Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!alberta!aunro!ersys!davem
From: ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Zeinth Z-148 Hard Disk Upgrade...Suggestions Wanted
Message-ID: <yX9kR1w163w@ersys.uucp>
Date: 25 Oct 90 08:18:45 GMT
References: <4437@apricot22.UUCP>
Organization: Edmonton Remote Systems, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Lines: 30

marocchi@motcid.UUCP (Jim Marocchi) writes:

> I am working with someone that is attempting to upgrade a Zeinth Z-148 to 
> accomodate a hard drive (and controller). This person has have come across 
> a hard drive and controller and wish to equip the machine to accept it. 
> Currently, the Z148 is configured for floppy drives only. The system does 
> not have I/O connectors for expansion. I am willing to bet that I can pull 
> some I/O off of the ribbon cable that connects the CPU board with the I/O 
> board for use by the hard drive controller. Has anyone upgraded their Z148 
> to use a hard disk drive? I also would need some info as to what interrupt 
> & address(es) to setup for the HD controller. Would there be any change to 
> the ROM BIOS to make the drive work? Is this worth the time? We would 
> dislike having to upgrade to a different machine just to make use of the 
> hard drive & controller. Any pointers? Thanx.

  A company called Payload Computer Services in Houston *used* to offer
an expansion card for this unit which provided two slots and a real time 
clock.  Asking price was $149 (the ad's from a 1987 issue of Sextant.
  Payload's Phone number is 713/486-0687.  
  I doubt you would need to upgrade the BIOS.  Once that's in, it shud be 
just like any other hard drive installation (XT's use interrupt 5 for
winnies).
  I've installed a similar product for the purpose of adding network 
cards to these units; it was a fairly straightforward operation.


Dave McCrady                     |  ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca
Edmonton Remote Systems          |     
13324-138 Street                 |  BBS:   (403)-454-6093  300-9600 bps (HST)
Edmonton, AB Canada  T5L 2B4     |  USENET (403) 452-3254  300-2400 bps