In Search of the Elusive DB19
Discontinued parts are bad, “unobtainium” parts are worse. Floppy Emu uses a 19-pin D-SUB male solder cup connector, otherwise known as DB19P, to connect to the computer’s floppy port. DB19 connectors were never common, and were only used in 1980s and 1990s Macintosh, Atari, and some NeXT computers. Today in 2015 they’re very difficult to find. As far as I can tell they’re no longer manufactured, and are only available in small quantities from electronics surplus warehouses.
My hardware sales appear to be drawing down the remaining worldwide stock of these connectors. Working with the vendor who assembles the Floppy Emu boards, we’ve purchased the entire remaining stock from three surplus warehouses, and been advised that they won’t be getting any more. We have enough to finish the current batch of 100 boards, but after that it’s not clear if we can find more DB19s at a reasonable price, or at any price. Worst case, this will be the last batch of Floppy Emus, and I’ll have to stop selling them when the supply runs out. And a couple of DB19-based adapter boards I was planning to release will never see the light of day.
Vendors
Searching the web, it seems there are at least half a dozen places that sell DB19 male solder cup connectors. But if you look carefully, several of them are just alternate storefronts for the same company with the same stock. A few places show DB19 but list it as out of stock. At least one other shows it as in stock, but if you call them you’ll learn it’s actually not available.
These are the same vendor. I’ve bought their entire stock. They won’t be getting more.
These are the same vendor. Out of stock, not clear if they’ll be getting more.
Elliott Electronics Supply
Network Cables
These look like active vendors. I haven’t called yet to confirm availability or quantity in stock.
There’s one more vendor I won’t list here, because I don’t want other people buying up their stock. They’re kind of a pain to work with, but I’ve used their parts for all my boards thus far. Now they’re out of stock, and it’s not clear if they’ll be getting more, or if this is the end. Their web site says they are newly-manufactured parts, so I’m hopeful.
Options
A couple of other options, if the supply of DB19 connectors disappears:
- Use DB25 connectors, and cut off 6 pins. This might or might not fit, depending on the mounting screws and case cutout surround the DB19 port on each Macintosh model. It might be necessary to cut away part of the metal housing of the connector, using tin snips or a Dremel. It would be a lot of extra work, look ugly, and require a modification to the Emu’s PCB.
- Find an Asian manufacturer to make DB19 connectors. If I commit to buying enough of them, I bet I can find a D-SUB manufacturer in Asia who’d be willing to set up tooling machinery to build DB19s. I’m not sure how many I’d need to buy, though – thousands? And I’m not sure how to find potential Asian partners, and make a proposal to them. My first thought is to use Alibaba to identify existing D-SUB manufacturers of other sizes.
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I bet you could 3d print this connector in high strength plastic and use off the shelf pins…
mfg.com is good for custom stuff too – post specs, various manufacturing houses compete to provide the best quote.
mfg.com looks like a good resource – I’ll try it. I could see 3D printing possibly working for a one-off part, but I’m not sure how well it would scale to higher amounts. Know anyone who’s done something like that, who I could speak to? My fear is I’d be looking at $20/part just for the printing, then lots of labor for someone to manually insert 19 pins into each one. And I believe it would need a hood of some sort too… I still think finding a willing manufacturing parter is my best option. Hopefully I can find one who will talk to me, and won’t require me to buy $10,000 worth of D-SUB connectors.
Submitted an RFQ at mfg.com – we’ll see if anyone responds.
I think the DB19 male connector is the same as used on an Atari ST’s ACSI port (kind of like a cut-down SCSI) – and there are various people making hard disk emulators for said STs. (Example cable here – it boasts of using an ‘orginal RARE db19, not “hand made” db25’.)
Might be worth asking those small-scale manufacturers where they get their connectors from? They seem to be based in Poland, so may have access to Mysterious Stocks of European Hardware – or they’re just using up the same limited supplies that you are. Submit a big shared order to whoever can make the connectors?
Thanks for the lead. Haha, from the photo, that’s an IEC cable. We just bought all of IEC’s remaining stock of DB-19P connectors. Although the Atari people are using a DB-19 shrouded hood connector, which is a bit different, so I don’t think we’re directly conflicting.
