Floppy Disk Controller

[Opry99er]

Looks like stock TI controller is head and shoulders over the rest as far as users...

 

As far as in-PEB controllers, not a single one has even half the number of users the TI card has. Didn't expect that...

[Gazoo]

Looks like stock TI controller is head and shoulders over the rest as far as users...

 

As far as in-PEB controllers, not a single one has even half the number of users the TI card has. Didn't expect that...

 

Those 22 standard TI disk controller guys need to get some new eproms!

 

Gazoo

[+Schmitzi]

yes, but double-density please

[Opry99er]

That's me right now... I am in dire need of some half-height drives too...

[+OLD CS1]

I noticed several auctions for WD1773-PH on eBay... from China, of course, so I am not sure of their authenticity.

[Omega-TI]

 

Those 22 standard TI disk controller guys need to get some new eproms!

 

Word Up!

[+Ksarul]

The large number of TI controllers in the PEB doesn't actually surprise me. A lot of users never went beyond the stock PEB back then (or ever), and that seems to have carried on into the user base we still have today. A lot of people "wanted" a DD controller, but only a limited number of those folks actually "bought" one. Take the inevitable shrinkage of functioning/active hardware bits over the intervening years and the numbers just stay small. Look at the HFDC. There were easily 1-2 thousand of those in circulation, yet only six folks here list one as a part of their systems. The CorComp and Myarc floppy controllers had similar numbers back then--but again, only about a dozen of each are listed (in various configurations). Some of us may have more than one (I have three of the Myarc FDC cards in various systems--five if you count the two MPES-50 systems I have), but the number of them out there in general is pretty low. Oddly enough, I acquired all of these within the last ten years--as I used CorComp, Atronic, and BwG controllers in my systems while I was in Germany. I had two of the CorComp controllers for a while, but I replaced one with the Atronic at some point. I bought the BwG when I was initially setting up a third system, as it was the only one that was readily available at the time and the price/features were right.

[+mizapf]

I remember well back in those 80ies that here in Germany, we had a comparatively good availability of hardware, in particular because of Atronic and Mechatronic and later from SNUG, but obviously also from imports. Pretty soon - around the mid 80ies - there were lots of offers for various expansion cards, in particular interface cards, but also floppy controllers, and they were well affordable. Hence, although I already had a working TI FDC, the next thing for me was to get one of those controllers. First, because I wanted to have all important programs on one disk (editor, assembler, C compiler etc.) But second, apart from the capacity, the speed was a true relief - felt like lightning. So I copied all my SD disks over to DD.

[+OLD CS1]

In some other thread the idea of a new controller was bandied about (many floppy threads, and I am too lazy and distractible to dig.) Right now, Jameco has the NEC 765 floppy controller in-stock in unknown quantity. This is a DSDD-capable chip with TI-compatible sector sizing (256 bytes, up to 8k byte sectors,) which can drive up to four "floppy" or "micro-floppy" drives, which I believe to be 8" and 5.25", respectively.

 

Ninerpedia indicates that this chip was used in TI's DSDD controller which was only released in kit form. This card writes in a 16 spt format rather than 18 spt, which in 256 byte TI terms is somewhat the same as the 9 spt double-density at 512 byte sectors. This seems to be a result of the TI DSR rather than the chip itself, unless it is an artifact of the shorter sectors and the additional gaps. Though that does not account for why other DSDD controllers using the WD177x chips can fit 18 sectors on a track just fine.

 

Anyway, would this be a viable chip for a new 5.25" DSDD 360k controller? Or was the plan to go ahead and support 3.5" HD 1.44MB disks with fall-back compatibility to 5.25" DSDD 360k disks?

[budz2355]

I have a question about the standard TI Disk controller. I was always under the assumption that the disk controller could control up to 3 disk drives. I was also under the assumption that the standard TI disk drives were SSSD 90k 360(sectors?).

 

While reading on ninerpedia this morning I found some conflicting information. This link http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions#What_are_my_options_for_upgrading_the_disk_drive_in_my_PEB.3F says that the standard PEB comes with a full height 180k 5.25" floppy drive that is single sided double density.

