Archive-name: acorn/faq/part3
Frequency: bi-weekly


7.3) What are the submission addresses for comp.{binaries,sources}.acorn groups?

   There are four addresses involved here. To submit files for the groups
send your email to :- 

csa@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.sources.acorn.
cba@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.binaries.acorn.

   For requests, comments and suggestions send email to :- 
 
csa-request@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.sources.acorn.
cba-request@bridge.wn.planet.gen.nz for comp.binaries.acorn.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.4) How to retrieve the FAQ from the source...

   As I frequently update the FAQ between postings you may wish to get the
latest and most up-to-date copy of the FAQ before it next gets posted.
There are two ways to do this. Firstly read it off the web at
http://wn.planet.gen.nz/~banksie/Archives/FAQ/FaqHTML.html . 

   Secondly I maintain an email server on my personal machine for people to
use. Due to the various complications at my end, and a distinct desire to
minimise email charges incurred to myself, the email server shares my email
address with me. 

   To use the server send an email message looking something like this :- 

To: banksie@khantazi.wn.planet.gen.nz
Subject: ServerMail
---message text begins---

Help:

In this case it will send a help file to you detailing how to use the
server. Be aware that the spelling and case of the subject line is very
important. My software searches for email with exactly this subject line
automatically once a day and it is case & spelling sensitive. Failure to
type this correctly will result in your message appearing in my normal
email list and depending on my mood may, or may not, be adjusted to reach
the email server. 

   The server understands and uses Reply-To: headers but has distinct
problems sending material to bang path addressed sites. (Well to be more
accurate it has problems sending to any site that has an ! in the email
address.) If you are using a site with such addressing then I am afraid the
email server will be unable to help you. Also please ensure that your From:
header, or your Reply-To: header if you using that, is valid. Email file
requests that bounce due to this tend to annoy me and repeat offenders will
be placed on the server's 'to be ignored' list. 

   As well as the FAQ and it's related files I store a small collection of
technical documents, 'special' data files and other generally useful data
on the server. To obtain a listing of all the sections available to you,
and the contents of those sections, send a message as detailed above but
instead of help put :- 

Section: index

in the body of the message. 

   Please be aware that this server is at the tail end of a modem link so
while you are most welcome to use it I must ask that you try to source any
files from other sites before using this server and to strictly follow the
guidelines outlined above. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.5) What WWW pages are out there for Acorn topics?

   Web pages are popping up all over the place these days, especially now
that Web client software exists for Acorn machines. This list of Web pages
is checked periodically by myself for validity but I make no claims that
URL's present here are currently valid. A more comprehensive list is
contained in the fortnightly FTP servers list maintained by Gerben Vos. 

 * http://www.acorn.co.uk/ 
   Acorn Computers WWW pages.

 * http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/ 
   The Acorn CyberVillage pages - dealers, developers, information,
   software and low cost web rental.

 * http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk:80/Societies/Acorn/ 
   The Acorn computer user WWW Server. - contains pointers to other Acorn
   Web pages.

 * http://www.stir.ac.uk/~rhh01/Main.html 
   "Acorn On The Net" list page - contains pointers to other Acorn Web pages.

 * http://www.ant.co.uk/ 
   ANT Ltd web pages.

 * http://www.armclub.org.uk/ 
   The ARM Club home page.

 * http://www.afsoft.demon.co.uk/ 
   ARMed Forces Software WWW pages.

 * http://www.geko.com.au/riscman/ 
   Australian Acorn Enthusiast Web site.

 * http://www.carltsw.demon.co.uk/ 
   Carlton Software's WWW pages.

 * http://www.cumana.demon.co.uk/ 
   Cumana's WWW pages.

 * http://www.doggysoft.co.uk/ 
   Doggysoft's WWW pages.

 * http://www.ozemail.com.au/~imagfact/index.html 
   the image factory, DTP supplies for Acorn Computers.

 * http://www.iota.co.uk/ 
   Iota Software's pages.

 * http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/users/u1smt/u1smt.html 
   "The Jungle" Simon Truss's web page containing pointers to a variety of
   other web pages.

 * http://www.hebbron.demon.co.uk/LEG/ 
   Liverpool Enthusiasts Group (LEG) home page - information on the group,
   previous meetings, and connected links.

 * http://www.logo.com/ 
   The Longman Logotron web pages.

 * http://spodbox.linux.org.uk/~ultrasnd 
   Mike Enderby's pages - including PC Card information, a mirror of the
   FAQ and the Acorn games pages.

 * http://www.zynet.co.uk/minerva/ 
   Minerva Software's home page.

 * http://www.octosys.co.uk/ 
   Octopus Systems.

 * http://www.demon.co.uk/oldmothr/ 
   Old Mother Software.

 * http://www.pineaple.demon.co.uk/ 
   Pineapple Software.

 * http://www.pobox.com/~netline 
   RISC User netline pages.

 * http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/users/robin.watts/ 
   Robin Watts' home pages.

 * http://www.octosys.co.uk/sarc.html 
   Suffolk Acorn Risc Club's pages.

 * http://www.zynet.co.uk/ 
   Zynet Ltd's home page. 

   Note that, as with email addresses, I require either the owner of the
pages, or a representative of the owner, to email me if they wish to be
included in the list. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.6) What Acorn BBS's are there?

   Is there a good Acorn BBS to call near me? 

   The following are all good Acorn Bulletin Boards to call. This list is
now maintained by me (Dane Koekoek), it is by no means complete and some
items of information may be missing. I will do my best to keep it
up-to-date with all changes. 

