[comp.sys.atari.st.tech] connecting an 8-bit drive to an ST

v115lue3@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Philip M Smolin) (06/14/91)

I have seen a bunch of messages floating around about how to transfer 8-bit
files to an ST.  Is there ANYBODY who knows of a way to connect an 8-bit drive
DIRECTLY to an ST?  In my case; an Indus GT (god I loved that drive), Mega 2,
where the external drive connector is not being used.  I'm guessing this is
impossible because of transfer rates, protocols, etc., but thought it better
to ask than to guess wrong.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

  Philip

AAron@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (06/14/91)

I saw a mention of a program that allows you to use 8bit drives on your ST.
Appearantly you have to make a cable that connects the SIO port to your
parallel port.  The public domain watch I read warned that they weren't
very useful since you can't put much on them  :)
I doubt that you can read normally formatted atari 8bit disks.

I DO have 3 8bit drives around, and would like to play with that idea for
the novelty.

AAron

jmack@b11.ingr.com (Cery McCormick) (06/14/91)

	There are two ways, that I am aware of, to connect an Atari 8-bit
drive to the ST. Both methods require a cable connected from the 8-bit
to the ST's printer port. These cables can be purchased from a couple 
of places that I can't remember right now. I have several of these things
if anyone is interested in them. (This is NOT an advertisement mind you,
just trying to help out...)
	1) Use Darek Mihocka's X-Former software. It is a program you
	   run that lets you read files (in the 8-bit's format) from
	   your old drive to your ST.

	2) Use SIO-Driver. It is an autofolder program that lets you
	   add a disk icon to your desktop representing the 8-bit drive
	   so you can access the 8-bit disk like normal, with the ST's
	   file system.

lch3e@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Lauren C. Howard) (06/15/91)

On a similar tack;  will these programs, like the auto-folder SIO, that allow
using an 8-bit drive, also allow using an 8-bit printer with the ST?  That
would really be helpful at the school where I teach computers; we have 2 spare
8-bit LQ printers that we'd like to use with the ST!

jmack@b11.ingr.com (Cery McCormick) (06/17/91)

In article <1991Jun14.212931.20072@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, lch3e@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Lauren C. Howard) writes:
> On a similar tack;  will these programs, like the auto-folder SIO, that allow
> using an 8-bit drive, also allow using an 8-bit printer with the ST?  That
> would really be helpful at the school where I teach computers; we have 2 spare
> 8-bit LQ printers that we'd like to use with the ST!

	The SIO-Driver includes a generic '8-bit look-a-like' SIO interface,
so it would be possible to hook anything (except a cassette) to the ST.
Unfortunately, the only driver available (so far) is for the disk drives.

	Cary McCormick