Re: SCSI Interface for A2GS

[apple2pd@garp3.icaen.uiowa.edu (ground.ecn AppleII Librarian)]

In article <3b3927bb$1@news.mdc.net>, Geoff Pool <gepool@netway.com> wrote:
>I am interested in any information/experiences anyone has had using SCSI
>devices with the A2GS.
>
>I have a RamFast 3.01E and an Apple Hi Speed SCSI controller.  My questions
>are:
>
>1.  Is it possible to use an off the shelf SCSI CDROM drive to read ISO9660
>CDROMs using the RamFast and have a SCSI drive attached (mine is a Quantum
>LPS SCSI 1 drive) with ProDos paritions.  I know the Apple Hi Speed requires
>special, older types of CDROMS.
>
I have no experience with a RamFast so I won't comment.  I use Apple 
high-speed SCSI controllers.  Although I have only used older, lower speed
CDROM drives I was not aware the card was restricted to special drives
other than what is called SCSI-1  (ie single-ended 50-pin SCSI).  Software
drivers are a differnet story.  Apple's drivers only work well with the
very early SCSI drives (CD150 and earlier).  The card still works with
newer (CD300 an later) SCSI-1 drives.

>2.  Using the above configuration - can you play audio CDs?
>
With the Apple HS SCSI card you can play audio CD's with the CD150 and
earlier SCSI drives.  With standard SCSI drives you can only read normal
data disks - no audio CD's, using Apple's audio/media player.  An updated
media player was released for the Ramfast to use with standard SCSI
drives.  The updated media player for the HS SCSI card was announced by
Jawaid Bazyar, but never shipped. :-(

>3.  Besides the power supply requirements, are there any special
>setups/problems using this system I should be aware of?
>

The RamFast can supply term power if needed.  The HS-SCSI card usually
needs a diode added (modification by solder slinger) to supplye term
power.  Usually not a problem if there is another device on the chain
supplying term power (most harddrives supply term power).  The RamFast
does NOT use a SCSI ID in accordance with the SCSI standard and is
therefore incompatible with some newer drives (SCSI-2 capable drives).
The HS SCSI card will work with SCSI-2 drives in SCSI-1 mode.

Good luck!

  --Steve

-- 

 --Steve  (apple2pd@ground.ecn.uiowa.edu)