lyle@sjuvax.UUCP (Wayne J. Lyle) (09/25/86)
I would like to know if there exists a 3 1/2 disk
drive and controller that would work on a standard IBM PC
or Compatable? I would like to be able to transfer files
from a Desktop PC to a portable unit without having to
connect them via the serial port.
Thank you in advance
Wayne Lyle
=======================
Wayne J. Lyle
St. Joseph's University
Academic Computing
Philadelphia, Pa 19131
{allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!lylebrown@nicmad.UUCP (09/26/86)
In article <142@sjuvax.UUCP> lyle@sjuvax.sju.edu.UUCP (Wayne J. Lyle) writes: > > I would like to know if there exists a 3 1/2 disk >drive and controller that would work on a standard IBM PC >or Compatable? I would like to be able to transfer files >from a Desktop PC to a portable unit without having to >connect them via the serial port. Yep. The standard floppy controller that comes with the IBM PC/XT series will work just fine as a 3.5" controller. Of course, you must have 3.5" drives that use the same 34 pin connections and the 5.25" floppies, otherwise an adapter is needed. The XT that I am using has two 20MB HDs, two 5.25" half-height floppies and two 3.5" TEAC diskette drives. For the older machines, PC-DOS 3.20 is needed. It contains the device driver needed to format 720K diskettes. You will need to make up a cable to use them externally or internally. Externally they attach to the 37 pin connector. Internally they attach just like 5.25" floppies, but you will need a different connector for TEAC style drives. Again, you will have to get PC-DOS 3.20, unless you have the new XT frame, ie, new keyboard and BIOS. The new XT frame has built into the BIOS the means of checking for 3.5" drives. What the BIOS does is test all of the drives that are switched for, ie, the number of drives selection switch (which in the old manuals only shows two positions, but really has four possible positions in the binary count). It then maps into the system the drives that it does find and what they are, ie, 360 or 720. So, the new XTs do not need PC-DOS 3.20. But, the new BIOS creates a problem. If you set the number of drives to 4, like we do here in engineering and you only have two attached, your hard disk will become C. If you later attach a third floppy, your hard drive will become D. Boy, can that mess up software, especially the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, if it contains drive references in it. MINOR FLAME What inspired IBM to search for the floppies and change the number of drives mapped into the system, from what was switched on the mother board? Doing such just makes in difficult to disconnect external drives and still be able to run hard disk programs. It also makes it difficult to plan for the future, ie, set the switches for 4 drives and add #3 or 4 later, without having to go back inside of the frame or change any software. FLAME OFF I just got off the phone with IBM Customer Relations and she is going to look into this problem. She thinks that doing what I described is ludicrous. She is going to check from her end I am going to go through the dealer and the IBM dealer support line to get an answer for a way around it. I will report back when I have an answer. -- ihnp4------\ harvard-\ \ Mr. Video seismo!uwvax!nicmad!brown topaz-/ / decvax------/
tedc@dartvax.UUCP (Ted Cooley) (09/29/86)
In article <142@sjuvax.UUCP> lyle@sjuvax.sju.edu.UUCP (Wayne J. Lyle) writes: > > I would like to know if there exists a 3 1/2 disk >drive and controller that would work on a standard IBM PC >or Compatable? I would like to be able to transfer files >from a Desktop PC to a portable unit without having to >connect them via the serial port. > > Thank you in advance > Wayne Lyle > Wayne- The external 3.5" drive is available for both the AT and PC familys of IBM computer. Be sure to specify which one you want when ordering. (The difference is with the wiring for supplying power.) To use the external drive, you must: 1) plug the drive into the back of the internal disk controller card. (this jack is a bus port) 2) convert your DOS system to DOS 3.20 MS has written a new command (install) to do this for you painlessly. 3) install a device driver for the external drive. This again is a DOS parameter in the config.sys file. The price of the external drive is about $300 with the academic discount. Ted Cooley Thayer School of Engineering Dartmouth College hanover, NH 03755 Disclaimer: Who? ME? Work for IBM?!? Be serious. I'm still a starving student.