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Re: Apple II hardware-- reading Apple II disks on PC

pietro writes ...
>
> Hi to everyone!
> I'm very afraid because my Apple II has broken down and I can't turn it
> alive, so i've downloaded an emulator (ApplePc) but I can't create a
> disk images of my old disks.
> So, where can I find some technical information about the double disk
> card?
> May be a stupid things but i think it's possible to link a Apple II disk
> drive to a PC's parallel port to read directly disk contained data.
> Does anybody knows how can I do it?
> Mind that I can't find a new and 'alive' Apple II.
 ....

     Besides the TrackStar mentioned by Supertimer, there is something called
the "Option Board" which was manufactured by Central Point Software.
Supposedly, it lets a PC read Apple II and Mac diskettes. You can read more
about the board at ...

http://www.zip.com.au/~alexm/faq/emu3.html#299

and

http://www.ece.nwu.edu/~cbachman/apple.html


     Both the Option Board and the various TrackStar boards seem to be fairly
rare. TrackStar E boards have been turning up on eBay auctions. The usual
seller is Emerald City Sales (870-743-3872; http://www.ahhz.com/ ).  Assuming
the TrackStars are still in stock, price will, probably, be around $30.

     I've installed a TrackStar E in an old PC (33MHz, '486).  Once you
modify the video output circuit (add a pot to control level) and connect an
Apple II compatible monitor and disk drive, it works much like an enhanced
IIe with a hard disk. Unfortunately, the only available config software seems
to be for the II+ version; so, all of the board's features are not available.
For one thing, you get just monochrome on your monitor.

     The TrackStar has an option to connect to the old PC digital monitors--
you pass through video from the PC through the TrackStar which can take over
use of the display when it wants; I do not know if you get color with that
setup and the currently available config software.


     It looks like it would be easier and cheaper to get a replacement for
your Apple II than it will be to obtain and install either the Option Board
or TrackStar in your PC. 

     In any case, converting your software collection to disk image (dsk)
form may be quite a job. Copy protected disks need to have the protection
removed-- either that or you need to try a utility named "Saltine's Super
Transcopy" and hope that its copy routines can beat the protection and
produce a useable .nib image file.

     One alternative to all of the above is to run an emulator program on the
PC and depend upon archive sites for ready-to-go disk images of favorites.
Perhaps you can get an Apple II user friend to help with the conversion of
stuff not available on the net.

     
     Of course, you could take a shot (so to speak) at fixing your
non-functioning Apple II. More often than not, when an Apple II "stops
working" it is due to one of two causes:

o- Something has cracked or blown in the power supply

o- Something has come loose-- like a pin in a connector, or an IC or two, or
a Slot card is not making good contact.

Just last night, our trusty IIgs refused to boot and dished out an Error 0308
message. My response was shock and "What the ___ is an error 308?!" (It turns
out to be a screwed up HeartBeat queu.) 

The fix was to pull the ZipGSx accelerator board, unplug the cable from the
'816 socket and pull and re-socket each RAM IC. Also, the card pins got a
cleaning. Once the card was reinstalled, the GS booted without a hitch and
everything works fine.

     You might try pulling and cleaning connectors-- especially the one from
the power supply to the motherboard-- and scootching up and re-socketting all
socketed IC's (especially the microprocessor and ROMs).

     In case the problem turns out to obviously be something in the power
supply-- you may be able to fix it. Power supply fixes are discussed in the
newsgroup FAQs at ...

Home site- for downloading or Viewing via an FTP program ...
  ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/Faqs/
 
Mirrors- Text formatted for on-line perusing via Netscape, etc. ...
  ftp://apple.cabi.net/pub/applegs/FAQs.and.INFO/A2.Csa2.FAQs/
  http://www.grin.net/~cturley/A2.FAQs.and.INFO/CSA2.FAQs/

HTML web site versions of the FAQs
 http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html
 http://members.xoom.com/apple_II/faqs.html


     Unless your Apple II was zapped by lightning, there's a pretty good
chance you can get it working again.




Rubywand