erd@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Ethan R. Dicks) (12/21/88)
I have already gotten two mail replies to my first message, one a plea for
any information I got, so I am going to refine my inquiries.
o Does anyone know where to get ahold of either a D9060 or a D9090, working
or not?
o Does anyone know the HDA (Head Disk Assembly) used in either drives? The
disk geometries are:
D9060 4 heads, 153 cylinders, 32 sectors, 256 bytes per sector.
D9090 6 heads, 153 cylinders, 32 sectors, 256 bytes per sector.
With current standard controllers (MFM), the capacity would be:
4 * 153 * 17 * 512 = 5,326,848 bytes or 5.2 Mb
6 * 153 * 17 * 512 = 7,990,272 bytes or 7.8 Mb
With the Commodore controller, the capacities are listed as 4.98 Mb
and 7.47 Mb.
(There is a software imposed limit of 32 sectors/track in the directory
sector format of CBM disk drives)
o Does anyone have any infomation on DOS 3.0, used with these drives?
(One undocumented bit is the format of the bad block tables)
o Must these drives be formatted at the factory? Can a program be
downloaded via M-W commands and run via the M-E command to do a low level
format? (I am thinking of building my own hard drive, but have no idea
how to format it)
If I can not get a CBM manufactured drive, I am considering trying to make an
IEEE <-> PC BUS/PC drive card adapter, whereby you plug an IBM PC/XT Western
Digital WX-1 interface to an ST-506 style drive, and an IEEE controller onto
the WX-1. This scheme avoids most of the work with the analog circuits for
about $60. I would *MUCH RATHER* buy one than build one... I have better
things to do with my time than build single board drive interface.
All above statistical information is from the "Disk System User Reference
Guide" (1980) Commodore Business Machines.
Thanks,
-ethan
--
Ethan R. Dicks | ###### This signifies that the poster is a member in
Software Results Corp| ## good sitting of Inertia House: Bodies at rest.
2887 Silver Drive | ##
Columbus OH 43211 | ###### "You get it, you're closer.eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) (01/06/89)
In article <29863@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> erd@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Ethan R. Dicks) writes: > >o Does anyone know the HDA (Head Disk Assembly) used in either drives? The > disk geometries are: > > D9060 4 heads, 153 cylinders, 32 sectors, 256 bytes per sector. > D9090 6 heads, 153 cylinders, 32 sectors, 256 bytes per sector. Correct. The D9060 has a Tandon 602S drive, the 9090 a 603S. > > With current standard controllers (MFM), the capacity would be: > 4 * 153 * 17 * 512 = 5,326,848 bytes or 5.2 Mb > 6 * 153 * 17 * 512 = 7,990,272 bytes or 7.8 Mb > > With the Commodore controller, the capacities are listed as 4.98 Mb > and 7.47 Mb. The spec I have lists 5.01 Mb and 7.52 Mb formatted, including directory. > (There is a software imposed limit of 32 sectors/track in the directory > sector format of CBM disk drives) > > >o Does anyone have any infomation on DOS 3.0, used with these drives? > (One undocumented bit is the format of the bad block tables) I must have the info around here somewhere. If I find anything I pass it along. >o Must these drives be formatted at the factory? Can a program be > downloaded via M-W commands and run via the M-E command to do a low level > format? (I am thinking of building my own hard drive, but have no idea > how to format it) I don't belive they need be formatted at the factory? I recall formatting a couple myself many years ago... -- Eric Cotton Commodore-Amiga (215) 431-9100 1200 Wilson Drive {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!eric West Chester, PA 19380 "I don't find this stuff amusing anymore."
izot@f171.n221.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Geoffrey Welsh) (01/09/89)
> From: eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) > Message-ID: <5636@cbmvax.UUCP> > In article <29863@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> erd@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Ethan > R. Dicks) writes: > >o Must these drives be formatted at the factory? Can a program be > > downloaded via M-W commands and run via the M-E command to do a low > level > > format? (I am thinking of building my own hard drive, but have no idea > > how to format it) > > I don't belive they need be formatted at the factory? I recall formatting > a couple myself many years ago... The DOS format (via BASIC 4.0's HEADER command or open1,8,15,"n0:name,id" worked fine, but the LOW-LEVEL formatting was a problem. I know of several people who had trouble with their 90X0 and suspected the problem was low-level formatting. Sending the drive to Commodore for repair usually ended up in a wait of months and the drive returned unrepaired (as happened with my SuperPET combo board). Also: Do not, under any circumstances, interrupt a 90X0 when it is formatting! The drive may simply refuse to work thereafter (see above results of trying to get it "fixed"). ============================================================================== Usenet: watmath!isishq!izot 66 Mooregate Crescent FidoNet: Geoffrey Welsh @ 1:221/171 Suite 602 Voice: (519) 741-9553 Kitchener, Ontario BBS: (519) 742-8939, 3/12/24/9600 bps, USR HST N2M 5E6 - CANADA "Opinions expressed aren't really anyone's. Please ignore them." ============================================================================== -- Geoffrey Welsh - via FidoNet node 1:221/162 UUCP: ...!watmath!isishq!171!izot Internet: izot@f171.n221.z1.FIDONET.ORG