Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-col!hpldola!hp-lsd!davem
From: davem@hp-lsd.COS.HP.COM (Dave K. Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: IBM 3.5 low-density drives as A500 external drive?
Message-ID: <19620025@hp-lsd.COS.HP.COM>
Date: 6 Jun 91 14:41:26 GMT
References: <1991Jun4.184131.10205@iitmax.iit.edu>
Organization: HP Logic Systems Division - Col
Lines: 14

Yes, you can interface low density IBM drives to an Amiga easily.  The biggest
problem is you need a two chip circut to latch the drive motor on.  In the 
several that I have adapted, I've also had to fool with getting the correct 
diskchange signal generated.  None of the IBM drives I've used generated the 
proper signal but that can be generated using an unused flip-flop on the 
interface chips.  With the exception of the diskchange, the same interface is
used in the C= 1010 and the California Access CA-880's.

I suppose the 'easily' in the opening sentence assumes that you have a fair 
amount of electronics hacking experience :-)  Even with the experience, I
learned an awful lot about how disk drives work on my first attempt.


davem