🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm running a new motherboard Z100 with a single 5.25 inch 360K drive, a
set of dual 8 inch 1.2MB drives and a color monitor with 768K RAM and
8 MHz speed, these last two courtesy of the Software Wizardry kits.

Recently, another Z100 became available when its power supply died.
It has a few things I wouldn't mind adding, such as a Hudson board
(256K RAM with an 8087-3), a 10MB hard disk with Z217 controller, and
a Gemini board.  Mostly, I'd like to use the hard disk, and if the
extra 256K RAM could be used, so much the better (you can *never* have
enough memory!).  I know the 8087-3 is only reliable at 5 MHz, and I'd
rather stay at 8 MHz for now, since I don't do much that could use an 8087.

First, can I use the Hudson board for its RAM only?  It was installed by
a former employee, who subsequently ate the docs, best I can tell.  It
looks like the 8087 was removed from the board and placed on the Gemini
board (does this sound right?).  When I placed the board sans 8087 into the
card cage, the system got yea, verily confused.  Took it back out.

Second, can I use the hard disk WITHOUT the Gemini board?  I know the
current PART setup has both a Z100 and a Gemini partition, so I'd have to
re-partition the drive, but that's fine.  I just can't get the system to
acknowledge there's a hard disk there.  It looks straightforward: power
connector P6 into Z217 board, P3 onto the data separator board, P4 onto
the power extension harness that feeds the drive itself, data separator
cable 134-1279 from the Z217 to the data separator, drive cable 134-1281
from the Z217 to the drive itself, both cables with left edge red as 
viewed from the keyboard.  The Z217 board is in the third card cage slot
from the keyboard, and I tried the Hudson board in the fourth slot.

From the Monitor prompt, <B>oot <F3> gives Device error, though the access
light comes on the hard disk.  Trying PART from the Winchester Utilities
disk (responding Y to the "are you sure" query) instantly returns to the
DOS prompt.  It looks like the system doesn't know the hard disk is there,
even after power-cycling a few times.

There aren't any other hard disk Z100 machines around, so I can't swap
controllers or disks.  From the description of the user who was working in
Wordstar when this machine died, it was a pure and simple power supply death.
This could be wrong, and it's possible the hard disk itself died, but we've
had other power supplies die at about this age (circumstantial evidence :).

Any Z100 experts who could suggest something I've overlooked, can answer some
of these questions, or can suggest other tests to try will be held in
highest esteem by all of the salmon native to the state of Washington.
And I'll appreciate it, too!  Thank you very much!

"Moby" Dick O'Connor                         djo7613@u.washington.edu 
Washington Department of Fisheries           *I brake for salmonids* 
"Moby" Dick O'Connor                         djo7613@u.washington.edu 
Washington Department of Fisheries           *I brake for salmonids*