[comp.sys.atari.st] How standard are ST drives?

knutsen@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark Knutsen) (10/21/87)

In article <5894@sunybcs.UUCP> ugptucha@cs.buffalo.EDU (Ray Ptucha) writes:

> 	I have an SF354  (3-1/2" SS/DD) disk drive that is in need of
> an new owner.
> 	Sacrifice at $90.00.  (I will mail it to you in original box

   Realizing that many people want to get rid of their SS drives, and
that I could therefore pick one up cheap, I pose the following
question to the world:
   How "generic" are ST drives?  Can I open one and find a standard
34-pin connector inside?  If I could easily attach one to my ATR-8000
(CP/M machine, attaches to Atari XL), I'd pick one up pronto.

--Mark K.
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rich@lakesys.UUCP (Rich Dankert) (10/22/87)

>
>   Realizing that many people want to get rid of their SS drives, and
>that I could therefore pick one up cheap, I pose the following
>question to the world:
>   How "generic" are ST drives?  Can I open one and find a standard
>34-pin connector inside?  If I could easily attach one to my ATR-8000
>(CP/M machine, attaches to Atari XL), I'd pick one up pronto.
>
>--Mark K.

	The Atari 3.5 Firmey disk drives do indeed use the standard 34 pin
industry standard card edge connector. We have many people here that have 
from the very beginning of of the ST's introduction, attached 5.25 floppy 
disk drives via the inside 34 pin connector. 

	You should have no problems. Just remember that you *must format 
the drive correctly. IE: Use a DOS that will allow 80 tracks one side if 
you get the SFS354 single sided drive, and 80 tracks both sides for the 
SF314 double sided drive. I believe that MY-DOS should dothe trick.

-Rich

Lakesys Milwaukee Wisconsin	   |     Who and where ????
		Hey, Whats that Lake doing here ???
UUCP: {Ihnp4,uwvax}!uwmcsd1!lakesys!rich
Discalimer: The words,ideas,and expressions are 
my own, and not nessasarily always correct !

ftw@datacube.UUCP (10/23/87)

> 	The Atari 3.5 Firmey disk drives do indeed use the standard 34 pin
> industry standard card edge connector. We have many people here that have 
> from the very beginning of of the ST's introduction, attached 5.25 floppy 
> disk drives via the inside 34 pin connector. 

Have you disassembled your drive lately?  I think you'll find a 34 pin
header, NOT a 34 pin edge connector.  He'll need to build an adaptor if
the drive he plans to use has the edge conenctor.  Parts are available at
any Radio Shack (header pins and edge connector sockets for ribbon cable).

<stuff deleted>

> -Rich

> Lakesys Milwaukee Wisconsin	   |     Who and where ????
> 		Hey, Whats that Lake doing here ???
> UUCP: {Ihnp4,uwvax}!uwmcsd1!lakesys!rich


> Discalimer: The words,ideas,and expressions are 
> my own, and not nessasarily always correct !
              ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^   ;-)



				Farrell T. Woods 

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knutsen@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark Knutsen) (10/25/87)

In article <276@lakesys.UUCP> rich@lakesys.UUCP (Rich Dankert) writes:

> 	The Atari 3.5 Firmey disk drives do indeed use the standard 34 pin
> industry standard card edge connector. 
  Thanks for confirming that.  Using Atari drives seems to be the most
economical way to add 3.5" storage to my 8-bit.

> 	You should have no problems. Just remember that you *must format 
> the drive correctly. IE: Use a DOS that will allow 80 tracks one side if 
> you get the SFS354 single sided drive, and 80 tracks both sides for the 
> SF314 double sided drive. I believe that MY-DOS should dothe trick.
What, me use MY-DOS?  I'm a confirmed Sparta-holic! :-)
-- 
_________________________________ Jersey    |||  _____________________________
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