Indus drive with WD177X FDC

[ijor]

I understand that the Indus has space to install and use a WD1770 or WD1772 FDC instead of the WD2797. Did any drive actually ship with a 177X? Anybody at all tried and succeeded installing a 177X on the Indus?

 

I ask because the method implemented by firmware V 1.2 to detect the FDC type doesn't seem to very reliable, if it works at all. Detecting the installed FDC is important because the commands are slightly different. May be this was fixed in a later revision, or 1.2 was the latest?

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by ijor

[sup8pdct]

According to the field service manual, no Indus shipped with a 1772.

Also the 2797 responds faster then the 1772 when tested by the firmware which is how it tells which one is present.

The field service manual is around the net somewhere.

 

James.

Edited November 24, 2021 by sup8pdct
Added info

[+MrFish]

6 hours ago, ijor said:

May be this was fixed in a later revision, or 1.2 was the latest?

 

1.2 was the last version by Indus AFAIK.

 

[+MrFish]

There were two upgrades to version 1.2. One by @MrMartian to add UltraSpeed, and the other by Richard Andrews, which supposedly added various speed tweaks (that seem to be marginal, in real-world testing).

[cwilbar]

The @MrMartian one has a protection incompatability with at least one game from my testing (I think it was Super Bunny, but I'd have to re-test or find my notes).  I never did figure out why.

 

So I reverted to the 'hacked' ROM that shortens the 'idle spin' and a few other tweaks until I can try it out more broadly again in the future.

 

The speed of that upgrade was nice though.

[ijor]

14 hours ago, sup8pdct said:

Also the 2797 responds faster then the 1772 ....

 

That's what the Indus Field Service Manual claims, doesn't mean it is true. I think they were quite confused abut this.

 

Quote

... when tested by the firmware which is how it tells which one is present

 

Yeah, I've seen the firmware performs this detection. And as I said, I think it is not a very reliable method, if it works at all. I suspect they never actually tested a 177X, at least not with the 1.2 firmware.

[lemiel]

Third clone - second version of CA2001 have 1772 on board.

[ijor]

9 hours ago, lemiel said:

Third clone - second version of CA2001 have 1772 on board.

But I guess it uses a different firmware. Is the firmware available? The hardware is identical to the Indus or just similar?

 

[sup8pdct]

I too would like to look at the firmware.

I have seen 1 version of the CA firmware. It is Indus firmware with the routines moved around but otherwise the same. It does however break the INIT command for indus CP/M.

 

James

[lemiel]

Will try to find possibility to read it. But do not know when.

Edited December 2, 2021 by lemiel