Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watcgl!watmum!smvorkoetter
From: smvorkoetter@watmum.waterloo.edu (Stefan M. Vorkoetter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: ST506 Disk Drive
Keywords: hard disk, controller, interface
Message-ID: <10549@watcgl.waterloo.edu>
Date: 4 Jul 89 20:13:55 GMT
Sender: daemon@watcgl.waterloo.edu
Distribution: na
Lines: 26


I have picked up an old ST506 disk drive and Davong controller
for it.  Clearly, the drive uses the ST506 standard interface.

What I want to know is this:  Where can I find the details of
the ST506 interface, and the meaning of the DIP switches on the
controller cards (there are two cards, piggy-backed).

I want to know about the ST506 interface in general because I
eventually want to use the drive in a homebrew non-IBM compatible
(gasp :-) system.  I want to know about the switches on the
controller so I can try out the drive in my XT first.  I may
also build a slot into my homebrew system to accept the controller
as-is.  

Where does one find out about programming hard disks at the low
level (ie. below the BIOS, my machine will obviously not have a
PC BIOS)?  

Finally, can someone tell me something about the ST506 disk
itself.  What is the capacity?  Cylinders, heads, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Stefan Vorkoetter
(smvorkoetter@watmum.waterloo.edu)