mwjester@wsuiar.uucp (Max Jester) (05/04/90)
In article <24639@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, c9b-ac@dorothy.Berkeley.EDU (Benson) writes: > ... > Question: Sorry if it is a naive question, but is it possible to > use the Indus drive on another computer? (ie. ibm pc, > mac, etc..). > > or is that plain impossible? since the drive was orignally > geared for atari computers. > ... I think it depends on the drive mechanism. If it is DSDD, you can probably take the bare drive and add it to a PC. A SSDD drive would also work with most controllers, but you would be limited to 180K on the disk, i.e. you couldn't read a standard messydos disk with it. I don't know what mechanism Indus used, but I presume that the manufacturer would put a part number on it somewhere. Someone somewhere (yea, in this very forum even) can probably tell you from that if the drive is SSDD or DSDD. Hope this helps - Good luck! Max Jester BITNET: mwjester@twsuvax UUCP: uunet!ncrlnk!ncrwic!wsucsa!mwjester INTERNET: mwjester@wsuiar.wsu.ukans.edu
Ordania-DM@cup.portal.com (Charles K Hughes) (05/08/90)
The INDUS (8-bit) drive uses a SSDD disk drive that is not "compatible" with IBM style drives. You can build a connector that would allow you to use it with an IBM but in general, it is cheaper/easier to just go out and buy a new one. If you want to use the drive without ripping it apart you can delve into the SIO structure, figure out how the SIO port works, and then interface the sucker to a parallel port on the IBM. Charles_Hughes@cup.portal.com
hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner) (05/08/90)
In article <150.264046a9@wsuiar.uucp> mwjester@wsuiar.uucp (Max Jester) writes: >In article <24639@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, > c9b-ac@dorothy.Berkeley.EDU (Benson) writes: >> ... >> Question: Sorry if it is a naive question, but is it possible to >> use the Indus drive on another computer? (ie. ibm pc, >> mac, etc..). > >I think it depends on the drive mechanism. If it is DSDD, you can probably >take the bare drive and add it to a PC. A SSDD drive would also work with > ... Sorry to disappoint you, but ... All the floppy drives used in PC-land etc. have a more-or-less standard interface. The Indus GT has nothing of the kind. (Mine at least, that is the only one which I have taken apart). It has what must be a one-of-a-kind interface board, made especially by or for Indus. If you go one step further, you could remove that board too, and end up with a totally 'bare' disk drive (no electronics at all). If you have the interface board from a compatible drive (i.e. same kind of heads, same kind of stepper motor, etc.) you might make a usable package out of them. For all that trouble, you would then have a single sided, double density drive. Since you can buy brand new half height floppy drives for around 70-80$, I am pretty sure that doing the above would not be a good use of your time/money/efforts. The drive mechanism is made by Tandon (again, I only speak for my drive), and looks to be compatible with the 1050 mechanism (only much quieter).