23 Dec
2005
23 Dec
'05
3:21 a.m.
> You can read multiple IDs during a revolution
(200msec)
> If you don't get 'em all, put in a different delay.
On Thu, 22 Dec
2005, Tony Duell wrote:
And what happens if you get a task-switch midway
through this?
I've never really felt a need nor desire to run a multitasking OS while
analyzing diskettes. The best way to multitask is multiple machines.
I grew up with the WD controllers, and found the
8272/765 a real
disapointment after those :-)
WD is certainly a better match for what WE like to
do. But the 765 works
reasonably reliably, and is prob'ly just fine for what SOME people want to
do.
You can
analyze MOST formats by trying to read a 256 byte, a 512 byte, and
a 1024 byte sector, such as #2, and then trying the numbers up and down to
find first and last. Won't work for sectors whose numbering don't start
with 0 or 1, or ones with invalid headers (such as side B of Kaypro)
IIRC the
sector number is a single byte, so presumably you could try
reading each sector in turn (0..255) in each size to see what gave no
errors. I'd thought of doing it that way, but it's going to be terribly
slow...