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+--- Thread: 56k Star Network Master Station (/thread-1051.html)
56k Star Network Master Station - shane.crozier - 18-07-2026
Hi Folks
Can anyone give the history of the 56k Star Network Server hardware?
From recollection it was the generation of hardware before the 128k SBC was released and had a 50 way ribbon cable to two expansion boxes?
I'm interested if the system ever had access to the hard disk controllers like the SBC eventually did or if the 4 diskette system was the standard hardware that shipped with it.
Are there any photos of one?
It seems there's not much information on this series of servers in our schools, although they are out there..
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - Graham72 - 18-07-2026
(18-07-2026, 05:23 PM)shane.crozier Wrote: Hi Folks
Can anyone give the history of the 56k Star Network Server hardware?
From recollection it was the generation of hardware before the 128k SBC was released and had a 50 way ribbon cable to two expansion boxes?
I'm interested if the system ever had access to the hard disk controllers like the SBC eventually did or if the 4 diskette system was the standard hardware that shipped with it.
Are there any photos of one?
It seems there's not much information on this series of servers in our schools, although they are out there..
Have you seen this https://microbee.com.au/museum/1983_Starnet_File_Server/ also repository see attachment
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - shane.crozier - 19-07-2026
This is the thing I think is unclear - there seems to be two generations of Star Network systems - the First was based on the 64k (56kb Ram) system and an external disk unit (which I beleive was not the SBC01) - I know there was some 'on request' which may or maynot have included a hard disk drive - I understand these did not ship until the SBC01 disk units and were paired with the 128k systems as Masters.
Was the 64k capable of using a WD1002-05 controller and 10 Mb hard disk drive, or was it confined to the Generation 1 Star Network using Floppies?
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - MbeeTech - 19-07-2026
Hi Shane.
The dual floppy drive Starnet server used a 56k bee as the computer, and the associated 50 way cable went into the drive box where it connected to the floppy disk controller (as used in the 56k bee system) and the starnet network interface boards. There were no hard disk options for this setup. It wasn't until the 128k bee was released that the bee could become a hard disk based unit. The 128k coreboard has a build variant where the floppy disk controller bits are not loaded and a 40 way IDC header is installed where the normal 34 way floppy drive connector is.
The 40 way cable then connects to the WD1002-05 hard disk controller and the network interface boards. The Network interface motherboard (that has ports 1-8) has 50 way & 40 way connection points.
Additionally the side select signal for the floppy drive is still generated on the coreboard, and is sent down the 40 way cable and then split out from the cable and jumpered into the floppy drive cable.
IN the earlier units there were mods done to the WD1002-05 board for the floppy side select signal, but jumpering the cable avoided this and maintained the manufacturer (WD) warranty on the cards.
While it's theoretically possible to connect a WD1002-05 to a 56K bee, there is no software support for it.
The file server software is either dual floppy support version, or the much upgraded version for the hard disk based server.
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - shane.crozier - 19-07-2026
Thanks Ewan - I imagine this is the setup the 56k variant is designed to connect to (From the cover of the Online vol1 Magazine)
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - MbeeTech - 19-07-2026
(19-07-2026, 08:17 PM)shane.crozier Wrote: Thanks Ewan - I imagine this is the setup the 56k variant is designed to connect to (From the cover of the Online vol1 Magazine)
I have seen the artwork for the PCBs for this [first] variant, but have never seen even bare PCBs, or a manufactured one in the wild. I would think only a few were sold, and went into NSW schools, most likely upgraded very quickly.
RE: 56k Star Network Master Station - shane.crozier - 13-08-2026
(19-07-2026, 11:09 PM)MbeeTech Wrote:I have a master station in the queue for restoration - I will need to recreate the disk unit for it - unsure if I will create a new Starnet board for it though - I might need at least one other Slave workstation(19-07-2026, 08:17 PM)shane.crozier Wrote: Thanks Ewan - I imagine this is the setup the 56k variant is designed to connect to (From the cover of the Online vol1 Magazine)
I have seen the artwork for the PCBs for this [first] variant, but have never seen even bare PCBs, or a manufactured one in the wild. I would think only a few were sold, and went into NSW schools, most likely upgraded very quickly.