Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!lll-winken!aunro!alberta!arcsun.arc.ab.ca!arcsun!kenw From: kenw@skyler.arc.ab.ca (Ken Wallewein) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Re: 8" Flopper Message-ID: Date: 3 Jun 91 01:46:37 GMT References: Sender: nobody@arc.ab.ca (Absolutely Nobody) Organization: Alberta Research Council, Calgary Alberta, Canada Lines: 49 In-Reply-To: ben@epmooch.UUCP's message of 29 May 91 12:15:13 GMT The pinout seems to be pretty standard, but implementation/usage did vary a bit. e.g. sometimes the drive select lines were "multiplexed". Anyway, here's how it's defined in the docs for my S100 controller and CDC drives: (all lines active low; "->" means controller-sent, "<-" means drive-sent) -- All odd-numbered lines, e.g. 1,3,5...49, all on one side of the connector, are grounded. This is to improve signal propagation on the ribbon cable. -> 2: LOW-CURRENT, track number is > 43; reduce head write current for DSDD -> 6: " (may be same as above or unused - not clear on this) 8: not used <- 10: 2SIDED, disk is double-sided <- 12: DISKCHG, door was opened (may not be provided) -> 14: SIDESEL, side/head select -> 16: INUSE, turns on "in use" LED, may latch door -> 18: HLD, head load (8" drive load the heads instead of starting the motor, which never stops). <- 20: IP, index pulse <- 22: RDY, drive is ready <- 24: SECTOR, sector hole detected (for hard-sectored disks only) -> 26: DRVSEL1, drive select 1 -> 28: DRVSEL2, drive select 2 -> 30: DRVSEL3, drive select 3 -> 32: DRVSEL4, drive select 4 -> 34: DIR, head step direction -> 36: STEP, step the heads -> 38: WDATA, write data -> 40: WGATE, write enable <- 42: TRK00, drive is at track 0 (home) <- 44: WPROT, disk is write protected <- 46: RDATA, raw read data <- 48: separated data, not usually used <- 50: separated clock, " " " As I understand it, 8" floppies run at 500Khz, as opposed to 250 Khz for 5 1/4" drives. Not sure about 3 1/2", but seem to recall they're like 8" drives. Of course, then one has to allow for density. I've often thought I wouldn't mind hooking up my DSDD CDC 8" drives to my Amy. They were fast, reliable, held a lot of data, and I have more blank disks sitting around than I know what do do with. -- /kenw Ken Wallewein A L B E R T A kenw@noah.arc.ab.ca R E S E A R C H (403)297-2660 C O U N C I L