rb@cci632.UUCP (Rex Ballard) (07/01/86)
Has anybody noticed or heard of an SCSI interface to the DMA port of the ST, and if it is available yet? Atari has been doing a great job of blowing competition out of the water, but I am still a little concerned about getting "locked in" to another "Atari Only" selection of peripherals. A number of drives and peripherals seem to be coming out with PC, PC-AT, and SCSI interfaces (maybe they'll get smart and just offer a PC-XX -> SCSI interface and save even more money) I realize that Atari has a real nice hard disk of it's own, but there are certain things (like removable high density storage) that I seriously doubt Atari will even WANT to compete in. It looks like the ST is becoming a defacto standard but I worry about the "Commodore comprimises". Remember those S-L-O-W drives for the 64? Was this Jack's Idea? With multi-tasking available now, it makes sense to keep the options for things like WORMS, tapes, CD-Roms, and Networking as open as possible. Besides, the ST is looking more and more like a "real computer" to the rest of the industry (It's about time!!). They might want to support it, but not if they have to do a "custom interface". P.S. It doesn't HAVE to be made by Atari, but it would be nice.
wa60@sdcc12.UUCP (paul van de graaf{}) (07/03/86)
In article <157@cci632.UUCP> rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard) writes: >Has anybody noticed or heard of an SCSI interface to the >DMA port of the ST, and if it is available yet? > A guy I met at a computer store yesterday had a home-built drive consisting of an Atari --> SCSI board, an off-the-shelf SCSI controller, and a 70 meg drive. He got the Atari --> SCSI board and disk driver from Supra for $200.00. I suppose it's the same board that Supra uses in their hard disk for the ST. He put it together in a weekend, and he said the biggest problem he had was mounting the thing in a box. He also said something to the effect that the Atari --> SCSI board doesn't adhere to the SCSI standard completely, but Supra gives you a list of controllers that work with it. This might just be a driver problem and not the fault of the hardware. Another drawback is that as it stands you can't boot off the hard disk. You must do a short boot from the floppy drive, and then the hard drive takes over. I'm not sure if GEMDOS has any provisions to auto-configure off the DMA port. I doubt it. The upshod is that you can't call your hard disk "drive A:". Yet another reason to buy the $50.00 upgrade to the developer's kit to get the fixed linker. I did in fact see the thing work, so if you have some surplus disks or controllers lying about, you might give Supra a call. Paul van de Graaf sdcsvax!sdcc12!wa60 U. C. San Diego
turner@imagen.UUCP (07/05/86)
> Has anybody noticed or heard of an SCSI interface to the > DMA port of the ST, and if it is available yet? > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ lineater, \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i have heard of one company out here that is supposed to have such a device, to keep thing non-commercial etc. send me email if you want to know the details etc. -- ---- "I ain't gay, but there are sure times when i wish i could say that i wasn't straight" Name: James M. Turner Mail: Imagen Corp. 2650 San Tomas Expressway, P.O. Box 58101 Santa Clara, CA 95052-8101 AT&T: (408) 986-9400 UUCP: ...{decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!imagen!turner CompuServe: 76327,1575 GEnie : D-ARCANGEL
rns@aicchi.UUCP (Schreiner) (07/07/86)
In article <157@cci632.UUCP> rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard) writes: >Has anybody noticed or heard of an SCSI interface to the >DMA port of the ST, and if it is available yet? Is there a 'SCSI' document on line any where ? Can someone tell me where I can get a copy of a SCSI tech. document ? TIA -- Ron Schreiner ****** RS Consulting ...ihnp4!ronsat!rns ******** ___ P.O. Box 594 CSI 76515,3152 ****\ (__ Mundelein, Il (312) 949-4719 *** \_____) 60060-0594
dclemans@mntgfx.UUCP (07/07/86)
All of Supra's hard disks for the ST are SCSI drives; there's a small board in the drive box that converts the DMA port lines into the host part of a SCSI interface. According to their price list the SCSI board is available seperately. Supra is in Albany, Oregon (USA). dgc
jons@islenet.UUCP (Jonathan Spangler) (07/08/86)
In article <432@imagen.UUCP> turner@imagen.UUCP (D'arc Angel) writes: >> Has anybody noticed or heard of an SCSI interface to the >> DMA port of the ST, and if it is available yet? > >i have heard of one company out here that is supposed to have such >a device, to keep thing non-commercial etc. send me email if you >want to know the details etc. > >-- >Name: James M. Turner Please, I think it would be to the advantage of the net to give any and all details -- I *don't* consider this commercialization. There is a fine line between an add and information -- this network has been set up for informational purposes, is it not? Perhaps I've got it all wrong. Maybe the reason this is done is that people like to get email? Aloha,
preston@felix.UUCP (Preston L. Bannister) (07/08/86)
>A guy I met at a computer store yesterday had a home-built drive consisting of >an Atari --> SCSI board, an off-the-shelf SCSI controller, and a 70 meg drive. >He got the Atari --> SCSI board and disk driver from Supra for $200.00. >I suppose it's the same board that Supra uses in their hard disk for the ST. [...] >Another drawback is that as it stands you can't boot off the hard disk. >You must do a short boot from the floppy drive, and then the hard drive takes >over. I'm not sure if GEMDOS has any provisions to auto-configure off the DMA >port. I doubt it. The upshod is that you can't call your hard disk "drive A: " The BIOS listing in the developer's kit has a section (sasi.s?) where the ST tries to do a boot off the DMA port. I'll bet the Atari --> SCSI board just doesn't respond to the boot sequence properly. (I don't have the developer's kit here...). ======================================== Preston L. Bannister USENET: ucbvax!trwrb!felix!preston
rb@cci632.UUCP (07/16/86)
In article <351@apollo.mntgfx.UUCP> dclemans@mntgfx.UUCP writes: >All of Supra's hard disks for the ST are SCSI drives; there's a small board >in the drive box that converts the DMA port lines into the host part of >a SCSI interface. Is there an SCSI out plug somewhere on the drive? This has been proposed as part of the SCSI convention. >According to their price list the SCSI board is available seperately. >Supra is in Albany, Oregon (USA). Is there any indications as to limits of the SCSI interface? Is one able to boot from the Supra Drive? This is getting exciting!! Rex B.
