Date   : Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:45:43 GMT+2
From   : "Mnr WE Meyer (NW5-6) X3508 (Walter)" <wmeyer@...>
Subject: Re: Hard disc interfacing

> On Sat 11 Jan, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
> > In message <RrWH+GAlb91yEwo6@...> wrote:
*** Stuff deleted ***
> > Actually, carrying this to its logical conclusion, it should in theory
> > be possible to connect a SCSI hard disc directly to the Acorn host
> > adaptor, but I never had the chance to try it. Did anyone else ?
> 
> I thought that they used SASI, a sort of early version of SCSI. As such
> I don't think they are actually compatible.

I have connected a 132 Meg Fujitsu SCSI HDD to a host adaptor
manufactured by GSL (Geophysical Systems?).  I got the HDD to work
with ENET's fileserver software after some software & hardware
modifications.  The only remaining problem is that it the first
three commands after a reset or a *WFS return a "Winchester Error
00", but after that everyting  works fine.  I think I have a software
cludge to solve the problem (the problem has something to do with the
HDD wanting to tell the computer that it is OK, and the computer
misunderstanding the message as an error) but I still have to work
out a way to get the code into the already full 16K EPROM.  If
anybody want the technical details, please let me know, I think I can
still remember what I did.  (And I have the working fileserver to
refer back to ;-).  I'd also like to see if my modifications work
with other (larger!) HDD's, host adaptors and different software.

For some background information: As a hobby, I repair BBC Micro's for
a local (that is Pretoria, South Africa)  school.  They have two
networks consisting of approx. 30 BBC Model B's, running Amcom's
ENET on a ECONET network.  I am currently trying to "renovate" the
networks.  The first priority is to modernise the fileservers, and get
the network stable again.

Regards

Walter

Walter Meyer (wmeyer@...)
Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, South Africa