SCSI-based floppy drives (3.5 or 5.25)

From: Hans Franke <Hans.Franke_at_mch20.sbs.de>
Date: Wed Oct 18 13:03:05 2000

> > > > Is there any SCSI-based *floppy* drives either in 3.5 or 5.25 (3.5
> > > > preferred) format? I might need one for a project I am working on...

> > > I think I have one or two OMPTI 51?? controllers left. They should
> > > do the trick with one or two drives - 40/80 Tracks, SD/DD, SS/DS,
> > > whatever you need - just no HD.

> > Basically I am in the process of creating a Transputer Standalone
> > workstation and I might need a 3.5 *floppy* drive to round out the
> > system. Currently, I only have a SCSI Tram which is going to hold the
> > hard drive for the system. Adding a floppy drive to the chain will make
> > it complete. Will these drives work? Tony, can you comment on this?

> I seem to remember these as being bridge controllers from a SCSI host-port
> to the FDD's. The company I associate with this phonetic spelling has no
> 'P' in the name, i.e. it's OMTI, at that time a subsidiary of SMS.

> Because of the vintage, it would be wise to get some documentation to ensure
> that the firmware on your host board will communicate over the channel this
> board requires. I've got numerous SCSI<=>hard-disk boards from various
> vendors of the time, all claiming to be SCSI-compatible, and not a one of
> them will work on a SCSI adapter to a PC, be it from NCR, ADAPTEC, IOMEGA,
> DTC, WD, or TRANTOR. All of my boards were made before the original SCSI
> standard was adopted in 1986. The hardware appears to be compatible,
> however, so if you have any flexibility at your host-adapter firmware end,
> you may be able to use the OMTI boards. That time-frame seems to align more
> or less with the INMOS doc's I've had around from time to time regarding
> their Transputers, so I'd say there's cause for hope, if not optimism.

Of course you're right. I should sometimes reread my stuff ... its OMTI.
An I think we are talking about the same boards. These babies have been
quite reliable, and I still use at least two on a daily base, but regarding
his need to share the cable with modern style hard disk drives it isn't
a real good idea to use 'em for a new design. Maybe one of the Winstation
drives.

Gruss
H.


--
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http://www.vintage.org/vcfe
http://www.homecomputer.de/vcfe
Received on Wed Oct 18 2000 - 13:03:05 BST

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