Re: Apple II disk drives and controller cards

[spqr@ruth.uucp (Will Baguhn)]

dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) writes:

| In article <3a47gr$bja@tribune.usask.ca>,
| A.J. (Tony) Allen <allent@duke.usask.ca> wrote:
| > Our school district has hundreds of Apple IIe computers, with older 
| > (black front) disk drives that are wearing out.  Does anyone know if a cabl
| > adapter can be built that would allow us to use newer (beige or
| > platinum) drives with the older-style controller cards?
| 
| Yes, it is possible.  In fact, Alltech Electronics probably sells
| cables of this type.
| 
| Open-Apple magazine (now A2-Central) published a diagram of it back in
| 1985.  Their diagram showed the cable required to adapt a Disk ][
| controller card to connect one or two UniDisk 5.25 drives (which is
| exactly what you want).
| 
| Simple adjustments to the layout and connectors can be used to make
| other connections, e.g. plugging a Disk ][ into a DB-19 connector,
| such as a UniDisk 5.25 card.  You can even daisy-chain a Disk ][ from
| the back of a UniDisk.
| 
| The main restriction is that you can only have two 5.25" drives on
| each controller, no matter what type they are.
| 
| > There may be complications, however, since the newer drives are
| > designed to be daisy-chained, whereas the old controller cards will  
| > handle just 2 drives, each with it's own cable connector.
| 
| No complication there - you can either make up two adaptors, one for
| each drive connector, or make up a combined adaptor which allows you
| to daisy-chain two UniDisk 5.25 drives.  A single wire connection is
| needed to the second drive connector on the card.
| 
| 
| Actually describing the cable is a little tricky, and it is not
| something I would recommend anyone making up unless they are VERY sure
| that they know what they are doing.  If you make any mistakes, you
| could easily damage your disk drive and/or controller card.
| 
| If anyone wants information on the connector and cable pinouts, send
| me some E-Mail.  I'll have to dig up the last copy I typed in.
| -- 
| David Empson
| dempson@actrix.gen.nz
| Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand

bad form, bitch later.

i believe that Jameco used to sell such little beasts to allow use of a 
Disk II on a //c.  one of these ought to provide some insight in how it 
gets connected (or, it will work fine by itself with a cable & a gender 
mender).

some ridiculous price like $3.95/ea

--- email ... uwvax!gorgon!ruth!spqr , the domain path doesn't work.
I use an Apple II+ clone.  It's probably faster than your machine,
unless you run on a SPARC station.