RISCOS - Mice, 5 1/4" Drives and internal ZIP drives.

[daveejhitchins]

Has anyone ever added a 5 1/4" drive to a RISCPC? I'd like to add one to support DOS - I have lots of DOS software that I'd like to run without having to copy all the discs to 3.5".

Does RISCOS support the wheel (with an adaptor!) on a modern mouse?

And, finally . . . Has anyone used an internal iomega Zip Drive on a RISCPC? It connects to the IDE port and meets the ATAPI specifications! This drive was purchased during the Omega development - so I was thinking it may work with the Blitz interface - I may get time to test this later on - but any information beforehand would be useful.

Thanks - Dave H

[philpem]

Does RISCOS support the wheel (with an adaptor!) on a modern mouse?

If you've got a Stuart Tyrrell Developments PS2MouseMini, the answer is yes. There's a PS/2 Wheel driver module on their website which implements basic scrolling. It's beta-quality but works in most apps I've used.

I'd try the Zip drive but you might need the Partis drivers (there's a free demo). I've only used SCSI and Parallel drives.

Floppy drive wise - try it! I've heard of it being a supported configuration for the Archimedes but I don't know about the RISC PC. I'd expect problems with BBC DFS (FM modulation) floppies.

Cheers
Phil

[daveejhitchins]

If you've got a Stuart Tyrrell Developments PS2MouseMini, the answer is yes. There's a PS/2 Wheel driver module on their website which implements basic scrolling. It's beta-quality but works in most apps I've used.

Thanks for that . . . I do miss a scroll wheel!

I'd try the Zip drive but you might need the Partis drivers (there's a free demo). I've only used SCSI and Parallel drives.

Looks like the drivers are just for the external parallel interface. I really need to make time to try the ATAPI interface!

Floppy drive wise - try it! I've heard of it being a supported configuration for the Archimedes but I don't know about the RISC PC. I'd expect problems with BBC DFS (FM modulation) floppies.

That sounds promising - as I'm only interested in DOS format disc it may just work . . .

Thank for the info - Dave H

[IanJeffray]

I used to have 5.25" drives connected to an A310 back in the 80s. (!). There was a special "buffer board" that was hung from the metalwork of a podule slot that was required to drive the thing -- I suspect it was really just line drivers for the longer cabling and perhaps to sort out drive selection.

http://stardot.org.uk/mirrors/www.bbcdo ... te-208.pdf

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~the ... -acorn.txt

[riscosbits]

I'd try the Zip drive but you might need the Partis drivers (there's a free demo). I've only used SCSI and Parallel drives.

Looks like the drivers are just for the external parallel interface. I really need to make time to try the ATAPI interface!

I think you might need to look at the PowerATAPI drivers, rather than the PowerZIP Drivers: http://www.partis.org/shop/main.php?sub ... ems/atapi/

Andy

[daveejhitchins]

I think you might need to look at the PowerATAPI drivers, rather than the PowerZIP Drivers: http://www.partis.org/shop/main.php?sub ... ems/atapi/

Ooops! Missed that, thanks Andy - I will check the Blitz board first, however!

Dave H

[sP1d3r]

Hi Dave

I've got a Technomatic 5.25" drive interface which came with an A3000 I bought.
It has a piggyback connector for power from the main +ve terminal and fits onto the motherboard floppy drive socket, the A3000's 3.5" disk cable connects onto it and the idc connector for the 5.25" drive fits into the mini-podule slot.
I haven't tried it yet but it looks good, see picture.

See :
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... tic%205.25

[hubersn]

And, finally . . . Has anyone used an internal iomega Zip Drive on a RISCPC? It connects to the IDE port and meets the ATAPI specifications! This drive was purchased during the Omega development - so I was thinking it may work with the Blitz interface - I may get time to test this later on - but any information beforehand would be useful.

Works fine if connected to a "supports ATAPI removable media drives" IDE podule. I had one running with a Simtec IDE for quite a while. So I guess chances with the Blitz are quite good (its ATAPI compatibility was OK at least with CD writers back in the day).

For internal IDE, you need additional software like PowerATAPI (given that it coexists happily in a master/slave config with your harddrive of course!)- if you happen to have a Power-tec SCSI podule, this might even already include it.

Have fun
hubersn

[daveejhitchins]

And, finally . . . Has anyone used an internal iomega Zip Drive on a RISCPC? It connects to the IDE port and meets the ATAPI specifications! This drive was purchased during the Omega development - so I was thinking it may work with the Blitz interface - I may get time to test this later on - but any information beforehand would be useful.

Works fine if connected to a "supports ATAPI removable media drives" IDE podule. I had one running with a Simtec IDE for quite a while. So I guess chances with the Blitz are quite good (its ATAPI compatibility was OK at least with CD writers back in the day).

For internal IDE, you need additional software like PowerATAPI (given that it coexists happily in a master/slave config with your harddrive of course!)- if you happen to have a Power-tec SCSI podule, this might even already include it.

Have fun
hubersn

So . . . Use Blitz interface - if it works then OK. If I decide to use the internal interface then I need the PowerATAPI - Right? Just making sure I understand everything correctly.

Thanks for the information.

Dave H

[hubersn]

So . . . Use Blitz interface - if it works then OK. If I decide to use the internal interface then I need the PowerATAPI - Right? Just making sure I understand everything correctly.

Yes, correct (although I have no first hand experience of using PowerATAPI for ZIP operation, only for CD-ROM operation - but PowerATAPI is definitely specced for IDE ZIP operation).

IIRC, PowerATAPI worked via the generic Power-tec SCSI stuff, i.e. it was a "driver" for a virtual SCSI bus and hecne SCSIDriver and SCSIFS, so it won't be compatible with other SCSI podules than Power-tec (exception: other SCSI podule with PowerROM/PowerFlash of course).

Have fun
hubersn

[daveejhitchins]

I now have a 5 1/4" Drive that may be versatile enough to work with my RiscPC 700. The Specifications are readily available for the Chinon FZ-506 here which gives me a good start.

I've not found a TRM or Schematic for the RiscPC 700 - OK there is a schematic on Chris' Acorns but it looks like a development drawing labeled with the project Medusa (?) with a date of 1994. Acorn's promotional brochure is dated 1995.

If the above mentioned schematics are correct the system doesn't support more that 2 floppy drives - even though you can still select 4 drives and set the STEP rate for them!! I suppose I need to check the signals on the cable!

Has anyone more information on the RiscPC 700, please?

Dave H.

[steve3000]

I had an external double denstiy 5.25" drive connected to my StrongARM RiscPC, to read DFS and DDFS discs in late 90s, (I used this setup to write !ImageDFS) - so it should be possible with a RPC700...

Have you read the RiscWorld articles on adding floppy drives to various Archinedes and RiscPCs - they are pretty comprehensive:

Part1: http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volume ... /index.htm

Part2: http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volume ... /index.htm

[daveejhitchins]

I had an external double denstiy 5.25" drive connected to my StrongARM RiscPC, to read DFS and DDFS discs in late 90s, (I used this setup to write !ImageDFS) - so it should be possible with a RPC700...

Have you read the RiscWorld articles on adding floppy drives to various Archinedes and RiscPCs - they are pretty comprehensive:

Part1: http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volume ... /index.htm

Part2: http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volume ... /index.htm

Many thanks for the links, Steve . . . Afternoon sorted!

Dave H.