ajl3578@cs.rit.edu (Anthony J Leccese) (06/09/91)
I have three questions that maybe someone might be able to help me out with. 1. Is there anyway to get a 40-track drive to read the 35-track disks that you get software on? 2. How hard is it to upgrade to 512k? From what I picked up from ads in the Rainbow, you just plug in the memory board. Also, does the board use DRAMs or something else? I know it uses 256k chips, but don't know which kind. 3. Is there anyway to hook up the RGB output of the Coco to a Tandy CM-11? Any information about any of my questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Anthony Leccese %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% E-mail: Rochester Institute "I'm just ordinary average ajl3578@cs.rit.edu of Technology guy" -Joe Walsh ajl3578@ritvax.bitnet "It's a dog eat dog world, ajl3578@ultb.isc.rit.edu Anthony John Leccese and I'm wearing milkbone ajl3578@ritvax.isc.rit.edu Computer Science underwear!" -Norm-Cheers %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
session@seq.uncwil.edu (Zack C. Sessions) (06/09/91)
ajl3578@cs.rit.edu (Anthony J Leccese) writes: >1. Is there anyway to get a 40-track drive to read the 35-track disks that > you get software on? Have you tried doing it yet? I have a 40 track 5.25 drive and I can read and write 35 track diskettes just fine. The determining factor is what DECB or OS-9 is currently configured as. >2. How hard is it to upgrade to 512k? From what I picked up from ads in the > Rainbow, you just plug in the memory board. Also, does the board use DRAMs > or something else? I know it uses 256k chips, but don't know which kind. I have installed 4 or 5 512K upgrades, and it is simply. You remove the existing 4 memory chips, clip out two capacitors, I think C64 and C65, then plug in the upgrade. Be sure to keep your body's static potential equal to the CoCo's! (Use a static strap or always keep part of your body in contact with a ground point onthe motherboard.) The chips in the upgrade are standard DRAMS, 4464's I think, or some number very close! <grin> >3. Is there anyway to hook up the RGB output of the Coco to a Tandy CM-11? I don't think that is possible, but someone else may be able to offer more information. Zack Sessions session@seq.uncwil.edu
jejones@mcrware.UUCP (James Jones) (06/12/91)
In article <2364@cs.rit.edu> ajl3578@cs.rit.edu (Anthony J Leccese) writes: >1. Is there anyway to get a 40-track drive to read the 35-track disks that > you get software on? In the OS-9 case, definitely; LSN 0 of the disk tells OS-9 that there are only 35 tracks (and the device driver will even double-step a 96tpi (80 track) drive to read a 35 or 40 track disk). In the Disk BASIC case, yes, too; Disk BASIC won't even notice that the extra tracks are there. >2. How hard is it to upgrade to 512k? From what I picked up from ads in the > Rainbow, you just plug in the memory board. Also, does the board use DRAMs > or something else? I know it uses 256k chips, but don't know which kind. I got the Disto 512K upgrade, the instructions for which said I should clip a couple of capacitors from the main PC (that's printed circuit, of course :-) board in addition to pulling the RAM chips on said board and plugging in the 512K RAM board. Yes, it uses DRAMs, but I don't know which kind, either. (Sorry.) James Jones
ajl3578@cs.rit.edu (Anthony J Leccese) (06/12/91)
In article <6858@mcrware.UUCP> jejones@mcrware.UUCP (James Jones) writes: >In article <2364@cs.rit.edu> ajl3578@cs.rit.edu (Anthony J Leccese) writes: >>1. Is there anyway to get a 40-track drive to read the 35-track disks that >> you get software on? > >In the OS-9 case, definitely; LSN 0 of the disk tells OS-9 that there are >only 35 tracks (and the device driver will even double-step a 96tpi (80 >track) drive to read a 35 or 40 track disk). > >In the Disk BASIC case, yes, too; Disk BASIC won't even notice that the >extra tracks are there. > > James Jones Sorry for writing the question that way, but let me clarify my problem. I'm trying to use two old (circa 1981) TEAC FD-50E-20 full-height drives with my coco using the FD-500 controller. They can format and read disks, but can't read the standard Radio Shack drive formated disks. I have tried most of the different combinations of the jumpers (they are, in case someone knows about the drive, hs, ds0, ds1, ds2, mx, ds3, and hm). Someone suggested it's the alignment, which after thinking about it is probably the problem since it did start to read the other disk on a couple of occasions before it got an error. While I'm at it, I have two new questions. Does anyone know how to connect two 34pin card edge connectors together? On the original Tandy FD-500 drive, (Texas Peripherals model # 01-0065-001), there is a blue 16pin chip near the card edge which I believe has been fried. The only numbers on the chip are 16-1-151 and 8431(been told thats the date). The number doesn't cross-over to anything, so if someone knows what it is or who might know (local Radio Shack wasn't much help) I'd appreciate it if you let me know. Thanks for everyones help. Anthony Leccese %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% E-mail: Rochester Institute "I'm just ordinary average ajl3578@cs.rit.edu of Technology guy" -Joe Walsh ajl3578@ritvax.bitnet "It's a dog eat dog world, ajl3578@ultb.isc.rit.edu Anthony John Leccese and I'm wearing milkbone ajl3578@ritvax.isc.rit.edu Computer Science underwear!" -Norm-Cheers %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%