Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!telmail!neabbs!alun
From: alun@neabbs.UUCP (ALUN SAUNDERS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Floppy drive / controller woes
Message-ID: <323895@neabbs.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 90 18:39:16 GMT
Organization: NEABBS multi-line BBS +31-20-717666 (13x), Amsterdam, Holland
Lines: 21

Hi there,  I have been having vaguely similar problems recently wxcept
with 5,25" drives, and can maybe help you out.  It appears that pin 34
is used differently on AT and XT classs machines, and for this reason
many drive manufacturers allow you to change the use by means of a
jumper.  To be more precise, this line can be used as either a READY
signal or a disk change signal.  Pin 34 needs to be configured as a
disk change signal for use on AT's.  This lets DOS know that a disk
change has occurred and that it should make no assumptions about the
contents of the disk, i.e. it should re-read the FAT, directories etc.
I have seen people reccommending snipping the cable or sticking sticky
tape over the edge connector, but since the signals are active low I
suspect that this would have the effect of making DOS think that the
disk had been changed after every disk access which sounds like
overkill to me.  I would recommend that you hunt for a jumper on the
drive that looks a likely candidate.  On my Chinon drive there are two
jumpers marked RDY and DKC for example, on a TEAC drive the same
jumper is marked DCRY (three pins, jumper on left hand 2 = disk
change, right hand 2 = ready).
 
I know this is a bit vage, but happy hunting !
 
Alun Saunders