Re: disk stuff (Re: GS, //e, and mystery cards)

[Gene Irwin <girwin@frugal.com>]

Galen Tatsuo Komatsu wrote:
> 
> In article <5nlnj4$7df@news.Hawaii.Edu>, I typed out with my nose:
> >5ive:  One of the disk controller cards in the ][plus is a 3rd party
> >  card.  I'm guessing capable of more than the standard Apple one
> >  since it's 20.3cm in length, long enough that it tapers towards the
> >keyboard end.  It's imprinted "COPYRIGHT MICROSCI 1981"  "CW24118BVO"
> >(I think it's CW, the letters are stylized)  There's a 4 pin jumper
> >near the drive connectors, and a socketed ROM below.  Nothing else
> >significant (unless you want me to rattle off the numbers on the 17
> >soldiered chips)
> 
>         Looking at the other stuff I got I realized two of the disk
> drives are also "MicroSCI", except "micro" is written with the greek
> letter 'mu'.  One is a full height labelled "(micro)-SCI A2" and the
> other is a half-height labelled "(micro)-SCI A.5".
>         Perhaps some special relationship with the disk controller?
> (other than being made by the same people)  Though the drives work just
> as well with the Apple disk controllers.
> 
>         Also (sorta) figured out what the jumpers are for.  While all
> lined up in a row, two are marked "3" and the other two "6".  I assume
> meaning 13 and 16 sector.
> 
> ...any special trick to booting 16 sector disks on a ][ and ][plus?
> (I grew up on the //e with the privileges of whopping 140k disks, 64k
> on board, lower-case text, auto repeat, and these keys: `[]\ =^)
> --
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> gkomatsu@...             >beep< >beep< >beep< >beep<        hawaii.edu


That microsci controller is essentially an apple controller done with
more chips for copyright purposes.  I took a repair course on Microsci
drives and controllers.  The controller does have 1 other feature that
the apple does not, and that is the 'diagnostic mode'.  if you put the
jumper across the middle two pins (and leave both outside pins open) the
controller will now be a 'diagnostic program' for testing drives.

when you turn on the system, it *WON'T BOOT*, just give you a ] or >
prompt.

type PR#6 and that should start it up.  It's been a long time since I
did this, but if someone needs the info, I'll dig up my microsci service
manual and see what it is that I have forgotten.
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