Re: Q:PcTransporter disk port

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Supertimer <supertimer@aol.com> wrote:

> Only the 3.5" drive and the TransDrives can connect to the
> PCT directly.
> 
> However, if you just need something to read PC disks,
> why not use a SEPARATE SuperDrive controller card?
> Basically, the SuperDrive controller card in another
> slot connected to a SuperDrive can be used BY THE
> PCT to read and write MS-DOS 720k and 1.44MB disks
> EVEN THOUGH THE PCT IS IN ANOTHER SLOT.
> 
> The advantage of this is that you can boot from the
> SuperDrive and the SuperDrive is a lot faster than
> the PCT in Apple mode.

You would need at least two 3.5" drives for this: one to boot from, and
another to use as the PC Transporter's A: drive.  (One 3.5" drive is
sufficient if you are booting from a hard drive.)

At least one of the drives must be a SuperDrive.  It is perfectly OK to
boot the IIgs from the existing Apple 3.5 Drive, then use the SuperDrive
for accessing PC disks via the PC Transporter.

> As for how to set them up, I believe you must identify
> the slot and drive that the SuperDrive/BlueDisk
> is in and then configure it as a ProDOS drive in the
> PCT control panel.

Correct.

> The PCT will then be able to read MS-DOS disks from it.  David Empson
> has done this and may elaborate for more clarity if you ask him (here
> on csa2).

I'd already followed up before reading this.  :-)

The only trick for young players is that the PC Transporter polls a
ProDOS drive when you launch STARTAEPC or AEPC.SYSTEM, to determine the
drive's capacity.  You must have a disk of the appropriate size in the
drive when starting up the PC Transporter (and should eject it before it
gets polled by the PC Tranporter for booting MS-DOS, unless you want to
boot from it).

If you need to switch disk sizes (720K instead of 1.44MB, for example),
you have to quit to ProDOS, switch disks, then launch the PC Transporter
software again.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand