Re: Lobotomizing a UniDisk 3.5

[jmaes@sonycsce.com (Jan A. J. Maes)]

Joshua M. Thompson wrote :
>I seem to remember that there is a way to "lobotomize" a UniDisk 3.5 and
>turn it into a regular unintelligent Apple 3.5 drive. Unfortunately I
>can't seem to locate this information, and simply bypassing the drive's
>onboard controller makes the drive sit permanently in "eject" mode (as
>if I may need to tie a line to +5 or GND somewhere)
>
>Am I just imagining it, or is it really possible to do this?

Unfortunately, it's not as easy as that.
Although the Apple 3.5 Disk doesn't have a CPU board, it does have an
interface board to accept commands from the GS or to redirect them to the
next drive in the chain.  It also provides the Eject Switch and Busy LED
functions.

I do seem to remember reading in the Apple IIGS User's Manual that it is
possible to connect the original Macintosh 800K Drive to the SmartPort.
That one doesn't have an interface board, it's just the drive mechanism.
Seeing that I originally purchased my IIGS in '89 and have never read the
manuals since, I cannot vouch for my memory and its accuracy.

If you connect it to the IIGS like that you of course cannot add any drive
to the chain since there is no 2nd SmartPort connector.
Also, there will be no Busy LED or Eject Switch function on that drive.

-- 
Woe to you oh Earth and sea for the Devil has sent the Beast with wrath for he knows the time is short.  Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the Beast for it is a human number and its number is six hundred and sixty six.