Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ccut!wnoc-tyo-news!toumon!wucc!ytsuji From: ytsuji@wucc.waseda.ac.jp (Y.Tsuji) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech Subject: Re: 1.44 MB project Summary: I will cancel my appeal then very soon. Keywords: Floppy Disk Message-ID: <5832@wucc.waseda.ac.jp> Date: 11 Jun 91 21:34:47 GMT References: <5827@wucc.waseda.ac.jp> <1991Jun11.150348.22250@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> Sender: news@wucc.waseda.ac.jp Organization: The Centre for Informatics, WASEDA Univ. Lines: 50 In article <1991Jun11.150348.22250@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>, csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod) writes: --------------quotes -------- > ytsuji@wucc.waseda.ac.jp (Y.Tsuji) writes: > > >I posted an appeal for beta testers of a 1.44 MB drive hack six weeks > >ago and have received 23 responses. I admit the instructions were > >not intelligible to people who had never used soldering irons, but to > >be honest, I had expected at least one person would succeed to build a > >fine adaptor or at least one person would be asking me to lend the > >adaptor. I shouldn't have been surprised to realise how really few > >people are seriously committed to ATARI ST. After all, we haven't had > >real applications other than music and printing. > > The problem with your appeal is that we all already have HD disks connected > to our STs 8-) - at least in Germany. I was one of the developpers of this > hack; our article appeared in 'ST-Computer' 1/90. Commercial HD disk > adapters are available at every corner, and the principles used are > published. This is probably why you got such a weak response. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2, Things. Take. Time. > D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, Germany (Piet Hein) > csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de > Claus_Brod@wue.maus.de > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- I didn't know of your hack, I am very sorry. What I have known is a product known as HD-Module from ATARI-WORKSHOP in Windsor (England), which I assume comes from Compu-ware (I see German names like Herrman on the manual). It is the size of a WD1772 so that it can be soldered on the Wd1772 easily. If that was ever as good as it claims, I hadn't had any reason to make my own. A couple of fatal defects I couldn't stand: (1) No way of connecting two HD drives. (the interface is default GND!) (2) Have to set the step rate. Or leave the step rate 6 ms for 2DD mode. I will have to recompile or do something for all the software that supposes 3 ms the default speed (e.g. Minix). I cannot forget I left an HD floppy in the slot when I boot. (3) Non-standard formatting program (They think TOS's formatting program is good enough and use bios calls to physically format 18 sectors per track.) (4) the way LOW_DENSITY signal was created with the help of a transistor couldn't please me. The fact there are either uninterested people or people satisfied with the German product compels me to cancel my posting in a day or two. If Herr Brod and other Germans could fill the gap and advise people to contact the company that sell the adaptor, I think I shouldn't stand in their way. Tsuji