[Coco] Re: Tandy Hard Disk Controller (Disto 4-n-1)

[farna at att.net]

I no longer have the documentation for the 4-n-1, but I seem to recall Tony DiStafano telling me that it was only designed to support a single hard drive or SCSI device, maybe two. I also recall him saying the voltage levels were not sufficient to support a long cable that it should be kept to no more than either 18" or 24", I forget which. That would explain why the CD-ROM wouldn't work as a second device (if it's only designed for one). You'd have to try it with the CD-ROM only. That wouldn't help anyone with the Disto, but there were no CD-ROMs back then and just getting one hard drive on your CoCo was (still is?) quite a thrill! The Disto controller didn't need external power unless you were using the RS-232 port, IIRC. The power for the SCSI controller was all from the CoCo, so it couldn't be much. 

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Independent 
Magazine" (AIM)
For all AMC enthusiasts
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(free download available!)

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 01:02:33 -0500
From: Gene Heskett <gene.heskett at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Color Computer][Coco] Tandy Hard Disk Controller
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Message-ID: <200603050102.34984.gene.heskett at verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Saturday 04 March 2006 23:25, Mark Marlette wrote:
>Gene,
>
>The 4n1 worked, but it didn't even follow the electrical spec for
>SCSI. I'm sure if you would have loaded the bus with all devices it
>would have failed. Not the case with the TC^3.