Re: Universal Disk Controller

[Tom Zuchowski <cd003508@interramp.com>]

louiss@gate.net           (Louis Schulman) wrote:
>I just acquired a Universal Disk Controller that supposedly can control all Apple
>3.5 drives, including 400k and 800k Macs.  It works fine with an Apple 3.5.
>
>My question is whether anyone can identify the make and model, and whether
>have any further info (manual?).
>
>The central "chip" is a square VTCL, 61H20B56F.  Other chips are:  74S04N;
>74LS244N; 74LS05P; 74LS245N; 8416A-15; 2764-25JL.
>
>The only writing on the card says "Made in Hong Kong  35 3063 01 00 703010
>Rev.B SS.
>
>OK, smarties, what is it?
>
>Louis Schulman   louiss@gate.net
>

It is the "Laser 128 Series" Universal Disk Controller.  It was sold by 
Laser, AMR, and Vtech, that I know of. I have two of them; the one that 
isn't installed is just as you describe plus a small bar-code label with a 
serial number on it. I know from personal experience that it works with 
any GS-compatible disk drive, such as those sold by Apple, AMR, and AE.  I 
have used it in a II+ and in an enhanced IIe with no problems.

I can probably help you if you have any questions. The manual doesn't 
appear to be in the box here, but I've got it somewhere. As I recall, it 
wasn't much more than a sheet of paper. I believe that you want to 
daisy-chain 3.5's before 5.25's, but that's about all there is to know. 
Plug and play.

Oh, the "Drive 2" cable doesn't supply power to the disk ejector.  If you 
want to mount two 3.5's to it, daisy-chain them both on the "Drive 1" 
cable.

TomZ