   If you spot any errors in the list, or have an addition to make to the
list, then please send an email to dane@werewlf.demon.co.uk ,
Fidonet#2:254/310 or online The Werewolf BBS. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BBS name             Phone number   Times     Speeds      Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acorn BBS           +852 25477992   24 hour   300-21600   Hong Kong
Arcade             * 0181 654 2212  24 hour   300-33600   Croydon, London
                   * 0181 655 4412  24 hour   300-33600
Archiboard Central * 01603 744231   24 hour   300-14400   Norwich
Archimedes BBS      +31 35 6026500  24 hour   300-14400   Soest NL
Arctic             * 0181 903 1308  24 hour   300-33600   West London
                   * 0181 903 1309  24 hour   300-33600
ARMature II         +61 2 580-9938  24 hour   330-19200   Oatley,NSW
ARMed Forces       * 01962 880003   24 hour  9600-14400   Winchester
ARM Pit BBS        * 01962 880003   22-08hr   330-14400   Malton, N.Yorks
The ARMpit          +45 31675110    24 hour   330-14400   Denmark
The 23rd Hour      * 01202 692394   24 hour   300-14400   Poole,Dorset
BrainStorm         * 01732 886638   24 hour   300-14400   Wrotham, Kent
Digital Databank   * 01707 323531   24 hour   300-28800   Welwyn Garden City
                   * 01707 329306   24 hour   300-14400
Equinox            * 01705 871531   24 hour   300-14400   Portsmouth
Galaxy             * 01617 079306   24 hour   300-14400   Manchester
InterComm Central  * 01819 598868   24 hour   300-14400   Mill Hill, London
Icarus Allsorts  &&* 01977 620702   18-22hr   300-14400   Pontefract
Jolly Roger        * 01223 264347   24 hour   300-28800   Cambridge
Mage Online        * 01812 526112   24 hour   300-28800   London
Northern ARM       * 01274 530831   24 hour   300-28800   Bradford
                   * 01274 530841   24 hour   300-14400
PanGill            * 01723 581460   21-07hr   300-14400   Scarborough
Plasma Sphere      * 01925 757920   24 hour   300-33600   Cheshire
                   * 01925 757921   24 hour   300-33600
Prestonet          * 01772 612462   22-07hr   300-28800   Preston
SchoolNet UK       * 01603 507216   24 hour   300-28800   Norwich
Thunderbolt BBS    * 01689 603608   24 hour   300-28800   SE London
The Sidings BBS    * 0115 956 3481  24 hour   300-14400   Nottingham
The Werewolf BBS   * 0181 289 6003  24 hour   300-33600   London
Western Schools     +61 86 491384   24 hour   300-14400   Whyalla, SA
Wire BBS           * 01925 482459   24 hour  9600-28800   Warrington
Wombat BBS          +49 9286 97211  18-7hr    300-28800   Germany
World of Cryton    * 01749 679794   24 hour   300-2400    Somerset
                   * 01749 670030   24 hour   300-28800
Yeti BBS            +49 461 23272   22:30-9hr 300-16800   Germany
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  * BBS in the UK. If calling from outside the UK, prefix 44 and remove the
    0 in front of EVERY UK number.

 && Ring voice first

   A second list is maintained by Steve Pursey who can be reached via email
at steve@arcticbb.demon.co.uk or via Fidonet#2:254/86. Polite requests for
the list to him may well yield a copy of the list. 

   Alternatively, for those of you with WWW access a copy of this second
list can be found at http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/bbs.htm . 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.7) Where can I advertise second hand Acorn kit?

   There are various web sites available now that list second hand adverts
without charge. If you are wanting to sell some equipment it may well be
worth your time trying them. They are :- 

 * http://www.armature.net.au/forsale/ 
 * http://www.cybervillage.co.uk/acorn/archive/small.htm 
 * http://www.dircon.co.uk/dialprop/acornurl.html 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 8: Compatibility with other Machines.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.1) How compatible with other systems is an Acorn machine?

   PC :- The Archimedes can handle DOS discs (720k; the A5000 and later
models can also handle 1.44M floppies). In RO3, this is built in, under RO2
you have to use one of the (PD) utilities. There are two PC (software)
emulators that can handle most PC software, three if you count the fact
that Acorn's offering is split into two emulator programs. There are also
PC cards, containing an 80x86 processor and other PC hardware, which uses
the Archimedes' disc and video. All emulators are multitasking (and not
PD). RiscPC machines, by adding a 486 processor card, can fully emulate a
PC. 

   Unix :- Unix software can be ported (and in fact many packages already
have been) with the help of UnixLib, which is PD. Memory-hungry ports, such
as gcc, can be run with the aid of !Virtual (also PD). Of course if you are
really desperate to run Unix software it might be advisable to buy RISCiX,
the Acorn flavour of Unix, or perhaps use linux (for older A5000 style
machines) & RiscBSD (for RiscPC machines). 

   Mac :- Commercial software is available that can read HFS format discs,
including hard drives and CDROMs. For floppy discs this generally
encompases high density discs (1.44 MB format) and a limited subset of
double density (720 kb) discs. Essentially the software can read the disc
if the tracks have been laid down with constant angular velocity, rather
than constant linear velocity - which requires a variable speed drive to
work. Most Macintoshes default to CLV format discs when formatting double
density discs but some Mac software exists to override this and, in theory,
such discs are readable using the Acorn software. To be sure that the
double density disc is a CAV format disc, then formatting it first in your
Acorn machine is a good step and the disc will then work with Macintosh
machines. Also most modern Macintoshes can, like Acorn machines, read and
write PC format discs so transfer is possible via that medium as well.
There is no Mac emulator available. 

   Atari ST :- Like PC floppies, the Archimedes can read, write and format
ST-format floppies. No emulator for the ST is known. 

   Amiga :- The amiga uses an unusual disc format that is not easily read
by other machines. Accordingly there is currently no Amiga format disc
reader available. But Amiga's can read PC discs, so again transfers can
occur via that medium. There is no Amiga emulator. 

   Spectrum :- There are emulators around for this and Amstrad, the owners
of the Sinclair copyright, have released permission for the ROM images,
needed to run these emulators, to be copied and released with the
emulators. 

