[Coco] Tandy Hard Disk Controller

[Gene Heskett]

On Friday 03 March 2006 21:43, Ward Griffiths wrote:
>On 03/03/2006 01:46 pm, Neil Morrison wrote:
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Gene Heskett" <gene.heskett at verizon.net>
>>
>> > Did they actually ever *sell* one?  I looked at the one the local
>> > shack had, but at $129.95 I couldn't bring myself to write the
>> > check, NDI what ever became of it.  AIUI at the time, it also
>> > required another interface controller card between its cable and
>> > the drive proper & nobody had a clue as to what it might be
>> > required to do, or if it was even available.  It had a maximum of
>> > 3 16 pin dips in it that even if gold plated, couldn't convince me
>> > it was worth the asking price.
>>
>> IIRC, you needed a R/S 'Primary Drive', which contained the HD
>> controller. This was the standard R/S setup. The VERY expensive
>> 'Tandy Hard Disk Controller' was just a very simple interface with a
>> few chips.
>>
>> I'd like to get a schematic for it - never found one.
>
>Might not be too hard to figure out.  The cartridge for the Coco was
> basically some firmware (I assume) and a conversion from the Coco
> expansion bus to the Mod 3/4 expansion bus, just as the boards that
> went into the Mod 2/12/16/6000 were.  Yes, the primary drive box
> contained the actual controller.  The cable from a Mod 3/4 bus was
> straight-through.

I don't think there was any firmware in it as it was an os9 only device, 
and drivers for it were on the distribution disks, but possibly not on 
all versions.

>--
>Ward Griffiths    wdg3rd at comcast.net
>
>I think boys might benefit from owning a Barbie doll; every young man
>should understand what an expensive proposition it is to cohabitate
> with a narcissistic woman built like a stripper.  --  Tony Woodlief

-- 
Cheers, Gene
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