Midwest Scientific (MSI) FD-8 8" Floppy disk documentation?

[bzotto]

Hi, I have come by one of these drives, and although I've seen plenty of advertisements for them in scans etc, I've come up short on documentation for interfacing/using it. The mechanism is from GSI (which doesn't seem to have been especially prolific either?). Looks like as below. Didn't spot anything on bitsavers, iarchive, or Herb Johnson's site. Anyone got one on a shelf somewhere for a scan (or sale?). Thanks!

 

[Al Kossow]

MSI was a company that sold into the 6800 hobbyist world. I see there are a bunch of MSI documents on ebay right now
https://www.ebay.com/itm/313989099971 has a two-page description. A manual for it sold, but the listing has
vanished https://www.ebay.com/itm/313442914096 I suppose there many be a tiny chance whoever bought it reads
this sometime in the future. Sadly, very few 'collectable' manuals bought on eBay are ever scanned and made generally available
which is why I follow the listings so closely and try to buy them (if they aren't too expensive) before they vanish forever.

There should be an intelligent controller inside your unit, pictures of the inside of the yours would be a good thing to
archive.

I assume you looked at this already? https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102686822

 

[Al Kossow]

may, 1974

 

[Al Kossow]

GSI drives were also used on Ohio Scientific systems with their 470 controller, so OSI people might have docs on the drive

 

[bzotto]

There should be an intelligent controller inside your unit, pictures of the inside of the yours would be a good thing to
archive.

Thanks Al. The drive is in semi-rough shape from questionable storage but once I get to really working with it I'll clean up and get some good photos of the internal controller. Where's a good place to send those? Do you host imagery like that on bitsavers?

Thanks for the GSI leads. I haven't seen the CHM material which looks like is mainly marketing, but will try to request it next time I'm in the neighborhood for research. Will look around for OSI/GSI stuff too. Thanks again.