   Apple][ :- Again emulators are available for this. However they, like
the Spectrum emulators, require a copy of the ROM image to work. The
copyright of the ROM image for these machines, as far as I am aware,
prevents them being distributed, so you have to source your own copy of
them. 

   BBC B :- Once again emulators exist, including Acorn's own effort of
6502Host. The emulators are fairly good, offering a high level of
compatibility. See question 8.3 for more details about two commercially
available emulators. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.2) Is there a BBC BASIC for other machines?

   The short answer is, yes.

   Macintosh :- A BBC BASIC environment was released some years back as a
commercial product featuring compatibility with a limited subset of
OS_Bytes and other features for limited compatibility with a BBC Model B. 

   IBM Compats :- A version of BBC BASIC exists for these machines. Older
versions have provided an inbuilt BASIC editor, limited OS_Byte support,
some OSCLI commands and CGA standard graphics. Exactly what the latest
version supports I don't know, but to find out (and obtain a version of the
software) contact :-


        M-Tec Computer Services,
        The Market Place,
        REEPHAM,
        Norfolk,
        NR10 4JJ,
        United Kingdom.

        Tel. (+44) 1603 870620
        Fax. (+44) 1603 870436
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.3) Can I run 65Host on the Risc PC?

   Officially, no. Unofficially there is a patch that enables the Emulator
to run fairly well. Unfortunately the patch does not correctly enable the
break key; however, it does substitute the Scroll Lock key, so you can
reset the emulator easily from inside the emulator. Here is the patch :- 

      REM >HostPatch
      REM RISC PC !65Host patch
      REM Obtained from comp.sys.acorn.games
      REM Provided by stimpy@gladding.demon.co.uk (Tim Gladding)
      REM of Cambridge, England
      REM Tweaked to substitute ScrollLock for Break
      REM by arcsalt@spuddy.mew.co.uk (Darren Salt)
      SYS "OS_File",5,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage" TO t,,,,len
      DIM data len
      SYS "OS_File",255,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage",data
      FOR ptr=0 TO len-4 STEP 4
       word=data!ptr
       CASE word OF
       WHEN &E3520402, &E2600402, &E3510402: data?ptr=&05
       WHEN &13A0000F: data?ptr=&0E: REM key code for ScrollLock
       ENDCASE
      NEXT ptr
      SYS "OS_File",10,"<65Host$Dir>.!RunImage",&FFA,,data,data+len

It is a BASIC program - simply enter it into the BASIC editor of your
choice, let the filer see the copy of 65Host that is to be patched and run
it. A copy of the 65Host emulator can be found on the Acorn FTP site. 

   There is also a commercially available BBC emulator, called 6502Em,
available that works on the RiscPC range and boasts improved compatibility,
mostly with games, over the Acorn effort. Contact Warm Silence Software for
details. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.4) Can I read Acorn format discs on a PC?

   Yes, a utility called BeebDos exists which claims to provide reading and
writing of BBC B format discs. It is a commercial program and was sold by
:- 

   MicroBoss Ltd,
   Business Orientated Software Systems
   Telephone: 01255 671095 (Uk number)
   3 Hadleigh Road,
   Frinton on Sea,
   Essex,
   CO13 9HG.

Unfortunately I am unaware if they currently still sell the program or not. 

   For the more recent ADFS format discs the shareware disc editor ANADISK
will cope with ADFS format discs, up to E format. (It has not been tested
with high density ADFS formats.) This does not provide a filing system, but
rather allows sectors to be pulled off the disc and saved as a file.
Generally this is useful only for emergency measures when you really need
that data stored on an ADFS format disc. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.5) What software handles files with this extension?

   This depends on the extension. 

   Presented below is a list of common file extensions and the software
that, in some way, handles the file. It is recommended, especially for
commercial software, that you verify that software will indeed perform the
functions you require on the file format. This list is intended as a
starting point to give the reader a pointer towards suitable software,
nothing more. 

 * AVI (.avi) , &FB2, Audio Visual file. 

    * MovieFS, commercial. 

 * BMP (.bmp) , &69C, Bitmap file (Windows). 

    * BMPSprite, freeware. 
    * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. 
    * ImageFS, commercial. 
    * ImageMaster, commercial. 
    * Translator, shareware. 

 * DXF (.dxf) , &DEA, Drawing eXchange Format file. 

    * Draw, commercial - supplied with all versions of RISC OS. 

 * GIF (.gif) , &695, Graphics Interchange Format picture. 

    * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. 
    * FYEO2, shareware. 
    * ProArtisan24, commercial. 
    * Spr_2_Gif, freeware. 
    * Translator, shareware. 
    * WebGif2, freeware. 

 * HTML (.htm, .html) , &FAF, Hyper Text Markup Language document. 

    * ArcWeb, freeware. 
    * Fresco, commercial. 
    * Webite, commercial. 
    * Webster, freeware. 

 * JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) , &C85, JPEG format picture. 

    * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. 
    * FYEO2, shareware. 
    * ProArtisan24, commercial. 
    * RapidJPEG, freeware. 
    * SwiftJPEG, freeware. 
    * Translator, shareware. 

 * MIDI (.mid, .midi) , &FD4, Musical Instrument Digital Interface file. 

    * ESPSynth, commercial. 
    * ReMidi, shareware. 
    * Timidity, freeware. 

 * MPEG (.mpg, .mpeg) , &BF8, Motion Picture Experts Group movie file. 

    * MPEG, freeware. 

 * Perl (.pl) , &A06, Practical Extraction and Report Language file. 

    * Perl, freeware. 

 * PostScript (.eps, .ps) , 

    * GhostScript, freeware, 
    * RiScript, freeware. 

 * Quicktime (.mov) , &FB2, Macintosh movie file. 

    * MovieFS, commercial. 

 * SoundTracker (.mod) , &CB6, Sound Tracker file. 

