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Re: Superdrive interface?
In article <666770714wnr@klatch.demon.co.uk>,
John Le Febvre <john@klatch.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Can anyone enlighten me as to what a Superdrive interface looks like?
>
> I picked up a FDHD drive at the weekend for an enhanced //e, and have
> been offered an interface card which the present owner thinks MIGHT be
> the right one. He says it has 2 x 15 pin D-sockets on the card. I
> know the FDHD drive has a 15-pin interface, but it's daisy-chainable,
> so why the extra socket on the card?
It sounds like a Universal Disk Controller (from Central Point
Software and/or Lazer), which supports 5.25" drives, the Apple 3.5
Drive and Mac 400k/800k drives, but will only be able to use a
SuperDrive as an 800k drive.
The UDC is pretty empty - I haven't looked at one recently, but I
think it has a ROM and a single surface-mount ASIC, and practically
nothing else. There are two short ribbon cables leading to D-19
female connectors.
The SuperDrive card has the name "Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card"
written on it, not to mention the Apple logo. It has a single red
LED, a 65C02 microprocessor, a ROM, some miscellaneous logic, a metal
can crystal oscillator (probably 28.63636 MHz or 14.31818 MHz, but I
don't want to pull mine out to check), and a single cable to a D-19
female connector. The card supports the SuperDrive, Apple 3.5 Drive
and UniDisk 3.5. It probably works with other intelligent SmartPort
devices. It requires an enhanced IIe or IIgs.
Another possibility is the older UniDisk 3.5 card interface card for
the IIe. I haven't seen one recently, so I can't describe it, other
than mentioning it has a cable to a D-19 connector, and the word
"Liron" is written on the back. This card only works with a UniDisk
3.5 (and probably other intelligent SmartPort devices). It doesn't
work in a IIgs.
No Apple II disk controller has a D-15 connector. D-15 connectors are
mainly used for video (RGB or special adaptors) in the Apple II.
--
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand