frisbie@flying-disk.com (Alan Frisbie) (02/19/91)
In article <8598.27c1b662@decus.com.au>, stewart_andy@decus.com.au writes: > Next Question: Can the RX33 drive format RX50s and/or RX33 diskettes? The DRIVE can, but the controllers (RQDXn) and software DO NOT. There may be a way to coerce an RQDXn to format an RX50-format diskette, but I have never heard anyone claim it could be done, and several claim that it cannot. An RX33 drive is the same as a generic AT-style High Density drive. It is supported by both the RQDX3 and several third-party controllers and can read/write/format both double- and high- density diskettes. The RQDX3/RX33 combination supports formatting of RX33 (only) diskettes, as long as you have firmware ROMs 339E5 and 340E5 (~April 1989). The previous version was 243E5/244E5. If you need the 339/340 ROMs, DEC will charge you $$$ to upgrade your controller. However, the ROMs are ordinary 27128A EPROMs (the E5 designation) and there are no known hardware changes to the board. You can use that drive (RX33) with a third-party controller to format RX50s. I used an Andromeda ESDC (ESDI & floppy) controller just a few weeks ago to format a stack of Double Density floppies in RX50 mode. They work just fine on a real DEC RX50. --- Alan E. Frisbie Frisbie@Flying-Disk.Com (Preferred) --- Flying Disk Systems, Inc. or ...elroy!flying!frisbie --- 4759 Round Top Drive or Flying!Frisbie@Elroy.jpl.nasa.gov --- Los Angeles, CA 90065 or Frisbie%Flying@oxy.edu --- (213) 256-2575 or ...oxy!flying!frisbie
stewart_andy@decus.com.au (02/19/91)
In article <wV8JX4w163w@zl2tnm.gp.co.nz>, don@zl2tnm.gp.co.nz (Don Stokes) writes: > > Does anyone know how format a disk to look like an RX50? Short Answer: Use A DEC RAINBOW 100 to Format DS/DD 40 Track (360 KB) 5.25s Long Answer: DEC Marketing refused to release either details or a program to format on the DEC PROFESSIONAL. Some controllers like the RQDX1 could not format RX50s (I believe). Next Question: Can the RX33 drive format RX50s and/or RX33 diskettes? > Can a PC high density floppy drive do it? With DOS? > The things are 80 track, ten sectors, single sided. > MSDOS 3.3 gives up at 9 sectors. Mumble. The drive and controller could format an RX50 physically. What you need is the software.
doug@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Douglas W O'neal) (02/21/91)
In article <8598.27c1b662@decus.com.au> stewart_andy@decus.com.au writes:
->
->Next Question: Can the RX33 drive format RX50s and/or RX33 diskettes?
->
A RX33 drive can format RX33 diskettes but cannot format RX50 diskettes. It
can read RX50s with no problem.
Doug
--
Doug O'Neal, Distributed Systems Programmer, Johns Hopkins University
doug@jhuvms.bitnet, doug@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu, mimsy!aplcen!jhunix!doug
Like many of the features of UNIX, UUCP appears theoretically
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