    * AMFTracker, freeware. 
    * BASTracker, freeware. 
    * Digital Symphony, commercial. 
    * Harmony, freeware. 
    * MPlayer, freeware. 
    * ProTrack, freeware. 
    * ProTracker, freeware. 
    * S/Tracker, freeware. 

 * Tar (.tar) , &C46, Tape Archive. 

    * Spark, commercial. 
    * SparkFS, commercial. 
    * SparkPlug, freeware. 
    * Tar, freeware. 

 * Text (.txt, .text) , &FFF, text file. 

    * Edit, commercial - supplied with all versions of RISC OS. 
    * StrongEd, shareware. 
    * Uemacs, freeware. 
    * Zap, freeware. 

 * TIFF (.tif, .tiff) , &FF0, Tagged Image File Format. 

    * ChangeFSI, commercial - supplied with RISC OS 3 and above. 
    * Tiffin, freeware. 
    * Translator, shareware. 

 * Wave (.wav) , &FB1, Chunk based sound file. 

    * AudioWorks, commercial. 
    * MovieFS, commercial. 
    * Player, commercial. 
    * SoundCon, freeware. 

 * WMF (.wmf) ,, Windows Meta File. 

    * WMFtoDraw, public domain. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.6) Is there a version of Draw for Windows?

   Yes. Oak released a program called Oak-Draw for Windows. This program
can load, save and manipulate Acorn Draw format files in the Windows
environment. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 9: Technical Details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

9.1) How do I get a faster interrupt timer than the centisecond ones?

   For this you require the use of IOC Timer 1, a 2MHz timer unused by RISC
OS and claimable by code for use. Details of how to program the timer are
available in the IOC datasheets, or you could look for various PD utilities
like TimerCtrl that handle the timer for you. 

   I am informed that the forthcoming Acorn TimeCode system now has laid
claim to Timer 1 and that software using it is deprecated. However if the
software properly obeys the claiming protocols in RISC OS this, hopefully,
shouldn't be a major problem. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

9.2) How can I create Interlaced GIFs on Acorn machines?

   Two utilities exist to let you create these. spr2gif will take a sprite
and convert it to a gif file. It will interlace and render transparent the
gif as well. For the transparency it uses the colour of the first masked
pixel it encounters in the sprite - suitable for automated gif image
creating. (No need to twiddle with specifying transparency colours.) 

   The second utility, WebGIF, allows you to add transparency and
interlacing to your GIFs as well. However you have to specify the
transparency colour directly. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 10: Risc PC PC Card Details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
When reading this section it must be remembered that all references to the
Emulator software featured in this section are to the Risc PC PC Second
Processor Card controlling software, and not to the older Software PC
Emulator software released by Acorn. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.1) What is the latest version of the Emulator software?

   The latest, publicly released for all PC card owners, version is 1.92
and it is available from the Alpeh1 FTP & Web site. (
http://www.aleph1.co.uk/ ) Features include memory up to 32Mb, fully
redefinable 256 colour modes and the addition of directly accessed SCSI
drives. 

   The very latest version of the software (v2.02) has been released
commercially as PCPro. This features speed enhancements, VESA video
drivers, a debugged shared memory system for faster operation, improved
support for Windows 95 and a variety of other enhancements. Details of this
software can be found on the Aleph1 web site. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.2) Why does the serial port not work after using the card?

   With v1.87 of the controlling software if you choose 'Direct Serial', to
enable the serial port under the emulator, and then quit the emulator it
doesn't correctly release the serial port back to RISC OS. However a
temporary patch is to uncomment the very last line of the !PC486.!Run file. 

Run <Diva$Dir>.!RunImage
|uncomment the next line if you need to use the serial port after using !PC
| RMreinit SerialDeviceDriver

Namely uncomment the RMreinit SerialDeviceDriver so that the above looks
more like this. 

Run <Diva$Dir>.!RunImage
|uncomment the next line if you need to use the serial port after using !PC
RMreinit SerialDeviceDriver

   Then you should find control of the serial port returned to RISC OS
after you have finished with the emulator. As of v1.91 this has been fixed
and the serial port will be released properly. The latest version can be
obtained from the Aleph1 FTP site. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.3) Why do Windows programs give me incorrect colours in a 256 colour mode?

   This can happen if you forgot to put a 'p' after colour descriptor in
your Windows mode definition string. For example to configure the emulator
to give windows a 1024x768 screen mode at 256 colours with fully
programmable colours your string should look like this :- 

x1024y768c256p

Note the p at the end of the line. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.4) How much memory can I configure for the PC Emulator?

   Up to v1.86 of the software the upper limit was 16 Mb of memory. As of
v1.87 that has been raised up to 32 Mb of memory. However, for some odd
reason, after 16 Mb of memory the memory can be only configured in 4 Mb
chunks. Consequently the possible values go
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16, 20,24,28 & 32 Mb. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.5) Can I use Win95 with the card?

   Yes, however the installation of it is slightly more complicated than
(should be) normal for a PC. Choose a custom setup and inform the Win95
installer of what hardware you have present, under the Video driver section
install the default VGA driver. 

   Then complete the install. Once it is installed you may then install the
Arm video driver in a similar fashion as for the instructions for
installing it under Windows 3.11. There are specific Windows 95
instructions for ARMDRV v1.99, this version also cures the occasional icon
redraw problem with Windows95. You should then be away. 

   With PCPro specific Win95 installation files and instructions are
provided for both the Windows video driver as well as the Sound Blaster
emulation. Not to mention general instructions for installing Windows 95.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 11: Hardware Compatibility.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

11.1) What IDE drives work on Acorn machines?

   Here is a list of IDE drives known to either work or not work with Acorn
hardware. If the drive appears with no notes then it will work fine with
the machine specified. This list is maintained by Toby Smith
(tcs@cs.bham.ac.uk) and all corrections, additions and updates should be
emailed to him. Many thanks to those who have contributed their info. 

