24 Dec
2002
24 Dec
'02
4:49 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech-admin(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-admin@classiccmp.org]On
Behalf Of Curt Vendel
Sent: 24 December 2002 05:08
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Atari PCH204
Hi Witchy,
I've got a stack of the buggers in my storage room.
Basically they were
intended for use on the PC Series of computers. Interestingly enough,
Atari had about 3 different versions of them, one with an Atari ASCI
interface, others SASI and another straight MFM. Inside the
PC-1's is an
ISA compatible set of headers and you plugged an adaptec
controller card in
and it would have an external interface port, one had straight
pinouts going
to a ribbon cable into the PCH204 with an internal MFM controller. I
don't think Atari really knew which way that had wanted to go at the time
and while it was a very big and bold project, they canned the PC-1 just a
few months after its launch realizing it was too little too late in
releasing an XT-ish clone in 87 and they concentrated on their
286, 386 and
486sx clones.
Thanks for that, Curt and Hans.
I'm now going to have to delve thru the layers of shielding to see exactly
what's what now; it's been a couple of years since I last had them in bits
when the machine wouldn't boot because the drive had seized. Mine has the
ribbon cable between the 2 boxes, but I remember thinking it looked like
some sort of SCSI/SASI drive though, not MFM, or did some 3 1/2" MFM drives
also have the berg style connector on?
There's not a lot of info on the web about this machine and the PC2 and PC3
either - I would've thought the likes of atari-history.com would have access
to all the details.
Oh, and if you fancy parting with one of the drives I know someone in
Belgium who's very interested :)
cheers
--
adrian/witchy
www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the online computer museum
www.snakebiteandblack.co.uk - monthly gothic shenanigans