Re: Fix a Sider???

[dchiu@netcom.com (David C.W. Chiu)]

In article <3rppar$d15@news.tamu.edu>,
John Donald Baker <jdb8042@tam2000.tamu.edu> wrote:
 
>>> Where can I get a replacement for the Sider?  Is it like an IDE 
>>> interface?  Maybe MFM?  Maybe I can just swap the HD out...

>>Problem is that the Sider is actually a SASI mechanism.  SASI was a
>>standard that predated and eventually became SCSI.  SASI stands for
>>Shugart Associates Standard Interface.  You cannot find replacement SASI
>>drives any longer.  You are better off scrapping it.  I used an old SIDER

>What no one has grasped yet is that the actual _mechanism_ is an MFM hard
>disk.  The Sider has a hard disk controller board in it that provides the
>SASI interface to the MFM drive.  It's most likely a Xebec S1410.

Specifically it's a Xebec S1410-A "Brain Damaged", as it has  the  drive 
geometry burn into the firmware. Standard S1410-A will let you TELL IT 
what drive is hanging off it. Boards out of FirstClass Periphrials casings
probably won't.

Earlier SiderWare has a hidden option that will allow you  to manually 
enter drive geometry. Later versions has the option disabled altogether.