The IDE Drives & Interfaces "What Works With What" list (20th August 1996)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Manufacturer Part Number  Size  Interface       Notes   

Quantum      Sirocco      2560  Std/RiscPC600   New Filecore
Quantum      Sirocco      1740  Std/RiscPC600   New Filecore
WestDig      WD31600      1638  ICS             (Partition on old filecore)
Quantum      FB1280AT     1310  Std/RiscPC700   M-ToshibaXM5302B CDROM S-CFS420A
Conner       CFS1275A     1275  Std/RiscPC600   M-CFS425, S-CFS420A, S-CFS210A
Seagate      31220A       1024  ICS/RPC600      Master only
Quantum      Fireball     1024  ICS/RPC600
Conner       CFS850A       850  ICS (FS 3.12)   M-M2684TAM [1]
Conner       CFA540A       540                  [4]   
WstrnDigtl   WD2540H       540  Std/RPC600
WstrnDigtl   Maverick (?)  540  Std/RiscPC600   E-IDE
Conner       CFS540A       540  Std/RiscPC600   Formats to 512M
WstrnDigtl   Caviar 2540   540  Std/RiscPC600   <DOESN'T WORK> E-IDE
Fujitsu      1603T         540  Std/A5000 RPC600   Format 1023cyls = 503Mb space
Quantum                    540  DT Soft         Format to 512M
Conner       CFS541A       540  Std/A5000       M-CP30104H EIDE (512M = 1039 cyls)
Seagate      ST5660A       528  Std/RiscPC      Format to 512M (1039 Cycls)
IBM                        528  Std/RiscPC600   Odd noises! [3]
Fujitsu      M2684TAM      528  ICS             Real 504M S-H3171-A2 [3]
Quantum      LPS540A       504  Std/RPC600
Conner       CFS425A       425  Std/AnyAcorn    Doesn't like linking to CFS210A and CFS425A
Conner       CFS420A       420  Std/Acorn       # M-CP3044, M-CFS210A M-FB1280AT
Conner       CP30424 (?)   420  ICS
Conner       CFS420A       420  Evolution
Seagate                    420  ICS
Seagate      ST3491A       408                  [2]
Fujitsu      M286T         340  Watford         M-S-NEC D3756
Maxtor       7345A         340  Std/RiscPC      S-CFS210. Wont work alone
Seagate      ST3389A       335  Std/RPC600 Evolution/A5000
Quantum      Prodrive      270  HCCS/A440&RiscPC600   
Seagate      ST9300AG      260  Watford         S-CFS420A  2.5" drive
WstrnDigtl                 250  ICS
Seagate      ST3290A       250  A310
Conner       CP30254       250  ICS             M-CP3044 S-CFS420A
Conner       CFN250A       240  HCCSUltimate/A3010   
Conner       CP3204F       210  Evolution
Conner       CFS210A       210  Std/RiscPC600   # S-CFS420A
WstrnDigtl   Caviar        200  Std/AnyAcorn    WILL NOT WORK
IBM          H3171-A2      171  ICS             M-M2984TAM Real 163MB
Conner       CP30174E      170  Std/A5000   
Maxtor       7120          130  ICS             Disable on-disc cache. (ICS util)
Quantum      LPS127A       120  ICS   
Castle                     120  Castle/A3000
Seagate      ST3144A       120  A310
Conner       CP30104H      116  Std/A5000       S-CP540A
SyQuest      SQ3105 AT     105  Std/A5000       M-CP3044 S-CFS420A
NEC          D3756         100  Watford         M-S-M286T
Rodime       RO3139AP      100  Watford         Works alone, wont co-exist.
Conner       CP3085 (?)     85  ICS             
Maxtor       7080           85  ICS             Disable on-disc cache. (ICS util)
Maxtor                      80  ICS (FS 2.03)
Conner       CP30084E       80  Std/A5000       M-S-CP3044 Use links on base, not drive face.
Conner       CF3008E        80  Std/A5000,A4000 #
Seagate      ST51A/X        40  Std/RiscPC600   S-CFS420A
Conner       CP3044         40  Std/A5000       # S-SQ3105 AT
Seagate      ST351A/X       40  Watford IDE   
PrairieTek                  20  ICS (FS 2.01)   
            
Enlargements to notes:
[1] Formatted to 3 partitions 248M, 248M & 316M (to get small LFAU)  
[2] Seagate ST3491A Wont S/M to CFS240A (High end A5000). Will slave to 
     CFS420A (Risc PC)
[3] This drive recalibrates for thermal adjustments every 10mins, making a
     click.
[4] CFA drives will work with RISC OS 3.60 (new Risc PCs, A7000) but not
     with older versions of the Acorn IDE interface. They will work on ICS
     interfaces though. (Badly defined part of IDE spec aparently)
[5] The HCCS interface apparently doesn't like podule slot 0, but is happy in others.
                    
Understanding the list:
1. Interface = 'Std/****' indicates the IDE interface provided with the
    specified machine as part of the standard purchase package.
2. M-XXXXXX  -Fitted as Master to drive (slave drive part number given)
   S-XXXXXX  -Fitted as Slave to drive (Master drive part number given)
3. A '#' in the notes section indicates a drive provided packaged with the
    specified machine.
4. Sizes quoted are the 'manufacturer' sizes (for purchasing reference)
    remember that manufacturer Megabytes are 1000K, whereas formatted
    megabytes are 1024K... to get the 'real' size, multiply the number given
    by 1000, then divide by 1024.
5. Drives over 1Gigabyte are quoted in terms of megabytes (hence a 1G drive
    will be listed as 1024M) This is so that the list sorts nicely - divide
    the number by 1024 to get the size in gigabytes...
6. Master / Slave information usually refers to other drives in the list!

   Disclaimer: This list reports the reported experiences of others.
Neither the maintainer, nor the contributors are definately saying that
these combinations will work - just that they have for them. So don't sue
us! 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

11.2) What are the master / slave link settings for my IDE Drive?

