mikes@sir-alan.UUCP (Mike Squires) (04/25/87)
I recently posted a message to the net which generated some telephone
responses. This is a summary of the questions that were asked.
1. As is obvious, anyone hacking a manufacturer's system does so at
their own risk. Anyone wishing to upgrade a commercial system
should seriously consider contacting either Bob Snapp or Microline
for commercial (read tested) upgrades.
2. There are three different four different Tandy 16/6000 Winnie controllers
that I know of. There is the original SA1000 (8") version, with a card
in the cage and another card in the HD case. There is the internal 15MB
version which is one card that can daisy chain one additional drive. There
is the older external drive, with a large controller card in the primary
case; there is the later external drive, with a smaller card. The ST506
external/large card does require some mods for XENIX 3.x, according to
the Tandy XENIX installation/maintenance guide; the others do not.
Bob Snapp is using the Bernoulli Box interface (SCSI??) interface for his
own line of options, which include a 9-track tape drive (drool) and much
larger/somewhat faster HD's.
The Q2020/30/40/80's only work with the SA1000 interface. They seem to
work very well. The only mod necessary is that of running 5V to line
5 of the data cable to defeat the drive protect option.
I also have used a CMI 6640 with both of the external ST506 controller
cards. I changed the 15MB drive from drive 0 to drive 1, moved the
data cable from position 0 to 1, and then jumpered the CMI 6640 as
drive 0 and ran its data cable to the 0 position. The 6640 provides
a drive ready signal at pin 5 and does not need any write protect mods.
The 6640 requires another case/PS combination; the Tandy PS will not
supply it. This allows the CMI 6640 to be /root and the TM503 to be
something else where its slowness does not get in the way (like your
least favorite user :-) )
I have also seen another system with a Quantum Q540 added to an external
15MB drive; in this case the write protection circuitry must be defeated.
The 6000 with the CMI 6640 primary runs about like the 6000 with the
official 35MB primary; as the drive/case/PS combination is available
for $450 surplus it is a cheap upgrade. The drive seems to have a
life of just over 1 year, 24 hours per day. The 16a with a Q2080 is
2X as fast as the 6000 with the 6640 and benchmarks about the same
on the Byte UNIX benchmarks as a Sun 2/160. This, combined with Tandy's
penchant for selling software REAL cheap at its warehouse sales (how
about the v7 development system for $25 a copy - I bought two, or UNIFY
for 50 cents) makes the Tandy 16/6000 an attractive research/communications
engine.
Michael L. Squires Office: 814-724-3360
Department of Political Science Home: 814-337-5528
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335 ubbs: 814-333-6728 300/1200/2400
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