vac122g@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Daniel Bowen) (03/12/91)
Okay now, back to my age-old problem.
The disc drive on my prehistoric BBC B has bitten the dust.. so, I
need a new one. But it has to, of course, be the same format as the
old one so I can read my zillions of discs!
- Acorn Disc Filing System 1.2, Single density, 80 tracks based on
a very ancient 8271 disc controller.
- 80 track drive, double sided, running on single density.
Now, the clincher is this. Can I use a standard IBM-PC 1.2Mb drive? (Which
will be a great deal cheaper than having to order a special drive from
the UK, as Beeb distributors here are as rare as hen's teeth)
My logic says yes. A 1.2Mb drive is a double-sided, 80 track
drive running under quadruple density; am I right?
Where as I want a double-sided 80 track drive running under single
density; okay? But, the density is dependent on the disc controller,
is it not? That way on a PC a 1.2 can impersonate a 360... (which
would be a 40 track double sided, double density). But as I still
want 80 tracks, I should have none of those problems about disc
head width or whatever.
Anyway, one of these days I'll get round to borrowing someone's
drive and try it... but in the mean-time, have I figured it out
right?
Daniel Bowen
(Starving 8-bit Beeb owner!)
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