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The Icon Bar: General: Simtec 8-bit IDE interface for Acorn A3000
 
  Simtec 8-bit IDE interface for Acorn A3000
  Steve101 (17:35 2/3/2014)
  richw (20:10 2/3/2014)
    Zarchos (08:32 3/3/2014)
      nunfetishist (09:36 3/3/2014)
        Zarchos (10:15 3/3/2014)
          nunfetishist (11:00 3/3/2014)
          Raeddie (11:12 3/3/2014)
            nunfetishist (13:05 3/3/2014)
              Zarchos (16:13 3/3/2014)
              apdl (08:10 4/3/2014)
                Steve101 (06:50 5/3/2014)
                  apdl (11:44 5/3/2014)
                    Steve101 (06:39 6/3/2014)
                      apdl (08:07 6/3/2014)
                        Steve101 (09:01 6/3/2014)
                          Steve101 (11:11 8/3/2014)
                        Steve101 (19:58 14/3/2014)
        PaulV (23:35 6/3/2014)
 
Steve Slater Message #123094, posted by Steve101 at 17:35, 2/3/2014
Member
Posts: 23
Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of fitting one of these?:

'Simtec 8-bit IDE interface for Acorn A30x0'

I'm wondering whether its straightforward enough to do. Seems like a really handy piece of kit and a lot more reliable than having a big metal hard drive sticking out the back of the machine.

The Retro-kit site shows one fixed:

http://www.retro-kit.co.uk/page.cfm/content/Simtec-8bit-IDE-interface/

Cheers,

Steve.
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Richard Walker Message #123096, posted by richw at 20:10, 2/3/2014, in reply to message #123094
Member
Posts: 66
It is easy. Plugs into minipodule slot. I used one on an A3010.
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Xavier Louis Tardy Message #123097, posted by Zarchos at 08:32, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123096
Member
Posts: 47
I didn't know you could have a 2 Gbytes card partitioned as 4 x 512 Mbytes ...
I thought 1 Gbytes (2 x 512 Mbytes partitions) was the limit ...

Is 2 Gbytes the limit, or can it handle more ?

And yes it's very easy to plug.
Don't hesitate to use a torch to be sure everything is in line before you push firmly ... and because of the geometry of all this make sure you press at the exact vertical of the motherboard connector, otherwise you risk bending the whole thing ...


SIMTEC products are 1st class.
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Rob Kendrick Message #123098, posted by nunfetishist at 09:36, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123097
nunfetishist
Today's phish is trout a la creme.

Posts: 522
I didn't know you could have a 2 Gbytes card partitioned as 4 x 512 Mbytes ...
I thought 1 Gbytes (2 x 512 Mbytes partitions) was the limit ...
Simtec IDEFS. IDEFS::4 through IDEFS:7. Four partitions.
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Xavier Louis Tardy Message #123099, posted by Zarchos at 10:15, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123098
Member
Posts: 47
Rob, I don't understand your answer.

My question is :
'
Is 2 Gbytes the limit, or can it handle more ?
'

Do you mean SIMTEC IDEFS (or is it RISC OS ?) can handle only 4 partitions (4 to 7) ?

[Edited by Zarchos at 10:18, 3/3/2014]
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Rob Kendrick Message #123100, posted by nunfetishist at 11:00, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123099
nunfetishist
Today's phish is trout a la creme.

Posts: 522
Rob, I don't understand your answer.

My question is :
'
Is 2 Gbytes the limit, or can it handle more ?
'

Do you mean SIMTEC IDEFS (or is it RISC OS ?) can handle only 4 partitions (4 to 7) ?

[Edited by Zarchos at 10:18, 3/3/2014]
If memory serves (It's been a while since I looked at IDEFS's sources), it supports four "hard drives", which can be partitions on one device. So given the 512MB sensible limit on ancient RISC OS, that makes 2GB the largest sensible device.

FileCore's a bit odd; traditionally :0 to :3 have been floppy/removable discs, and :4 to :7 have been fixed discs.
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Holger Palmroth Message #123101, posted by Raeddie at 11:12, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123099
Member
Posts: 58
Do you mean SIMTEC IDEFS (or is it RISC OS ?) can handle only 4 partitions (4 to 7) ?
RISC OS limits the number of drives per filesystem (IDEFS, ADFS, etc.) to 8. :0 - :3 are removable drives (in others words, diskettes), :4 - :7 are hard drives.

Furthermore, 512 MB was the largest size of drives RISC OS 3.1x could handle. So, 4 "partitions" or pseudo drives x 512 MB = 2GB.

