toerting@kentvax.mcs.kent.edu (Tim Oerting) (06/28/91)
I want to hook up an 8" drive to my '386 (no I don't need it..this is just
for the heck of it). My problem is this:
I have a CMOS setup which only allows me to specify 3.5 or 5.25"
drives [unless I somehow set it up as a hard drive.. is this possible?
problems? I can use a non-standard setup for HDs on the CMOS and can set
the following: # cyl, # heads, write precomp cyl?, landing zone cyl, physical
sectors per track]. My other problem would be that I don't know how many
tracks, cylinders, sectors/track, etc.. are on the HD. Are there standards
for this? I believe the drive is 2S but don't know on density...any ways to
check this out easily?
If I decide to try to hook it up as a 5 1/4 inch floppy then could I
just connect it using the standard 34 pin cable (anyone done this?). Looking
at the pinout signals for the 34pin and 50pin (8inch), it seems like I could
make the connection except for the following which I am uncertain about:
34 pin pin number 50 pin connector pin number
------------------------- -----------------------------
16 Motor on -->to ?--> 22 Drive ready
4 In use --->to------> 16 In use &(?) 8 Drive Busy
8 Index ------------> 20 Index & (?) 24 Sector
/ 2 Head Current Switch (?)
I need to know what these <- 11 2 Sided
do exactly and what their \ 24 Sector
active states are.
Thanks for your help,
Tim ---> toerting@mcs.kent.edu
gerardka@hobbes.ism.isc.com (Gerard Kam) (06/29/91)
In article <1991Jun28.165413.8640@mcs.kent.edu> toerting@kentvax.mcs.kent.edu (Tim Oerting) writes: >I want to hook up an 8" drive to my '386 (no I don't need it..this is just >for the heck of it). My problem is this: > I have a CMOS setup which only allows me to specify 3.5 or 5.25" >drives [unless I somehow set it up as a hard drive.. is this possible? <stuff deleted> The 8" floppy has to connected to a floppy controller, so you cannot set it up as a hard drive. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to use a floppy controller that supports the 8" drive. Try a CompatiCard IV from MicroSolutions Computer Products, (815) 756-3411. I've never used one, but seen it written up in EDN magazine. Gerard