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File:ZuluSCSI RP2040 Rev2023a-1.5MB.jpg

The ZuluSCSI RP2040, full-size version.

ZuluSCSI and ZuluIDE

The ZuluSCSI and ZuluIDE boards are devices designed to emulate legacy mass-storage devices frequently found in vintage computer systems as well as legacy industrial and commercial applications by providing disk images loaded from commonly-available SD cards. The Zulu family of devices provide a simple, easy-to-use interface to load and swap disk images, allowing you to preserve legacy media in a more secure fashion.

The Zulu family of boards operate similarly to the well-known Gotek floppy disk emulation device, loading a disk image from the SD card and presenting it to the system as a variety of different legacy storage devices, from hard drives to optical drives and even Iomega Zip drives. The ZuluSCSI utilizes a standard 50-pin interface, while the ZuluIDE uses the standard 40-pin interface. Both devices are designed to integrate themselves seamlessly into a wide variety of configurations.

What can it replace?

The ZuluSCSI and ZuluIDE can both replace the following legacy storage devices:

• Hard drives
• Optical drives (including DVD drives)
• Iomega Zip-100 drives
• SyQuest or Iomega Jaz drives
• Floppy disk drives
• LS-120 SuperDisk drives
• Magneto-Optical (MO) drives
• Magnetic tape devices such as LTO drives and StorageTek drives

How does it work?

The ZuluSCSI uses a microcontroller to configure itself as well as provide functionality to the host system. This device uses the Raspberry Pi Foundation's RP2040 microcontroller chip to present itself to the host system as a SCSI device, while allowing the user to work with disk image files on the SD card.

In the ZuluSCSI v6.4's case, the device functions similarly to the older SCSI2SD v6, using a Lattice iCE40 FPGA and an STM32F ARM processor to perform host interaction functions, while configuration and setup is handled using a Windows-based application.

The ZuluIDE provides the same functionality as the ZuluSCSI, but instead lives on the IDE bus in a legacy computer. In addition to its RP2040 microcontroller, the ZuluIDE also brings in a smaller Lattice iCE40 FPGA to handle I/O negotiations on the IDE bus with the host system. With the addition of a separate Raspberry Pi Pico W and a carrier board that can be mounted to the expansion header, you can also access and swap disk images using a web-based interface and even stream Redbook Audio from CD images.

You can use disk images you create yourself, or you can use community-created disk images for your software. We've created several disk images to help you get started; the Disk Image Library contains a number of blank, pre-formatted images designed for use with various operating systems that can help you with initial setup if you're using your device as a new mass storage option. Naming your disk images is important with each device — see the Disk Image File Names page for more information on how to name your disk images.

Available Devices

SCSI Devices
Device Version	Connector Type	SD Card Type	SCSI Termination	SCSI Initiator Mode	Other Details
ZuluSCSI v6.4	50-pin IDC ribbon	Full size SD card	Software-controlled	Software-controlled	Designed to work like the SCSI2SD v6, with configuration being performed by a software utility. The most transparent and fastest SCSI option of all the devices and designed for industrial or commercial applications.
ZuluSCSI v1.2	50-pin IDC ribbon	Full size SD card	DIP switch controls	No
ZuluSCSI RP2040	50-pin IDC ribbon	Full-size SD	DIP-switch controlled	Yes	Optional DB25 connector footprint
ZuluSCSI RP2040 Mini	DB-25 male	microSD	Always on	No	ABS plastic enclosure
ZuluSCSI Pico Slim (DB25)	DB-25 male	microSD	Always on	No	DaynaPORT Ethernet (Wi-Fi) emuation, 3D-printed enclosure
ZuluSCSI RP2040 Compact	50-pin IDC ribbon	microSD	Jumper-controlled	Yes	Also available as a kit with SMD parts pre-soldered; half-size board
ZuluSCSI Laptop RP2040	50-pin IDC ribbon	microSD	DIP switch controls	No	Designed primarily for laptop devices using a 2.5" SCSI interface as their primary boot drive.
IDE Devices
ZuluIDE RP2040 Compact	40-pin IDE connector	microSD	N/A	N/A	Optional (Gotek-like) hardware interface Optional Web-based interface and Redbook Audio (in development) available with the addition of a Raspberry Pi Pico W on carrier board
Retired SCSI Products
ZuluSCSI v1.1	50-pin IDC ribbon	Full size SD card	DIP switch controls	No	The original ZuluSCSI; discontinued
ZuluSCSI Mini v1.0	DB-25 male	microSD	Always on	No	ABS plastic enclosure

Selecting A Device

If you're not sure which device you need, ask yourself these questions:

• Am I replacing a legacy device, such as an aging hard drive or optical drive? Or, am I replacing the media instead, such as old floppy disks, legacy media types like Zip disks, or deteriorating optical disks?
• Do I need to be able to change media on the device (such as swapping floppy disks or changing CDs)?
• Is my device using the SCSI bus or the IDE bus?
• Is the device going to have to migrate from one machine to another, or is it going to live inside a case?
• Do I need Wi-Fi capabilities?

If you're replacing drives

If you're replacing drives and physical access to the drive itself isn't vital, then the most ideal solutions are either the ZuluSCSI RP2040 or the ZuluIDE RP2040. Both of these can be mounted to drive rails internally and can function on their own without much interaction beyond the initial setup.

If you're replacing media

If what you're doing instead is replacing a bunch of media, either for preservation or for the sake of convenience, then the ZuluSCSI Pico Slim or ZuluIDE RP2040 with the hardware or Web interface installed is your best bet. The Pico Slim can be easily attached and detached from a system's SCSI bus without having to open a case, and while the ZuluIDE still needs an open case (or exposed IDE cable) for access to the SD card slot, the optional hardware or Web interface can bring media selection controls out so you can easily swap disks when needed.