Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mcrware!jejones
From: jejones@mcrware.UUCP (James Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os9
Subject: Re: 3-1/2 inch floppy drives
Summary: general advice
Keywords: device descriptors
Message-ID: <716@mcrware.UUCP>
Date: 27 Jul 88 14:25:22 GMT
References: <385@mfgfoc.UUCP>
Organization: Microware Systems Corp., Des Moines, Ia.
Lines: 20

In article <385@mfgfoc.UUCP>, bill@mfgfoc.UUCP (Bill McDowell) writes:
> I am considering using a 3-1/2 inch floppy drive (Fuji M2537K)
> on a system running OS9/68000 version 2.2
> 
> I am under the impression so far that the OS only supports
> 5-1/4 and 8 inch floppy drives directly, although I can use a
> descriptor intended for an 80-track 5-1/4 drive to obtain
> 640kBytes on the Fuji M2537K.

The only time I ever hacked device drivers was long ago in Oklahoma, but...
some general advice: first, make sure your controller can handle that format;
then, find out whether the device driver is written to support it.  If it is,
then find out whether it checks for a particular value in, say, PD_TYP or
some such field in the device descriptor to decide whether to use that format,
and create an appropriate device descriptor.

If the controller can do what you want, but the driver doesn't support it,
then it's time to go to the folks who wrote the device driver.

		James Jones