Blast from the past? - Miniscribe 8438

[HoustonHusker]

I happen to be the proud owner of a Sanyo Model MBC-16 Plus 1 personal computer. (Well, I was.) The Sanyo has been in a box for better than five years (yes, I was still using it 5 years ago - 1998). I've moved from the 8MHz Sanyo (switchable to 4.7MHz!!) to my present 2.66GHz box. (In 1998 there was a 400MHz box, though - it's still a daily use machine - the 2.66GHz came last December).

My problem - the Sanyo has some files I'd love to transfer to either of the other machines. Neither of the new machines has a 5 1/4 floppy. I bought an old 5 1/4 and tried to get it running in the 400MHz (Win 98), but I can't get the machine to recognize the second floppy drive.

What I'd like to do is skip the floppy process altogether. Can I stuff that Miniscribe 8438 drive into either of the newer machines? Is there any way to network that old Sanyo - at least long enough to suck the data from it?

All advice welcome!

Thanks in advance

Todd

[HoustonHusker]

The computer has an 8088 chip. It also has an RS232C port. And it does run - I had it powered up this evening before I ripped it open to see what made it run. (While I have an amber monitor (monochrome) running on the thing, it appears that it will take a color monitor.)

I've spent the last couple of hours trying to find something out about this PC and have found ZIP! I can't even prove that this thing existed, aside from the one here in my house - there are NO references to this machine on the web - even the e-museums of old PCs don't even mention this thing.

What I have found out is that it seems possible that this thing can be networked....or something like networked. I'd rather shove the drive into one of my existing machines to drain it, though.

Once I get my data off of this thing (if possible without jumping through a ridiculous number of hoops) I'll check around to see if it's worth anything (like the stamp with the upside down airplane - yeah, sure!)

Anyway, thanks again.

Todd

[Fushigi]

Parallel port CD-R or hard drive with DOS drivers. Maybe something from Backpack?

In theory if one of your newer PCs still had an ISA slot the hard drive controller for the Miniscribe should be able to be installed, although I don't know if you could run anything more advanced than DOS on it.

The better thing may be a network. I'm sure you could pick up an ISA network card for pretty close to nothing from ebay or somesuch, but you'd need to be sure that DOS drivers are provided.

[HoustonHusker]

Fushigi

Ok - I have an ISA slot open in the 400MHz machine (Win 98) - you said I may only be able to run DOS on it? Meaning that to copy the files I have to do it from the C prompt?

Thanks!

Todd

[Mercutio]

What you want is a null-modem cable, and some kind of terminal program, like Telix (if it'll fit on a floppy. If not, there's always Kermit). You have Hyperterminal on the other side, and both programs IIRC offer something that'll allow for serial-line file transfers.

The only other thing you'll need to know is which serial port is which.
Also, on a machine that old, your COM port is going to have the world's crappiest UART, so don't be surprised if you can't do better than 2400bps.

Also, when transferring, use ZMODEM if possible.

[Mercutio]

If you've got an open ISA slot and a studly understanding of DOS, you can probably slap in a 3C509 and make yourself a LAN Manager client boot disk.

Also, if you have DOS 6 on your old guy, I think the protocol for Win98's Direct Cable Connection" is the same as the one used by the DOS "InterSRV.EXE" and "InterLNK.EXE".

I think you're going to be stuck with some command line work, though.

[P5-133XL]

If you've got an open ISA slot then you may be able to get an old ISA SCSI (an adaptec 154x card (you can get them on E-Bay) and a SCSI drive with the appropiate cable. There is also the possibility of getting an old ISA IDE controller (something like an EIDEMAX II from promise that supports 8.4+ GB drives). Either of these controllers/drive combinations give the possibility of actually doing a direct drive transfer.

[Fushigi]

If you've got an open ISA slot then you may be able to get an old ISA SCSI (an adaptec 154x card (you can get them on E-Bay) and a SCSI drive with the appropiate cable. There is also the possibility of getting an old ISA IDE controller (something like an EIDEMAX II from promise that supports 8.4+ GB drives). Either of these controllers/drive combinations give the possibility of actually doing a direct drive transfer.Oh, so you're thinking add a newer drive to the old box vs. my idea of adding the old drive to a newer box. Quite true, this is another possibility that could work.

Todd, what version of DOS is on the old PC? Type VER at the DOS prompt to find out.

[HoustonHusker]

The machine has dos 3.3 installed (don't have any disks for that, though!)

Are there any reference materials for networking between dos and win 98 or win xp? like how to actually make the file transfer?

Thanks

Todd

[HoustonHusker]

I guess the file transfer would be the good old copy command, now that I think about it - just have to name the drive, I guess.

Duh!

Todd

[HoustonHusker]

Here's new info - the drive is running on a WD1002-27X controller. I found a spec sheet (with swith settings!) at embeddedlogic.com. I've never heard of that site, but they had the info!!

Basically this is an ISA card that will handle two RLL drives - the data bus is 8-bit PC/XT.

Any chance I can just stuff this into my 400MHz?

Thanks

Todd

[Mercutio]

I'd be frightened to move that card out to another machine but if it's ISA and you've got ISA slots on your 400MHz PC, it should in theory work with only the the change of some jumpers. I've had lousy, LOUSY luck trying to put MFM/RLL drives in anything faster than a 486 (granted, it's only come up in my life maybe four or five times since 1995).

I still think a null modem cable is your best bet.

[Mercutio]

I'd be frightened to move that card out to another machine but if it's ISA and you've got ISA slots on your 400MHz PC, it should in theory work with only the the change of some jumpers. I've had lousy, LOUSY luck trying to put MFM/RLL drives in anything faster than a 486 (granted, it's only come up in my life maybe four or five times since 1995).

I still think a null modem cable is your best bet.

[HoustonHusker]

Ok - I think the problem is solved - possibly so simple it's silly. Just got off the phone with a guy from the office - he said he's got DOS drivers for an external ZIP drive that'll run through the parallel port.

Could it really be that simple? Plug in the Iomega and I'm done?

I'll find out tomorrow - got the old machine back together and humming right along.

I'll let you all know how it comes out (IF it comes out)

Thanks!

Todd

[HoustonHusker]

Ya know......come to think of it - Fushigi had this thing pretty well pegged from the beginning - only I focused on the ISA comment he made, rather than the parallel port comment.....

(This was just a P.S.)

Thanks

Todd