9 Jan
2003
9 Jan
'03
9:27 a.m.
At 22:30 09/01/2003, you wrote:
Well... I've downloaded the lynx'ed image, and I'm currently trying to get
the damn thing to extract on VICE. If I can do that, and basically make
myself a D64 image, then I'll be laughing. Unfortunately, there seems to be
a problem with lynx ATM, it's bombing out after the first file in any Lynx
archive :(
If I can't get it to work at all, then I'll see if ICPUG can get me
physical disks.
[addendum] In the time it's taken me to write this message, I think I might
have fixed the LYNX problem - something to do with filenames longer than 12
chars. Dunno what that's about. [/addendum]
Ooh, neat.
I'm told that the disk inside is a Priam. I've not confirmed this by
actually looking, but will do soon. I have no idea what language the Priam
speaks, but I'm sure that if it does give up the ghost, it will be possible
to replace with *something*, even if it's a PIC board which speaks to a
modern IDE drive.
--- Adrian Vickers
<avickers(a)solutionengineers.com> wrote:
Aye, probably about twice the weight as well. It's made out of standard
Commodore-grade metal (i.e. bloody heavy stuff).
There's a picture of the whole thing here:
http://helmies.org.uk/images/MatorShark.jpg
Yep! That's huge. About twice the size of a D9090. 
Luckily, ICPUG
*has* a copy of the discdiag routines...
Cool. Do they have a web/ftp site, or do you have to get
physical disks from them? ...all I have
to do now is somehow get it from PC to
PET (obviously, finding somewhere to store it on the PET is no longer a
problem <g>).
I have a device I got from Marko Makela - the C2N232
http://www.funet.fi/pub/cbm/transfer/C2N232/C2N232.html
It's a microcontroller that plugs into any 8-bit C= cassette connector
(PET, C-64, VIC-20, etc) and speaks RS-232 out the other end. I have
tested mine with a VIC-20 and a W2K laptop. I still owe Marko a test
with my 2001-N once I get it working reliably. You can use the
ordinary ROM tape routines for the C= side, or you can download a
faster utility that knows how the C2N232 works. I think they are around 20-25 Euros.
Another option would require a 1541 drive and an X(E)1541 cable, and
a C= 2040/3040/4040 drive. You write the disk from the PC using the
1541 and the parallel cable, then read the disk in the PET with whatever
native drive you have. If you lack the drives, then a C2N232 is probably
the cheapest way to go. If you have the hardware, even if you have to
make the cable, then _that_ is the cheapest way to go.
My plan is to make the cable (maybe tomorrow), as I have a couple of 1541's.
Incidentally,
the disc itself takes a significantly large portion of the
box... The disc & interface controller (a large board across the top) is
based on an Intel 8080A BTW, instead of the more usual 6502.
Interesting. The D9060/D9090 has one board that has a 6502 and (IIRC)
6504. The 6502 runs the Commodore DOS and speaks IEEE-488. The 6504
speaks SASI to the next board, which is SASI<->ST506. The drive is
a 4 head or 6 head Tandon drive. Others have had good luck with
installing a newer drive with the right number of heads, like an ST225
or ST241. Be neat to see how the Shark works. Was that a UK
product?
It was - made by Mator Computers Ltd (or something like that anyway).
--
Cheers, Ade.
Be where it's at, B-Racing!
http://b-racing.com