My “secret” vendor also says they won’t be getting any more parts. I think I’ve exhausted the world’s supply of DB-19P solder cup connectors. 🙁
Well then, you’ll probably have to fall back on DB25 connectors. Line the connector up with one side, and just take out the (I think) two pins that interfere with the DB19F’s other side. You end up with a connector that can only be plugged into the mating connector one way. It still looks like crap, and you’ll need to see if you can figure a way to hold the connector in place (since only one screw / stud pair will line up), but you’ll still be able to continue to make / sell Floppy Emus.
That’s my only suggestion.
I just looked at this, and pulling pins from a DB-25 won’t be enough. The metal frame surrounding the DB-25 pins doesn’t fit the recess in the Macintosh case surrounding the DB-19 female port. So it would be necessary to cut away part of the DB-25 frame too. Doable, but ugly and time-consuming. I’m not sure that’s something the assembly shop I’m using would be equipped to handle.
Another option I thought of is to make a small PCB with 19 properly spaced holes, then solder in 19 individual D-SUB crimp pins, and cut off the crimp side of each pin.
I’m still hopeful I can find a big cache in a warehouse somewhere, or get somebody to manufacture new ones. One of the Chinese suppliers wrote back to me and requested a mechanical drawing, so at least that’s some progress.
You could just solder pins to your board and make the connector and hood out of 3d printed plastic and better yet, make the connector part of the case and slide the floppy emu in… I can picture it in my mind and I probably don’t have half the resources and skill you do sir…
Steve, try checking with Nishida Radio in Japan. He produces the UNISDISK for the Apple II. He makes his own home-made DB-19 connectors using cast molding. He made a mold of the DB-19 connector. Sticks the 19 pins into the mold, then pours plastic into the mold. You don’t need the skirt that goes around the DB-19 connector. The pins alone will hold the connector in-place.
I emailed Mr. Unidisk a couple of days ago, but didn’t hear back. His web site says he has some health problems… I hope he’s OK.
Some kind of plastic mold or 3D printing with 19 individual pins may be the only option if I can’t find another source. I’d really like to avoid that if I can, though. I don’t think that’s something the assembly house I’m using would be able to do, at least not economically, but maybe I’m wrong. I definitely don’t want to try casting hundreds of custom DB19’s by myself at home. 🙂
Contacted Marvic to ask if they expect to get more stock. No reply yet. They don’t have a phone number.
Elliott Electronics had 50, which I bought. They’re not sure if they’ll be getting more, but they “think so”. They promised to call when they get more. I’m not optimistic.
I’m playing phone tag with a sales guy from Network Cables to find out how many they have available, and to be certain it’s the correct part, since their listing is a little vague.
DF Sales advertises they have 874 available, but they’re $15 each!! http://dfsales.net/items/2DE19P-A139 And it’s not certain it’s the correct type with solder cup – their description says “DB-19P DSUB w/pins”, which isn’t clear. I talked to them and they promised to email some photos or drawings or something. But $15, ouch!
Found a place in Malaysia that has them for the equivalent of 50 cents USD. Let’s see if they actually have any stock… http://connectronics.com.my/index.php?route=product/product&path=35_49&product_id=3040
Possibly found some in Macedonia – this is getting silly. http://www.logingel.com/697/163134/0/ShowProduct/Connector_D-SUB19p
If you were to hand cast them… you wouldn’t want to do one at a time do say 25 at a time or something like that…. you’d have to make a mold big enough though I bet you could 3d print something like tha easily enough. It certainly sounds like an interesting challenge!
I finally got dual 21in (5:4 not those horrid widescreen ones) monitors at home… its amazing the difference from the single 19in I was using which will now be regulated to vintage machines that need a multisync LCD.
OH – looks like Macedonia may actually come through! I’m trying not to get too excited yet…
Import duty?! Bah.
Funny things happen, saw these the other week!
http://abra-electronics.com/connectors/d-sub-connectors/db19p-male-solder-d-sub-connector-19-pins-db19p.html
70c each
Thanks for searching, Duffy! ABRA was my “secret” vendor I mentioned earlier in the comments. Despite what their web site says, they’re sold out of DB-19s and won’t be getting more.
Amiga uses DB-19 too. We got used to modify DB25.
Yes, a nishida radio have to make their own now. Supplies for them dried up also. You’d think someone somewhere would still be making them.
There are some on Ebay in Australia right now!.
Jeff Birt of the Hey Birt! youtube channel has actually produced a new run of DB23 connectors for Amiga machines. Perhaps the puts him in a position to also do DB19?
https://www.soigeneris.com/amiga-db23f-video-connector-new