Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-ncis!oodis01!uplherc!esunix!blgardne
From: blgardne@esunix.UUCP (Blaine Gardner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: ASDG Minirack C compatible HD controller?
Keywords: ASDG hard drive Minirack Zorro
Message-ID: <1184@esunix.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jan 89 07:04:55 GMT
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Lines: 34

Can anyone (Perry, Eric?) point me in the direction of a hard drive
controller card that will work in ASDG's Minirack C? I had hoped to
upgrade to the 2000 & 1 box, but that's now history so I'd like to
expand with my existing hardware.

I'm not aware of any hard drive controllers that were ever made in the
Zorro I format, but I've heard that there are some 1/2 length A2000 hard
drive controllers that would fit the Minirack. The big question is: if I
can find a controller that will fit, will it WORK? I recall the failed
attempts to get anything but an ASDG card to work in the ASDG/Micron
expansion box for the 1000. As I recall the discussion, the ASDG/Micron
box was an unbuffered, unintelligent box with only +5 volts supplied.
Since this also seems to describe the Minirack C, I'm worried about
finding anything that will work.

I'd really like to put a card inside the Minirack, rather than try to
wedge a slap-on-the-side controller between the Minirack and the 1000.
And it looks like there's room to mount a 3.5" hard drive (possibly a
1/2 high 5.25") inside the Minirack too. I'd have to do a bit of hacking
(including +12 volts for the drive), but that's no problem.

If there is nothing that will work in a Minirack C, what about a
Minirack D, and does ASDG have any kind of upgrade policy for obsolete
hardware? :-)

Or could I reasonably hack a C into a D? 

Any ideas, or am I crazy to try and make a clean looking installation
out of my existing hardware?
-- 
Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland    580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
Here: utah-cs!esunix!blgardne   {ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!esunix!blgardne
There: uunet!iconsys!caeco!pedro!worsel!blaine
"Nobody will ever need more than 64K."    "Nobody needs multitasking on a PC."