Thinkpads Forum

I have a 600E that I'm using to create music. (Odd use for such a slow machine you might think, but yeah...) Device manager tells me there's a game port/MPU. I know this is probably just leads to some unconnected pins on the sound chip, but still I think the question is worth asking.
Is there a way to break out MIDI in/out connections? One possible location could be on the dock port, but I haven't found a pinout for it. Another possible location could be the port on the right hand of the computer, with this symbol on it: ─█─ (Btw, I'd like to know what that port is, regardless if it's for something else)
Or if the sound chip has unconnected pins that anyone around here is aware of, I'm willing to get in there solder wires, just for the hell of it.
Anyway, help and suggestions welcome.

The port on the right side is for an external floppy. More precisely, it is for the floppy module mounted in the matching external case. (This allows use of the floppy and, say, a CD-ROM drive at the same time.)

nitro2k01 wrote:<snip>... with this symbol on it: ─█─ (Btw, I'd like to know what that port is, regardless if it's for something else)

External floppy port.

The docking station (FRU 12J2480) appears to have the 15 pin game/joystick port but I don't have complete documentation on hand for this port at the moment.

rkawakami wrote:The docking station (FRU 12J2480) appears to have the 15 pin game/joystick port but I don't have complete documentation on hand for this port at the moment.

The SelectaBase 600 (FRU 12J2480) that Ray identifies has a dual game/midi port. I've never used it as a midi port, but the Crystal audio chip in the 600E is designed to drive it and should have no troubles.

The 760 series had a special cable that you could attach to a special proprietary IBM CD drive port similar to the floppy port you were wondering about. The cable functioned to turn the CD port into a game or midi port: P/N: 29H9467 and FRU P/N: 29h9269. (I think!). It looks like this:
http://thinkpads.affordanet.com/760Midi.html
[Note that this page I think incorrectly lists the cable as compatible with the 770/ED/X/Z. Also, I am providing this link only to use their photo, I have no knowledge about the company this web page comes from.]

To my knowledge there is no similar cable for the 600 series or the 770 series.

Phil.