28 Jun
2005
28 Jun
'05
2:51 p.m.
A simple question, I hope!
Can I use a normal 51/4" dsdd floppy drive with an RQDX3, in place of the
twin drive RX50 unit? If so, do I need a special cable?
Thanks
Jim.
Please see our website the " Vintage Communication Pages" at WWW.G1JBG.CO.UK
28 Jun
28 Jun
2:56 p.m.
Can I use a normal 5.25" dsdd floppy drive with a
RQDX3, in place of the
twin drive RX50 unit?
Yes, but it'll generally be easier to find a DSHD floppy drive and hook
it up. But most/many DSDD's will work too.
Do a google search for "third-party-disks.txt"; it's a collection of
many years worth of experience on DECUSserve on this sort of use.
TEAC FD55GFR's are generally the most available and easily jumpered
for use. Many other brands lack even the drive select jumper.
Tim.
3 p.m.
On 6/28/05, Jim Beacon <jim at g1jbg.co.uk> wrote:
A simple question, I hope!
Can I use a normal 51/4" dsdd floppy drive with an RQDX3, in place of the
twin drive RX50 unit? If so, do I need a special cable?
The Teac FD55-GFR was commonly used on PCs and, when the jumpers are
strapped the way DEC did, _is_ an RX33. There are some variations on
how some of the signals are presented (pins 2 and 34, IIRC) and how
motor start and select interact, so you _do_ have to check jumpers.
Once you have a prepared FD55-GFR, it will go on the end of an RQDX3
just fine. I know VMS has no problem with it, but I can't comment on
Unix or PDP-11 use.
If I had a pointer to the configuration, I'd post it, but I know such
things are hanging around on the 'net and in list-members directories.
-ethan
3:22 p.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
On 6/28/05, Jim Beacon <jim at g1jbg.co.uk>
wrote:
Using a TEAC FD55GFR-149-U7 with my 11/53, and it's good with RSX11M+
and RT-11.
I have a couple of FD55GFR-7xxx drives, and I haven't found a jumper
setting that works for them. I think bridging a couple of solder pads
would get them there, but I haven't needed an RX33 that badly yet.
Doc
A simple question, I hope!
Can I use a normal 51/4" dsdd floppy drive with an RQDX3, in place of the
twin drive RX50 unit? If so, do I need a special cable?
The Teac FD55-GFR was commonly used on PCs and, when the jumpers are
strapped the way DEC did, _is_ an RX33. There are some variations on
how some of the signals are presented (pins 2 and 34, IIRC) and how
motor start and select interact, so you _do_ have to check jumpers.
Once you have a prepared FD55-GFR, it will go on the end of an RQDX3
just fine. I know VMS has no problem with it, but I can't comment on
Unix or PDP-11 use.
If I had a pointer to the configuration, I'd post it, but I know such
things are hanging around on the 'net and in list-members directories.
-ethan
6:59 p.m.
New subject: Another PDP-11 Floppy Disk Question (RSTS)
I have my PDP 11/34 running smoothly with RSTS 9.2, on three RL02 drives.
I've got an RX02 floppy, and RSTS sees it, but at 9.0, RSTS dropped support
of floppies as file-structured devices. There are two utilities, called FIT
and FLINT that come as part of the distribution, but I've not been able to
find any documentation on these programs. Apparently they provide a means
to access floppies in a semi-file-structured method, as well as writing
floppies in RSTS or IBM formats. All I've been able to glean is looking
through the .TSK files with a file dumper, and looking at the text portions
of the images, but they aren't very informative.
Anyone got any docs on these two utilities?
Rick Bensene
29 Jun
29 Jun
6:43 a.m.
New subject: Another PDP-11 Floppy Disk Question (RSTS)
>>>> "Rick" == Rick Bensene
<rickb at bensene.com> writes:
Rick> I have my PDP 11/34 running smoothly with RSTS 9.2, on three
Rick> RL02 drives. I've got an RX02 floppy, and RSTS sees it, but at
Rick> 9.0, RSTS dropped support of floppies as file-structured
Rick> devices. There are two utilities, called FIT and FLINT that
Rick> come as part of the distribution, but I've not been able to
Rick> find any documentation on these programs. Apparently they
Rick> provide a means to access floppies in a semi-file-structured
Rick> method, as well as writing floppies in RSTS or IBM formats.
Rick> All I've been able to glean is looking through the .TSK files
Rick> with a file dumper, and looking at the text portions of the
Rick> images, but they aren't very informative.
Rick> Anyone got any docs on these two utilities?
RSTS NEVER supported native (RSTS format) file structures on RX01/02
floppies. Those were always treated by the kernel as non-file
structures block devices, and intended as interchange media only.
RX50s and their successors -- 5.25 inch floppies attached to MSCP
controllers -- always were file structured and continued that way.
That takes no effort since it just uses the common MSCP machinery.
In any case...
FIT is the interchange program for reading/writing RT-11 file
structure (not just on floppies, but on pretty much any block device
that RT-11 supports). FLINT is the interchange program for reading
"IBM format" -- not sure what that means, not PC format as far as I
can tell, since the code is full of EBCDIC handling. So presumably
it's for some mainframe floppy format...??!!??
The documentation for both should be in the user's manual, which I
don't have. Judging by the source code, it's roughly like this:
FIT command line: output/switches=input/switches
Switches are /rsts, /rt11 to indicate the format type of input or
output. (Also /dos ??? for DOS-11???) /ze to zero (reinit the file
system). /de to delete a file (RT side only). /li to list the
directory. /sq to do an RT file system compress. /watch to be
verbose (show what's going on as it happens).
FLINT seems to want a command ("directory", "toibm",
"torsts", "zero"
(synonym of "erase")); it then prompts for input and output specs.
paul
6898
days inactive
6899
days old
5 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
doc＠mdrconsult.com -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
jim＠g1jbg.co.uk -
pkoning＠equallogic.com -
rickb＠bensene.com -
shoppa_classiccmp＠trailing-edge.com