Date   : Sat, 17 Feb 1990 03:26:59 GMT
From   : zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!eve.usc.edu!mlinar@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mitch Mlinar)
Subject: Kaypro DSDD 5.25" floppy parameters

In article <1647@mipos3.intel.com> dbraun@cadev5.UUCP (Doug Braun ~) writes:
>
>How is it that this format has 10 sectors per track, while IBM PCs
>have only 9 (and the old ones could only get 8 in)?
>

This is possible since a track on disk has lots of stuff around it for
synchronization, etc.  The actual number of bytes per track is fixed and
dependent upon the method and disk size (FM/MFM, SD/DD).

Kaypro "shortchanged" the synchronization header and intermediate headers so
that an extra sector could be squeezed into it.  Nine is possible even
using the manufacturers recommended track format;  IBM used eight originally
because it simplified the BIOS logical to physical sector xlation.