ISA Supports: The Longevity Of An Industrial PC
If you’re at the point where you’re considering scrapping your ISA slot-compatibles, you’re not alone. The headaches induced by a non-functioning industrial PC can be blinding. Yes, the PCI / PCIe revolution has overtaken the last bastions of industrial computing, leaving a dearth of native ISA supports. But, the good fight continues on in the mountains, so to speak. Despite the best attempts of manufacturers to extinct ISA buses, they have not prevailed.
You can thank the plucky spirit of your specialized vendors. These mavericks provide industrial rackmount mainframes that can house any motherboard or passive backplane units. This means easier access for your ISA slots and device cards. This means more data, more connectivity, and more productivity. The PC you thought was doomed for salvage can now be retrofitted to provide ISA support.
Why bother? After all, ISA cards have become passe. That’s precisely why you should bother to keeping them in optimal working order. Many manufacturers no longer support ISA cards. This means a quick trip to your local computer store will yield you a big fat goose egg. Build on what you have, not what you think you should have.
What was once doomed is now viable. What was once yesterday’s technology can now be today’s stable platform. This is the equivalent of finding an old pair of leather shoes. Sure, they may not be fashionable now, but they are built to last and that in and of itself is worth the time invested in preserving it. So it is with native ISA supports.
It’s all a matter of forethought and care. If you care for your ISA devices, they will take care of you. Find skilled support to help you restructure and reconfigure your ISA platforms into viable, future platforms. New processors and hardware cards can be adapted to utilize your ISA cards and platforms. What was old can now be new.
An industrial pc is only as viable as the ISA support card it uses. Use the best!
