Date   : Thu, 05 Jan 2006 09:13:35 +0000
From   : jgh@... (Jonathan Graham Harston)
Subject: Re: Connecting a BBC Micro to a PC

Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...> wrote:
> Hmmm, interesting idea. Is the 16-bit IDE interface stable? (Just noticed
the
> bit about the PCB problem on your site, although I assume the schematic's
OK).
 
The 16-bit interface is stable. I have one working one here. It
needs four modifications doing to the PCB. The earlier apparent
problems were actually ADFS getting in the way. If a drive has
never had an ADFS filesystem on it, then ADFS ignores any attempt
to write to it, and gives no errors. I modified the HDInit program
to write to the hardware directly.
 
I also have three non-working 16-bit interfaces as my soldering
skills and/or my soldering iron don't seem to be up to the tight
tracking without shorting connections.
 
> So assuming I threw an interface together, I'd use a stock ADFS 1.50 ROM
> (which contains the SCSI code) and your SCSItoIDE utility (which contains
the
> IDE code) to do the copy?
 
Yep. Once on the IDE drive, swap the ADFS 1.50 for ADFS 1.53 and
move the interface link back to "normal".
 
For enthusiasts of home-made PCB manufacturer, I've just added a
"test" link to the PCB tracking diagram for the 8-bit interface at
mdfs.net/Info/Comp/BBC/IDE/8bit
 
-- 
J.G.Harston - jgh@...                - mdfs.net/User/JGH
There are three food groups: brown, green and ice cream.