Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    Is it a REAL Apple HD? 
    Some non apple drives dont return the drive size which the S550
    may be looking for.
    Ken
     

    RE -1
    
    Yes, it a REAL APPLE External HD. type M2620
    
    Any experience with this, Ken ??
    
    Torbjorn
    

   >>  Any experience with this, Ken ??
     
    Wish I had!! I'm only fortunate enough to have an S-330 which has
    no SCSI port. I also have a MAC and I'm playing around with the
    SCSI port on that with an external drive.
    
    Suggestions:
    
    Check pins on SCSI cabel (they bend)
    Check drive on another 550
    
    What process are you following to initialise the drive and what
    happens. Does the 550 include specific routines to low level format
    the drive or do you need a different  set of routines other than
    the normal format ones for the floppy.
    
    Does the drive spin up and access light come on?
    
    I dont know what should happen, but maybe we can work through it.
    If you prefer, you can mail me on TROA01::HITCHMOUGH
    
    Ken
    

    Well, the situation is as follows:
    
    Bought the drive in Januar -89, connected it and the S-550 says
    HD connection error. I visited Roland and tested the drive on another
    s-550 with HD interface. Same problem. I then tested the disc on
    a MAC, worked like a dream. (including connecting SCSI cable).
    I've been running like this, testing on 550 and Mac's since.
    
    Cable, terminator and connectors are no problem. Tested with another
    type och cable as well.
    
    Problem starts already when you poll the SCSI bus. In the 550, there
    is a standard utility under the DISC menu, HD Format. This first
    run through 2 test on the 550 HD interface itself, then tries to
    establish what's on the bus. At this moment the drive select lamp
    turns on and stays on until the format program is aborted on time
    out (5 sec's). If you now try to run the program again, same things
    happen except that the drive lamp does not come on. You must first
    power off/on ( normal power on cycle works OK) and then exactly the
    same things happen on formatting again.
    
    Seems that the drive is not responding with what the 550 expects
    when polling the bus. I've just called APPLE and they should "send
    a question to the world" on this problem. 
    
    What type of external disc do you have on your Mac??
    
    Torbjorn
    
    P.S I've also got the very latest revision of the HD5-IF operating
    system from Roland, it's 1.03 dated 22-Jan-90. D.S.
    

    A couple of thoughts:
    
    	- Power up sequence. On the MAC you need to power up the drive
    	first.
    
    	- SCSI ID number. If you tried it on a MAC that had an internal
    drive, chances are your drive was set to device #1 (0 is the internal).
    Perhaps if you haven't changed it, the S-550 is looking for device
    0. On second thoughts, it must recognise it because it tries to
    format it, so thats probably not a problem. You say that it bombs
    after 5 secs. Maybe that is just when it tries to identify whats
    on the buss and it never starts to format.
    
    	- What sort of cable are you using. Does the 550 have the standard
    50 pin cable or does it use the 25 pin like the MAC? I could send
    you a pin-out diagram if you need it.     
    
    	- Terminators. From what I can gather, terminator placement
    is very critical and can result in random read/write errors if not
    installed correctly. Each end of the buss should be terminated.(once
    only)
    
    Hope these help even just a bit. I know how frustrating it can be.
    I'm currently trying to get up a custom 160Mb drive on my MAC. I
    dont know its failed until I try and logically format it and thats
    after a physical format that takes nearly 15 minutes!!
    
    Ken
    

    Ken, thanks for your inputs. Sorry to say, I've alredy tested all
    things, all ID numbers, power up sequence.....
    
    In my desperate need for a HD, I last night might have set up for
    a completely different solution. One of my friends, an Atari dealer,
    will offer me a ATARI 30 MEGAfile and trade in the APPLE drive to
    use on his MAC. (I also need a HD for my 1040). 
    Then, my favorite music store in Stockholm, will order an ELTEKON
    rackmoutable HD, which is supposed to fit the 550. I can borrow
    it for test, if it works, I'll buy it, if not I can return it.
    
    Anyway, I have supplied all drive information (rev's, ROMS ..)
    to the APPLE Supoort Center. They promised to "investigate".
    
    So for now on I will probably stay low on this issue for while,
    wait for the ELTEKON and ATARI drives to arrive and then....? :-)
    
    I'll keep you updated
    
    Torbjorn
     

    Ah well! There comes a time when you have to decide to give up or
    go crazy.
    
    Good luck with the Eletekon and please post your results for other
    would be 550/HD users. Me....I'm going to wait until the S770 comes
    on special!!!   
    
    Ken
     

    Just to finalize this note:
    
    The APPLE HD was (with help of a friend) "converted" to an ATARI
    MEGAFILE 30 for my ST and the S550 HD plans are postponed but not 
    cancelled.
    
    Torbjorn
    

    The S-550 MEGA storage story is opened again.
    
    Now, I've given up the HD plans and am now looking into connecting a CD
    reader into the SCSI port of the 550.
    
    As I'm not the technical wizard I want to be the question of connecting
    the SCSI RRD40 reader to the 550 came to my mind and remains
    unanswered.
    
    _IF_ I could get hold of the Roland (are there other brands
    available??) CD, do you think the RRD40 would work? I know I have to
    have the operating system as well.
    
    Torbjorn