15 Oct
2009
15 Oct
'09
9:02 a.m.
On 14 Oct 2009 at 18:10, Steven Hirsch wrote:
IIRC, they required the WD2010 controller due to some
limitations of
the WD10xx series.
It was a BIOS software limitation, pure and simple. The "standard"
INT 13H BIOS interface calls for a 10-sector cylinder number (8 bits
in CH and 2 "borrowed" bits from the sector number register in CL).
Some late BIOSes (such as those on the WD1006VSRx) expanded the
cylinder number by borrowing some bits from the head number in
register DH.
If you were content to throw away (or supply your own driver for he
extra) 200 cylinders, any MFM controller could be used.
I'm still suprised that everyone checked in with the Maxtor and not
the earlier Priam 519, which was a very good drive.
--Chuck