Re: Pascal file system and Superdrive on IIgs

["Tim Haynes" <timhaynes@alumni.NO.SPAM.PLEASE.uwaterloo.ca>]

"David Empson" <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote in message
1fofzal.e6m1pzcnxo1aN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz">news:1fofzal.e6m1pzcnxo1aN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz...
> Tim Haynes <timhaynes@alumni.NO.SPAM.PLEASE.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
>
> > Sounds reasonable.  I didn't know of this built-in self test!  Is it
only
> > invoked by jumping to a memory address, or is there some startup key
> > sequence that gets you there, too?  Just curious...
>
> You have to jump to the entry point.  I see that Peter Watson has
> mentioned $Cn0A in another followup, and that tallies with my
> recollection.

I'll give it a shot later today... that would be interesting to see.

> > > The most likely issue is the slot in which the SuperDrive card is
> > > installed.  If the card is in slot 4, 5 or 6 then Pascal knows to
treat
> > > it as a disk controller.  (Pascal 1.3 will be able to use the
SuperDrive
> > > card, but earlier versions will ignore it because it doesn't look like
a
> > > 5.25" controller.)
> >
> > It's actually in slot 5.  I have my slot 5 turned to "your card".
>
> In that case, it is more likely to be an issue with an older version of
> Pascal which doesn't support anything other than 5.25" drives; it is
> probably assuming that the card is a 5.25" controller and is attempting
> to call directly into the sector read code in the firmware.  The only
> solution (other than moving the card to slot 7) is to set the slot back
> to "SmartPort" when you want to boot from that version of Pascal.

Even that didn't work, though.  Very odd... plus, it's an FTA demo so I
doubt they're using a 5.25" only version of Pascal (then again, they
probably hacked the heck out of whatever version of Pascal they *did* use!)

> > Another weird thing about this configuration is that one of my 5.25"
> > drives has it's drive light continually on.
>
> Is this a drive connected to the built-in disk port, or to a 5.25"
> controller card in a slot?  (If the latter, it must be in slot 4, 5 or 6
> in order to work with Pascal.)

This drive is (was) the last drive is a daisychain behind my 3.5"
SuperDrive.

> > I'm not sure if maybe my AppleTalk is doing that, though - it seems to
> > flicker along with the lights on my Gatorbox (but only when my drives
are
> > daisychained into my Superdrive controller).
>
> Eh?  You can't connect 5.25" drives to a SuperDrive controller.

Ah, that would be a problem right there, then.  :)

Thanks very much, David!!
Tim