25 Nov
2006
25 Nov
'06
11:57 a.m.
One of the boards (SMS le interface) looks like an
interface to a
disk controller. SMS made a dual disk system that had a 8" floppy
and an 8" hard disk in a 3RU cabinet. The system has a controller
in it that connected to the host via a 40 pin ribbon cable.
I think the "le interface" is the host end of that connection... I still
have one of the disk cabinets and controller. (somewhere)
Documentation for the winchester/floppy subsystem would be a nice thing to
find.
SMS made several different subsystems in the 80's with that interface which
weren't always compatible with DEC controllers.
I have some documentation on the FW series under sms on bitsavers
3000632D_FW_OEM_Feb82.pdf
25 Nov
25 Nov
3:45 p.m.
Al Kossow wrote:
That controller looks just like one one I have, which connects up to an
8" hard disk and an 8" floppy. I found docs for it on bitsavers and one
other place (so the docs exist).
I'll go look at my controller monday and see what numbers it has on it.
I could swear someone on this list talked about that controller and the
rev of the proms on it several years ago (maybe 1-2).
The one I have has a boot prom; I don't know if it's rx01/02 compatible.
I've powered up the winchester and it comes ready but I have not tried
it with the controller (plan to this winter).
-brad
One of the boards (SMS le interface) looks like
an interface to a
disk controller. SMS made a dual disk system that had a 8" floppy
and an 8" hard disk in a 3RU cabinet. The system has a controller
in it that connected to the host via a 40 pin ribbon cable.
I think the "le interface" is the host end of that connection... I still
have one of the disk cabinets and controller. (somewhere)
Documentation for the winchester/floppy subsystem would be a nice thing to
find.
SMS made several different subsystems in the 80's with that interface which
weren't always compatible with DEC controllers.
I have some documentation on the FW series under sms on bitsavers
3000632D_FW_OEM_Feb82.pdf 
4:28 p.m.
On 11/25/06, Brad Parker <brad at heeltoe.com> wrote:
The one I have has a boot prom; I don't know if
it's rx01/02 compatible.
I can't guarantee your model (mine is a dual floppy), but AFAIK, all
of the SMS drives for DEC machines are at least RX01, if not RX02,
compatible. Moreover, most, if not all, of the SMS drives should be
able to take a totally blank floppy and format it (DEC RX01s can't
format a thing, and the RX02 can only re-write the data portion of the
track of a pre-formatted RX01 disk and make that part double-density,
thus, converting an RX01-K into an RX02-K).
There are other ways of starting with blank floppies (the RX01 format
is large-system IBM compatible, thus standard), but few options using
a DEC CPU.
I've heard of the 8-hard/8-soft model, but never seen one... Please do
post tales of your success/lessons learnt with it when you have time
to get to it.
-ethan
7:04 p.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
On 11/25/06, Brad Parker <brad at heeltoe.com>
wrote:
I have a Unibus SMS board marked FD1100I on a hand-lettered label,
and SMS PE-HIP with an Intel 8008 and a Shugart FDC chip. I don't
remember which one.
I'd love to know how to use it. That Shugart chip implies it has a
lot more smarts than an RX02 controller. If it does Winchester too, so
much the better.
Pictures:
http://www.docsbox.net/.other/11-03/DSC00079.jpg
http://www.docsbox.net/.other/11-03/DSC00080.jpg
There are a 50-pin, a 40-pin, and a 30-pin header on it. I can scan
it Tuesday for a hi-res image if anyone's interested.
Err. I *assume* it's Unibus. It came in a non-functional PDP-11/04.
Doc
The one I have has a boot prom; I don't know
if it's rx01/02 compatible.
I can't guarantee your model (mine is a dual floppy), but AFAIK, all
of the SMS drives for DEC machines are at least RX01, if not RX02,
compatible. Moreover, most, if not all, of the SMS drives should be
able to take a totally blank floppy and format it (DEC RX01s can't
format a thing, and the RX02 can only re-write the data portion of the
track of a pre-formatted RX01 disk and make that part double-density,
thus, converting an RX01-K into an RX02-K).
There are other ways of starting with blank floppies (the RX01 format
is large-system IBM compatible, thus standard), but few options using
a DEC CPU. 
6601
days inactive
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4 comments
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participants (4)
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aek＠bitsavers.org -
brad＠heeltoe.com -
doc＠mdrconsult.com -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com