Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!unido!fauern!fauern!csbrod
From: csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: infos wanted about adding drive in megafile30
Keywords: megafile AHDI drive
Message-ID: <2873@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Date: 11 Jun 90 13:17:57 GMT
References: <5385@chorus.fr>
Organization: CSD, University of Erlangen, W-Germany
Lines: 41

ciceron@chorus.fr (Carrez Stephane) writes:

>	o if the new drive has not the same capacity (30Mb), suppose
>	20Mb, how does the driver (basically the i8085) recognize the new
>	size? (recognition of # of heads, # of cylinders ?)

The _driver_ is software and resides in the ST. The 8085 is the processor
on the MF's controller board that does all these intelligent thinks
like _not_ responding to TRANSLATE commands and _not_ mapping out
defect sectors 8-). The controller will try to read some format info
from the new disk. To do this, the drive must have been formatted before
by the controller. You'll have to tell your controller _once_ how
many heads and cylinders there are.

>	o if the new disk seek-rate is different (prefer faster), will
>	this new seek-rate be recognized (without any effect on old disk)?
The controller in the MF defaults to the fastest step rate available.
There are virtually no drives that can't cope with it, so don't worry.

>	o I have noticed in my megafile30 that there is a 16 pins
>	connector with a full line (8pins) connected to ground and the
>	others connected to the i8156 (2 // ports + timer). (near the 64K
>	eprom). I beleive that this is supposed to be used as a configuration
>	connector, plugging small straps between ground and i8156 line,
>	but how and what for? 
You won't need it. I can get the specs if you want, but believe me:
Uninteresting stuff.

>	o About software, I don't care since I always use Minix.
>	(but i beleive that my old AHDI program will not be able to
>	recognize a new disk)

AHDI won't recognize a second hard disk in your MF. Use my driver (CBHD)
or some other that has this feature. Anyone out there who knows if
the ICD driver recognizes the 2nd drive?

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Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2,			Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, West Germany		(Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
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