Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!qucdn!leek
Organization: Queen's University at Kingston
Date: Thursday, 23 May 1991 11:43:09 EDT
From: <LEEK@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Message-ID: <91143.114309LEEK@QUCDN.QueensU.CA>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: Adding an IBM type 3.5" High Density Drive to Amiga
References: <1991May7.002625.1696@tplrd.tpl.oz.au> <13613@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
 <1991May21.025924.4583@tplrd.tpl.oz.au>

In article <1991May21.025924.4583@tplrd.tpl.oz.au>, markb@tplrd.tpl.oz.au (Mark
Bower) says:

>Why can't I use an external buffer/500 kHz bit rate sync circuit? Thats
>what my 8 bit HD Floppy controller does thats sitting in my PC. Granted,
>it's more involved than simply plugging in a drive and using it but it's
>certainly not impossible.
>

Sure.  It might be slightly easier and cheaper to hook up a PC style floppy to
the Amiga bus.  Now the only problem is that the floppy controller chip have
a very small buffer - 4 bytes (I think).  On the PC there is a DMA channel
servicing that.  You'll have to be able to keep up with the data transfer...

Since you are in Computer Engineering, I'll leave the PC interface as an
exercise for the student.  The ISA bus cycles are very similar to that
of the Amiga bus cycles.  With a little of glue logics, you should be
able to get away with something that can talk to the floppy disk controller.
        --------
(Note: keyword 'get away' == not even close to 100% compatible, but works
       for this particular purposes on most configurations.)

>
>Mark
>                                                              /\
>------------------------------------------------------------|/  \
>/-----------
>Mark F. Bower.  (markb@tplrd.tpl.oz.au)  |  -Music == Life-      \/ -808
>State-
>Telectronics Pacing Systems R & D        | UNIX 8*), PC :-(, and Amiga :-)
>user
>7 Sirius Rd, Lane Cove 2066,
>|-------------------------------------
>Australia | Phone (Voice) <aust> 413 6913|   Disclaimer: All opinions my own
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-

K. C. Lee
P.S.  The above view do not represent this workstation nor its owner(s).