Re: 1541 – two computers, one drive

From: Jim Brain <brain_at_jbrain.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:52:52 -0500
Message-ID: <33bb3b11-c887-ba41-4c37-e17cffac06bb_at_jbrain.com>
On 3/25/2020 9:35 AM, silverdr_at_wfmh.org.pl wrote:
> https://www.wikizero.com/en/Commodore_64_peripherals
>
> says:
>
> "It was also possible, without requiring a VIC-switch, to connect two Commodore 64s to one 1541 floppy disk drive to simulate an elementary network, allowing the two computers to share data on a single disk (if the two computers made simultaneous requests, the 1541 handled one while returning an error to the other, which surprised many people who expected the 1541's less-than-stellar drive controller to crash or hang). This functionality also worked with a mixed combination of PET, VIC-20, and other selected Commodore 8-bit computers."
>
> Has anyone tested that? Is that a fully deterministic/reliable behaviour?
>
I can't even see how it would work.  The 64 doesn't check for activity 
on the bus before driving it, so that would corrupt transfers in progress.

I have to head off the work presently, but have two 64s sitting on the 
bench, so should be easy to test tonight, if someone doesn't before then.

JIm

-- 
Jim Brain
brain_at_jbrain.com
www.jbrain.com
Received on 2020-05-30 01:20:32

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