[comp.sys.ibm.pc] 1.2Mb floppy interface query

paula@bcsaic.UUCP (Paul Allen) (03/18/87)

I have a Zenith Z-100 computer whose floppy controller understands both
5" and 8" drives.  I plan to purchase a large hard disk in the near
future and would prefer a backup mechanism other than 360K 5" floppies.
I am aware of a 5" drive that looks electrically like an 8" drive.  It
was first developed by Amlyn, and has been copied by others.  My local
Heath store will sell me one for $200, which is considerably more than
it would cost me to buy a 1.2Mb drive intended for an AT.  The technical
guy at the Heath store told me that the Amlyn-style drive has a 34-pin
connector and needs a custom cable to interface with the 50-pin
connector used by 8" controllers.

And so my questions are:

    - Does anyone have the technical specs for AT-style drives?
    - Do AT-style 1.2Mb drives use the same data rate as 8" drives?
    - How does the signal interface of the AT-style drive differ from a)
	a 360K floppy, b) an 8" floppy, or c) the Amlyn-style 1.2M drive? 
    _ Is there some other (inexpensive) backup option I should be
	looking at?

If you can help me out, please send e-mail.  If there is interest, I
will post a summary.

Thanks,
Paul
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Paul L. Allen                           | "Look out, men! He's armed!"
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