Re: More of Focus drive

[deven@MCS.COM (DEVEN ATKINSON)]

In comp.sys.apple2 Jim Pittman <casa@unm.edu> wrote:
> There's more to the Focus drive story. Not interested? Hit "n" now.

> These drives (actually we bought two of them) are 20-meg and have
> ProDOS 2.0.3, BASIC.SYSTEM and one folder containing Copy II Plus.
> There is no startup program. As I explained yesterday, we changed
> one drive by removing all files, then adding back ProDOS 1.9 (so
> the drive could work on a non-enhanced Apple IIe), BASIC.SYSTEM, a
> simple Applesoft STARTUP program, and a few application folders.

> The drive wouldn't boot from Slot 7 of a plain vanilla non-enhanced
> Apple IIe. And, I thought I verified that it wouldn't boot from Slot
> 7 of an enhanced Apple IIe. (We were in a hurry and I may have
> skipped a step or two.)

> I just did some more careful tests with the second drive -- the one
> we _DID NOT_ make any changes on.

> TEST 1: Enhanced Apple IIe, Transwarp, 1-meg, Duodrive unit:

> Put Focus drive in Slot 7. Card for 5.25" Duodrive is in Slot 6.
> Turn on             : Transwarp logo shows up for 3 seconds, then Focus
>                       drive boots to "]" prompt in 3 more seconds!
>                       Duodrive does not do anything. (As expected.)
> pr#7                : Focus drive boots to "]" prompt in 3 seconds!
> control-apple-reset : Freeze for 16 seconds, then Focus boots, 3 seconds.
> pr#6                : Duodrive boots a 5.25" disk as normal.

> So, with an enhanced Apple IIe, the Focus drive as it comes from Alltech
> works as advertised. (I don't think the Transwarp or 1-meg memory make
> any difference one way or the other.)

> TEST 2: Non-enhanced Apple II, Transwarp II, 128-K, two Disk ][s:

> Put Focus drive in Slot 7. Disk ][ controller is in Slot 6.
> Turn on             : Transwarp logo shows up, then 5.25" Drive 1 boots.
>                       No activity from Focus drive.
> PR#7                : Focus drive boots in 3 seconds. (No red light.)

> Remove the Disk ][ controller card from Slot 6; Focus drive in Slot 7.
> Turn on             : Transwarp logo, then beep, then "]" prompt.
>                       No activity from Focus drive. Wait a while.
>                       Still no activity.
> PR#7                : Focus drive boots in 3 seconds. (No red light.)

> Move the Focus drive to Slot 6 (Disk ][ controller still unattached):
> Turn on             : Exactly the same -- no Focus activity.
> PR#6                : Focus boots in 3 seconds.

> END TEST

> (I don't have access to the 20-meg Focus drive we changed from
> ProDOS 2.0.3 to ProDOS 1.9 at the moment.)

> Lessons:

> 1. The Focus drive as delivered did boot up as advertised from Slot 7
>    of an ENHANCED Apple IIe.

> 2. The Focus drive as delivered _DID NOT_ boot up as advertised from
>    either Slot 7 or Slot 6 on a non-enhanced Apple IIe.

> 3. The Focus drive behaved exactly as I expected in a IIgs.

> Is it possible that by removing the original files from the Focus
> drive, then installing ProDOS 1.9, BASIC.SYSTEM and an Applesoft
> STARTUP file, we did something to prevent the drive booting up from
> Slot 7 in the enhanced Apple IIe? Or, in our hurry, did we fail to
> fully test this condition? I thought we tested it.

> The drive will work fine in Slot 7 of the non-enhanced Apple IIe if
> we put a bootable 5.25" disk in Slot 6 Drive 1 that has a one-line
> Applesoft startup program:

>    10 PRINT CHR$(4);"PR#7"

> This goes pretty fast. However, it requires that this "startup" disk
> be in the Slot 6 5.25" drive, which sort of violates the idea of having
> a fast-booting hard drive... but I can live with that.

> Thanks to all who have replied so far.

> - Jim Pittman - AppleQuerque Computer Club - casa at unm dot edu
-- 
Regards,
Deven D. Atkinson
deven@mcs.net   <*>