Overview
The Emax SE and Emax HD shipped with an internal SCSI hard drive (20MB or 40MB). These drives are 35+ years old and failure is a matter of when, not if. The BlueSCSI (open-source hardware) and SCSI2SD are modern replacements that emulate a SCSI hard drive using an SD card.
Compatible Devices
- BlueSCSI v2 — recommended. Open source, actively maintained. SD card based.
- SCSI2SD v6 — reliable, slightly more complex configuration.
SCSI ID Configuration
The Emax expects the internal drive at SCSI ID 0. Configure the BlueSCSI/SCSI2SD accordingly.
SD Card Image Setup
- Format SD card as ExFAT or FAT32 (per device instructions).
- For BlueSCSI: create a file named
HD0_512.img(or similar per the BlueSCSI naming convention) sized 20MB or 40MB to match the original drive. - Initialize the drive from the Emax storage menu before first use.
Physical Installation
- Remove the original SCSI drive from its bay.
- Mount the BlueSCSI in its place (it is much smaller — use a 3D-printed bracket or foam padding).
- Connect the 50-pin SCSI ribbon cable.
- Connect power via the 4-pin Molex connector (BlueSCSI requires 5V only — check the pinout).
- Ensure the SCSI bus is properly terminated. If this is the only SCSI device, enable termination on the BlueSCSI.
Notes
- The Emax SCSI implementation is based on the NCR 5380. It is generally compatible with modern emulators but some timing edge cases exist — test thoroughly.
- Back up your SD card image after building your sound bank library.
- The Emax can address up to 40MB of storage per SCSI device.