If the drive is "intelligent" enough to perform writes, i.e. if it has a
local data buffer, then it's likely to have a master oscillator. Since it
has adjustments for "window" (probably related to FM clock recovery) and
"gap" probably limiting the write-turn-on/off gap lengths, i.e. the capture
window, allowing it to determine when it failed to "see" and address mark,
I'd suspect that those have gotten tweaked out.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: Needed: 1 IBM 8" alignment disk.
>> >They'll be a master clock, probably also used for writing. Check this
>> >with a 'scope or frequency counter. If it's incorrect, find out why.
>> >
>>
>> Generally, there isn't a master clock. Among the drives I've been
working
>
>Not on a raw drive, sure. But this is a drive/controller combination, and
>it appears that at least some faults are in the controller section.
>
>Somebody's going to prove me wrong, but I've never seen a _controller_
>without some kind of master clock.
>
>> on over the past months, none had onboard oscillators with the exception
of
>> the microprocessor-controlled Mitsubishi. That's why there are one-shots
>> and the like. The writing is accomplished by using both outputs from a
>> flipflop which is toggled by every positive edge on the data stream which
is
>> generated on the controller.
>>
>
>Yep, sure for a plain drive....
>[And I agree with the PLL comments that I've deleted -- very few _drives_
>have a clock recovery PLL, but a lot of controllers do!]
>
>-tony
>
Received on Tue Nov 30 1999 - 15:49:12 GMT