[comp.sys.atari.st] Atari Drive Enhancement

Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET (Z4648252) (07/22/89)

    Could a helpful soul post the address and cost details for getting
the ADE chip from Berkeley for the SH 204?  I'd be most appreciative.

Larry Rymal <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>

hcj@lzaz.ATT.COM (HC Johnson) (07/23/89)

In article <890617.07593662.017157@SFA.CP6>, Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET (Z4648252) writes:
> 
>     Could a helpful soul post the address and cost details for getting
> the ADE chip from Berkeley for the SH 204?  I'd be most appreciative.
> 
> Larry Rymal <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>



                           Berkeley Microsystems
                           P.O. Box 20119
                           Oakland, CA  94620                           
1-415-547-2191

I think it $20.

BTW, for netters who don't know about this neat chip I will repeat the problem
it solves.
(Shhhhh, Atari, I know you don't think it happens)

The SH204 has an embedded Adaptec 4000A licensed controller.  The controller
retries on read error, so one rarely gets one until its unrecoverable.
Now when the Adaptec tries to send an error status back to the ST, the 
Atari host adapter card 'looses' the error. Boo.

Since one rarely gets read or write errors, the way to show this up is
to access logical unit 1 on a SH204. (normally you use lun=0).  While
the adaptec reports 'no such drive, error' the atari receives, 'its
ready, lets go'. Boo.  THis is why the wierd switch in the Spectre/Magic Sac
menues to indicate a SH204.

The BMS 'chip' replaces the PLA in the Atari Host Adaptor. It works.  I have
one.  

Question to the world:  Do other Atari Hard Drives show this symptom?
You see it if you use Supra drivers and find more partitions than you have.

Howard C. Johnson
ATT Bell Labs
att!lzaz!hcj
hcj@lzaz.att.com