Path: news1.icaen!news.uiowa.edu!news1.chicago.iagnet.net!qual.net!iagnet.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!comp.vuw.ac.nz!news.actrix.gen.nz!dempson From: dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple II 3.5" Controller and SuperDrive problems... Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 22:51:13 +1300 Organization: Empsoft Lines: 100 Message-ID: <1d5hqa8.1vfaajq16ka2soN@dempson.actrix.gen.nz> References: <6dg73d$b0d$1@leopard.it.wsu.edu> <19980304050800.AAA15029@ladder03.news.aol.com> <1d5dx0b.1itfgzg1ke1mgwN@dempson.actrix.gen.nz> <19980304123101.HAA09803@ladder02.news.aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: news2.actrix.gen.nz X-Newsreader: MacSOUP 2.3 Xref: news1.icaen comp.sys.apple2:131058 GR1071 wrote: > Maybe, this will help with which drives will work with which computers: It is a good start. Unfortunately, the table was formatted so badly I had to tidy it up before I could read it (you shouldn't have used tabs, and some of the columns weren't lined up anyway). Here it is cleaned up, but I have several points to correct: name--------works on------works on-----works with------works on IIgs II,II+,IIe IIc IIgs Smartport Internal Slot -------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidisk 3.5 Yes *,^ Yes Yes Yes *,^ Apple 3.5 Yes * No Yes Yes * Mac 400K Yes * No No Yes * Mac 800K Yes * No No Yes * Disk II Yes *,@ Yes $ Yes $ Yes *,@ Apple 5.25 Yes *,% Yes Yes Yes *,% Unidisk 5.25 Yes *,% Yes Yes Yes *,% Disk IIc Yes *,% Yes Yes Yes *,% DuoDisk Yes *,% 1st dr only Yes Yes *,% Key.. YES Means Yes... Yes with any modifiers means that it REQUIRES one of the modifiers.. No Means no... Modifiers follow ^ --- Apple 3.5 Drive Controller * --- Universal Drive Controller (UDC) @ --- Disk II Controller Card $ --- DB-19 Adapter Cable % --- Apple 5.25 Drive Controller Card Points: 1. By "Apple 3.5 Drive Controller" I assume you mean the "Apple 3.5 Floppy Disk Drive Interface Card" (aka "Liron"). This card only supports the UniDisk 3.5 drive, and it does NOT work in a IIgs. 2. You didn't mention the "Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card" (aka "SuperDrive Card"). This card requires a IIgs or enhanced IIe, though it may work in a II or II+ which has a 65C02 or ZIP chip. The card supports the UniDisk 3.5, Apple 3.5 Drive and SuperDrive. It is the only card that allows a SuperDrive to access 720K and 1440K disks. 3. For the UniDisk 3.5 to work on the IIc, the IIc must have ROM version 0, 3 or 4. ROM version 255 must be upgraded. 4. I don't think the UniDisk 3.5 is supported by the Universal Disk Controller. (I haven't verified this myself, but I've heard it from others several times.) 5. No mention of the IIc+, which has a built-in 3.5 drive and will support the Apple 3.5 Drive, and can use both drives in a DuoDisk (otherwise matches a IIc). 6. No mention of the SuperDrive, which has two levels of compatibility: Apple 3.5 emulation (same rules as Apple 3.5), and native, which requires the "Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card". 7. In some cases the DuoDisk has problems on the IIgs, and requires a hardware modification. (I don't have the details handy.) 8. No mention of drive order requirements and limits to the number of each drive which may be connected. In general: Apple 3.5 (maximum of two per controller) first, then UniDisk 3.5 (no hard limit on the number), then 5.25" drives (maximum of two per controller). You shouldn't have more than four drives connected to any one drive port. In the case of the IIc, there can only be one external 5.25" drive (which must be at the end of the chain). 9. No mention of the Chinook/Sequential SmartPort hard drives (same compatibility as the UniDisk 3.5). 10. No mention of the PC Transporter, which can act as a controller for the Apple 3.5 Drive (albeit not very well) in a II, II+, IIe or IIgs. 11. No mention of the Applied Engineering 3.5" drives. The 800K one is basically compatible with the Apple 3.5 Drive, and there is also a high density one (1600K format) which only works on the IIgs built-in port, and then only with a special driver. (I believe this is the case - can anyone else confirm or deny?) 12. All the UniDisk-style 5.25" drives can be used on a Disk ][ controller card with an adaptor cable. 13. The Mac HD20 drive doesn't work with any of these controller options (only on a Mac). I haven't even considered other floppy drive types (e.g. MFM) - I'd be here all night, and they usually need different controllers anyway. :-) Did I miss anything? Does someone want to construct a new table which incorporates all of this? :-) -- David Empson dempson@actrix.gen.nz Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand