PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

are magma boxes the solution for using our pci creamware cards with mobos having pcie slots??

i was looking into magmas site and i noticed that they advertize boxes using digidesign cards
http://www.magma.com/products/pciexpres ... index.html
"look into pdf specs"

i guess scope cards would also be ok, or not???

I have a magma box with 2 slots, and it connects to my laptop with the ExpressCard/34 slot. I can put in my 2 boards (14 and 6 dsp cards) and run things with no problems.
john b.

14+6 boards i have as well!

i was thinking of a newer pc, and now i guess i could even try a mobo without 2 pci slots necessarily.

well, that sounds good news for me. thank very much!

Another question might be, in my case for instance, if i want to use a magma box, connecting my 2 boards(pro14+project6), which magma is more appropriate?
should i take notice of pci specs? 1.1 2.1, e.t.c....?? pci express connectors? x1, x2 ,x4.........??, pci express 1.0, 1.1, or 2.0?

Another 14 + 6 boarder here with a Magma 2 slot.

I've researched the Magma solution quite a bit, and spoke with Magma support to boot. There are a couple of different chips used in the Magma main boxes, either DEC or Pericom. From what I've gathered, the Pericom chipset is better to use with a PCI-E host controller. Perhaps much better.

Supposedly, the newer cable with silver ends, currently in the Magma store, are helpful as well. They are purportedly a higher bandwidth cable, for a cleaner signal (bunch of high frequency square waves).

DEC is older, Pericom is newer & may be the current chipset in use in the main boxes.

Oh, just to be clear, I'm not currently using the Magma stuff - have both cards in a cheap dedicated system.

-cap

Did you see the prices? Frankly I'd get a Xite-1 instead!

capacitor wrote:I've researched the Magma solution quite a bit, and spoke with Magma support to boot. There are a couple of different chips used in the Magma main boxes, either DEC or Pericom. From what I've gathered, the Pericom chipset is better to use with a PCI-E host controller. Perhaps much better.

I used a 13 slot enclosure with a pci host card, and a 4 slot enclosure with pci (and also tested pcmcia to a certain degree).
the big box has a DEC chip and did not really work with pcmcia, so I first thought the host card was broken. when I got the lil' box I tested again, and this one has a pericom chip. at least I was able to see the cards inside the box, but I used other cards with my laptop so far, no scope (yet).

as far as I know DEC equipped enclosures won't work with pci-e at all, so don't buy one if you intend to use that bus.
I will ( soon ) make the lil' box a scope only box and hook it to the machine I currently assemble. it has performed its initial boot just last friday...

-greetings, markus-

alfonso wrote:Did you see the prices? Frankly I'd get a Xite-1 instead!

+1

alfonso wrote:Did you see the prices? Frankly I'd get a Xite-1 instead!

if you buy them new, I agree. you can still make a good deal on ebay, as I did

Pericom + silver cables for ExpressCard/ PCIe, DEC and black cables for PCMCIA / PCI.

Works well for synths and FX, but less PCI bandwidth for reverbs / delays / ASIO I/Os when compared to on-board PCI...

I still have one set of each (2-slot Magma chassis, holds 3 cards), the DEC/PCMCIA is up for sale, and the Pericom / EC will be when I get my XITE (that's "very soon")

T

Tau, did the stock power supply in the 2-slot have enough oomph?

I was looking at the specifications & thought it might not have enough 12V current for (in my case) a 14+6 chip setup.

capacitor wrote:Tau, did the stock power supply in the 2-slot have enough oomph?

Hi capacitor, sorry for the late reply.

I installed 3 cards on the 2-slot magmas, 2x14DSP (1 Z-Link) + 1x6DSP, and never had any issues with power. I even switched the PSU for one of these : http://www.mini-box.com/M3-ATX-DC-DC-AT ... tegory=981 and it still worked perfectly...



T