OC.TREI@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Peter G. Trei) (12/03/86)
Today, my user group (BATS, the Brooklyn-Amiga Technical Society, a subset of AMUSE; check out our Bboard at 718-3383501 evenings), were playing around with 2 Amigas (try Flight Simulator in multiplayer mode: its a blast). At the end, when we were packing up, we tried daisy-chaining a second external drive onto one of the machines. We ran into problems: Workbench showed df2: as 'BAD'. c:info showed df2: as 'unreadable'. c:list put up a requestor with 'Non-Dos disk in df2:' c:format ran ok during the format stage, but verify failed. (We did not try reading that disk in another drive). We could not write to the disk in df2:. Some people suggested that the power supply was not up to it; but I am under the impression the it is supposed to be able to run up to 3 externals. Anyone have any idea what we did wrong? Peter oc.trei@cu20b [My company doesn't require silly disclaimers of me... yet.]
lachac@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Gerard Lachac) (12/04/86)
In article <812@ulowell.UUCP> OC.TREI@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Peter G. Trei) writes: >Some people suggested that the power supply was not up to it; but >I am under the impression the it is supposed to be able to run up to 3 >externals. Anyone have any idea what we did wrong? I believe you are definately wrong on this. Everything I have heard, and I am positive it is IN the manual: The Amiga can only handle 1 external drive without an external power supply... lachac@topaz.rutgers.edu
dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (12/04/86)
Sorry, only one external drive can use the Amiga's power supply. -Matt
cmcmanis@sun.uucp (Chuck McManis) (12/04/86)
In article <812@ulowell.UUCP>, OC.TREI@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Peter G. Trei) writes:
*> ...At the end, when we were packing up,
*> we tried daisy-chaining a second external drive onto one of the
*> machines.
*>
...edited...
*> Some people suggested that the power supply was not up to it; but
*> I am under the impression the it is supposed to be able to run up to 3
*> externals. Anyone have any idea what we did wrong?
*> Peter
Actually, in my drive the power pins do not get passed through to the
extra connector. The local dealer modified a 3.5" drive to pass the
power and plugged it in between the Amiga and the external drive, it
seems to work fine. As for being able to drive three drives no one
ever claimed that and I don't think it is possible even with the
epson low power half heights. By the same token it is trivial to
install a stereo mini jack in the 3.5" drive body and wire up a
cable to the $5.00 radio shack +5, +12 surplus wall plug supply.
That could drive two drives.
--
--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (12/05/86)
In article <10142@sun.uucp> cmcmanis@sun.uucp (Chuck McManis) writes: > >Actually, in my drive the power pins do not get passed through to the >extra connector. The local dealer modified a 3.5" drive to pass the >power and plugged it in between the Amiga and the external drive, it >seems to work fine. As for being able to drive three drives no one >ever claimed that and I don't think it is possible even with the >epson low power half heights. To summarize: The power supply only has current allocated to power *ONE* external drive. This is why the drives don't pass power through to the second drive. Now if you don't have any other power-sucking accessories plugged into your amiga, it can probably power another drive or two. If you do, then you might try it, but understand that you may blow away your power supply. They aren't all that cheap to replace, and your Amiga will spend some time on the bench... As an aside, the original expansion drives do not pass power through. Somewhere along the line, the PC board in the drive was 'improved' to make connection to alternate vendors drives easier. Unfortunatly, someone hooked up the power on the output connector. So, there's some that do, and some that don't. Since it's the same power supply in the Amiga, the old rules still apply. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)
stever@videovax.Tek.COM (Steven E. Rice, P.E.) (12/05/86)
In article <812@ulowell.UUCP>, Peter G. Trei (OC.TREI@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU) writes: > . . . At the end, when we were packing up, > we tried daisy-chaining a second external drive onto one of the > machines. > > We ran into problems: Workbench showed df2: as 'BAD'. c:info > showed df2: as 'unreadable'. c:list put up a requestor with 'Non-Dos > disk in df2:' c:format ran ok during the format stage, but verify > failed. (We did not try reading that disk in another drive). We could > not write to the disk in df2:. > > Some people suggested that the power supply was not up to it; but > I am under the impression the it is supposed to be able to run up to 3 > externals. Anyone have any idea what we did wrong? When I was setting up my Amiga system, I read the documentation for the pieces. It is my recollection (I don't have the documentation in front of me) that all the pins on the external disk unit are passed through, *except* power (pin 9???). (The select lines are barrel-shifted so the first disk in the chain is df1:, the second df2:, and the third df3:, but this is not important here.) The reason given for *not* passing power through is to avoid overloading the internal power supply. If you want to use more than one external drive, it will be necessary to get a box that provides the power to each of the additional drives. (I believe I saw a product of that sort advertised in the Amiga Hardware Review that came a couple of months after I sent in my registration cards.) Steve Rice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- {decvax | hplabs | ihnp4 | uw-beaver}!tektronix!videovax!stever
ntm1477@dsacg3.UUCP (01/23/87)
I need info on any device that i can use to share two Amiga systems on one disk drive.
grr@cbmvax.UUCP (01/25/87)
In article <107@dsacg3.UUCP> ntm1477@dsacg3.UUCP (Jared McNeal) writes: > > I need info on any device that i can use to share two Amiga systems >on one disk drive. Not all that easy, since I believe that the Amiga doesn't recognize any drives that weren't there at power-up time. You would have to simulate the little drive select board that is in the A1010 case, and add your switching function... -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV Commodore, Engineering Department fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)
mende@aramis.UUCP (01/26/87)
>In article <107@dsacg3.UUCP> ntm1477@dsacg3.UUCP (Jared McNeal) writes: >> I need info on any device that i can use to share two Amiga systems >>on one disk drive. >Not all that easy, since I believe that the Amiga doesn't recognize any >drives that weren't there at power-up time. You would have to simulate >the little drive select board that is in the A1010 case, and add your >Switching function... > George Robbins Yes George you are right ... I have a dual external drive on my amiga. It was made by a friend of mine named ed bartz and is a wonderful little box. It *DOES* have a external power supply (he is working on eleminating it with very low power drives) and two switches to turn off the either or both of the drives. I have found and some programs do not work with DF2: attached. So I have to turn off the one of the drives and reboot the system. When I am done with this program and want DF2: back I have to reboot again. Bob -- {Both Reality and this message are figments of my imagination} ARPA: mende@rutgers.edu BITNET: mende@zodiac.bitnet UUCP: {anywhere}!rutgers!mende Voice: Yo Bob will do.
ntm1477@dsacg3.UUCP (02/05/87)
I would like to know if you could have three amigas at different locations
running the same or different program(data base,word processing, deluxe paint,
ect) and using the same hard disk to save and retrieve information using
phone lines and modems.
Each computer has a modem hooked to the hard drive port, and the hard
drive is hooked to a multiplexer, multiplexer has one phone line going into
it. Or something like this.
CAN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BE DONE (EXPLAIN PLEASE).
Thank you for your time.miner@ulowell.UUCP (02/08/87)
In article <109@dsacg3.UUCP> ntm1477@dsacg3.UUCP (Jared McNeal) writes: >I would like to know if you could have three amigas at different locations ..using the same hard disk...using phone... I know of two ways that you could do it if the Amigas are located on the same site but I think you will have a very difficult time finding such a system to work over phone lines. If the machines are at the same site Ameristar Technologies has both ethernet and a proprietary token ring local area network. This allows different Amigas to share soft and hard resources. The best you can do over phone lines is to use off the shelf or custom communications software. -- Rich Miner ...!wanginst!ulowell!miner Ulowell, Center for Productivity Enhancement (617) 452-5000 x2693 HAL hears the Amiga9000 series is not selling. "Please explain Dave. Why aren't Amiga9000's selling?" Bowman hesitates, "You aren't IBM compatible."