Northstar disk controller family tree - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

24 Feb 2001

From: Jim Battle &lt;frustum(a)pacbell.net&gt;
...
 anybody could clarify the relationship of the various
Northstar disk
controller boards I have either seen on ebay or I've seen mentioned on the web:
...

 1) "Micro-Disk System MDS-A"
 2) "MICRO-DISK MDS-A-D DOUBLE DENSITY" (I have the manual to this)
 3) MDS-AD2
 4) MDC-A2
 5) MDC-A3
 6) MDC-A4 (I have one of these but haven't tried it yet)
 ... and others? 

Ok, there are only two different controllers there.  The single density
MDS-An
{single density} and the MDS-ADn{dual density}.

The MDS-AD does both single density and double where the original MDS-A
only can do single.

The numeric variation stand for minor board variations.  If you compare
carefully
you will see in the MDS-A series that some do not do all the pads for the
etched
edge connector.  They are identical otherwise.

...
 How do they compare?  Does anybody have
programming/technical docs for the
...
 ones that I don't have?  If it isn't a stretch
(and I'd assume it isn't, 

There are only two sets of docs to worry about.  They are common enough.
I have both likely other do, copying them is problematic for me at this
time
{the extreme lack of}.

...
 since they are all from Northstar), I would like to add
support for the
other disk controllers, but without the docs that won't happen. 

The only other controller is in the NS* Advantage, uses the same basic
design and read the same medias.

...
 My real Sol has a "Micro Complex Phase Lock
II" disk controller in it, 

Never heard of it.

Allison