SMS 8" Floppy Drive

[Douglas Taylor]

On 5/9/2017 3:05 PM, shadoooo via cctech wrote:
> Hello,
> I have a clone PDP11, including an SMS QBUS board and a 8" drive.
> Not sure if it's the same model as yours.
> The controller runs MSCP for floppy with RX02 or IBM format , and for an
> MFM hard disk like Seagate ST251.
> Board code is SMS FWD0106.
> I should have some manual and drivers for it somewhere, if you manage to
> find the board, but utilities like formatter aren't for VAX, IIRC.
>
> Andrea

The SMS documentation in bitsavers says the controller can be operated 
in two modes; compatible and extended.  In the compatible mode the SMS 
unit will work with the DEC DY driver, or so they say.  If that is true 
that would be good news since my disk drive hardware has only 2 floppies 
and no winchester disks.  However, it looks I would need the SMS 
diagnostics or FW driver in order to format RX02 media.

Nevertheless, if I do get it running and it is DEC RX02 compatible I 
would try to use it in the MicroVax just to see what happens....

Doug