Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!csus.edu!csusac!sactoh0!dwj
From: dwj@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Daniel W. James)
Subject: Re: Hard drive for 800XL?
Message-ID: <1991Jun21.062751.20562@sactoh0.sac.ca.us>
Organization: Sacramento Public Access Unix, Sacramento, Ca.
References: <15579@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 91 06:27:51 GMT

(Michael Donahue) writes:
>I was wondering if there exsists a hard drive (10 Meg or so) that can
>be attached either to the serial port or, preferably, the parallel port.

I have yet to see a parallel or serial hard drive (which could conceivably
attach to *any* machine, provided that a driver exisited for that machine).
However, the machine that I use at home has a parallel 3.5 floppy drive,
and it is soooo slow that it is unbearable to use for anything other than
to move rarly used programs on to for storage purposes.  Of course, a
serial drive would be even slower.

Normally, hard drives connect to the machine directly through the hardware
bus which ties in directly to the processor.  There are several devices for
the 8-bit which connect to the hardware bus (which is what you see on the
back of the 800XL if you remove the small plastic panel) which act, among
other things, as a hard drive controller.  The Black Box is one, and the
MIO (which is one of the things that ICD is blowing out for 50% off).  I
have little knowledge of the Black Box, but I know that the MIO also gives
you two serial ports, a parallel port, either 256K or 1Meg upgrades
(partitioned as RAM drives), plus it has an internal expansion slot which
was intended to be used to hold a never released 80 Column card.
Evidently, the MIO's power supply was mounted next to this area, and 
generated too much heat, and caused too many problems with the interface
card.

>Also, while on the subject of parallel ports, does anyone know where I
>may find the pin-out of the parallel port on the 800XL?

Again, the port on the rear of the 800XL is not a parallel port, but rather
the hardware bus.

>Please e-mail responses to   md432151@longs.lance.colostate.edu

I posted this to the net because I think things of this nature are of
general interest, and besides, their isn't too much traffic in here to
discurage discussions of any sort.

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