   Most of the modern drives have this information nicely on a label on the
top of the drive, but some of the earlier ones don't. There follows a list
of drive settings for some of the packaged drives. 

   Extra submissions to Toby Smith (tcs@cs.bham.ac.uk) 

DRIVE           AS SOLE               AS MASTER               AS SLAVE
           HSP  C/D  DSP  ACT     HSP  C/D  DSP  ACT     HSP  C/D  DSP  ACT
CP3044      -    y    -    y       -    y    y    y       -    -    -    y
CP3008E     -    y    -    -       -    y    -    -       -    -    -    -
CP30126     -    y    -    -       -    y    y    -       -    -    -    -
CP30174E    -    y    -    -       -    y    -    -       -    -    -    -
CFS210A     -    y    -    -       -    y    -    -       -    -    -    -
CFS420A     -    y    -    -       -    y    -    -       -    -    -    -

   Link connectors are on the front of the drive, the narrower end that
doesn't have the cables coming in, next to the activity light connector
(which is missing on Risc PC Drives - it's on the motherboard) 

   It should also be noted that if you need an extra linker don't expect it
to have been provided (notably on the CF3008E, the 80M drive in the A4000 &
A5000.) 

   (Details translated from table by Dave Walker, as published in Acorn
User Sept 95. Not all permutations have been tested, and we ain't
promising!) 

   Extra submissions welcome! 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

11.3) What works with what?

   This list contains details of peripherals known to work on Acorn
computers, and is intended as a rough guide for those wanting to upgrade. 

   The list covers all storage devices: hard discs, magneto-optical drives,
tape, CD-rom, and related interfaces. It also covers modems, serial cards
and printers.
It does not cover IDE hard discs, as these are covered in a separate list
in the FAQ . 

   This list is based on information from users. If you have new
information , corrections, suggestions or if you just want to tell me how
good it is, please e-mail nigel@c3po.demon.co.uk 

   Please note that in all the following lists the interface refers to the
computer and not the peripheral.

Hard discs 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Size  Manuf.     Model      Interface Interface  Special
                                     type      manuf      Requirements
A310     47MB  Seagate    257        SCSI-8    Lingenuity none
A310     100Mb Quantum    LP105S     SCSI-U    Morley     none
A310     330Mb Seagate    ST2383N    SCSI-U    Morley     none
A310     46MB  Seagate    ST277N     SCSI-1    Oak        Use Acorn SCSIFiler 
                                                          with RO3.1
A310     46M   Seagate    ST157N     SCSI-1    Cumana/Oak none
A310     700Mb Quantum    LIGHTNING  SCSI      Lingenuity none
                          730S    
A310     191Mb Maxtor     LXT-200S   SCSI      Lingenuity none
A310     46MB  Seagate    ST157N     SCSI-1    Cumana/Oak none
A310     340Mb Conner     CFA340     SCSI-1    Cumana/Oak none
A310     60MB  Seagate    ST-277N    SCSI      Oak        Ext Apple
A310     105M  Quantum    Prodrive   SCSI      Oak        none
A310/4Mb 80Mb  Quantum    P80S       SCSI      Oak        none
A310/4Mb 210Mb Quantum    PD210S     SCSI      Oak        none
A310     516Mb Quantum    Maverick   SCSI-U    Morley     none
                          540S 0901
A310     87Mb  Fujitsu    M2612S     SCSI-U    Morley     none
                          0608  
A310     210MB Conner     CP3200F    SCSI      Oak        Ext Apple
A310     110MB Rodime     RO-5125ST  SCSI      Oak        Ext Apple
A310     105MB Rodime     RO-3128T   SCSI-1    Morley     none
A310     240MB Quantum    LPS240S    SCSI-1    Morley     none
A310     540MB Quantum    Fireball   SCSI-1    Morley     none
A310     105MB Syquest    SQ105S     SCSI-1    Morley     none
A310     270MB Syquest    SQ3270S    SCSI-1    Morley     none
A410/1   213M  Maxtor     7213S      SCSI-U    Morley     none
A410/1   115MB IBM        7910A12    SCSI-C    Morley     none
A410/1   170MB Quantum    LPS170     SCSI-C    Morley     none
               ProDrive           
A410/1   1GB   HP         C2247      SCSI-U    Morley     none
A420/1   730MB Quantm     LT730S     SCSI      TSP/AAD    512Mb max.
A420/1   330MB Maxtor     7345S      SCSI      TSP/AAD    none
A4xx/1   40MB  Seagate    ST251/1    ST506     Acorn      ext Case+PSU
A4xx/1   40MB  Seagate    ST251/0    ST506     Acorn      ext Case+PSU
A4xx/1   40MB  NEC        D3156      ST506     Acorn      none
A4xx/1   68MB  Seagate    ST1100     ST506     Acorn      none
A400/1   523MB IBM        DSAS-3540  SCSI-16   Cumana     none
A440/1   1G    Micropolis 4110       SCSI-U    Morley     none
A440/1   240M  Quantum    LPS240S    SCSI-U    Morley     none
A440     66M   Rodime     RO3085S    SCSI      Lingenuity none
A540     116Mb Conner     CP30100    SCSI      Acorn 1.05 none
R140     730MB Quantm     LT730S     SCSI      Acorn MK3  (Used with RISCiX)
R140     330MB Maxtor     7345S      SCSI      Acorn MK3  (Used with RISCiX)
A3000    81Mb  Quantum    ELS85S     SCSI   }  Cumana     none
A3000    51Mb  Quantum    LP52S      SCSI   }  Cumana     none
A3000    42MB  NEC        D3835      SCSI      Serial port(VTi)
A3000    105M  Quantum    LP105S     SCSI      HCCS-8i    none
A3000    540M  IBM        DSAS-3540  SCSI      HCCS-8i    doesn't work!
A3000    730M  Quantum    LT730S     SCSI      HCCS-8i    none
A4000    1G    IBM        DPES31080  SCSI      HCCS       none
A5000    1.06G Conner     CFP1060S   SCSI-2    Cumana     none
A5000    340MB Quantum    LPS340S    SCSI      Cumana     none
A5000    540M  Conner     CP30540    SCSI1     Cumana     none
A4       520M  Fujitsu    M2684S     PSCSI     Atomwide   bid parallel
RPC600   1Gb   Quantum    Fireball   SCSI-2    Cumana     none
                          FB1080     
RPC600   2.1Gb Fujitsu    2915       SCSI-2    Cumana     New Filecore
RPC600   650Mb Cumana     Proteus    SCSI-2    Cumana     New Filecore
RPC600   121Mb Maxtor     7120SCS    SCSI-2    Cumana     none
RPC600   523Mb IBM        DSAS-3540  SCSI-2    Cumana     filecore limit
RPC600   496Mb Fujitsu    M2624F-512 SCSI-1    TSP/AAD    none
RPC600   210MB Conner     CP3200F    SCSI      Oak        Ext Apple
RPC600   110MB Rodime     RO-5125ST  SCSI      Oak        Ext Apple
RPC600   850MB Quantum    TRB850S    SCSI-2    Cumana     none
RPC600   507MB Fujitsu    M2684S-512 SCSI-2    Powertec   none
RPC600   116MB Conner     CP30100    SCSI-1    Powertec   none
RPC600   496MB Fujitsu    M2624F-512 SCSI-1    Powertec   none
RPC600   317MB Imprimis   94241-7    SCSI-1    Powertec   none
RPC600   1G    Micropolis 4110       SCSI-U    Morley     none
RPC600   163MB Quantum    ELS170S    pll SCSI  Atomwide   none
RPC600   163MB Quantum    ELS170S    SCSI      Oak        none
RPC600   163MB Quantum    ELS170S    SCSI-2    Castle tec none
RPC600   163MB Quantum    ELS170S    SCSI      Morley-U&C none
RPC600   502MB Quantum  ProDrive525S SCSI2     PowerTec   none
RPC600   1.7G  Quantum    Sirocco    SCSI-2    Cumana     New Filecore
RPC600   2.5G  Quantum    Sirocco    SCSI-2    Cumana     New Filecore
RPC700   105M  Quantum    LP105S     SCSI-2    PowerTec   none
RPC700   730M  Quantum    LT730S     SCSI-2    PowerTec   none
RPC700   140M  Fujitsu    M2624SA    SCSI-U    Morley     none
RPC700   540M  Conner     CP30540    SCSI1     Cumana     none
RPC700   2G    Quantum    Atlas      scsi-2    Powertec   noisy drive (7200rpm) *

* I have discovered that modern drives with high spin speeds (eg. 7200 rpm
rather than 5600 rpm) vibrate, and in a plastic RiscPC case set up very
loud resonances. Bear this in mind when looking for a fast disk. 


Non-working combinations 
A410/1   1GB   HP         C2247      SCSI-8    Lingenuity did not work
A3000    540M  IBM        DSAS-3540  SCSI      HCCS-8i    doesn't work!
A310/OS3.1/MEMC1A/ARM3               SCSI      VTi        see below
This combination has been reported to be troublesome due to timing problems
on the bus. This problem does not occur with a standard A310. If the problem
is found to be present, it can be fixed by fitting a 2nF capacitor across the
/BL pull-up resistor.
Removable hard discs 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Size  Manuf.     Model     Interface Interface  Special
                                    type      manuf      Requirements
A3000    270MB Syquest    SQ3270S   SCSI   HCCS-8i       MOFS (!MagOpt)
RPC700   270MB Syquest    SQ3270S   SCSI-2 PowerTec      none
                  (Firmware 3_05 and above recommended)
A5000    270MB Syquest    SQ327     SCSI-2 Alsystems     none
A4       105MB Syquest    -         PSCSI  Atomwide bid  none
                                           parallel
RPC600   135MB Syquest    EZ135     IDE    ICS           minor bugs
RPC600   135MB Syquest    EZ135     SCSI-C Morley        none
RPC600   105MB Syquest    -         IDE    ICS           none
A410/1   105MB Syquest    -         SCSI-U Morley        none
RPC600   200MB Syquest    SQ5200C   SCSI-2 Cumana        none
RPC600    88MB Syquest    SQ5110    SCSI-2 Cumana        none
A440/1    88MB Syquest    SQ5110    SCSI-U Morley        none

