bhoar@pro-novapple.UUCP (Brendan Hoar) (12/09/87)
I know that the Unidisk 3.5 contains the same innards as an Apple 3.5, plus a
"smart" board that allows it to run with a simplified card on the //e and with
the new ROM on the //c.
Shouldn't there be a way (ie, recabling) to make the Unidisk 3.5 act like an
Apple 3.5 and gain direct access capabilities from the GS so that programs
like Diversi-Cache will work? The connector from the "smart" board to the
controller is the same as from the external cable to the "smart" board.
(BTW, I've tried bypassing the smart board by removing the cable connection to
the smart board and reconnecting it directly to the controller...no
luck...powers on fine, but isn't recognized...maybe a few connections have to
be switched).
Oh, "smart" board refers to the one INSIDE the Unidisk 3.5, not the LIRON that
inhabits Apple //es and GSs whose users want the UNI 3.5 to inhabit the slot
of their choice...
Hope this gets to the network...two of my previous messages just
disappeared...
PROLINE: pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar
UUCP: {ihnp4, cbosgd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar
ARPA: crash!pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar
INET: pro-novapple!bhoar@pro-connection.cts.com
*affix addage here* *affix addage here*spike@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Spike) (12/11/87)
In article <8712100517.AA04037@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar@nosc.MIL writes: >(BTW, I've tried bypassing the smart board by removing the cable connection to <the smart board and reconnecting it directly to the controller...no >luck...powers on fine, but isn't recognized...maybe a few connections have to <be switched). I have seen it stated several place (here & and in print) that this does work... -- ->Spike
ralphw@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre) (12/11/87)
In article <17275@bu-cs.BU.EDU> spike@bu-it.UUCP (Joe Ilacqua) writes: >In article <8712100517.AA04037@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar@nosc.MIL writes: >>(BTW, I've tried bypassing the smart board by removing the cable connection to ><the smart board and reconnecting it directly to the controller...no >>luck...powers on fine, but isn't recognized...maybe a few connections have to ><be switched). > > I have seen it stated several place (here & and in print) that >this does work... In particular, I think the December or January '85 issue of A+ describes how to make the Uni 3.5 work as a Mac external drive, which presumably will make it work with a GS and Diversi-Cache. As for myself, I'll just avoid software that doesn't talk to my smart UniDisk. BTW, since we're talking UniDisks, I'll ask my usual question: Has anybody hacked their LIRON card to make it possible to daisy chain any Apple drive (both the 5.25 and 'dumb' 3.5's, in particular) to the back of a //e-based UniDisk 3.5? I'm not excited about disassembling the ROM and figuring out how to uncripple it and make it look like the //c protocol converter code, particularly. And of course, just replacing the EPROM is hard because Apple didn't use a socket. Grrh! Does anyone out there have a used //c reference manual [with protocol converter firmware listings] that they'd like to sell, cheap? I'd also be happy to see schematics to figure out the differnces, but I should be able to assume that the circuitry is more-or-less the same. -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK} Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu Phone:(412)268-{2847,3275} CMU-{BUGS,DARK} Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA
kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) (12/12/87)
In article <8712100517.AA04037@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!pro-connection!pro-novapple!bhoar@nosc.MIL writes: > >I know that the Unidisk 3.5 contains the same innards as an Apple 3.5, plus a >"smart" board that allows it to run with a simplified card on the //e and with >the new ROM on the //c. This is true. >Shouldn't there be a way (ie, recabling) to make the Unidisk 3.5 act like an >Apple 3.5 and gain direct access capabilities from the GS so that programs >like Diversi-Cache will work? The connector from the "smart" board to the >controller is the same as from the external cable to the "smart" board. There is. >(BTW, I've tried bypassing the smart board by removing the cable connection to >the smart board and reconnecting it directly to the controller...no >luck...powers on fine, but isn't recognized...maybe a few connections have to >be switched). This won't work. >Hope this gets to the network...two of my previous messages just >disappeared... It did. Well, when Robins 3.5 incher bit the dust (yeah, well, *DON'T* plug the thingie in with the power on! I didn't have the screws tightened down and it shook loose just enough to fry the sucker.), I went about trying to figger out what was bad. You can directly replace the disk assembly with a mac disk assembly (and therefor an Apple 3.5 disk assembly, as they are now the same thing). However, two things to note: A) you can't just remove the "smart" board. You do have to recable, and not in a small way. I'm amazed that removing the smart board didn't fry something. B) You have to be willing to give up the warrenty. Yeah, I know, no big deal, but this prevents a followup message about it. I can get the cabling info. It should be possible with existing equipment (I.e. you won't have to buy a 19 D sub-connecter. But that may be the best way). e-mail me, and I'll reply. If five or more people respond, I will post an article. It will be short (unusual for me, I know :-) Sean Kamath Ancient Architecture Fool of Reed tektronix!reed!kamath -- UUCP: {decvax allegra ucbcad ucbvax hplabs ihnp4}!tektronix!reed!kamath CSNET: reed!kamath@Tektronix.CSNET || BITNET: reed!kamath@Berkeley.BITNET ARPA: tektronix!reed!kamath@Berkeley <or> reed!kamath@hplabs US Snail: 3934 SE Boise, Portland, OR 97202 (I hate 4 line .sigs!)
rms@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Roger M. Shimada) (12/14/87)
In article <486@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> ralphw@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre) writes: >... >Has anybody hacked their LIRON card to make it possible to daisy chain any >Apple drive (both the 5.25 and 'dumb' 3.5's, in particular) to the back of >a //e-based UniDisk 3.5? I'm not excited about disassembling the ROM and >figuring out how to uncripple it and make it look like the //c protocol >converter code, particularly. And of course, just replacing the EPROM is >hard because Apple didn't use a socket. Grrh! You can daisy chain a 5.25 drive off a Liron card right now. I tried it. The problem is using it; you can if you're running DOS 3.3, but then you can't normally use the 3.5. Alternatively, under ProDOS you can use the 3.5 normally but would have to rig some patch to use the daisy chained 5.25. I don't think it's possible to do an EPROM that could talk to both a Unidisk 3.5 and a Disk 3.5. Not enough space for the code, much less for the data area needed. (The Disk 3.5 is not much different than a 5.25. For instance, you would need the disk byte lookup tables from the 5.25 device driver, as well as its data buffer.) Any //c reference manual won't help you with talking to a Disk 3.5; the only // series machine that talks to them is the gs. -- Roger M. Shimada ihnp4!meccts!rms rms@MECC.MN.ORG
halp@TCGOULD.TN.CORNELL.EDU ("Bruce P. Halpern") (12/15/87)
If you have an Applied Engineering PC Transporter, an Apple ][e will talk to a disk 3.5 thru the PC Transporter's built-in controller (in fact, the Transporter *won't* talk to a Unidisk 3.5).