Re: Fix a Sider???

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

In article <1995Jun16.154132.28904@emba.uvm.edu>,
Steven N. Hirsch <hirsch@emba-news.uvm.edu> wrote:
>David C.W. Chiu (dchiu@netcom.com) wrote:
>: 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

>: >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.

>My Sider has a hybrid disk mechanism consisting of a
>Xebec-manufactured SASI drive with integral SASI interface.  There is
>nothing recognizable as a 1410-A that I recall, though it's been a
>while since the thing's been open.

Sounds like over the years several different versions of Sider walked the 
Earth :) Earliest ones used MFM mechanism with 1410 boards, later 
versions used SASI drives.

>: 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.

>Some time ago I hacked into the 1410 EPROM and found the hard-coded
>parms.  If one has access to an EPROM burner, it's no big trick to
>blow a new one for any disk geometry (I think that's what I did for
>you, John <g>).  Only tricky part is the checksum byte at the end.  If
>anyone really wants to do this, I can dig out a little quicky program
>that I wrote for CP/M that calculates and patches in a new sum.

Ah... the olden days when we run down to WeirdStuff to buy 1410/1410As 
and tie it to a DataMac host adopter (Xebec OEM) and run off either 
DataMac installation/format or ver1.0 SiderWare...

Then there's the chanllenge to get Adaptec 4000A to talk to DataMac Host 
adopter... (the olden days when Adaptec tech support are actually HELPFUL)

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

>No kidding!  I didn't realize that.  What is the magic keystroke to
>get into this option?

Don't remember exact version numbers anymore (gave all my 
DataMac/Siderware away when I sold a Sider I found in FleaMarket), 
but I am certain v1.0 still has the hidden option. At some point you're 
prompted for either D1/D2 or Sider I/Sider II (don't remember exactly which)
you respond with option '0'... (Ver1.4 Siderware no longer allows that 
option, althought from casual inspection it looks like all the code are 
still there)