[Coco] re: Floppy drive/OS9 issue

Andrew keeper63 at cox.net
Sun Jul 23 23:18:33 EDT 2006


I just wanted to add another tidbit of information:

I just hooked up both drives (temporarily, since the actual drive cable 
is short and a little strain is present), along with power. I left the 
CHINON "as-is" (no jumpers on it), and hooked up the TEAC to the second 
connector, with its jumpers set to "drive 1".

With floppies in the drives, under RSDOS doing a DIR 0 starts up both 
drives motors, but only steps the read-head on the first drive (reads 
the disk OK), doing a DIR 1 starts both drive motors, but only steps and 
reads the disk on the second added drive.

Should both motors start? It doesn't seem to hurt, but it is a question.

Joel - you mention a patched form of RSDOS to read the other side? I 
will also have to look around for the 3.5" floppy drives you mention 
(with the jumpers) - I don't think I have any, but I might find some 
somewhere (maybe goodwill).

As far as the 5.25 drives are concerned: are the drive numbers not 
connected in any way to the side numbers? That is DRIVE 0 (under RSDOS) 
refers to the first drive, and DRIVE 1 refers to the second - not to 
sides 1 and 2 of the first drive? That is how I am now understanding it. 
Furthermore, Tandy only put two connectors (and left off teeth?) on the 
cable - but a cable could be constructed with four connectors (to allow 
up to four DSDD drives)?

If that is the case, then maybe it is just a matter of me making the 
proper cables and configuring OS-9 properly (and/or patching DOS, or 
using ADOS or something similar for RSDOS tasks)?

-- Andrew



More information about the Coco mailing list