[Coco] [Color Computer] Re: 3.5" drives on coco 3

[Carlos Bragatto]

Hey guys, completely unrelated, but I've sucessfully adapted modern 3.5"
disk drives to run on Amstrad CPC, replacing the internal 3 (yeah, three,
not three and a half) inches disk drive.
Since it uses a standard FDC controller, the same one used on IBM XTs, I can
use it like a 3" drive, 160k per side.

The original 3" disk can be turned over so data can be r/w on both sides,
and since this cannot be done on a 3.5" disk, you can add a "side select
switch" and manually choose which side of the disk you want to write to. I
followed this guide:

http://www.cpcmania.com/Docs/Floppy/Floppy.htm

Hope this helps in some way.

Carlos/Brazil



On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 4:13 PM, Phill Harvey-Smith <
afra at aurigae.demon.co.uk> wrote:

> LinuxRules wrote:
>
>> I think that you are exactly right about what is needed to support full
>> capacity of 3" drives.
>>
>
> Nitpick....3.5" drives, 3" are a different beast all together.....
>
>  I am using one with DECB and it does work, but treats the floppy like a
>> 35-track, SSSD.
>>
>
> SSDD I think, SSSD would only get you about 100K per disk :(
>
>  Thus, wasting the bulk of it's capacity.
>> However.....it  _is_ convenient sometimes when that's all you have to Xfer
>> files.
>>
>
> Indeed, 3.5" drives are much more common in modern PCs than 5.25".
>
> Cheers.
>
> Phill.
>
> --
> Phill Harvey-Smith, Programmer, Hardware hacker, and general eccentric !
>
> "You can twist perceptions, but reality won't budge" -- Rush.
>
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