Anyone using the MFM board with an MVME320?

[David Waine]

Hi,

I am just starting out on a massive learning curve; trying to bring an MVME320 Disk Controller to life.  I just wondered if anyone else was doing the same.

I am only proposing to connect the 320 to an emulated HD, not a FD.

I am starting from real basics; learning how to work with the MFM Emulator and also reading up on the VME board.  I've got a 320B part (i.e. Not the 320 or 320A) and it's the one with the connectors designed for cable entry at the front (i.e. Not the -I part).

The documentation I have is the 320B User Manual dated Jan88 which I got from BitSavers.  I've also got the generic CM5000 series Hard Disk manual dated April 82, also from BitSavers.

The CM5000 5Meg (formatted) part is more correctly the CM5206 and it's this part which was used in the Motorola System/10.  I found images of VersaDos and maybe System V/68 here;

http://www.gaby.de/edownl.htm

(Scroll down to "Other" and start looking there).

Right now, the only host processor I have is an MVME-110 by the way.  This may or may not be good enough for the task at hand....

It's my ultimate goal to try and load a VersaDos image onto an emulated CM5206 and see if I can get it to boot.  None of this has any point by the way, I'm doing it because I enjoy the learning process.

If anyone is attempting similar or has any comments, I'd be really pleased to hear from you.

Kind regards,

Dave