Northstar disk controller family tree

From: ajp166 <ajp166_at_bellatlantic.net>
Date: Sat Feb 24 08:58:50 2001

From: Jim Battle <frustum_at_pacbell.net>
>anybody could clarify the relationship of the various Northstar disk
>controller boards I have either seen on ebay or I've seen mentioned on
the web:
>
> 1) "Micro-Disk System MDS-A"
> 2) "MICRO-DISK MDS-A-D DOUBLE DENSITY" (I have the manual to this)
> 3) MDS-AD2
> 4) MDC-A2
> 5) MDC-A3
> 6) MDC-A4 (I have one of these but haven't tried it yet)
> ... and others?


Ok, there are only two different controllers there. The single density
MDS-An
{single density} and the MDS-ADn{dual density}.

The MDS-AD does both single density and double where the original MDS-A
only can do single.

The numeric variation stand for minor board variations. If you compare
carefully
you will see in the MDS-A series that some do not do all the pads for the
etched
edge connector. They are identical otherwise.

>How do they compare? Does anybody have programming/technical docs for
the
>ones that I don't have? If it isn't a stretch (and I'd assume it isn't,


There are only two sets of docs to worry about. They are common enough.
I have both likely other do, copying them is problematic for me at this
time
{the extreme lack of}.


>since they are all from Northstar), I would like to add support for the
>other disk controllers, but without the docs that won't happen.


The only other controller is in the NS* Advantage, uses the same basic
design and read the same medias.

>My real Sol has a "Micro Complex Phase Lock II" disk controller in it,


Never heard of it.

Allison
Received on Sat Feb 24 2001 - 08:58:50 GMT