garya@tekcbi.UUCP (Gary Andresen) (07/17/86)
I have purchased the ST --> SCSI host adapter and driver software from
Supra ~$200. I was able to connect an Adaptec SC4000 SCSI disk controller
and a Micropolis 1304 (40 meg) hard drive . Guess what ...........
IT worked first time !!
The Supra will work with the Xebec controllers also, I don't remember the
model numbers, but call Supra and they will tell you.
The software that comes with the package contains a head parking program,
a formating program (this program will look for bad sectors and map them out
if you select this option.), plus a boot program. The documentation
covers building a hard disk system, ex. wiring , power supply requirments,
placement of boards and so on. And of course how to get it
all running.
The Atari is limited to ~ 16 Meg partitions so I have two 15 meg and a 12
meg partitions. These are hard drive icons C D E.
The ST will not boot off the hard disk, but you can put a Auto folder on
your boot disks that has a program to mount the hard disk. This takes
approx. the same amount of time as normal boot, but the hard disk is up and
running. Its pretty wierd seeing 5 drive icons on the screen but the hard
drive I am running is bery bery fast. The drive has a 6ms track to track
seek and 30 ms average, and I am running a 4 us step.
Needless to say this a Hell of a system.
I am very pleased with the Supra adapter.
With a daisy chained 50 pin connector could you mayber hook up another
SCSI device (Tape drive for instance ..... cross your fingers.)????
==============================================================================
Normal Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Supra in any way !!!!
==============================================================================
``
\\
> \\
>====\\________`\\_ +//------------------------I'd rather be fishing !!!!!
> ((____________)/
(( ''''''//// Gary Andresen.
(( ''''
((>>>stephan@kontron.UUCP (Stephan W. Wendl) (07/19/86)
> I have purchased the ST --> SCSI host adapter and driver software from > Supra ~$200. I was able to connect an Adaptec SC4000 SCSI disk controller > and a Micropolis 1304 (40 meg) hard drive . Guess what ........... > IT worked first time !! > It's beautyful. It's wunderful. It's .... not working as it is supposed to be. The kernel still has a severe "bug" (=design flaw) in it limiting you to certain amount of directories (including subdirectories). The effect is that the system locks up after a certain number of disc access operations. I can't believe that this should be a problem difficult to fix. To the end user it might be very annoying. Stephan Wendl.
chapman@sfu_fornax.uucp (John Chapman) (07/21/86)
> >>A guy I met at a computer store yesterday had a home-built drive consisting of >>an Atari --> SCSI board, an off-the-shelf SCSI controller, and a 70 meg drive. >>He got the Atari --> SCSI board and disk driver from Supra for $200.00. >>I suppose it's the same board that Supra uses in their hard disk for the ST. > > [....] I didn't see the original article double >'d above (guess it didn't make it to our site for some reason). Could someone *please* post the address and phone number (if you have it) of Supra? or e-mail it to me and save net $$. Thanks in advance, john chapman {ihnp4,watmath,uw-beaver}!ubc-vision!sfucmpt!sfulccr!chapman
waynekn@tekig5.UUCP (Wayne Knapp) (07/24/86)
In article <184@sfu_fornax.uucp>, chapman@sfu_fornax.uucp (John Chapman) writes: > > >>A guy I met at a computer store yesterday had a home-built drive consisting of > >>an Atari --> SCSI board, an off-the-shelf SCSI controller, and a 70 meg drive. > >>He got the Atari --> SCSI board and disk driver from Supra for $200.00. > >>I suppose it's the same board that Supra uses in their hard disk for the ST. > > [....] > I didn't see the original article double >'d above (guess it didn't make it > to our site for some reason). Could someone *please* post the address and > phone number (if you have it) of Supra? or e-mail it to me and save > net $$. > Thanks in advance, > john chapman I would also like to hear more about this. Where does one get the SCSI board? What is used for the os.? Has anyone else done this? Thanks, Wayne Knapp