I implemented
it this way in ImageDisk because it seemed to be
the most flexible way to deal with the different data rates, and
didn't tie the system to predefined "drive types" (in other
words, ImageDisk operates by what it observes and can set at the
controller, not at what it "thinks" is attached to the floppy
cable), however a lot of people have trouble with it - In
a future version of ImageDisk I may change this over to a scheme
where you specify a drive type, and have the program automatically
determine what the data rate should be.
If/when you do so, please consider including a type of a 360 RPM 3.5"
500K data transefer rate drive. Those are used in some APC machines.
(thereby permitting their 8", 5.25"HD, and 3.5"HD drives to all have the
same format parameters) 'Course the user could just lie about the drive
type to do it.
I'm still deciding on it - however I would include a "manual" mode where
you set up the data rates yourself. The problem is to provide canned
"common drive types" for those people who don't want to understand the
ins and out of drives, rpm and data rates. Having a 360rpm 3.5" drive
would probably just confuse those people. I'd have 3.5", 5.25" DD,
5.25"
HD and 8" which are what most people would recognize, and "manual" where
it works much like it does now.
--
dave06a (at) Dave Dunfield
dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools:
www.dunfield.com
com Collector of vintage computing equipment:
http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/index.html