Re: Quadram Quadlink

[wbaguhn@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Will Baguhn)]

In article <4vtj24$be6@pith.uoregon.edu>,
Neil Parker <nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu> wrote:
>In article <3088.678.uupcb@yob.com> jeff.brielmaier@yob.com (Jeff Brielmaier)
>writes:
>>
>>NP>But when I got it home and plugged into the old XT, it didn't work.  The
>>NP>bootup program asks for the Filer disk, so I insert the Filer disk, and
>>NP>the disk drive runs for a few moments, and then reports a "problem", and
>>NP>loops back to the ask-for-the-Filer-disk prompt.
>>NP>
>>NP>I know the Filer disk isn't the cause of the problem, because it boots and
>>NP>runs on my IIGS just fine.  I'm pretty sure it's not a problem with the
>>NP>Quadlink board itself, since both boards from the package fail identically.
>>NP>
>>NP>So are there any old (or even current) Quadlink users out there who
>>NP>remember what kind of tricks are necessary to get it to work on an IBM XT
>>NP>clone?  (I think it might be a disk drive problem--the Quadlink cable
>>NP>wants to connect to an old-style edge connector, but my disk drive
>>NP>conroller has the newer 34-pin connectors, so I had to hook up the cables
>>NP>in rather bizarre ways.  The IBM drive still worked properly as an IBM
>>NP>drive in this configuration, but not as an Apple II drive.)
>>
>>Ah, memories.  I worked for QuadRAM when QuadLink was released.  My job was to 
>>test various software packages (mostly games) to see if they would boot on the 
>>QuadLink (could we handle their copy protect routine).  If the didn't bootm 
>>then I got to deprotect the program, isolate the copy protection code being 
>>used, and pass that onto the main engineer so that the board (tyically the 
>>disk PAL) could be updated to work with it.
>>
>>It was designed to work with the 360K disk drive/controller.  Use on "newer"
>>disk drives/controllers could be a problem.
>
>I suspected as much.
>
>I've managed to locate an old disk controller with the edge-connector hookup.
>It seems to help a little--the disk read/write head makes a much healthier
>sound when it seeks--but it hasn't cured the problem.
>
>Could I/O address conflicts be a factor?  I did some disassembling of the
>system software, and discovered that it uses I/O ports in the $200-206 range,
>which Thom Hogan's _PC_Programmer's_Sourcebook_ says are also used by the
>joystick.  So I disabled the joystick port on the I/O card, but that hasn't
>helped.
>
>>The "disk" PAL (an R4 type device) also had a high failure rate.  Although
>>most of the failures will seen during the final testing prior to shipment.
>
>Sigh.  I suppose there's no way to get replacement PALs anymore?
>
>>Note: Be sure that you have an >original< Filer diskette.  The reason for this 
>>is that the QL system software does direct sector reads to read in the 
>>FPBASIC (AppleSoft + monitor ROM code) into the QL's upper memory.  If the 
>>diskette you are using was created by copying the files onto the diskette 
>>(instead of doing a disk copy), the copy will NOT work since FPBASIC will 
>>not be in the same sectors on the diskette.  [Sorry, I don't have a copy of 
>>the FILER diskette and I cannot remember the sectors FPBASIC used.]
>
>Oh, fun.
>
>As far as I know, it's an original Filer disk.  It has the original Central
>Point Software label on it, and no write-protect notch.  But it contains
>a large text file (called "LESSON5") whose contents have nothing whatsoever
>to do with either the Quadlink or the Filer, so it's possible somebody has
>modified the disk.
>
>I guess I'll have to try to extract the list of sectors from the Quadlink
>system software.  Ugh...
>
>               - Neil Parker
>-- 
>Neil Parker                       | No cute quote, no cute ASCII art, no cute
>nparker@cie-2.uoregon.edu         | disclaimer, no deposit, no return....
>nparker@cie.uoregon.edu           | (This space intentionally left blank:
>http://cie-2.uoregon.edu/~nparker |                                           )

Just a quick thought... would it be possible to "just" attach a 360k drive
or two to the QuickLink, and ignore the PC's disk controller?  My understanding
of the system is that the QuickLink connects between the PC controller and
the floppy drives... so might simply not attaching the controller
side work, and then having a (pair) of "Apple-only" drives and the rest be
PC drives?
-- 
       - Rev. SPQR                       1WSW team member and proud of it
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