ran@cns.umist.ac.uk (Bob Nutter) (04/06/90)
Hi!
Has anyone out there managed to connect an IBM-type hard drive to an
ST via the DMA port using a modified IBM controller? Everyone seems to
go for the DMA->SCSI, SCSI->ST506 route. I generally avoid IBM kit
like the plague, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper (typically #40uk for
a hard drive controller for an XT, which is a lot less than the
cheapest DMA/SCSI board!)
I'm willing to have a bash myself, but first I'd like to know if
anyone's already tried it (and with what results), and get pointers
to the relevant info (DMA, IBM bus, hard drive data, etc). The DMA
port isn't all that difficult to interface to (judging by a logic
analyser project in Elektor Electronics last year that used it) and
assuming that the IBM end isn't too (ahem) 'esoteric' it should be
possible. It would sure reduce the cost of putting a hard disk on by one
hell of a lot (and possibly allow the use of other IBM cards...)
bob
(all this trouble for a computer that you can usually fix by dropping
it!)
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bob nutter, computer officer| "John was a crippled little midget
dept of computation, UMIST | lesbian boy,
manchester m60 1qd UK | -but he stood ten foot tall with a
tel: +44 61 200 3312 | KNIFE!"
email:b.nutter@umist.ac.uk | -Butthole Surfers
ran@cns.umist.ac.uk |hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) (04/11/90)
In article <1990Apr6.114314.4136@cns.umist.ac.uk> ran@cns.umist.ac.uk (Bob Nutter) writes: >Has anyone out there managed to connect an IBM-type hard drive to an >ST via the DMA port using a modified IBM controller? Yes. It is possible - and pretty cheap - to connect an OMTI controller for the XT to the DMA Port. But it's incompatible to everything: the DMA Port is blocked by this thing, and it needs a special driver to run which is availeble only for TOS (rumor has it that a minix-ST version is availeble too; rumor has it, that rumor is just rumor...) Well, if You can afford it: go for SCSI: SCSI devices will be usable in the future, the SCSI host adaptors for the ST are more or less compatible to the SHxxxes etc. hase -- Hartmut Semken, Lupsteiner Weg 67, 1000 Berlin 37 hase@netmbx.UUCP Dennis had stepped up into the top seat whet its founder had died of a lethal overdose of brick wall, taken while under the influence of a Ferrari and a bottle of tequila. (Douglas Adams; the long dark teatime...)