3.5" floppy drive in IBM XT?

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Tue Apr 8 00:50:01 2003

On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Joe wrote:

> At 03:41 PM 4/7/03 -0700, you wrote:
> >On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Joe wrote:
> >> I picked up an old IBM XT today and it has a 3.5" floppy drive in it
> >> (and it works!) Anybody ever heard of this?
> >
> >Presumably, that is a 720K drive (subject to what the extra controller
> >is). IBM sold internal and external 720Ks for the XT. To do it their
> >way, you need PC-DOS 3.20 or newer, and need to do a DRIVER.SYS in
> >CONFIG.SYS. But you could also use a 720K with certain OEM
> >(NON-IBM) versions of MS-DOS 2.11.
> >
> >And the PC-JX (not available in U.S.) was available with 720K drives.
> >
> >
> >> The drive has it's own
> >> controller card and both it and the drive appear to be IBM parts. )I
> >> haven't pulled everything apart to be sure.) FWIW the computer also
> >
> >Do you mean that it is NOT connected to the same controller as the
> >5.25" drive?
>
>
> My mistake. It IS on the same controller. It didn't look like it till I got it apart.
>
>
> >
> >> has a FH 5 1/4" floppy drive and a HH 5 1/4" 10 Mb hard drive with a
> >> Seagate logo on the front of it. Anybody know if this is an original
> >> XT hard drive or a replacement drive? It's been so long since I've
> >> seen an original XT with the 10 Mb drive that I don't remember much
> >> about it.
> >Which model Seagate? It is likely to be an aftermarket drive.
>
> I expect that you're right. But it definitely appears to be connected an an IBM controller card. Interesting tidbit; the controller has BOTH data cables installed on it even though there's only one hard drive. The cables are stacked one on top of the other and taped together. I think this is the only time that I've ever seen a controller that came with two data cables.
>
> FINALLY got the drive out! Two screws on the side (inside side,
> of course!) had backed out partially and jammed it up good. The
> drive is a ST 238R (32Mb) so it's definitely not an original
> drive.

Interesting question is whether it is being used as a 21mb MFM
drive or as a 33mb RLL. My guess would be 21mb.

                                                - don
>
> Joe
>
> >
> >--
> >Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin_at_xenosoft.com
Received on Tue Apr 08 2003 - 00:50:01 BST