Adding Conner disk to ISC with old AT controller -- problems?

[John C. Archambeau]

chris at asylum.gsfc.nasa.gov (Chris Shenton) writes:
>I've got ISC 2.0.2 on a 386 with a (I think) 70MB disk running of an MFM(?)
>controller (Western Digital 1:1 interleave -- 2 years ago, best thing going
>for the money). [tell me if I appear confused!]
>
>I need a new disk, and the Connor 200MB seems the way to go. Enlighten me
>about how to interface it! It comes with SCSI or EDI -- which should I get?
>Can I use it (with a new SCSI/EDI controller) along with my current 70MB
>with WD controller, or do I lose my old disk? Performance problems? 

With SCSI, you can keep your old ST412/506 MFM controller.  That's the good
part about SCSI.  You keep all of your old hardware.  If you go IDE, you have
a problem.  IDE uses the same port address (0x1f0) and IRQ 14.

What you could do to get IDE to work with your ST412/506 controller is to set
it to the secondary port address and use it off of IRQ 15.  But I don't know
how well your IDE adaptor will get along with your ST412/506 controller, so
be forwarned that just changing the port address and IRQ of your ST412/506
controller may not work.

>If I go SCSI -- the way I'm leaning -- can I run my existing floppy off a
>new SCSI controller? the old WD ctlr? Recommendations on SCSI controllers?
>What does the `Bus Master' bit (seen in adverts) refer to?

Depends on whether or not your SCSI host adaptor has a floppy port or not.  As
for recommendations on SCSI host adaptors.  I'd lean towards the Adaptec
AHA-154x series or the MicroNet SCSI host adaptor.

     // JCA

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