Re: How to connect a Apple IIgs to a 3.5 superdrive

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

Wolfram Sorg <sorg@transfer.de> wrote:

> I just want to know how to connect a superdrive (a internal one) to the
> IIgs's external drive connector.

You would have to put the mechanism into a case to get the correct cable
and control signals.  Apple's external SuperDrive and Apple 3.5 Drive
have cases and cables which can be used interchangeably with either
drive.  The UniDisk 3.5 case and cable should also work, but you need to
change the interface board to the one used with the Apple 3.5 Drive or
SuperDrive.

There is a catch: putting a SuperDrive on the IIgs disk port will not
gain much - it will not be any better than an Apple 3.5 drive (400K and
800K disks only, no MFM 720K or 1.44MB disks).

To be able to use high density or 720K disks with a SuperDrive, you need
Apple's SuperDrive Controller card (officially called "Apple II 3.5 Disk
Controller Card").  It was only sold for two years from 1991, so it is
very rare.


It should be possible to make up a cable to connect an internal
SuperDrive/Apple 3.5 Drive mechanism to the IIgs disk port, but I don't
know how the signals are organised, and I'd have to open up one of my
drives to check whether any circuitry is involved.

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