lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) (09/19/88)
I have a question for the net... I have in my possession a 3B1 tape
controller board and the driver software. My question is can I get
a tape drive that is similar in operation to the 3B1's to use
this controller board. Of course I can call the AT&T part's department
and spend mucho $$$ for the tape subassembly, but I rather not do that.
I know the tape drive is made by Cipher, in fact it is the Model 525.
I've called them, and they nicely supplied me with the specs, but said
that tape drive is been out of production for a while. I never pursued
it further, but I was thinking about it these days.
Are any of the IBM Compatible tape drives that use the floppy controller
(namely the WD2797) possible candidates? If they perhaps are compatible,
are they cable compatible as well?
Thanks,
Lenny
--
Paper-net: Lenny Tropiano | @-net: lenny@icus.islp.ny.us
ICUS Software Systems | !-net: ...sbcs \
PO Box 1 | boulder \
Islip Terrace, NY 11752 | talcott !icus!lenny
Vocal-net: (516) 582-5525 [work] | pacbell /
(516) 968-8576 [home] | hombre /
Telex-net: 154232428 ICUS | Another-net: attmail!icus!lennymark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) (09/19/88)
In article <495@icus.islp.ny.us> lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) writes: >I have a question for the net... I have in my possession a 3B1 tape >controller board and the driver software. My question is can I get >a tape drive that is similar in operation to the 3B1's? Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen them for as low as $100.00. Good luck -- Mark Hilliard {ethos,fthood,u1100a}-----\ N2HHR rutgers!rochester!kodak!pcid!gizzmo!mark \-->gizzmo!mark
stevens@hsi.UUCP (Richard Stevens) (09/19/88)
In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP>, mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: > > Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher > drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen > them for as low as $100.00. OK, if we can probably find a surplus drive somewhere, any ideas from anyone on how to get the controller and driver for a reasonable price ?? Richard Stevens Health Systems International, New Haven, CT stevens@hsi.uu.net ... { uunet | yale } ! hsi ! stevens
darren@bacchus.UUCP (Darren Friedlein) (09/20/88)
In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP> mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: >In article <495@icus.islp.ny.us> lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) writes: >>I have a question for the net... I have in my possession a 3B1 tape >>controller board and the driver software. My question is can I get >>a tape drive that is similar in operation to the 3B1's? > > >Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher >drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen >them for as low as $100.00. Since the tape drive runs off a floppy interface, would anyone be willing to write a tape driver to run a tape drive off /dev/rfp020? (hint, hint, Lenny :-) Also - can it be made to run a >20M tape drive (like 40 or 60?) This could be asking the imposible, but I'm not sure what's involved in writing such a driver. We sell several 1/2 ht floppy (DC600?) tape drives where I work (brand names: Archive and Mountain) and they come with nice documentation which should make deciphering the interface easier. What's the probability? -darren ____ / \ | Rt 4, Box 416, Durham, NC 27703 _____|_____ Darren G. Friedlein data (bacchus) : 919/596-7746 / | \ voice : 919/596-9492 ( | ) \____/ __/ {mcnc|icus|ditka|ethos|gladys|bakerst}!bacchus!darren
jbm@uncle.UUCP (John B. Milton) (09/21/88)
In article <688@bacchus.UUCP> darren@bacchus.UUCP (Darren Friedlein) writes: >In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP> mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: >>In article <495@icus.islp.ny.us> lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) writes: ... >This could be asking the imposible, but I'm not sure what's involved >in writing such a driver. We sell several 1/2 ht floppy (DC600?) tape >drives where I work (brand names: Archive and Mountain) and they come >with nice documentation which should make deciphering the interface >easier. > >What's the probability? Very good, how about you GIVE me a drive and I'll write the driver? I have written a couple other WD FDC drivers, so this should not be much different. I also have a second machine dedicated to hardware developement. I have a copy of the Reference manual in case there is weirdness connectting the drive. John -- John Bly Milton IV, jbm@uncle.UUCP, n8emr!uncle!jbm@osu-cis.cis.ohio-state.edu home: (614) 294-4823, work: (614) 459-7641; CP/M to MP/M, MS-DOS to OS/2
lenny@icus.islp.ny.us (Lenny Tropiano) (09/22/88)
In article <688@bacchus.UUCP> darren@bacchus.UUCP (Darren Friedlein) writes: |>In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP> mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: |>>In article <495@icus.islp.ny.us> lenny@icus.islp.ny.us, I write: |>>>I have a question for the net... I have in my possession a 3B1 tape |>>>controller board and the driver software. My question is can I get |>>>a tape drive that is similar in operation to the 3B1's? |>> |>> |>>Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher |>>drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen |>>them for as low as $100.00. |> |>Since the tape drive runs off a floppy interface, would anyone be |>willing to write a tape driver to run a tape drive off /dev/rfp020? |>(hint, hint, Lenny :-) Also - can it be made to run a >20M tape |>drive (like 40 or 60?) |> This has been discussed a couple of times, and nothing has really ever come of it. The big problem I see is "timing". I/O on the UNIX PC really kills the machine, and since the tapes that use floppy interfaces have to be "formatted" (to simulate a floppy diskette) the machine would have to be shutdown completely (like it's done for the FloppyTape drive sold right now), to insure proper no multi-user interference. I'm not sure how these FloppyTape units for the IBM's actually work, but it might be possible to hook one up, and just give normal floppy (WD2797 controller) commands to the drive. (ie. use the "iv(1M)" command to format, cpio to /dev/rfp021 to backup). All the tape controller board for the 3B1 has on it is another WD2797 floppy controller, and some IC's for DMA transfer to the UNIX PC... The second thing which makes it "not worth all the trouble" is first having to buy the tape drive that you "might not be able to get to work anyhow". With the possibility of SCSI compatibility in the near future, one could add a SCSI tape drive (>120MB if you want) and multiple hard drives, without much hassle. |>This could be asking the imposible, but I'm not sure what's involved |>in writing such a driver. We sell several 1/2 ht floppy (DC600?) tape |>drives where I work (brand names: Archive and Mountain) and they come |>with nice documentation which should make deciphering the interface |>easier. If you are willing to get us one for *free* :-) ICUS will try to play around with it! -Lenny -- Paper-net: Lenny Tropiano | @-net: lenny@icus.islp.ny.us ICUS Software Systems | !-net: ...sbcs \ PO Box 1 | boulder \ Islip Terrace, NY 11752 | talcott !icus!lenny Vocal-net: (516) 582-5525 [work] | pacbell / (516) 968-8576 [home] | hombre / Telex-net: 154232428 ICUS | Another-net: attmail!icus!lenny
mml@magnus.UUCP (Mike Levin) (09/22/88)
In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP> mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: >Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher >drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen >them for as low as $100.00. ##### ##### ##### # # # # ###### ##### ###### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### ##### # # ##### ### ### ### # ## # # # # ##### # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # ###### # # # I, too, have the controller card and the driver software, but am missing the actual tape mechanism. If you are aware of somebody who has these, could you please post the name/address. Thankyou, -- +---+ P L E A S E R E S P O N D T O: +---+ * * * * * * * * * * | Mike Levin, Silent Radio Los Angeles (magnus)| I never thought I'd be LOOKING | Path {csun|kosman|mtune|srhqla}!magnus!levin | for something to say! ! ! +----------------------------------------------+------------------------------+
bob@rush.cts.com (Bob Ames) (09/22/88)
In article <164@hsi86.hsi.UUCP>, stevens@hsi.UUCP (Richard Stevens) writes: > In article <358@gizzmo.UUCP>, mark@gizzmo.UUCP (mark hilliard) writes: > > > > Yes, you can find a Cipher drive at numerous surplus dealers. The Cipher > > drive IS the ATT drive. They are even in the same case. I have seen > > them for as low as $100.00. > > OK, if we can probably find a surplus drive somewhere, any ideas > from anyone on how to get the controller and driver for a > reasonable price ?? Yes! Metro Technologies in Los Angeles, CA can get these parts. I think we paid around $500-600 each for a few sets so we could just move around the drive instead of constantly yanking and pushing boards/cables. Their number is 213-856-6500. Tell them you heard it from Bob Ames! Bob Ames Howard Publications, Inc. Bell: 619-743-2546 INET: bob@rush.cts.com UUCP: {rutgers!ucsd, nosc, hplabs!hp-sdd}!crash!rush.cts.com!bob or crash!rush!bob might work... "We've got Tribbles on the ship, Quintotritacale in the corridors, and Klingons in the Quadrant! It can ruin your whole day, Sir!" - Scotty, "More Tribbles, More Troubles", animated. terrorist, cryptography, DES, drugs, cipher, secret, decode, NSA, CIA, NRO. Jim Kelly, ESPN: "At the dock, you don't get a trophy, you get a subpoena!" "We each pay a fabulous price - for our visions of paradise." - Rush