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Booting PDP/11 from CF-SCSI adapter

jackrubin

jackrubin

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Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
879
Location
Chicago, IL and Buchanan, MI
Just a note to say that I've been able to successfully boot my 11/73 from a Compact Flash card, using the 'Stratos CF AztecMonster' CF/SCSI adapter connected to a CMD 220 MSCP SCSI card. Weird name but works great! The adapters are regularly available on eBay; seller is in Japan and delivery is via Express Air. I purchased a card on Monday and had it on Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving to those in the States!

Best,
Jack
 
Looks like those AztecMonster CF cards on eBay go for about as much as a CMD CQD-220 would cost.

Looks like an interesting device if only it were less expensive. At the $130-$150 price I'll just stick with rotating media SCSI drives.
 
It _is_ expensive and I've been watching them for a couple of years, hoping the price would come down. I've tried a few cheaper adapters that didn't work so I finally went for this one. I've been pretty happy with ZIP drives to this point but I'm always waiting for the 'click of death'. When my "current" technology is more than a decade old, it's time to move ahead! Now back to getting those RL drives on line...

@mc68010 - nothing available now, but there have been at least a half-dozen CMD controllers in the $125-150 range on eBay in the last year. Not cheap but sure worth the price if you want reliable storage for a vintage 11.

Jack
 
Hi
As coincidence there has just been major progress on the SCSI to IDE/SD bridge project.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/n8vem/v04p387w58U

I think there is a need for a low cost free/open (beer & speech) SCSI to IDE/SD converter and it gets more pressing as the remaining SCSI-1 drives fade away.

Hobbyists with DEC architecture machines potentially would benefit from this project.

Thanks and have a happy holidays!

Andrew Lynch
 
Jack, did you try a SCM PCD-50B SCSI Card Reader? I bought one of those from a4000t.com a while back for $62 + shipping. I was able to boot XXDP and RT-11 using it with a CQD-220. The native CF slot on that is LUN 1 so you need to be able to configure MSCP units to specific LUNs. The PCCard slot is LUN 0 and you can also use that with a PCCard CF adapter. It's been a while since I used that setup.
 
@ Andrew - I couldn't agree with you more! I'll be happy to test on my qbus system when you're a little farther along. I'm sure Glenn will too and he seems to be the current SCSI master (that's not as ugly as it sounds!).

@ Glenn - not sure, but I may have one of those around. Things tend to get lost in my basement/attic/storage locker(s).

Jack
 
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