8" floppy project

From: Doc Shipley <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Wed Jul 28 11:35:40 2004

trash3_at_splab.cas.neu.edu wrote:

> I've stuck my RX02/RXV21 into my microvax and used it. However, I prefer
> the DSD880 subsystems, as they have formatting built into the front panel
> and firmware. I also prefer to run RT-11 to do all the fooling around,
> not VMS/Unix/RSX/RSTS,etc. If I recall, the DSD box or the SMS/Qualogy
> boxes used the standard 850/851 drives. I haven't powered up the DSD
> 440 floppy subsystem I have, but I'll bet that does both/all three
> densities.

   Man, I'd love to have a DSD880 setup, but nobody's offered one for
sale or trade lately.... I have a suspicion that this 3rd-party Unibus
controller does the same basic thing, and I found a reference to it
using standard 851 drives, but I can't find any more than that.

   For the immediate project, I'm OK. I have some SSSD blanks, I have
RT-11, and I _think_ the 11/83 is speaking to the RXV21 correctly. I
just need to sit down with the RT-11 docs (OK, *find* them first) and
learn how to dup and verify a system disk.

> I have some OLD 8 inch IBM drives in external boxes. Never opened them.
> If you want to try one in the project, let me know, you can have one.
> No idea of the model or if they are single density. I'll pop one open
> if you want.

   The enclosure would be very welcome. The YE Data drive (a YD-180)
that I'm fooling with actually came out of an AS/400. I don't suppose
you have any controllers or the external cables for them?

   We should probably take this off-list.


        Doc
Received on Wed Jul 28 2004 - 11:35:40 BST