Date   : Thu, 22 Feb 1990 09:51:33 GMT
From   : zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!sdsu!crash!mwilson@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Marc Wilson)
Subject: Ampro Little Board w/Hard Disk

     The SCSI host adapter from Ampro gives you a true SCSI bus port.
It supports devices 0-7, can operate in either initiator or target mode, etc.
The NCR 5380 SCSI chip is used.

     To this you need to connect a SCSI HD controller.  Personally, I
recommend Adaptec products.  I use an Adaptec 5500 controller ( which has
many, MANY more features than the BIOS supports ), but the 4000A will work
quite nicely.  The BIOS directly supports the following:

       Adaptec ACB400A ( although any Adaptec will work )
       Shugart 1610
       Xebec 1410/1410A

It also supports the following drives with embedded controllers:

       Xebec OWL

     These are what are mentioned in the documentation.  The main
differences between controllers are usually in the format command, and in the
device initialize command ( what Adaptec calles Mode Select ).  If you
need to, you can modify Ampro's format program to handle anything you want.

     If you want to boot from the HD, you need an auto-initialize controller.
The ones currently supported by the SCSI ROM are the Adaptec and Shugart
controllers, along with the OWL.  There is also a non-Ampro enhancement to the
ROM which supports the non-initialize controllers.

     The host adapter is Ampro P/N A74007-C.  They don't manufacture it
any more, so they're limited to stock on hand.  When I bought mine ( end of
'88 ) Rick Lehrbaum told me "we only have a few left."  Since then, I've heard
nothing.

     I've used this LB/Z80 for over two years ( I bought it used in '87 ).
The guy I bought it from assembled it from the kit.  He never had any problems,
either.

-- 
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Marc Wilson
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