Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!nisca.ircc.ohio-state.edu!magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu!bobd From: bobd@right.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Bob DeBula) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: 8-bit v. 16-bit cards Message-ID: <1990Sep21.013632.17787@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu> Date: 21 Sep 90 01:36:32 GMT References: <3118.26f65e1e@cc.helsinki.fi> <14531@cbmvax.commodore.com> Sender: news@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Usenet News Owner) Organization: The Ohio State University Lines: 36 Nntp-Posting-Host: right In article pmwenzel@noggin.gg.caltech.edu (Pete Wenzel) writes: >I read in a PC/Computing article that most 386 BIOS don't support 8-bit >disk controllers, but didn't know whether to believe it or not. What about >a (Plus Development) HardCard? I have one in an XT-clone and wish to use >it in a 386SX. Is there any hope? I can't speak for any other systems, but I personally am keying this on an AT&T 6386 (16Mhz 386; the older Olivetti produced machine) which has a Plus 20Mb hardcard installed as the second drive (the primary drive is a 103Mb Fujitsu 2245E ESDI drive with a WD1007-WA2 controller). The built in floppy controller on the motherboard has caused problems, but I haven't had any trouble with the hardcard to speak of. Some of the older Hardcards needed a firmware upgrade (EPROM) to function with the AT bus, but as far as I know that's the only problem (I *think* I still have an upgrade kit laying around here somewhere that I didn't need for my drive). Back to the original post topic: Other than for performance reasons, I can't imagine why you couldn't use an 8-bit HD controller in a 16-bit slot (I have used 8-bit cards of various sorts in 16-bit slots on both the AT&T 6386 & on an IBM PC/XT-286, though I don't remember using an 8-bit disk controller for any reason). Aren't the SCSI host adaptors being sold by Seagate all 8-bit? I haven't heard of any warnings not to use them in AT bus slots...... -- ========================================================================== Bob DeBula | Internet: bobd@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu The Ohio State University | Disclaimer: These are my views, not the U's Davros sez: When my Daleks compute they use X-TER-MI-NALS!