SCSI-IDE on TT Falcon

The IDE-to-SCSI interface allows standard IDE storage devices to be used on the Atari Falcon/TT SCSI interface. Motivation to do this is due to difficulty in getting 50pin SCSI devices and abundance of cheaper IDE storage devices. Two such products are

1. ACARD TECHNOLOGIES AEC-7720U
2. IODATA IDSC-21.

The ACARD device is still being supported by the ACARD while the IODATA device seems to be out of support. Unfortunately for me, my ACARD refused to work on both my Atari and on my WinTel PC. This to no avail even after 2 weeks of correspondence with the ACRAD tech support engineers. Fortunately, I had better luck with the IODATA IDSC-21 device.

The IDSC-21 IDE-SCSI adapter

IDSC-21 plugs onto the 40-pin IDE interface of the IDE storage device. You have to align the pin 1 of the IDE interface IDSC-21 with that of IDE storage device. Pin 1 is clearly marked on the IDSC-21. Connecting the wrong way round will probably damage the IDSC-21. Make sure that the IDE storage device is jumper to be the drive. The outer facing side of the IDSC-21 is as shown above. This side is where the 50-pin SCSI cable will be connecting to as well as the power connecting via a provided Y-cable. The Jumpers are also visible on this side and must be jumper correctly. The Jumper settings are to be set as follows (the green coloured boxes are the settings I used for one of my IDSC-21 connecting a IDE hard disk)

The SCSI side of the IDSC21 IDE-SCSI adapter

IDSC-21 plugs onto the 40-pin IDE interface of the IDE storage device. You have to align the pin 1 of the IDE interface IDSC-21 with that of IDE storage device. Pin 1 is clearly marked on the IDSC-21. Connecting the wrong way round will probably damage the IDSC-21. Make sure that the IDE storage device is jumper to be the drive. The outer facing side of the IDSC-21 is as shown above. This side is where the 50-pin SCSI cable will be connecting to as well as the power connecting via a provided Y-cable. The Jumpers are also visible on this side and must be jumper correctly. The Jumper settings are to be set as follows (the green coloured boxes are the settings I used for one of my IDSC-21 connecting a IDE hard disk)

SCSI ID Switches *0 = jumper not inserted. 1 = jumper inserted.

SCSI1/2 Mode when ATA device is used

ATA transfer mode when an ATA device is used

ATAPI device type when an ATAPI device is used

Flash ROM

SCSI Termination

REQ Buffer setup connector (CN5)

After setting the jumper setting, connect the SCSI cable to the IDSC-21 and power cable to both IDSC-21 & the IDE storage After setting the jumper setting, connect the SCSI cable to the IDSC-21 and power cable to both IDSC-21 & the IDE storage device. On bootup your Atari should see the IDE devices as SCSI devices with the SCSI ID that you set on the back panel of the IDSC-21. Your normal hard disk partition and format tools will work as normal and see the IDE storage as a SCSI device. It is advisable to do a reformat and partition so that Atari specific information is written on to the storage device.

I have success with IDE hard disk, IDE CD-ROM & IDE CDRW drives with the IDSC-21E adapter on both my Falcon and TT.

What's next.... probably a SCSI-IDE adapter chain to IDE-SATA adapter to connect up SATA devices as IDE devices dries up :-( Have Fun!!

See you at

WongCK

created: 20 Jan 2009