Re: Disk drive / controller questions

[david@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au (David E A Wilson)]

James Noyes <jnoyes@quality.net> writes:
>   Here's the story - I'm looking for a specific controller.  I need
>a controller that will go in an Apple //e and will run both a PAIR of
>UniDisk 3.5's and a PAIR of Disk II's.  It needs to occupy a SINGLE
>slot (preferably slot 6) and phantom-slot the UniDisks to slot 5 (or
>any other slot, actually) under ProDOS 8, while still allowing the
>actual device in slot 5 to function (it's my mouse) - similar to what
>happens when a second 3.5 drive is mapped to slot 2, drive 1 under
>ProDOS 8 on a IIgs, while still allowing the serial port to work.  I
>don't care if it doesn't allow the UniDisk 3.5's to work under DOS
>3.3, since I wouldn't use them for that anyway.

I have a UDC with one Apple 3.5 on the first connector and one 5.25"
drive on the 2nd connector (with a home made 19 pin to 20 pin adaptor).
I have also run it with 2x Apple 3.5 and 1x 5.25". It should do 2x 5.25"
[I could try it out by plugging in my DuoDisk from my other //e] as well.

[looks back and sees the reference to UniDisk 3.5] Oh dear...

Unfortunately my UDC card seems to be unable to drive a UniDisk 3.5.
I tried one and it did not work so I have Apple 3.5 drives instead.

>   I believe the much-heralded UDC will do the phantom-slotting
>technique, but I'm not clear on whether I can use Disk II's with it.

ProDOS 8 v2.0.x does the phantom slotting if the card is not in slot 5.
Phantom slotted drives do not interfere with non disk usage of other
slots (except for Appleworks which needs a patch before it will print
to a slot with a phantom drive in it).
The UDC has no problem with Disk ][ style drives (provided you can get
the plugs to match). The UniDisk 3.5 will be the killer in this case.
-- 
David Wilson	Dept CompSci Uni Wollongong Australia	david@cs.uow.edu.au