Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!andrew.cmu.edu!bk0h+ From: bk0h+@andrew.cmu.edu (Brett Kuehner) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit Subject: Re: Daisy-chaining two Atari 8bits Message-ID: Date: 10 Mar 88 02:15:45 GMT References: <1988Mar3.231347.12961@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> Organization: Carnegie Mellon University Lines: 25 In-Reply-To: <1988Mar3.231347.12961@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> I've done this with a 400 and 800. I just connected the SIO port on each on to the back of the disk drive (810). It worked, as long as they didn't both do IO at the same time. However, the SIO cables carry +5 volts, so even if you turn the power switch on one machine off, or even unplug it, it will remain on, powered by the other's power supply. It's kind of strange to flip the power switch on and off, and have nothing happen. This does put a strain on the powe supply that is still connected, and is probably bad. I never did it for very long, as I just wanted to see if it worked. I think that having both machines' power supplies on could also be bad, as they might output slightly different voltages, and they would each try to pull up or drop the other's voltage. In other words, yes, it'll probably work, but I wouldn't recommend it for any length of time. Also, try to turn them on simultaneously, to avoid undue strain on a single power supply. Brett ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARPA: bk0h+@andrew.cmu.edu It had been three days since Torfongu had eaten Los Angeles, and now he sat staring down at Bakersfield...a tasty little morsel, indeed. -Patrick L. Shepard Eagan, Minnesota