Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!gatech!mcnc!thorin!clocs!davis From: davis@clocs.cs.unc.edu (Mark Davis) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: 1.2M drive in an XT Summary: WD 1002 FOX, and it should work, but booting is hard. Keywords: WD 1002 FOX 1.44M 1.2M Floppy Drive Controllers Message-ID: <9369@thorin.cs.unc.edu> Date: 6 Sep 89 16:52:48 GMT References: <12553@s.ms.uky.edu> <3561@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> Sender: news@thorin.cs.unc.edu Reply-To: davis@cs.unc.edu (Mark Davis) Organization: University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Lines: 54 In article kv56962@tut.fi (V{{r{nen Kari) writes: >In article <3561@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> mbb@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (martin.b.brilliant) writes: > ... >> I don't know how it was done, because it was done by the clonemaker, >> but I know it can be done, because I have it. I have an XTurbo-10 >> clone with a Mitsumi 1.2M drive (with a DTK 3.5" floppy controller) as >> drive A, no drive B, and a 30M Seagate kit for drive C. > ... >What controller is that? Can it controll 1.44 MB drives too? Someone >sent here an article about 1.44 MB floppies and WD FOX3 (was it FOX3?) >controller. He wrote that it works on IBM XT (8088). I'd like to buy a >1.44 MB drive too, but which one? And which controller? I have an XT >clone... >Kari Vaaranen ... kv56962@tut.fi I bought a "1.44 Meg 3.5" Floppy Drive system for IBM/XT" from Shamrock (1-800-722-2898). It consisted of a disk with driver software, a floppy disk (can't remember brand) with adapter, and the controller. The controller (as printed on the board) was a: Western Digital WD 1002 FOX I suspect this is what is commonly called the WD-FOX. The controller has a chip with a date and version printed on a sticker, but I can't find any BIOS ROM while the computer is running. The documentation supplied by Franklin Telecom (who actually integrated the package for Shamrock) specified the jumper settings on the board, but did not give any details. I installed it in my Tandy 1200HD (a PC clone made by Tandon, but with a hard disk installed). I run PC/DOS 3.3 without any drivers and it works fine as drive B. I never could get it to boot (either as 720K or 1.44M) as drive A. Otherwise, it works fine. I think Shamrock wants $199 for the kit now. My assessments (could be wrong, but I have persuasive data): 1. The WD 1002 FOX will handle 1.2 Meg drives. Make sure you get documents with the board, though, so you know how to set those jumpers. 2. Booting from a floppy drive depends on the computer's BIOS. Most of the "XT" BIOS I see advertised have the ability to handle 360K and 720K drives, but I have yet to see one that says it will handle anything bigger. It may be hard to find a BIOS that will handle only a 1.2 or 1.44 drive. The quote above is an existence proof, though. 3. You should be able to get a WD - FOX, put a 360K drive as A, a 1.2 meg drive as B and live happily ever after (with maybe a DRIVPARM along the way). Hope this helps - Mark (davis@cs.unc.edu or uunet!mcnc!davis)