Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!amdahl!oliveb!tymix!antares!jms
From: jms@antares.UUCP (Joe Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: External 3.5 info wanted
Message-ID: <348@antares.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jan 89 03:49:18 GMT
References: <620004@hpnmdla.HP.COM>
Reply-To: jms@antares.UUCP (Joe Smith)
Organization: Tymnet QSATS, San Jose CA
Lines: 24

In article <620004@hpnmdla.HP.COM> glenb@hpnmdla.HP.COM (Glen Baker) writes:
>I took a look at the external drive connector and waddya know, it's pin for
>pin compatable with the connector on the back of the SONY MP-F73W-50 1 MB 
>drive. ... Is it REALLY that easy?

You can plug a 5.25 disk or a 3.5 disk into that external drive connector.
The way the Amiga can tell the difference is that it sends a "what kind of
drive are you" signal to the disk, and it replies with an "I'm an Amiga 3.5
inch disk" or "I'm an Amiga 5.25 inch disk" pattern back.  The trackdisk.device
will get upset when the Sony doesn't answer.

I'd like to know if there is an easy hack (maybe even a flip-flop or two) to
provide this signal.

On a related question: Is it possible to take any old half height 5.25 inch
360K disk, put it in the A2000, and have it work with programs such as
DOS-2-DOS without this ID signal?  The external 5.25 disk for the A1000 is
too expensive for me (and getting difficult to find) and I don't want to have
to buy the BridgeBoard just to read and write MS-DOS 5.25 disks.
-- 
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