--- Christopher Smith <csmith_at_amdocs.com> wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bob Lafleur [mailto:bob_lafleur_at_technologist.com]
>
> > I will shortly be receiving a MicroVax 3100/90 and a TK50Z-GA
> > tape drive.
Nice.
> > Both have SCSI, and I assumed they would work together.
> > However, I just read something that seems to imply the TK50Z-GA
> > is "incompatible" SCSI...
Not AFAIK. It's the TK50Z-FA doesn't play nice with others.
> Well, I've never heard of anyone getting it to work with anything
> else. :) You could try it. It's the one without the ID selector,
> right?
Nope... the -FA is lacking the ID selector (device '5' always, ISTR)
and doesn't like sharing the bus with anyone else.
> Um, yes, but it will require the internals from a tk50 drive that
> will work ;) (Seriously, the drives are all the same, but some of
> the logic that's packed in the case with them is different... so
> I've heard.)
If you _have_ an -FA, you can replace the ROMs with -GA ROMs and it
behaves like a -GA at a fixed address. If you have a -GA, I suppose
you could put -FA ROMs in it for use with a MicroVAX 2000, but I
don't know that you are required to do that. I don't own a -GA
to test the theory, just a few -FAs.
As an isolated data point, a buddy of mine did stick a TK50Z-FA on
his Amiga 2000 and read/write data, but it was the only device on
that SCSI card. The board inside the enclosure has a standard
5380 chip, but I don't know what it is about the firmware that
makes it act so wierd.
You will not enjoy depending on a TK50 as a primary backup device.
It holds 95MB *max* per tape (it streams and if there isn't any
data, it writes filler) and takes multiple passes to read one tape
(the head physically moves up and down to read different portions
of the tape on each pass). It is *sloooow*. Personally, I prefer
1600 bpi magtape to the TK50, even though it take at least two reels
for equivalent capacity.
-ethan
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Received on Wed May 22 2002 - 10:11:58 BST