Xref: utzoo comp.periphs:1124 comp.sys.atari.st:10816 Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncr-sd!ncrlnk!ncrwic!encad!entec!jlohmeye From: jlohmeye@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM (John Lohmeyer) Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: ESDI questions Summary: Where to get ESDI Keywords: ESDI Message-ID: <288@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM> Date: 10 Aug 88 13:39:26 GMT References: <168@cstw01.UUCP> Reply-To: jlohmeye@entec.UUCP (John Lohmeyer) Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita, Kansas Lines: 33 I tried to send this by e-mail, but it was returned -- sorry. In article <168@cstw01.UUCP> Frans Meulenbroeks writes: >I have laid my hands on an ESDI disk, which I would like to interface to >an atari ST. However, being out-of-hardware for several years now, I'm >having some questions: > >1) What exactly is ESDI? Where can I find the spec, who can recommend a > book or an article on this subject? ESDI stands for Enhanced Small Device Interface. It is a draft proposed American National Standard. If it is approved, it will become an ANSI standard. You can buy a copy from Global Engineering Documents for $30.00. They know it as X3.170-198X and are at 800-854-7179 or 714-261-1455. There is also an electronic copy of the WordStar files for this document on the SCSI Bulletin Board at 316-636-8700 (I'm the Sysop). >2) How does ESDI relate to ST506/ST412? and to SCSI ?? ESDI uses similar connectors to ST506, but it is a different protocol -- the data separator is in the drive, instead of the controller. SCSI is an intelligent interface (controller to system) instead of a device level interface like ST506 and ESDI (drive to controller). Embedded SCSI drives include the controller in the drive. >3) I know how to interface a disk with a ST506/ST412 or SCSI interface to > the ST. Is it doable to convert ESDI to either of these? > (Big wish:) Anyone by any chance aware of affordable boards to do > this? Magazine articles ?? Yes, you can easily go from SCSI to ESDI. Several manufacturers make such controllers, including NCR (800-325-SCSI). ----- j.lohmeyer@Wichita.NCR.COM