CD ROM 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Speed Manuf.     Model      Interface Interface Special
                                     type      manuf     Requirements
A310     3.4x  Toshib     XM5201     SCSI-1    Cuman/Oak CDX driver
A310     1x    Sony       CDU-541    SCSI-U    Morley    none
A410/1	 2x    Apple      CD300      SCSI-C    Morley    AppleSony module
A410/1   2x    Sanyo      CRD-250S   SCSI-2    Morley    none
A420/1   2x    Apple      CD300e     SCSI      TSP/AAD   CDFS 2.2+ driver
A3000    2x    Toshiba    XM-3401TA  SCSI      HCCS-8i   none
A3000    4.4x  Toshiba    XM-3601TA  SCSI      HCCS-8i   IOC CDFS SCSI2 driver
A5000    4.4x  Pioneer    DR-U124X   SCSI-2    Cumana    Eesox SCSI2dr
A5000    2x    Toshiba    XM-3401TA  SCSI      Cumana    EESOX CDFS_SCSI2 driver for photocd
A5000    2x    Aiwa       ACD300     SCSI-2    Alsystems none        
RPC600   4x    Sony       CDU76S     SCSI-2    Cumana    Eesox SCSI2 driver
RPC600   7x    Toshiba    XM-3701TA  SCSI-2    Cumana    Eesox SCSI2
RPC600   2x    Nakamichi  MBR-7      SCSI-2    Cumana    Eesox SCSI2 7cd changer
RPC600   4x    Sanyo      CRD-254S   SCSI-2    Cumana    EESOX scsi2 driver
RPC600   2x    Apple      CD300e     SCSI      Acorn MK3 CDFS 2.2+ driver
RPC600   4x    Cumana     Proteus    SCSI-2    Cumana    
RPC600   -     Plextor    PX-4XCS    SCSI-2    Cumana        
RPC600   4x    Toshiba    XM-3601TA  SCSI-1    TSP/AAD   EESOX SCSI2 driver
RPC600   2x    Cumana     Indigo     IDE       Cumana    none
RPC600   4x    Cumana     Proteus    SCSI-2    Cumana    none
RPC600   4x    Panasonic  PD-1 LF1000SCSI-2    Power-tec none
RPC600   4x    NEC        Multispin  SCSI-2    Power-tec none
RPC600   4x    Matsushita CR-504     SCSI-2    Power-tec none
RPC600   6x    Mitsumi    FX600      IDE       Acorn     CDFS2.30 or RO 3.6
RPC700   4.4x  Toshiba    XM-3601TA  SCSI-2    PowerTec  none
RPC700   2x    Sony       CDU50E     IDE       Acorn     none
RPC700   2x    Cuma.      Bravo      SLCD      Cumana    Unplug CDFSAtapi
RPC700   4x    Panasonic  CR504B     SCSI-C    Morley    none
   Problem Drives 
Many drives don't work with the standard drivers found in RiscOS. This is
usually due to differences between the implementation of ATAPI in the
drives. Third party drivers (soft-loadable modules) are available (eg from
EESOX) and some IDE and SCSI cards come with new drivers built in.
CD ROM Equivalents 
Manuf      Model        Manuf      Model
Apple      CD300        Sony       CDU-8003A Rev. 1.9a
Cumana     ProTeus      Panasonic  PD2000

Floppy disk 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Type   Size  Manuf.     Model      Interface Interface  Special
                                     type      manuf      Requirements
A310     5.25"  19Mb  QUME       HF24DR G05 SCSI-U    Morley     none
A5000    Zip    100MB Iomega     ZIP 100    SCSI      Oak        none
A5000    Zip    100MB Iomega     ZIP 100    SCSI      Lingenuity no LL format
* This scsi card will initialise a partition but won't low-level format
RPC600   Zip    100MB Iomega     ZIP 100    SCSI-2    Powertec   none
RPC700   Zip    100MB Iomega     ZIP 100    SCSI-2    Powertec   none
         Note: Powertec supports DOS format for Zip drives
RPC700   Zip    100MB Iomega     ZIP 100    SCSI-U    Morley     none


* see comments on Zip drives in the Tape Streamer section
    
Tape streamers 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Size    Type   Manuf.     Model      Interface Interface  Special
                                              type      manuf      Requirements
A5000    230MB   magopt Fujitsu    M2512A     SCSI-2    CUMANA     none
A540     230MB   magopt Fuji       2512A      SCSI      Oak        none
A540     230MB   magopt Fuji       2512A      SCSI-16   AAD        none
RPC600   230MB   magopt Fuji       2512A      SCSI      Acorn      !magopt
RPC600   2.3G    -      Exabyte    EXB-8200   SCSI-2    Cumana     !tapefs
         Settings: tapebackground off, tapemaxtransfer 64kb tapebuffer 512kb.
RPC600   230MB   magopt Fuji       2512A      SCSI      Oak        none
RPC600   230MB   magopt Fuji       2512A      SCSI      QD-16      none
RPC600   525MB   qic    ?          ?          SCSI-2    cumana  
         Settings: tapebackgrounding off, tapemaxtransfer 1, tapebuffer 16k, 
                   scsidisconnect 6 on and *unplug DMAManager
RPC600   2.3G    8mm    Exabyte    EXB 8200   SCSI-2    Cumana
         230kb/s Settings: tapebackgrounding off, tapemaxtransfer 64kb,
                           tapebuffer 512kb.
RPC700   1.3G    DAT    HP         -          SCSI-C    Morley     none
RPC700   1G      DAT    WangDAT    1300       SCSI      Cumana
         Settings: Backgrounding off, disconnect off, and set drive to 
                   SCSI-1 standard (because tapefs=scsi1?)
Tape equivalents 
Some data tapes are identical to consumer AV products. Most manufacturers
don't recommend use of the cheaper tapes for data storage but they do work. 
DDS or 4mm tape is equivalent to DAT (Digital Audio Tape). A two-hour tape
is the same as a 60m, and you can get three hours of audio on a 90m. 
8mm tape is equivalent to Video-8 . Currently I have no information on tape
sizes or merits of using standard or Hi8. 

   Configuration 
You may need to tweak the options to make your device work properly.
Different drives have different requirements, so experimentation might be
necessary. 

   Zip drives require a different setup from the other backup devices. Some
users report nothing more than running their scsi config software to
identify the drive to the system, the drive appearing as a hard disc.
Others are using MagFS. 

   To set up Magfs: 
Download Magfs from Hensa.
Set the MO$SCSI in the Run file of !MagOpt to to match the scsi id of the drive.
Insert a blank disk and run MO-form.
Enter 4 or 5 at first request.
Enetr N at second request for a low level format.
Run !Magopt. 

   Some magopt users are running tapefs. Don't know why. 

   Software for tape streamers can be obtained from the following sources: 

   tapefs is in
ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/mirrors/hensa/micros/arch/riscos/a/a050 
magfs is in
ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/mirrors/hensa/micros/arch/riscos/d/d160 
tar is in ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/mirrors/hensa/micros/arch/riscos/a/a052 
It has been found that the released version of tar won't handle image files
(archives, for example). A patched version is available which will cope
with these can be found at
ftp://ftp.comlab.ox.ac.uk:/tmp/Robin.Watts/Tar_hack 

Modems 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