 

This link also has the same information http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_can_I_expand_my_TI-99.2F4a.3F

 

This link says the drive is 180k, but that it is single sided. http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions#How_do_I_get_a_floppy_drive_for_my_TI_system.3F

 

When I run DM2 from my XB2.7 cart (actually DM 2.1) and try to initialize a new disk I am greeted with 3 prompts:

 

Tracks per side? 40? (This I have the option to change the number to 80)

Single sided Y/N? N? (This option pushing Y just beeps at me, I cannot seem to change it to Yes)

Single density Y/N? N? (Same as above, pushing Y does nothing but beep at me and the option remains N)

 

Finally my question is.... what the heck do I have? As far as I know I have the standard TI Disk Controller and 2 full height 5.25" full height stock TI disk drives. Are these both 180k and I just never knew it? How do I format the disks as double density? Am I crazy??

 

Thank you for any insight.

[Omega-TI]

The TI FDC is single density 40 track. It cannot format double density. So you are stuck with 90K on a single sided drive.

If you got an old full-height drive from a PC, those were double sided. You would then be able to format a disk at 180K.

[budz2355]

The TI FDC is single density 40 track. It cannot format double density. So you are stuck with 90K on a single sided drive.

If you got an old full-height drive from a PC, those were double sided. You would then be able to format a disk at 180K.

So ninerpedia is wrong in 3 spots? Maybe someone should update it?

[+Schmitzi]

So, we have a list for all

 

(but without warranty at the moment, am working on it)

(RED means NOT for sure)

 

correction welcome

Edited June 12, 2015 by schmitzi

[Omega-TI]

You are correct, the TI FDC maxes out at DSK3. The article on this point is in error.

 

The disk drive however may very well be capable of 180K in double density format, but since the floppy controller is limited to single density, the average person would never know it, I sure as heck never did.

[+Lee Stewart]

Two of the poll choices do not make sense, viz., “nanoPEB CF7+” and “nanoPEB F18 v1”. They should probably be “CF7+” and “nanoPEB v1”, respectively. The nanoPEB and CF7+ are different devices, though the “floppy” controller part is the same. And, what has the F18 (F18A?) to do with this poll?

 

...lee

[+Ksarul]

The drive TI used is a SSDD drive (180K)--but the TI controller can only format it as SSSD (90K). The article is correct--but also potentially confusing. You can only get 180K out of a stock TI system by using a DSDD (360K) drive to format DSSD (180K) disks. If you ever get a DD controller, those same drives will be able to be used at full capacity--so it doubles your effective storage space.

[+mizapf]

So ninerpedia is wrong in 3 spots? Maybe someone should update it?

 

Schmitzi's just set out for it (with his new ninerpedia account) ...

[Asmusr]

Two of the poll choices do not make sense, viz., “nanoPEB CF7+” and “nanoPEB F18 v1”. They should probably be “CF7+” and “nanoPEB v1”, respectively. The nanoPEB and CF7+ are different devices, though the “floppy” controller part is the same. And, what has the F18 (F18A?) to do with this poll?

 

...lee

 

Yeah, my nanoPEBs are v 1.0 or v 1.1. I know there is a v 2.0, but what is nanoPEB F18?

 

[+Lee Stewart]

Two of the poll choices do not make sense, viz., “nanoPEB CF7+” and “nanoPEB F18 v1”. They should probably be “CF7+” and “nanoPEB v1”, respectively. The nanoPEB and CF7+ are different devices, though the “floppy” controller part is the same. And, what has the F18 (F18A?) to do with this poll?

 

...lee

 

 

 

Yeah, my nanoPEBs are v 1.0 or v 1.1. I know there is a v 2.0, but what is nanoPEB F18?

 

DSCF3471.JPG

 

Oops! I had forgotten about Jaime’s v1 mod of the nanoPEB’s power-up time to avoid a conflict with the F18A, which appears on the title screen as “NANOPEB-F18 V1”. That makes three nanoPEB-specific versions:

• nanoPEB v1
• nanoPEB-F18 v1
• nanoPEB v2

 

...lee

[+Schmitzi]

The drive TI used is a SSDD drive (180K)--but the TI controller can only format it as SSSD (90K). The article is correct--but also potentially confusing. You can only get 180K out of a stock TI system by using a DSDD (360K) drive to format DSSD (180K) disks. If you ever get a DD controller, those same drives will be able to be used at full capacity--so it doubles your effective storage space.

 

I have re-changed and tried to figure it out, not to get confused

hope that works

 

http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions