Date   : Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:25:29 +0000 (GMT)
From   : Greg Cook <debounce@...>
Subject: Re: Cumana DFS board 'QFS'

On Thu, 9 Feb 2006 12:28:18 -0000, David Hunt <dm.hunt@...>
wrote:

> > Hello again,
> > 
> > I have a well used BBC B that looks like its come out of either a
> school
> > or
> > research establishment with a very curious DFS fitted.

Much like mine :-)

> > Inside there's a board that has CUMANA DISK CONTROLLER BOARD,
> CU1593,
> > Issue
> > 1, written on it with all wires connected to ROMs etc.
> > 
> > The Beeb boots up as:
> > 
> > BBC Computer 32k
> > QFS 2.00
> > BASIC
> > >_
> > 
> > I've never heard of QFS before - has anybody else?
> <snip>
> > Is this a common disk controller?
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > Aaron
> 
> Not really, it was Cumana's answer to Solidisk, Acorn and Opus double
> density controllers. As I recall it used an odd disc controller chip.
> I did
> have one, but "I had a little trouble Betty", if you do *. or
> SHIFT+BREAK,
> wait for the disc to start accessing and then do CTRL+BREAK

You mean, while the light is on?

> the disc
> is
> toasted.

"..."

> It happened once too many times so I removed the board and
> put it
> beyond use...

Shame, as some of these odd board types can do true Quad Density with
trivial modification.  Here is a listing[1] to format 1.44 MB DOS
floppy discs :-P Honorable mention for anyone who gets it to format to
the same capacity...

[1] http://homepages.tesco.net/~rainstorm/dosform.txt

Any chance of photos of this board / a ROM image, for comparison's
sake?

Many thanks,

Greg Cook
debounce@...
http://homepages.tesco.net/~rainstorm/



               
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