Re: Laser UDC Documentation

["Greg Andrzejewski" <pressyourluck85@yahoo.com>]

"Henry" <apl2research(.a.t.)comcast.net> wrote in message 
IaCdncGgYa7cDufZRVn-rQ@comcast.com">news:IaCdncGgYa7cDufZRVn-rQ@comcast.com...
> Hello Steven.
>
> Funny you should mention two different ROM versions.  We originally 
> started to research this card to clone.  I have both versions of the 
> card - the 'old' full length that said 'VTEC' on it, and the 'new' short 
> card with the QFP on it, like David mentions in his post.
>
> I had several 'old' versions of the card and since it was all standard 
> glue logic, it was a prime candidate for our first CPLD project which we 
> later decided on experimenting with the Rev. C SCSI controller.  We then 
> decided not to clone the controller since it looked like the Apple 3.5 
> Drive Controller was possible.  Since it did more, we went that route. 
> Anyway... before we dropped the project I had found that a one 'old' style 
> controller had different ROM code in it, which I thought was odd.  We did 
> some further testing but never determined what the difference was between 
> the two ROM's. You know?  Maybe the 'patch' David spoke about?
>
> One nice feature of the controller was if it didn't find a disk in a 5.25" 
> drive it would 'skip' to the next available boot device as the IIgs does 
> when it's set to 'Scan' mode in the Slots menus.  I know Bill was looking 
> in to a 'skip' mod for the Disk II Controllers when we decided to look at 
> the UDC card.  I believe the Apple 3.5 Drive Controller will also 'skip' 
> drives. Anyway, we never did determine what drive combinations were 
> possible on the UDC.
>
> I was also going to make up some drive cables for the UDC and list them in 
> the Store.  I know how rare they can be.  Does anyone have the pinouts? 
> Bill now has the cards and he's been quite busy and hard to reach these 
> days.
>
I've got a UDC with cables and could probe for the pinout if no one has it 
handy. Let me know, my email's valid.

-Greg
>
> -- 
> Henry S. Courbis
> www.GSE-Reactive.com
> Apple II Series Legacy Hardware - Come take a look at what we have to 
> offer!
>
>
> "Steven N. Hirsch" <shirsch@adelphia.net> wrote in message 
> E-ednb-r0tOvK-TZRVn-vg@adelphia.com">news:E-ednb-r0tOvK-TZRVn-vg@adelphia.com...
>> Warren Ernst wrote:
>>> Though it was supposed to work, I *never* got an Apple 3.5" drive (the
>>> platinum the GS uses) to work with an enhanced //e with the Laser UDC.
>>>
>>> I *did*, however, get the older-style 800k macintosh 3.5 drives
>>> (without the eject button) to work with it, which was kind of neat.
>>>
>>> If there are any diagnostics, you would access them the same way you
>>> would on any card. Get a Basic prompt. Go into the Monitor (call-151).
>>> Then type Cx0AG where x is the slot number the card is in.
>>
>> There are at least (2) distinct ROM versions for the UDC controller.  On 
>> of them supported the Unidisk 3.5 (original Apple 3.5" drive for IIe and 
>> IIc) and one supported the later Apple Disk 3.5.  AFAIK they are 
>> interchangable on all the UDC hardware levels.
>
>