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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rochester!rocksanne!xrxns!toml
From: toml@xrxns.UUCP (Tom Love)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: SCSI drives--how do you connect them to the DMA port?
Message-ID: <205@xrxns.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jul-87 08:18:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: xrxns.205
Posted: Fri Jul 10 08:18:18 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jul-87 10:51:33 EDT
References: <3559@watvlsi.UUCP>
Distribution: comp
Organization: EDDS/CAD, Xerox Corp., Leesburg, Va. (XICTMD)
Lines: 44
Keywords: SCSI DMA hard disk
Summary: response, plus references

In article <3559@watvlsi.UUCP>, rpfeifle@watvlsi.UUCP writes:
> What pins have to be connected to what lines, what pins have to be dropped
> etc...
> 
> Ron
> -- 
> Ron Pfeifle 
> {decvax,allegra,ihnp4}!watmath!watvlsi!rpfeifle


oh, sweet naivete...  for better or worse atari's DMA and the industry-standard
SCSI interface are far from equivalent.  simply crossing a few wires won't do
it for you;  you need an adaptor board (not to mention a disk controller,
unless your disk is *really* a SCSI disk, i.e. has its own built-in
SCSI controller).
i'm familiar with two companies making DMA to SCSI adaptors for the ST:
Tech Specialties, in Houston, and Berkeley Microsystems, in Oakland CA.
I know essentially nothing about Tech Specialties, except that i think they
mostly do turnkey hard disk systems.  i have done business with berkeley
microsystem - i bought their adaptor, as well as an adaptek controller
board, from them.  i use mine to drive a quantum 540 HD.  i've had no
problems.
the cost on these two boards is approx $125 each.
for more info, see my article in the march "ST Applications" magazine
entitled "a hacker's hard disk", wherein i describe my experiences putting
together my disk system.  if you can't find a copy of that mag, send me
a sase and i'll send you a copy of the article (i could uucp the text, but
you'd be missing the graphics then).  i will be happy to do this for whoever
would like a copy.

[aside: i'm beginning to think that this newsgroup needs a "answers to commonly
asked questions" article posted periodically, like that posted with the
netiquette article.]

good luck!

tom love
xerox edds
p.o. box 2000
leesburg, va 22075
(703)729-8000 x5185

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