[comp.sys.misc] RS232 disk drives

Mike.Blackwell@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU (09/19/88)

I'm looking for a small, simple floppy disk drive for loading code on
to our mobile robot. A 3.5" drive with an RS232 or 422 interface would
be perfect. It doesn't have to be fancy - if I could give it a track
and sector number, and have it spit back the contents (and vis-versa
for writing), I can take care of any rudimentry 'file system' functions
we might need. Speed isn't an issue, either (we're not loading a lot of
code).

I've heard that Radio Shack has something like this for one of their
portable computers. Does anyone know anything about this (like model
number)? Is the information available to use it without an RS computer?
How about any other products that you think might fit the bill?

		thanks!

		Mike Blackwell
		mkb@rover.ri.cmu.edu
		412-268-8830

tedk@ihuxv.ATT.COM (Kekatos) (09/22/88)

In article <590683317.mkb@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU> Mike.Blackwell@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU writes:
|I'm looking for a small, simple floppy disk drive for loading code on
|to our mobile robot. A 3.5" drive with an RS232 or 422 interface would
|be perfect. It doesn't have to be fancy - if I could give it a track
|and sector number, and have it spit back the contents (and vis-versa
|for writing), I can take care of any rudimentry 'file system' functions
|we might need. Speed isn't an issue, either (we're not loading a lot of
|code).
|I've heard that Radio Shack has something like this for one of their
|portable computers. Does anyone know anything about this (like model
|number)? Is the information available to use it without an RS computer?
|How about any other products that you think might fit the bill?
|		thanks!
|		Mike Blackwell
|		mkb@rover.ri.cmu.edu
|		412-268-8830

Yes, Tandy does have a 3.5 inch drive. It operates from a RS-232 port.
It stores 200k and uses 4 "AA" batteries or AC adapter.
The Tandy number is 26-3806 ($199.95)

There MS-DOS software available to operate the drive from a PC serial
port. The software is available on Compu$erve. 

ked@garnet.berkeley.edu (Earl H. Kinmonth) (09/22/88)

In article <2861@ihuxv.ATT.COM> tedk@ihuxv.UUCP (55624-Kekatos,T.G.) writes:
>In article <590683317.mkb@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU> Mike.Blackwell@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU writes:
>|I'm looking for a small, simple floppy disk drive for loading code on
>
>Yes, Tandy does have a 3.5 inch drive. It operates from a RS-232 port.
>
>There MS-DOS software available to operate the drive from a PC serial
>port. The software is available on Compu$erve. 

This appears to be the same drive used on Brother electronic
typewriters sold in Japan.  I have one that works off the serial
port on my typewriter, a model never sold in the US.  I'd look to
do something with it, since I generally use the typewriter only
as a [very, very] dumb terminal.

Can you be more specific on the Compu$erve sources.

Earl H. Kinmonth
History Department
University of California, Davis
Davis, California
95616 916-752-1636/0776

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