Re: Can the "Liron card" run a HD? (was: Re: What kind of ][e card is this?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <34udba$1p7o@coyote.csusm.edu>, Tony Diaz <tdiaz@csusm.edu> wrote:
> 
> The Liron card could be thought of as a "smartport" card for the //e. It does
> everything that a //c's built in drive port will do, with exception of 5.25" 
> drives. This includes devices such as the Chinook CT xx C, ProAPP 10/20
> Quark QC10/20 and the UniDisk 3.5" Drive. There was also a 3.5" drive for
> the //c by Haba Systems, the HabaDisk, it too will work with this card.

Wow - I didn't know there were that many third party SmartPort devices.

> It will NOT work with an AppleDisk 3.5" Drive (Platinum) because it lacks
> the needed extra timing /buffering to receive data at a faster rate. They
> added this to the //c's smartport when they designed the //c+ so it could
> support the newer 3.5" drives as well.

Just a minor point: the Apple 3.5 Drive is _not_ a SmartPort device
(as in the SmartPort packet protocol).  It sends raw data to and from
the computer.  The IIgs, IIc+ and SuperDrive card have the SmartPort
driver for the Apple 3.5 Drive built into the computer's or card's
firmware.

I assume the Liron card has an IWM (I've only ever seen one briefly),
so it should have almost all the hardware needed to support an Apple
3.5 Drive.  It would need its own microprocessor or buffering
hardware, plus outputs to control the head select and 3.5" drive
enable lines.

This is basically what you have with the SuperDrive card.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand