Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!mailrus!ames!haven!umd5!hans
From: hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Pc files to Atari
Message-ID: <4270@umd5.umd.edu>
Date: 24 Nov 88 00:07:32 GMT
References: <225@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu> <5023@whuts.att.com>
Reply-To: hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner)
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Lines: 23

In article <5023@whuts.att.com> stekas@whuts.att.com (STEKAS) writes:
>The PC's disks turn at 300 RPM vs. 288 RPM for the Atari.  I have found it
>impossible to write enhanced density disks on the PC without having the
>last sector on a track overlap the first.  The just isn't enough "room" to
>fit all those 128 byte sectors.
>
>I have no trouble reading and writing 256byte formats, e.g. PERCOM.
>
>Jim


This is indeed a problem.  Even 18 256 byte sectors requires much shorter
gaps than what the original IBM specs call for.

So here is my question:  We are told elsewhere that the SX551 disk drive spins
at 300 rpm, which leads to all kinds of other problems.  How does it handle
enhanced density, or even the standard 18 sector formats?  Does it run
the clock slightly faster?  Does it cut other corners?  Or is some black
magic involved?

While we are on the subject, does anybody know what the guts of a SX551
contain (cpu, rom, ram, floppy controller)?  With all the reviews I have
never seen any answer to any of these.