[Techtoolslist] FYI: 9100A/FT - writes HD floppies

[Andrew Welburn]

The 9100FT is completely and entirely different to the 9100A... Completely different motherboard.. It's not just a different CPU and faster clock speed.

The biggest and fastest difference between the FT and the A I believe is the disk controller. I have seen the speed of the FT disk controller versus the one included with the A and they're are ridiculously different in speed and r/w access. The FT is actually useable, where the A really feels like you're using something from the 80's, the speed difference is by a factor of ten or more - its ridiculous.

I will document this when I get home in a few weeks time, I have photos already, but not side by side. I too thought if the 9100A might be 'upgradeable' to an FT, but you're talking about chalk and cheese.

Andrew Welburn (mobile)
www.andys-arcade.com

On 13 Nov 2012, at 19:50, John Robertson <jrr at flippers.com> wrote:


> Not exactly sure what I have! It certainly has a 68030 cpu and eight RAM slots (max 4mb) but the screen surround says 9100A, and nowhere on the unit does it say anything else...

> 

> I'm suspecting it was an engineering sample machine...

> 

> John :-#)#

> 

> John's Jukes Ltd.

> 2343 Main St.

> Vancouver, BC

> www.flippers.com

> 

> On 2012-11-13, at 17:40, Martin White <martin at guddler.co.uk> wrote:

> 

>> That’s the problem - I’m confused as to what you mean by 9100A/FT. Is it an A, or an FT? I wasn’t aware there was a model that is both at the same time.

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> This really is off the top of my head, and from personal experience but actually not masses:

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> - Faster CPU (actually makes a huge difference)

>> 

>> - Larger HDD - I think they may have standardised on SCSI by the FT too rather than MFM?

>> 

>> - HD Floppy drive

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> And now it seems, maybe 6.1 was an FT feature even though we’re findibg that it does indeed work on the A?

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> There may be more but I’ve not used it in a while. It’s all listed somewhere in one of the documents - all of which are in the Flippers archives, (or possibly arcarc), as I’ve never had any printed materials that haven’t already been available on Flippers for download. I’m sure there’s a manual or maybe a sales leaflet that specifically goes into the new features of the “new” FT model.

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> Martin.

>> 

>> 

>> From: John Robertson

>> Sent: ‎14‎ ‎November‎ ‎2012 ‎01‎:‎31

>> To: Technical Tools Mail List

>> Subject: Re: [Techtoolslist] FYI: 9100A/FT - writes HD floppies

>> 

>> 

>> Martin White wrote:

>>> 

>>> John,

>>> 

>>> 

>>> 

>>> Are you specifically talking about the 9100A or 9100FT here?

>>> 

>>> 

>>> 

>>> One of the upgrades of the 9100FT was the inclusion of the HD floppy drive so obviously we know it’s the case that the FT can read / write them...

>> 

>> This is the 9100A/FT that I am using to test these drives. (68030 CPU).

>> 

>> What other upgrades were added to the FT series?

>> 

>> I was also wondering if the standard 9100A has the ability to R/W HD 

>> floppies if running 6.1? Haven't tested that...

>> 

>> John :-#)#

>> 

>>> 

>>> From: John Robertson

>>> Sent: ‎13‎ ‎November‎ ‎2012 ‎18‎:‎04

>>> To: techtoolslist at flippers.com

>>> Subject: [Techtoolslist] FYI: 9100A/FT - writes HD floppies

>>> 

>>> 

>>> Was playing with it yesterday, trying to figure out how to copy entire 

>>> directories in one swoop and realized that it can indeed handle HD 

>>> floppies (the ones with the extra hole on the left).

>>> 

>>> I wish I could find a copy of the service manual!

>>> 

>>> John :-#)#

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>> 

>> 

>> 

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