Path: utzoo!attcan!nebulus!root From: root@nebulus.UUCP (Dennis S. Breckenridge) Newsgroups: comp.sys.att Subject: Re: 3rd party tape drive in 6386: Anybody done it? Summary: tape controllers,wangtek,att6386 Message-ID: <485@nebulus.UUCP> Date: 29 Nov 88 14:01:45 GMT References: <437@amanue.UUCP> Organization: SFM Programming Ltd.,Toronto,Ontario Lines: 38 In article <437@amanue.UUCP>, jr@amanue.UUCP (Jim Rosenberg) writes: > I hear the price from AT&T for a tape drive is pretty steep. There are some > inexpensive AT Bus tape drives with drivers for Xenix and possibly Interactive. > Paul Homchick (cgh!paul) tells me that AT&T is claiming V.3.2 Xenix binary > compatibility is so good it will link and run Xenix drivers. If so this is . > than say $600 - $700? I'd appreciate any war stories, good & bad. > -- > Jim Rosenberg I have used a couple of controllers in both a 6386 and a 6386E (20 mhz) with the AT&T Drivers. I must mention that I also run SysV r3.2 And I strongly suggest that you do the same. There were several problems with 3.1 that AT&T corrected with the release of 3.2. I have tried the Wangtek PC-36 model III controller (BTW AT&T wants this one on address 0x288) with both a 5099EN drive (60 meg) and a 5125EN (125 meg). I use SYTOS for the DOS backups and cpio for the unix ones. I have also used an Everex Clone of the Wangtek (unfortunately I forget the model number) and a calper 60 and 125 meg drive. You mentioned that 3.2 does provide XENIX Binary Driver Support, this is incorrect. UNIX/386 R3.2 does provide XENIX binary executable programs the correct environment to run but in no way does it let you run someone else's driver. I even tried to glue in an Interactive tape driver, to no success. In so far as other peripherals running in the box I have been burned a few times. For instance I have a MIDI (Roland MPU-401) interface that, after installing IEM tools to patch in an DOS driver (so I can use Personal Composer) hangs after the first bar of music. I have been trying to get the Documentation for the board so I can write a proper device driver. I must mention that I am extremely pleased with with AT&T and specifically the 6386E running UNIX/386 V3.2 -- ============================================================================== "A mind is a terrible thing to MAIL: Dennis S. Breckenridge waste!" 206 Poyntz Ave North York, Ontario M2N1J6 (416) 733-1696 UUCP: uunet!attcan!nebulus!dennis ICBM: 43 4 58 N / 87 55 52 W 50 megatons should do! ==============================================================================