talaird@pnet01.cts.com (Thomas Laird) (06/07/91)
Hi All
I have just gotten a 386-20 clone that has a adaptec
154XB SCSI controller and a 40M drive in it. I also just happen
have a 80M CDC MFM drive sitting on the shelf collecting DUST.
Is it possible to put a MFM controller alongside the Adaptec and
run both. Any recommendationare VERY welcome.
So far I have replace the cripple bios to the current one IE:Award 3.03D6
with out the drive tables to Award 3.11 with them. Still get unable to
talk to the MFM Drive using existing MFM controller a friend lent me.
Thanks in advance
Tom Lairdjca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) (06/07/91)
talaird@pnet01.cts.com (Thomas Laird) writes: >Hi All > I have just gotten a 386-20 clone that has a adaptec >154XB SCSI controller and a 40M drive in it. I also just happen >have a 80M CDC MFM drive sitting on the shelf collecting DUST. > >Is it possible to put a MFM controller alongside the Adaptec and >run both. Any recommendationare VERY welcome. > >So far I have replace the cripple bios to the current one IE:Award 3.03D6 >with out the drive tables to Award 3.11 with them. Still get unable to >talk to the MFM Drive using existing MFM controller a friend lent me. You sure can run ST412/506 MFM with a SCSI (or at least an AHA-154x). As for the configuration issue, I don't know what you're running, but I do know that the Award BIOS is on my crud list. If you're running just MS-DOS, I don't know how well it will take to having an ST412/506 controller with an AHA-154x, but I do know that the configuration is a very doable and a common practice under Unix/Xenix. In fact, you can have an AHA-154x play nice with IDE, ESDI or ST412/506 (MFM or RLL), but again this applies to Unix/Xenix. I can't state from experience what it will do under DOS since I've never tried it before. // JCA /* **--------------------------------------------------------------------------* ** Flames : /dev/null | What to buy? ** ARPANET : crash!pnet01!jca@nosc.mil | EISA or MCA? ** INTERNET: jca@pnet01.cts.com | When will the bus wars end? ** UUCP : {nosc ucsd hplabs!hp-sdd}!crash!pnet01!jca **--------------------------------------------------------------------------* */
wwitt@adara.intel.com (Wolf Witt) (06/08/91)
talaird@pnet01.cts.com (Thomas Laird) writes: >Hi All > I have just gotten a 386-20 clone that has a adaptec >154XB SCSI controller and a 40M drive in it. I also just happen >have a 80M CDC MFM drive sitting on the shelf collecting DUST. > >Is it possible to put a MFM controller alongside the Adaptec and >run both. Any recommendationare VERY welcome. > >So far I have replace the cripple bios to the current one IE:Award 3.03D6 >with out the drive tables to Award 3.11 with them. Still get unable to >talk to the MFM Drive using existing MFM controller a friend lent me. I've been using the AHA154?A (I forget the exact model number; it's the one that includes the floppy controller) together with a WD-1006 MFM controller for over a year now. Everything has been working fine. For reference, my machine has a Phoenix BIOS and is runnning MS-DOS 4.01. Since it's been quite a while since I set this up, I don't remember exactly what I did to make it work, but I remember that it was quite simple. I believe the manual that comes with the Adaptek controller has a section that discusses how to make it live together with some other, non-SCSI disk. For whatever it's worth, here is what I do remember... If your Adaptek controller includes the floppy interface, disable it or move the floppy controller's i/o address. Check the hard disk controller's i/o address and make sure the SCSI controller does not conflict with the MFM controller. Check interrupt lines; again you don't want any conflicts. Change the SCSI's IRQ if necessary. Sorry, but I don't recall the i/o addresses at the moment. Although I do know that my SCSI controller currently uses IRQ 11. Once the SCSI controller is properly configured, set up the CMOS, so that the first physical drive (drive 0) is your MFM drive. The second physical drive should be set to "not installed" in the CMOS. The BIOS on the Adaptek controller will manage the SCSI disk. Note that if you have two MFM drives installed, then the SCSI BIOS doesn't cut it anymore. In this case, you need additional driver software from Adaptek to make the SCSI drive work with the MFM drives. Hope this helps. Wolf => Wolf Witt, Design Engineer <=> You say there is a bug in this chip? <= => i860 Focus Group, Intel Corp. <=> No, no, you don't understand... <= => wwitt@smdvx1.intel.com <=> This is a feature! <= => Intel knows nothing about what I say or do, but they pay me anyway. <=