29 Jan
2007
29 Jan
'07
12:30 p.m.
On 29 Jan 2007 at 13:30, Kelly Leavitt wrote:
What options are there for using a pertec 9-track
drive in the PC dos/linux environment? I have a couple available, but no interface cards
to speak of.
If you have a mind to, it's not hard to design your own interface as
a project.
The Pertec interface is primitive in the extreme--no handshaking;
just "here's the data, ready or not". Each status has its own line
and the commands are initiated by pulling the appropriate line low,
then pulsing the "IGO" line for at least one microsecond. Line
drivers are basically OC and termination is 220/330. On writes
you'll need to provide the vertical parity bit, but that's just an
LS280.
Of course, you'll have to write your own driver. But that shouldn't
be difficult given the simplicity of the interface.
I've observed that Pertec-to-SCSI adapters are even harder to find
than PC interface cards. The PC cards come up about every 2-3 months
on eBay, but mostly without drivers. I think I've seen exactly one
SCSI-Pertec protocol converter in the last year--and the minimum bid
was about $200.
I'm working on a Pertec-to-USB adapter as one of my own projects.
Cheers,
Chuck