[net.micro.pc] Using 96tpi Floppy drives?

randy@ranhome.UUCP (Randy Horton) (10/23/86)

I am interested in using a 96tpi floppy drive in my PC compatible.  The
impression that I get from various advertisements and comments that I have
seen is that this can be done, but you must use a particular version of DOS to
do it.  Does anyone out there have any experience or information about this.
Those 360K floppies sure do fill up fast.  Any information would be
appreciated.
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brown@nicmad.UUCP (10/26/86)

In article <203@ranhome.UUCP> randy@ranhome.UUCP (Randy Horton) writes:
>I am interested in using a 96tpi floppy drive in my PC compatible.  The
>impression that I get from various advertisements and comments that I have
>seen is that this can be done, but you must use a particular version of DOS to
>do it.  Does anyone out there have any experience or information about this.
>Those 360K floppies sure do fill up fast.  Any information would be
>appreciated.

As I previously said in another posting about 3.5" drives, they are added
to the port at the back (for a third drive).  Now, you question is a little
bit different.

You didn't say if you want the drive to be a 2nd, 3rd or 4th.  Don't make it
drive A.  Even if you have hard drives and you ever need to boot from floppy,
ie, the master 360k floppy, you will need the 48tpi drive there.  A 96tpi
drive can easily be added to the 2nd drive position.  Just add it in place
of whatever you have now for drive B.  If you want it on the outside, ie,
drive C or D, then see my previous posting about that.

As I mentioned previously, you will need PC-DOS 3.20, or one of the new BIOS
XT frames, before you can use 720k diskettes.

The whole thing is very easy.  If anyone needs specific details, send me e-mail
and I will explain what needs to be done.
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berger@clio.Uiuc.ARPA (10/26/86)

I've been wondering about that myself.  Will the standard
XT floppy disk controller support 1.2 meg 5.25" drives?

They will support 96 TPI drives formatted as 720K with DOS
3.1 and later, I believe.

brown@nicmad.UUCP (10/28/86)

In article <9200031@clio> berger@clio.Uiuc.ARPA writes:
>
>I've been wondering about that myself.  Will the standard
>XT floppy disk controller support 1.2 meg 5.25" drives?

Standard IBM supplied XT controller will not.  It doesn't have the
support for the speed change.

>They will support 96 TPI drives formatted as 720K with DOS
>3.1 and later, I believe.

PC-DOS 3.20 is required to use 720K diskettes, either the 5.25 or 3.5" type.
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corwin@cdp.UUCP (10/29/86)

No, the standard PC/XT floppy controller will NOT handle the 1.2 meg
5.25 inch format.  The 1.2 meg diskette requires that the controller
card be able to control drive speed (via pin 2 of the connector), and
be able to switch clock speed on the 765 controller chip.  Standard
5 1/4 inch formats as well as the popular 3.5 formats all use a 4 mhz 
clock, while the 1.2 meg format uses 8 mhz.
-corwin

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