There might be the possibility to "abuse" drives 0 to 3 in a similar fashion to double this size, but it was never done, probably for good reasons that I am not aware of.

(EDIT: Yes, I am such a slow writer. Rob's identical answer wasn't there when I start writing.)

[Edited by Raeddie at 11:14, 3/3/2014]
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Rob Kendrick Message #123103, posted by nunfetishist at 13:05, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123101
nunfetishist
Today's phish is trout a la creme.

Posts: 522

There might be the possibility to "abuse" drives 0 to 3 in a similar fashion to double this size, but it was never done, probably for good reasons that I am not aware of.
I'm pretty sure somebody's IDEFS did this, but I don't recall which one.
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Xavier Louis Tardy Message #123104, posted by Zarchos at 16:13, 3/3/2014, in reply to message #123103
Member
Posts: 47
Powertec's or Partis' ?
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David Holden Message #123107, posted by apdl at 08:10, 4/3/2014, in reply to message #123103
Member
Posts: 138

There might be the possibility to "abuse" drives 0 to 3 in a similar fashion to double this size, but it was never done, probably for good reasons that I am not aware of.
I'm pretty sure somebody's IDEFS did this, but I don't recall which one.
All the APDL / Baildon Electronics interfaces support up to 8 partitions in this way. This dates back to RO 3.1 when drives > 2GB became available at reasonable prices.
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Steve Slater Message #123110, posted by Steve101 at 06:50, 5/3/2014, in reply to message #123107
Member
Posts: 23
Does anyone know where to get one of these interfaces nowadays? Ive checked the simtec site and apdl but neither lists them as available any more.
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David Holden Message #123112, posted by apdl at 11:44, 5/3/2014, in reply to message #123110
Member
Posts: 138
Does anyone know where to get one of these interfaces nowadays? Ive checked the simtec site and apdl but neither lists them as available any more.
I thought I'd sold out of the APDL 8 bit interfaces so removed them from the site but I recently discovered a couple so contact me if you're interested.
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Steve Slater Message #123116, posted by Steve101 at 06:39, 6/3/2014, in reply to message #123112
Member
Posts: 23
Does anyone know where to get one of these interfaces nowadays? Ive checked the simtec site and apdl but neither lists them as available any more.
I thought I'd sold out of the APDL 8 bit interfaces so removed them from the site but I recently discovered a couple so contact me if you're interested.
David that would be great. Whats the easiest way to sort payment and delivery. Cheers, Steve.
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David Holden Message #123117, posted by apdl at 08:07, 6/3/2014, in reply to message #123116
Member
Posts: 138
David that would be great. Whats the easiest way to sort payment and delivery. Cheers, Steve.
Contact me at the usual APDL email address.
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Steve Slater Message #123118, posted by Steve101 at 09:01, 6/3/2014, in reply to message #123117
Member
Posts: 23
David that would be great. Whats the easiest way to sort payment and delivery. Cheers, Steve.
Contact me at the usual APDL email address.
Thanks Dave, sent an email to the APDL address.
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Paul Vernon Message #123119, posted by PaulV at 23:35, 6/3/2014, in reply to message #123098
Member
Posts: 135
Well I know for a fact that the 16-bit Simtec IDEFS will support a 4GB card using 8X512MB partitions...

I've got that config set up on one of my A410/1's which you can see here:

http://www.retro-kit.co.uk/page.cfm/content/Acorn-Archimedes-A410-1-8MB/

I've never actually tried a 4GB card on the 8-bit version and my A3000 is currently packed away so it's not easy to test but I have no evidence to say that the 8-bit board would behave in any different way to the 16-bit board.

Certainly the partitioning software for the Simtec IDEFS is the same for both boards.

Paul
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Steve Slater Message #123120, posted by Steve101 at 11:11, 8/3/2014, in reply to message #123118
Member
Posts: 23
David that would be great. Whats the easiest way to sort payment and delivery. Cheers, Steve.
Contact me at the usual APDL email address.
Thanks Dave, sent an email to the APDL address.
Hi David, did my email through to APDL come through to you? Regards, Steve.
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Steve Slater Message #123123, posted by Steve101 at 19:58, 14/3/2014, in reply to message #123117
Member
Posts: 23
Dave,

Received the interface today, plugged it in and its working great, many thanks!

I now have two internal hard disks and have a way of getting stuff on and off it via the compact flash.

Thanks also for the software and utils also installed. Very much appreciated! smile
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The Icon Bar: General: Simtec 8-bit IDE interface for Acorn A3000