Re: Parallel zip drive on a IIe

[sfbong@tm.net.my (Allen)]

Wayne Stewart <waynes@telusdo.tnet> wrote in message news:<9nM6c.256264$Hy3.90969@edtnps89>...
> John VW wrote:
> > I am not a coder (yet).  Used to be 25 yesrs ago but it has been too 
> > long and not enough skill at it.  I was just wondering if it would work 
> > with the newer apple parallel card and if anyone had done something like 
> > that already.
> 
> About 6 or 7 years ago an engineer did a demo at an Apple II UG
> meeting of a home project he did for fun. Since Apple II hard drive
> interfaces were pricey, he wanted to use a parallel card to connect
> to a PC and utilize it's HD. Unfortunately he wasn't able to make
> the Apple II bootable this way but he was able to use it as a file
> server. I recall that he said that most parallel cards weren't
> readily adaptable to be bi-directional but two that could be modified
> for this were the Macrotech and the ProGrappler.
> 
> Wayne

I am sure a bi-directional parallel interface could be easily
designed.  Take a look at stephane guillard website on his IDE
interface

http://s.guillard.free.fr/

A bi-directional parallel interface is essentially 2 HCT373 connected
back to back thorugh a HCT245 bidirectional buffer.  Parallel 100MB
zip drive can be obtained very cheaply and everyone seems to be
throwing them away but it is perfect for Apple II as a HD substitute. 
Imagine how many 140K disks can be stored in a 100MB zip disk.

I have been fighting hard to get a HS SCSI interface cards for months
but without any success as they sold like gold bars in the Apple II
community.

I would be pleased to construct the board if someone can realize the
project, even paying a reasonable amount for the PCB alone.

Sound like an interesting project to hardware experts? 

Allen