Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Path: news.weeg.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!agate!headwall.Stanford.EDU!nntp.Stanford.EDU!yucath From: yucath@leland.Stanford.EDU (Cathay Kwok Tai Yu) Subject: Re: Duo Disk Message-ID: <1993Dec13.052817.14894@leland.Stanford.EDU> Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2. Summary: Stuff from Gopher... Keywords: Duo Disk, Gopher, etc. Sender: yucath@Leland.stanford.EDU Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA References: <1993Dec11.211201.1@acad2.alaska.edu> Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 05:28:17 GMT Lines: 74 [stuff about plugging Duo Disk directly to Smart Port]... Good info, but that part about plugging Duo Disk directly to Smart Port caught my eye... mostly because I was playing around with Gopher and saw this little tidbit... [begin Apple Gopher quote (no copyright violations intended... really)...] Apple IIGS: Don't Use DuoDisk on SmartPort This article last reviewed: 5 February 1990 TOPIC --------------------------------------------- I am experiencing a problem using DuoDisk with the Apple IIGS. Equipment --------- "Blockbuster" Apple IIGS with Rev. 3.0 ROM, DuoDisk, Profile or SCSI HDA in slot 7 (optional) Reproducing the Problem ----------------------- Plug the DuoDisk into the disk port on the Apple IIGS main logic board. Install the ProFile in slot 7, and set the Control Panel to "your card." Leave both DuoDisk drives empty and power on the system. Set startup to "Scan." The DuoDisk LED for drive #1 should turn on, but the system will not start. Why did the Apple IIGS skip the ProFile in slot 7? Now, power down the Apple IIGS and put a non-write-protected disk in the DuoDisk drive. It still doesn't start. Power down the Apple IIGS and place a write-protected disk in the drive. Power on the system. The system starts up as expected, following the "Control Panel". If the system appears to be "hung" following any of the above steps, momentarily triggering the write-protect switch by inserting anything into the drive allows the system to start up. There appears to be a compatibility problem with the new Apple IIGS main logic board and the DuoDisk. Performing the "DuoDisk/Apple IIGS fix" that is posted on AppleLink has no effect since the problem appears to be hardware (firmware) based. I'm stumped. What's going on? DISCUSSION ---------------------------------------- Tech Comm was able to reproduce this problem exactly as you describe. There IS a compatibility problem with the DuoDisk and the Rev 3 Apple IIGS main logic board. A check with Engineering provided us with the only workaround. Do NOT use the DuoDisk on the SmartPort. There is some code in the ROM that does not handle the interface to a DuoDisk properly. As of February, 1990, the only workaround is to use the DuoDisk on an interface card. [end Gopher quote] Seems pretty current. But, I am no expert on this particular topic, but it would appear that the DuoDisk and ROM 3 aren't compatible. No mention of ROM 1, though. In any case, doesn't SEEM to be a fatal incompatability... Hope it helps, -- =============================================================================== Cathay K. Yu (yucath@leland.stanford.edu) :) ;) :P *| %( B ===============================================================================