Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!sbi!zeus! From: nee@cf_su14.Salomon.Com (Robert Nee) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: CMS 60/120MB tape drives Message-ID: <175@cf_su20.cf_su10.Sbi.COM> Date: 13 Feb 91 14:57:16 GMT References: <1991Feb13.021614.13426@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU> <26853@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <173@cf_su20.cf_su10.Sbi.COM> Sender: news@cf_su10.Sbi.COM Reply-To: nee@cf_su14.Salomon.Com (Robert Nee) Organization: Salomon Brothers, NY Lines: 32 ath: cf_su10!cf_su14!nee > I do have some comments reguarding this idea > that a simple three connector cable will allow you to use two floppies and > the CMS drive. It will not. There is no guarantee that this cable will > actually work in your system. I have the card in my system, and not > only does it make transfer faster than the simple cable, but it eliminates > conflicts which occur with some hard drive controller cards (such as > Perstor ARLL) - the card doesn't cost that much in addition, and if Perhaps Mr. Laird knows something I do not. I have installed 5 or 6 of these CMS tape drives using the three headed cable. They have gone into various systems, with various controllers: * MFM * ESDI * IDE (on board and on adapter) Since this cable is only connected to the floppy drive interface the type of hard disk should not matter. In fact, one reason I went with the three headed cable was that the interface board would NOT work with my computer. Due to an interupt conflict I was "forced" into this much more elegant solution. The three headed cable DOES work. As far as guarantees, I was given one by the dealer who sold me my first drive. Needless to say I have never had to take him up on it. > As for the transfer rate, I get 2.5 meg on long backups/restores of 20 megs Mr. Lairds transfer rates seem surprisingly low. Considering he uses the "faster" adapter board. I get transfer rates of 3.6 MB per minute on 80 meg backups using Central Point Backup and compression. HMMMMM. Don't knock until/unless you've tried it. Robert F. Nee