10 Sep
2001
10 Sep
'01
11:03 a.m.
Doing it for N* and any other IE: multiple hard sector formats would be a
challenge
as the structure of the data differed greatly and also the timing. Also
most of the
hard sector controllers were uniquely dumb. By that I mean they depended
on the
CPU (even the lowly 8080) to do a great amount of the work. for example
stepping
the head in or out was usually done by setting a direction bit and timing
out a step
pulse(s) as needed. Sector read and write were assisted at the byte
level with a
usually simple FM/MFM/M2FM encode decode and a shift register plus a
simple
sync recognizer. Of course all of them went about it differently with
variations
abounding.
Me I'd do a ISA to S100 adaptor and write code... ah foo it's easier to
use a
real ns* and far more productive.
Allison
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Stek <r.stek(a)snet.net>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Date: Monday, September 10, 2001 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: Vector 3/Teledisk
FWIW, I did once correspond with the Catweasel guy and
he said it would
do N* 10-hole hard-sectored disks, but he had never had a request or
seen a N* disk. I was supposed to send him some samples but never got a
round tuit.
And don't forget, it has already been done - the Microsolutions
MatchPoint card allows your PC to read N* disks. Of course, just try to
find one!
If it provides motivation for one of you hardware types with nothing
better to do, I'd lend my support to requesting an add-in card which
could handle the 10 and 16 hole 5.25" disks and the 32 hole 8 inchers as
well (I have a lot of ProcTech Helios disks).
Bob Stek
Saver of Lost Sols