Cheap solution for HD floppy aka '1.44 MB', but really 1.6 MB :-)

[ParanoidLittleMan]

People still wants possibility to use HD floppies with their Atari ST(E) machines, especially as they are much easier to find than DD floppies. And we can say same for floppy drives - 1.44 MB PC floppy drives lay around (I have thread about here), so why not invest little money and time and replace faulty old drive with newer, capable to work with 1.6 MB floppies.

This is intended for STE machines in first place.

 

First step is to add so called HD circuit in ST(E) :

http://atari.8bitchip.info/autostep.html

That really costs not much, no need for quartz and is good for STE and ST . Of course all can be solved with 1 GAL instead 4 74xx chips - I leave it to someone other if wants. I'm too busy with TOS improving.

 

Second step is testing is it work reliable with existing WD1772 in your Atari. Just because big %-age of them can work reliable at 16 MHz. So was with my 520 ST around 1990 - although I used there different way, what is simple too, but not good for STE. If work not, you need to get FDC which can. Ajax chip is made with HD floppies in mind (Mega STE) , and I guess some still sell it.

 

Third step is to use it - no need for TOS patches, step rate fixing SW .