Date   : Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:18:21
From   : "Steve O'Leary" <navalenigma@...>
Subject: Re: 40-track drives

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> To: bbc-micro@...> From: BBCMailingList@beebmaster.co.uk> Date:
Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:52:47 +0100> Subject: [BBC-Micro] 40-track drives> >
Is there any way to "cheat" with 40-track drives to make them > work as 80
tracks?  I know you can do this the other way round> with 80 track drives by
double-stepping them.  Can 40-track drives> be "half-stepped"??> > Best
wishes,> > Ian> 
No, for two reasons. Firstly the sensitive area of the read write head in
a 40 track drive is twice the size and the physical gearing/electronics
won't allow a half step.
Even if you could half step it the head (because it's larger) would read
two tracks at once and data would be corrupted. It works the other way round
because all the drive has to do is do two steps and the head although half
the size will still hit on the 40 track data becuase the magnetic area of
the track is twice as big as 80 track.
 
Perhaps there are exceptions where a 40 track has a higher quality 80
track head, but then you may as well make it 40/80 switchable. 
 
 
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