wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (05/07/87)
Can anyone tell me how to get a 1.2Meg disk drive that will work with a Maxim PC-XT compatible. At present I have two 360k drives and want to add a third, but 1.2M, drive to the system. I also have a Seagate ST-225 hard disk drive. I have been told that you can only install 1.2 M drives in true IBM's and yet the Tandom AT clone that I recently purchased for an engineer under me has a 1.2M drive in it. What gives? Will they only work on IBM's? Or only on AT's? Or on AT clones? Or what? I physically have space for a 1/2 height disk drive, have the power connection and a spare buss connection and a spare card slot. So what is it that I need? IBM Bios ROM chips? Thanks in advance, --Bill Dippert-- tektronix!tekigm2!wrd
mjg@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael Gingell) (05/08/87)
In article <1720@tekigm2.TEK.COM>, wrd@tekigm2.TEK.COM (Bill Dippert) writes: > > Can anyone tell me how to get a 1.2Meg disk drive that will work with a Maxim > PC-XT compatible. The 1.2 Meg drives need a special controller which can deliver data at 500 kHz instead of the regular 250 kHz. Normally this is available only on an AT, and as far as I know, the software to support it is in the BIOS of the AT and not in DOS. However you can add a 1.2Meg drive to a PC in one of two ways. Weltec makes a specially modified drive (I think the type # is M16P) which rotates at 180 rpm which gives an effective data transfer rate of 250 kHz which makes it compatible with your regular PC controller. They supply a device driver which handles the additional format. You can get these drives from Priority One for around $169. Also several companies are now offering disk controllers that run on a PC or XT or PC/XT compatible and have the capability of working with standard unmodified AT type 1.2 Meg drives. This is a better solution as the data transfer rate is twice as fast. Look in Computer Shopper for the sources for these. Mike Gingell ...decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg > > Thanks in advance, > --Bill Dippert-- > tektronix!tekigm2!wrd