mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) (05/17/88)
We are having trouble attaching a SuperMac DataFrame XP20 hard disk drive to our new LaserWriter II NTX for use as font storage space. We're not sure whether SuperMac disks just don't work with the printer, or whether the fact that its SCSI address is set at 1 might affect things. The Font Utility program, in any case, is unable to recognize the drive in order to initialize it as a font storage disk. Any ideas? Please respond via e-mail. -- Mark H. Anbinder ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept. ********************* *** * * Cornell University H: (607) 257-7587 ********************* * * * Ithaca, NY 14853 W: (607) 255-1566 ********************* *** ***
mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) (05/18/88)
Okay, the concensus is that SuperMac hard drives, which use RLL encoding, will not work as a font disk on the LaserWriter II NTX. Everyone seems to agree on that point. The next question has to be, what SCSI drives from third-party manufacturers DO work with the II NTX? Buying an Apple drive shouldn't be the only answer. -- Mark H. Anbinder ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept. ********************* *** * * Cornell University H: (607) 257-7587 ********************* * * * Ithaca, NY 14853 W: (607) 255-1566 ********************* *** ***
Ilan@cup.portal.com (05/19/88)
>We are having trouble attaching a SuperMac DataFrame XP20 hard disk drive >to our new LaserWriter II NTX for use as font storage space. We're not >sure whether SuperMac disks just don't work with the printer, or whether >the fact that its SCSI address is set at 1 might affect things. The Font >Utility program, in any case, is unable to recognize the drive in order >to initialize it as a font storage disk. When Apple Computers introduced the LaserWriter ][ series several third party disk add-on vendors complained that their drives dont work with the the LaserWriter ][. Apple Computers replied that the vendors did not adhere to the SCSI specifications and therefore their drives are not compatible with the printers SCSI. There is one command which is implemented by Apples SCSI, but not on the vendors (I dont recollect which one). The SuperMac DataFrame probably falls into this incompatibility trap. Good luck. - Ilan Rabinowitz - with ILANET(tm) Ilan@cup.portal.com GENIE: I.RABINOWITZ (408) 248-0521
kateley@Apple.COM (Jim Kateley) (05/19/88)
In article <4843@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) writes: >Okay, the concensus is that SuperMac hard drives, which use RLL encoding, >will not work as a font disk on the LaserWriter II NTX. Everyone seems to >agree on that point. The next question has to be, what SCSI drives from >third-party manufacturers DO work with the II NTX? ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ I don't have a list, but there are two main things that the drive must do: 1. It must provide SCSI terminator power. 2. It must be able to report to the printer what size volume it is. This is done via the SCSI command "Mode Select". -- Jim Kateley UUCP: {sun, voder, nsc, mtxinu, dual}!apple!kateley S,P,HnS! DOMAIN: kateley@apple.COM Applelink: kateley1 Disclaimer: What I say, think, or smell does not reflect any policy or stray thought by Apple Computer, Inc.
mdr@reed.UUCP (Mike Rutenberg) (05/19/88)
There is supposed to be a problem connecting 3rd party drives to the NTX, sepcifically a way Apple does some SCSI stuff with their drive. I don't know the details. Try an Apple drive to see if that works. Check with your Apple dealer or representative to find out exactly what the NTx requires..
ecs165s052@deneb.ucdavis.edu (0000;0000015000;4000;250;216;ecs165s) (05/19/88)
In article <4843@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) writes: >Okay, the concensus is that SuperMac hard drives, which use RLL encoding, >will not work as a font disk on the LaserWriter II NTX. Everyone seems to >agree on that point. The next question has to be, what SCSI drives from >third-party manufacturers DO work with the II NTX? Buying an Apple drive >shouldn't be the only answer. > I've used an Everex EMAC-20 as a font disk for about a month now with no problems. Just use the LaserWriter Font Utility to initialize the disk and away you go! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Registrar: from the latin "registrarum" meaning "screw the student" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Greg DeMichillie |{ucbvax, lll-crg, sdcsvax} lgdemichillie@ucdavis.edu | !ucdavis!lgdemichillie or ecs165s052@ucdavis.edu | AppleLink : ST0178 | ----------------------------------------------------------------
ephraim@think.COM (ephraim vishniac) (05/19/88)
In article <10425@apple.Apple.Com> kateley@apple.UUCP (Jim Kateley) writes: >In article <4843@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) writes: >>Okay, the concensus is that SuperMac hard drives, which use RLL encoding, >>will not work as a font disk on the LaserWriter II NTX. Everyone seems to >>agree on that point. The next question has to be, what SCSI drives from >>third-party manufacturers DO work with the II NTX? >I don't have a list, but there are two main things that the drive must do: >1. It must provide SCSI terminator power. >2. It must be able to report to the printer what size volume it is. > This is done via the SCSI command "Mode Select". Mode Select allows the host to *set* (i.e. select) various characteristics of the drive. Mode *Sense* is the command that allows the host to retrieve the drive characteristics. This is probably the command that Jim Kateley's thinking of. Mode Sense is a tough way to get the size of the drive, though. Read Capacity is much easier since it simply returns the sector size and last sector number, with no other junk to parse. Ephraim Vishniac ephraim@think.com Thinking Machines Corporation / 245 First Street / Cambridge, MA 02142-1214 On two occasions I have been asked, "Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?"
ecs165s052@deneb.ucdavis.edu (0000;0000015000;4000;250;216;ecs165s) (05/20/88)
In article <9364@reed.UUCP> mdr@reed.UUCP (Mike Rutenberg) writes: >There is supposed to be a problem connecting 3rd party drives to the NTX, >sepcifically a way Apple does some SCSI stuff with their drive. I don't >know the details. The details are that the drive must be able to report it's size when the LaserWriter Font Utility requests it. Since this feature is not used when a drive is connected to a Mac, many drive makers decided not to implement. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Registrar: from the latin "registrarum" meaning "screw the student" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Greg DeMichillie |{ucbvax, lll-crg, sdcsvax} lgdemichillie@ucdavis.edu | !ucdavis!lgdemichillie or ecs165s052@ucdavis.edu | AppleLink : ST0178 | ----------------------------------------------------------------
rusty@pnet06.cts.com (Rusty Hodge - Sysop) (05/21/88)
Are you saying the software drivers on the drives may not respond to this, ot are you saying that the physical SCSI controllers don't support these commands? I think you are saying the first. Therefore, you should be able to just use Apple's formatting software (if your drive is compatible). Rusty Hodge, HCR Inc, 1588 N. Batavia St. Orange, CA 92667 (714) 974-6300 rusty@hodge.cts.com [uunet vdelta crash]!hodge!rusty FAX (714) 921-8038