Date   : Tue, 18 Oct 2005 23:59:53 +0100
From   : "David Hunt" <dm.hunt@...>
Subject: Re: Banana Discs was: Flippy Discs

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Majordomo List Manager [mailto:majordomo@...] On Behalf Of
> Richard Gellman
> Sent: 18 October 2005 16:00
> To: bbc-micro@...
> Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Banana Discs was: Flippy Discs
> 
> David Hunt wrote:
> 
> >I believe the only difference between Flippy and Banana discs was the
> need
> >to "nibble out" an extra write protect notch.
> >
> >
> And the additional index hole window. The floppy disk has a hole which
> the drive uses to detect when it has reached sector 0 in its rotation,
> and the window in the disk case exposes this hole such that a
> standardly-positioned short-range IR sensor can detect this hole.
> 
> If you cut a second write-protect hole in a normal floppy disk, it will
> not make it flippable, as the flipped disk will have the index hole
> window in the wrong place, and the drive will never see the index hole.
> 
> In actual fact, a flippable disk doesn't need a write-protect hole
> cutting out to make it flippable. See the double-sided disks sold by
> superior software in their latter days.
> 
> -- Richard

Both the Flippy discs and the Banana discs have the extra index hole.

You do need an extra write protect notch cut with a "nibbler" if you want to
write to the disc, the Superior discs were meant only to be read.

Like I mentioned, that was the only difference between Banana and Flippy
discs.

Dave ;)