> From: NetBSD Bob <nbsdbob@weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
> Subject: Re: TK50 compatible tape transports?  EUREKA!
> To: vance@ikickass.org (Vance Dereksen)
> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 15:31:00 -0400 (EDT)
> Cc: linc@thelinuxlink.net (linc), cmcmanis@mcmanis.com (Chuck McManis),
>         wonko@tmok.com (Brian Hechinger), port-vax@netbsd.org
> 
> > What if there are TK50 tape-specific translations going on that would
> > preclude someone from using a tape larger than a TK50?
> 
> I would gladly trade 95mb capacity Viper (DC6150) reliabilty for TK50
> unreliability, ANYTIME.
> 
> 95/150==63%... not too shabby for retaining some old-tyme VAX boot
> capability.
> 
> Now, who knows enough hardware/driver bits to be able to pull
> something like that off.

Let me try putting on my hardware designer hat and show some skepticism.

Certainly there has to be bidirectional data transport across the
interface between TK50 and SCSI.  But command and control flows from
the SCSI to the TK50 while status report flows the other way.  If
nothing else, the principle of minimum engineering effort would make it
extremely unlikely that a full two-way command control and status
translation would be put into this specialized interface board.

Really nice speculation, though.  


     carl

        carl lowenstein         marine physical lab     u.c. san diego
                                                  clowenstein@ucsd.edu