Zip Drive Amiga

[christo930]

I have a SCSI Zip Drive and a parallel drive, but only 1 cable. My A1200 has a processor upgrade with SCSI card. I tried using a 128MB optical or floptical system and it was recognized. I used to have a SCSI CD ROM drive (external) but I think the case has damage because that is no longer recognized, but it was poorly stored and has rust in it. I tried to chain both the Zip drive to that floptical drive, but it didn't seem to be recognized either. (the ZIP drive is terminated and they are on different numbers and the length is fine)

 

I have 1 cable for the Zip drive and I think it is for the parallel drive and from searching around, I don't know for certain that the cable is wired straight through, but it is definitely a zip cable.

 

Does anyone know if the parallel drive cable is wired pin to pin (all 25 of them) straight through? I don't want to hook it up and blow up the card. I am unable to verify that the drive works either, but these are questionable set ups. If I knew for certain that this cable should work, that would help a lot in troubleshooting. I don't have a cable with a DB-25 on both ends that is a known SCSI cable, just this blue cable that I almost certain came with the parallel drive (I think the SCSI one shipped with a white cable).

 

Also, I have a 2000 with an internal SCSI hard disk and I'm pretty sure it has an external SCSI port, but I am not sure if I need a driver for it even recognize the drive (I haven't tested it because it's put away). From what I am hearing, a SCSI zip drive should be recognized without a driver, at least in the SCSI utility app.

 

Thanks..

[christo930]

I double checked the cable and it doesn't even the right connectors on it.

[+OLD CS1]

I double checked the cable and it doesn't even the right connectors on it.

 

I have a collection of Zip 100s in parallel, SCSI, and the combination Zip Plus. I used the latter on my Amiga 500 for years. Compared to a full SCSI unit I borrowed prior to obtaining the Plus, the Plus ran perceptibly faster.

 

Anyway, I think I can get to them relatively easily if you need pictures of the cables.

[christo930]

 

I have a collection of Zip 100s in parallel, SCSI, and the combination Zip Plus. I used the latter on my Amiga 500 for years. Compared to a full SCSI unit I borrowed prior to obtaining the Plus, the Plus ran perceptibly faster.

 

Anyway, I think I can get to them relatively easily if you need pictures of the cables.

Do you happen to recall how you were able to see the drive? Did you have to install a zip drive driver?

Edited June 13, 2018 by christo930

[+OLD CS1]

Do you happen to recall how you were able to see the drive? Did you have to install a zip drive driver?

 

No driver, just a proper mountlist. OS3.9 includes ZipTools which helps, as well. It has been a REALLY long time, but I believe I downloaded what I started with from AmiNet for the Zip Drive. I am pretty certain I still have the original mountlist I used for my ZIP: and ZPC: devices from way back when, as well (a bit of a digital pack-rat, I am.) I will look as soon as I get a chance.

 

The thing to bear in mind is that if you want to use the Zip Drive as a FastFileSystem device you have to prep it. Otherwise, CrossDOS (and maybe fat95, I do not recall ever trying that) can read and write a FAT-formatted disk. I also had ZMC: configured with CrossMAC so I could pull files from Mac-formatted Zips.

 

I have several Zip disks I used at boot disks for different needs: college programming coursework, graphics, music, and games. After migrating away from the 500 and 2000 to my 4000 I had an internal SCSI Zip Drive mounted, which has since been supplanted by Deneb USB and USB Zip Drives.

[JamesD]

I used a ZIP drive with my Amiga 3000 for several years.
It wasn't a boot drive, but it worked well for backup, separate projects, etc...