[Coco] Another 'rare' opportunity on eBay

[Bob Devries]

Hi Frank,

I have a Disto 4-in-1, which includes a SASI/SCSI host interface, and I have two Quantum 128MB drives connected to it, so there was definitely no limitation as far as the hardware was concerned. However, unless the software can cope with more than one drive, you're stuck. I'm using SCSISYS V2.

Regards, Bob Devries

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Frank Swygert 
  To: coco at maltedmedia.com 
  Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 11:43 AM
  Subject: Re: [Coco] Another 'rare' opportunity on eBay


  The Disto HD controllers were also SASI, that's why they didn't work with more than one drive as far as I recall. SASI is a subset of SCSI I believe -- or rather SCSI is a more robust and useful SASI (SASI came first). The Disto controllers MIGHT have worked with two drives, but I distinctly remember from a manual of the one I had and from Tony himself that it was really a modified SASI controller, at least the little board that fit inside the Disto floppy controller. I recall a special cable had to be made for it to, or one purchased from Tony. That was mostly because the controller used a pin header on the controller end though.

  It should be possible to use that old Tandy controller with a standard SCSI drive (old original SCSI). As someone stated, however, the ROM inside was limited to a few Tandy specific drives, you can't change the drive specs. That might not mean you can't connect a 100MB SCSI drive and use 15MB of it though.... The old Tandy hard drives were small by todays's standards! I remember when a 20MB (that's right, MEGABYTE, not GIGABYTE!) was a healthy drive. Still is for a CoCo...

  -----------
  Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:14:47 -0500
  From:<sales at gimechip.com>

  that's funny:-)
  I think it's a sale in one of dad's Rainbow's that had it for 99.95, but
  yep, you're right it was $129.95 (i did some digging). I didn't know it was
  SASI - if it is SASI, could not an aftermarket SASI Controller (such as used
  with the DISTO HDA) be used with it (assuming you could find one)? I wonder,
  only because I read that they could only employ the Tandy Controller.
  -John

  -- 
  Frank Swygert
  Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
  Magazine (AMC)
  For all AMC enthusiasts
  http://www.amc-mag.com
  (free download available!)


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