound completely outlandish putting those two PCBs in an external box and then convert the connection to firewire or even USB?

 

[bartx]

There shouldn't be any problem with Windows XP, I often installed XP on new boards to get some better results in benchmark. And I have only one problem with drivers - Pentium Dual Core based on Ivy Bridge or Haswell had integrated GPU, which didn't want to work with XP, but after some time I've found a proper driver.

You can always try Virtual Machine to run this hardware with XP installed.