28 Feb
2011
28 Feb
'11
4:05 p.m.
On the subject of disk interface converters, I do believe an MFM to IDE bridge to be
possible. Philip Pemberton has already proven it's possible to interface an MFM type
device to a modern microcontroller - albiet the other way around, with his DiskFerret
project. The MFM interface is very different from SCSI and IDE, true, but with modern
microcontrollers, the data rate should be achievable.
Sure, the MFM interface is primitive. You've got the analog-ish data stream from the
disk and some stepper motor drive signals, but you can translate those with a
microcontroller, have it request the block from the IDE device, buffer it, and stream it
out to the host. I think it's doable. Just, more complicated than, say, SCSI to IDE.
SCSI to IDE is a great project, but at least, for me, I've got plenty of SCSI drives.
In fact, I probably have more SCSI disks than IDE. MFM, not so much.
-Ian