Date : Tue, 06 Aug 2002 15:55:14 +0100
From : "Dawn and Austin" <dawnandoz@...>
Subject: Re: Using 1.44Mb HD Floppy drives with a Master 128
Chris,
Thank you so much. You have clearly gone to a lot of trouble to find out
this information.
Based on what you have given me, it would seem that I'm using the type (2)
3.5" drive. Namely the 'Standard High Density' which formats disks at
1.44Mb and 720Kb.
I'll read your attached pin definition document very carefully tonight. I
should point out, however, that the drives I'm using are 'Bog-Standard'
Mitsumi ones of the type you get in PC's. They cost about £7 if you buy
them. They feature no jumpers whatsoever (at least none accessible from
outside the casing) so I'm left with very little to play with. I'll also
try covering the hole in the floppy disk and see if that improves matters.
The only thing confusing me a little is that Sprow makes it all seem so
easy, and other people are clearly enjoying success with using PC 3.5" FD
drives on their Beebs. What on earth am I doing wrong?
At least one of the Master 128's I'm trying it on is bog standard i.e. with
ADFS and 1770 DFS.
Austin.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Thornley" <C.J.Thornley@...>
To: "'Dawn and Austin'" <dawnandoz@...>; <bbc-micro@...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2002 2:08 PM
Subject: RE: [BBC-Micro] Using 1.44Mb HD Floppy drives with a Master 128
> Hi,
>
> Shuggart Disk drives 3.5 inch
> There are 5 types of 3.5 inch drive
> (1) The Quad Density Floppy (2.88MB) (1.44MB) (720KB)
> (2) The Standard High Density (1.44MB) (720KB)
> (3) The Tri or Multi Mode High Density Floppy (1.44MB)
> (1.2MB) (720KB)
> (4) The Standard Low Density Floppy (720KB)
> (5) Very Old Single Sided Disk Drives
>
> Type (1) Is a Quad Density Floppy Drive which operates at 300rpm and has
> three transfer speeds.
> Type (2) Is a standard high density floppy which operates at 300rpm and
> has two transfer speeds.
> Type (3) Is a Tri mode high density floppy drive which operates at
> 300rpm and 360rpm and has two transfer speeds.
> Type (4) Is a standard low density floppy which has one transfer speed.
>
> The high density drives contain a optical or mechanical media sensor
> which instruct the drives to the correct transfer speed to operate in.
> Therefore if you insert a high density disk into a drive it will switch
> into its high speed mode. Disks can be fooled by placing some tape over
> the high density notch but they wont be as reliable as standard low
> density floppies.
>
> Shuggart Disk Drives 5.25 inch
> There are 4 types of 5.25inch drive
> (1) The High Density Floppy (1.22MB)
> (2) Low Density 80Trk 96Tpi (720KB)
> (3) Low Density 40Trk 48Tpi (360KB)
> (4) Very Old Single Sided Disks Drives
>
> Type (1) Is a High Density Drive which can operate at 300rpm and 360rpm
> and has two transfer speeds.
> Type (2) Is a Low Density 98Tpi drive which can operate at 300rpm with
> one transfer speed.
> Type (3) Is a Low Density 48Tpi drive which can operate at 300rpm with
> one transfer speed.
>
> On 5.25 drives if you put a logic 1 on pin 2 they should resort back to
> there 300rpm modes and conversely a logic 0 will be 360rpm high density.
>
>
> The Attached Document has connection details for the shuggart interface
> some of the pins have neumours uses depending on if the manufacturer has
> obeyed the standard or if the correct jumper is set.
>
> Also the newer drives will be operating slightly faster than there older
> cousins so they might be missing pulses and therefore you will have to
> alter your keyboard links.
>
> The 40 80 track problem Watford DFS required a *FX command to implement
> double step and Solidisk DFS required a *dblestep command. If your drive
> has no double step switch. I have found a circuit if anyone interested
> which has details of these modifications for the 40 80 Switching unit.
>
> Thanks
> Chris
>
> /> Christopher J. Thornley is
> cjt@...
> ( //------------------------------------------------------,
> (*)OXOXOXOXO(*>=*=O=S=U=0=3=6=*=--------- >
> ( \\------------------------------------------------------'
> \> Home Page :-http://www.coolrose.fsnet.co.uk
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-bbc-micro@... [mailto:owner-bbc-micro@...]
> On Behalf Of Dawn and Austin
> Sent: 06 August 2002 11:01
> To: bbc-micro@...
> Subject: [BBC-Micro] Using 1.44Mb HD Floppy drives with a Master 128
>
>
> Having a few problems with this conversion, and I think that it's
> related to the floppy cable that I'm using.
>
> The only connector that I have is from a recent PC. It is the shorter
> type with the 'twist' in the cable, as opposed to the older ones which
> were longer and had several IDC connectors along their length. Some
> 'before' the twist, some 'after'.
>
> When I try to *FORM the disc, the drive begins to spin (very slowly) but
> the light doesn't come on and the format program on the BBC just sits
> there telling me it's formatting sector 00_
>
> As an aside, which *FORM command should I use once I get the drive
> working- 40 or 80?
>
> Am I also right in assuming I can use modern HD floppies like with PC's,
> or would I have to dig out some of my old Archimedes discs?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Austin.
>
> P.S. I've read the excellent article on this from Sprow's Webpages (
> http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/rjsprowson/bbc/reference.htm#35indisc )
> I'm just being lazy by trying to use existing stuff rather than make my
> own cable. ;-)
>