21 Nov
2014
21 Nov
'14
12:57 p.m.
On 11/21/2014 2:26 PM, Glen Slick wrote:
Is it correct that RX01 format floppies can be created
from blank
floppies with a standard PC floppy controller (or at least some
controllers / motherboards, depending on the controller chip) while
RX02 format floppies cannot?
My understanding (perhaps incorrect, if so, someone please correct me) is that
the wart-level-detail answer to this question is that '_blank_ RX02 floppies
can be created on anything that can create RX01 floppies', but that RX02
floppies _with data on them_ can only be created on RX02 drives. I.e. an RX02
is fed RX01 floppies, which it then writes in the unique-to-DEC double density
RX02 format. (As Chuck explained, the _headers_ are in the standard IBM form,
but the _data_ part of the sectors is written in a DEC-specific double-density
format.)
Noel