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From: tomf@cms2.UUCP (Tom Fortner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: MFM on RLL?
Message-ID: <148@cms2.UUCP>
Date: 14 Mar 90 22:49:35 GMT
References: <2881@uwm.edu>
Reply-To: tomf@cms2.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Distribution: all
Organization: Christian Medical & Dental Society
Lines: 28

In article <2881@uwm.edu> paravia@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark David Kakatsch) writes:
>Can an MFM drive be connected to an RLL controller? I can get a 40Mbyte 
>MFM drive for free, but I've got a '386 w/ an 65Mbyte RLL. (Gateway). I 
>know that MFM is pretty slow for a 386, but since it would be free, I wouldn't
>mind...Thanks much.
>
>Mark
>
>--
>| Albert Einstein got his name after he got| Mark D. Kakatsch                 |
>| smashed from drinking only one stein of  | paravia@csd4.csd.uwm.edu         |
>| beer. Hence; Albert EinStein.            | ...uwmcsd1!uwmcsd4!paravia       |

Mark,
An MFM controller formats to 17 sectors per cylinder. An RLL formats to 34
sectors per cylinder. It also increases the number of cylinders per platter.
You can use an RLL controller with an MFM disk, but be advised: the higher 
density format on the low density media runs a greatly increased risk of lost
data. Formatting a higher density drive to a lower density format does not 
run this risk. I have formatted a Seagate ST-225 (MFM, 21MB) with an RLL
card to 32MB. It stored data without error and still runs today. But I keep
it all backed up, understanding the risks involved.

-- 
    Tom Fortner
    Christian Medical & Dental Society
    UUCP: cms2!tomf     
    INTERNET: tomf@cms2.lonestar.org