Zhelezyachki - Give Spectrum 3.5 "floppy drive!

Text: AMADEUS VOXON / FLASH
COPYRIGHT 1997


      Give Spectrum 3.5 "floppy drive!


   Long since there was a problem with the acquisition of 5.25 
"DS / DD diskettes. And I decided to an experimentation with a 
connection to 'Good old' Spectrum of the device from

supplies for which there is no problem at all! 3.5 "diskettes 
are everywhere in any quantities in a variety of their range 
there is nothing like it. The problem is I have a connection

immediately after the acquisition of the device.
I immediately dug all the articles relating to this moment ... 
And anything useful to my great regret, I found none. Not long

thinking, I began to turn his eyes in front, armed with a 
magnifying glass and noticed that the drive does not need to 
apply voltage +12 v. First, I doubt very much thinking about 
the duplex and was pleased to note that there is none. In 
general - in the latest food drives produced by applying 
voltage +5 v. 

   Now let's talk about connecting your device to a standard 
Beta Disk controller. To begin with, that drives 5. 25 "and

3. 5 different system connectors. This fact
should not scare anyone: functional
conclusions from these devices are absolutely identical and you 
will only chop onto the bus a new connector (shtyrevoy). As a 
rule, 3. 5 "floppy drives are no jumpers to choose the device 
and it is by default, is usually a" B "drive. This fact will 
have to consider when working with the 5.25" drive. Perhaps 
swap the cable with the numbers 10 and 12 for the 
redistribution of device numbers, and the most progressive - is 
to put the switch, and burn above the wire. 

   To help give you a list of live system cable, can someone 
help it. 

 * The numbering of the findings on the drive:

A1-A33 .. "GND"-a common power wire (ground)

A2, A4, A6, A14, A34 - free.
A8 - IDX - a signal of the index holes.
A10 - DS0 - select drive "A".
A12 - DS1 - drive select "B".
A16 - * HEAD - start the engine.
A18 - * DIRC - Positioning direction.
A20 - * STEP - Positioning.
A22 - WDATA - data entry.
A24 - * GATE - choice write / read.
A26 - TR0 - head on the zero track.
A28 - WPRT - protection signal recording.
A30 - RDAT - data reading.
A32 - SIDE - choice of a disc.


    Now we have come close to the density
record. Everybody knows that before all enjoyed the floppy 5.25 
"double density. The magnetic layer of the disc is made of

gammaokisi iron and has a lower degree of
namagnichivaemosti, as well as very large
magnetic particles, which do not allow us to obtain a higher 
recording density. In By contrast, high-density floppy

(HD) are made of chromium dioxide, which
has a more fine-grained structure and
greater namagnichivaemosti.
These discs can store information
higher density and quality of the material such disks can 
securely store your files. For different materalov drive is 
required and various options for recording them:

DS / DD requires speed of 300 rpm.
DS / HD requires a speed of 360 rpm.

   Currently, there are still drives
3.5 "DS / DD, but they almost never find.

   At the same time, drives are performed for
use both of those, and these diskov.V
Each drive has the sensor on which
drive determines how floppy it
work. Push-in type sensor, and the use of HD discs, it goes 
into recess on a floppy disk is located opposite the notch

write protection. In this case, the drive enters
in high mode plotnosti.TR-DOS hardware
can not support such a speed, but
there is a way - a hole in a floppy disk to seal tape. In this 
case, the drive hardware switch off the engine speed at 300

rpm. The force pressure sensor on the tape is small and 
prominaniya "onnogo not happen. 

   Despite the bad prophecy, my
floppies are not "flies" and continue to operate effectively.

   A little advice - if you do not want
problems with cleaning the heads, then buy
floppy disk with Teflon coating - for example
Verbatim DataLife Plus. Teflon coating does not deteriorate the 
magnetic layer which leads to clean heads.



         Best wishes to you!