Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!agate!ucbvax!hplabs!otter.hpl.hp.com!hpltoad!ghiggins!gjh From: gjh@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Graham Higgins) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech Subject: Re: Spectre GCR & SCSI devices Message-ID: Date: 17 Jan 91 18:25:51 GMT References: <22663@well.sf.ca.us> Sender: news@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Usenet News Administrator) Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK. Lines: 53 In-Reply-To: dsmall@well.sf.ca.us's message of 16 Jan 91 06:13:19 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: ghiggins.hpl.hp.com ++ Graham, we only are compatible with mass storage media that is accessed ++ through ACSI<->SCSI adaptors, like ICD's. The software and logic ++ incompatabilities ++ made it impossible for us to get the Mac's _SCSIDispatch to work right ++ with ACSI stuff. Understood that Mac s/w won't be able to use hardware which is designed to the ACSI i/f spec, e.g. ACSI HD's. However, my setup is a couple of ST506 mechs driven by an Omti 3527A RLL SCSI controller card which is connected to the ST via an ICD ACSI-> SCSI host adaptor. Which would seem to satisfy your criterion stated above. As far as I understood, having the ICD SCSI adaptor gave me "true" SCSI. I wanted to explore the possibility of hooking up either a scanner or a CD-ROM to the SCSI bus made available by the ICD ACSI->SCSI adaptor. Your comment above suggests that this *is* possible. However, since posting the query, I have been told that SCSI devices on the Mac tend to want to talk directly to the SCSI chip and hence don't work under Spectre. So far no-one has been able to give me a definitive answer and with CD-ROM down to 280-odd pounds (from Corporate Computing, advertising in the UK edition of Computer Shopper) and with Atari being so recalcitrant about re-marketing the CDAR stuff, I thought it'd be a good route to follow. ++ So, we stuck the correct SCSI chip at the correct address with the ++ correct wiring-pinouts to match a Mac Plus in the MegaTalk board, and THAT ++ will accept hand-scanners, etc, in Mac mode, plus hooking into Appletalk or ++ LocalTalk networks. This is, of course, the best solution --- for those who have Megas --- guess which I *don't* have (sigh). ++ Hope this clears it up. Good question! It's given me renewed hope anyway! In view of the most favourable interpretation of your answer, I'll see if I can lay my hands on a SCSI-connectable scanner & s/w and see if it cuts the mustard. Cheers, Graham ====== ------------------------------------------------------------------ Graham Higgins | Phone: (0272) 799910 x 24060 Hewlett-Packard Labs | gjh%ghiggins@hpl.hp.co.uk Bristol | gjh%ghiggins@hplb.hpl.hp.com U.K. | ------------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: My opinions above are exactly that, mine and opinions. ------------------------------------------------------------------